Unfortunately, all three turned to look at her expectantly.
“Ben can definitely wield all his weapons superbly.” Oh, he could. “And I did get fond of his build—as well as his masculine attributes.” Time to actually share, not something at which she was experienced. “But he doesn’t want to be a slave. He’s more of a sexual submissive.” Final confession. “And I hate to change.” She hadn’t moved fast enough.
When Kim nodded, obviously unsurprised about Ben, Anne asked, “You knew?”
“He’d talked with Raoul. And Raoul was worried about you two. He wasn’t sure you’d accept a sexual submissive rather than a slave.”
Raoul’d been worried? Anne tried to remember. After Ben had dumped her and left, Raoul had come over. Frowning. Had his expression held more concern than disapproval? She sighed. Unsettled emotions really could mess up a person’s ability to read body language.
“I hear you on wanting things to stay the same,” Uzuri said. “But when I…had…to move to Florida, I learned change can be good. Open new worlds, new possibilities.” She smiled at the others. “Bring new friends.”
“You don’t really want your life to remain the same forever, do you?” Jessica’s smile was soft. “I’ve seen you with Sophia. You want one of your own.”
“I do.” Anne sighed. She had wanted a child—and now, here she was. Pregnant. It almost made her feel guilty, as if her yearning had resulted in her pregnancy. “I’d like a baby—no matter how much my life would be altered.”
“I might eventually, too, but we’re not ready,” Kim admitted. “I’m still getting over the trauma of consenting to be married.”
Uzuri snickered. “Anyone else would worry more about that collar he locked around her neck.”
“Beth wants a baby too.” Jessica grinned. “Can you see Nolan’s face if he has to convert his customized, hand-crafted dungeon into a kid’s playroom?”
Anne had seen his expression when he’d held Kari’s Zane. The big Master wouldn’t have any trouble clearing his life out for a child.
“Babies undeniably transform your life.” Uzuri raised her brows at Jessica. “I know it’s early days, but did Sophia muddle yours up at all? Is Master Z still your Master?”
Anne smothered a smile. Z had certainly looked like a Master on the day Jessica had taken Anne’s advice.
Catching the twitch of Anne’s lips, Jessica turned red. After clearing her throat, she smiled at Uzuri. “I don’t think anyone could take the Master out of Z. But our relationship’s gone through some changes. We’ve had a couple of fights.”
“Really?” Kim leaned forward.
“Like the day that I got too tired. Well, we both were, really. Sophia was fussing, and the phone was ringing, and Z didn’t answer it. He was on his cell, but I didn’t know that and thought he was being lazy, and I blew up into a total hissy fit.”
“Oh my God, you took on Master Z?” Uzuri looked terrified enough to have Anne frowning.
Dammit, they really needed to work on some of those fears. No, Anne wasn’t a member of the Shadowlands any longer. Well, she’d give Z a heads-up. And…and she’d do some digging as a friend instead.
“I wasn’t thinking of Masters or submitting or anything,” Jessica said. “I was just…I simply lost it.” She scowled. “But it was Master Z who spanked me, and it sure wasn’t an erotic spanking, but mean and merciless. I cried my eyes out. Would you believe he said I needed the release?”
When Anne laughed—because Z’d obviously been right—Jessica wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather have had a different kind of release, right? But afterward, he held me and cuddled me. When Sophia started fussing again, he put me to bed and told me if I didn’t go to sleep, he’d spank me again.”
Uzuri gave a contented sigh. “Okay. You had me worried for a minute there.”
Kim frowned. “Aside from you yelling at him, that’s not much of a change.”
“Right. That’s what hasn’t changed; he still takes total charge when he feels protective. When it comes to Sophia and the house, then I make most of the decisions. We decide a lot together, and if we don’t agree, the final say is his, and I prefer that. It’s…comforting.”
Anne thought Z had a good handle on balancing everything. And Jessica’s contentment bore that out. Interesting. Was this what Ben wanted?
“That’s what I had planned to try with Ben,” she admitted. All three gazes snapped to her. “Move the D/s more into the bedroom. Not make Ben twist himself to be a slave.”