by Cathryn Fox
Maria grinned. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“Then what’s holding you back?” Angie asked.
Janie’s fingers slid from her mouth and steepled against her lips as if in prayer. When she thought about what was preventing her from partaking in the underground activities, a knot tightened in her stomach. “You know what’s holding me back.”
Eden touched her arm in a comforting manner. “There’s nothing safer than a BDSM dungeon. This might be hard for you to understand, but you really are the one in control.”
“What?” Janie asked, her hair flaring as she spun to face Eden. “Wait a minute. Those are the exact same words Kaden used.”
Eden shrugged. “He’s right. It’s just a different kind of control.”
“Different?”
“Freeing.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just do. And everything stops when you use the safe word.”
Maria tossed her napkin onto the table. “Well, I don’t know anything about dungeons, but I do know that if I had two hot guys who wanted to pleasure me, I wouldn’t be sitting here drinking latte’s with you three. No offense.”
Janie’s glance went from Eden, to Maria, then to Angie. “Are you guys really saying you think I should go for it?”
“Yes,” they all said in unison.
“Holy Christ,” Janie said, shaking her head. She thought back to last night and couldn’t deny that there was a part of her that was more than a little curious.
Eden nudged her with her elbow. “I think you might actually enjoy it.”
“I’m just not sure…”
“You should try everything at least once,” Eden said.
Janie picked up her latte and sank back in her seat. Needing time to sort through matters, she turned the conversation to Angie. “So I hear Nick is back in town.” As soon as the name left her mouth, she watched a heated tremble move through Maria.
Having successfully switched the conversation to Angie’s hot firefighter brother and Maria’s wicked crush on him, Janie sipped her drink and half listened. Her brain was still preoccupied with Kaden and Tate and the things they wanted to do with her.
Surely she couldn’t do what they were asking. As she mulled that over, Kaden’s comment kept racing through her mind.
All you have to do is say ‘Sanctuary’, and Tate and I will give you everything you’ve ever needed…
The bell over the door jingled, and Janie glanced up, only half her attention on the people in the café, but when the man walking through the door zeroed in on her, her blood drained to her toes.
“Janie, are you okay?” Eden asked, but then gasped when she followed Janie’s glance. “Shit, Simon’s here,” Eden said to Maria and Angie.
Maria shifted her chair to block his path, but she wasn’t quick enough. Before Janie could do anything, Simon was standing directly beside her, a darkly dangerous smile on his face.
“You’re not supposed to be anywhere near me,” Janie said, deepening her voice in a firm, authoritative manner like she was taught in the self-defense classes she’d taken with Maria.
“It’s just a coincidence,” Simon said. He turned to Maria, who was pulling her phone from her purse. “I thought since we were all here, I could join you.”
Janie gave a hard shake of her head. “I think you should leave.”
More patrons came through the door, and the jingling bell sounded like it was a million miles away as she shook her head and faced off against the man who mistakenly believed he loved her and that she loved him. The truth was he loved her character, Samantha, not her. He didn’t even know who she was.
“Sim—” she began but was cut off when out of nowhere, Kaden stepped up to Simon, Tate close behind him.
“I believe the lady said she wanted you to leave.”
Simon spun around, and she knew him well enough to know he was about to cause a scene. As if to stop him, Kaden put his hand on Simon’s shoulder—a firm grip—and in a very controlled, yet calculated way, he defused the situation and walked him out the door.
As they disappeared outside, Tate dropped to one knee beside Janie, his blue eyes full of concern as they moved over her face, and it occurred to her that Kaden, like every other cast and management member from the Devious Women set, knew about her situation with Simon.
Tate took one of her hands in his, gently rubbing the rough pad of his thumb over her knuckles. “Look at me, Janie. Just let it go. Kaden’s got this under control.” The low, soothing tone of his voice washed over her, calming her shattered nerves. As if by magic, the tension slowly left her body.
He looked at her friends and gave them a warm, charming smile. She could almost hear the air leaving Angie’s lungs as her eyes moved over him.
“What is he going to do?” Janie asked. She stole another glance outside. While she couldn’t hear what Kaden was saying, from the intense look on his face to the alarm in Simon’s eyes, it was clear that he was putting the fear of God into her stalker.
“Whatever he has to.” Tate gave her a reassuring smile. “Kaden never allows anyone to hurt those in his charge,” he said, like he knew this from personal experience. It made her wonder more about the two men, about their past and how they got to where they were today. If she did decide to get involved with them, it would be on a physical level only, yet she couldn’t help wanting to know more about these men and their unique relationship.
Wait! Did that mean she was considering it? She glanced at her friends, sitting there staring at Tate in mute fascination.
“It’s okay. Let us take care of you,” Tate said.
She swallowed, sensing he was talking about now…and the dungeon. “I didn’t… Where did you two come from anyway?” She looked past Tate’s shoulders. Kaden, dressed in his track pants, towered over Simon as he moved him farther down the sidewalk, out of her line of sight. Everything in the confident way he walked and how he took control of the situation sent heat through Janie’s blood.
“We’d just finished our run in the park and stopped in for a protein shake. I saw you sitting here, how pale and frightened you looked…” Her glance fell from Tate’s face and took in his rain soaked running clothes.
“Everything okay, here?” Kaden asked, putting a hand on Tate’s shoulder as he stepped up to them.
Janie’s glance shot to Kaden’s face. When intense gray eyes met hers, it stole the air from her lungs. “I…uh…”
“Everything is fine now that you two are here,” Maria said, coming to Janie’s rescue.
Kaden smiled at her friends, then leaned toward Janie. “Okay, if you need me, you know how to get hold of me, right?”
Janie nodded, remembering the exchange of cell numbers last night.
“I’ll see you Monday, then.”
“Monday?”
He gave her a grin that moistened her pussy. “Yeah, we work together, remember?”
“Oh, right.” Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Okay, ground, open up anytime now so you can swallow me whole.
Tate stood and gave her hand a squeeze. “I hope to see you later, Janie.”
Their eyes met as she gave a nod, and as the two men walked to the counter, the girls all watched silently, just enjoying the view.
As soon as the guys were out of earshot, Angie threw her hands up in the air. “Holy shit.”
“Holy shit is right,” Maria picked up her napkin and fanned herself.
Janie turned to Eden and shook her head at the smile on the other woman’s face. “Not you, too?”
Eden laughed. “Yeah, me too.”
“What am I going to do with you guys?”
Maria jerked her thumb toward Kaden and Tate as they left the café. “Never mind what you’re going to do with us. I think the real question is, what are you going to be doing with them?”
* * *
Sitting on the back deck, Kaden looked out over the pool. The sun was just beginning to set when the second text came through. He glan
ced at the screen on his phone, and heat zinged through his blood. Here it was, Friday night, a full week since he’d first introduced Janie to Sanctuary. Other than their run-in at the café and the few glances she’d cast his way on the set, they’d yet to connect.
Until now.
He looked at the text again, and the one word staring at him—Sanctuary—told him she was ready to play. Well, play they would. He had no idea what had changed her mind, or why she suddenly found herself warming to the idea of entering into a physical relationship with them, he was only glad she had. Showing her what she really needed and sending her into sub space during a scene, where she would find unimaginable pleasure, was going to be one hell of a satisfying experience for all of them.
He climbed from his lounge chair and made his way into the air-conditioned house.
“Tate,” he called out as he walked to the den where he found his friend pounding away on his laptop, a common sight, even on the weekend. The man was a damn workaholic and really needed to get out more.
“What’s up?” The wheels on Tate’s leather chair squealed as he pushed back from the desk.
Instead of answering, Kaden walked across the room and held his phone out. A wide smile split Tate’s face, and he slicked his hair off his forehead.
“You knew she’d want this, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Kaden said and then frowned. They’d need to be careful with her. She was new to the lifestyle, and under his care. He took that responsibility very seriously. “But tonight is going to be hard on her. Everything from her reaction to the dungeon to the type of men she goes out with tells me she has demons. We need to help her overcome this, so we can’t push too far too fast.”
“I understand. She’s in good hands with us, and no one can read a sub quite like you.” Tate climbed to his feet, came around the desk, and slapped a hand to Kaden’s shoulder. “It might have taken years for you to find the right girl, but as soon as I met her, I knew the wait was worth it.” He glanced at the clock. “Why don’t you go get her? The club doesn’t open for a few hours anyway, and I need about an hour to finish up with some work before play.”
Kaden nodded and text backed. “I’m on my way.”
He waited for her to respond, which seemed to be taking an awfully long time. He could see on the screen as she began to type, then delete. For a minute, he wondered if she was having second thoughts, but when his phone pinged and he read, “Okay,” he turned on the balls of his feet and headed for the car.
Kaden sped through the streets, anxious to see her—more anxious, actually—than he probably should have been. He parked his vehicle outside her place and rushed up to her door. Feeling like a teenager on his first date, he smoothed his hair back. Hell, next thing, he’d be checking his breath in the palm of his hand. Rolling his shoulders, he lifted his hand, and just as he was about to knock, the door clicked opened.
His eyes met hers, then trailed lower to take in the silk, form-fitting black dress she was wearing. He sucked in a breath, and once again, his heart pounded just a little too hard. She was so beautiful, and it humbled him that she was about to put herself in his hands when it was clear trust didn’t come easily.
His glance moved back to her face, and the tiny flecks of honey dancing in her green eyes deepened when he met her gaze straight on. “You look gorgeous.”
She gave him a smile, and it took all his restraint not to drag her to him, to plant his mouth on hers and kiss her the way he wanted to. But he knew he needed to go slow and make this good for her.
He took a measured step toward her and watched the way her cleavage heaved as he moved into her personal space. He touched her chin, lifting it until her eyes met his. “I promise you, nothing will happen unless you want it to.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
His glance moved over her face. “For this to work, you have to believe that.”
“I do,” she said. Even though he heard conviction in her voice, he could tell it was forced. She blinked and lowered her lids, her uncertainty evident in her actions.
“Janie,” he pushed. “If you don’t want this—”
Her lids flew open. “No, I want this,” she said quickly. “I actually did a little…”
She stopped speaking, like she’d said too much. “Did a little what?” he pushed.
“A…a little research,” she admitted.
He grinned, happy that she was committed to this. “Good.” Capturing her hand in his, he led her to his car. In a bid to relax her, he made small talk on the way to his place, asking her questions about her friends and her work. Her nerves seem to have fallen to the wayside—until he pulled into his garage.
He killed the ignition and turned to her. She opened her mouth like she was about to say something but he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her, his tongue tangling with hers as he worked to coax the unease from her body. But good God, he never expected her to taste so sweet, so addictive and intoxicating. He deepened the kiss, wanting, needing more…needing all of her. O-kay…that he hadn’t expected. After a long while, he pulled back and ran the rough pad of his thumb over her lips.
“What…what was that?” she asked, breathlessly.
“That, sweetheart,” he began, “is just a taste of things to come.”
Chapter Four
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
The thought whirled through her head as Kaden led her inside the mansion. Despite her mixed feelings on what she was about to do, her body hummed, ready to experience what had been promised to be the best sex of her life. Honestly, while one part of her couldn’t believe she’d actually sent that text, another part of her was beyond curious, ready to see what this lifestyle was all about and why her three best friends were encouraging her to go for it.
Even though she’d decided to do this, the idea of not being in control scared the hell out of her. Then again, everyone, including Maria, Eden, and Angie, had assured her that she would be the one in control. Still, it took a ton of trust to put her body in another man’s hands. Let alone two!
Did she trust these two men?
Obviously there had to be a part of her that felt secure in giving her body to these two, otherwise she never would have sent that text. It was that part of her that had sent the text—that wanted this. So yes, on some level she trusted them to stop if she said the word.
As they walked through the massive foyer, Kaden kept his hand on her lower back and his eyes on her face, as though gauging her reactions. It made her feel safe, like her well-being really did matter to him.
She angled her head and gave him a small smile. He returned it, the warmth in his eyes touching something deep inside her and easing the last threads of trepidation weaving their way through her blood.
“Janie,” Tate said as he came from the office to greet her. Gorgeous blue eyes full of heat and warmth met hers. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Her gaze left his and went to Kaden’s, who was looking down at her with a new kind of intensity, one that gave her a little thrill.
“I’m glad to be here,” she replied, heat zinging through her.
“We’re going to take you into your first scene,” Kaden said. “Do you understand what that is?”
She nodded, because she’d read all about what a scene was. “Yes.”
“Tell me what it is.”
“It’s a stage or setting where BDSM activities take place.”
“And your safe word? You know what that is?”
“Yes.”
“What is your safe word, Janie?”
She looked at the door leading to the dungeon. A door she’d walk out of if things got too much for her. “Door,” she said.
Kaden nodded in understanding. “During your research, did you learn about hard and soft limits?”
“Yes.”
“Then we need to discuss them now, before we go any further.”
“Okay.”
“What will you not do
under any circumstances? What is a complete no for you?”
“I… well after research, I know I’m not in to blood play, breath play or fire play and when we do play, I want everything to be consensual.”
“Okay, is there anything else that makes you uncomfortable? Something you might hesitate over, but could be possible?”
She rubbed her wrists. “I’m not sure I would like to be constrained.”
“Is that a hard limit, or is that something that can be negotiated?”
She hesitated.
“Be honest with yourself,” Kaden said.
“I think it can be negotiated.”
“Then you will trust that I know what I’m doing if I chose to constrain you in such a way?”
She nodded.
“Say it,” Kaden said.
“Yes.”
“Then shall we,” Tate said, waving his hand toward the doors that led to the dungeon.
Since her voice took that moment to leave her, she simply nodded and followed Tate. The feel of his strong hand on her back filled her with equal measures of comfort and excitement, and suddenly, her thoughts filled with erotic images—like what it would be like to feel that large palm slap her naked backside.
A small noise crawled out of her throat, and Kaden put his mouth close to her ear. A fine shiver trickled along her spine.
“Everything okay?”
She nodded and descended the stairs, blinking her eyes as they adjusted to the dim lighting. Soft, sexy mewling sounds reached her ears by the time she hit the bottom step, and when both men flanked her as other Doms gave her a once-over, she felt protected…strangely safe.
People dressed in various costumes walked by. It reminded her of the photo shoot and her pinup suit, and how Kaden had said he wanted to pin her up properly.
Another shiver moved through her, and her body shook.
Tate captured her hand, his big palms swallowing hers whole. Without speaking, he led her past a scene where a girl dressed in a maid uniform was strapped to a bench and being spanked. Janie swallowed and followed along, wondering where Tate was taking her as she struggled to remember the layout of the dungeon and the equipment in the private rooms.
