Lucy shook her head.
‘Not any more.’
They made her walk barefoot and naked through the mud and rain to the cottage while they hefted Rob’s bags from the boot.
Flashes behind her were more likely to be from cameras than lightning.
The rain washed away the spunk, but she was caked in mud splashes up to her knees by the time she arrived on the cottage porch, shivering and soaked.
Richard wrapped her in a dog blanket and carried her into the cottage.
‘Food’s warming in the oven,’ he called to Rob behind him. ‘I’m going to get this one bathed.’
Lucy lay up to her chin in the bathwater and watched Richard, who was watching her.
‘Are you scared to go back down?’ she wondered aloud.
‘Scared?’ Richard curled his lip.
‘Yeah. How do you make small talk with the man who doms your submissive? It’s not exactly the kind of thing the advice manuals cover.’
‘Well, you might be right,’ admitted Richard. ‘I’d rather we were all together as much as possible. You provide a focus. We both like being cruel to you. Apart from that, what do we have to discuss?’
‘Do you know many other doms?’ Lucy reached out for a towel, which Richard passed to her.
‘No,’ he said after a pause. ‘I don’t.’
‘You could talk about that. Wouldn’t it be a relief? I’d love to meet another submissive and talk about it without feeling like a freakshow. I mean, I know lots online, but to have an actual conversation, over a couple of drinks? I think it’d be special.’
‘Women are more interested in that kind of thing,’ said Richard dismissively. ‘I don’t need a social aspect to my kink.’
‘You’re the strong, silent type,’ said Lucy, leaning back against Richard as he rubbed her dry. ‘It’s a pity, in a way. I think Rob would like to talk about it. I think that would mean a lot to him, actually.’
‘Do you?’
Richard pulled the towel off her and began to apply body lotion, generously, and with particular attention to her breasts and bottom.
‘Yes, because I think he has some funny ideas about what you have to be like to be a dom. And you are it. You are the man who defines dom-ness, in his imagination. Powerful, older, rich, good suits, all that. I think he’s worried he doesn’t measure up. But, you know, he does. I try to tell him that a good dom can look like anyone, come from anywhere, have any job. But he finds it hard.’
Lucy sighed.
‘You think he feels threatened by me?’ Richard paused with a handful of lotion, arching an eyebrow.
‘Of course he does.’
‘OK.’ Richard rubbed the last of the moisturiser over the twin curves of Lucy’s rear, then he smacked it, hard and resoundingly. ‘Did you bring us here so you could choose between us?’
Lucy stared.
‘Of course not. Why would I do that?’
‘Well, I did wonder. It’s natural, I think.’
‘Richard, I’ve got two fantastic lovers. Why would I want to change that? I want to keep you both. I just think it’ll be easier if you know each other and if we can perhaps do the odd thing together now and again. That’s all. Don’t ever think I want to lose
you. Don’t ever.’
Half-laughing, half-crying, she pressed herself into Richard’s embrace.