She was both excited and a little anxious about selling her jewelry. Though she was limited by the prohibitive cost of the raw materials, each piece she made was special to her, and she’d always eventually given them away to people she loved.
But Adam had made a good point. If she sold some of her existing inventory, she could use the proceeds to buy additional materials to make more jewelry, including a line of BDSM-themed pieces. The thought of actually making a living selling her work was intriguing.
There were easily twenty booths lined up on either side of the main entrance, as well as a half dozen or so permanent storefronts set up along one wall of the huge warehouse. “I want to introduce you to Allie Byrne, the woman I was telling you about with the BDSM jewelry line,” Adam said. “I bet she can give you some great pointers on how to get started. She sells online and she also rents a permanent space here at BDSM Connections.”
They greeted Bob in his back office, and Adam collected his cash box for the night’s sales. “Say, do you know if Allie Byrne is here yet?” Adam asked Bob.
“She sure is,” Bob replied. “She’s up front in her shop.”
They made their way past dozens of scene stations set up and waiting for the guests to arrive. Shani was instantly aroused by the whipping posts, bondage tables, suspension racks, spanking benches and St. Andrew’s crosses they passed. Her desire must have shown in her face, because Adam put his arm around her and drew her close with a laugh. “You’ll have to wait till later, Princess. Work before pleasure.” He slipped his hand in the front of her dress, finding her nipple and giving it a sharp tweak.
“Hmmm,” she moaned, instantly on fire.
They arrived at their assigned booth. Adam set down his cash box, slid his gear bag from his shoulder and put it under the table. “You can share my cash box and we can settle up later,” he said. “I’ve got a portable credit card reader in my gear bag and we can keep track with that.”
“You’re assuming I’ll sell anything,” Shani said with a nervous laugh.
Part of her nerves, indeed, most of them, weren’t centered on her jewelry at all, but on the possibility of seeing Sir at this event. It had been over a year. He’d never, as far as she knew, made any effort to find out where she’d gone or do any creepy stalker stuff. Yet, even after all this time and all her personal growth, she remained scared of him on some level. Coming back to the “scene of the crime” had reawakened some of her old fears and insecurities.
Then she looked at Adam, smiling down at her, and shook away the negative thoughts. Even if the asshole showed up here, what could he do to her? He only had as much power over her now as she chose to allow him. She wasn’t that lost girl anymore. She had found herself again on Desire Island. She was Shani, one of the five noble princess warriors, and if he tried to fuck with her now, she’d laugh in his face.
“You’re right,” Adam agreed, pulling her back to the moment. “I predict you’ll sell out of what you have in a New York minute. Let me take you over to meet Allie. I texted her about you and she’s dying to meet you.” He pulled Shani’s portable glass jewelry case from inside one of the open shipping boxes he’d stored under the table. “Let’s take your stuff over with us so she can help with the pricing.”
They entered a small, enclosed storefront with Allie’s Creations painted in calligraphic lettering on the window glass and in smaller lettering beneath, BDSM-Themed Jewelry for All Occasions.
The small space contained floating shelves along all the walls filled with artfully displayed jewelry. A very pretty young woman with auburn hair and dark blue eyes was behind the glass-topped counter at the back, arranging pieces on velvet-lined trays. She wore a beautiful collar of deep red leather around her neck, a rose gold padlock in the shape of a heart dangling from its center. Her leather bustier was dyed the same rich burgundy.
She looked up as they came in, her face lighting in a smile of recognition. “Adam Hawk,” she said, coming from around the counter as he set Shani’s box down. “It’s been too long. It’s so great to see you again.”
After they embraced, Adam said, “Allie, this is Shani Youngblood, the jewelry artisan I was telling you about.”
Allie took Shani’s hand in hers, her expression warm and kind. “It’s great to meet you, Shani. I can’t wait to see your work.”
“Oh,” Shani said embarrassed. “I just do it for fun. I’ve never actually sold anything.”
Allie shrugged, smiling. “It started as a hobby for me, too. I got some great help and advice along the way, and I’d be more than happy to share what I’ve learned with you. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“If you girls will excuse me,” Adam interjected. “I’m going to go set up my stuff. I’ll leave a space on the end of the table for you, Shani.”
“Okay, thanks,” Shani said, feeling a little overwhelmed, but also excited.
After Adam had disappeared, Allie said, “I hope I’m not overstepping to say this, but I’ve known Adam for a few years and I’ve never, ever seen him look at someone the way he looks at you. Could it be someone has finally stolen that guy’s heart?”
Shani’s entire body flushed with pleasure. “We’ve only known each other a few weeks, but in some ways I feel like I’ve always known him. Like he’s the missing piece in my heart.” Realizing how corny she sounded, Shani made a face, offering a small, embarrassed laugh. “Listen to me. I sound like something out of a romance novel.”
Allie grinned. “You act like that’s a bad thing. I think it’s wonderful. Someday I’ll have to tell you the crazy story of how Sir Liam—that’s my husband and Master—and I connected. Talk about a romance novel…” Her face softened, her eyes sparkling as she stared into the distance.
Coming back to herself, she asked, “So, where did you and Adam meet?”
“We met on Desire Island. It’s a BDSM resort in the Outer Banks. I’m a staff slave there.”
“Oooh, I’ve heard about that place,” Allie said excitedly. “We can’t wait to go there, once the baby has weaned herself.”
“You have a baby?”
“Well,” Allie replied with a grin. “I guess she’s not technically a baby anymore. Ciara is fourteen months old. I’ll bore you to death with baby pics on my phone when we have time. And I want to hear every detail about what it’s like to be a staff slave. It sounds so sexy and intense! But for now, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Allie opened Shani’s box and lifted out one of her beaded necklaces. “This is beautiful,” she breathed. “The detail is exquisite and the design is so original. This’ll sell in a heartbeat. Where’s your studio?”
Shani shook her head. “No studio. I have a bag of tools, a soldering kit and a torch. My grandmother taught me when I was a little girl. I’ve been doing it all my life.”
“It shows,” Allie said approvingly, warming Shani to her bones. “You’re a real artist, Shani.”
They spent the next twenty minutes or so pricing the pieces. Shani was dubious at first, protesting, “Are you sure we should price them so high? None of this has any precious stones or gold. It’s not my best stuff.”
“Are you kidding? I’m pricing it low because you’re new. Once we get you established, you’ll be able to charge a lot more. And when you turn your mind to BDSM-themed pieces, the sky’s the limit. People will pay a lot for D/s jewelry they can also wear out in the vanilla world. The demand is huge and there are very few really good artisans out there doing it.”
Shani looked around, entranced and inspired by Allie’s work. She picked up a pair of silver barbells, each with a delicate hanging chain strung with a tiny garnet heart. Her nipples tingled as she imagined being pierced and fitted with the pretty jewelry.
There were so many beautiful pieces, including tiny handcuff earrings with delicate gemstones, necklaces that could be worn as slave collars, and an assortment of bracelets in silver, gold and leather that could also serve as restraining cuffs. As she looked around, her mind was
teeming with ideas of her own, her fingers itching to create.
She was drawn to the leather collars on another shelf, many of them with tiny precious and semi-precious stones embedded in the leather. “These are gorgeous,” Shani exclaimed.
“They’re pretty sweet, right? I partner with the Leather Master on those, Taggart Fitzgerald. Do you know him?”
As Shani shook her head, Allie added, “He’s a world renown whip maker on par with Adam Hawk. He’s a cowboy who started out making saddles for horses. His submissive, Rylee, is one of my best friends. You’ll get to meet them both. They should be here any minute.”
They chatted a few minutes more. “I can’t thank you enough, Allie,” Shani finally said, taking her display box, all the pieces now neatly tagged with prices that were easily three times what she would have dared to charge. “You’ve given me so much to think about.”
“Let’s get together if you have time before you head back. Maybe for breakfast or something? You, me and Rylee. You’ll love her. We can all share our romance novel stories.”
“I think mine’s still in the first chapter,” Shani said with a laugh.
“That’s okay. It’s what’s yet to come that’s the most exciting.”
~*~
At eight PM sharp, the front doors were opened for business. A long line of people stood outside, many of them already decked out in leather and latex. Tickets had been sold in advance, and four assistants stood at the door, taking the tickets as fast as they could as the crowd surged forward. Some paused just inside the warehouse to take off their street clothes, not stopping until they were totally naked, save for a leather harness, stockings and heels, or a codpiece, slave collars around their necks.
“Welcome to the BDSM Connections annual Fetish Fair,” Bob announced, his voice amplified by the portable microphone in his hand. “The best BDSM artisans in the world are here tonight, folks, and you have two hours to explore and buy. Make sure and get plenty of toys, because the dungeon action starts at ten and goes until every Dom’s whip arm is exhausted and every sub’s ass is properly marked. Have fun, and be sure to always observe the community bywords—safe, sane and consensual.”
Adam was ready, his richly dyed whips, floggers, paddles, cuffs and collars arranged, Shani’s jewelry prominently displayed at the end of the table where passersby would see it at once. She looked so adorable and sexy in her figure-hugging leather dress. His fingers itched to tug that zipper all the way down to reveal the luscious body beneath. Later, he reminded himself, ordering his cock to behave. Like you told Shani—work before pleasure.
Unless… A diabolically delicious thought entered his mind. Shani was, after all, a fully trained staff slave at one of the premier BDSM resorts in the world. What better model to use to demonstrate his impact toys?
Potential customers swarmed their table, distracting him from his fantasies for a while. As he’d predicted, Shani’s jewelry sold out in the first half hour. Flustered but delighted, she turned her attention to helping Adam wrap and bag his rapidly dwindling inventory.
With a half hour left before the dungeon play began, Adam decided to implement his sexy plan, assuming Shani was game. “I need to talk to Bob,” he said to her. “Can you watch things for a sec?”
“Sure,” Shani replied with a smile.
He found Bob in the dungeon area tweaking something on one of the suspension rigs. He ran his idea by him, and Bob readily agreed. “It’s a great idea,” he enthused, walking back with Adam to the vendor booths, his portable microphone in hand. “I’ll man your booth while you do the scene. It’s about time to get this party started, and this will be a great segue to get everyone’s juices flowing.”
Back at their booth, Adam moved close to Shani and said softly, “I’d like to use you as a model for my new mini dragon tail whip collection.”
The new whip was designed especially for indoor play in a confined space. The stiff leather tail, shaped like a slim garden spade that narrowed to a whip-like point, was only seven inches, its handle no longer than a cane grip. The dragon functioned like a paddle if you made impact with the broader top of the tail, and like a single tail whip if you used the tip. The narrow tip could deliver an intense bite, perfect for targeted impact play.
He picked up a dragon whip and snapped it in the air. Shani flinched and then bit her lower lip, her eyes shining. Arousal radiated off her like heat.
Delighted, Adam continued, “I want to take that sexy dress off your perfect body, right here, right now. Then I want to mark your gorgeous ass with this dragon tail.” Again, he snapped it in the air. “But only if you’re comfortable with that. Are you willing?”
“Ooh,” she breathed. Her pupils had dilated, her nipples perking hard against the bodice of her dress. “Yes, Sir.”
“Excellent,” he replied, sadistic pleasure already coursing through his veins. With his free hand, he reached for the tag of her zipper, nestled at her sexy cleavage, and tugged it slowly down.
Chapter 11
Adam stared down at Shani, his eyes locked on hers as he slowly, sexily, drew down the zipper of her dress. It fell open, revealing her naked body. Moving behind her, he slipped the red leather from her shoulders. Setting the dress on a box under the sale table, he moved to again stand in front of her.
His eyes glided over her body with a smoldering gaze that stoked the fire already burning in her belly. A slow, sexy smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “I like you like that.”
He looked over at Bob, giving him a thumbs up.
Bob lifted his microphone and said, “Hey there, fellow kinksters. Come to booth number two if you want to see master whip maker Adam Hawk demonstrate his awesome new mini dragon whip on a lovely, naked submissive.”
A crowd instantly swarmed around the booth. Bob herded them back to a safe distance as Shani stepped away from the booth for the scene. “Make sure to stay back, folks,” Bob said with a grin. “You wouldn’t want to accidentally be involved in this scene.”
The onlookers murmured excitedly as they jostled for position. Used to such attention, Shani barely registered them. Her focus was on Adam and the sexy dragon tail in his hand.
He smiled at her, a slow, sexy smile, his eyes glittering with lust and power. “Lift your arms over your head and grip your hands together,” he directed.
While she obeyed, he turned his attention to the spectators and spoke in a loud, clear voice. “These dragon tails may look harmless because they’re small, but don’t be fooled. This tip can deliver the same bite as a single tail. If you’re not familiar with single tails, I strongly recommend you take one of the whip courses offered here at the BDSM Connections Event Center before whipping a live subject. The idea is to kiss the skin with the lash—just enough to make a mark, without cutting the skin. I’ll give you a brief demonstration on this lovely slave girl.”
Moving closer to her, he murmured softly near her ear, “Are you ready, Princess? Let’s show them how it’s done.”
“Yes, Sir,” she murmured, her skin tingling with expectation, her heartbeat quickening.
He moved behind her and lightly flicked the tip of the whip against her ass. The welcome sting zinged along her nerve endings, making her clit throb. She drew in a breath as he used the full length of the short whip to strike both cheeks at once. She stiffened when the lash landed across her back, the pain bringing tears to her eyes and moisture to her cunt.
Adam appeared in front of her once more, his eyes seeking hers. “More?” he mouthed.
“Yes, please,” she whispered.
When the dragon tip snapped against her right breast, she sucked in another sharp breath, but continued to remain still as a statue, her arms extended overhead, her fingers intertwined. Adam walked in a slow circle around her, snapping the mini whip with an expert hand.
As the snake kissed and licked her flesh with its fiery tongue, she settled into herself, her feet rooted to the floor, her body opening and surrendering to the erotic pain.
Each cutting stroke centered her more fully, bringing her back to her true essence as a powerful, willing submissive. The last, lingering vestiges of anxiety over the prospect of encountering Sir were whipped away, leaving her mind empty and her soul at peace.
When Adam finally lowered his whip arm, Shani tried to open her mouth to beg for more. Her lips had parted, but all she could do was sigh. Her head had fallen back, her eyes closing of their own accord.
She was vaguely aware of the crowd around them applauding as Adam gently disentangled her fingers and lowered her arms to her sides. But she remained unable to move, save for the slow, deep rise and fall of her chest. Her skin stung from the lash, creating a pleasant, warm glow over her entire body. Her muscles felt loose and strong, as if she could run a marathon. But she couldn’t have moved if she’d tried. She was cloaked in the soft gossamer of subspace. She surrendered fully to the sensations, letting the pristine, pure peace enfold her in its embrace.
She came back to earth as Adam led her to the back of the booth. He smoothed balm over her skin with gentle fingers. She smiled up at him as he reached around her to drape a soft towel lightly over her shoulders.
As she sipped from a bottle of water, Adam and Bob handled the long line of customers that had formed after the scene. Most of the customers were in fetish gear, some in full leather regalia, some as naked as Shani. A few of the subs were on their knees, leashes attached to their collars. Sexual energy and excitement were palpable in the air. Adam met Shani’s eye and grinned. She grinned back, delighted.
~*~
The demo had been awesome, Shani perfect as always. Adam had sold not only all his new mini dragon whips, but also the rest of his first night’s inventory. But more than the brisk sales, he had been so proud to have Shani there with him—his willing, beautiful sub girl.
Five Stars (Desire Island Series Book 5) Page 8
