“Can we take him to lunch?”

“Yeah. Let’s get our shower.”

“Soap my back?”

He grinned. “Don’t have to ask me twice.” He climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom. As he reached into the shower and turned the water on, he glanced over at the tub.

The dildo he’d used on her last night sat on the edge, where he’d left it. But the butt plug was missing.

“Hey, honey?”

“Yeah.” She walked into the bathroom while sipping her coffee.

He looked around. “Did you do something with the butt plug?”

“No.”

“It’s missing.”

She playfully grinned. “Want to search me?” She turned and wiggled her naked ass at him.

He rolled his eyes. “No, seriously, where is it? I left it on the side of the tub to dry after I washed it last night.”

She helped him look. It hadn’t fallen into the tub and wasn’t on the floor anywhere.

“That’s weird,” he said.

Bart ran into the bathroom and raced past them. As they watched, he stood on his hind legs, grabbed the dildo off the side of the tub, and started dragging it across the bathroom floor.

“Hey!” Mac and Clarisse both lunged for him. He dropped his prize and ran from the bedroom.

“I think that answers that question,” Mac said as he picked the dildo up and put it safely on the counter, out of the little dog’s reach.

Mac searched for the missing butt plug in Bart’s crate. Nothing. He sat up. “Where the hell did he stash it?”

They turned and saw Bart standing in the doorway. He took off running. Before they could make it to the doorway, he’d disappeared.

Mac started laughing. “So he’s a kleptomaniac?”

Horrified, Clarisse shook her head. “No, I swear, he’s usually not like this!” She started crying. What if Sully didn’t let him stay now?

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Mac pulled her to him. “Why are you upset?”

She managed to get it out between sobs. “He’s my baby! What if Sully doesn’t let me keep him if he won’t stop doing this?”

“Listen to me,” Mac sternly said. “Master’s already said he can stay. I bet little Mr. Dom Dog is happy to be somewhere he doesn’t have to be afraid all the time. He’s back with his mom, and he’s just feeling his oats, that’s all.”

She sniffled. “Okay.”

“Let’s go find him.”

They finally located him in Sully’s office, under the desk.

With the missing butt plug.

Bart grabbed it and backed away from them, until his hind end nearly touched the wall. He growled at them even while his little tail furiously wagged.

Mac laughed. “Guess he’s got a new chew toy. Won’t hurt him, will it?”

Clarisse tried to take it away from Bart, but he ducked out the other side of the desk and ran for the door. “As long as it was clean, it shouldn’t. He doesn’t destroy chew toys, just chews on them.”

He patted her on the ass. “I left the water running in the shower.

Let’s go.”

When they emerged from the shower, Bart was under the dining room table with his new toy. As soon as he saw them, he grabbed his prize and ran for Sully’s office.

Mac laughed. “Guess we need to make a stop by the toy store and get us a new butt plug while we’re out today. Remind me we have to take it away from him when vanilla guests drop by.”

* * *

They had a nice, normal afternoon. Lunch with Uncle Tad, then a trip to the beach where they sat on a retaining wall and stared out at the Gulf. Safely nestled in Mac’s arms, she closed her eyes and deeply inhaled the sweet salt air.

“Whatcha thinking?” he mumbled into her hair.

“I could spend the rest of my life like this.”

“So could I.”

She stayed quiet for a long time, deep in thought. “When Sully’s home, will he let us do stuff like this?”

“Yeah. He’ll want to do stuff like this with you, too. I told you, it’s not all about the Master/slave dynamic. Is that always in the background? Sure. It’s just not always in the forefront.”

Wrapping her head about the future dynamic still puzzled her.

“You won’t be jealous?”

“Will you?”

“I…” Her mouth snapped shut. “No, I guess not.”

He chuckled and hugged her closer to him. “Remember, there will be times you’re the one sitting there watching him with me. Or on the boat, you’ll see me ordering him around and having my way with him.”

Clarisse honestly hadn’t thought of it like that. Framed that way, it did make perfect sense.

* * *

Sully spent the trip home from the airport with his eyes closed, trying to rest. His leg had tuned up again. Mac would chew him out for overdoing it.

He called Mac when he knew he was about thirty minutes from home.

“We’ll be ready, Master,” Mac said.

Sully hung up and stared at his phone, a smile breaking through the pain.

We.

He closed his eyes again and thought about Clarisse, if she really would go through with it. He hoped she would, but he wouldn’t, couldn’t force her. He would hold back and let her make the decision to take this to the next level.

He’d swore he’d never again put himself in a position to be vulnerable like he was with Cybil. Taking their relationship to a new level wouldn’t happen unless Clarisse wanted it.

When they arrived, he had the driver put his bags in the utility room. He wouldn’t need them until tomorrow, and then Mac could take care of them. With his laptop bag slung over his shoulder and cane in hand, he slowly ascended the stairs. The front door was unlocked, and when he walked through, he stopped at the sight.

Clarisse and Mac knelt on the floor.

Both naked.

Sully stared, still not believing his eyes even though he knew to expect it. His cock stiffened in his pants as he fought the urge to order her to bed so he could fuck her brains out.

Not yet. Too soon.

Mac looked up, smiling. “Welcome home, Master.”

“Hello.” He set his laptop case down. “Do I get a hug and a kiss from you two?”

Both of them rushed him, practically throwing themselves at him.

Sully laughed. “Jesus, you two are like a couple of puppies.”

That’s when Bart ran in, dragging his newest toy.

The butt plug.

Sully stared. After a moment he asked, “Is that what I think it is?”

Mac ran a hand through his hair. “Um, yeah, about that. I had to buy a new butt plug.”

Sully noticed Clarisse’s horrified look. He pulled her to him and kissed her again. “What’s wrong?”

“Please don’t be mad!”

He frowned. “Why would I be mad?”

“He’s never stolen stuff before. I don’t know why he’s…” She burst into tears.

Mac sighed. “Sul, we need to drop formal for a minute.”

Sully nodded as he tried to soothe her.

“Would you please reassure her you won’t make her get rid of Bart? She’s been in a near panic over it.”

He peeled her off him. “Why would I make you get rid of him? I know how much you love him.”

She sobbed. “He’s stealing things! He never used to do this! I’m so sorry!” She dissolved into tears again.

Sully sighed and pulled her close as he stared over her head into Mac’s brown eyes. “Sweetheart, I promise, I will never make you get rid of him.”

“Really?”

He stroked her hair. “Really. Please stop crying. It’s okay.”

Bart dropped into a play bow over the butt plug and growled at Sully. Sully smiled and tried to mask his pain as he lowered himself to the floor. “Come here, Bart.”

Bart’s tail sped up and he put his mouth on the butt plug, but he didn’t move.

Sully grinned and patted the floor in front of him. “Bring it.”

Bart grabbed the butt plug and brought it to Sully, where he played tug-of-war with him.

Sully gently pulled it away from him and tossed it across the living room. Bart streaked after it and brought it back for another round. After five minutes, Sully scooped Bart up and scratched his head.

“Enough, pup. I need to get to bed. I’ll play with you tomorrow.”

He handed the dog and the butt plug to Clarisse. “Go ahead and put him to bed for the night. Move his crate into our bedroom if you want.”

She froze. “You mean it?”

He held his hand up to Mac, who hauled him to his feet. “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it, babe. Or you can put it outside the bedroom door if you think he might be better off there.

Your call. I mean, that’s presuming you want to sleep in our bed with us.”

She threw her free arm around Sully and hugged him. “Thank you!” She raced into her bedroom.

As soon as she left, Sully dropped the façade and slung his arm around Mac’s waiting shoulder. “Help me to bed. Quick.”

“That bad?” He helped Sully into their room and carefully lowered him to the bed.

“Yeah. Didn’t want her to see. She seemed upset enough.”

Mac fetched the ointment from the bathroom, then dropped to his knees, and removed Sully’s shoes. “Why didn’t you say something as soon as you got home?”

“The naked slave greeting sort of distracted me.”

Clarisse walked in. “I put his crate outside the door.”

“Go bring Master a pain pill and a glass of water, please,” Mac ordered. She raced to do it. After she took care of Sully, Mac crooked his finger at her and pointed to the floor. “I want you to learn this.”

He helped Sully remove his slacks, then started working on Sully’s bad leg.

Sully closed his eyes, lay back, and let Mac take charge. They didn’t need him. His pain had almost reached critical mass. He didn’t listen to their words as much as he focused on the comforting sound of their voices and the feel of their hands. Mac, his firm, warm touch, kneaded his flesh, going through the range of motion exercises.