Page 23

Chapter One

The lights at the kink club were dim shades of purple and amber, and it took a minute for Kenna’s eyes to adjust. She hadn’t done more than attend a few munches in the two years since she’d returned to San Francisco from Seattle.

Life had been too busy. But she felt that familiar tingle in the pit of her stomach as she walked into The Fortress, one of the city’s premier kink clubs.

It was only a little after nine and the club had just opened, but there was a rope suspension scene already in progress, and people were setting up at different play stations.

She’d enjoyed the scene in Seattle, and had been a member at two different clubs there for most of the fifteen years she’d lived in the area, but there was always a big queer presence in the San Francisco clubs, and she felt so much more comfortable there.

As she moved past the social area, where people chatted quietly on long couches, a lovely femme woman dressed in black leather smiled and winked at her, and she returned the smile, but femmes weren’t really her type.

No, she’d always been attracted to the women who were more androgynous, with at least a bit of masculine energy.

And she knew it was all too easy for people to get confused by friendly signals in these settings.

She wandered further into the club, pausing to watch a scene as people began to play, then moving on to another station, simply soaking up the energy in the room, reveling in the sound of a flogger, the moans from the bottoms, and the rich scent of leather everywhere.

And she realized she was sub-hungry for the first time in a long time, craving that power dynamic. Wanting to find someone to belong to.

She stood watching two women together; the Domme had her pretty female sub kneel at her feet, then bent to fasten a leather collar around her neck.

A shiver went through her. If only she could find that someday.

She let out a sigh before she could help herself, then glanced around, wondering if anyone had heard.

“Oh my god. Kenna? Is it really you?”

And there she was. CJ Ellis. Her first and most painful girl crush.

Here in the club, right in front of her, as if Kenna had summoned her with her yearning.

And looking better than she had in college, with her short blonde hair sweeping over one side of her face.

That incredible bone structure. The lush mouth—the mouth she’d kissed in college, and had never, ever forgotten.

“CJ? What are you doing here?”

CJ grinned, her dimples flashing, and Kenna felt every muscle in her body go warm and loose.

“Given where we are, I think that’s pretty obvious.”

“Oh. Yes, of course,” Kenna stuttered, seemingly unable to form an intelligent sentence.

Keep your shit together, girl.

“Are you… are you back in San Francisco now? Or are you visiting from… where was it you moved to the last year of college? Portland?” CJ asked.

“Seattle, actually. And yes, I’ve been here for the last two years. I manage a dog rescue here. It’s called Last Chance Rescue, and it’s for seniors and other hard-to-adopt dogs—which is, I know, the most lesbian job ever. But I really love it.”

CJ nodded. “Yeah, it is. Hmm… and since this is Sapphic night at the club, is it safe to assume that you’re…”

“Queer? Yep. I came out not long after… uh… after the last time I saw you.”

“Hmm. I’m kind of surprised we haven’t run into each other. San Francisco is a fairly small town, in terms of the queer community, and the lesbian community is even smaller.”

“Well, there aren’t many permanent venues for us these days. And I’ve sort of largely outgrown the bar scene.”

“Same,” CJ agreed. “I had plenty of that in my twenties.”

CJ leaned in a little closer, close enough that Kenna could smell a faint scent of sandalwood and citrus.

God, she even smelled the same as she had in college, the scent evoking once more the memory of that kiss.

Intense. Electrifying. Kenna inhaled, drawing the clean, woodsy scent in.

She couldn’t help it. The nearly excruciating attraction she’d felt back in their college days was still there, and maybe stronger than ever, now that she knew and accepted who she was.

“Ah, apologies,” CJ said. “I should have asked; are you here with a partner?”

“Oh, no. I’m single these days. And it’s my first time here.”

“Your first time at a kink club?” CJ asked, one brow raising. “Or…?”

Kenna let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, no. It’s just the first time I’ve really ventured out since moving back to town. Life has been so busy, and it’s taken me a while to get situated, but I went to the intro night a few weeks ago and everyone seemed really nice. So… here I am.”

CJ smiled. “I’m really glad you showed up tonight.”

“Are you… here with a partner?” Kenna asked, her stomach going tight as she waited for her to answer.

“Nah, I’m single these days, too. I was supposed to meet a friend here, but she texted to cancel right as I got here.”

“Ah.”

“So—and tell me if this is out of line at all, or makes you uncomfortable—but would you want go to the snack area and sit with me and catch up?”

Kenna felt herself smile, her insides lighting up. “Yeah, I would.”

“Great. Come on.”

CJ grabbed her hand and a small shock of heat and desire shot through her as she followed her to the back room of the club. They found an empty booth and CJ gestured for her to sit. “Let me get you something to drink. No alcohol here, but they have sodas and coffee.”

“Coffee sounds good.”

“Still two sugars and lots of cream?”

“Are you… seriously, you remember that?” Kenna asked, stunned.

CJ smiled, her dimples creasing her cheeks. “I remember everything about you, Kenna Claire Lawson.”

As CJ moved toward the counter to get their coffee, the confident way she walked had Kenna’s heart thumping like a hammer.

The moment felt so surreal. And CJ looked so damn good in her dark jeans and the tight black T-shirt that showed off her arms, with just enough lean, cut muscle and one of them covered in tattoos.

Tattoos were her weakness.

Who was she kidding? CJ had always been her weakness.

CJ returned with their coffee and sat down next to her in the small booth. “Okay, catch me up. What have you been doing for the last… seventeen years, I think?”

Kenna nodded. “Yeah, about that long, I think. I was twenty when I moved to Seattle to finish school. I can’t believe it’s been so many years.”

“Zoology degree, right?”

“Yes. How did you… never mind,” Kenna finished with a small laugh. “And you were studying computer science the last time I saw you.”

“I got my bachelor’s in computers and then an MBA. And now I co-own a small tech company with my bestie, Glynn.”

“That’s awesome.”

“It’s been pretty great,” CJ agreed, sipping her coffee.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been into the kink scene?

I mean, I spanked you that one night, but we were at a party, and I was never sure if you were really into it or not.

We were just messing around, and I absolutely should have asked for consent, but I felt like… well, it’s really not for me to say.”

Kenna’s cheeks went warm at the memory. It had been another party a month or so after they’d kissed, and Kenna had broken up with Ben by then.

People were drinking, as usual, but she’d been completely sober when CJ had bent her over the back of the sofa and landed a few hard, lovely smacks on her ass.

She’d melted like butter. Her brain had emptied out.

And CJ had just laughed and said she had a nice butt before gliding off to flirt with someone else.

“Oh no, I was into it. That moment sort of started my exploration into kink, I guess, so thank you.”

CJ raised her cup and made a faux toast. “You’re very welcome,” she said, grinning again, making Kenna laugh. “But again, there was no consent, and there should have been. I had no idea what the fuck I was doing back then. My apologies.”

“Well, thank you, but I know we were young, and it’s never occurred to me that I needed an apology from you. So, what’s your role in the scene?” Kenna asked, a part of her really needing to know. She realized she was holding her breath as CJ sipped her coffee, pausing before she answered.

“I’m a Top, always. Not into really hard play, and I’m definitely a service Top.

” CJ leaned in and Kenna couldn’t help but breathe her in once more.

CJ’s tone dropped into a husky range that spoke of pure sex.

“But what I really like, what I’m really looking for but have never found, is a kitten girl.

A kitten I can pet, spoil, maybe spank a little.

Have her sit in my lap. Buy her a collar and pair of pretty kitten ears. ”

“Ohhhh…” The sound came out before Kenna could stop herself.

“I take it that’s something that might interest you?”

Kenna bit her lip, too full of desire that was a low hum in the center of her body, between her thighs.

What was happening here? Were they negotiating? And Jesus fucking Christ if they were! She had a hard knot in her gut made up of tingling nerves and anticipation telling her she might never be the same again. She was willing to take that risk with CJ.

“Oh, yes,” she answered.

CJ sat back and smiled, her pulse hammering, her mouth a little dry, and every nerve ending buzzing like mad.

How was this even possible? That this woman, whom she’d wanted since she was eighteen years old, the ‘straight’ girl who had been a part of her fantasies since the moment she’d laid eyes on her, was here all these years later?

Here , in the kink club, and willing to possibly go kitten for her?

She clenched her hands into fists under the table, willing herself to calm the fuck down.

Breathe .

Not too noticeably …

A Top had to always be in control, and losing her shit over Kenna—in front of Kenna—was not about to inspire confidence in her abilities as a Dominant.