“I have no idea how I’m going to convince myself to get into that boat.”
I turn toward her and take her face in my hands.
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Kas. If you’re going to be submissive to me, one of my jobs is to provide you with safety and security. That’s my job as your Dom, and I won’t let you down. I’m going to get you safely to dry land.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Kas let’s out a long sigh and grips my fingers tightly as she watches the rescuers approach.
It takes a long while for the emergency crews to reach us. We have to break more of the stained-glass window in order to get out, and Kas cries again. I’m not sure if it’s because of the broken window or what we have to do next.
I speak softly into her ear, telling her everything is going to be all right, but it takes me a while to calm her down enough to convince her to let me lower her into the small motorboat just below the window. I lower myself quickly so she won’t feel alone. Once we’re both in the boat and surrounded by water, she grabs hold of me and won’t let go. I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly as the wind blows cold drizzle into my face. When we reach the road at the top of the hill, Kas is visibly relieved to be on solid ground again.
The emergency crew wraps us in dry blankets and immediately takes us to a waiting ambulance.
“Hey there, Cree.”
I look up to see Lynn in a blue uniform with an EMT emblem on her chest.
“Hey, Lynn. It’s good to see a friendly face.”
“Looks like you had a rough night,” she says.
“It was something; that’s for sure.” I glance at Kas and wink, and she blushes.
The EMTs insist on putting us both in the ambulance to check us out. Lynn gives Kas a once-over, immediately noticing the rope marks on her upper arms. She raises an eyebrow at me, grinning.
I glare at Lynn. I don’t want her saying anything inappropriate at this point. Kas is still shaken from the boat ride, and she doesn’t need anything else to stress about. Lynn rolls her eyes at me but gets the hint.
Ultimately, I’m grateful it’s Lynn checking Kas over and not someone who wouldn’t understand.
“I guess you are doing pretty well,” Lynn says as she wraps a blanket around Kas’s shoulders. “I’d still like you to go to the hospital and get checked out by a doctor, but it’s your choice.”
“I really just want to go home,” Kas says.
“You’re next,” Lynn says. She starts to take my blood pressure.
A police officer comes by and asks us a few basic questions, jots down some notes, and tells us we’re free to go once the EMT says so. Lynn takes the blood pressure cuff off my arm, and then checks the rest of my vitals. As she’s finishing up, I hear someone yelling my name.
“Cree!”
I look up to see Ivan standing on the other side of a line of caution tape, waving his arms around frantically. Next to him is Paula, the librarian from the night before, wringing her hands and looking around anxiously.
“There’s our ride, Kas,” I say as I nod in Ivan’s direction.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure he will offer.”
“Paula would take me home, too,” Kas says quietly.
“Do you want her to?” I tilt my head and stare into Kas’s eyes. “I’m trying to get the absolutely most time with you that I can here.”
Kas smiles, and I grin back at her.
“All right,” she says. “I’d like that, too.”