“Is that even a word?” Kyle asked.
“I didn’t know you spoke Russian,” Cassie said.
“Little fox,” Damon translated. “I know endearments in forty-seven languages.”
“You’re ready for anything,” Kyle said, obviously impressed.
“Or anyone,” Ty added.
Damon nodded. “Listen and learn, my friends. Listen and learn.”
“This is what he does on Friday nights,” Kyle said as if he’d solved a mystery. “There’s a little lisichka calling his tune.”
Damon didn’t admit to anything, his expression turning bland, and Ty wondered what secrets Damon was keeping. One thing was for sure, that partner wouldn’t share until he was ready to do so.
Which might never happen.
* * *
At quarter to one, Cassie put the final touches on Ty’s temporary tattoo. He could feel it, though he hadn’t looked at it yet. He was tapping his toe, restless. The tattoo had to be enormous. He’d felt her creating it on his shoulder and bicep, then trailing onto his pec and even his back.
She gestured him to the mirror. “What do you think of your new bad-ass self?”
The dragon tattoo looked dark and dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as the leather hood that Kyle had brought.
“I look like an executioner,” he said when he had tugged it on, sure it was too much.
“Who better to administer Pleasure and Pain 101?” Cassie replied. “It’s the danger that makes it exciting.”
“Danger in a safe environment,” Kyle added. “It’s a game. You can explore scary possibilities without any risk of getting hurt.”
“If people are stupid, they can always get hurt,” Ty felt compelled to note.
“Which is why we’re giving the classes,” Kyle and Cassie said in unison.
“I thought he was smart,” Kyle said to Cassie in an undertone.
“Me, too. Go figure,” she replied.
Damon clapped a hand on Ty’s shoulder. “I’m with you. It’s weird. But if women like it, we could have an interesting hour this afternoon.” He shrugged and pulled on his own hood.
“Now, we’re twin executioners,” Ty noted. His bad feeling doubled and then doubled again.
Cassie must have sensed his unease, because she patted him on the shoulder. “You should get into the part.” She smiled. “Give yourself a name. An alter-ego with a different backstory. It’ll help.”
“Like acting a role,” Damon reminded him.
“Exactly,” Cassie agreed. “Indulge your own naughty fantasies.”
“Please tell us you have at least one,” Kyle muttered.
“You can’t be Ivan the Terrible,” Damon noted in his fake Russian accent. “That’s taken.”
On Damon’s suggestion the day before, Ty had done some digging and created a role for himself.
“Matteo,” Ty said. “Ex-con from California.”
Cassie held up her hands. “Oh, we can’t know that at F5. You must have lied to us. We don’t hire people with criminal records.”
“You might have to fire me, then.” Ty held out his hands. “I need jail tats. Four dots in a square.”
“California gangs,” Kyle said, giving a low whistle.
“Now look at everybody’s big brother,” Cassie teased as she made fake tattoos on his knuckles. “Saving all of us naughty girls from ourselves.”
Ty glowered at her and she pretended to swoon.
“Green eyes glittering with sensual intent, and danger.” She fanned herself. “It’s hot, Ty. Really hot. Little Miss Double-Check won’t have eyes for anyone else.”
Ty could only hope.
* * *
Amy was so excited that she could hardly keep still.
She sat cross-legged on the mat at F5, waiting for the class to begin. She’d been early, of course. She was always early.
It was a simple room, with high ceilings and yoga mats scattered across the gleaming hardwood floor. It had no windows, just a pair of doors that opened to corridors leading to men’s and women’s change rooms. Like the others drifting into the room, Amy wore her yoga gear. Her feet were bare and her hair was swept up into a ponytail.
The attendees were a mixed bunch. She hadn’t been sure what to expect, but it hadn’t been this. There were a number of couples, of all ages and shapes, including a gay couple. They barely glanced around, each one’s attention fixed on his or her partner. They were probably as nervous as she was. Amy tried to guess who had instigated the registration for each couple. There seemed to always be one member of the team who was more self-conscious about their attendance.
There was, maybe predictably, one guy who looked shifty to Amy. It might just have been that he’d come to the session alone, but Amy didn’t like the look of him—even though she’d come alone. She kept her distance.
And there was a healthy contingent of single women. Most were around Amy’s age, but there was one woman with silver hair and a glint of mischief in her eye. She had a great laugh. The women were of all shapes and sizes, too, and she admired that most seemed to be confident in their own skins. It looked as if most of them had come in groups, with friends. She hadn’t been able to convince Jade to come, so Amy stayed near the single women, feeling that there was some safety in numbers.
At two minutes before the start of the class, an incredibly good-looking guy strode into the room. His hair was dark blond and a little bit too long, his smile was confident and he had the look of just having come from the beach.
Amy was sure she’d seen him in an ad for F5 before.
“Hey, welcome!” he said, waving to the entire group with such cheerfulness that many waved back. “I’m Kyle. I’m one of the partners here at F5, and I’ll be your instructor today.” He braced his hands on his hips and surveyed them with a smile. “Are you ready to get naughty?”
There was a cheer of assent.
“I can’t hear you,” Kyle charged, then cupped a hand to his ear. “Are you ready to get naughty?”
“Yes!” This time, the call was much louder.
He clapped his hands. “All right, then. On your feet. Let’s get that blood circulating.” He started to jog in place.
“This isn’t a step class,” someone complained near the front.
Kyle laughed. “No, it isn’t, but you’re going to find that your ability to participate in sexual games will be improved with good health and fitness. After the class, I invite you to stop and talk to one of our counselors or a nutritionist, get a massage, take care of your body inside and out, and make positive change in your life. It’s all part of what we do at F5.”
Wow, he was a walking advertisement for the club. On the other hand, he pitched it with such ease and charm that Amy couldn’t fault him for it. She was breathing a little bit more quickly than she thought she should be and realized that hiking back and forth to the subway wasn’t giving her nearly enough exercise.
“A few stretches,” Kyle encouraged. “Left hand down to that right toe. That’s the way. Hold it for a minute, but don’t bounce. Flexibility is also going to improve your enjoyment of these games, which are meant to enhance your pleasure. Right hand to the left toe and hold. Intimacy isn’t just about what goes where.” There was a little laughter in response to that comment. “It’s about understanding what gives your partner pleasure and how best to deliver it. And up, stretch those hands high overhead. Lots of us like a little play acting, maybe a little bondage, maybe a spanking once in a while. Left hand to the right toe again and hold. Exploration also builds intimacy. Try new things, like this class, and talk about it. Stretch for the sky and really reach for it! One more time, right hand to the left toe and hold it. No bouncing. Feel that stretch. This isn’t about being mean or hurting each other. It’s about experimentation and sensation. It’s about discovering what you like and sharing it with someone you like. Once more for the sky. Stretch tall, up on your toes, grab a few clouds and make them your own. Reach for it! Now, relax a
nd shake it off. Walk once around the room, please, just take it easy.”
There was a little murmur of conversation as the class attendees followed his instructions and more than a bit of anticipation in the air. When Amy returned to her place, she saw that a cart piled with silky ropes had been wheeled into the room while the group was walking. The ropes were coiled and loosely knotted. They were shiny and of various colors: black, blue, green, red, yellow.
Just the sight of them thrilled her.
Two men had evidently brought them in and were now standing on either side of Kyle. They wore black tights and leather hoods that hid their faces. They wore no shirts and both of them had large tribal tattoos on their upper arms. Amy’s mouth went dry. They were large and buff, a little bit tanned, and could have been made of muscle. The one on the right had a dragon tattoo that Amy liked a lot.
“Meet my assistants,” Kyle said, indicating his companions. He pointed to the guy on the left. “This is Ivan.” He pointed to the one with the dragon tattoo and Amy realized that guy was looking at her. A quiver slipped through her but he didn’t avert his gaze. “And this is Matteo. They’re going to help me out today, so you can all work out the kinks.”
The group groaned collectively at the pun, but Kyle just grinned.
“You’ll need to pair up for our first exercises. Those of you who came with your significant other can make the predictable choice or mix it up.” The couples laughed and did not mix it up. “Ladies, maybe you could find a wicked sister. Each couple needs to come up here and claim a hank of rope and a length of cloth.” There was laughter as people chose a partner and some milling as they headed for the front of the room. Ivan and Matteo were distributing rope and cloth.
Amy turned to the woman on her right, but she was already speaking to the woman on her right. The woman on Amy’s left was laughing with the woman on her left. The single guy who gave her the creeps was heading straight toward Amy, and the women had all paired up.
“Perhaps you will help me to demonstrate,” a man said in a deep voice close beside Amy. His accent was Spanish and sounded wonderful. Gravelly, just the way she liked. Amy turned to find Matteo beside her, his eyes gleaming through the holes in his mask as he studied her.
Her heart skipped. What harm could come to her in front of all these people?
Less if she was with Matteo than with the predator, for sure.
“Oh, okay,” she said and smiled, certain her voice was a little higher than usual. She could see his mouth below the bottom of the mask and he smiled quickly, then put a hand on the back of her neck and guided her toward the front of the class. His skin was warm and the weight of his hand made Amy realize how much smaller she was than him. She felt claimed and that made her warmer than the exercises.
It was a delicious sensation.
The creepy guy, Amy noticed, was snagged by Ivan to be his assistant. The women in the class couldn’t fully hide their amusement of that.
“The first thing to remember is that you’re allowed to enjoy this,” Kyle said. “People who don’t enjoy it are always quick to speak up, and that’s a good thing. But people who really do enjoy bondage are often afraid to admit as much. With your partner, in the safety of this room, you can admit that.” His smile flashed. “We won’t think any less of you.” There was a little ripple of appreciation in the group. “Not every part of these games and rituals will work for everyone, but I’m hoping you’ll take away something new. The important thing is to communicate with your partner.”
He held up a finger. “Anyone know what a safe word is?” There was some murmuring. “It’s a signal that you want to stop. You can use it any time, and part of what’s key to making these games mutually pleasing is that the safe word has to be absolute. When it’s uttered, the game stops. Right then. No hesitation or delay. Bonds must be loosened, gags and blindfolds removed, any discipline stopped. Using the safe word means it’s all over and either of you can say it anytime. Got it?” Everyone nodded. “We’re going to use ‘Red Light’ as a safe word today.”
“Even though it’s two words,” Ivan muttered and Amy bit back a smile.
“It’s simple to remember, but you might want to choose your own safe word for games with your partner. All together now. Red Light.”
Amy added her voice to the chorus, liking the sound of Matteo doing the same. Kyle really was good at putting people at ease.
“First game,” Kyle said, waving one of the lengths of black cloth. “Do you like to be blindfolded? Maybe you know and maybe you don’t. Let’s find out.” He demonstrated, flicking the cloth over Ivan’s head, then knotting it behind. “Your knots should always be readily undone, in case you have to free your partner in a hurry. I’m using a slipknot for that reason. If you don’t know how to tie one, come and watch one of us do it. If you or your partner like blindfolds, you might want to invest in hoods or blindfolds with Velcro fastening. We have some hoods you can try, if that’s your inclination.”
“Would you like to try?” Matteo murmured to Amy, and she thought she could have listened to him forever. She nodded, her throat tight, and removed her glasses. He set them on the table, then flicked the cloth around her head. Unlike Kyle, he wrapped it around three times, then gave the ends a tug before securing it. He could have read one of her books. She was sure a dom had done it that way in one of her recent reads, and like the heroine in that story, Amy melted.
“Too tight?” Matteo murmured against her ear and Amy wanted to purr.
Instead, she shook her head. The cloth was some kind of stretchy velvet and it really did block out all of the light. She liked how it felt wrapped around her head, and how it seemed that her hearing was keener. She felt tingly and excited.
“I like it,” she whispered, then licked her lips.
“See if your partner feels safe,” Kyle encouraged. “See if you want to trust your partner when you’re blindfolded.”
Matteo’s hands landed on her shoulders and he spun her in place a little. Amy felt reliant upon him and thought it was incredibly sexy to be both at his mercy and feel safe. She could smell his skin and feel the heat of his body, and it seemed that his fingertips caressed her a little as he moved her around. Tender and tough. He caught her shoulders in his hands when her back was to him and bent to whisper, his breath making her shiver in delight. “Red light?” he murmured.
“Green light,” Amy said. “I’d like to try one of the hoods, if I can.”
“Velvet or leather. You must choose.”
“I want to try them both.” The end of the cloth was tugged and she spun out of the blindfold, laughing at how much she was enjoying herself. There was a glint of humor in Matteo’s eyes. Once again, he put his hand on the back of her neck, urging her toward the table to make a selection. There was a black velvet hood with lacing that would run down the back of the head when it was on. It would encase someone’s head, with just the nostrils and mouth remaining exposed. The sight of it made her quiver.
Amy pointed to it, not trusting herself to speak.
“The elastic can be tightened and loosened,” Matteo confided, and she watched him display the hood to her. He had beautiful hands, even with the crude little tattoos on his knuckles. At her nod, he slid the hood over her head. There was even a space at the top of the lacing for her ponytail to be fed through. When he framed her face in those strong hands and smoothed the velvet over her head, Amy thought she might come on the spot. She felt fragile and possessed, and was throbbing with an acute desire. Sound was muffled and her awareness of Matteo sharpened even more.
“I can see your pleasure,” he murmured, and it sounded as if his lips were almost against her ear. His thumb slid over her mouth, roughly but gentle, too. Amy wanted to moan. “The darkness softens you,” he whispered for her ears alone. “Like an angel opening her wings to the moonlight.”
A lump rose in Amy’s throat.
Oh.
She might get addicted to this class.
Or m
aybe to Matteo.
* * *
Where did that come from?
Ty didn’t say shit like that. The words just fell out of his mouth, making him remember the poetry from that long-ago English Lit class. For a moment, he thought he’d pushed it too far, but Amy glowed.
She loved the compliment. And that made him glad he’d said it.
Ty couldn’t believe the change in her. When Amy was blindfolded, she relaxed, and when she was hooded, the effect was even greater. He couldn’t think of a better way to describe it than to say she softened. It was as if her defenses dissolved. She was pliant—and compliant—her lips fuller and softer, her movements more fluid. She seemed to be more at ease with her femininity, more sensual. He’d thought she was sexy before, but like this, she drove him crazy. Even the way she stood invited his attention.
And his touch.
He had a hard time pretending he was less interested in her than he was. He couldn’t keep himself from running his thumb over her mouth and the softness of her lips sent heat stabbing through him. She shivered beneath his touch, which was really exciting. He wanted to kiss her, slowly, savor her and tempt her to respond. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to stop there, and would need to seduce her, just as slowly, maybe spend a whole day and night at it.
Those lips enticed him. If she’d been wearing lipstick and they’d been redder than they were now, maybe glossy, he might have lost it completely. As it was, he couldn’t stay away from her. He wanted to touch her all over.
She smiled when he brushed his fingers over her shoulder again.
“You think this is funny, Angel?” he murmured in his best Spanish accent.
“I think maybe you like me as much as I like you,” she replied.
Ty blinked in surprise. So the blindfold made Amy bolder, too, maybe a little more mischievous. He wondered how he could convince her to try one on when she knew she was with him.
Next time, he wanted to take her glasses off himself.
He caught Kyle watching him and growled a little. “Back to our lessons,” he said to her. “You are not the only angel on this day.” He removed the hood and she smiled up at him, her hair tousled and her eyes luminous, a sight that made him want to make their deal into something more than it was.
Simply Irresistible Page 10