The room is quiet, lit in a soft yellow glow of the candles.

“Peyton.” Oliver’s voice startles me when he appears from the entrance in the wall opposite of where I’m standing. “What are you doing here?” He smiles, approaching me with a curious stare. Dressed in a navy pinstripe suit with a crisp white shirt and a tie which matches his suit, he looks like he’s about to head into a board meeting.

“I wanted to talk to you.” I sound shy and nervous, but I’m not. He took my brother on as a submissive, and even though I never thought of Chance in this lifestyle, I never saw myself in it either. As long as he’s happy, I’ll support him.

“Of course.” Oliver offers me a hand. “Sit, please, Peyton.” He gestures to the chair beside him. “What can I do for you?” His rich, decadent tone is calming, and I know now why he’s so alluring for all the submissives who walk into Sins. Carrick may be the man-whore, but it’s Oliver who’s the older, distinguished man who’ll offer anything you want. Being a sadist, he caters to masochists, but his age affords him the perfect Daddy Dom scenario.

“My brother, he’s not used to all this, but I just wanted to talk to you about looking after him. I know you will. There’s no doubt in my mind, but I was concerned about—”

“Peyton, darling, let me assure you of something. All the subs I’ve had in my dungeon have come out stronger, surer of themselves, and they’ve loved every minute I spent with them in there. I don’t talk about my relationships.”

He settles back, watching me for a moment, and I feel foolish for coming here and asking him about it. Not that I wanted to know what he does, but more that he’ll not break Chance’s heart.

“This is something I live twenty-four seven. I’m a lot of things to different people. Yes, I do train many slaves and subs, but I also find myself indifferent to monogamy. If I feel that I want to be with your brother and perhaps another woman, I will do so.”

He’s silent for a moment longer, giving me time to digest his words.

I nod.

He smiles.

"There’s never an easy way of diving into my world. Granted, not all people enjoy the same things, but I’ll never hurt someone when they don’t want it. I’m not proud of some of the things I’ve done, but what I do within the walls of my dungeon stays there.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to question you.” Meeting his steel-gray eyes, I smile.

“I can certainly see why Rick is so enamored with you,” he utters almost reverently.

“It was my choice to walk away, but he’s moved on,” I tell him sadly.

“Oh, sweet Peyton, you have that man by the balls. I’ve seen Dominants fall for the subs they train, but nothing like Rick and you. What you’ve found with him is something that doesn’t come easy.” He sounds so sure of himself I almost believe it. I want to. My heart wants to grab at his words and hold them tight, but I can’t allow myself to feel.

“He’s . . . complicated.”

“Aren’t all men complicated?” he quips, his mouth turning up into a grin. The fine wrinkles at the corner of his eyes show his age, along with the silver strands that color his dark hair.

“I suppose they are,” I tell him. “But this is different. I mean, he’s still in love with his ex. I mean, I look like her. That’s why he wanted me in the first place.”

“Peyton, has he told you he still loves her?” I shake my head no. “So, you’re putting words into his mouth that he never once uttered.” I nod. “Let me tell you something. A long time ago, when I first became a Master to a beautiful slave, I fell hard. Infatuated with everything about her. She had long brown hair that reminded me of the warmest chocolate, her eyes, the color of roasted chestnuts, and skin that was smooth, tanned, and silky.”

He smiles, then pushes off the chair, striding toward a small cabinet.

“I trained her, fell in love with her, and then she left. Walked out one day without a word. I thought I had done something wrong. Perhaps pushed her past her boundaries. But one night, I walked into Sins. Years later, mind you,” he continues as he pours a drink. When he nears me once more, he offers me a glass of a red wine, which smells delicious.

“And she was there?”

He nods. “She was. Hanging off the arm of another Master. When she saw me, she blanched. I didn’t go to her, I didn’t even acknowledge I’d seen her. Instead, I moved on, but I didn’t forget her. When I chose a new slave, she was the spitting image of Anna. I did it to see if it was love or lust. When you love someone in this lifestyle, it’s difficult sometimes to distinguish between need and want, to please, and real love.”

I’m hooked on every word. My heart thudding against my ribs as I listen to the man who seems to have more heartache shining in his gray eyes than anyone I’d ever met.

“Most submissives and slaves become lost when they don’t have someone who can offer them what they need. They seek it out, and sometimes it’s dangerous. The same for a Dominant. He craves that control, and when he loses that, he can end up spiraling, and that’s what happened to Rick. When he lost Aurora, he didn’t take on another sub the way he did you.”

His eyes meet mine. There’s a gentle plea in them.

“He may have first chosen to train you because you looked like her, but I don’t believe for a second he fell in love with you because of it. Your looks may have cracked his shell, but it was your personality, your fire, who you are as a person that made him love you. When you walked in, you were the reckoning. Either he’d fall for you, Peyton, or he’d have one more chance to say goodbye to the girl with the blonde hair and pretty green eyes. He’d fuck you, spank you, and move on to the next.”

“But, he didn’t move on. At least, not until I told him I needed time. Learning about the fact that I was just a reminder of this girl he’d lost so long ago hurt.”

“Of course, it will hurt. There’s no doubt about it. But, what I’m saying is, he fell in love again, so his heart is free. He gave it to you. You may look alike, but you’re two very different people. When you love someone, it’s not the outer appearance that you love, it’s the soul, the heart of that person.”

He’s right.

“If you really love Carrick, I would suggest you show him. Give him the choice to decide what he wants. However, if you can no longer submit to him, then move on. He’s a Dominant. It’s his nature, who he is. If he can’t have that, he loses himself, and it won’t work between you both.”

“I just need time. A day or two to think about it.”

He nods. Taking my hand in his, he pulls me into his arms. They’re warm, almost father like. His spicy scent reminds me of a cold winter’s day sitting by the fire with hot chocolate and cinnamon. Oliver plants a chaste kiss on the top of my head.

He takes a step back, meeting my gaze. “You’re a good girl, Peyton. You’ll both be happy, just don’t rush into anything. He’ll wait.”

“How do you know he will?” I saw Carrick with that woman a few days ago while she sat on his lap draped over him. He saw me, looked into my eyes, and smiled. My heart cracked just a little. But then again, we both played games. I went into the back room with Oliver to make him jealous. But nothing happened, that’s a small tidbit Rick doesn’t know.

“He’ll wait because he loves you. There’s no one else he’d rather have kneeling for him.”

“And you know that?”

“Because I understand him. We share the same desires, needs, and when a man like me loves, we love for eternity.” He sounds so confident and sure. His voice deep, a rumble that vibrates through us both.

“As do I, Oliver,” I respond, earning me a smile and a nod. “I do love him. Perhaps it’s time I pulled on my big girl panties and went to him.”

“You need to be very sure it’s what you want. But I know my friend, he’s not going to push or force you into anything. However, if you walked in there right now, I assure you, he’d take you back this instant. And I know that he’s not been with anyone since. He has taken subs to the rooms, but I know he hasn’t been inside any woman since you.”

“You can’t know that for sure.”

“I can, darling,” he assures me.

“Thank you for everything, Oliver.” I smile, leaning up on my tip-toes, I plant a soft kiss on his cheek. The stubble that dusts it tickles my lips. “I appreciate everything.”

He releases me. I turn to leave, but before I have time to leave the room, Oliver calls to me. “If you ever need anything, Peyton, I’m here for you.”

Nodding, I smile up at him. “Thank you.”