Page 87 of Dignity

Chapter Twenty-Three

We secure office space for our campaign headquarters and, by New Year’s, I have my initial personnel there and setting wheels in motion.

I no longer feel jealous when Chris comes home late from Shae’s. No, I’m not a dick to her with Chris. I only forbid her from coming with him twice, and both times were in response to her being mouthy with me at work inways I couldn’t correct her for then and there.

Even Chris agreed with me that doesn’t cross the work-play line, because I didn’t correct her in front of people. I’m simply modifying her behavior after the fact.

Both times, I fucked her that night without letting her come, knowing Chris would be visiting her later.

Don’t feel too sorry for her. After our return from that first trip to Florida,most mornings Chris and I visit her place first, sometimes for sex or sometimes not, but he leaves me there so I can ride with her to work, because like hell am I buying a car.

It also sets up logical reasons for Chris to know Senator Samuels—his roommate and friend work for her, and he has a car and kindly takes me there.

It’s during the second week of January when a slight…hitchappears inthis smoothly humming new world order between us.

Chris drops me off that morning and heads straight to work without going inside because he has meetings. Shae awaits me the way she always does—naked and kneeling in the front hall, far enough back she can’t be seen when I enter.

We both now have keys to her place.

“Good girl.” I’m already dressed for work. The mornings we’re both nailing her,we usually arrive in sweats and then shower and dress there after our…”workout.”

I walk over to her and stroke her hair. She’s already had her shower and just needs me to give her permission to get dressed. “How’s my girl this morning?”

It’s the deep breath she takes that tells me there’s trouble. And the pensive look on her face.

“May I speak, Sir?”

“Of course.”

It takes her a moment, though.We’re not in a hurry this morning. We have an hour before we have to leave. Her car drops me off at the campaign headquarters first, and Chris will pick me up tonight.

I don’t rush her. I can’t deny some dread fills me. With Chris, she gets the nearly brutal level of physical play she craves. My sadism takes different forms. I make her kneel, wait, obey. Not just because it amuses me, but becauseI want my girl’s public face honed to perfections. If she can hold her calm center in place with me and what we do, she’ll ace her debates and every interview she endures. She’ll be grace under pressure with a genuine warmth that won’t put off those looking for any reason to not like her.

They’ll see quiet strength they can admire without any excuse or careless words on her part to wield againsther and label her a bitch, or hysterical, or too emotional.

“I’m in love with you, Sir.”

I freeze, trying to process that. Alone with Chris, he’s told me everything they’ve done, with her knowledge and permission. I don’t doubt she loves him as a friend the way he loves her, too, but never like…this.

I also have to process the fact that, when I really stop to think about it, I’m in love withher, too. In a different way than I love Chris, but definitely at a different level than I love Lauren.

I hold out my hands to her and motion for her to take them. I help her to her feet. “I love you, too, girl.” I kiss her hands and hold them pressed against my chest. Yes, I realize now where I developed that habit from.

From a week in Daytona and a man that totally captured my soul.

“Is theremore?” I ask.

She nods. “I want to be your slave, Sir,” she quietly admits. “I want to completely belong to you, the way you belong to Christopher.”

To reduce confusion, if all three of us are together, Chris is Sir by default. But when it’s just me and Shae, she calls me Sir, and refers to him as Christopher.

I wrap my arms around her. “That would be his decision.”

“I know, Sir.”

Processingthis is going to take me a moment. “You mean beyond sex and play?”

She nods. “Yes, Sir. In every way.”