29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

A buzz lit under Eva's skin every time she approached Whipped.

The first time, it had been due to nerves, but now, it was because of the anticipation this place summoned. Not only was Whipped place where she'd rediscovered her ability to be a Domme after her relationship crashed and burned, but it was also where she'd found a group of friends she'd never expected. The crew at Whipped were loud, in her face, and constantly hitting her up to hang out, and she loved it.

A week had passed since Pixie's mother was admitted to the hospital, and once she'd been released from the psych ward, Eva had joined Pixie for a visit. They'd told Maisie about their relationship then and there, which was good because Eva planned on being around for as long as Pixie would keep her.

Pixie had called Portland and canceled the interview. She was staying, and so was Eva. She had scheduled a few apartment visits for later this week, even though she wasn't sleeping on the couch anymore. No, ever since she and Pixie declared their relationship publicly, she had taken up residence in Pixie's room. They hadn't discussed arrangements though, but she refused to freeload any longer or, worse, push her way into Pixie's condo when they'd just started dating.

She'd made the mistake of living at someone else's house for five years, believing it was hers as well, and having it ripped out from under her feet made her wary of entering any similar circumstances.

The rainbow flag in the window of Whipped warmed her heart, and she grabbed the cool handle, yanking the door open. The scent of coffee and vanilla drifted her way at once, and she drank it in. Bright sunlight poured through the windows, enhancing the sharp lines of the red and black fixtures spread throughout. Whipped was a beautiful blend of coffee shop and kink, evident by all the details Meg had worked into it.

If she'd known a place like this existed, somewhere she could safely explore and come into her own, she would've moved to San Francisco years ago. Thank god she'd found it now.

Only a few people filled the seats at this time of day—she'd taken an early lunch to meet Pixie here. Her girlfriend had been catching up with Meg about the upcoming classes she was participating in and about a program to feature prominent kink artists on the walls in the dungeon.

Eva's chest swelled with pride. She adored how active Pixie was in the kink community, and she couldn't wait for the next Play Night or club event when they could scene together or even include others. While they were exclusive in who they saw and Eva was Pixie's Domme, the idea of watching her with others and playing with multiple partners for scenes got her ridiculously hot. Pixie firmly agreed as well.

Pixie hunched over the table, absorbed in whatever she was working on, threading her fingers through her blue hair. Eva's heart thudded hard. Fuck, she loved this woman with everything in her. Chances were, Pixie hadn't eaten yet, so Eva would have to order them something to eat as well.

"Don't you guys see each other enough at home?" Micah called over from the coffee bar.

Eva rolled her eyes. "More than we see you, Mr. I Live At Parker's."

Pixie turned around in her seat, and her eyes lit up. "Come here."

"And you aren't even going to grab a drink?" Micah asked, his eyes bouncing with mirth. Thank fuck Parker handled him because now that he'd stopped trying to be perfect for Mom and Dad, he'd been bratting with whoever he was comfortable with.

"Excuse me. My girlfriend is over there and needs attention first." Honestly, seeing him come into himself thrilled her, just like she'd been growing into her own personality after escaping their rigid childhood. Some days she still needed to silence her mom's voice inside her head, but the voice was getting quieter and quieter.

She stopped next to Pixie, and her girlfriend pushed up to greet her.

"Hey, dove." Eva pressed her lips to Pixie's, soaking in the sweet taste of her, all floral, like one of the tea lattes she got here. The thrill up her spine was as strong as ever when their lips met, and she sincerely hoped it never faded. She pulled away before the temptation to slide her tongue in and turn the kiss raunchy took over.

"Mmm, want to greet me like that every day?" Pixie said, a dreamy look in her eyes .

Eva arched her brow. "I'm pretty sure you preferred the way you woke up today."

They'd talked standing rules for somnophilia play, and Eva loved to eat Pixie out in the morning, since she was always the earlier riser. Watching Pixie thrash and blink awake in the throes of pleasure was addictive.

Pixie's cheeks turned red, a delicious embarrassment there.

Eva leaned in until her lips brushed against Pixie's ear. "Dirty girl."

"God, you're killing me." Pixie fluttered her lashes as if that might sway her.

"Patience, dove," Eva said and slipped into the seat opposite Pixie. "So, is there a reason you wanted to have lunch here, or is it just a date?"

Pixie grinned. "Well, now I feel guilty for having a reason. We haven't had much by the way of dates yet, have we?"

"We've got plenty of time to remedy that," Eva said, leaning back in the seat. Micah chatted with a customer over by the bar, but she would be swinging over there in a minute to place an order. She shouldn't have skipped breakfast—Pixie's pussy didn't count.

"Would you want to be my plus-one for the art exhibit next month?" Pixie asked. Fuck, her girlfriend was so pretty. With her heart-shaped face and deep-set eyes, she'd drawn Eva's attention from the start, and those curves were accentuated by the tight sage-green tank top she wore with a flowy brown skirt.

"Absolutely," Eva responded. "Why wouldn't I want to be there when you show off your work?"

Pixie chewed her lower lip. "It's a special exhibit. At least to me."

"Oh?"

"You're the inspiration for most of these paintings," Pixie confessed, averting her gaze. "The moment we met, I started painting and couldn't stop. Just the explosion of color and feeling rioting through me. I needed to pour it out somewhere."

"Is that like the one painting you sent me?" Eva asked, her chest squeezing tight. How could this beautiful, vibrant woman be attracted to her? She was meticulous to a fault, worked a boring day job, and was happiest gardening in her free time. Meanwhile, Pixie was chaos personified, often spending entire nights in her studio so Eva had to come drag her to bed or sometimes bathe her to get the multicolored flecks of paint off her skin.

"Yeah, that's one of them," Pixie said, squirming in her seat.

Eva reached across the table to squeeze Pixie's hand. "I'm honored."

"That's not all I wanted to discuss," Pixie said, the nerves pouring off her at this point. "One of the reasons I came in early was to talk to Micah. He wants to move in with Parker in a few months."

Eva swallowed hard. While she understood that, the change had her sitting a little more rigidly in her seat. Was this where Pixie pushed her away?

Pixie reached into her messenger bag and pulled out a card, which she pushed across the table.

A realtor.

Eva's brows drew together. Was this a cue to get a place faster? Offering a personal realtor or something? Her chest sank.

"Look, I was going to try to make some romantic gesture of buying a house for us and selling the condo," Pixie said. "But I also realized you just came out of a relationship where you didn't own the house. Not only that, but I'm well aware of what a control freak you are—in all the best ways."

"What…what are you saying?" Eva asked, her pulse kicking up.

"I want to move in together. For real," Pixie said, her blue eyes so earnest they broke Eva's heart. "But I want it to be somewhere new, somewhere we choose together, so you get a say in what our future home looks like. That is, if you want to. I know it's soon."

How did Pixie see inside her when too few did? Eva's eyes stung, and she sucked in a sharp, shaky breath. The dream she'd collected close to her heart, of a place to settle into, of rooms she'd envisioned since childhood, of soft, quiet spaces to call her own, fuck, it felt within reach now, for the first time in her life.

"Yes," she said, her voice barely audible. "Yes, I want this with you."

"Shit, really? I mean, I know I'm a mess—"

"I don't care. I love your mess. Your five thousand pillows and blankets on every surface for the nests you make, your forgotten-about cups of tea, your teetering stacks of canvases that take up the corners, all of them are you. And I love you, Pixie."

Pixie ran her fingers through her short strands, ducking her head. "God, don't make me cry because I'm two seconds away from bawling my eyes out." Her breath came out shaky. "I'm not used to having someone who knows all of me like this. Who's seen my good and bad sides, who's heard every fucked-up thing about my past and still wants me anyway."

"You've spent a long time defining yourself by your past, dove," Eva said softly, her hand resting on Pixie's. "Take a moment to be aware of your present. You're not only strong, but you've also learned how to be soft, to let others in. You've built an unshakable family here."

"Oh my lord, you guys are gross." Micah plunked a cup of coffee in front of her as well as two scones. "Don't keep me out of the loop. Did she say yes, Pix?"

Pixie's grin grew as radiant as a sunrise. "She did."

"And you're stuck with my family as well," Eva said, casting Micah a sidelong look .

"Speaking of, are we going to have to start treating Play Nights like divorced parents?" Micah said, his hand on his hip. "Because I do not want to see my sister get freaky with my best friend. No offense."

"Yeah, that's a no on incest." Meg appeared beside them, followed by Sloan.

Eva shook her head. There went any privacy they had. However, she loved their nosy intrusions—and had anticipated them with the location they'd chosen to talk.

"But what if I want to get fucked by both Parker and Eva at the same time?" Sloan batted his eyelashes. "They're not related."

Pixie snorted. "I'll talk to Eva about scheduling you in, though you better check with Micah first about Parker. He's the possessive type."

"There is a thing as too greedy, Sloan. I'll claw your eyes out, and I just got a new manicure," Micah said, fluttering his purple nails.

"Psh, I haven't met my limit yet." He flashed a charming grin.

"Some day you'll eat those words," Micah shot back. "Whether it's one person or five partners, I'm going to love watching you find it."

"We always discuss what scenes we want for the upcoming Play Nights, so it shouldn't be hard," Meg said. "If we're having a spicy night including one of the siblings, the other won't be in attendance. Simple."

"Only to you, logistics queen," Pixie said.

Eva shrugged. "It makes sense to me." She adored Meg's sense of organization, which rivaled her own.

"I want to co-top again with you if you're game." Meg rested her hands on the table as she leaned over. "Tristan's been needy lately."

Pixie's eyes lit up. "Mmm, am I watching or participating?"

Eva tugged at her ponytail, her heart thumping hard. She loved the comfort here, how they knew each other well enough to play with ease. The idea of playing with Meg's sub or enjoying Meg taking Pixie apart excited her. Because at the end of the night, she knew who Pixie was coming home with.

"Either or—I haven't decided yet," Meg said. "It'll depend on how good Tristan was that week."

"Harsh mistress," Pixie teased.

"Sounds fair to me." Eva nudged her under the table with her foot. Pixie's smile softened, a private one just for her that made her heart flutter.

"Oh, shit, a customer." Micah darted over to the coffee bar.

"Oh, shit, you doing your job," Sloan teased. "Can I be involved in this scene, Meg?"

Meg shook her head. "My lord, the thirst. Other subs get a turn too, Sloan."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, that sounds boring to me."

Pixie snorted. "Maybe Micah's right, and you need a new challenge."

"Not a relationship," he said, starting to head toward the offices he came from. "That's a resounding hell no from me."

"I need to finish going over numbers with him, but hit me up, Eva," Meg said. "We can torture our subs together, either here or at my place."

Pixie sat up straighter, an eagerness in her expression that had Eva laughing out loud. "I will."

When Meg stepped away, Eva picked up the realtor card. "When's the soonest we can get this started? I can't wait to build a home with you."

"Now?" Pixie all but bounced in her seat. "Give them a call, and let's get the process going. You're it for me, and I want a house that feels like ours. "

Eva pinched the card between her fingers. The pace from losing her family, her partners, her home to finding something that exceeded her wildest dreams had been whiplash. She hurtled forward to the dream she'd always wished for, but she wanted to stop and savor the moment.

The sheer joy tumbling through her. The scent of coffee mingling with the hum of quiet conversation. The excitement sparking in Pixie's eyes as they set to embark on this new step together. The awareness this was where she would finally plant her roots.

And she didn't want to be anywhere else.

"Let's go find our future."