“You’re welcome,” he said with a laugh. He was definitely ready to continue this party of two. “How about we thank our hosts and go back to my place? I’m staying at a bed-and-breakfast not far from here.”
For a moment she looked like she was going to agree, but then she said, “That’s a tempting offer, but I think I need to call it a night. I haven’t stopped to take a breath since five this morning, Boston time.”
Evan swallowed his disappointment. He still had a few weeks in town, and if he had his way, he’d be seeing more of this lovely submissive. A lot more.
“No worries,” he said casually, getting to his feet. He retrieved his shirt from the floor and put it back on. “How about let’s thank our hosts, and I’ll walk you to your car?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
It took another several minutes to make their thanks and goodbyes, and then Evan and Ruby were outside. The night air was cool, and Ruby wrapped her arms around her torso. “Brrr,” she said.
“Let me warm you up.” Evan took her into his arms and dipped his head, touching his mouth to hers. Her lips parted, her hands coming up around his neck. Her tongue was warm and insistent in his mouth as she pressed her small body against his. He could feel the points of her erect nipples against his chest as he gathered her close. Everything about her felt right in his arms, and he wanted to kiss her forever.
When she finally pulled away, it was only with the greatest reluctance that he let her go. He reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet. Pulling a card from it, he handed it to her. “I’m in town for a couple of weeks. Let’s stay in touch, okay?”
She took the card and smiled up at him. “Will you be at BDSM Connections tomorrow? I’m meeting Rylee in the morning to help her set up Taggart’s booth. Maybe I’ll see you there?”
Evan had planned to do some internet networking for Bob’s site back at the B&B the next morning and not go in until the afternoon. But he instantly replied, “You bet. See you in the morning.”
Chapter 3
“Hey there, Evan,” Bob Benson called out from the front of the warehouse as Evan entered via the back entrance. “You read my mind. I was just about to text you to see if you could come in.” Bob stood just outside the doublewide mesh booth that would house the items they’d ordered for retail sale for the grand opening weekend. He was surrounded by a stack of boxes, a box cutter in his hand.
Evan had parked in the side lot, passing a UPS delivery truck on its way out. He’d seen a pickup truck alongside Bob’s Lexus, but he hadn’t seen Ruby’s car. He glanced around the warehouse as he approached Bob, but no one else appeared to be there.
Evan was pleased with how the space was coming together. The ten thousand square foot warehouse had high ceilings, the ductwork and beams exposed. Banks of windows on either side of the space let in the light, but were high enough no one passing by could see in. The concrete floor had been covered with laminate flooring that mimicked hardwood. Vendor booths were set up on either side of the front entrance.
They had already cordoned off a large section near the back of the warehouse for the dungeon. They were expecting delivery shortly of some St. Andrew’s crosses, bondage tables and spanking benches for use in the main area for public play, and they planned to set up portable, enclosed booths along the perimeters of the dungeon for private play. BDSM groups would be able to rent the entire space for their private events, and individuals could rent single scene stations and privacy booths.
When he reached Bob, Evan said, “It’s Sunday. I thought we weren’t getting this stuff until tomorrow.”
“We weren’t,” Bob agreed. “Lucky I was here when the delivery guy showed up. Apparently they work seven days a week now, just like us,” he added with a rueful grin.
“Say, have you seen Rylee and Ruby?” Evan asked, looking around again as if they might suddenly appear. “I thought they were going to be here this morning setting up Taggart’s booth.”
“You just missed them. They went out to grab some breakfast about ten minutes ago. They went in one car, though, so they should be back. Anyway, I had this great idea that involves you, if you’re up for it.”
“I’m listening.”
“When we’re reselling the gear at the grand opening, I was thinking it’d be fun to add a twist.”
“And that would be…?” Evan willed himself to stay patient. Bob often took a while to get to the point.
“Well,” Bob said eagerly. “What if we do live demos for the grand opening? We can have a floor model set up of the more elaborate equipment. Letting folks try them out on the spot will add some pizazz to opening day, and should be a definite boost to sales.”
“It’s a great idea if it’s handled right,” Evan agreed. “But as I recall, these are all extreme restraint devices. You could be opening yourself up to liability if someone got hurt testing out the gear.”
“We’re on the same wavelength, buddy,” Bob said. “That’s where you come in. I want you to put together floor models of the equipment that needs assembly and then round up a volunteer, today if possible, to try them out yourself. That way, you can oversee folks if they want to use the equipment before buying. You can make sure they’re not doing something dangerous.”
Just to be sure he understood, Evan said, “So, you want me not only to build the floor models, but try them out in advance with a partner?” A certain petite, dark-eyed girl leaped instantly to mind.
“Yeah. I’d do it myself, but something’s come up today. I know a great lady who will be happy to volunteer,” Bob said. “She’s a little older than you, but she’s always ready, willing and able, if you catch my drift.”
“Thanks,” Evan said, keeping his expression neutral. “I have someone else in mind, but if that doesn’t pan out, I’ll shoot you a text.”
“No problemo, stud man.” Bob handed the box cutters to Evan. “I better skedaddle if I’m going to make it up to Seattle and back.”
“Seattle?”
“Yeah,” Bob said, rubbing his hands together. “It’s a terrific opportunity that could save me a bundle. A guy I know up there is closing down his BDSM club and wants to get rid of some of his bigger pieces of equipment. If it’s up to par, I could cancel some of the new order we’re expecting later this week. If this pans out, I’ll rent a U-Haul and be back this evening.”
“That’s terrific,” Evan said. “Let me know when you’re back and I’ll help you unload the stuff.”
“Thanks, buddy. You’re the best.”
~*~
“No kidding. A purple belt in Jiu Jitsu? That’s awesome,” Ruby enthused. She nodded as the waiter appeared, a pot of coffee in his hand. He topped off her cup and melted away.
Rylee shrugged, a bashful smile on her face. “I’ve been training for years. It’s a great workout. My trainer, Marco, is the best. He’s into the scene, too, he and his husband, Jordan.”
“That’s cool. How did you meet Taggart?”
Rylee’s face softened, her eyes shining. “Jordan is a documentary film maker. He let me come along on a shoot for the BDSM Connections website featuring the Leather Master—that’s how Taggart’s known in the scene. It was love at first sight, at least on my side.” She grinned, adding, “We had a few bumps in the road at first, but I’ve never been happier in my life. Taggart is my dream Master.”
“You girls and your Masters,” Ruby said with a laugh.
“Not for you, huh? I guess you’re more the Mistress type, am I right?”
For a moment, Ruby was confused. Then she remembered the scene Rylee had witnessed the night before. “Oh, you mean because of me whipping Evan?”
“You seemed to get a kick out of it.”
Ruby shrugged. “It was mainly to give Evan a hard time.” She leaned forward. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t expect him to agree to it.”
“He was into it, though,” Rylee said. “I didn’t have him pegged for a sub at all. When he did the flogging demo with you at
the warehouse, I could feel his mastery from across the room.”
“Oh, he’s a Master, all right, and then some,” Ruby said fervently, delicious memories of the night before moving through her mind. “In retrospect, I think he was humoring me by letting me use that single tail. Either that, or he was just showing off,” she added with a grin.
“He could do that just by getting naked,” Rylee said with a laugh. “That guy has a killer bod.”
“That he does,” Ruby agreed. “After you guys left, we shared an incredibly intense scene. He sent me flying with just a spanking. It was, pardon my French, fucking amazing.”
“That’s one thing I love about the BDSM scene. You can skip all the dating foreplay and dancing around and cut right to the chase.”
“Agreed. There’s something about the shared hardwiring that allows you to get right down to business, if the connection is right. Too bad he didn’t follow through.”
“How so?” Rylee asked.
“He said he’d be at the warehouse this morning.” Ruby frowned. “Maybe the connection wasn’t as intense for him as it was for me.”
“Or maybe we just missed him,” Rylee said, lifting her hand to signal to the waiter. “Let’s head back and see.”
When Ruby pulled into the warehouse parking lot, her heart skipped several beats. Bob’s car was gone, but there was a second car now in the lot.
“Yay, that’s his car, I’m pretty sure,” Rylee said. “Ye of little faith.”
“Sweet,” Ruby said. “Now that I think about it, we didn’t really settle on a time.” She smiled at her new friend. “You coming in?”
“No,” Rylee said, her keys already in hand. “I have to get back to work. I have a deadline for a client.” She glanced again at Evan’s car. “Have fun, lucky girl.”
“Jealous?” Ruby teased.
Rylee flashed a grin. “Maybe just a little.” Then she shook her head. “Not really, though. I have the Master of my dreams at home. He gives me everything I need and then some.”
Taggart was a pretty cool guy, Ruby had to admit. She experienced a sudden, unexpected twinge of longing. What would it be like to settle down with just one guy? Especially a wonderful, steady, sexy guy like Taggart Fitzgerald? Or, for that matter, Evan Stewart?
She shook away the crazy idea. Evan was a wanderer like her. This infatuation would no doubt run its course by the time they both said their goodbyes, and that was fine with Ruby. Still, she couldn’t deny the rush of pleasure at the thought of seeing him again.
She and Rylee exchanged a quick hug. “Thanks for breakfast. Catch ya later.”
Ruby entered the warehouse through the front door. There he was by the vendor booths, looking as gorgeous as he had the night before. “Hey there,” he said, getting to his feet. He’d been in the process of assembling some kind of equipment. His smiled zipped directly to her nipples. “Thought I’d missed you.”
She came toward him. “Glad you finally decided to show up,” she said in a teasing voice.
“Nice of you to come back,” Evan retorted with a grin. Then he stepped forward, opening his arms, and she moved into them. She was expecting a cursory peck on the cheek, but he enfolded her in a strong embrace, his lips instantly seeking hers.
Ruby melted into their kiss, her body going limp as his tongue entered her mouth and his hands roamed over her back and ass. Heat whooshed through her core, like a furnace igniting inside her. Her entire body tingled with desire.
When he finally let her go, her brain, which had temporarily short-circuited, took a moment to get back online. She blew out a breath as she tried to regain her composure.
“What’ve you got there?” She waved her hand toward a restraining device made up of a vertical metal pole about an inch around and maybe eight feet high, attached to a base plate, wrist cuffs dangling near the top, a leather collar secured midway down, and a horizontal spreader bar attached just above the base.
“New toys. We got these wholesale and we’re going to sell them at the grand opening next weekend.” Evan put his hand on the piece he had just assembled. “This beauty is called the Total Lockdown System. It’s pretty cool, actually, because it can be modified into several configurations so you can put your partner right where you want them. It comes with a lot of extra toys, like a breast crusher, an anal impaler and a dildo holder. “
“Yikes,” Ruby said with a laugh, hugging herself. “Sounds awesome.” She moved closer, looking at the add-on toys still in bubble wrap on the table. “Kind of complicated though—all those extras and attachments.”
“Exactly,” Evan agreed. “That’s why I’m putting all this stuff together in advance. Bob asked me to build a floor model of each one. He’s going to let folks try out the toys on the spot.”
He moved closer to her, his husky voice suddenly softer. “That’s where you come in, Ruby.”
He placed his hand around her throat, the gesture so unexpected that Ruby drew in a sharp, startled breath as she stared up at the handsome man. Her nipples hardened instantly, her pussy moistening. Her hands moved instinctively toward the hand on her throat, though she made no real effort to pull it away.
On the contrary, something inside her opened and softened with longing at his dominant touch, and her hands fell away. She adored breath play and erotic choking, and would have melted to the floor if he hadn’t kept such a tight, delicious hold on her throat.
“Me?” she managed to gasp.
“You,” he agreed, staring down at her with those penetrating, gray-green eyes that stripped her soul bare. “I need to test all these toys before we put them up for sale. You’re going to be my volunteer. You’re going to get naked and let me use every one of these devious devices on you.”
If his hand hadn’t been at her throat, she was sure she could have come up with some kind of snappy, witty response to his audacious assumption that she’d go along with the idea, without even asking her permission or discussing her boundaries and limits.
As it was, all she managed was, “Oh, you think so, huh?”
He tightened his grip, and she couldn’t stifle a moan of pure, raw lust. “Yes, Ruby. I do.”
He let her go. She stumbled back, grateful as he reached out to steady her. “Where were you thinking of conducting these practice sessions?” Her voice came out hoarse and she cleared her throat. “It’s not exactly private here.”
He lifted his eyebrows, his lips quirking into a sexy smile. “You didn’t seem too concerned about privacy yesterday. Why so modest all of a sudden?”
She looked around the large, empty warehouse. “What if some random delivery guy or repairman wanders in?”
“Delivery guy’s already been here, and no one else is scheduled to come in, as far as I know. But you’re right. Privacy would be a good thing.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “I’ll just lock up to be sure. Does that suit you?”
“You’re pretty presumptuous, especially for a guy who let me whip his ass.” She had tried for sassy, but she was too breathless to pull it off. The thought of submitting to this man again made her all wobbly inside. Unlike the two other times they’d scened, this time they would be all alone as she willingly allowed herself to be restrained and completely at his mercy.
She usually took a little longer to know someone before leaping into an intense scene without anyone else around. But her gut told her she could trust Evan. It wasn’t just that he was clearly a skilled Dom who intimately knew his way around a BDSM dungeon. Something in him spoke directly to her core, bypassing language or time. She touched her throat again, recalling his powerful touch, and her own melting reaction.
Evan grinned. “I guess I am.” He moved closer, the grin fading to a hint of a smile. Lifting his hand, he stroked her cheek with two fingers, his beautiful eyes locked on hers. “All kidding aside, I felt something with you last night, Ruby. You’re an incredibly responsive submissive, and I would be honored if you’d agree to be my partner in testing t
hese devices.”
This simple, heartfelt declaration pushed her closer to a yes. She was about to agree, when Evan added, “Check out the packing list of toys. It’s on the table in the booth. I’ll just go lock up while you look it over.”
As he walked away, Ruby stepped into the booth and picked up the piece of thin, yellow carbon paper.
Anal Impaler - 10
Female Bondage Ball - 10
Rack Compactor - 10
Prison Stockade with optional fucking rod - 10
Pussy Spreader - 10
Total Lockdown System - 10
Zeus Electrosex Deep Intruder - 10
Zeus Electrosex Penis Band - 10
Ruby’s imagination kicked into immediate overdrive. No question about it, she’d love to try out some of this stuff. Looking at the last item on the list, she grinned to herself.
Evan returned a moment later, two bottles of water and a small stack of towels in his hand. “So, did you make up your mind?”
“I’ll do it on one condition.”
“Which is…?”
“I get to try out the electrosex penis band on you.”
His face registered a rapid play of emotions, moving from no way to what the hell in a matter of seconds. Then he shrugged and flashed a grin. “Lady, you’ve got yourself a deal.”
They spent the next hour or so opening one box from each item on the packing list and getting them set up. Ruby came across a padded envelope that contained several tubes of lubricant in various flavors, including wild cherry, luscious watermelon and, naturally, passion fruit.
She kept touching her throat as she worked, Evan’s hand having left a phantom tingle of desire there. She was excited at the prospect of an extended scene with him and intrigued with the BDSM toys, some of which were new to her.
“Hmm,” Evan said when they were finished assembling the equipment. “We’re going to need some impact toys to properly check this stuff out.”
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