Page 29 of Salute, To Bravery

Darren

A few minutes earlier

T here she is.

Damn, she’s even more beautiful in person. I almost stumble over my own feet, which makes her look up at me.

Act cool. Channel your inner Warren.

I slow my steps and try to walk the way my soldier brother does. She must spot the movement because her eyes drop to my groin, and I swallow hard.

Don’t get hard. DO NOT GET HARD.

I repeat it until I’m standing in front of her, and still, her eyes have not returned to mine. Fucking shit. She’s got her lip caught between her teeth, and her hair has fallen to cover half her face.

What I wouldn’t give to see her eyes, but I can’t reach out and touch her because it’s not something Warren would do. Maybe he was right. This idea sucks.

“Is that the paperwork?” She clears her throat and looks away.

I feel cold without the warmth of her gaze.

“It is. There may be terms you do not understand, so I need you to ask any questions you have now.” I sit down and take her in.

She uncrosses her legs and has to fix her dress when it catches on the table. A loud bang sounds behind me, but I don’t bother turning. She has my undivided attention now.

All kinds of noises seep through the walls of a place like this. I smirk to myself as the image of Jess holding a headboard while it bangs on the wall from the force of Warren and me taking her fills my mind.

I place the papers on the coffee table between us, carefully laying the pen on top and pushing them towards her. She blows out a breath as I lean into the back of the seat and try to look relaxed and at ease.

How I manage not to bounce my knee or tap my fingers, I have no clue. I feel anxious, excited, and, most of all, turned on. My skin feels like it’s crawling with ants, and my mind is telling me she is the cure.

I watch with fascination as she mumbles the words on the NDA to herself. She brings them closer to her as if she needs glasses, but I see the flush of her cheeks she’s trying to hide.

She drops the papers and grabs the pen, signing so quickly that I think my mind is tricking me. I look over my shoulder and nod at the mirror, knowing Warren is watching. I stand and offer Jess my hand.

“Any questions?”

She shakes her head but then nods. “Just one.”

I arch an eyebrow, waiting for her to ask.

“How do people know what I would be into?”

My grin grows. “Come, let me show you.” I open the door and usher her into my world.

“HOLY SHIT.” Her knees seem to give out, and I catch her by the elbow, giving her a moment to look around.

It’s a lot for a first-timer, but full immersion seems to be best. The things happening in this room must be witnessed to understand. It is pure erotic bliss.

“See something you like?” I ask near her ear so she can hear me clearly over the music.

Her eyes come to mine, and I lose the battle with my body. My cock glows stiff in my jeans from the utter yearning for her baby blues. I’ve never been prouder of what I named this place than now. This is the look I hope every patron has when they see my place.

“I wouldn’t know where to start.” She glances around again.

I nod, pulling her up straight and turning her to our greeter. My phone buzzes, and I curse under my breath.

“Gizzele, we have a virgin.” I wink at Jess as I retrieve my phone.

“Welcome to Yearn. We have a color-coded bracelet system that tells everyone what you are into. Here’s the chart to explain them all and a form to tell me which you’d like.

If you forget what a color means, there are signs all around the dungeon.

Since this is your first time, white is required.

” Gizzele slips the bracelet over Jess’s wrist while I read Warren’s text. SWITCH!

Impatient fuck.

“Jess, I’m sorry. I need to take this.” She looks apprehensive but nods.

“I’ll be two minutes. Fill out the form, and then we’ll explore.” I reach for her shoulder but stop short.

Fuck, I want to touch her so bad. Is her skin as soft as it looks? What does she taste like? Christ! I turn and fucking flee for the main door and knock my brother right on his ass when he’s standing on the other side.

“What the fuck, War? Are you okay?” I offer him a hand, but he slaps it away.

“You left her alone!”

He jumps to his feet, and I roll my eyes. “She’s with Gizzele filling out her bracelet form. I was going to give her the tour and then switch with you. Do you think you can handle that?”

He lets out a long breath and shakes his head. “No, I don’t think I can. I need to be in there with her.”

I sigh and wave him on.

“DON’T FUCK IT UP!” I doubt he heard a word I said over the music pumping over the speakers, and when the door closed, I moved into the employee-only section to watch my twin get our girl.

Wait.

When did she become our girl?

“We’re so fucking fucked.”