Page 34 of Vengeance of Childhood Proportions (Till Death Do Us Part #7)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Mal

My little owl came back down slowly. All submissives handled subspace differently.

When I’d experienced it under Mistress Charleen’s sturdy hand, I’d felt like I was walking on clouds.

It was a hazy experience, featherlight, but also not one that I was too fond of.

I was too much a control freak to allow myself to be that out of it again.

This was the first time I’d had a submissive experience subspace without my direct guidance. I wasn’t entirely sure what had caused her to tip over the edge in such a profound way. That level of pleasure wasn’t generally achieved just from fucking, though I was sure it was possible.

Caring for her was no different. Since I was wearing a condom, cleanup was simple and quick.

Valentino kept a cabinet in every room with specific supplies.

I pulled two water bottles from the fridge, a blanket from the shelf, and a protein bar from the bowl.

She had pizza left, but that was carbs, not protein.

Wrapping her in the blanket, I lifted her head, sat down, and then rested her on my thigh. Since there were no marks to care for, at least not until after her discipline, I offered her comfort with soft words of praise and light strokes on her cheek below her mask.

I was beginning to wonder if she’d fallen asleep, as many do, when she turned her face into my thigh. Rubbing her cheek against my skin, she let out a long, contented sigh. “Mal…”

I let the lack of title slide. She wasn’t the only one riding a high. I’d had a lot of sex in my life. That sex included a lot of variety. What we’d done was near mundane in comparison, and yet it was one of the most sensual experiences of my life.

It brought back Master David’s inquiry as to whether I’d found my girl. Was it too soon to hope that I had? I didn’t think so. My little owl felt right under me, in a way no other woman ever had before.

I knew she came with baggage. Beyond the mask still on her face, there was Master Kade to deal with. I didn’t understand their dynamic, and that bothered me. Additionally, she’d obviously been hurt before. I hated that idea. Hated the fact that she’d been hurt.

Safe, sane, consensual.

It was the foundation of BDSM. Beyond the toys—and fuck, there were a lot of toys—and the power exchange, there was an understanding of consent.

People not in the lifestyle misunderstood that Doms held the power.

And we did, but it was not taken. Never taken .

Submissives gave us that power, gave us the privilege and the responsibility of it. There was no one without the other.

The moment that safe word was spoken, the moment that ‘safety’ was compromised, it was over. No more power, no more exchange.

This beautiful creature by me had offered someone that power and they had not given her safety in return.

I did not blame her for her inability to be bound.

In a twisted way, I was looking forward to the challenge that experiencing dominating her would provide me.

I was in no way grateful she’d been hurt, but I could still appreciate the challenge.

If I ever found out who hurt her… I closed my eyes, resting my head back on the cushion. I did not want her to sense or misunderstand my wrath. I was a federal agent. I believed in the law, but fuck, I hated that there was someone out there that had hurt my little owl.

She started to stir more.

I sat up, shifting my attention downward. “Welcome back,” I said lightly, still stroking her face.

She hummed, turning into my touch. “Good to be back, Sir.”

“Just ‘Mal’,” I corrected. “When we’re like this, it’s just ‘Mal’.”

She opened her mouth and then clearly bit her lip before glancing away from me. I might be lenient post-orgasm, but I still did not like her looking away. I tipped her chin up, and her eyes flew back to mine.

“We agreed you would be ‘Little Owl’,” I told her gently. “That is fine for now. The fact that I can tell you want to tell me your name means a lot, but it is still no excuse for looking away from me.”

Her cheeks pinkened. “Sorry. I didn’t realize how used to hiding I was until you kept telling me to look at you.”

I tapped her mask jokingly. “Really? I never noticed.”

She giggled. “Touché.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Like I could either run a marathon or sleep for the next week.”

It was my turn to chuckle. “Yeah, that’s generally the right reaction. Have you ever reached subspace before?”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so…heady. What did you do?”

I also shook my head. “This time it wasn’t me, Little Owl. I won’t take credit where it’s not due. I think it had to do with you,” I tapped the skin of her forehead above the mask, “up here. What were you thinking or feeling just before you tipped?”

I was coming to adore that little blush on her cheeks. “How safe you made me feel. How I didn’t have to look for an exit with you.”

Fuck, so simple and yet it explained so much. I felt fucking ten feet tall knowing that it wasn’t something I’d done to her but for her that had allowed her to fly.

Bending down, I took her mouth. I didn’t generally kiss my submissives. Maybe in greeting or in thanks, but rarely did the intimacy between us reach the height where a kiss felt right. Just another way this little owl was so very different.

It had been a long time since a woman had spent the night in my bed, yet I suddenly loathed that we were not at my house, in my bedroom.

I knew we weren’t there yet. There was so much that still needed to be said and done between us before we could ever consider reaching that step, but the very fact that I was thinking about it, longing for it, was momentous.

I needed to put some distance between us before I did something ridiculously embarrassing. Master David would bust a lung laughing if he could see just how off my game I was with this woman.

Sitting upright, I reached for the water bottle I had pulled out earlier for her.

“Drink the whole thing,” I instructed. “Then up against the wall. It’s time for your punishment.

I’m feeling generous tonight, so I’ll say twenty-five swats and call it even.

You will be sore tomorrow, which is another reason I dislike not having a way to contact you. ”

She accepted the water bottle. “I have your card. Can I call your office tomorrow?”

Recalling her near panic attack from before, I did not push asking why she did not have a phone. She should have one, not just to reach out to me, but also in case of an emergency. Instead, I offered, “Do you need a phone? I can purchase one for you, if that’s the case.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want you spending money on me if you don’t have to. I’ll speak with Master Kade in the morning and then I’ll call your office. I promise.”

I didn’t like it, but it was approaching midnight and there wasn’t much I could do about the circumstances. That compounded the issue, grating on my nerves even more. I pointed to the water bottle in her hand. “Quit stalling, pet. It’ll only delay the inevitable.”