by Tawny Taylor
She wanted to keep prodding him for a more substantial explanation but she was beginning to feel whiny and clingy.
Which meant one of two things. Either she needed to somehow convince herself that friendship with him was enough, or she needed to sever the ties with him completely, hoping that would allow her to find someone else who was ready to travel the road to love with her.
If only she’d had the same feelings for Rolf or Zane as she did for Dierk. But she didn’t, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.
If it couldn’t be Dierk, it couldn’t be any of them.
Her appetite was shot for the rest of the night.
She went home with a heavy heart and a carton full of steak, loaded baked potato, and salad. And she was as clueless as before about why Dierk was holding back.
That was not the outcome she’d hoped for.
14
“Wynne’s here,” Rolf announced as he strolled into Dierk’s office.
Scowling, Dierk punched the ENTER button on his computer. The damn thing wasn’t running right. Again. “She is?”
“Yeah. Why do you sound so surprised about that?”
“No reason.” Dierk swallowed an expletive and reached down to manually power down the computer.
“Looks like you could use a break from that. Want to take my appointment with Wynne? I don’t think she’d complain.”
Dierk hit the POWER button, hoping the damn machine would start back up. “Nope. I won’t be scening with her again.”
“Does she know this yet?”
“Yes.” Frustrated about more than the computer, Dierk glanced up. “I told her before the first session and again afterward.”
Rolf gave him a funny look. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.” He looked at the monitor, hit ENTER a couple more times. Still nothing, dammit.
“Okay.” Rolf headed for the door, but before he left, he turned around. “Did…something happen between you two? I know you’re engaged and this thing with Wynne could only go so far. But it was beginning to look like—”
“No. I’m just busy, and I think it’s better if I keep my personal life apart from this place.”
After a long silence, Rolf nodded. “I see.”
Dierk fought with the virus-riddled computer for several more hours before finally giving up. By then, he’d vented all his frustration on the machine and was ready to head out to someplace loud where there’d be plenty of distraction. The last thing he needed was quiet. He didn’t want to think, didn’t want to relive those moments with Wynne last night, when the candlelight had been flickering in her eyes.
Dammit. No woman had invaded his mind like that one. Not even close. And he’d had hundreds, thousands of submissives, so many he’d lost count decades ago. For some reason, Wynne’s face was etched in his memory, burned there like a brand, and no matter how hard he tried—and tried he had—he couldn’t erase it. He saw that face every time he closed his eyes, even when he slept. It haunted him in his dreams.
When he was away from her, he could think about nothing else. He ached to see her, to hear her voice, to smell her. And when he was close to her, all he wanted was to taste her. To pull her essence inside and have it fill him. Even that wouldn’t be enough. He knew it.
He needed to possess her, make her his as only his kind could. But that could never happen. There were a couple of huge hurdles standing in his way, and there was no way he could clear either one of them.
Which meant there was no way in hell he could step inside a dungeon with her again. He couldn’t trust himself to see her, talk to her, let alone touch her. If he did, there was no telling what he might do.
He couldn’t imagine the consequences.
With dark thoughts for company, he waved at the head of security, letting him know he was leaving for the night, and headed out into the dark parking lot.
A sweet scent drifted to his nose, carried by a gentle evening breeze.
She was out there.
Instantly his body hardened. His cock surged to a full, painful erection. He didn’t have to search hard to find her; she was standing only a hundred yards away.
She wasn’t alone. Someone was touching her, holding her, maybe even kissing her. His blood chilled for an instant and then spiked hotter than acid.
He charged toward her, fury tearing through his body. His hands clenched into fists, his muscles pulled tight, preparing for battle. His eyes sharpened, adjusting to the darkness.
Rolf. She was with his brother Rolf.
Dierk halted, twisting around to hide behind an SUV. With any luck, she hadn’t seen him coming yet. Her eyes wouldn’t be as keen as his in the darkness.
Fuck, this was hard.
Her scent was stronger now, and he couldn’t help dragging in a deep lungful. How delicious she would taste. How delightful it would feel to have her soft body molded to his, her curves pressed against his hard planes.
No, he couldn’t think about that now.
He pressed his head back against the vehicle behind him and covered his face with his hands, trying to block that glorious scent from reaching his nose. If he’d been stronger, he would have walked away. But he wasn’t and he couldn’t. So, thanks to his weakness, he had to stand there and try not to draw in her intoxicating aroma, try to resist the sound of her sweet voice, a mesmerizing siren’s song, until he could gain control of his body again.
“I’m sorry I said something now,” he heard her say. Her voice was full of regret.
Dierk was sorry, too, but not because of anything she’d said or done. He was sorry he heard hurt and confusion in her voice.
“My brother has had his problems, but he would never intentionally hurt a woman.”
“I believe you,” she said.
“Maybe, like you said, it would be best if you didn’t come here for a while,” Rolf suggested.
Yes, that would be best, Dierk agreed.
“I guess you’re right,” she said. “I felt like I owed you an explanation.”
“You don’t owe me anything. Call me if you need me,” Rolf offered.
Once again jealousy turned Dierk’s blood to acid. If she needs him. The thought made Dierk’s stomach clench, even though he knew Rolf was being kind. The problem was he knew how Rolf felt about her, how close he was to falling in love with her. That made this whole thing that much worse, for all of them.
He had no right to keep them apart, and yet that was exactly what he was doing. The sad truth was his heart had marked her, even though he had no right to act upon his claim.
He felt like such a shit.
How the hell was he going to get over her?
“I don’t know what’s worse: when you’re gone all the time and forget I exist, or when you’re locking yourself up in this apartment and living like a hermit.” Kristy gave Wynne the pout to end all pouts. “Come on, let’s go out and have some fun. I promise I won’t drag you to a strip club again.”
“I’m busy.” Wynne lifted the book she was pretending to read, which just happened to be the one Dierk had given her at the bookstore. “I promised someone I would read this book—”
“A book? That’s bullshit.” Kristy snatched the novel away, tossed it across the room, and glared at her. “Something’s wrong. Tell me.”
“Hey! That’s a signed first edition. I can’t believe you just threw it.” She stomped past her annoying friend to reclaim her book. “Outside of you being a pain in the butt, nothing’s wrong.” She found the abused novel lying on the floor behind a chair. There didn’t seem to be any damage, other than a little wrinkle on one corner of the cover. She smoothed it down.
“I’ve told you, you’re the world’s worst liar. You’ve been moping around here since the night you went out with Dierk. What happened? Why won’t you tell me?”
“I have not been moping.”
“Shall I look up the definition for you?”
“That won’t be necessary, thank you.”
Kristy, being the smart-ass she was, went to her laptop, typed in the word, and hit a button. “Mope. To move around slowly and aimlessly. To be apathetic, gloomy, or dazed. Yep, I’d say that’s a dead-on description of you lately.”
“Okay, okay.” Wynne snapped the book shut. There was no use pretending she was reading. They both knew she wasn’t. How could she, when all she could think about was a certain Dom. “I was waiting, hoping…”
“What?”
“I think I blew it with Dierk.” She sighed. “Correction, I know I blew it with Dierk.”
“Finally.” Kristy’s expression changed in a blink, from I-was-right to I’m-so-sorry. She plopped onto the couch beside Wynne and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Talk to me. Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“I don’t know. I guess I was trying not to think about it, and I knew talking about it, about him, would make me think…” Wynne sighed again. It hurt to think about him. A lot. “We were never a couple. We didn’t make any kind of promise or commitment to each other, and our relationship—it’s a stretch to even call it that—was based solely on role playing. Still, it hurts.” Wynne stared down at the book still clenched in her hands. She smoothed her palms over the cover. “I guess he played his part too well.”
“Oh honey.”
“That night we went out…I told him I wasn’t looking just for a Dom, I wanted more. I didn’t specifically say I wanted more from him, but I think he figured that out. I was hoping he’d tell me what was holding him back but he didn’t. All he did was tell me I needed to do what was best for me. The next night, when I went to the dungeon, I told his brother Rolf everything. Rolf didn’t offer any insight either. All he suggested was that I stay away from Twilight for a while, if that might make it easier for me.”
“That was a couple of weeks ago.”
She felt her shoulders slumping forward. “It feels like it’s been forever.”
“Of course it does.” Kristy gave her shoulder another squeeze. “I wish I could do or say something to make you feel better. I have heard he isn’t playing at Twilight. Not with anyone.”
Wynne couldn’t say whether that made her feel better or worse. Both, maybe.
After a minute or two, Kristy cleared her throat. “I heard about another dungeon opening up. The grand opening is in a couple of weeks, and of course, attendance is by invitation only. I’ve heard it’s going to be very exclusive.”
Another dungeon? Wynne’s mood sank even lower. “I don’t know, Kristy. If anything, this thing with Dierk has taught me that the casual bondage play stuff isn’t for me.”
“Hey, not all Doms are commitment phobic. In fact, a lot of them are in stable relationships. A relationship with a Dom can be really intense because of the level of trust you have to share.”
Wynne shook her head. “I’m sure.” The thought of starting a relationship with anyone but Dierk made her feel a little hollow inside. She honestly didn’t want to talk about it, think about it, and she sure didn’t want to go tromping off to another dungeon to be scoped out by other Doms. “But I’m not ready to go Dom-hunting right now.”
“No, I can see you’re not. I’m not going to try to talk you into going with me. But if you change your mind, let me know.” Kristy sat forward. It looked like she was getting ready to leave.
Good.
Wynne gave Kristy the best smile she could muster. “Thanks. Heading out?”
“I was thinking about it, but I feel bad—”
“Don’t feel bad. I’m fine. Really. Go, have some fun.” She made a shooing motion with her hands. “You’ll drive me crazy if you stick around here, hovering over me like a buzzard.”
Kristy laughed. “Okay. I’ll go. Buzzard, eh?” She stood, gave Wynne a very animated scowl, and headed toward her bedroom. “I think I should get another tattoo. I need a buzzard on my ass.”
Now that made Wynne smile.
It had been too long. Thanks to Dierk’s vow to keep work and play separate, he hadn’t stepped foot in a dungeon, outside of work, in weeks. He’d never gone that long, and damned if it wasn’t killing him.
As a business owner, he knew he should be worried about the new dungeon opening up in the area. Twilight’s numbers weren’t suffering yet, but he fully expected they would.
Yet, he was thankful to have another dungeon within driving distance. He would finally have an outlet for his darker needs. The urges had been building up, making him tense, short-tempered, and irritable.
He tucked the invitation into his tux pocket, snatched up his keys, and waved at Rolf as he headed out. Tonight was the grand opening. There’d be champagne, caviar, erotic art on display, and an exhibition featuring mild S and M. Tomorrow, he would take possession of his new private suite, and with luck, he’d find a new submissive to help him break it in.
He hoped there’d be some unfamiliar faces at tonight’s event.
Just in case, he tucked a few of his cards into his pocket—not the ones associated with Twilight, but the ones he’d had printed for nights like tonight.
Nights when he was on the hunt for a new submissive.
15
“You look maah-ve-lous, darling!” Bedecked in a slinky black dress that clung to her curves, Kristy slipped her thumb and middle finger between her lips and blew, producing a shrill whistle. It was such a Kristy thing to do. “You are so hawt.”
Feeling a little self-conscious, Wynne tugged at the strapless top. “What kind of woman was this thing made for? I’m not exactly small, and I don’t have enough boobage to fill it. Was it made to fit a double D?”
“No worries. I have something for that.” Kristy sauntered into her room, returning a second later with a set of pink silicone-filled inserts. “Here you go. Instant boobage.”
Scowling, her hands full of smooshy half-boob inserts, Wynne muttered, “Gee, thanks,” and headed into the bathroom to try them on for size.
Ironically, they did wonders. She just hoped they’d stay put in her strapless bra. If not…how embarrassing would it be to have one of those goofy-looking pink things drop out of the bottom of her dress.
“Why don’t they have Velcro or something?” she asked as she exited the bathroom, adjusting the dress she borrowed as she walked.
“They won’t go anywhere. Trust me. That plastic’ll stick to your skin like Saran Wrap.”
“In that case, ew! I hope you washed them.”
Kristy found her comment absolutely hysterical. “Of course I did, silly. Do you honestly think I would hand over what is basically dirty underwear to you?”
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t.”
“Okay. So are we ready to roll? You look fabulous. I look amazing. I say we’re good to go.” She sauntered across the living room.
Wynne followed. “Yes, I guess.”
At the door, Kristy rolled her eyes. “Don’t sound so excited. I didn’t twist your arm.”
“No, you didn’t.” Wynne trailed Kristy out the door. “I decided I would go all on my own, since it’s going to be more of a wine and cheese gathering, instead of a whips and chains one. Even I have to admit, I’ve been living like a hermit for long enough.”
“Exactly. You’ll meet some new people and hopefully forget about you know who….” Kristy gave her a weighted look. “I won’t mention his name tonight. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
Kristy kept her word as they drove to the new dungeon, located in a very secluded but gorgeous building in a nearby town. The sun had just slipped below the horizon and the sky was painted in deep purples with smudges of pinky peach. The towering trees behind the house blocked most of the remaining light, casting the front of the house in deep shadow and chilling the air.
“This house once belonged to some rich guy in the automotive industry. Chrysler, I think,” Kristy explained as they pulled into the small parking lot set off to one side. “He had to sell it after the company filed for bankruptcy.” When she stepped out of the car, she sighed.
“Holy shit. Could you imagine living in a place this huge? It’s a freaking museum.”
Wynne mirrored Kristy. “Hell no. That would be way too much work for me.”
Kristy giggled. “Silly, if you could afford to live in a palace like this, you could afford to hire a couple of maids.”
“Good point. Oh, and while we’re dreaming, I’d hire a hot pool boy, too. Oh, and a tennis instructor with a to-die-for body. And of course they’d both work without shirts on.”
“I adore your imagination. Dream on, sweetheart!” Kristy tugged on her elbow. “Shall we?”
“I guess.”
They clacked across the parking lot, up the stone front steps and, after showing the man positioned at the door their invitation, stepped into the marble-tiled foyer.
“This place is insane,” Wynne muttered, trying not to look like a kid wandering into Disney World for the first time. At least twenty feet above them, an enormous crystal chandelier hung, the light casting little twinkling stars all over walls reaching up to the soaring ceiling overhead. Directly in front of them stood a counter where guests would check in. Right now, there was an attractive young woman standing in front of it, handing out some kind of gift bags.
Kristy made a beeline for her and Wynne followed.
“Welcome to Il Roseto.” The girl handed each of them a bag. “Inside you’ll find some information about our club, as well as a special thank-you gift.”
“Thanks.” Wynne peered inside before stepping aside to move out of the way.
“Over here.” Kristy grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a corridor. They stopped outside a set of double doors, a mass of humans creating a wall in front of them.
Wynne took the opportunity to dig into the bag.
“Holy shit, it’s Dierk,” Kristy whispered.
Wynne’s heart stopped.