Brie Faces her Master's Fears (After Graduation, #4) (17 page)

Brie opened her mouth and the warm liquid brought its soothing relief, caressing her throat. He put the cup down and lifted a spoonful of the hot cereal to her lips.

“You’ll feel better soon.”

“Thank you,” she said. A tear fell down her cheek.

He wiped it away. “No need to cry.”

Baron gave her another spoonful. She looked around his apartment, noting several photos of a beautiful woman with dark skin, an inviting smile and a collar around her neck.

“Your submissive, Baron?” she asked, pointing to a photo.

He looked at the photo and nodded slowly. In a quiet voice he added, “We’re parted.”

Brie frowned, sad to learn that Baron was alone.

“Eat,” he insisted, letting her know it was not a topic up for discussion.

After the plate was empty and the last sip of tea had been drunk, he tucked the blanket around her and ordered her to sleep. She settled down, not thinking sleep was possible.

“Brie…”

She felt a gentle nudge and heard her name again.
Master’s voice.

Her eyes flew open and she saw Sir’s beloved face. He sat beside her and pulled her onto his lap, rocking her as if she was a child. She buried her face in his chest and cried with relief.

“Shhh, babygirl. I’m here now…”

Lovers to Friends

T
he fallout from the incident affected Brie in ways she could not have imagined. Sir was angry with himself. “Here I was so concerned about Wallace that you ended up going to a
den
of wolves. Well, that won’t happen again, Brie,” he stated forcibly.

Brie worried about what it would mean for her—for them both. Sir seethed with a quiet anger she could not reach past. She was grateful when he finally decided to speak with his friend Master Anderson. After several visits with him, Sir set up a long meeting with Marquis Gray.

She had no idea what had been discussed, but when Sir returned from Marquis Gray he seemed more like himself. “Sit with me, Brie.”

She moved over to him and sat on the couch. “Yes, Sir?”

“I realize I have not been easy to live with lately, and you have suffered for it.”

“It has been difficult, Sir,” she admitted, bowing her head.

“Brie, unfortunately you are collared to a man haunted by ghosts of the past. I have been shaped by those events and cannot react the way most people do.”

“I accept that, Sir.”

He swept her hair back gently. “You are a challenge for me in so many ways, téa.” She looked at him questioningly. In response, Sir pressed her head against his chest and held her tightly against him. “I couldn’t save my father, but I damn well am going to protect you.”

She smiled, content in her Master’s caring embrace.

They spent the afternoon unpacking the rest of her boxes, making her stay more permanent for them both. During their work, Sir came across the wax casting Tono had made of her. He held it up and stared at it for while before announcing, “I believe I will call Tono and ask if he can come over tonight. The meeting has been put off for far too long.”

“If it pleases you, Sir,” she answered. Brie wondered how she would feel seeing Tono now. So much had happened since graduation—it seemed like a lifetime ago.

When the doorbell rang later that evening, Brie felt only peace as she opened the door to her former training Dom. Tono’s eyes were as gentle and kind as she remembered, despite the reality of their past. He handed her a bottle of sake.

“It is good to see you, Miss Bennett.”

It was strange hearing him call her ‘Miss Bennett’ and not ‘Toriko’. She took the bottle graciously. “Thank you, Tono Nosaka.” She gestured him inside, then closed the door slowly behind him, struck by how surreal it was to invite Tono into Sir’s apartment.

“Thank you for coming, Ren,” Sir said, getting up from the couch. He shook Tono’s hand and then instructed Brie, “Set the sake in the kitchen and start a pot of water boiling.”

Brie bowed and followed his orders, assuming the boiling water must be the way to warm sake. When she returned to Sir, she was surprised to see his hand on Tono’s shoulder and a serious look on his face. Tono nodded once and turned to Brie.

“You are completing your documentary. It pleases me to hear it.”

She avoided his gaze, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. The last time they’d talked, he’d told her how proud he was of her work and that he would support Brie’s career as her Dom. Guilt clouded her heart, making it painfully clear that she was
not
ready for this meeting.

Sir answered for her. “Yes, Brie is working diligently on it. Mr. Holloway has some suggestions she is currently filming. Why don’t we move to the kitchen and Brie can tell you about it?”

Tono and Brie sat at the table while Sir took out a small flask. Brie couldn’t bring herself to speak, so she watched as Sir poured the sake into the flask before placing it in the boiling water.

“What were you asked to add?” Tono inquired.

Brie blushed and turned to him, smiling hesitantly. “Shots of the Training Center, interviews with trainers, and…more in-depth interviews with Lea and Mary.”

Sir interjected, “That is how the three inadvertently ended up at the club.”

Tono nodded in understanding.

Brie felt heat rise to her cheeks, knowing that Tono had been informed of the incident at The Kinky Goat. She looked away, feeling the shame of the experience wash over her.

She felt Sir’s hand on her shoulder. “But that is not why I asked you to come tonight.” Sir set three sake cups on the table and poured the warmed sake into them before sitting down. “How is your family, Ren?”

“My father returned to Japan last week. My family in general is in good health.”

“To your family’s continued good health,” Sir stated, holding up a small sake cup.

He handed Brie her sake, and she held it up before sipping the warm rice wine. It had a plum flavor that was slightly sweet and incredibly tasty.

She stared at the cup, trying to build up the courage to ask. “Was your father relieved when I did not choose you?”

Tono waited until she looked up and met his unwavering gaze. “He feels you made the appropriate choice, Miss Bennett.”

Brie looked back down at her cup, unsure how to respond.

“Ren, it is fine to call her Brie. ‘Miss Bennett’ is too formal given your history together.”

Tono picked up his cup and nodded. “To both of you.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Sir answered.

Brie lifted her cup and swallowed the last of the sake in it. Sir immediately filled up Tono’s and Brie’s cups and announced, “I’m heading off to the spare room to unpack Brie’s remaining boxes. I want to give you two a chance to speak freely.”

An uncomfortable silence filled the room when Sir left. It was broken when Tono said, “Brie, I understand your choice.”

She looked at him sadly.

He shook his head. “No, I do not need or want your sympathy. You made your choice. I accept it.”

When Brie did not answer, Tono leaned forward. “Your guilt does not honor me or what we shared.” He sat back in his chair slowly. “Seeing you happy is my only consolation at this point.”

“I…I never meant to hurt you.”

“Someone was going to get hurt. I knew what was at stake going in. I do not regret our time together, Brie. Do you?”

“No, Tono Nosaka, I do not.”

“Then we both move on, better for the time we shared together.”

“Yes,” she agreed.

They both drank their sake and he poured another round before stating, “I am looking into working with couples new to Kinbaku. There are many who would like to learn the art.”

“I’m sure there are, and you would be the perfect man to teach them. You have a patient soul and a true talent.”

“I’m currently looking for a sub to join me for the beginner courses. Most only want to be involved if there are advanced rope techniques or suspension involved.”

“That’s a shame. Even your simplest work is inspiring.”

He laughed good-naturedly. “Yes, I remember how easily you gave in to the rope.”

She joined in his laughter. “I think a lot of that had to do with your ‘breathe with me’ technique.”

“I will not deny there is method to my madness.”

She dared to look the handsome Japanese Dom in the eye. “I think you are an exceptional person, Tono Nosaka.”

His expression softened. “I feel the same, Brie. So this is where we go from lovers to friends.”

She picked up her cup. “To you, my friend.”

“To us.”

Tono shared some of his recent foibles in scening, including one with a new sub. The girl had had a panic attack while he had been hoisting her up, but her reaction had been to giggle hysterically. Everyone watching had thought she was having a wonderful experience, but he’d noticed her rapid breathing. He had asked her if she had reached red, but she’d shaken her head and giggled louder.

After several minutes, he had decided something wasn’t right and had cut her down. She’d grabbed onto him, laughing all the way to a private room. The entire club had laughed along with her even as they’d abandoned the scene.

“When I asked her why she’d answered no to being red, she told me she’d heard, ‘Do you eat sweetbread?’”

Tono had Brie laughing so hard that Sir came out to investigate.

“What is going on here?”

Brie was pointing at Tono, snickering. “Sweetbread!”

Tono shrugged. “She’s easily amused.”

Sir nodded in agreement. “Yes, it doesn’t take much.” He looked at her and smiled—the first relaxed smile since his return.

With the pleasant buzz of the sake flowing through her veins, she momentarily forgot Tono was there and purred, “I love you, Sir.”

He walked over and kissed the top of her head. “I try to convince myself that being easily amused is not the reason you chose me.”

She broke out in another peal of laughter that both Doms joined in on. The night ended on that light note.

Sir asked Brie to see Tono out while he stayed in the kitchen to wash up. She walked Tono to the door and smiled when he held out his hand to her.

“Good night, Brie. It’s been a pleasure.”

She took it, grateful they no longer had that awkward barrier between them. “Likewise, Tono Nosaka.”

After shutting the door, she returned to Sir to thank him, but the amorous look in his eyes told her he had other things on his mind.

“Come to me, téa.”

She glided over to her Master’s wet hands, and squealed when Sir swept her off her feet. He started towards the bedroom, pronouncing, “I’m going to fuck your sweetbreads.”

Brie giggled all the way down the hall.

Lovers to Friends