by Shay Savage
“I’m going to walk her up to the door.”
We get out of the Jeep and I take her hand again. Kas unlocks her apartment door and turns back to me.
“Thank you, Cree. I don’t think I would have gotten through all of that without you.”
“I feel like I should be thanking you,” I reply. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’m kind of glad it all happened. Otherwise, I’d be turning in a paper right now and wouldn’t be thinking about how much I want to see you again tonight.”
Kas grins and looks down at the ground. I reach over and take her chin in my hand, turning her face back up.
“You’re important to me, Kas,” I say softly. “I’m so glad we got reacquainted and that you want to see me again.”
“I’m glad of that part, too,” she says.
We grin at each other for a moment, and then I suddenly remember something.
“Oh, shit!”
“What is it?” Kas asks.
“Do you recall me asking you to remind me about the condoms?” I press my lips together, trying not to laugh out loud.
“Are you serious?” Kas’s eyes go wide.
“They’re still on the floor near the wall.”
“Oh my God!” She laughs but also looks horrified. “Do you think someone will find them?”
“I don’t know. Are natural disasters treated like crime scenes? Maybe my DNA will end up in an evidence locker.”
Kas places her hands over her face and shakes her head slowly. I grab her hands and pull them away, kissing her softly before she turns and lets herself into the apartment. I walk slowly back to the Jeep, glancing behind me a couple of times as I go.
“Dude!” Ivan smacks me on the shoulder as I climb into the front seat. “Am I reading this right?”
“What?”
“What?” He laughs. “A chick I’ve never seen before says you were ‘entertaining’ and she’s got some pretty distinct rope marks on her arms. Did you really hook up during a freaking flood?”
I give him a half grin and shrug innocently.
“You are officially my hero.” Ivan slaps me on the back before putting the Jeep in gear and turning back onto the road. “I don’t know how you do it.”
“I know how to read people.”
“So you keep telling me,” he replies. “Still…that’s pretty amazing. She’s hot, too.”
“You might be seeing a bit more of her,” I say quietly.
“Seriously?” Ivan straightens his shoulders and glances at me. “Cree, she looks a little vanilla. I mean, lots of kinksters do, but she looks really vanilla.”
“How do vanilla people look?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Like her.” Ivan lets out a long laugh. “She doesn’t dress like Casey, that’s for sure.”
“Casey is a goth first and a kinkster second.”
“Do you know she’s been trying to convince me to use her playlist at Gym? She doesn’t get that the wrong music is going to drive away the older crowd, and it’s the older folks that pay the bills.”
“Well, Kas might have been vanilla yesterday, but she’s learning. She’s going to join me at Gym tomorrow night.”
“Seriously?” he says again and then laughs. “Only you, bro!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I glare at him.
“Only you could get trapped in a flooded-out library and manage to use the time to tie up a hot chick.”
“It’s a talent.” I shrug and smile. “A talent I hope to never use again. At least, not under the same circumstances.”
“I hear ya.” Ivan claps me on the back and then turns his attention to the road. “Looking forward to Gym tomorrow. It will be an interesting night!”
I glance in the side-view mirror, imagining Kas back in her apartment, safe and sound, and a slight smile crosses my face. My heart beats a little faster, and my skin warms despite the cool morning air.
“Yes,” I say quietly, “it will be.”
Epilogue—Casey
The mirror reflects the perfect image—deep black pigtails, black eye makeup, black lipstick, black lace dress. It matches my constant mood but probably not what people who see me on the street think.
I’m not depressed or emo. I’m actually quite happy with my life, but I love the night, the dark, and the color black. It makes me feel warm and alive.
I adjust my short pigtails slightly, making sure they stick out evenly, and then weave through the people in line and out of the bathroom. I march down the ramp and into Power Exchange’s main dungeon area, maneuvering through all the kinksters. Friday nights at Gym are usually busy, but tonight is particularly crowded.
“Hey, Casey! Want to see my new toys?” Robbie bounces up to me and then continues to jump up and down, holding a drawstring bag in my face.
I don’t appreciate being accosted as I walk out of the bathroom, but that’s just Robbie’s way. I glare at him; he giggles and then continues to bounce.
“Fucking littles.” I reach around and smack him on the ass.
“Hey!” He rubs his cheek for a second before grinning wildly and holding the bag out again. “I made some awesome impact stuff out of shit I found in the garage at my parents’ house. I was home for spring break, and they were all ‘Clean your shit out of the garage,’ and I was all ‘Fine,’ and then I found this awesome stuff for a new cat, and then a bunch of plastic and zip ties, and then I made a flogger!”
Everything out of Robbie’s mouth is one long string of syllables that barely makes any sense. Still, I have a minute, and I don’t want him to follow me around the dungeon all night, so I settle myself into an unoccupied sex swing and let him show me all his homemade toys as I sway to and fro.
“Why do you keep making all this stuff?” I ask as he finishes displaying his crafts.
“Because I’m broke, so I can’t get the professional kind, and I like my toys, and I like to play with my toys until they break!” Again, he grins wildly.
I know he’s speaking more of his partners than the toys themselves, but whatever.
“Cool shit,” I tell him. “Maybe if people like the stuff you make, they’ll buy it, and you won’t be broke.”
“Awesome idea!” Robbie jumps up and shoves the toys back into his bag. “Macy will like the flogger.”
He rushes off, still babbling.
“Fucking littles,” I mumble and shake my head.
I lean back in the swing, sticking my legs out straight and casually looking around the dungeon to see what everyone is up to tonight. In the far corner, a woman is moaning as her partner uses some loud, vibrating toy on her. In the center, a special guest is demonstrating some elaborate impact play to music to a large audience. All around me, the couples and throuples are playing, and the voyeurs are watching them. Gym is busy tonight, but I haven’t found what I’m looking for just yet. Or rather, I haven’t found the exact guy I’m looking for.
I reach down and fiddle with the orange paper bracelet on my wrist. The bracelet indicates that I’m dominant and that I’m open to play if someone approaches me to negotiate. If I see someone with a green bracelet, I can approach them to play. I’m usually up for anything, but tonight I have something else in mind.
I’ve been watching, debating, and desiring for too long. It’s time to take action.
A group of people walk around the corner from the stairway and into the main area of the open dungeon. I spot Cree as he enters, walking with his arm around the most vanilla-looking girl I’ve ever seen. I recognize her immediately. She and Cree were on the news this morning about the West Campus flooding. Lynn told me all about it over coffee, but I certainly wasn’t expecting Cree to bring the chick here, of all places. I’m instantly annoyed that he’s with her. I really wanted to speak with him privately about Rocco.
Speak of the devil.
Rocco shuffles in behind Cree, head down, eyes open but somehow still looking closed. His dusty blond hair hangs in his eyes, and the Misfits T-shirt he’s wea
ring is at least two sizes too big for his frame. My heart beats a little faster, and I jump out of the swing. My feet almost start to carry me toward him, but I think better of it and stop. Approaching Rocco directly isn’t going to work. I need Cree to negotiate.
I watch and wait for a few minutes as Cree shows his new lady-friend around the dungeon, introducing her to a couple of people and then finally taking a seat on one of the many couches. Rocco shuffles along behind them and then sits cross-legged on the bare floor at Cree’s feet.
God, that’s hot.
Just then, I see a masculine frame in a tight purple dress walk by.
“Hey, Luci!”
“What’s shakin’, Casey?” Luci gives me a tight hug before taking a step back to look me over. “Girlfriend, you and I have got to go shopping together.”
“I get most of my shit downtown,” I tell them.
“I’ll have to get my credit cards maxed out with you sometime, baby!”
“Trade you a shopping trip for a little help?” I ask. I raise an eyebrow, and Luci bobs their head from side to side.
“Who you wanna abuse tonight, sweet thing?”
Luci is one of Gym’s primary negotiators, and they’re damn good at it.
“Can you get Cree over here for me?”
“Since when are you into that hunk of man?” Luci leans back and stares at me, wide-eyed.
“Oh, hells no!” I hold my stomach as if the thought nauseated me. “But his friend Rocco—I can get into that.”
“He’s a cutie, isn’t he?” Luci clicks their tongue on the roof of their mouth. “Quiet though. Tried to talk to him once, but he’s got shy to spare.”
“That’s why I need to talk to Cree.”
“I got ya, girlfriend.” Luci nods and hums tunelessly for a moment. “You hang on a sec. I’ll give ya a call next week about that shopping trip!”
Luci saunters off toward the couch where Cree is sitting. They lean over and speak to him for a minute, and then Cree looks over at me. He says something to his girl before pushing himself out of the chair and walking up to my side.
“Luci said you wanted to speak?”
“Yeah. Maybe over a smoke?”
“Trying to quit.” Cree glances over at his girl for a second, then speaks softly. “Maybe you can bum me one?”
“Sure.”
We head out of the room and through a small door to a crowded fire escape where all the smokers hang out. I hand Cree a pack of smokes and a lighter, and he lights two cigarettes at once, handing one to me.
“That’s kinda hot,” I say, taking the cigarette and drawing on it deeply.
“Just gentlemanly,” he replies. “So, what are you looking for? I know you aren’t into me, and if you’re wondering about my new friend, I’m not sharing.”
“Don’t look at me like that,” I snap but instantly regret it. I need his help, and I don’t want to be a bitch about it. “I don’t want your girl. I just need a little negotiating help from you.”
He narrows his eyes at me.
“I told you not to give me that sassy look,” I say darkly, “or I might have to take you over my knee.”
Cree grins and chuckles. He leans against the fire escape railing and shrugs.
“Not expecting you to ask. I thought you usually talked to Luci or one of the DMs.”
“Dungeon monitors are idiots,” I grumble. I don’t want to bring up the brief fling I had with Sir Gerald, one of the DMs here. He drove me nuts with his constant, needy text messages, and it didn’t end well. “Besides, I think you’re better suited for this one.”
“What is it you want?”
“I’d like to play with Rocco,” I say. “I’ve seen you tie him before, but whenever I’ve tried to talk to him, he just walks away.”
“Yeah, that’s Rocco all right.”
“I’ve been doing a lot more rope work,” I say, “and I’d really like to try tying Rocco. I was in your class earlier this semester when you went over sensual rope play.”
“I remember.” Cree tilts his head and looks closely at me. “I’m happy to act as negotiator, but Rocco is a friend of mine, and I don’t want to see him hurt.”
“I’m not going to hurt him!” I narrow my eyes and place a hand on my hip.
“I’m not saying you would,” Cree says as he takes a slight step back. “Rocco just needs a bit more special handling. He’s…delicate.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen that.”
“You aren’t known to have a soft touch.”
“Maybe I’m more versatile than you think.”
“Why do you want to get your claws in him, anyway?”
“Not really your business, is it?” I take a deep breath, trying to keep myself in check. I hate being questioned, and Cree is all about the questions.
I’ve known Cree since our second year of college, and he’s a good guy. He’s actually a great listener as well, and I have no doubt he’ll make a good therapist. He has this way of looking at you that makes it seem like he’s figuring out your darkest secrets, and I don’t want to be analyzed all the time.
“I’m looking out for him,” Cree says. “We do have a relationship even if it isn’t a sexual one. I’m protective, and you know that.”
Cree finishes his cigarette and tosses the butt in a nearby bucket. He starts to head back inside, but I grab his arm, suddenly feeling desperate.
“I really want to work with him, Cree.” I sound like I’m begging, and I hate myself for it. “I won’t hurt him. I just want to get to know him better. I…I like him, Cree. Come on and help a bitch out.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Just ask him if he’d consider working with me. Tell him I’m getting good with rope, and I need the practice. You’ve got a new girl, and you know you won’t have as much time to tie with him if you’re starting some new romance bullshit.”
Cree narrows his eyes at me but also considers what I’m saying.
“Fine,” he says bluntly. “You do have a point there. I guess I can talk to him, but I don’t know how he’ll respond. He isn’t usually open to talking to new people.”
“What is his issue, anyway?” I ask.
“Not for me to say,” Cree says. “You’ll have to ask him yourself. I can make introductions and get you set on the right path, assuming he’s open to anything.”
“Cool. Thanks a bunch, Cree, really.”
“I’m not making any promises. I’ll talk to him first, and then it’s completely up to him if he wants to engage with you at all. Don’t be surprised if he says no.”
I tear the orange band off my wrist as I watch Cree walk away. For the rest of the night, I observe other groups but don’t talk to much of anyone. I pay close attention to Cree as he ties Rocco in a quiet, dark corner but don’t dare to get too close.
The night goes on. The music annoys me, but Ivan refuses to consider a new playlist. The impact guy continues to demonstrate his craft, and Cree ties up his new girl while Rocco sleeps on a mat nearby. Hours after our initial discussion, as the dungeon party is about to end, Cree finally comes back over to me.
“Rocco is willing to discuss it,” Cree says, “but not here. It’s too busy tonight. How about we meet at my place tomorrow afternoon?”
My heart skips a beat or two.
“Yeah, that will work.” I smile and reach out to shake his hand. “Thanks, Cree.”
“Yeah, you’re thanking me now,” he says, “but you might want to think more about what you’re getting into. I meant what I said about not hurting him. He’s a good friend.”
“I swear, Cree,” I say softly, “I will be careful. I don’t want to hurt him at all.”
Cree nods once before turning around. I watch him wrap his arm around Miss Vanilla as they start to head out of the dungeon. Rocco shuffles behind them, head down.
Tomorrow.
I have to wait until tomorrow.
Patience isn’t my thing, and I’ve been remarkably accommodating
tonight. I suppose I can handle a few more hours.
After that—with a little luck and sweet talk—Rocco will be mine.
~~End Book 1~~
Author’s Note
Hey there! Hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know some of our Savage Kinksters! Cree’s introduction to Shibari has been one of my favorite stories to write in all my years of doing this, so I hope you got a lot out of it as well. Shibari is a fascinating form of bondage, and if you found it intriguing, I highly suggest checking into it a bit more. Rope bondage isn’t just hot—it’s absolutely beautiful. There are tons of images and video out there for you to see, so check to see who’s looking and then make good use of that search engine!
I have a lot more stories to tell about this group, so please let me know what you think by providing me with a review! Reviews are crack to an author, and they let everyone else know what you think!
One Night in the Dungeon coming later this year! Follow me on social media for more information!
See you soon!
Shay Savage
More Books by Shay Savage
Stand Alone Novels
Talen
In a world plagued by constant earthquakes and volcanic debris, people in the valley struggle to survive while those on top of the hill want for nothing.
This is where I come in.
I spend my nights plundering supplies in the walled city of Hilltop, and I trade them to the valley people below. I’m not a thief. I prefer to be known as the head of Lost and Found.
When I discover a beautiful but dangerous competitor in my territory, I also learn she knows more about me than she should. Is she a spy sent by my father, or is she a rebel like me? I don’t trust her, but together we’ll discover secrets that may destroy what’s left of our world.
There have always been those with wealth and those without.
My name is Talen, and I’m here to even the score.
Deklan
My father owes a debt.
I am his currency.
I’m supposed to marry the recently crowned mafia king of the Foley family as repayment for my father’s transgressions. I don’t understand why the Foleys would want me, but I’ve grown up in a crime family, and I know the ugly consequences of not doing what you’re told.
