Triumph surged through him, far more satisfying than a mere orgasm would have been.

“Good girl,” he said, cuddling her under his arm. “Now let’s go to the aftercare couch.”

“I don’t need aftercare,” she said. It sounded like an automatic response, and Michael was fairly sure that it was.

“But I need to give it, and I’d appreciate it if you let me,” he said evenly as they exited the room. He gave a nod to one of the subbies on duty, hanging on the side of the Dungeon, letting him know the room was ready to be cleaned. As he’d suspected, Ellie’s need to please him in some way after the scene meant she allowed him to lead her to the aftercare corner, wrap her in a blanket, and snuggle her on the couch.

It caused a few stares since Ellie only ever accepted aftercare from Andrew or Jared... but she snuggled right into him and allowed him to hold her on his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. Most people wouldn’t call it a ‘happy ending,’ but for Michael, it was exactly the ending he’d been aiming for.

No matter how much his cock ached.

4

After walking Ellie out to her car, Michael wasn’t really into hanging out around the club and dealing with the inevitable gossip, so he went home too. His apartment seemed emptier than ever, although the solitude was usually a relief. The sparsely furnished one bedroom was basically just a place for him to hang his hat; he hadn’t really done anything to make it into a home yet.

He’d gotten too used to being on the move, needing the ability to pack up and go easily; settling in one place had felt foreign. Even though he wanted to make it look more like a home, whenever he went into a store with decorations and knick knacks, he had trouble convincing himself to buy anything. His brain kept asking what he would do with it if he got into a show and went on tour again. It didn’t matter that he didn’t plan to go on tour again, it was still the mindset he was most comfortable with.

Now, he looked around and wondered what Ellie would think if he ever managed to convince her to come to his place.

Just thinking about her possible reaction reminded him of how gorgeous she’d been tonight... how surprisingly sassy and fun before submitting beautifully. His cock, which had never fully gone down, rose up again as he ran his tongue around the back of his teeth, the taste of her still lingering. With a groan, he headed for the shower.

Not a cold one either.