Gemma pulled away, holding me with one hand and grasping her friend’s with the other. “Yeah, sorry. I’ve been going when it’s super quiet.”
“Are you okay? I heard about what happened. We’re so overdue a catch-up. Please don’t think I haven’t been around because I’m a bad friend. I just...I wanted to give you space to reacclimatize, you know? I mean...I don’t know. Was that stupid? I should’ve come over, right? Brought a casserole or something? I mean, what does one do for a friend who was lost in the forest for so long?”
Gem laughed under her breath. “It’s fine, Katie. It was good that you stayed away for a bit.”
Katie’s eyes landed on me. “Ah, yes...your new housemate.” She winked and nudged Gemma with her shoulder. “Only you could go into Mammoth Cave and come out with a man who’s been lost since he was a kid.”
She beamed a pearly-white smile in my direction. “Hi! I’m Katie. Katie Lona. I’m Gem’s friend. I want to say best friend, but we don’t really hang out unless we’re climbing, so I don’t know if we are. I would like to be, though! Hey, Gem.” She glanced at Gemma again with a wince. “If you’re ever successful in hooking me up with your brother, then maybe we could even be sisters! Squee!” She laughed at her own enthusiasm. “Anywho, you must be Kassen Sands. I heard about you on the news, and when YouTube contacted me to support Gem at this here shindig—seeing as I’ve been on her channel a few times—they told me that you’ll be making a speech tonight. That’s so cool!”
My ears rang.
Speech?
What the fuck?
“What’s your speech about? Did they give you something scripted or will you wing it? Can’t wait to hear it!”
Was this girl always so manic?
She stepped toward me, holding out her arms as if to hug me hello. “Anyway, hi! I’m sure we’re gonna see a lot of each other, especially if you start climbing with us!”
I immediately backed the fuck up, crashing into the bar behind me. I didn’t do it consciously. For all my pep talks, sedatives, orgasms, and faulty belief that I wouldn’t act like a Fable slave tonight, it turned out, I still hadn’t gotten out of the habit.
Katie’s eyebrows shot up as she looked back and forth between Gem and me.
Awkwardness shot between us but was batted away a heartbeat later all thanks to Gemma. Placing herself in front of me like a shield, she grabbed Katie in a bear hug.
Katie immediately hugged her back again, swaying on the spot, infectious happiness in her eyes, my random collision into the bar forgotten.
“No touching my man, you succubus.” Gemma laughed as she let Katie go. “It’s all so new between us that I’m at that very possessive, jealous stage, and he’s off-limits to everyone, I’m afraid. Gotta ask permission ’cause I don’t share nicely.”
“Ha, you’re so funny!” Katie laughed. “I love it! I’m totally the same. Say no more.” Katie threw me a huge grin. “Hope you like having a girl who is so into you she’s made a no touching rule.”
Fuck, you have no idea.
I swallowed and forced a smile. “It’s a tough life, but someone has to do it.”
She laughed.
Gemma caught my gaze, her eyes shouting Sorry!
I shook my head, forcing myself to make small talk even though I had no idea how. “So...you climb too?” I asked Katie while keeping Gem’s stare.
Gemma’s face fell a little, her worry for me evident. But I didn’t want to be a burden on her, so I winked and felt warmth spread in my chest. Warmth that came from so much fucking love inside me.
Who would’ve thought a day would come when I’d actually be happy at having a controlling master. So fucking odd that I relished being “owned” by her, and not once did I find it scary, painful, or wrong.
If anything, I found it liberating, freeing—the best goddamn feeling in the world. Some of my tension faded. I didn’t know if it was from the pill I’d swallowed or my trust in Gemma magnified. Just knowing she was here allowed me to relax, having seen firsthand what she was willing to do to stop people getting near me.
“Yep, I climb,” Katie said, grabbing a champagne flute from the bar. “Not nearly as good as Gem, but she’s helped me progress to the higher grades, so that’s cool.”
“She’s very good,” Gemma said, slotting herself into my side. “It’s not easy when you get to slabs and crack climbing.”
“Ah, there you are!” A man appeared from the crowd, old enough to have salt sprinkled in his dark hair and wrinkles by his blue eyes, but young enough to ring my warning bells. He seemed nice, but I’d stopped buying into appearances long ago. He could be a total sadist behind that suave smile.