Page 4

Chapter Two

Rebecca

It was possible I had beenslightlyjudgmental and terrified for nothing. For thirty minutes, I’d stayed glued to Shawn and Miranda while we walked around the club. With every passing moment, my worst fears were drowned out by the incandescent beauty.

Okay, yeah, I’d been expecting jail cells and torture chambers. Despite their assurances, multiple ones, that I wouldn’t see anything terrifying, I still expected to walk in and have screams of pain overwhelm my ears. But that didn’t happen. Instead, I was swept away by beauty and laughter and a throng of people wearing sexy dresses and even sexier suits, laughing, talking, dancing, drinking and well, damn.

Luminous looked more like an upscale martini bar than a dungeon for abusers to be given free rein to beat people. Gray walls glimmered under a thousand sparkling lights and chandeliers. Mahogany wood tables filled the space where we’d wandered. Beyond them, a crowd of people, mostly women, stood around a roped off area at the far side of the club where I hadn’t yet ventured. Where I hadn’t yet wanted to venture.

No one cowered in fear. No one had that deadened look in their eyes, showing a lifetime of defeat with no hope of escape.

Perhaps instead of Shawn cooking me up some rack of lamb, I’d need him to fix me some crow.

“This place is beautiful,” I said to Miranda. Shawn had ushered us to the bar and planted us at the far edge, far away from the crowd lining the demonstration area. He’d done it to make me more comfortable and I appreciated his thoughtfulness.

She grinned at me knowingly and took a sip of her wine. My drink tickets were tucked away in my clutch and I was sipping a sparkling water. I might have needed the liquid courage to get dressed but once we entered, I didn’t have the urge to drink. I wanted to be aware. Eyes wide open and able to take in everything I saw. Somehow, the seductiveness of Luminous sucked me in and I was curious.

About all of it.

It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be, but this wasn’t a typical night. I’d have a different opinion when I saw some woman being dragged on a leash or kneeling at a man’s feet simply because he commanded it.

“Excuse me, Shawn and Miranda?”

“Dylan, Happy New Year to you,” Shawn said, holding out his hand. The men shook hands and Dylan leaned forward and pressed his lips to Miranda’s cheek.

He was tall with a shaved head and chocolate skin. Dark brown eyes that seemed to hold all the world’s answers. Like hell you couldn’t tell who Doms were without a wristband. Everything about this man screamed control and power and drop to your knees because he was too gorgeous to stand in his presence. Even my knees wobbled a bit, and I reached for the bar to steady myself.

He pulled back from Miranda and focused on Shawn. “Seems I have a problem and I’m hoping you and Miranda can help me out. The couple who were supposed to be doing the demonstrations at eleven thirty had to back out. Jensen’s sub has come down with the flu.”

“Is she okay?” Miranda asked.

“She will be. He assures me it’s a simple flu from working too hard.”

“My apologies, Dylan,” Shawn said. He nodded toward me and my back straightened as I gained Dylan’s notice. The man was simply edible. Muscled and broad shouldered with arms that could lift a Volkswagen, I was certain. And he owned the place. Miranda had told me about him, mentioned his name, but I didn’t think he’d be so enamoring. “Unfortunately, we’ve come with a visitor tonight and I would prefer not to leave her.”

Dylan’s gaze did a quick sweep of my body and I resisted the urge to shrink back, but Lord I wanted to. How did God make men into such fine specimens?

“Understood.” He looked away from me, dismissing me without an introduction and something about it stung. Stupid. Had I really wanted the owner of a sex club to take notice of me? No. No I did not.

I’d let Miranda talk me into coming so I wasn’t alone but it’d be selfish of me to ruin their fun, too.

And well...maybe a part of me wanted to see them. I sipped my sparkling water. Yeah, one glass of wine had definitely been enough. I was already lightheaded and silly. I didn’t want to see this. See them. I didn’t want any of this.

So why haven’t you left yet?

“It’s okay,” I said before Dylan walked away to find someone else.

“Rebecca—”

I waved Miranda off. “It’s okay, really.” I tried to smile, but it felt forced so I shrugged instead. It was too late to turn back. “It’s fine, guys. You like this stuff and it’s sweet you want to stay with me, but I’ll just hang out here and drink.” I lifted my glass of water.

“You sure?” Shawn asked. “We don’t have to. I promised you we’d stay close if you wanted.”

“And I’m fine.” I was already trembling but it wasn’t exactly from nerves. Excitement perhaps? “In fact, I think I’m going to go explore a bit.” One step into a sex club and I was on my way to crazy town.

“We don’t mind,” Miranda said, glancing at Shawn before looking at me. “I wanted you to enjoy yourself tonight and if you’d be more comfortable with us by you, then it’s fine. We can play anytime.”

I did not need that visual.