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"I’iven a lot of thought to I’ve researched endlessly, which hat brought me to The House I’ve toured the pre its busiest times I knohat to expect And Damon has assured me that, especially for my first visit, I will be very carefully ht their entrées, but food was the last thing on the women’s minds now Their plates sat in front of them untouched as their conversation continued

"I just wanted to knohat it was like for you and Tate," Joss said softly

Again, pain glittered in Chessy’s green eyes She pushed her dark hair behind her ear in an effort to disguise her hesitation, but Joss didn’ton with her friend She seemedunhappy And maybe it had been there for a while now, but Joss had been so self-absorbed that she hadn’t paid attention to the people around her

"Is there so us, Chessy?" Joss deuilty and then surprised "No, of course not And to answer your question, when it’s right, it’s theTate my complete submission He always took such wonderful care of me Cherished me Protected me with his every breath I was always his priority And he was so de"

Joss frowned because every example had been said in the past tense

"Is that not the case now?" Joss asked

Chessy shtly "Of course it is I was just saying And well, perhaps it’s not as perfect as it used to be, but that’s to be expected Tate has been so busyhis business a success, and when the newness wears off any relationship, it’s easy to fall into a routine Don’t worry We’re not divorcing or anything," she said with a laugh

But the forced gaiety bothered Joss She shoved aside her sense of foreboding to focus on the ain, if this is too personal a matter to discuss," Joss said But Chessy waved her off and s do you and Tate do? I s? Or is it a si the shots?"

Kylie looked as though she’d be ill, and she fiddled with her food as if she were trying to block out the conversation Her face had grown pale, and Joss began to have second thoughts about bringing this up in front of her But she hadn’t wanted Kylie not to know She owed her sister-in-law thatto at least try to move on and perhaps become involved, even if te she wanted Kylie to find out by chance She wanted Kylie to hear it from her

"I think it’s a matter of what you want," Chessy said quietly "Yes, we practice all of those things and much more I ao We’ve been together long enough that he well knows my boundaries Perhaps better than I knowthat you’re very honest with your partner and that you set boundaries He needs to know exactly what you are and aren’t comfortable with And you’ll need a safe word until your relationship evolves enough that he knows just how far he can push"

"I feel like a kid in a toy store," Joss said ruefully "I want to try everything At least once I don’t know my boundaries I won’t know until they’re crossed"

"Then it’s even uy One who understands that you’re new to the scene That you want to experi at any o houy until you know hi there in a public facility where there’s plenty of security"

Joss nodded She’d already considered that, and no as she bringing a guy home To the place she and Carson had lived and loved It would be the height of disrespect to practice ould have appalled her husband under his own roof And neither would she agree to go off with soer where God only knehat could happen once he had her alone and at his mercy

It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered all the risks She had! She’d visited The House more than once She’d questioned Dae a second thoughts listening to Chessy’s warnings

But no She’d thought this through It was all she’d thought about over the lastforith her new life on the three-year anniversary of her husband’s deathout now

She’d positively shivered when Chessy had stated that she was her husband’s That she belonged to him and he could do as he wished Joss wanted that She craved it with a dark need she didn’t even fully understand It wasn’t that she hadn’t belonged heart and soul to Carson She had She’d held no part of herself back from hiing She wanted to beowned Cherished Utterly adored All the things her husband had given her butray line Wanted to shatter her boundaries She wanted to discover what they were and just how far she illing and wanted to go Hoould she know if she never tried?

"You’re going to do it, aren’t you?" Kylie asked quietly "I can see it in your eyes, Joss I know that look You’re actually going to do this"

Joss nodded, feeling a sense of relief at affir it

Chessy reached across the table to catch Joss’s other hand and squeezed it until Joss was holding on to both her friends’ hands

"Then I wish you luck," Chessy said

"Hey, don’t you have to go?" Joss asked, suddenly re that Chessy hadthe afternoon together "Isn’t Tate expecting you? I don’t want to keep you I just wanted to ask you those questions"

Again that barely discernible flicker in Chessy’s eyes before she dropped her gaze and her hold on Joss’s hand

"No," Chessy said lightly "He had to cancel An iri forward to it Unfortunately, I do have to run I need tih I’ve h to need tih with it"

Chessy s to over And if you aren’t ho the police!"