Veronica was already walking. There was a particular kind of determination in her stride. Luca followed.
The front door opened under Veronica’s hand. Warm light spilled over the space. The house was furnished already.
In the living room, seated on the sofa was a woman. She was beautiful. Her dark hair was swept into a neat bun, with a few curls left loose around her face. She wore a fitted jacket over a blouse and a pencil skirt that ended just below her knees. Her legs were crossed elegantly, hands resting on her lap, posture perfect. She looked like a lawyer.
"Mrs Genovese, I presume."
Veronica lifted her chin. "Yes. I am." Her gaze swept over the woman once. "Mistress Marceline. I hear you are a professional dominatrix."
Luca closed the door behind them very slowly. The night had gone to hell.
Marceline’s mouth curved. "I hear the tone, ma’am. I choose to ignore it. Please sit. This is not a session we can have while standing."
Luca stepped further into the room. "Marceline..."
The woman’s eyes shifted to him. "Mistress Marceline," she corrected.
Veronica laughed. "Oh, this should be fun." She crossed to one of the chairs and sat. Luca remained standing beside her. Veronica turned back to Marceline. "So what exactly do you do?"
"I cannot begin to tell you the full scope of what I do," Marceline said. "There are clients who come to me for control. Others for surrender. In this case, Don Genovese has asked me to help Luca confront his buried feelings....I have reviewed your history."
Veronica’s expression sharpened. "You have our history?"
"I came to the conclusion that this session has to include you, Mrs Genovese."
"Why?" Luca asked, voice low.
"Because she is the one you failed."
"he didn’t fail me..."
Marceline smiled and looked up at Luca. "Didn’t you?"
Veronica felt the change in him. The slight withdrawal. The shadow passing behind his eyes. He sighed and moved towards the sofa beside her. She was the one he needed to speak to. Not the domineering dominatrix sitting opposite them as if she could command him.
"Did she say you could sit?" Marceline asked.
Luca stopped.
Veronica’s head snapped towards the woman. "Excuse me?"
"Tonight, his control is yours. His will is yours," Marceline continued. "He does only what you ask him to. He breathes only when you command it."
Veronica blinked. Of all the things she and Luca had done, and God knew they had done many things, this seemed to be the most ridiculous.
They had loved each other in anger, in hunger. Luca could be demanding. Veronica could be reckless. Together, they had turned desire into warfare.
But this? It felt like the woman was talking about a machine and not a man. ’Good luck, ma’am. The engine is traumatised.’
"I..." Veronica began.
Nothing intelligent followed. Veronica then chose to ignore her. She turned to Luca, reached for his hand, and held on to his fingers. Then she pulled him down beside her.



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