It's the first time since Hunter and Vanessa's wedding everyone is getting together. It seems that weddings are keeping us all close even though some of us are farther away than others.
Vanessa and Hunter are living in Australia. Dirk and Zoe are in Spain, with their little girl, Fernanda, who they named after Dirk's grandmother. Axel and Penelope moved not far from them. Penelope is pregnant. Millie is excited to be a big sister. She's been learning to change diapers when she visits with Fernanda.
All of our friends got married, and everyone went to everyone's weddings, except Ryker and Julieta's. They've been traveling the world, checking things off their bucket list, and haven't decided where to live yet. They recently sent an email to everyone, with a picture of them in mud, claiming they said their vows in it.
Naomi and Andre are getting married this weekend. They moved to France when Emilia and I left. It was about two weeks after Gustave officially took control of Interpol.
Andre and Naomi live only a few miles from us, and we see them all the time. It took Naomi a while to warm to me. After she and Emilia spoke, she was never mean or said anything about us, but we had moved to France before she fully embraced me.
I never blamed her. I still hate that Emilia was ever subjected to the Global Leaders. We don't talk about it a lot, but whenever we do, Emilia acts like it isn't a big deal and says, "I was with you, where I always wanted to be. Why can you not see the beauty in our story?"
I've never understood how she can be so forgiving, or how she took so quickly to the lifestyle. And there are parts she still craves.
Sometimes, she puts on lingerie and her collar and leash.
I used to get upset, but I no longer do. She loves it. She gets off on it. There's no point fighting it anymore.
The first time she did it, we had just gotten to France. I told her to lie down while I cleaned the kitchen after dinner.
Instead of resting, she put on a new, blue lingerie set that matched her eyes. The collar and leash were on. She was kneeling with her head down when I walked in. Her stomach was beginning to show her pregnancy, and her breasts had grown. She was glowing, and I had never seen her look more beautiful.
And I hated and reprimanded myself for the thought.
"We aren't doing this anymore," I told her.
She wouldn't look at me. "We are. I need it. You promised me you would never deny me what I need."
"Em—"
She raised her head. "I am your ma belle. Do not forget it."
"Yes. And you are my equal."
The candlelight she had burning flickered in her blue eyes. Her innocence and desire for something more sinful pooled together. "All night. I want you to own me and make me submit all night and only come when you order me."
I closed my eyes, wrestling with my demons.
"Please," she whispered so desperately, I couldn't deny her.
Hours later, after I wore her out, and she barely had a voice left from begging, she reached up and cupped my cheek. "Admit to me you enjoy this. I don't want to argue every time I need it."
I groaned. "We are equals, ma belle."
"Yes, I know. Nothing we do together will ever make me believe we aren't. But confess to me. I want to know you enjoy it as much as I do."
I clenched my jaw and stared at the ceiling.
"Please," she begged, and I couldn't deny her my truth.
I looked her in the eyes. "Everything you do turns me on. Including this."
She kissed me, smiled, and snuggled into my arms. "Perfect, my husband. Let's sleep all day, and when we wake up, I will feed you."
"You will feed me?"
"Yes. Naked. You can decide what you are hungrier for."
I kissed her head, feeling happy and loved. "Go to sleep, my little vixen."
From time to time, she surprises me with a sexy outfit, kneeling with her collar and leash on. I don't fight it anymore. I fall into my role and give her exactly what she wants.
Emilia made Gustave and I make amends. I'll never fully be able to forgive him for putting ma belle in harm's way. He continues to claim he had the situation under control the entire time. He probably did,