Presley sighed heavily through her nose and mumbled something incoherent beneath the black ball in her mouth.
Aidan arched his brow. “Pardon?”
Dmitri chuckled and unclipped the gag from around her head. Presley grunted as the ball dropped from her mouth. He said again, “Tell him.”
Presley looked to Dmitri’s chest. “I called you a douchebag.”
“Did you?” Aidan asked.
She lifted her head and stared him dead in the eye. He swore that gaze threw daggers at him. “Yes, I did, sir.”
“Naughty tonight, you are.” Dmitri shook his head slowly. “Go to the bathroom and wipe off your chest. It looks”—he smirked—“a little bit wet.”
She glanced down. “Great. I drooled. Wow. That’s sexy.” Not giving her Dom another look, she took a step forward.
“Presley,” Dmitri called.
She glanced over her shoulder, and he added, “I hope this lesson won’t be repeated. You never insult Club Sin Masters. Is that clear?” At her soft nod, his eyes blazed. “Once you’re done, return to the spanking bench. The other issue still needs to be resolved.”
The loudest sigh escaped her mouth. “Yes, sir.” She turned to Ai
dan. “I apologize for calling you a douchebag.”
No, she really wasn’t sorry. Those daggers in her gaze killed him where he stood. After she hurried off to the bathroom, he glanced to Dmitri. “Don’t be too hard on her. In this regard, I think she might be right.”
“Believe me, I know she’s right,” Dmitri replied. “But rules are rules.”
Christ, he deserved the reprimand. How had he not seen what Cora told him? Dmitri had suggested it. Kyler had told him of it. But Aidan had never noticed because at the time she shut down he’d drowned in his pain. He’d never seen the change in her and he thought she’d been okay with what they shared.
Aidan crumbled against the couch next to Dmitri. “I take it you heard what happened.”
“I overheard Cora telling Presley and Kenzie.” Dmitri replied, his voice ice cold. “It’s best to tell you that Cora asked to add you to her hard limits.”
The world somersaulted around Aidan. For one second, everything stopped: his heartbeat to the noise in the club to time. He thrust his hand into his hair, forcing the buzzing in his ears away. “Did she?”
Dmitri gave him a long look, cocking his head to the side. “I told her I’d give her a month to cool down. If she still wants you added, then I can’t stop her.” He leaned in to Aidan, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I see that idea upsets you. As your friend, I’m asking if you can live with that.”
Aidan rubbed the back of his neck. Fuck, she’d dropped a bombshell on him. Instead of giving him time, she completely shut him out. You did the same to her. While logically he accepted that, this wasn’t as easy as Dmitri suggested. Those demons within had won, and they taunted him. “If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you.”
Dmitri gave Aidan a hard slap on his back. “I suggest you figure it out soon.” He gestured to the left. “Or you’ll be seeing a lot more of that.”
Aidan followed his gaze and his muscles went rigid. There, on the other side of the dungeon, Cora knelt beside Porter as he sat on a stool. Logic vanished from Aidan’s mind. His muscles strained against his skin and his pulse elevated.
For fuck’s sake, he’d gone to Porter to find out Cora’s problems. Now he’d unknowingly led her right back into her ex’s arms. “Why is she with him?” he asked through gritted teeth.
Dmitri cupped Aidan’s shoulder, giving it a hard squeeze. “She needs comfort. She’s not dealing with this well.”
A gut-wrenching sensation made it impossible for Aidan to breathe. To know she struggled ruined him. He had inadvertently destroyed the strongest submissive. More than that, her kneeling for Porter and how he touched her head gave Aidan tunnel vision.
Her posture was tense and her shoulders curled forward, caving in her chest. She didn’t belong there. Nor did she lean in to Porter’s touch. Part of Aidan wanted to go to her, force her to his side. The responsible Dom in him knew better. Porter offered her a safe place—stability Aidan couldn’t give her.
He had done enough damage already. Clenching his fists in his lap, he refused to look at an image forever burned into his mind. “Fuck,” he muttered.
“Cora isn’t playing with him,” Dmitri replied. “He’s there to let her mind quiet. She doesn’t want anyone else. She’s waiting for you.” His features hardened, voice firmed. “What are you going to do about it?”
Aidan ran his hands over his face. What am I going to do? Cora had given so much to his life, but could he reciprocate, was he good for her or for anyone?—that answer remained unknown. “I didn’t know—”
“You are not stupid,” Dmitri interjected sternly. “Please don’t act like it.”