Laurel shook her head. “Make sure Mistress Lea doesn’t find out or you’ll be on that hamster wheel.”
Kyle merely slapped his perfectly muscled abs. “I can handle it. The way Hutch and this one here cook, I’m going to be pudgy if I don’t watch it. Noelle makes the world’s best chocolate chip cookies. Do not tell my mom. She’s proud of hers, but Noelle’s are better.”
Kyle really could eat. Hutch could, too. The last few days she’d gone through most of the dough she’d frozen thinking it would last her for a couple of months. She’d made chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, and she was planning on orange rolls for Saturday morning. She loved to bake and had forgotten how much fun it was to watch someone enjoy the fruits of her labor.
The sweets. Hutch thought she was sweet.
Jeff backed away. “I guess I’ll see you soon.”
Noelle nodded and watched as he walked away.
“He’s hot.” Laurel was watching him, too. “No wonder Hutch is worried.”
“Hutch doesn’t know,” Erin insisted. “And I’m going to talk to Grace about not spanking her boy enough. That one is going to be trouble. I should go and make sure the sample contracts are ready. Noelle, if you have any trouble at all, feel free to talk to me or Laurel. Even if you just get a bad vibe off someone.”
She wasn’t sure what Erin was talking about, but the woman was still watching Kyle and Jeff as they approached the tall Domme who was teaching the class. Mistress Lea wore her chestnut brown hair in a severe bun. She also wore some spectacular stiletto heeled boots that came up over her knees and made her legs look a million miles long.
“I’m going to make sure everything’s ready, sweetie.” Laurel stepped back. “And I won’t tell your mom about Hutch. Sorry, stepmom. I really do think of you as family.”
Noelle had to smile. “You, too, Aunt Laurel, but we’re a weird family because you’re now my kink aunt, too.”
“Just know that Uncle Mitch will be avoiding you at all costs.” Laurel gave her a wink. “Have fun tonight.”
Laurel walked off and Noelle said hi to a couple of the women she’d met in the locker room. They were all buzzing, talking, wondering which of the yummy Doms they were going to get paired with and how fantastic the Mistress looked.
But the gorgeous Domme had moved her talk outside. She watched as Mistress Lea took Kyle and Jeff out of the dungeon and toward the stairs. There weren’t walls around this part of the dungeon so she could see them talking.
And then she could see Hutch coming up the stairs. What was he doing here? Had he come to make one last plea for her to not take the class? That was a pretty arrogant thing to think. He hadn’t mentioned it again after that first night. He’d likely given up on her and was doing all the things he did because he would do it for anyone in his circle. She was in that circle right now, but when the case was over, he would move on and find someone who did what he wanted her to.
Hutch’s whole body went stiff and then he sprinted across the space and attacked Jeff.
For a moment Noelle felt like her feet were glued to the floor.
Everyone moved around her like they were magnetically attracted to the fight that was now going on.
What the hell did Hutch think he was doing? Did he think he could get her kicked out of the program? Or if he took her training Dom out, maybe she would leave with him?
She hadn’t expected this of him. She grabbed her left crutch because she might need to use one of them on Hutch’s head.
“Kyle!” she shouted as she moved through the crowd. “Make him stop.”
Kyle was standing back, Mistress Lea at his side. “If I make him stop, I might have to start.”
Mistress Lea sighed. “As much as I’m enjoying watching Hutch take him apart, Jeff is one of Tag’s favors to a friend. Kyle, if you would please get Hutch.”
“Seriously?” Kyle’s eyes had gone wide. “You want me to take the psycho while you get the crying baby who can’t throw a proper punch?”
Lea’s lips kicked up. “Ah, the privileges of being the Mistress of Sanctum.” She glanced over at the other Doms. “West, help Kyle. Someone go and find Erin and let her know