She gave him an irritated look. “I just met the guy. Hunter had to take Cady home, so he called over that Javier guy and told him . . .”
“Told him what?”
She gave him a nervous look. “Nothing.”
“Lacey,” he growled.
A shiver of anticipation ran across her skin. There was something in the way he said her name. That soft hint of warning that had her wondering what he would do if she refused to obey him. Would he threaten her with “ten” like he had that other woman? She hated to admit it, but she’d been the teensiest bit jealous of her at that moment. Not that she was going to get punished. But that she had Gray’s complete and undivided attention.
He’d looked at her like she mattered.
And all Lacey had ever wanted was to matter. What was wrong with her? He’d been threatening to punish that girl just for touching him. What sort of rule was that? She didn’t think just touching him warranted giving her ten. Whatever ten was. Ten spanks? Ten whacks with the cane? A whip?
She bit her lip as apprehension filled her. She couldn’t do this. She needed to go home and figure out how the hell she was going to drag herself to work on Monday morning without dying of embarrassment.
Gray took a step closer and grabbed her chin with his fingers, raising her face, so she was forced to stare up at him.
She licked her dry lips. “Let me go.”
“No.”
“Oh, so it’s all right for you to touch me, but that poor girl can’t touch you?”
“That ‘poor girl’ as you put it has been a sub for years and knows better than to touch a Dom she doesn’t belong to without his permission. She wanted that spanking she had coming, and that was her way of getting what she wanted. Instead of negotiating a scene, which would have been the proper way to handle things, she attempted to manipulate me, and that’s unacceptable.”
Okay, that sort of made sense. “She was topping from the bottom?”
His dark gaze narrowed. “What do you know about topping from the bottom?”
“I did a lot of reading before I decided to come here tonight.” She liked to be prepared.
“Did you? You can read everything on the subject you can find, but it still won’t prepare you for reality.”
Boy was that right.
“Anyway, Hunter and Cady had to go home, and you’re obviously busy with . . . well . . .”
Jeez, Lacey, just spit it out.
“You’re busy, so I’m going to go.”
As she turned away, disappointment filled her.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Gray grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her around.
“You can’t make me stay,” she told him. But there was no real conviction in her voice. Despite her nerves, she wanted a reason to stay.
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “No, but I don’t have to. There was a reason you made the decision to come here tonight, and that reason hasn’t changed. Hunter placed you in my care, and that means I’m going to do whatever’s necessary to see that you get what you came here for. Whether that’s just to observe or to engage in some play, I’ll see that you get what you need, Lacey.”
And what if what I need is you?
The words burned her tongue with the need to be released, but she held them in tightly. She’d already pushed him away once. Did she have the fortitude to do it again? She wasn’t so sure, which is why she should just walk away. Except she knew she wasn’t going to.
He could see the desire and need in her eyes. She wanted to take the next step. She just needed a little push. “Go back into the bathroom and take off your jacket. Put everything you don’t need back into the locker then return to me. You have two minutes.”
She just stared at him.
He tapped his watch warningly. “Your time is ticking down.”
Her eyes widened. “And if I don’t?”
He paused. She was completely new. She was here just to get a feel for things. And she was looking for a reason to bolt. Go slowly. “Nothing’s going to happen tonight that you don’t want to happen. If you just want to watch then we can do that. If you decide you want to play, we can do that too. You’re in charge.”
The anxiety on her face started to ease. Good. He needed to keep her there as long as possible. The more time he spent with her, the more time he had to convince her they should explore this attraction between them.
“I’m not sure I want to play. I’m not even sure this is for me. I only came because, well, I guess I was curious. I wanted to see why Cady enjoyed it so much. Hunter had me sign a confidentiality agreement. He said I had to stick close to him all night.”
Which reminded him. He needed to have a word with his partner. He could have given him a head’s up that Lacey was going to be here tonight.
Gray nodded. “Then all we’ll do tonight is observe. If you’re uncertain this is for you, sometimes a little play can be a way to test the waters, so to speak.” He cupped her face. “But we won’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
She licked her lips again. A nervous gesture?
“I’m not taking you away from anything?”
Or anyone. She didn’t say it, but he could hear the question in her voice.
“No. I have nothing I’d rather do more than show you around the club tonight.
Chapter Nine
I have nothing I’d rather do more than show you around the club tonight.
The man sure did know how to turn on the charm. Lacey glanced up at Gray as he pulled her closer, gently leading her around a large group of people. The way he tucked her in against his side, keeping his arm around her waist, made her feel safe and secure. But was it real? Could she really trust him? He seemed sincere, but she’d learned the hard way her judgement wasn’t what she thought it was.
He leaned in and whispered in her ear, his breath brushing against her skin. “You’ve gone all tense. Relax. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
Safety was an illusion. But it was nice of him to say so.
“Come.” He pulled her towards the St. Andrews cross. She’d seen images of them online. This one had cuffs attached to the top and bottom cross beams. A male sub was currently secured to the cross while a Dom flicked a whip over his back. She flinched each time the whip made contact, fully expecting to see blood well up across the sub’s back. But nothing was left behind except a red mark. And she was guessing from the erection the sub was sporting, he was thoroughly enjoying the experience.
Gray moved in behind her, drawing her back against his chest, with his arm around her waist. His scent made her knees weaken as desire flowed through her.
Oh, dear Lord.
“Not for you, I think?” he whispered in her ear.
She shivered slightly, her nipples tightening to hard points and pressing against her bra, which was thankfully well-padded. The cross? No. Having him so close? Yes. She shook her head.
“Let’s move on, then.” He moved away, and she had to bite back the urge to cling to him, to hold him close. He took hold of her hand, and joy filled her, as warm as a soft blanket on a cool winter’s night.
They walked past some more scenes. Some interested her more than others. The wax scene made her cringe slightly. Watching a female sub getting spanked while tied down to a spanking bench had been more intriguing. But it wasn’t until they reached a rope scene that her blood truly started to heat.
She watched as a blond Dom wrapped long coils of rope around a plump redhead’s body. He wound it around her waist then over her breasts. The redhead winced, and Lacey frowned slightly. Beside her, Gray stiffened, and she looked up as he nodded at someone. She peered over and saw Javier move closer.
The redhead said something to the Dom, and he paused then nodded and loosened the rope.
“Seems like he might need a demonstration in Shibari,” an older man remarked from beside Gray. “He’s new, isn’t he?”
“Yep. He listened to her, though, when she aske
The older man nodded. “Still, it’s always good to learn from the best.”
The best? Did he mean Gray? She glanced up at him, tension filling her. Was he going to take over from the other Dom and continue with the redhead? Would he leave her standing here on her own? What if someone approached her? What did she do? And how would she feel about him having his hands on another woman? It wasn’t as though he was hers. They weren’t anything to each other. She had no claims. No right to make demands on him not to touch another woman.
He leaned in, running his hands over her arms. “Easy.” Then he turned to the older man. “I’m not playing tonight, Mike.”
“Shame. Wouldn’t mind seeing your sub bound in rope. And from the looks of her reaction, I’d say she’s longing to feel its embrace.”
What? How could he tell that? She risked a glance over at the man. He smiled at her then winked, the creases around his eyes deepening. He was handsome. A bit weathered, with a husky voice that sounded like he had a two-pack-a-day habit. His brown eyes danced with enjoyment.
By now, Javier was speaking to the younger Dom and helping him loosen the bindings from around the redhead. Javier walked over to them a few minutes later. The redhead was now free, and the blond Dom was handing her a bottle of water and talking to her quietly.
“Don’t suppose you want to do a demonstration?” Javier asked Gray.
Shoot. She was going to have to be the better person and let him go. Maybe while he was busy with the attractive redhead, she could slip away. It was for the best, anyway. This had been a terrible idea. She didn’t belong here.
“I’m looking after Lacey tonight.”
Javier stared down at her, his dark eyes watching her closely. “I’ll happily look after Lacey.”
She shivered slightly. He was a good-looking man. Charismatic. But way too intense for her. She got the feeling he’d eat her up and still feel hungry after.
Gray tightened his hold on her shoulders. “Thanks for the offer, but she’s mine.”
The two of them looked at each other then Javier nodded. “Of course. Congratulations.”
What was he congratulating him for? Was this some guy thing she didn’t understand? She hadn’t had much to do with the opposite sex, and what experience she did have, wasn’t that great.
Her shiver this time had nothing to do with arousal.
“You okay? Cold?” Gray asked, pulling her around to face him.
“I’m fine.”
Behind her, Javier snorted. “You’re going to have to work on that.”
Gray narrowed his gaze at her. “I know. But not tonight. Tonight, I promised to keep things vanilla. But tomorrow is a different day.”
She frowned up at him. “What do you mean?”
“He means that when your Dom asks you a question, he expects an honest answer. I’ll give you a clue, ‘I’m fine’ is not an acceptable answer,” Javier replied.
“Gray isn’t my Dom.” She turned to Javier.
“Really? That’s not my take on the situation.” He turned his gaze to Gray. “If you’re sure you won’t help I’ll go find someone else to do a demonstration. There are a few newer members here tonight who would benefit.”
“I’m sure.” He turned her towards him once more, placing his fingers under her chin and tilting her face up. “Unless you’d like to take part?”
“Me?” she half-squeaked.
“Mike was right, you’re interested in the rope. Would you like to give it a try?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“It’s okay to say no if you think you’ll be too overwhelmed.”
She should say no. Play it safe. Like she always had, but look where that had gotten her. Nowhere.
“People will be watching.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes. Some people like that.”
She didn’t. Well, she shouldn’t like it. “I won’t have to be naked?”
He grinned slightly. “Not if you don’t want to be.”
“I don’t,” she told him quickly. “And you’ll stop if I say stop?”
“Always. Just tell me to stop, and I will immediately.”
“It won’t hurt?”
He cupped her cheek. “It won’t hurt.”
He was being incredibly patient. He showed no hint of exasperation or annoyance. He just stood there and waited for her to decide, giving her his full attention. It was a heady experience. Having this gorgeous man focus fully on her and just her.
She licked her lips, looking around. She wasn’t sure how she felt about people watching. Nervous? Yes. But also relieved. Having people around felt like a safety net in case something went awry.
“What if I do something wrong?”
His gaze narrowed. “What could you possibly do wrong?”
“I don’t know. What if I move when I’m supposed to be still? Or I say something silly?”
“If you do what I say you’ll do just fine.”
“But what if I move by accident? Will you be mad?” And what happened when he was angry? Or disappointed?
“If it’s an accident then why would I be mad? You’re new to this. Nobody expects perfection. If you try your best to follow my orders, then I’ll be more than pleased. There’s not much you can do wrong. Well, if you start cursing and calling me names then we might have a problem. Then you’ll probably end up over my knee.”
Her pulse increased at those words.
“But maybe you’d like that,” he said slowly.
“No,” she said too quickly. “I wouldn’t.”
He frowned slightly. “We’re going to run into trouble if you keep lying. I expect you to tell the truth. If the ropes are too tight or something hurts, then you need to be honest.”
“I can do that.”
“Hmm.” He studied her.
“I’ll do it,” she said quickly before he could press her about her little lie. “I want to and I’ll tell the truth.”
“All right. Good girl.” He clasped her face between his hands and leaning in, kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll take care of you.”
She closed her eyes briefly, feeling slightly light-headed at his words. When was the last time someone other than her cousins had taken care of her?
“Look at me.” Gray’s voice was a low command, and she opened her eyes, staring up at him. “One day, you’re going to tell me what it is that puts that look on your face.”
“What look?”
“Sadness. I don’t like it and I don’t like that something I might say or do could bring up memories that cause you pain.”
“It’s not you,” she told him.
He rubbed his thumb over her lower lip. “I’m glad to hear that. But something put that look on your face. Come on.” He held out his hand, and she took it with no small sense of trepidation. But she let him lead her out to where coils of red rope lay on floor.
He turned her to face the gathering group. She swallowed heavily. Okay, there were far more people present than she’d expected there would be. Was this a good idea?
Gray ran his hands down her neck then slowly over her shoulders then arms. “Relax, darling. You’re going to like this, I promise.”
Easy for him to say.
Around them, people’s voices grew louder, and her nervousness increased.
“I can blindfold you. It can help to ease the nerves and heighten your responses.”
She thought about that for a moment. Would it make things easier? No. No, even though staring out at a group of strangers was intimidating, being blindfolded would only make her more nervous.
She shook her head. “No.”
“No, Sir,” he murmured.
“No, Sir.” Okay, that slipped rather easily off the tongue.
He reached his hands around her stomach, his fingers brushing the top of her mound. Her clit throbbed, almost painful in its intensity. Her breath caught in her throat, her pulse racing.
“Do you have a bra and panties on?” he asked, moving his fingers in a slow, circling massage across the top of her pussy. Did he know what he was doing?
“Yes.” What kind of question was that? Of course, she did.
“How would you feel about wearing just them?”
“Just my bra and panties?” she half-squeaked.
“What do you wear when you go swimming?”
“A one-piece.”
He kissed the side of her neck. “Maybe it’s time to be a little daring.”
Her breath hitched, need making her body ache and easing her inhibitions. “All right.”
Right at that moment, she may well have promised him anything. He was good. Boy, was he good. He reached behind her and carefully unzipped her dress. She suddenly grabbed it.
“They don’t match.”
“What doesn’t match?” he asked, sounding puzzled.
“My bra and panties. They don’t match.”
He chuckled a little. “Baby, everyone is going to be staring at your gorgeous body, they won’t notice if your underwear doesn’t match or have holes in them. Trust me.”
It always came down to trust.
“Remove your hands, Lacey.” There was a sterner note in his voice. One that said he expected obedience, and she found herself obeying him.
“That’s my girl.”
His girl. She wished.
She took in a deep breath then let it out slowly, closing her eyes as he pulled the dress down her body. The voices didn’t change. There was no exclamation of shock over the state of her underwear. No whispers over the appearance of her body. Not that she thought she had a bad looking body or anything. She just wasn’t used to feeling so exposed. When she opened her eyes, she realized half the people weren’t even looking at her, they were talking among themselves or gesturing towards the scene going on next to them, involving a flogger, a feather . . . and was that ice cream being spooned onto the sub’s nipples?
“Put your hands on my shoulders.”
Yep, that was definitely ice cream.
Smack!
“Ouch!” She stared down at Gray in shock, reaching behind her to rub her stinging butt cheek.
His face was stern, his gaze cool as he gazed up from where he knelt in front of her. “When I give an order, I expect obedience unless it’s something that makes you uncomfortable. If it makes you uncomfortable or frightens you, then you can ask me to slow down or clarify, understand?”
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