Page 114 of Stable Hand

He began to shake as I hosed him down.

“Sorry, is the water too cold?” I asked.

Luke shook his head.

“Are you okay?”

Luke shook his head again.

“Liv,” I said, “Something’s wrong with Luke.” Not even thinking, I reached up and unfastened Luke’s wrist restraints. He hadn’t safeworded, but I could tell something wasn’t right.

By the time Liv came over, I had Luke in my arms. I’d had to drop the hose and grab him to keep him from falling to the tiled floor.

Liv put a hand to Luke’s forehead. “He’s not overly warm. Could be sub drop. Happens after an intense session sometimes.”

She helped me wrap Luke in a huge towel and bring him to a chair by the table. He sat hunched forward when I released him, head hanging, hands finding each other and twisting together.

“He’s crying,” Liv said quietly to me. “Emotional breakdown after a scene is not uncommon, but I’ve never seen Luke lose control. Not from pony play or anything Kamal has ever done.”

“We were with Lorraine,” I said. “But it was nothing, only some puppy play.”

Liv glanced at me strangely. “Puppy play isn’t nothing. Especially if you’ve never done it before. Has he?”

“I don’t think so. I mean, it wasn’t like the stuff he does with Kamal. No pain or anything.”

Liv’s forehead creased. “Maybe we should get her.”

“Lorraine?”

“Or Kamal. Or Adam. A trainer.”

*

Within a few minutes Adam and Lorraine were there.

“Kamal is off-site right now, but he told us to text him if we need him to come in,” Adam said as Lorraine approached the seated Luke.

Lorraine knelt in front of him and put her hands on Luke’s cheeks, lifting his face. “Hey, look at me. What’s going on? Was it something we did today?”

But Luke’s eyes remained closed. He was chewing on his lip and mumbling something.

“I can’t hear you, darling. What?” Lorraine said so gently I felt the sting of tears in my eyes.

“We’ll bring him to the house,” Adam said quickly. “I think I know what’s going on, but he may not want to share the information with—” He glanced at Jensen. “—well, with anyone.”

There was no way I was letting Luke out of my sight right now. They could all fight me. “I want to stay with him,” I said firmly.

“I know you do. But I promise we’ll look after him. Lorraine and me. All we’re going to do is make him comfortable, dry him, and get him dressed. And I’ll talk to him and let you know when he’s ready to see you.”

“No!” Luke said as his head snapped up. His eyes flashed like a frightened deer’s in the bright lights of the grooming barn. “I’m fine. I’m fine. I need to talk to Jensen. Alone.”

“You’re soaking wet,” Lorraine said.

“I’m fine. Can everyone just leave? I need to talk to Jensen.”

Lorraine and Adam looked at each other. Then Adam nodded. “Of course.” He turned to Liv. “Get the others finished up and on their way. And you and Adrian can have your lunch first and clean up later. Go up to the house, there are sandwiches in the fridge.”

Soon they’d left and only Luke and I remained. The whirr of the air-conditioning provided a gentle, calming backdrop.