Whipped (Hitched, #2)

It was a part of it. But only a small part. Entertaining people, making them happy, is what drove me. "Thank you for your answer. Now, here's my decision." I tell him. He understands.

I say goodbye and stand. As I'm about to leave, Darrel grabs my hand. "It wasn't all about the money. When we trained, you reminded me how joyful dancing could be. You reminded me of why I started. Sometimes, I wish I could go back to that again."

"Maybe we both can."

I leave with my mind clear. On the way home, I stop by a store and consider buying rum. No. I need something else tonight.

When I enter the apartment, Vi jumps off the couch. She's wearing a red shirt. Her cheeks are pale.

I close the door behind me. "I need to tell you something."

"What?" I can tell she's nervous now. Like I was last night.

I wrap my arms around her. "I said no to the tour, because I can't go. A piece of me would stay behind. You, Vi. I love you." I pull two necklaces from my pocket, a silver puzzle piece on each. "These are for us. So that no matter where we are, we remember that where we belong is together. You are my missing piece."





CHAPTER 25





VI


He loves me. That's the thought that keeps running through my mind. He loves me. And I love him. And we're in love. My hand strays to the silver puzzle piece on the delicate silver strand around my throat. The one that fits his. It makes me smile and feel warm and gooey inside.

I've turned into such a lovesick sap, and I couldn’t be happier.

But right now I have to stay focused, because these cock rings aren't going to sell themselves.

Zoe isn't here yet. Her shift starts in a few minutes, so I'm not worried. Today I'm opening and she's closing. It's most fun when our work time overlaps, though. That's when the giggles happen.

When a college-age couple comes in looking nervous but excited, I pull myself together, put away my phone—hey, I own the shop, I can sext my boyfriend when I want—and walk over to help them.

The girl can barely make eye contact with me. She's beautiful. Dark mocha skin, big eyes, long hair. Her boyfriend looks like the college nerdy guy who always steps up to the plate. He's sweet, gentle, and holding her hand in a way that makes me like him. A lot.

"Hi there," I say with a big smile. "Welcome to Whipped. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

The girl doesn't speak, which doesn't surprise me. The guy clears his throat and proceeds, reluctantly.

"Yeah," he says. "We wanted to try experimenting with… um… anal sex. But I don't want to hurt her. So, um…" He looks down at his sneakers. "I was—we were— thinking maybe we could try some of that cream that numbs?"

"It's great that you want to try something new," I say. "We don't actually sell that cream here, and I'll tell you why. There are some serious health risks to using that."

The girl's eyes widen and the guy squeezes her hand and says, "We don't want to do anything dangerous."

I smile. "That's good. And anal sex can be safe and very pleasurable, if done correctly. Keep in mind that it can take a few weeks or months to prepare a woman for full anal penetration."

I step to the side and pull an anal plug kit from the wall. "I recommend starting with these and a good lube. Start with the smallest and go up incrementally." I look at the girl. "As you're able to take bigger sizes, you'll become more comfortable. You can also do finger play during this time, which I'd recommend. Eventually you'll be ready to try a penis. But start slow and only do what you're comfortable with. Also, many women prefer using an enema before anal play. It's often more comfortable for both parties involved."

They nod in unison and I take the anal plugs, lube, and a useful brochure on anal sex and stick it in a bag. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

They both shake their heads. The guy pays in cash and they rush out of the store as if being chased, nearly crashing into Zoe as she comes in.

She looks at them and then at me. "Are you chasing our customers away again?" she teases.

"Ha, no. Anal sex is freaking them out. Honestly, I wish there was better education out there about healthy sexual options so people knew what they were doing without getting hurt. They wanted numbing cream."

She wrinkles her cute nose. "Hey, maybe we could start offering educational classes? It could be fun."

I nod and smile. "That's a great idea. Let's brainstorm some ideas today and see what we come up with."

She waggles her mismatched nails at me and grins. "Nope, not until you tell me what happened with you and Lach. You sounded positively giddy in your text last night. I want details!"

I show her the necklace and tell her about our I love yous and she squeals and dances around. "Oh-em-gee, I'm so happy for you! This is amazing! We should go out and celebrate tonight. Drinks?"

"Oh, I can't. I promised Lachlan I'd work out with him."

She grins in an expectant way, and then she frowns. "Oh, wait, you were serious?"

I place a hand on my hips. "Yes, I was serious."