Ian and I exchange cautious looks. I nod.

Thwack!

It’s the hardest smack yet. A large, red blot appears on Stephanie’s ass. She bows her head.

And cries.

Ian backs off. I untie Stephanie, helping her stand up, wiping away her tears with my fingertips. Her puffy face doesn’t look like an actress’s, especially with the running makeup. While Ian drops the belt onto the bed, I kiss Stephanie, tasting salt and grief as I push as much affection as I can into her.

“Do you feel better?” I ask, whispers falling into her ear. She sniffs against my shoulder. “Can you start over now?”

It takes her a few minutes to calm down from her tears. In that time, she wraps her arms around me, kissing my throat, squeezing my shoulders, and rubbing the small of my back. It isn’t sexual. This woman is thirsty for affection. She probably hasn’t felt real affection since the death of her husband.

“Yes,” she finally says. “I’m sorry for everything, Mistress. Thank you.”

I release her. Ian takes her away from me.

“It’s in the top drawer over there,” I say, anticipating him asking me where the lotion is. “Take care of her. I need a moment.”

Even Dommes need aftercare.

I go into my guest bathroom, where I lock the door and turn on the fan so I don’t have to hear what’s going on in the living room. I look at my watch. Ten minutes. Enough time for me to stand here, looking at myself in the mirror and running cold water over my skin.

That was intense.

I no longer have to ask if I’m a Domme or sub. I can be both. Deep inside, I will always be predominately a Domme. Man, woman, it doesn’t matter to me. I know I can do it for Ian now. I know he’ll support me. He’s not intimidated by my Topping other people – he’s rarely intimidated by me Topping him, although he doesn’t get off on it as much.

That’s fine. That’s more than fine.

Because it doesn’t matter. I love him. He loves me. We understand each other. Dominating and submitting isn’t about power plays. We’re not stripping each other’s power – not like that. We don’t have to play these games every day. We can be us. We can be in love and have a healthy relationship as we are.

Some people won’t understand. That’s fine. I don’t care if they fucking understand or not. Ian and I can take them on.

I go back out with my chin high and my steps heavy. I find Ian cradling poor Stephanie May, giving her the affection she so desperately needs – the closure she needs from him. I don’t know if he’s kissed her. I’m fine either way. I know it’s not love.

There’s a knock at my door. Thirty minutes up.

I open it to find the only person in the world I can entrust this mess of a woman to.

“It smells like sex and shame in here,” Eva says grimly. She’s giving me shit, but she’s not making light of it. “What am I getting into? This better be worth it. I was supposed to have a group project meeting tonight and I blew them off for your thing.”

I motion for Ian to bring the woman of the hour forward. When she sees Eva, I can’t tell if she’s wary or intrigued.

A whistle ekes out of Eva’s lips. “You weren’t kidding when you said you had a trip of a date for me tonight. Wait, this ain’t your sloppy seconds, is it? I’ve got boundaries, woman.”

I shake my head. “We didn’t have sex with her,” I murmur. “We warmed her up. Got rid of that shit that makes her such an asshole. She needs someone else to fuck her out of oblivion.”

Eva raises two immaculate eyebrows. “Flattered you thought of me first. Is she even…?”

“It’s not going to matter for her tonight. She’s so blitzed out she would probably take a gangbang with three men and four women with strap-ons.”

“I can only help her with one of those things.” Eva shakes her head. “She’s cute, and I don’t usually say no to a cute sub begging for release, but she ain’t drunk, is she?”

“Only on spankings. Where you take her next is up to you, but we’re done.”

“Hey.” Eva nudges past me and approaches Stephanie, who is spilling out of Ian’s hold as he gently passes her to my friend. They make quite the… couple. “So, you don’t know me, and I barely know who you are, but apparently you’re in need of an experienced Top to finish this job for my friends. You can say no. Otherwise I’m here to take you away and make you feel good for the rest of the night. Sound good?”

“I mean… I’m already feeling pretty good…”

“Fine. Make you feel better. Goodness, look at your ass. What is that? A belt?” Eva sighs. “They’re a rough bunch around here. Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and all dirty again.”

As Eva escorts Stephanie May from my apartment, she mouths that I owe her. I’m glad to be rid of Stephanie, however. It was fun breaking her down a bit, but what she needs now is beyond the scope of my relationship with Ian.

Speaking of whom, I put my hand on his chest and peck his lips. He’s about to encircle me with his arms, but I push away, telling him there’s a quick thing I want to check before succumbing to anything I feel after a night like tonight. Him and his hard-on have to wait.

In one of my drawers I have an address book dedicated to lawyers. That’s right. Lawyers. I may not have designer friends, but I know a shitton of lawyers in various fields of expertise. The one I look up is a man I Topped a few years ago. He thinks the sun rises and descends on my ass, so he’ll probably give me a discount.

Gunther Moore – Child Custody And Alimony. Last I heard, Gunther also did good work for widows’ rights.

I’ll call him in the morning. Stephanie didn’t take my money, so I should at least help her get her kid back and some of her late husband’s money so she doesn’t become the next tale of an ex-actress living on the streets. Don’t think she has the personality to handle that.

“You’re too kind to someone like her,” Ian says, looking over my shoulder. “The woman was blackmailing you and making your life hell. Why would you do any of that?”

I put the address book away. “Because I can understand her to a point. She shouldn’t have done what she did, but I understand her now. I don’t think she’s a bad person. I think she’s had a bad time of a few things.”

“Uh huh.” Ian curls his arms around me and pushes his hard cock against my ass. “By the way, we have a big problem going on down south. It’s called fix these blue balls before I end up in the ER.”

I snort. “You didn’t think you were going to get to fuck her, did you?” I saw the way he was looking at her. Ian’s told me that he enjoyed the way she felt around his cock all those weeks ago. I mean, he’s a red-blooded man.. Of course he did. Doesn’t mean I want him sticking it in her again.

“I didn’t think that for a single second, but excuse me, smacking a woman in the ass that much and watching her get off on it is going to make me hard. For you, of course.”

“Of course, my love.”

He grabs my breasts, pinching my nipples through my dress before moving one hand toward my thighs. “Let’s skip the movie,” he mutters, fingers hooking beneath my hem and pulling my skirt up. “Don’t tell me that didn’t make you wet enough to take me.”

“Hm. Probably.”

That’s an invitation to test me out, Ian. Go ahead.

I’m so not disappointed when he does, rubbing my slit and feeling how wet I am. “Let’s take this party to the other room.” Before I can protest, give him permission, or otherwise speak, Ian lifts me up into his arms and turns toward my bedroom. I loop my arms around his neck and laugh like the besotted idiot I am.

My bed shakes as I land on it, Ian pulling my legs over the edge and beating his hands into the comforter on either side of my head. Moans escape my lips as I open my legs without question. I played a cool game, but I am aroused. Man, woman… it’s true. It doesn’t matter the sex or gender of someone you’re Topping. You will have a preference, probably, but if it goes right you will be so fucking horny by the end of it that all you can think about is filling your cunt with whatever’s handy. Like your boyfriend’s cock.