Page 5 of Trust in Me
I shook my head. “Not yet. I got roped into the singles night mixer. How about a water for now?”
He grinned. “Sounds good. You have your eye on anyone in particular?”
I shook my head. I did, but she wasn’t even in the club just yet. There’d been a current of electricity that had gone through me when I took her hand in the parking lot. I didn’t know if she’d felt it, too, although her reaction to me seemed like she’d felt something.
There was an art to being a good Dominant. Reading your sub, hearing the things they weren’t able to say. Keeping them at that beautiful intersection of being scared and feeling safe.
From Avery’s reactions, I could tell that I scared her a bit, or at least made her nervous. The trust and safety would have to come before we’d be able to scene. For an experienced sub, with a vetted Dom, a negotiation would be enough. Something told me that Avery would need more time than that, although I hoped I was wrong. Her body was hidden under the modest clothing she’d worn, but the skirt and top gave a hint of her curves. I could imagine just how nicely her ass would bounce while I spanked it.
The bartender slid a bottle of water across the bar to me. I cracked it open and took a long sip, my eyes on the gathering crowd.
5
Avery
Codywalkedmethroughthe door behind the desk. The heavy door opened into a hallway. The lights were low, lockers with wooden doors lining the walls on both sides. It reminded me of pictures I’d seen of high-end sports clubs, or a spa.
“Shoes, phone, and purse here,” Cody gestured to the wall of lockers.
I fumbled with my heels as I pulled them off, immediately feeling both more comfortable and uncomfortable. I didn’t miss the pinch of the stilettos, but being barefoot seemed more vulnerable, somehow. I tucked the rest of my belongings into the locker. I linked my fingers together in front of me. What was I supposed to do with my hands now that my purse was gone?
Cody walked forward without a word. I shuffled along behind him, barefoot, while I tried to look ahead to where he was leading me. A shiver ran through me. It smelled of leather and- something else?
The hallway opened to a large room. I stopped in my tracks for a moment to take it all in. Dark grey walls. Dark hardwood in the bar area. An area to my right had dark red flooring and was dotted with equipment. Most of the pieces were covered in black leather, and most were completely foreign to me. The low beat of Gregorian chant was playing in the background. My heart thudded in time with the music.
A few couples were already using the equipment. I stared, fascinated. One woman was draped over a leather-covered bench while a man stood over her. He held a black stick with a flap of leather at the end, running it over her naked backside. Another woman was tied to a large wooden X while her partner stood close to her, speaking in her ear. Was that a St. Andrew’s cross? I’d pictured it differently when I’d read about it in the books, but now that I saw it, the description made more sense.
“You made it inside. Good girl.” A familiar deep voice cut into my thoughts. Thegood girldid something to me, shooting heat straight to my core.
“Hey, man. Good to see you. You know Avery, huh? Want to take over from here?” Cody shook Brax’s hand.
Brax’s deep eyes searched my face, looking for…something. I ducked my head, needing a break from his intense gaze. His thumb and fingers caught my chin and tilted my face upward, holding me there for a minute before his lips quirked in a half smile.
“Nah, you hang on to her for now, Cody. I think I make her nervous.”
“You do not!” I blurted out the words before I could stop myself. Crap. My cheeks flamed. How could he tell?
Brax chuckled. “Best behave, little one. Cody may seem more easygoing than me, but he can dole out a spanking pretty well too.” He strolled away toward the couches, leaving me staring open-mouthed at his retreating back.
Cody grinned as he moved ahead with the tour without further comment. He gestured at the equipment. “This is the main play area. Most of the scenes happen here. There are theme rooms down that hallway over there. Private rooms upstairs.”
I followed along behind Cody, listening as best I could, but my mind was somewhere else entirely. Brax did make me nervous, but not truly scared. Kind of safe at the same time. It was such a jumble of emotions I hadn’t felt together before now.
Cody’s tour took me through the hallway of theme rooms. Medical play, rope play, wax…after tonight, I’d have more than enough information to fuel my fantasies.
We wandered back through the main play area, where couples were beginning to fill the equipment, and walked back toward the bar. I looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of Brax. He oozed dominance. It had been so easy in the parking lot to let him take control and lead me in. The ease with which he’d taken command was one of the hottest things I’d ever experienced, and scared the crap out of me. How easy would it be for him to completely control me?
On a set of couches, a group of several women and one man sat clustered together. Their friendly chatter paused as we neared them, all of them looking to me with interested smiles.
Cody nodded toward me as he spoke. “This is Avery. She’s new and here for the mixer tonight. Avery, this is where unattached submissives sit most nights. Tonight, for the mixer, all you need to do is come over when Drew calls everybody. If you join us other nights, this is a great area to stay if you’re hoping to find a partner for the evening. For tonight, Drew is in charge of the mixer, so he’ll get things going in a bit. Have fun tonight, sweetie.” He guided me to a seat with a hand on my shoulder, then looked around at the rest of the group on the sofa. “You folks, too. Behave yourselves.”
A small woman with white-blonde curls hopped up out of her seat as Cody walked away. “I’m Emma! It’s so nice to meet you. This is Lexie, Savannah, David, and Kaylee.” She pointed to each of them as she spouted off names. “We’re all subs, too, and we’re all doing the mixer tonight. There’s another group over there, and then it looks like some new Doms too. Are you new to the lifestyle or just to Blackstone?”
Emma’s enthusiasm and bubbly charm were infectious. I giggled, relaxing a bit. “I guess I’m new? I’ve done a lot of reading but not a lot of, you know…”
Emma nodded sagely. “Oh, Iknow. Before I found this place, I didn’t really know what I was missing, you know? But it just feels like I belong. You’ll see. Lexie is new, too, and so’s Savannah. Savannah came to the mixer last month, too, but that was her very first time.”
The redhead to Avery’s right—Savannah, apparently—smiled at her name and nodded.
