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Nine o 'clock on Friday night. She'd put it off, arguing with herself tonight after arguing with herself all week. But finally, she'd taken a long, hot bath, dried herself, put on her makeup, going a little heavier on the eyeliner than usual. She found a short, black wraparound skirt in her closet, a black stretchy tank top, black stiletto-heel boots she'd bought last winter but hardly worn, because they were so high. She realized she was dressing for the event. And somehow dressing itself felt like some sort of ritual, as though she were preparing herself for him.
She frankly loved the idea.
She zipped up the boots and stood, her heart hammering in her chest. She felt daring, a Little wild. All she was doing was going to a club alone, something she'd never done before, but plenty of other people did all the time. She took a deep breath, then moved down the short hallway, her heels clattering on the wood floor. She grabbed her leather jacket and turned the knob on her front door when her cell phone rang. She flipped it open.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it's me.”
“Hi, Kimmie.”
“What are you doing? There's this band playing at that new place on Fillmore. I got us on the list. Wanna go?”
“ I . . . um . . . not tonight. Thanks, though.”
“Are you okay? What's up?”
Devin bit her lip. “I just need to get caught up on some work.”
“Are you sure? You sound weird, Dev.”
She cleared her throat, tried to clear away the heaviness of the lies on her tongue. “Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired and want to stay home.” “Okay. I'll ask Renee to come with me, then.”
“I'll call you tomorrow.”
“Get some rest. You don't sound so good.”
“I'm fine. And I will. Bye, Kimmie.”
“Bye.”
This was the first time she'd ever lied to her best friend about anything. It felt weird. But she also thought if she told anyone about what she was doing she'd feel... she wasn't sure what. Maybe too foolish for chasing a guy down like this? Too unlike herself? Either way, she had to do this on her own.
She opened the door and went downstairs, walked a few short blocks to Lombard Street and hailed a cab, climbed in and slammed the door shut.
“Where are you headed?” the cabbie asked.
“Take me to Club X.”
The hard throb of music a n d b l a c k - c l a d crowd of gyrating dancers were the same as the week before, but there was a new aura of excitement for her the moment she entered the club. She felt open, raw, as though anyone who looked at her knew why she was there. Yet at the same time she had a sense of being utterly isolated from all of it, from the lights, the music, the people. Of being in her own head.
She checked her coat, then made her way across the main dance floor, through the heat of hundreds of bodies. The place was crowded already and it was still early. Things wouldn't really pick up until around midnight. She glanced at the bar, but realized she didn't want a drink. She needed to be clearheaded. Or as clear as she could be right now, with her lust-addled brain directing her.
He couldn't possibly look as good as she remembered. Still, her
pulse raced at a thousand miles an hour as she pressed through the
dense crush of bodies, catching whiffs of sw
_e
at and perfume as she
went, the sharp scent of alcohol. She made her way up the stairs to
the loft above the dance floor, pushed through the crowd already
surrounding the Ring. Somehow she managed to get right to the
front, until the metal bar which separated the Ring from the rest of
the club was pressed against her stomach. People jostled her on either side and it took a moment for her to get her balance. She looked up,
and saw
him.
Shaye walked to the center of the Ring to look at
tonight's crowd. It was packed already, even though it wasn't ten yet. That was good. He liked to work in front of a crowd. It gave him a hell of a thrill, which was why he worked here almost every weekend. And of course, he loved working the girls who came here, the innocent ones who wanted to try just a little spanking, to get flogged in front of their friends. Cheap thrill. But not for him. For him it was the real thing. If only they knew the evil thoughts that went through his head when he stripped them down to their underwear and gave them the first paddling of their lives. Virgin flesh. He surveyed the throng already surrounding the enclosed dungeon area of the loft, looking for prospects. The girls often had to be enticed, flirted with, cajoled into entering the Ring. That was easy for him, almost too easy. But he didn't care. All he cared about was that exchange of energy, of sensation and response. That's what he got off on. He didn't even have to sleep with them, rarely took any of these girls home. It had been months since any of them had captured his attention in that way, and none had ever managed to hold it for long. He wasn't built for permanence. Yeah, he was a chip off the old block, wasn't he?
He pulled his shirt over his head, threw it on a bench and moved toward the railing, still scanning. He loved it all, the powerful vibe of the people, the scent of leather and sweat and the faint aroma of fear when a new girl stepped into the Ring with him. He loved the pounding throb of the music that he used to create a rhythm in his swing. He loved the feel of tender young flesh beneath his hands. Couldn't get enough of it.
He moved his gaze from one end of the crowd to the other, slowly.
And then he saw her.
That girl from last Friday night. Devin, she'd said her name was, and he hadn't forgotten it, had thought of her all week, hoping she'd come back. Beautiful girl, sweet-looking face. Innocent, even though she was a bit older than most of the others. But he loved that. There was a lot more to her, he could tell from her eyes. He moved closer. She hadn't seen him yet.
He watched as she glanced around, as her hands gripped the railing in front of her, and he went hard just looking at her fine-boned hands, at her lush red mouth. He'd love to kiss that mouth, to really kiss her, to feel her melt under him.
Shit. Where the hell had that come from? But there was no doubt he was getting hard just looking at this girl.
All dressed in wicked black tonight, her short skirt showing off long, lean legs. He knew if he spun her around, her ass would be flawless. He moved in to get a closer look, and while she had her head turned away he quietly slipped his hand over hers. “Hey.” “Oh. Hi.” Her face broke into a sunny smile. There was no pretense of the seductress here. No, she was simply happy to see him. She hid it quickly enough, but he'd seen it. Too late to pretend. “You came back.”
“Well, I . . . I was here, you know . . .”
“It's okay. I like it that you came to see me.” He gave her hand a squeeze and watched her blush. Charming. “Does this mean you've come to play?”
“Oh, no! I mean, I came to watch. That's all.”
Better than nothing. Pretty damn good, in fact, knowing she would watch him tonight. His strong streak of exhibitionism would love that. Not as much as he would if he could get his hands on her, but it was a start.
“Stay right here, then. Things will get started soon. Are you sure you won't join me?” She nodded, her auburn hair swinging. Looked like heavy silk. He wanted to touch it.
Shit.
Instead he lifted her hand and brushed a kiss across it, felt her small shiver. He smiled. “I have to work now. Promise me you won't go anywhere without telling me.”
“Yes. I promise.”
He left her, strode back into the Ring, prepared his work area, lining up on a bench toward the back of the room the usual array of floggers, paddles, straps. His whole body was still buzzing with the faint, sweet taste of her flesh on his lips.
The first girl came into the ring and Daniel, the ring master,
sent her Shaye's way. Nice-looking girl. Young, blonde, pretty but
hollow. Not nearly as attractive as Devin. Still, he took her to his station,
to one of the X-shaped St. Andrew's crosses, stripped her down
to her bra, bound her to the cross at wrists and ankles, with her
bare back to him. He went right to work on her, starting an easy
rhythm with a light flogger, nothing that would hurt too much, just
getting her warmed up. He focused on the music, watched the girl's
breathing, pausing to check in and make sure she was okay. But
half his mind was on the other girl, the one watching from the sidelines. The one who made his blood boil like no one had in a very long time.

Devin watched the muscles flex in his arms, his shoulders,
his back, loved the way the heavy lines of his tattoos moved with
each ripple of flesh. He was strongly built, heavily muscled without the unnatural look of one of those bodybuilders. He moved gracefully for a man of his size and build. Every stroke was smooth, in beat with the music, which was some techno trance piece. The blonde girl was quiet, her body swaying just a little beneath the strike of the flogger he was using.
And Devin's blood was humming through her veins in that same cadence.
She wished it were her up there, stripped down and under his hands.
No, no, no.
Too much, too foolhardy. Too unlike her. Hers was a life of perfect order, and this seemed like some form of bedlam to her. Yet she couldn't look away. Couldn't stop her body's reaction to what she was seeing.
She took a moment to glance at some of the other people playing in the Ring, but none of them held the fascination for her Shaye did. Watching him made her shiver all over, made her heat up inside.
Made her imagine scenes she'd never dreamed of before.
Dangerous,
her brain reminded her. She didn't want to listen to it right now. But neither was she brave enough to fight against it completely, no matter how much she wanted to.
Watching him again, her body warming up, a kind of molten heat made her arms and legs tingle, go weak. And her sex was absolutely on fire with need.
What would it be like to spread my legs and let him touch me.
. .
?
God, she really had to get herself under control! Control was key. It always had been. It was how she had survived her childhood, the weakness that was her mother. She wasn't going to allow any man to take that from her.
But why was she even thinking about these things? She was just watching him, had barely exchanged a dozen words with him. Still, her body wanted him more than she had wanted any man in her life. He moved around the girl, switching from flogger to paddle now. He pulled up the girl's short plaid skirt and swatted her round bottom. Devin went hot all over and squeezed her thighs together. She couldn't tear her gaze away from him, from what he was doing to this girl. Her hands tightened around the metal railing.
If he asked her to come into the Ring with him now she wouldn't be able to refuse. Peering through the dim and pulsing light of the club, through the alternating lights and shadows, she saw the flex of his hand as he gripped the paddle, the ripple of muscle in his shoulder as he pulled back to swing, the smooth golden texture of his skin. With every strike he landed on the girl's flesh, her own body surged with need. Desire flooded her system, until she could hardly stand to watch any longer. As he landed each strike, she felt almost as though the sensation reverberated through her own body. Over and over, in time with the music, which seemed to flood her head with sound. Her panties were absolutely soaked.
He finished with the girl and the same woman from the week before, the one in the red corset, took the girl away to a bench at the back of the room. He set his wicked tools of pleasure down, used a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Then he walked right over to her and took her hand.
“Come play with me, Devin.”
The scent of him filled her nostrils, making her weak and shivery.
She shook her head mutely.
Say no, Devin. Say no.
He leaned in, closer, until his mouth, that lush, masculine mouth, was only inches from hers. His breath was sweet, minty. If she moved in only a few inches she could kiss him.
God.
“Come on, Devin. I know you want to.” His voice was quiet, yet she could hear him over the pounding music, the crowd of people. And at this moment, there was no one else in the world but the two of them.
He went on. “I can see it, you know. In the rise and fall of your breath, in the gleam of excitement in your eyes. I can
feel
it, coming off you in waves. You want this. You can't tell me you don't.” She could only shake her head. She knew if she spoke she would have no control over what came out of her mouth. His fingers curled around her hand and he lifted it, held her palm to his bare chest.
“Can you feel it? That's my heart beating with need for you. I swear it.” His voice was ragged with desire. She thought she might pass out. “Come with me, Devin. It's okay. You'll be in my hands. I'll keep you safe. And I'll make you feel better than you ever have in your life.” The truth of his words hit her like a warm blow to the chest. The heat spread, infused her body, her throbbing sex. She couldn't say no. And so she said, “Yes.”

THREE

He felt her tremble, her soft little hand still in his
as he led her through the gate and into the Ring. A cry went up from the crowd as he brought her in, the excitement of new flesh. Yes, he always felt it, too, and the crowd loved it. But why was his heart hammering in his chest as though this were his first time?
Jesus.
He had to get himself under control.
It was this girl, this beautiful girl, who was really scared to be here. Yet she had agreed to this, had wanted it. Still wanted it beneath the fear, he could tell. She held on tight to his hand. And the heat of her, the scent of her perfume, was driving him crazy.
Just do your thing.
He'd do his job, as he always did. But tonight would be different with her. He knew that already. He didn't want to think too much about it.
He led her to a pair of leather cuffs suspended from a chain toward the back of the room. He didn't want her right out in front, as he usually did, playing to the crowd. He wanted Devin to himself. What the hell was wrong with him?
Just focus on her.
Yes, easy enough when he looked at her, that perfect, porcelain skin, her flushed cheeks. Her green eyes were glossy, huge, her lashes long and dark, picking up some of the colored lights on the tips. He was going to strip some of her clothes off her perfect little figure. The noise of the crowd faded into the background as he reached out and brushed his fingertips across the fabric covering her stomach. She gave an answering shiver.
His cock twitched when he pulled her top over her head and her black lace-clad breasts came into view. Not too large, but so damn perfect. He watched her take in a few deep breaths. She was nervous as hell. But he could almost smell her desire. The flush on her cheeks had spread down over her chest. Oh yes, she wanted this, was every bit as excited as he was.
He spanned his hands around her tiny waist, just let them rest there for a moment, needing that contact to read her. Jesus, her skin was baby-smooth under his hands. What would the rest of her feel like? She looked up at him and those emerald eyes caught his, held him.
She was really and truly scared.
“It's okay. I'll take care of you. Can you trust me, Devin?” “ I . . . I think so. I'm just... I've never done anything like this before.”
“But you want to, don't you?”
She paused, then nodded her head.
He leaned in and inhaled the scent of her. Like flowers and sex. He moved in closer, until he could speak right into her ear. “Relax. Put yourself in my hands. Turn yourself over to me. You can do it. Okay?” “Yes.”
God, just her tremulous voice had him hard and almost panting.
Do your job, man.
Yes, his job. “Devin, we need to go over your safe words. Do you know what that is?” “Safe words?”
“If things get too intense for you, you need to tell me. If you need me to slow down, go easier on you, if you're experiencing any sort of discomfort, even if it's just that the cuffs are too tight, say ʻyellow.' If you want the scene to stop completely, say ʻred.' And I will stop, I promise you. Do you understand?”
She shrugged, trying for a nonchalance that was entirely transparent to him. She was still trying to hang on to some control, but it was gone already, had been since the moment she'd agreed to come into the Ring with him. “It sounds easy enough.” Easy enough for her. He was the one who had to hold it together.
He laid his hands on her shoulders, ran them down over her arms. The skin there was just as soft as her waist had been. He took one wrist in his hand, raised it over her head and buckled her into the soft leather of the cuff. Her small gasp of surprise pleased him somehow. He did the same with her other hand. By the time he had her completely bound she was breathing hard, every breath making her breasts swell against the confines of that sexy black bra. “Calm down, Devin. It's okay.” He took her chin in his hand and tilted her face. Her eyes were huge, her lush, red lips parted. It would be so easy to kiss her now, just shove his tongue into the wet heat of her mouth . . .
Jesus. Get it together.
He sucked in a breath. “We'll start out easy. Okay?”
She nodded.
He moved around behind her and smoothed his hands over her
back. He could barely restrain himself from slipping his hands around
the front of her to cup the soft mounds of her breasts. Unbearable
hard-on at the thought. But her ass could be his. He moved his hands
down, slid her skirt up until he uncovered the black lace panties that matched the bra. Her ass was every bit as perfect as he'd known it would be. But he'd get to that later. He let the hem of her skirt fall around the tops of her thighs and picked up the small flogger he used on the new girls. It was light enough to get some good sensation, but not enough to hurt unless he really wanted it to. He wanted to hurt her; of course he did. But he wanted her to like it, and he knew for that he had to bring her into it slowly. He started with a gentle stroking of the leather thongs over her flesh. After a minute he saw her let out a breath, saw her shoulders loosen up. He kept up the easy rhythm, watching the tension in her body shift. She was breathing harder, but it wasn't fear or pain. He could feel her arousal coming off her in waves as though it were a palpable thing. His body answered in kind, but he ordered himself to calm, to focus on nothing but her. Another few minutes of that slow, easy stroke, then he gave her one good smack. She yelped.
He moved around to the front of her, lifted her face in his hand so he could see her eyes. They were lit up, like green sea glass. And there was a small smile on her face. That smile went through him like the pure heat of the sun and landed in a warm knot in the pit of his stomach. He tried to shake the sensation away. But looking into her eyes, with the scent of her perfume surrounding him, infusing him, he couldn't do it. The heat traveled through his body, making his cock hard. He couldn't help himself. He bent down and kissed her.