All He Desires: The Complete Series (4 page)

A demo?
I glanced around the room, noticing a few screens lighting up as individuals took out their cell phones, likely to turn them off. Returning my attention to the stage, I had to wonder what they had planned. By now, there was more than enough rope to build a yarn ball that would make any cat happy.

I exhaled when the woman untied her robe and left it to fall at her feet. Underneath the thin layer of clothing, she was completely nude. My heart skipped a beat.
I know what this is.
I'd read about it. Hell, I'd fantasized about it. It was the same reason why Dennis had bought those cuffs along with bed restraints.
He's a...a...

"I'm Master Logan," my client said, "and this is Master Devlin and his lovely wife, Marisa. In tonight's demo we'll be covering safe rope play. A lot has been confused in fiction these days, so we're trying to do demos more than we did a year ago. Bondage can be a very powerful thing, but it must be treated with respect. Like all things, there is a right and wrong way to bind the one you love."

He's a Dom...
Holy fuck, the man that had been coming to my kitchen was...a Dom. I shivered, and while my mind told me to run, my feet were planted firmly on the ground.

As the couple took their place, Logan continued to address the crowd, all the while looking in my direction.

"Now, there are two different kinds of rope that are acceptable for rope play—nylon and cotton. The kind you use will all come down to what you plan on doing with it. I personally prefer nylon as it's softer and you can untie the knots instead of having to cut your sub out, as you usually have to do with cotton. However, with nylon, the knots tend to slip unless you're a good knotsman such as myself and Master Devlin here. Your mileage may vary."

"Yeah," Devlin scoffed. "But I still prefer cotton. Gives me a good reason to do some knife play after we're done."

"See what I mean, folks? To each their own. We're only concerned about rope play for this evening, though." My client, Logan, picked up one of the ropes, running it through his fingers. "Now, until you and your sub, or partner, get comfortable with rope play, I suggest using rope that's three-eighths of an inch thick. It's a decent size, and once you've gotten used to it, you can then decide if you want to go thicker or not. Some Doms prefer a thick rope so it covers more area. Others prefer to expose as much skin as possible. Again, this all comes down to personal preference."

As he spoke, Devlin and Marisa stepped back. I watched, fascinated by the long length of rope and how Devlin was masterfully capable of tying various knots without getting tangled in it himself. The rope must've been at least forty feet long.

He started by folding the rope in half and tying a knot, that, by the look of it, sat against the nape of Marisa’s neck. Once each end of the rope was draped over either of her shoulders, Devlin then tied a knot between her breasts. Followed by another, and finally a third. I shivered when I realized the third knot was placed right over Marisa's clit.

She squirmed when Devlin ordered her to turn around. As she did, I couldn't ignore the smile on his face or the grin on Logan's. They may have been binding her with rope, but from where I was standing, she didn't seem to mind it at all.

It's hard to say how many knots Devlin tied by the time the rope play became something more. It wasn't just a Dom and his sub doing a demo, it was a complete art form. Bit by bit, the rope started to create diamonds across Marisa's pale skin. And as it did, she seemed to get more and more relaxed.

At one point during the demo, Devlin had to ask for Logan's help so they could keep her upright by binding her arms to a hook hanging from the ceiling.

"Now, you may have noticed that Marisa isn't responding as much anymore," Logan said, helping Devlin with a few knots. "She's gone into a trancelike state known as subspace. She's not hurt, but even when a sub reaches this point, a Dom needs to be extra careful. Devlin knows her better than I do, so if her body language sets off any alarms, he'll let us know. You must be able to read your sub at all times, even if she's too far gone to tell you herself."

The demo continued. Logan didn't talk nearly as much as he did in the beginning, his attention fixed on Marisa. Around the time when they were discussing the right way to tie off a rope to make it more artistic, someone sat beside me.

"I didn't know you were in to these kinds of things, kitty."

I winced and glanced around the room. I couldn't risk running because I didn't want to disrupt the demonstration, but I couldn't stay, either.

"Dennis." I didn't look at him. "What are you doing here?"

"You sound disappointed to see me."

I didn't miss the note of surprise in his voice or the alcohol on his breath. Now I did look at him, staring right into the eyes of a man I thought I once knew. "What are you doing here?"

"You know, you really shouldn't leave things out for others to find. You could get robbed."

I frowned.
The card.
I'd left it on the counter after my appointment with Logan.
Dennis must've seen it when he went in there to get a drink.
Damnit. I’d really messed up this time.
Don't make a scene, Dennis. Please, if you have any respect for those in the room, don't say it.

"So," he began, whispering against my ear. "This was your special date?" He glanced to the other side of me and smiled. "Where is he?"

"Who says I need to be with someone to go on a date?"

"Umm, last I checked, a date involved more than one
person.
"

"Oh good, I guess that leaves you out of it then."

He grabbed my wrist. "Listen to me, slut, I know you're here with someone, so why not just come out and say it?"

I yanked my arm from his grasp and got up.

He stood and pressed his hands against the wall to either side of me. My vision swept from one end of the room to the other. No one was paying attention to us, and Logan was missing from the stage.

I bowed my head. "What's it matter to you who I date?"

Dennis took both my arms and held them above my head. "This." He yanked my hair with his free hand. "And this."

I closed my eyes and spoke through clenched teeth. "Someone will notice you and—"

"And what? Look around, kitty. We're role-playing, that's it. No one's the wiser."

"But. I. Am."

That voice.
I opened my eyes just in time to see Logan standing right behind Dennis.

Logan put a hand on Dennis's shoulder. "Let her go."

"Look, pal, I don't know who you think you are," Dennis pulled his shoulder away from Logan before turning to face him, "but you're kind of interrupting. Do you mind?"

"And I'm telling you,
pal,
you need to leave. Now."

Dennis released me, but kept himself between Logan as well as myself. "Or what, you'll have me kicked out?"

"No. I'm more than capable of doing that myself. I'd beat you down right here if there wasn't a demo going on. You don't belong here, so again I'm asking you—nicely—to leave."

Dennis squared his shoulders and fixed his jacket. "Look, we were just talking."

"Not from where I was standing. Seems to me like the lady was trying to escape and you attacked her." Logan looked from Dennis to me. "Are you okay?"

"She's fine," Dennis growled, pushing Logan back. "Why don't you go back up there and finish playing pretend. I've got things here."

Logan narrowed his gaze, but said nothing. Stepping past Dennis, he wrapped an arm around my waist and walked with me in front of him. My head was spinning, and not just from the way Logan had arrived at the right time either.

I started to wonder what would've happened if I'd stayed home.
Things could've been a lot worse.

"Keep walking," Logan said in a thin whisper. "There's a door in front of us. I want you to go through it and wait for me on the other side. Understand?"

I nodded, quickening my pace without looking back. But I couldn't help hearing Dennis screaming at me from the main room. The crowd erupted in a sea of voices, most of which were just as surprised as I'd been.
Keep walking, Kira. For love of God, keep walking.

M
y heart jumped when the door to the small room opened. Searching around for something to defend myself with, all I found worth using was a cane. I held it in front of me, lowering it once I saw Logan's head poke around the corner.

"Jesus," Logan breathed, closing the door behind him. He took the cane away from me and pulled me into his arms. "Are you okay?"

"Define
okay
," I said, wincing when my voice cracked.

He drew in a deep breath and held me tight. "I am
so
sorry."

I frowned and looked up at him. "Why should you be sorry?"

"Because. I didn't want something like that happening tonight. Here." He guided me over to a sofa and sat me down.

While he checked me for the usual scrapes and bruises, I got a better look at him as well as the room. His dark, grey eyes are what caught my attention first. Maybe it was the lighting in the room or the testosterone Dennis had most assuredly stirred up in him. No matter what it was, his eyes seemed more feral than human.

As for the room, it was no bigger than my bathroom and had an assortment of items in it. Items such as the cane I'd used as a spur-of-the-moment baseball bat, floggers and cuffs. I shivered from the latter, the memory of Dennis holding a pair very similar to them still at the front of my mind.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Logan asked again, gently caressing my cheek.

I bobbed my head. "Just a little shaken is all."

"I can understand that." He lowered down beside me and cupped my hands with his. "Did you know him?"

I glanced down at my lap. "He's an ex."

Logan's body stiffened and he drew in a sharp breath.

I sat back. "Is Marisa okay? I didn't ruin—"

"Shhh." Logan stroked my hair. "Everyone is fine, and you haven't ruined anything. I was more worried about you. When I saw that man grabbing at you, I asked Devlin to bring Marisa down from subspace. We can continue the demo another time."

"And...Dennis?"

"The man I had to pull off of you?"

"Unfortunately."

"He's fine. I had him escorted out. But if he comes here again, I'll have no problem calling the authorities on his ass." He laughed at that. "Can you imagine? He threatened to report what you do out of your home and tell the cops I'm a part of it."

My eyes widened. "What did you tell him?"

"The truth. You sought my legal counsel to get a restraining order against him."

"And he believed you?"

"The man is scared shitless, but I don't think it would be a bad idea—the restraining order I mean."

I nodded. "Perhaps you're right, but..." I let my shoulders drop. "I'm sorry. We were supposed to be having a night out, weren't we?"

"We were. Still are if you want to get technical about it, but I don't mind talking." He rubbed at the little stubble on his chin. "Would you like me to give you a ride home?"

"No," I almost blurted out. "No...it's...it's okay."

He raised his eyebrows, then glanced at the door to our private room. "What if I go home with you? Not for sex, mind you. Just think of me as added protection. Just for tonight."

I chewed at the inside of my cheek. "What about my car?"

"Leave it here. I'll bring you back to get it tomorrow."

"It isn't in the parking lot though. The meter..."

"Don't worry about it. I can handle the meter. I'm more concerned about you." He stood away from the sofa and helped me up, cupping my face before kissing me on the lips. "Would that be okay with you?"

"I don't think I want to be home alone."

It wasn't a lie. There had been nights where I thought for sure Dennis would drop by, and tonight wasn't any different. I wanted to be there if he did decide to show up, but I didn't want to be there on my own. Until I got the locks changed on my door, I'd have to worry about him making himself at home. And after what he tried to do tonight, I couldn't stay there. Alone.

"Then it's settled," Logan said, removing his suit jacket to drape it over my shoulders.

"W-what about your job?"

"The demos are something I do for fun. As for my job, it's okay if I don't show up for a few days."

"Days?" I followed him as he led me out of the room. "Why days?"

He stopped to face me before we reached the hall heading back out to the lobby. "You work out of your home, with men you know little about. You also have an ex that, if you ask me, seems to have a jealousy issue. Am I getting warm?"

"Pretty accurate so far. But then, if you don't trust the other men I open my home to, why should I trust you in my bed at night?"

His cheeks darkened. "Hmm, I see what you mean." He held up a hand when I went to say something. "No, no, you're absolutely right. Hell, you probably know less about me than any of them because I only tell people what I want them to know."

"Or what they're ready to hear," I added, pointing to where he'd been standing on stage not an hour earlier.

"Also true. If I promise not to tie you up, would you mind me sleeping on your couch, for sanity's sake?"

"That depends if by couch you mean bed, and if by sleeping you mean sex."

He smiled. "I wouldn't put it that way, but..." He shrugged. "In all seriousness though, if you want me to sleep on your floor or sit inside the front door with a shotgun, I will."

"I
was
being serious."

"We don't have—"

"I know we don't have to. I
want
to."

A flicker of hesitation shown in his eyes, but as quickly as it came, it was gone. "Well then, shall we?" He held out an arm, hooking it with mine.

I relaxed a little more as we stepped out into the lobby, and as soon as I was in his car, the last thing on my mind was Dennis's attack. I was going home. With Logan.

Don't wake up. Don't wake up.
This had to be a dream.
Whatever you do, Kira, don't wake up.