“Oh, it’s been a while.”
Dayton glanced at the door. “And you’re sure he’s not mad that I showed up?”
“Nope. He knows about you.”
Dayton jerked his gaze back to her, confused.
“I mean he saw us last night. I didn’t even know he was a member of Zodiac. Hell, neither of us knew the other was in the lifestyle. We just moved to Miami and started working together this past week. It took him a while this morning to confess he’d seen me last night.” She almost chuckled. “It was eating him up all morning, and he didn’t know how to confront me.”
“Yikes. I can imagine. How did you end up both here tonight?”
She shrugged. “I convinced him it was a free country, basically. When he found me sitting at the bar, he asked me to scene. That’s about it.”
That’s about it? Dayton didn’t find the situation nearly as blasé as she seemed to indicate. If he ran into one of his coworkers at a club, there was no way in hell he would ask them to play. He shuddered. Granted, most of his employees were men, but the few women who worked for him… Yeah, just no. Hell, no. He would leave if he caught sight of any of them.
Of course, it might be different if he ran into someone who was his equal. He didn’t have equals at work. He owned the business. Everyone else was an employee.
Dayton decided to take the bull by the horns here. If there was any chance this Rex guy intended to see more of Erica than he already had, Dayton didn’t want to miss his opportunity. The worst thing that could happen would be for Erica to turn him down. “I had a really nice time last night.” He’d already said that. Hopefully it didn’t sound sappy.
She smiled warmly and reached out to set her hand on top of his. Good sign. “I did too. Like I said, I was hoping you would be here.”
He set his other hand on top of hers. Warm. Smooth. Intimate. “I let you walk away last night because you were still under the influence of the scene. It didn’t seem right to ask you for more. But I haven’t gotten you out of my mind all day.”
Her smile broadened. Fuck yes.
“I was wondering if you might like to exchange information, maybe go out sometime. A regular date. Dinner. Movie. That sort of thing.” Jesus, this was hard. He hadn’t asked a woman out for a while, but good grief, it shouldn’t be this difficult.
It had been forever since he actually cared if a woman turned him down. Something about this particular woman made him hot and bothered, sweating over her answer.
“I’d like that,” she responded softly.
He licked his lips. Blessed angels. “How about tomorrow? It’s Sunday. Are you free for dinner?” Did he sound too anxious? He didn’t care. She had just done a scene with another man, and seemed pleased with the results. He didn’t even want to know the details. Jealousy was making the skin on the back of his neck tingle. He hadn’t meant to be quite this forward or this desperate, but for some reason, he couldn’t stop.
It might have been more appropriate to ask her to do another scene with him, but he didn’t think that was a good idea tonight after she’d already played. He also could have simply let her know he was interested and/or made it clear what nights he would be there in the future.
Club Zodiac was a place where people fulfilled their kinks. Fetish styles came in all forms. There was no way to know what someone might be like outside of the club. It was always a gamble, but this woman was cute and hot and sweet. He wanted more information.
“We could do that.” She seemed to hesitate.
“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You shouldn’t agree just because I asked. We hardly know each other. If you’d rather keep it in the club for now, we can do that.” He felt like he’d pushed her too far.
She licked her lips and took a deep breath. “It’s not that. It’s just that you should know I’m not the same person outside of the club. I’m…not as confident.” She sat up straighter and looked him in the eye. “I’m totally a nerd. I don’t fit in. I talk too much. Fidget. Struggle to make eye contact.”
He flinched, tipping his head to the side. “That is kind of hard to imagine.”
She inhaled deeply again. “Well, it’s true. You’ve been forewarned.”
He chuckled. “A nerd, huh? Are you, like, a scientist or something?” He glanced at the door, remembering the man who was her coworker. That guy had looked slightly nerdy himself, now that she mentioned it. And they worked together.
“Or something…” She smiled but her skin flushed again.
“Interesting.” He grinned in return. “You don’t want to tell me what you do?”
She shrugged. “Not yet. Not if you don’t mind. I’d rather pretend I’m a regular woman on a regular date without the added baggage. Just for one night.”
He narrowed his gaze. “Now you have me curious. You must be a rocket scientist.”
“Nope. I promise I’m not a rocket scientist or even a scientist at all.”
“Undercover government agent?”
She giggled, the sound making his cock twitch. God, he loved her voice. “Nope.”
He relaxed his shoulders dramatically, pretending that was such a relief. It wasn’t. Not really. He was totally intrigued. “Okay. I won’t ask any more questions, but only if you tell me what you do at the end of the date.”
“Deal. I’ll tell you what I do if you promise not to feel obligated to add dessert if you’re not feeling it. I’m not joking when I say I’m nervous and far less confident outside of these walls.”
His curiosity wouldn’t abate. “And the guy you scened with? He’s also a rocket scientist/government agent/not either of those?” he teased.
She rolled her eyes, fighting a smile. “Yes. He’s as nerdy as me.”
If Erica thought she was pushing him away, she was dead wrong. If anything, he was more interested in her than he had been. He couldn’t wait to take her out and see what she was like when she wasn’t submitting.
Not that she’d been submitting to him since he sat down, but she was right about one thing. People had a persona they carried around from the moment they entered a fetish club. It was entirely possible she did feel more confident and outgoing when she stepped inside these walls. He understood that completely. But nerdy? That was hard to imagine.
Chapter 12
Erica had wrung her hands and paced her small apartment for hours Sunday afternoon. Nerves ate her alive. She hadn’t been on a real date in a long time. Okay, not really ever. Not since high school. She wasn’t the dating sort of person. It didn’t suit her.
She had no idea why she’d agreed to this. It was a bad idea. She didn’t date for a reason. She was too awkward for vanilla dating. Her club persona was a different human, one with confidence and poise. She was going to make a fool out of herself tonight.
When Dayton had asked her out, she’d responded without thinking it through. She’d tried to backpedal a bit by warning him she was a nerd, but he hadn’t believed her. And now she was about to make a complete fool of herself.
She’d continued on her path of destruction by exchanging numbers with Dayton and giving him her address. He’d stood and left her there when Rex returned to the room before she had a chance to gather her brain cells and undo this damage.
Erica figured the reason she’d consented was because he’d asked her out while she was inside Zodiac. Inside the walls where she was her more authentic self. It gave her power and made her feel invincible. But she was a fool to think she could take it outside.
Lord. The man was older than her. Sophisticated in a way she never would be even if she were his age. But, Jesus, he was so damn sexy. No man that looked like him had ever glanced twice at her. Tall, broad, tanned skin, sun-bleached hair, grey eyes. He could be the cover model for a magazine. And she’d agreed to go out with him. She needed her head examined.
After he’d left, she’d been tongue-tied, which made Rex stare at her quizzically when he resumed his spot at her side. He’d eventually convinced he
r to tell him what had happened, and then he’d pulled back, putting space between them and closing off a bit.
If she wasn’t mistaken, she’d hurt his feelings. That was absurd, of course. All the two of them had done was scene together once. They were coworkers. Surely he wasn’t interested in her.
Wait… All she and Dayton had done was scene together also, and yet he was about to pick her up for a date. A date. She shuddered.
Rex at least knew the real her. The vanilla version. The stammering, nervous, inarticulate woman he worked with. No way would he ask her out. He knew better than anyone she wasn’t dating material.
After Rex had left Zodiac, Erica had found the good sense to hunt down Sasha and Lincoln, who both verified Dayton was an upstanding citizen they’d known for many years both in and out of the club. Sasha even gave Erica her phone number and told her to text or call anytime she needed. By the time Erica left the club, she at least felt confident she hadn’t made plans with an ax murderer.
A knock sounded at the door, and she spun around to face it as if it were an alien noise. Not a damn thing she could do now. She’d committed. Time to face the music. It wasn’t like she hadn’t warned him. She’d tried.
She was shaking as she padded toward the door and then opened it. She couldn’t bring herself to quite meet Dayton’s gaze, but she took in his appearance and grew even more nervous. She shouldn’t have been shocked. After all, he didn’t look any different than he had Friday or Saturday night. Except he also did. He seemed larger. He was about six feet, but he filled the doorframe with his broad shoulders and muscular biceps. He was wearing well-worn jeans that fit him perfectly and a white, button-down, short-sleeved shirt that had been ironed or come from the dry cleaner. Loafers rounded out the outfit, making him casual but also dressy. Perfect date outfit.
Erica fisted her hands at her sides and then forced herself to unclasp them only to twist them together in front of her. She realized she hadn’t spoken yet, but she took a step back to let him in.
Dayton stepped inside, shut the door behind himself, and then set two fingers below her chin, gently lifting her face. He was smiling warmly. “You look gorgeous.” He slid his hand to her hair and ran his fingers through it.
She swallowed. Gorgeous wasn’t really in her repertoire. Maybe she could pull it off in the club when she had on fetish wear, but for regular dating, she didn’t have as much to choose from.
When she worked, she wore flats, slacks, and blouses. Professional. Proper. She liked to blend in, not stand out.
He lifted a brow. “You okay?”
She realized she hadn’t spoken yet, which was partly by design. The longer she went without speaking, the longer he wouldn’t find out how awkward she was. But she might as well get it out of the way. “I wasn’t sure what to wear. My bedroom is littered with everything I tried on before settling on this. I wasn’t sure if it would be too much or what you might be wearing or where we’re going or if I might be chilly or hot or whatever.” She waved a hand through the air, completely aware she was rambling. As usual.
Dayton’s smile widened. “Relax. Take a breath.” He smoothed his hand around to cup her cheek.
She inhaled deeply. “Yeah, see, I don’t do relaxed, and I’m barely able to breathe like a normal person. I warned you.”
He nodded. “You did, but I don’t want you to be nervous. We’re just going to dinner. That’s all.”
She lowered her gaze. He had no idea how much easier it would be to scene with him than dine with him.
Dayton stepped closer, smoothed his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her against his chest. “We could order in if it would make you more comfortable.”
She shook her head against his chest and tipped her chin back. “No. Let’s go out.” She wanted him to see the real her in all her dorky glory. If not, he would just ask her out again and still not have all the information, and she found she really liked him, so if she let herself spend time with him alone in her apartment, she just might get too comfortable and not show her true colors.
He lifted his other hand to grip the side of her face. “Have you ever submitted to anyone outside of a club?”
“No.” She shook her head.
He furrowed his brow, thinking, lips pursed. Finally, he spoke again. “How about if you try submitting to me. Nothing heavy. Just subtly. It might calm you if you let me make the decisions.”
She’d never thought of something like that. How could she have? It wasn’t like anyone from the fetish community ever asked her out on a date before. She’d never submitted to a single person outside of a club atmosphere. She’d never had the occasion to do so. “I’ve never tried that…Sir.” Hmm. It felt a bit awkward.
He shook his head. “Don’t call me Sir in public. You can do it in the apartment, but not after we step outside. Just give me the reins. It’s a state of mind. Something halfway between what you would do in the club and your outside personality.”
She could try that. It might work. “Okay.”
“Good. Now, let me help you out. This dress is perfect. I love it. Go take off your panties and then we’ll leave.”
She sucked in a breath. “Sir?”
He nodded. “You heard me. It will help you focus on submitting to me if your pussy is exposed.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, thinking about his suggestion. No. It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command.
Dayton reached for her lip and tugged it from between her teeth. “Don’t think about it. Just do it. Do it right here. Slide them off. Give them to me.”
Shit. If she hesitated any longer, she’d end up without a bra, and that was way out of her comfort zone. She took a step back, eased her fingers under the sides of her skirt, and tugged her panties discreetly down her legs. When she stood once more, after stepping out of the lace, she met his gaze.
He held out a hand and waited patiently for her to hand him her panties.
Why on earth did the act seem so much naughtier here than inside Zodiac? She lifted her shaky fingers and set the white lace and satin in his palm.
“Good girl. See. That wasn’t hard, was it?”
“Yeah. It kinda was.” She glanced down at herself. No one would know. Lots of women went without panties under their dresses just so no one could see the lines. This particular dress was a simple, white, cotton. It had short sleeves, a rounded neck, and it hung loosely around her thighs, reaching just above her knees.
Erica rarely wore dresses. Not outside of BDSM at least. The only reason she owned this one was because she’d needed something to wear under her graduation gown, and since the only sandals she owned were white, she’d bought this dress online. It fit, didn’t accentuate her breasts too much, and wouldn’t draw attention.
“You have everything you need?”
“I think so,” she murmured, glancing around as if something might come to her. She could do this. It was a challenge. She was great with challenges—when they involved numbers and coding.
Dayton took her hand and gave a gentle tug. “Let’s go.”
She grabbed her small white purse and her keys from the table next to the door. Her hands trembled as she followed him into the hallway.
Dayton took the keys from her fingers, locked her door, and then slid them into her purse. His hand came to her neck again. “Take another breath.”
She drew in air, glad he’d reminded her to breathe.
As they headed down the hallway, he made small talk. “I’ve always wondered what these furnished corporate apartments were like. Your place seems nice.”
“Yeah. It’s small, but it’s got everything I need for a temporary assignment.”
“Ah, so this job here isn’t permanent. How long do you think you’ll be here?”
“I’m not sure. Depends on…” She lifted her gaze. “Hey, you can’t ask questions about my job. That would give it away,” she teased, feeling shockingly more at ease by the second.
He snapped the fingers of
his free hand. “I almost got away with it.”
“Nice try.”
“Does your coworker live here? The nerdy guy?”
She tipped her head back to see his eyes were dancing. “Ha ha. Rex. And yes, he lives here too. In the next building. Don’t act like you don’t know his name.”
He chuckled as they got into the elevator. “I knew his name. I just wanted to get a rise out of you. I’m not the one who said he was nerdy. You were.”
“Well, he is nerdy. Just like me. And you’re even because he has a nickname for you too. So there.”
Dayton gave her hand a jerk, pulling her so that she fell into his side. “What does he call me?”
“The old guy.” She grinned.
Dayton laughed. “I deserve that. Is he jealous of me?”
“Should he be?”
“Yes.”
“Probably. I’m not sure. He left pretty quickly after you did last night.” She shivered.
“Does it make you uncomfortable?”
“Having two guys interested in me? Yes. I’ve never even had one guy interested in me. Not in recent years anyway. Not outside of the club scene.”
He furrowed his brow. “Come on. That can’t be true.”
She cocked her head to one side, her body stiffening. “Did you not hear a word I told you? I’m socially awkward, Dayton. You’re about to find out. People don’t ask me out.”
“I think you’re exaggerating. Besides, I don’t care. I told you, you don’t have to feel awkward because I’m going to make all the decisions, which is meant to calm you.”
“And what sort of decisions are you planning to make? We should negotiate this,” she pointed out, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy. Even though she’d spoken to Lincoln and Sasha about Dayton, she didn’t really know him. Not well enough to let him have too much of her power.
He gave her hand a squeeze. “Dinner, sweet girl. We’re going to a local restaurant and then back to your place. Nothing else. Just let me guide you. It’s an experiment, meant to ease your nerves.”
“Okay.” She could do this. He didn’t mean to imply he was going to flog her under the table. At least she didn’t think so.
Taming Rex Page 7