“Wait a moment, fluff.” Hand on Abby’s arm, Xavier turned. “Worth, Simon planned to supervise Rona’s visitor, but he and deVries are running late. Can you keep an eye on her?”
“You’ll let a non-member play?” That wasn’t normal.
“Simon ran a quick background check on her. She’s been out of the scene for a while, but isn’t new.”
“Ah. Of course, then. She can wear one of my ask-permission collars.” He held out his arm. “Abby, might I escort you upstairs?”
As Abby laughed and took his arm, Xavier gave him a chin lift and headed for the Pedersens.
Upstairs, Ethan paused near the left stage. Tied to a post, Mitchell’s mouthy submissive was being lashed into a happy subspace until a second Dom interrupted the flogging. The gag barely muffled the submissive’s frustrated whine when both Doms moved away.
Off to one side, Mitchell was leaning wearily against the stage. A smile touched his lips as the submissive’s whining grew more audible. Noticing Ethan, he nodded.
The punishment was going well. The Aussie had chosen two Doms who were careful and trustworthy, so Ethan nodded back and motioned toward the exit. You can go home.
Relief filled Mitchell’s face, and he headed for the door.
More slowly, Ethan and Abby followed and stepped into the entry.
Lindsey was working the reception desk. “Hey, Sir Ethan. Abby.”
“Good evening. Xavier told me Rona is bringing in a visitor. Do you have her file?”
“Yes, Sir. Here you go.” Lindsey handed over a folder of papers.
Ethan stepped behind the desk and read the name on the file. Piper Delaney.
Here was an intriguing challenge for the evening. He’d definitely have to keep an eye on her—something he’d have done in any case. In fact, the thought of putting a collar around her slim neck was disconcertingly appealing.
He flipped through the pages of the background check that Simon’s security company had provided at very short notice.
Piper had arrived in San Francisco around five years ago. Worked various jobs—maid, pet-sitter, shopping service for a year, then came up with enough money to start Chatelaines. Was in the black within two years. No arrests or record. Before California, she’d lived in…
His brows drew together. She was from Kansas?
“Hi, Lindsey. Good evening, Ethan.” Rona stood on the other side of the counter.
“Ethan? Um, hi.” Piper stared at him. Color swept up into her face. She hadn’t expected to see him here, apparently.
Well, the same went for him. It would be nice if she was as pleased as he was. He smiled at her. “Welcome to Dark Haven.”
She noticed the file in his hands. “Is that the background check that Rona’s husband ran?” Eyes the color of melted chocolate met his, and a dimple appeared in her curved cheek. “Did Simon discover I’m a notorious embezzler?”
Ethan laughed. She’d be the cutest crook in the prison. Big brown eyes. Her upper lip was a perfect bow in a mouth designed for smiling. She had dimples, God help him.
He checked the summary at the end of the file. “I fear Simon overlooked your career in crime, Ms. Delaney.”
“Whew, that’s a relief. And it’s Piper.”
He’d wondered how long she’d hold him to the formal address. Running a finger down the page, he saw no red flags in the summary. “Then, Piper, it appears you’re good to come in and play.”
“Oh, good. I guess.”
Second thoughts already? “Xavier asked me to stand in for Simon and provide a collar for you.”
“A collar?” Piper’s color disappeared. She stepped back.
Rona set a hand on Piper’s shoulder. “Steady, honey. You’ve been in a club before, haven’t you?”
“Only once. Briefly.” Piper bit her lip. “What do you mean about a collar? I’m not a slave.”
Her spine was so rigid she might fracture right there.
Abby took her hand.
Ethan suppressed his need to tuck the frightened subbie close. “Piper, I’m not talking about a slave or ownership collar. The one I’ll give you is a signal that you’re under my protection, and anyone wanting to play with you must ask me for permission first. This way we can ensure you”—don’t get in over your head or get bullied—“are well-matched with someone.”
“It’s a good defense,” Lindsey said. “Even though the club’s private, sometimes newbies get in over their heads or get targeted by creepazoid Tops. No one messes with Sir Ethan. His collar will keep you safe.”
He wasn’t going to leave everything up to the warning on the collar. Not with this big-eyed submissive. He intended to keep a damn close eye on her.
* * *
A collar. Piper touched her neck. The thought was appalling. Since getting rid of her slave collar five years ago, she’d avoided anything tight around her neck. She didn’t wear chokers or turtlenecks.
But… Ethan and Lindsey’s explanations made sense. She glanced at Rona and Abby. Both nodded approval.
“Ethan is one of the club directors and has been since the club opened. You can trust him,” Rona said.
Piper nodded slowly. The older woman wouldn’t recommend anyone lightly. Nonetheless, a shiver ran through her, not because of the skimpy red corset and tight leather skirt she was wearing. He wanted her to wear a collar.
Visiting a BDSM club had been a stupid idea.
“Hey, look, girl. There’s the board with business cards.” Hooking her elbow in Piper’s, Abby pulled her over to a bulletin board. Nice and prominent on the wall where people waited by the reception desk. There were categories for the various services.
This was, after all, a big reason why Piper was here. “You’re pretty sneaky, Professor.”
Abby grinned.
Okay, get the card up, take a walk around, and if she was still uncomfortable, she’d leave. No big deal.
Rona tapped an empty space and offered a thumbtack. “How about there?”
Two sneaky women.
“I bet you’re a very effective administrator, aren’t you?” Piper pinned her card to the board.
“I’m excellent.” Rona put an arm around Piper’s waist. “Your turn, Sir Ethan.”
Still behind the reception desk, Ethan shook his head at Rona reprovingly before opening his toy bag.
“I couldn’t resist,” Rona told him.
When Abby snickered, Piper asked, “Did I miss something?”
“I like to tease him about the Sir because it is his real title in the vanilla world. He’s a baronet,” Rona said. “One of the submissives found out, started calling him that here, and it caught on, even though most don’t realize it’s his actual title outside of the scene.”
Piper choked. She’d thought he was all sorts of pompous for using his D/s title outside of the scene and clubs. He was a baronet?
“I know. It’s odd, isn’t it?” Abby shook her head. “It feels wrong to call him Sir Ethan outside of the club, yet it’s incorrect to formally introduce him without his title, any more than I’d introduce a minister without the Reverend. He keeps having to say ‘Just Ethan’ afterward.”
Aaaand, he’d heard them.
Holding a red leather collar, he stood just on the other side of the reception desk. When Piper’s cheeks turned hot with embarrassment, he winked at her. “A baronet isn’t particularly impressive in England, but you Yanks do love titles.”
“We really do,” Lindsey said. “At least you didn’t get stuck with My Liege like Xavier.”
“God is merciful.” He motioned to Piper in a come here gesture. “Let’s get you collared so you can enjoy your evening.”
Insane. She had to be insane. Her muscles tensed in protest as she walked around the desk to where he stood. Waiting. Anyone seeing him would know he was a Dominant down to the last cell in his body.
Even if he wasn’t wearing all black.
But he was—and…wow. Perfectly tailored black pants and black suit coa
t over a shade lighter black turtleneck. A black pocket square with silver trim. Black gloves tucked under a black leather belt. His sleek watch was silver and black. He was as elegant as Daniel Craig’s James Bond, only with a lethal edginess.
All she could think of was how black clothing didn’t show blood.
“Look, Piper.” Ethan ran his finger over the silver stripes embedded in the red leather collar. “The striping indicates to club members that you are a guest.”
Understanding how that would be a protection, she tried to smile and failed miserably. “Sounds good.”
He lifted the dangling tag that was engraved: PROTECTED BY ETHAN. “This tells them to ask me even before asking you. You’re not my property, Piper, but you are protected.”
His low, quiet voice didn’t diminish the air of command or force of his personality. As she looked up into his watchful gaze, she did feel protected.
She forced the words out, “Thank you. Sir,” and bowed her head to accept the collar.
He fastened the buckle without fumbling as if he’d done it often. After snapping on a padlock, he tucked the key in his inner coat pocket.
Mouth dry, she ran her fingers over the soft leather. The shaking inside her increased.
A furrow appeared between his brows. “Come here, poppet.” He drew her firmly into his arms until her cheek rested against his chest. “I want to feel you take a real breath.”
“Sorry, sorry.” Even as she pulled in a breath, her legs felt appallingly weak.
Arm around her waist, he held her up, taking her weight. He felt so…solid. “You’re fine, sweetheart. No one will hurt you here. Actually, if you walk around with Rona and Abby, no one will even think of bothering you.”
She almost laughed at the thought of anyone giving Rona trouble.
“I’ll keep an eye on you as I make the rounds,” Ethan added.
Why did he have to be so kind? And so compelling? Each breath brought her the scent of his aftershave, a masculine pine and leather scent, like a trail ride through the English countryside.
“Rounds?” She tilted her head back to look up at him, seeing the strong line of his neck, the dark beard stubble along his jaw.
“Dungeon monitors watch for problems. Some of us also wander about to offer added instruction or discipline. My focus is the Dominants.”
Lindsey finished checking in a threesome, then grinned over her shoulder at Piper. “Sometimes he gives a newbie Dom a lesson right there in the dungeon. Or he’ll rescue a submissive who got herself into a scene she wasn’t ready for, especially if the Top wasn’t paying attention. Sir Ethan’s our Top Cop.
His lips quirked at Lindsey’s irreverent title, then he ran a finger down Piper’s cheek, bringing every nerve to attention. Her skin tingled at the slow caress.
“Go with your friends, Piper, and have fun. We’ll keep you safe.”
Safe. A Dom who promised she’d be safe.
Impulsively, she wrapped her arms around him for a grateful hug.
When he hugged her back, her heart skipped a beat. This was her champion, the man who’d been there for her when she’d been so far down in hell that she hadn’t been able to see any hope above.
He hadn’t changed at all.
Safe.
An hour later, Piper followed Rona and Abby across the long ground-floor room. For the last hour, they’d been downstairs in the dungeon, viewing the scenes. An hour had been a long time. Despite her interest in everything, she’d had to keep fighting her anxiety.
The place was filled with Dominants, and far too many things sounded like her nightmares.
Still, she’d been proud of how well she was maintaining her composure…right up until she’d seen a Top using a knife. He’d barely drawn blood on the bottom’s back. But when he’d picked up a scythe blade, Piper had shuddered, cashed in her I’m cool cards, and called it quits.
It’d been a relief when Rona and Abby admitted they weren’t into knife play.
“Looks like most of the gang is over there at the table,” Abby said. “I’ll go see if I can find Xavier.”
As the professor peeled off toward the rooms to one side, Rona led the way to a group of a dozen people seated at shoved-together tables. She stopped behind a tall dark-haired man and touched his shoulder. “This looks like a fun party. Might we join you?”
“Lass, here you are.” Smiling, he rose and took a kiss possessive enough that Piper could only hope he was Rona’s husband.
Black eyes, silvering black hair, deeply tanned, the man was totally handsome in a rugged way. Like Sir Ethan, he wore a suit, but with a white shirt. His tie was patterned in various gray tones, and she choked back a laugh.
He noticed her focus, and his grin was a flash of white. “Don’t you like these shades of gray?”
Piper snickered.
“Don’t encourage him,” Rona said. “He made me read the book out loud, pointed out anything that was incorrect, and whenever I turned red, that’s what we did that night.”
Oh boy. “Isn’t the hero of Fifty Shades a sadist?”
Not answering, the man held out a hand. “You must be Piper. I’m Simon, Rona’s husband.”
Just from the sheer weight of his voice, Piper mentally added Master to his name. “It’s good to meet you.”
Still holding her hand, Simon turned and raised his voice. “People, we have a visitor. This is Piper.”
As the people around the table welcomed her, he seated Piper on his right and Rona on his left.
Looking around, Piper realized there were a lot of Dominants at the table and several were giving her interested looks. Oh, no. She started to feel like fresh meat in front of piranhas.
Then, the chair on her right was pulled out. “Did you have a good tour, Piper?” Sir Ethan asked.
She realized she was leaning toward him—toward safety—and hadn’t answered.
Frowning slightly, he studied her in that way he had, then his arm curved around her shoulders with a comforting heaviness. “It wasn’t that bad, was it? You looked as if you were interested in the scenes.”
He must have been keeping an eye on her down in the dungeon. Like he’d said. As she relaxed into the curve of his arm, she could feel his warmth. “Sorry. My mind took a detour. Yes, I enjoyed seeing the dungeon.”
“Piper is an interesting scene name.” A hard-faced blond man in black leathers across the table eyed her. “Do you play the flute?”
Nice normal conversation. She could do this, especially with the security of her champion right next to her. “Piper’s my real name. My father loved ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’.”
“You mean Van Morrison’s song?” the blond asked.”
“Van Morrison took the title from the book, Wind in the Willow,” Sir Ethan said and glanced at her. “Do you have a habit of saving baby otters, poppet?”
He’d read one of her favorite books. She smiled up at him.
“Those dimples should be outlawed,” he murmured, touched her cheek with a finger, then frowned slightly. “We keep it warm in here, but you’re freezing. Did you scare her to death, Rona?”
He shucked off his suit jacket, settled it around Piper’s shoulders, and pulled her against his side. Turning slightly, he lifted his hand.
A waiter skidded into the table with his haste in answering the summons. “Sir Ethan, can I serve you?”
Can I serve you? Can I give you my body? My heart? My soul? Piper’s flinch must have been palpable because Sir Ethan turned to study her for a long moment.
To her relief, his attention returned to the waiter. “I’d like a hot chocolate with a shot of Bailey's in it, please. Tell the bartender that I’ll make sure the submissive doesn’t play tonight.”
“Right away, Sir.” The young man almost sprang across the room.
Piper heard Rona’s husband huff a laugh. “The effect you have on submissives is truly appalling.”
Sir Ethan chuckled. “It’s the accent.”
“
Um.” Piper started to talk, then bit her lip. What was the protocol in speaking? The Tops and bottoms were all mixed together. Was she allowed to ask questions without being given permission?
“You may talk, poppet. This is the free-for-all table.” Sir Ethan motioned toward several tables farther back, roped-off with a sign: FORMAL PROTOCOL OBSERVED HERE. “The stricter Masters sit back there.”
But Sir Ethan had a slave. Shouldn’t he be over in that spot?
“You had a question?” Master Simon asked.
Did she? Oh, right. “Sir Ethan told the waiter to tell the bartender I wouldn’t play. What was that about?”
“Ah. We had hoped people would know better than to play after drinking, but a couple of unfortunate incidents showed we were overly optimistic.” Master Simon’s voice was grim.
“To enforce the rules, when you get a drink, you also get a metal bracelet. One that is removed on the way out.” Sir Ethan pointed out a dungeon monitor at the head of the stairs. “Braceletted people can’t get into the dungeon. An alarm sounds if a bracelet is detected, and he’ll turn the person away.”
Pretty high-tech. Pretty wise. Piper remembered more than a few “unfortunate incidents” when the Defiler had been drinking. She dropped that line of thought immediately. “That’s a wonderful system.”
“Did you enjoy your tour of the dungeon?” the blond Dom across the table asked her.
“I did. There was certainly a lot of variety.”
“Right, I remember hearing you weren’t a beginner. Where did you play before?”
She stiffened. That wasn’t something she would talk about. Not here, not ever.
“I’m free.” Lindsey circled the table, a wide smile on her face, multi-colored hair bouncing on her shoulders. She came up behind the nosy blond and leaned against him. “Hey, sexy Dom, wanna play?”
To Piper’s surprise, the man’s hard lips curved into a smile. He pushed his chair away from the table far enough that he could yank Lindsey into his lap.
Lindsey giggled.
“You’re a mouthy one, and you’re overdressed.” He started stripping her. “Xavier asked me to demonstrate heavy caning.”
I Will Not Beg: Mountain Masters & Dark Haven Book 9 Page 8