Free Click by Tymber Dalton Page B

either.”
    Cris didn’t interrupt her. She drummed her fingers on the counter, her short nails softly clicking against the countertop. Then, “I want it all,” she softly said. “Like they have.”
    He pulled her close. “Then all you have to do is figure out how to approach it. I know Lan will be happy with it. He’ll probably get a thrill from watching me step back into that role with you.”
    “And see, that’s part of the problem. I don’t know if I’ll be happy with him watching us do it. That was…that was us . Ours .”
    “Lan and I have stuff that’s ours that you’ve seen.”
    “And that’s different. You guys were together first.”
    He frowned. “You don’t doubt how either of us feels about you, do you? Because we both love you.”
    “I know. I love both of you, too.” She poked him in the chest again. “Even you, after what happened.” She stared at her cell phone. “I even like you again.”
    He stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her. “We don’t have to settle this now, or even before he gets back. We don’t have to settle it this week or this month or this year. We can just be and see what happens.”
    “I don’t like limbo,” she said. “I hate living in it.”
    “But you’re not in limbo.” He turned her to face him. “You’re married to Landry—”
    “But I’m owned by you.”
    He sadly smiled. “Technically not. That first day, when he dropped me off here, you officially withdrew your submission, if you remember.”
    Her fingers sought the fluorite pendant. “But you gave it back to me when I asked for it.”
    “I gave you back your pendant. I didn’t attach any strings or roles to it.”
    Who was she kidding? It had never stopped being her day collar. And when he’d returned it to her, putting it on her that day the way she’d asked him to, she’d felt another silent piece settle into place.
    She hadn’t taken it off since.
    “Do you want it to be your day collar again?” he asked.
    “Is that something you have to ask him to do?”
    “That wasn’t my question, sweetheart.”
    She stared up into his brown gaze, knowing she wouldn’t get anywhere with him until she answered his question.
    She nodded.
    His voice sounded barely louder than a whisper, yet nearly a scream in the otherwise silent house. “You have to say it.”
    After taking a shaky breath, she said, “I want it to be my day collar again. For you.”
    “As your Top, Dominant, Owner, or Master?”
    “Yes.”
    He smiled. “All the time, or just part of the time?”
    “I don’t think you ever stopped being any of those. Not really. Not deep down inside. My heart could never turn it off. It just did its level best to try to distract me and make me forget you.”
    “I think when Lan gets home, the three of us need to sit down and talk. As equals.”
    She nodded.
    For a long moment he stared down into her eyes. Then he gently wrapped her damp hair around his hand and guided her down to her knees, where she rested her forehead against his legs, her eyes falling closed.
    Content.
    Then she wrapped her arms around his legs, eyes still closed, and tried not to cry.
    So many countless times when they’d been together, she’d greeted him like this, whether in the morning or after he came home from work or whatever.
    She had missed this.
    Desperately.
    He didn’t make her move, and she was in no hurry to get up either. With one hand, he kept a grip on her hair. With the other, he slowly stroked the top of her head. “My sweet, beautiful Redbird,” he whispered.
    On the counter, her cell phone vibrated, rattling against the countertop as it rang.
    She didn’t move as his free hand left her hair.
    Then, his voice. “Hey, Lan…Yes, she’s right here.” He pressed the phone against her ear, but she wouldn’t open her eyes, wouldn’t take it.
    “Hello, love,” his voice purred from the phone.
    “Hey, yourself. How was the flight?”
    He hesitated. “Are you all right?”
    Dammit