Luscious (Topped #1)(21)

Macon looked at Lisa and Laurel. He wasn’t really mad at them. They should be safe to talk here. He was the one who had screwed up. “I’m sorry, ladies. You’re right. I should have told her. Can you explain why you’re here?”

Laurel patted the baby’s back. “Sanctum has a training program for Doms and subs. The actual club costs are way too expensive for either of us, but Big Tag has a program where he lets us in if we help out where we can. Subs end up watching kiddos a lot. Well, the ones who like kids. Normally Vince would be with us, but he’s doing a play in Austin this week. He’s an actor and a total bottom. He’s got a great touch with Carys. She gets crabby. All the Doms in training are helping with the Sanctum rebuild.”

“After what I did with a jigsaw, they won’t let me near the construction,” Lisa explained.

Ally turned on him, pointing back to the kitchen. “Talk. Now.”

He stopped and crossed his arms over his chest because that tone did not sit right with him. He was always polite with her. He’d spent a week taking care of her, too. He’d done the marriage where his wife pushed him around. He wasn’t about to start that again.

She’d been walking toward the kitchen but stopped in her tracks when she realized he hadn’t moved. “What?”

“You should be more polite,” Laurel said in a singsong voice. She was bouncing a baby. “Shouldn’t she, Aidan? Yes, she should show some respect.”

She stopped for a minute and then turned back to him. “Could I talk to you in the kitchen, please?”

He nodded and followed her back, not looking forward to the next couple of minutes. Maybe she wouldn’t be here next week.

When he pushed through the kitchen door, she was leaning against the island. “Submissives? Doms?”

“My brother is into alternative lifestyles and as he is your host, I expect you to treat him with a modicum of respect.” He owed his brother. His brother had spent a lifetime with people judging him. He wasn’t going to bring another person into Adam’s life who might misunderstand him.

She frowned his way. “I haven’t been disrespectful to Adam.”

“And to me?” He’d done nothing to earn that glare from earlier or the way she’d hauled him in front of the Daley girls.

“Oh, god, you’re one of them.”

He was done. He had a job to do. He crossed to the island and started gathering the things he would need. “I’ll be back after the party. I’m sorry about the disturbance, but the babies should be gone sometime after midnight.”

The kitchen got quiet as he started organizing his things.

He felt a hand on his back and then Ally spoke quietly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“It’s not a problem.” Maybe he was more invested than he thought. He really didn’t like the way she’d reacted. It bugged him. He could handle her ordering him around when it came to healthcare. That felt like caring. This felt too much like judgment, and he wasn’t going to take that again.

“I’m sorry.”

He took a deep breath and really meant it when he said it this time. “It’s all right.”

It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t deal with his lifestyle choices. He hadn’t exactly talked to her about it. They’d spent the week chatting about inconsequential things. He knew she liked to watch mystery movies and read romances, and he’d talked about the fact that he loved reading thrillers. They’d spent an enormous amount of time in the kitchen where he felt the most comfortable. He’d avoided talking about his past. She was glib when she talked about hers. Now that he looked at it, they hadn’t been serious at all.

Roommates. They hadn’t tried to be anything more and maybe that was all right. He didn’t want to get involved with a woman who didn’t want to know him. He’d already been married to one.

“It doesn’t feel all right,” she said in a quiet voice.

“It’s not a big deal. I’m sorry I didn’t explain it to you before. The party earlier was for Grace’s family. This one is for Grace’s friends. Her kink family, if you will. I’ll handle everything. I have to make sure Serena and Adam know how to reheat if they need to. My brother is actually quite good in the kitchen, too.” He politely broke her hold and stepped away. If they weren’t going to be more than friends, he didn’t think it was appropriate to get intimate. He also didn’t want a quick hookup or a “friends with benefits” type thing with her.

“Sean is involved, too,” she said quietly. “That’s why he called the restaurant Top. I thought it was because he wanted to be the top restaurant, but that wasn’t what he meant.”

He looked back at her. She was leaning against the fridge, her arms crossed over her chest. He kept the island between them, giving her space since it looked like she’d gone back into protective mode. “It’s not something you have to worry about. Sean’s a good guy.”

“He hits his wife.”

That felt like a kick in the gut. Well, it was better to know sooner than later. “They play together. Everything they do is mutually agreed on and for her pleasure. Does Grace look like an abused woman?”

She shook her head as though trying to clear it. “Could you give me a minute? I’m trying to wrap my brain around it.”