“I’ll be fine,” she said in a dull voice as Master Rob sat beside her on her sofa. She’d stayed at his house the night before. He’d insisted upon it and kept her close. As mostly what she’d done was cry, sniffle, and feel bad, she couldn’t have been good company, but he didn’t show any sign of wanting to be rid of her. In fact, she’d insisted on coming home this morning.
“Rebecca,” he said in a slightly scolding voice. “Don’t lie to me, but mostly don’t lie to yourself. You love him. And that’s going to take time to get over, especially since it seems he kept a few things from you.”
With a sigh she nodded and leaned against him. “Part of me doesn’t want to believe it all happened. I’m usually pretty good at spotting lies. Something at least pings in the back of my head so once a lie is revealed I can look back and it makes sense. But he never said anything that made me think he had a sub already.” And it hurt that that blonde was his type. Becca never would have pegged the sub as someone Kendrick would go for. There was something so… fake about her. Or maybe Becca was searching for ways to hate her when the only real reason was that she had Kendrick and Becca didn’t.
“You’ll be fine,” he assured her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m going to give you three days to work through your thoughts. Then you’ll start getting out.”
She groaned. “I’ve got to find a one month position to get me through July.” Nobody would hire her for the kind of money Elan Isle was paying for only a month.
“You’ll do it,” he said, as if there was no doubt in his mind of that fact. “In the meantime, you’ll attend my dinner party Sunday evening. We could use another serving dish and you set a table beautifully. Be there at four so they can prepare you.”
There was no question, just a quiet command, and while she wanted to argue, she didn’t. “Yes, Master Rob.” They would never be a couple, but she knew he cared for her, just like he cared for all of his past subs.
“Good girl. Now I suggest you get some sleep, imbibe in that rich chocolate drink you love, and curl up with a good book. If you need me, call.”
“Yes, Master Rob.”
He pulled her into a tight hug that she returned. His hugs always helped, but in this case, it only covered the pain in a warm blanket. The moment he released her, the blanket was taken away and she was left with the ache.
Once he left, she made herself a cup of European Hot Chocolate and curled up on her couch under a fluffy blanket. She drifted in and out of sleep, but was awakened abruptly by someone banging on her front door. Becca blinked at it in confusion. Who would knock on her door? Cassidy would but she was on Elan Isle. Unless she left.
Becca kicked off the blanket and went to the door. She pulled it open and wanted to slam it again. Kendrick stood on the other side, his blue eyes almost completely gray with deep emotion and a hard expression on his face. “May I come in?” he asked.
Why would he come all the way to Seattle to inform her of what she already knew? There was only one way to find out. “Okay.” She walked back to the sofa and curled up into the blanket while he stepped inside and shut the door behind him.