“How can a sub be comfortable with thatsort of passion without trust first?” I’d never understood that kind of logic,but I’d long since realized I was in the minority.
“I can see where you’re coming from. Tostart, I would say avoid the Doms in politics. They aren’t bad people, but Idon’t think you would see things the same way, and their lives can be…complicated.”
Since I happened to agree, I nodded as hecontinued. “I think we should take a quick tour, then introduce you to a fewpeople.”
That sounded like my best option if I wasgoing to stay, but first, I had to ask about the man. “I think that’sreasonable, but first, can you tell me who the man in the white button-downshirt is?”
Shifting, I looked in his direction,relieved to see that he was still there. “He’s with a group of men in the farcorner. He’s familiar, but I can’t place him.”
Ben leaned around me, searching the roomuntil he nodded. “His back is to the wall? That’s Stuart—”
“Blake.” The word popped out before my mindhad a chance to catch up. “It’s Mr. Stuart.”
Ben chuckled. “Not what most people callhim, but yes. How do you know him?”
I ignored his teasing. “He was my neighborwhen I was younger.”
How could I have forgotten?
Ten years hadn’t changed him much. Ishould’ve recognized him right off the bat because I’d thought about him on andoff for longer than I should have. Maybe it was just that he looked so muchmore striking than I remembered him.
Clearly my childhood imagination hadn’toversold him like I’d always told myself. Age had only made him sexier, ormaybe that was my years changing how I saw him. “Do you think he would find itawkward if I said hello?”
I turned back to Ben to see him shaking hishead. “He’s a nice guy. It might take him a minute to get over the shock, butafter that, I’m sure he’d be fine.”
As I looked back at Mr.…no, just Stuart,Ben cleared his throat. “He’s a bit—”
I chuckled, interrupting. “Straightforwardand blunt.”
Ben grinned. “Not how some people describehim, but yes.”
“I’m glad.” My response seemed to confuseBen, but I thought it was logical. Why would I have wanted Stuart to havechanged? Knowing he was the same steady, trustworthy man made me want to grin,and I felt the stress that had been weighing on me finally lighten.
Maybe all the drama of getting into theclub would be worth it.
I wasn’t expecting Stuart to throw himselfat me, that would be ridiculous, but he’d always been nice to me. He couldn’thave changed that much.
Right?
Ignoring the new, odd tension buildinginside, I focused on Ben. “Would it be more appropriate for you to walk overwith me or is that not necessary?”
I wasn’t going to claim to understand allthe social rules. Ben made a noncommittal gesture with his hands. “Either waywould be fine, but I’ll walk over and say hello too.”
I could see that he thought he would needto save me from embarrassment, but I’d been such an annoying child there was noway Stuart would’ve forgotten me. “Perfect.”
Picking up my bottle of water, I stoodbefore he could find another ridiculous question. This had not gone as I’d planned.
Ben seemed to bounce between worried andfinding me cute, neither of which I appreciated, but he led me across the roomwithout complaint. The space was starting to thin out, so as we made our wayover to Stuart, we got several curious looks.
Most men couldn’t seem to decide how toclassify me, but there were a few obvious Doms that didn’t seem to mind thefact that I’d come in fully clothed. I nodded toward a few that had a goodfeeling to them, making mental notes about who I might want to question Benabout.
As we finally walked up to Stuart and themen he was talking to, he looked over and studied me. He couldn’t seem to placeme, but he didn’t look away either. The serious, almost studious expressionbrought back a wave of memories that made me smile.
When we were within a few feet, Ben startedto speak, but I jumped in, smiling at a still-confused Stuart. “Mr. Stuart, you will be pleased to know I have finishedmy math, and I didn’t run through your flower bed.”
There were a few seconds of silence wherehis friends just stared like the bug they’d been watching had started to quoteShakespeare, but Stuart’s eyes lit up and he started to laugh.
Everyone else seemed stunned as he stood upand walked around a small table to hug me. Leaning back as he held on to me, hestudied my face before shaking his head. “You sure you don’t need help withyour homework? Math never was your favorite subject, kiddo.”
