Page 4 of Trust in Me
The man’s smile disappeared, one eyebrow quirked, and just like that, he went from looking friendly to one of the most intimidating men I’d ever seen. “Liars don’t fare too well in this club, darlin’. Want to try again?”
A shiver went up my spine. His words, his stance, were so dominant. I hadn’t realized people could be like that in real life. And in my books, liars got punished. I didn’t know if that was the case in real life, but I didn’t think I was ready to find out.
“Yes. I mean no. I mean, yes, I’m new here. I’m just not sure I...” I trailed off. Fuck. What was it about this guy that made me trip over my words? I was a goddamn doctor. I knew how to talk in full sentences.
He shook his head. “Don’t lie to yourself, either, sweetheart. Let’s head in. I’m Braxton, one of the members here.” He offered his hand.
My arm had a mind of its own, my hand reaching out to take his. His palm was warm and a little rough. And huge. He had a hint of a southern drawl. Where was he from originally?
I’d always considered myself average sized. Average everything, really. Average height, average weight, average looks. Brains were the one area I excelled in. I wasn’t one of those tiny girls that men always seemed to love. Even so, this man dwarfed me, both with his sheer size and his dominance.
He walked toward the club, and my feet followed him. It seemed like none of my body parts were waiting for my instructions tonight. They didn’t need to, not when this man so easily took control.
A warmly lit hallway greeted us when he pulled open the heavy door. Light grey carpet complemented the warm yellow and orange accents on the charcoal walls. It could have been a hotel lobby, except that there was no one in sight other than a man with dirty blonde hair, seated at a desk several steps beyond the front door. It was almost eerie how quiet it was. Where were all the people?
“Brax! Good to see you, man.” The blonde stood up and offered Brax a handshake before his gaze shifted to me. “Who did you bring with you tonight, Brax?”
“I’m, um, Avery?” I said. Asked, really. I cringed. My voice sounded shaky even to my ears. “I signed up for the, um, singles night mixer?”
He checked a piece of paper. “Avery, got you right here. I’m Logan. I’m one of the Doms here, like Brax. We take turns at the front, and sometimes at the bar, so you’ll see different people here different nights. Let’s go through your paperwork, then we’ll get you into the main area of the club. Brax, you want me to find you when we get inside?”
“I’m just her shot of courage to get through the door for now. I’ll see you in there, Avery.” Brax turned and winked at me, then strode through a door behind Logan and disappeared.
I tried to focus as Logan went through the paperwork I’d filled out online. Rules, structure for the night, limits. My head was spinning. He placed the pages in front of me for a signature.
Where was my shot of courage now?
I brought the pen to the paper and hesitated. Maybe I should just bail out now. No one I knew had seen me here, anyway. No one would know if I just left.
Just me.
Logan cleared his throat, yanking me out of my thoughts. “Still with me, love?”
I could do this. I was a doctor, for God’s sake. I could sign a little paper and walk into a club. I scribbled my name and pushed the pages back toward Logan.
“Good girl.” Logan tucked the pages in a folder. “Let’s find you a chaperone to show you around and get you acquainted with Blackstone. Did you want me to see if Brax is available?”
“No! I mean, um, I don’t really know him, so…” Shit. I didn’t want to be mean about it. But this entire experience so far was making me more nervous and tongue tied than I’d been in a long time. And being around the tall Dom made it worse. I wasn’t used to the complete lack of confidence I was feeling tonight.
Logan shrugged, grinning, and reached for a phone under the desk. “Hey, Cody, I have another subbie here for the mixer. Can you come get her and give her the tour?”
A few moments later, a sandy-haired man appeared in the doorway, the same one that Brax had disappeared through. He was shorter than both Brax and Logan—not that it was hard to be shorter than those giants—and powerfully built. I shivered, but somehow this man didn’t make my stomach tumble the way the man I’d met in the parking lot had.
“Avery, this is Cody. He’ll show you around. Cody, maybe hook her up with some of the other subbies who are doing the mixer to help her feel more comfortable.” Logan smiled at me, waving, and turned back to something on his desk. “Have fun in there!”
4
Brax
Theplayareawasmostly empty, with just a few couples getting started as I walked into the main club area. The seating area was more full than normal, with several new faces. Singles nights were one of the few times we allowed non-members to come to Blackstone without being accompanied by a member, either in person or with one of the guest passes we were able to share.
I sauntered to my usual spot and took a seat, my back to the bar. I perused the women in the seating area. Most were wearing barely-there clothes. A few in more modest clothing, like the girl I’d walked into the club. Avery. She gave off a strong submissive vibe, but I’d bet anything she was new to the scene.
She’d looked so lost in the parking lot. I was fairly certain that if I hadn’t happened along at just that moment, she’d have gotten back in her car and fled. I rubbed a hand along the stubble on my chin. She’d mentioned she was here for the singles night mixer, so she’d be paired with a Dom that was a member of the club. Lucky bastard.
There was something intriguing about the young woman. She seemed so innocent, uncertain, but at the same time there was an undercurrent of confidence. Something made me itch to know more.
“Hey, Brax. You want your usual?” The Dom behind the bar reached for the bottle of Jameson.
