“They do here,” he said. “People don’t just decide to come here one day and show up on our doorstep. People fill out applications. We have a private investigator who does background checks on everyone who applies. Once they pass the background check they interview with either myself, Ethan or Randy. This resort is not a free for all. It’s a carefully run machine, and we are cautious to make sure no one is injured.”
She wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that.
“You have a book I can read?”
“I have several,” he said. “But not tonight. I want you to relax. You’ve had a busy day, and you’ve seen things that freaked you out. We should pick a comedy, so you can laugh and enjoy yourself. Or we can play cards. Blackjack? Texas Hold ‘Em? Five Card Stud?”
“Chinese checkers?” she asked.
His eyebrows shot up, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
“That’s a new one,” he said. “But I do believe we have it in the closet. Each cabin is stocked with games.”
“You mean they’re not stocked with sex toys?”
He laughed. “That closet is in the dungeon,” he said. “The people that visit here are not engaged in sex the whole time they’re here. Sometimes they just want to relax with a nice game of cards.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” she said. “I want to see the dungeon. Is it downstairs?”
“There is no basement,” Shawn said. “The term dungeon is symbolic. It’s actually a room behind the kitchen.”
That brought a smile to her face. “You cook up food in the kitchen, and cook up fun in the dungeon.”
“Something like that,” he said. “Do you want to see it?”
“Yes.” Actually, she wasn’t a bit confused on whether or not she wanted to see the dungeon. “What about the toys, vibrators and such? Do you get a discount at local sex shops? Or do you reuse them?”
“Every toy is new for each customer,” he said. “We order in bulk.”
That made her laugh.
“Someone thought of everything,” she said.
“My cousin and his wife are very business minded.” He tossed a piece of popcorn in her lap. “Now do you want to see it, or not?”
“Let me prepare myself just a little bit longer,” she said. “Is there a big dungeon in the lodge?”
“There is,” he said. “We have collaring ceremonies there, or group play sessions. Would you like to see it, too?”
Collaring ceremonies. She touched the rhinestones that she still wore around her neck. Why hadn’t she taken it off? She’d just considered it part of the outfit she wore. Autumn reminded herself that it was nothing like the large, leather collars she’d seen on the women at the lodge. Even the woman with the two men on the deck wore a huge collar that looked very uncomfortable.
The choker that Autumn had around her neck right now was nothing more than a piece of jewelry.
“Is something bothering you?” he asked. His voice was soft, as if he really cared, and it made her feel a bit of a connection to him.
“Besides the fact that I saw a woman whipped? Um, no,” she said.
“Remember, it was something she wanted,” he said. “If you want you can talk with her tomorrow, along with the first woman. We have a very open policy here.”
Autumn didn’t respond. She wasn’t comfortable with the way this conversation was going. She wanted to turn it back toward the talk of the dungeon.
“Does the lodge dungeon have the same equipment as the one in each cabin?”
“Basically,” he said. “But the lodge dungeon has more toys, to provide for more play.”
“That makes sense,” she said. She didn’t really want to see the room in the lodge. There was too much chance that someone was there, playing. She wanted to see something more private, which meant the dungeon in her cabin.
“Show me where it’s at,” she said.
“I will,” he said. “I’ll answer your every question.”
“Because you have an open policy?”
He put the popcorn bowl on the table, stood and offered her his hand. She took it, wondering what in the blue blazes she was doing. They walked through the kitchen, and each step they took reminded her of the rhinestone collar around her neck.
It’s just jewelry, she said to herself as he stopped in front of a door, turned the knob and pushed it open.
The first thing she saw when he flipped on the light was a life-sized X standing in the middle of the room. One wall had manacles, and near that was a large cage.
Her gaze took in too many things to register. She shook her head and started to back out, but decided he would think she was a wimp.
It was time to act like a big girl, and start asking questions.
Chapter 5
The toys were not that interesting to her. As she walked around the room she noticed that most of them were pretty standard, or at least she thought they were—plugs, vibrators, dildos, clamps. There was only one of them that she thought wouldn’t be found in a couple’s bedside table. She didn’t know what it was called, but it was like a steel circle that had been cut so the edges were sharp points.
“It’s a pinwheel,” he said. “You run the points along sensitive areas of your body and the pain is, well one friend of mine described it as delicious.”
“Do you have sex with all these women?” She picked up the pinwheel and ran it across the back of her hand. She imagined what it would feel like on her nipples, or on her clit, even. She shivered. There was a part of her that wanted to know what it would feel like, and another part that didn’t.
It took her a few moments to figure out he hadn’t answered her question.
“Do you?”
“A few,” he said. “But I don’t have a collared submissive right now, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Nobody to lead around on a leash?” she asked as she held up the pinwheel.
“Do you want to try it?” he asked. “Take off your shirt and I’ll show you how it feels.”
The tone of his voice was different; it was as if he were angry about something. She turned to look at him. “Have I crossed a line?” She wiggled the pinwheel. “Is this one of your favorite toys?”
“I don’t care for your tone of voice since we entered the dungeon,” he said. “It’s very judgmental.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Yes, you did,” he said.
“Why do you think that?” she asked.
“Because this is different, and it scares you, and when people don’t understand something they tend to attack it, to try and push their fears aside.”
“I’m not scared,” she said.
“Really?” He leaned against the doorjamb. “If you’re not, I’m surprised. Or maybe the lack of fear means you’re more experienced in the BDSM world than you’re letting on.”
“I’m not scared,” she said. “Okay, I don’t understand it, but that doesn’t mean I’m scared.”
“Okay,” he said.
“That’s it, just okay?” She dropped the pinwheel on the table. “Aren’t you supposed to try and convert me?” She rubbed her fingers over the rhinestone collar.
“And?”
“And what?” she asked.
“You’re fingering the collar like you expect it to catch on fire and you want to pull it off before the flames shoot out.”
“You’re equating the idea of a fire with me being frightened?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “It’s burning your skin, even though it was just meant to keep you away from the other Doms, you’re thinking it means something else,” he said.
“Bull crap,” she said. “You’re trying to mess with my mind. I notice you didn’t bring up the collar while we were eating popcorn and watching a movie.”
“You weren’t messing with the collar then,” he said. “You didn’t do it until you stepped into the dungeon.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” she said. Was it
true? Had she not thought about it until they got in here? No, she’d thought about it before, but they just hadn’t talked about it until now.
“Listen, we need to concentrate on the treasure,” he said. “What we do here is not part of our deal. I’m going to my cabin. Have a nice night.”
He left without waiting for a response. Autumn stared after him, shocked that somehow, she’d pissed him off. What had she said? Was it the snide remark about walking someone on a leash? That was the only thing she could really think of. Should she go after him and ask what she’d done? She didn’t know which cabin was his, so she couldn’t go to his door. There was a landline in the room. Maybe there was an operator in the main office she could call and ask for Shawn Higgins.
Or, while she’d been standing here staring at the door, she’d wasted the time she could have run after him and asked what the dickens she’d said to tick him off.
She hurried through the house and when she made it out the front door it was to see that it was dark, and there was no one around.
“Crap on a cracker,” she said. She went back inside and slammed the door. In the journalism world, that would be what a friend of hers would call a busted interview.
She plopped down on the couch and picked up the bowl of popcorn.
This day had not turned out as she’d planned. She wished Shawn had not run off. Although she hadn’t expected to be here, she did have questions about what she’d seen. Of course, she had to figure out a way to get him to open up before she would get any answers.
That would mean not making snide remarks. As the thought passed through her mind she thought about how they’d connected in the first place—through email.
She snatched up her phone and called up her email app. She started an email and took a few minutes to figure out what to say.
Finally, she giggled just a little and wrote, “I realize I pissed you off. I’m sorry.”
His answer was immediate. “Apology accepted.”
“Good,” she replied. She paused before she typed the next words. “May I ask what I did wrong? It will keep me from doing it again.”
“We’ll talk some other time,” he said.
“We didn’t finish our tour,” she typed. She realized these emails were more like texts.
“Some other time,” his reply read. “Ethan left me a message and said we’re meeting with the attorney at ten tomorrow. I’ll come and get you around nine for breakfast, unless that’s not good for you.”
“I don’t have a curfew,” she typed. “Do you?”
“Yes,” he replied. But there was a smiley face behind it.
Okay, she was getting nowhere fast. “Who do I talk to about getting coffee first thing in the morning? Before we go to breakfast?”
“There is a coffee pot in the kitchen,” he said. “If that is not good enough use your landline to leave a message for X by dialing 8. See you tomorrow.”
Well, that was a bust. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in her. They would work together to get the treasure, and she would keep her questions about the ranch, and BDSM, to herself.
When she woke the next morning, Autumn went to the kitchen to find a full-sized coffee pot. She assembled a pot, then went to the bathroom to take a shower before it was ready.
Unlike yesterday, her bathing went without incident. When she was clean she put on the only spare pair of jeans she’d brought with her. She topped it with a t-shirt, and then pulled on her sneakers.
The coffee was ready, and she poured herself a cup, doctored it with some of the flavored cream she found in the refrigerator then took it out to the deck. It was a wonderfully cool morning, well cool for the desert. She took a sip of coffee after she was settled in a chair. She had just pulled out her phone when a female voice offered a greeting.
Autumn looked up to see the woman who’d been flogged on the deck last night standing at the bottom of the stairs.
“Permission to come up,” the woman said. She held out a plate. “I brought blueberry muffins.”
“Yum,” Autumn answered. “Can I pour you a cup of coffee?”
“That would be wonderful,” the woman said. “My name’s Paige.” She offered a hand. Whereas she’d been naked the day before she wore a midnight blue caftan today.
“Autumn.” They shook hands and Autumn asked her to sit while she went inside. “How would you like your coffee?”
“Yours smells delicious,” Paige said. “I’ll take whatever you’re having.”
“Hazelnut,” Autumn said as she went into the cabin. When she came back on the deck, Paige was already eating a muffin. She laughed as she took the coffee Autumn offered.
“I’m a caffeine nut,” she said.
Autumn took her chair. “Did Shawn ask you to come and see me?”
“He’s a hunk, isn’t he?” Paige asked. “If I didn’t already have two of the best Masters on the face of the planet, I’d think about throwing myself at his feet. But in answer to your question, no. One of my Doms, Miles, told me I might want to stop by. I guess someone, either Shawn or Ethan, told him you’re a newbie. He’s afraid we might have frightened you off last night.”
“Wow, that’s very nice of him,” Autumn said. “I was a little freaked out, but that’s because I saw another woman being spanked during the cocktail party.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry we missed that,” Paige said with a laugh. “So, what do you do for a living?”
How to explain that. “I’m a writer,” Autumn finally said.
“That is an awesome job,” Paige said. “My Doms and I own a car dealership. I’m the CEO, and Miles and Rick are CFO and COO.”
Autumn stopped with her cup halfway to her mouth. “You’re their boss?”
“Yup.” Paige took a drink. “We separate work and pleasure.”
“Did you have a relationship with them before you worked with them?”
“No,” Paige said. “I hired them, and as we got to know each other, we realized we shared the same sexual leanings. We’ve been together for more than ten years now.”
Autumn took another drink, then picked up a muffin. “Are you married to one of them?”
“No,” Paige said. “But we’re legally bound with papers that give power of attorney and medical powers and the like. Our lives are perfect as they are.”
They ate and drank in silence before Autumn said, “May I ask you a question?”
“Writers are very curious,” Paige said.
“Why do you like being whipped?”
“Oh, that’s one that will take a while to answer,” Paige said. “The short of it is it brings me pleasure, and it makes me feel close to my lovers. I like giving over to my lovers. It helps keep me balanced.”
“Do the people who work for you know about your lifestyle?”
Paige winked at her. “They know we live together, and have a huge California king bed in our room. But they don’t know about the dungeon, or the collars or toys. They just know we love each other.”
Love. Autumn had to admit hearing that word made her jealous. She’d never been in love with a man before. She didn’t think she knew how. The two guys she’d dated had turned out to be pricks.
“What are you thinking?” Paige asked.
“Um, that I would love to be in love,” Autumn said.
“When you stop searching for it is when you’ll find it,” Paige said. “Enjoy the rest of the muffins. I hope to see you around. We’ll be here for a few more days.”
When she was gone, Autumn wondered how someone got that comfortable with themselves. Maybe she needed to call Paige back and ask her. Or maybe she should just realize she was too old to find a man, much less two.
She ate a second muffin, and then a third, and she was just reaching for a fourth when she decided she’d had enough. She pushed the plate away and thought about the money. Did she really think they would be able to keep it? Did she want to? It was stolen funds.
Autumn cursed herself for bidding on that storage unit.
She cursed herself for getting in touch with Shawn Hollis. She cursed the people who had robbed that bank in 1964 and set all this in motion.
She sipped her coffee and picked up a muffin. This one was lemon poppy seed, and it tasted divine. There was no other noise or traffic as she savored the quiet of the resort. She ate and drank and thought about her next move. What would happen if they actually found the money? But could she search for it with Shawn? He hadn’t even stayed around last night to go through the dungeon with her. How would they be able to work together when it was obvious he had problems with her?
“You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
Autumn shook her head and stared at the man standing next to her; no, he was almost on top of her. How had he moved so close and she hadn’t seen him coming?
“Do you like me?” Had she really just asked that question.
“Excuse me?” he replied.
“I know it sounds juvenile, but I’m—I’m worried about us working together if you don’t want to be near me,” she said. “You ran out of the cabin last night like it was on fire. Do you think we can work together?”
He was quiet for a moment, and she thought maybe he was coming up with something that sounded plausible, maybe it’s the old it’s not you, it’s me speech.
“I was a coward last night,” he said. “I ran because I didn’t trust myself.”
“You didn’t trust yourself not to tell me I was a fool, and I was dragging you into an unwinnable situation?
He chuckled, the sound deep in his chest. It was sexy, and it made her toes curl.
“I’m not sure I understand,” she said.
He picked up a muffin, tore off the paper and ate it two bites. “Give me a minute,” he said. He went into her cabin and Autumn shook her head. What the hell was happening?
He was back a moment later. He poured a cup of coffee and doctored it with a spoonful of sugar.
“Well?” she asked.
“I’m a Dom, Autumn,” he said, his voice low and sexy. “When I saw you looking at all the equipment last night, well, to put it quite bluntly I wanted to strip you naked and tie you to the spanking bench. After that, I wanted to turn your sweet butt bright red.”
Buried Treasure (Silver Creek Resort Book 1) Page 6