Chapter 7

"So, what hospital were you looking to work at?" Lizzie asked, interrupted my thoughts.

I took several slow breathes, trying to pull myself out of the spiral of self-pity that I was heading for. The spark of old Bethany was waning thin, but I reached for it, not wanting to spoil the night for my friends.

"South General," I answered her excitedly. "I know it's not a gym but working the physical therapy department will allow me the chance to help people get back to health."

I felt a brush of lips on my ear, causing a shiver to race down my spine. "So, I guess private pole dancing lessons are no longer a choice," Alyssa's voice whispered into my ear. "That's too bad. I really wanted to watch as you danced for us."

Who had told them that I could pole dance? I thought frantically. The only person I had talked about my idea for a class had been…Vie…Trev. God damn it. I refused to turn and look at Alyssa or Kevin, knowing that my face would be flushed bright red.

Embarrassment, however, was not the only emotion I was feeling now. A warm emotion bloomed in my stomach and spread lower, causing me to shift my stance as a small tingling began between my thighs.

I opened my mouth, as the insanity of need swept over me, to tell her that I would dance for her anytime, but Master Reed interrupted with just the raise of his hands. My mind whipped back to reality, and I stepped slightly away from her tempting lips before the craziness came back.

With just the raise of Master Reed's hand, all the sub's instantly fell silent and looked towards him. Master Reed owned this club and many other businesses, and it was just a show of his power that no one argued with him when he spoke. His long dark hair spilled over his broad shoulders, accentuating their girth. This man was a tall block of muscles from head to toe, and I was not entirely sure an ounce of fat would dare show up on him. If it did, I was positive he just glanced at it, and it would run off screaming.

He was strong, tall, and powerful, the perfect Dom in every sense of the word. Or at least I used to think so until I fell under the hand of Kevin. When I had mouthed off about something, I was particularly good at playing the bratty sub, all Kevin had done was glance at me with one brow raised, and I had silenced instantly.

Don't think about that night, Bethy! I urgently chided myself silently.

"Thank you all for coming. We are here to officially welcome Mia to the group, but we are also here to witness Lizzie's collaring by her Doms. So, let's get started so we can finish," Reed said with a sexy half-smile and wink at the group leaving no doubt what he was talking about.

"Here, here," shouted Jordan holding up a beer towards Reed.

Jack looked down at Lizzie with a look of promise in his eyes instead of saying anything. Lizzie shifted next to him, obviously affected by the look. Not that any normal red-blooded women would not be.

It always struck me how different the two Dom's were. Jordan was classically handsome with a sexy rough edge that took away from his good-boy quality. Whereas Jack was the picture of a dark Native American warrior. If he rode in on a large black stallion to kidnapped Lizzie and raced off to his village, I would not have been the least bit surprised.

I turned from the trio just in time to see Vie giggle at something Trev had whispered into her ear. My eyes swept away in a hurry trying to find something less intimate to watch.

My attention was drawn back to Reed, happily, as he began speaking again. My relief was short-lived as I realized Reed's next words were just as intimate as everything I had seen. He pulled Mia close to him and stared deeply into her eyes.

"I hoped, from the very first time I held you in my arms, that I would one day have you here with my collar around your neck. Now here we are… you are in my club, and you are all mine," Reed said his eyes darkening with sensual pride as he stared at the little disc on the front.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alyssa and Kevin standing in the very back. The conversation they were having was inaudible but very animated with their hands moving around fanatically. I wondered briefly what they were talking about.

But suddenly, everyone in the room gasped. My body stiffened in fear as my eyes flew around trying to find the source of danger. Instead of danger, the crowd had parted while Reed dropped to his one knee. Mia's hands were clasped to her chest as she stared down at Reed with wide eyes that were quickly filling up with tears.

"Mia, my love. I know we've only been together for a few months but, I've been seeing you in my mind for years. I want to spend the rest of our lives together memorizing every little thing about each other," Reed spoke, his deep voice had grown thicker with emotion. "I'm humbled and proud that after everything we'd been through, you'd still consent to submit to me and wear my collar. But I want the whole world to know you're mine."

He pulled a tiny black box out of his pocket and flipped it open. The tears that had been threatening to fall out of Mia's wide eyes lost the battle and began to trickle down her face as she stared at the box.

"Marry me, Mia," he demanded in a hard tone.

We all held our breath as we waited for her response, but Mia just stared at the ring, not answering. Reed shifted nervously as the silence in the room grew thicker and thicker. His jitters were very unDom like, but I supposed that even Masters get nervous waiting for the answer to their proposal, despite his demand that she say yes.

"Mia..." he whispered, prompting her.

Mia jerked at the sound of her name, and her words flew out.

"I'm pregnant."