"Mr. Kinkaid," Katie said in a flustered tone, her fingers hitting the keyboard in a rapid sequence.
When they approached her desk, the screen was blank, the cursor sitting in the log-on button.
"Afternoon, Katie," he said with a smile.
"What brings you here? If you needed files, I can bring them to you," she said, her fingers tapping against the desk.
"Everything okay?"
"Yes, Sir. You startled me is all. I'm not used to you coming down here."
He leaned against her desk, half sitting on the corner.
"I know. I'm sorry. I appreciate your efficiency and focus. Without you, I'm sure I would have sunk this ship in the first few weeks."
Ian snorted from behind him, and Kade turned to throw him a glare.
"Just doing my job, Mr. Kinkaid. It would piss Alexandra off if she came back to this place in a state of disaster. With my proximity," she said with a shrug, "call it self-protection."
Kade chuckled. "Fair enough."
"Is there something you needed?"
Katie adjusted in her chair and glanced at her watch.
"Am I keeping you from something?"
She stilled at the question and looked up at him. "No, Sir. I find you a little intimidating."
Kade stood up and took a step back. "We've worked together for years. You work directly for Alexandra, and you find ME intimidating?"
"Yes, Sir. I... I... you're taking everything in stride and stepping into roles while still doing your job. And all those... muscles," she said, ending in a whisper.
He shifted uncomfortably at her admission. What the hell was going on here? Women didn't throw themselves at him like this and in a span of an hour there'd been two different versions. He wondered what they would think of him if they saw him at heel behind the detective.
The thought of Jessica made his brain spin. Her strength wasn't a show or a front. It came from a genuine place born of hard lessons and fighting for her place. Too many people thought the way to take a male Dominant down was to flirt with them or physically put them there. Jessica was different. She was like a siren calling to his inner most being. Watching Katie make puppy eyes at him was like the splash of cold water he needed. Now he saw what was right in front of him.
"Please provide me with all the access requests from this office for the past six months," he said firmly.
The internal shift in focus was a relief and gave him a new direction.
"Excuse me, Sir?" Katie stuttered.
"The access reports—past six months."
"Um... Okay, but all the access reports cross your desk. Your office is the only area that can grant club access and keycards."
"Katie," he warned, "please do as I ask."
Her gaze didn't meet his; instead it darted around the desk.
"I can email it to you. When do you need it?"
"Now. I know they are all in the database. I need to see all approvals for the past six months. This isn't a hard request."
"Yes, Sir. I need a few minutes to get them to you."
"Okay. We'll wait inside Alexandra's office."
Kade could swear Katie's face paled at his pronouncement.
"I'm sure you've got better things to do, Sir."
"Nope," he said to Katie, then turned to Ian. "Shall we?"
Chapter Twenty
Jessica stared at herself in the mirror. The image staring back at her looked nothing like she'd seen before. Her hair, pulled back in an updo, accentuated her cheekbones while the red lipstick drew the eye straight to it.
She let her gaze drop to the long black palazzo pants which danced around the edge of her four-inch black strappy sandals. She was thankful for the slight platform in the front which gave her the height but relieved much of the pressure from her toes. While her ankle was on the mend, heels were a killer in the best of times.
On top, a white button-down blouse with silver and crystal studs flowed to tight French cuff sleeves held with the cufflinks to match. The masculine style touches complemented the outfit in a perfect juxtaposition of femininity. Around her waist, Samantha was snugging the brocade waist cincher.
"Too much," she said with a grimace.
Behind her, Samantha let out the laces a little and peered over her shoulder.
"Better?"
With a nod and a smile, Samantha's form disappeared back behind her. Several tugs later, Samantha declared her work to be done and walked around to admire the final look.
"You look breathtaking," Samantha said with a Cheshire grin.
"It's not very... fetish."
"You've looked at too many porn sites. Dominant women don't show up in lingerie, thigh-high boots and a corset-unless they are getting paid or because dressing that way makes them happy. Besides, no one will question your position tonight."
Samantha handed her the club insignia on a silver chain.
For a long moment, Jessica stared at it. She was dominant in every place in her world, but this was one area she felt unprepared. Jessica supposed too many years of being told by her grandmother to be passive in the bedroom were hard to unlearn. Still, she admitted the last scene with Kade felt right. It wasn't as lopsided as she’d thought it would be. The ebb and flow, give and take of it were images which played in her nightly dreams.
"I'm nervous. What if I make a complete fool of myself?"
Samantha smiled. "You won't. It’s natural to be nervous. Any Dominant who tells you they weren't nervous the first time they stepped out is lying through their teeth. No one steps into a world which could lead to taking the reins of a relationship without being afraid of failure or making a fool of themselves."
Jessica frowned. "Thanks. Quite the pep talk," she said with a scowl. "Especially since 'the submissive' I'm nervous to see keeps running over me. Can you believe he called the masseuse and told them about my rib and ankle? Does he think I'm incapable of taking care of myself?"
"That's something you'll get used to. Kade wants to serve. To make your life easier, better. It is his way of taking care of you so the world isn't such a burden."
Jessica huffed. "I thought the Dominant was supposed to make all the decisions and carry the weight of the relationship."
"It only looks that way to the uninitiated."
She pulled on the pendant at the end of the chain and stared at the Dominant insignia.
Samantha grasped her shoulders and smiled. "Jessica, I've been at this for a while. I've seen Dominants come and go. You are up there with some of the best I've seen. You care. You're scarily observant of everything around you, and you’re patient. It's exactly what Kade needs. He'll push all your buttons because he can, but I know you'll give as good as you get.
“When you leave tonight, you'll have a better handle on our world. It's time to take all that studying and put it to practical use. If you lead, Kade will follow, but you have to let him in so he can serve you."
A shudder passed through her at Samantha's words. The weight of the world felt heavy. Letting someone in required trust. It was a process. She trusted Kade even if she didn't understand why. Did she trust herself not to sabotage the whole thing out of fear?
"What if I muck it up?"
"You will. Things will go sideways. It's part of life. We're a family here. When it all goes wrong, we'll be here to help things get back on track, and when it goes amazing, we'll be here to celebrate."
Jessica took a deep breath and nodded.
"Now, if we are done with the nonsense, there's a party to go to," she said, pulling on the collar of her trench coat.
"What are you wearing to the party?"
Samantha slipped into her heels and grinned over at Jessica.
"A smile."
They walked between the two buildings, and Jessica glanced at the driveway. A line of limousines was stacked end to end from the door to the road. For the first time since she'd taken on the assignment, she wondered if she really were out of her depth in a sea of the upper echelon of the nation's capitol.
"Wow," she mumbled.
Samantha paused and threw her a smile. "You will be great. Breathe. It's a play party-well, somewhere between the event of the quarter and a play party, to be more precise."
"Why do I think you are leaving out a large swath of information?"
She shrugged. "Probably because I am, but then again, was it in my court to inform you or the head of security? Let me think on it."
Jessica scowled at the response. "Spill it, Ms. Kingston," she said authoritatively.
Samantha laughed. "Almost there. A little more practice and even I might fall to my knees for you," she said with a wink.
"In the meantime, tell me what I'm walking into or you'll find me less of an ally in the future."
"Touché, Detective. Well played."
Jessica stopped before they reached the side entrance to the club. "Now, Samantha."
"Oooh, feisty. I like it," she said and shot Jessica another grin for good measure. "Tonight is the quarterly art showing of Parker Chase."
"Art showing? And you can't mean Parker Chase the art recluse? Why would he do an art showing in a BDSM club? I don't imagine he's doing it for the money."
Samantha nodded. "The same. The rest of the world pays millions for his pieces. Here, women and men beg to become his art installations. This is his outlet. A place where there's less pressure to create what is acceptable to the outside world. He's a genius when it comes to creativity."
A scowl masked Jessica's face. "I'm not following."
"It's simple. He uses the actual human form to create art. The reason the main areas have been closed off for the last couple days is because he likes to work on his shows in private. Hiring the art, interviewing the art, making sure the art is fuckable and will be interactive enough."
Jessica worked to wrap her mind around the words, but little of it made sense to anything she'd ever known.
"Did you say fuckable art?"
"I did."
"How do you fuck art? I mean, don't the nails in the frame leave abrasions?"
This time Samantha stopped, eyed Jessica, and let out a deep laugh.
"Funny. It'll all make sense once we get inside, if I can get you that far," she said, nodding her head toward the door.
Jessica sighed and stepped forward, only to be stopped by Samantha's hand on her arm.
"Don't let anyone give you shit in there. There are people used to getting their own way, but here, it's a different playing field. If you want to play, then negotiate play. If you want to watch, then watch. Should you find it all too overwhelming, there's no shame in bowing out."
"Thanks for the warning, but I've seen some freaky things in my life. I'm sure this will be fine," Jessica said, feigning confidence.
"That's the spirit, Ma'am."
Samantha dropped her eyes to the floor before bringing them up to stare at Jessica with a twinkle of mischief. She took the lead and pushed the door to the club open. The cacophony of sound, music, smells, and formal attire assaulted their senses.
Jessica forced her mouth to stay firmly closed as she looked around the transformed foyer. It is going be a long night, she thought to herself.
As they stepped fully into the foyer, Jessica saw a line of people moving through the front door. The men wore anything from a tuxedo to a basic loin cloth while the variety of outfits for the women were long, expensive evening gowns to the same loin cloth as the men.
"Good evening, Samantha," a male voice said to their left.
Beside her, Samantha didn't move, but her eyes dropped to the floor.
"Good evening, Sir," she whispered.
"You are overdressed, my dear."
"As you say."
With nothing further between them, Samantha unbuttoned the trench coat and the man behind slid it down her shoulders. Jessica watched the entire interaction in awe. It was like electricity shot between them, each movement a well-practiced dance. Something in her longed to interact with someone on such a deep level.
With the coat removed, Samantha stood proudly bare in her platform heels, a black loin cloth her only coverage. She was beautiful, and the man beside her beamed with pride.
"Sir, I'd like you to meet Jessica. Jessica, this is Ivan, my Dominant."
"Good to meet you," Ivan said as he stepped around Samantha.
"Likewise. I've heard about your handiwork as of late. Mostly likely well deserved," Jessica said, then flashed a smile at Samantha.
"Indeed. The situations of late cause much stress and someone doesn't handle it well."
"Then it is a good thing she has a village to keep her in the right place."
Ivan chuckled and nodded. "It is true. My pet takes a village to keep her in check," he said and turned to Samantha.
He placed a hand on her back as he stepped to her side. "If you'll excuse us, we have an appointment to keep. I hope you enjoy the art show, Jessica," he said with a deep rumble.
She could see the attraction Samantha found in him.
Without another word, they walked off and disappeared into the crowd.
Jessica turned back toward the vast expanse and let her eyes roam the room. In the center was a woman dressed in a hoop skirt. Around each tier of the skirt a large metal ring held a line of champagne glasses. If she moved, the glasses would topple, but her position made it impossible for her not to engage the crowd as they passed. Beside her, a man dressed in black pants and a white shirt open to his waist offered champagne to the incoming guests. Around both their necks, she spotted the club’s submissive insignia. As she approached, the man nodded his head toward her.
"May I supply a beverage for you, Ma'am?"
"You may."
With a slight bow, the man picked up a champagne flute off the skirt, placed his hand under the base and handed it to her so she could pick it up by the stem between her fingers. Each move was precise. Each one efficient but elegant.
Champagne in hand, Jessica moved deeper into the club. Men and women tied in intricate rope harnesses decorated large columns. The artist had replaced the tables beside some of the club chairs with humans on their hands and knees with a serving tray steadied across their back and shoulders.
Large cages hung from the ceiling, each one filled with a person. They had bound some in ribbons, some were dressed in elegant evening gowns with strings of crystals tying them in place, and others were held in place on sticks that disappeared into their bodies. She presumed they vibrated as she watched their forms twitch and wiggle.
Jessica made her way languidly around the room, taking in every form of bondage imaginable on every wall. Bodies of every shape and size were on display, each one decorated to make them spectacular. There was a pride in the work on display. The surrounding crowd ebbed and flowed as the club filled.
"What's tonight's theme, Sir?" she heard a woman ask a man next to her.
"Irresistibly Bound," he replied.
"I can't wait to see what he's done for the interactive exhibits," she said excitedly.
Based on what she could see from the static exhibits, she couldn't imagine what was in store once the main hall doors finally opened.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kade watched Jessica move through the club.
"Put your tongue back in your mouth-it's unsightly," Ian joked.
He shot him a playful glare and returned his gaze back to the club. The tight corset accentuated her figure and the white blouse's masculine cut was breathtaking. Everything in him wanted to go to her, but he also wanted her to experience the art show in all of its glory. This was one of the most decadent events the club threw for its members. Alexandra had worked with Parker Chase when she'd first arrived in DC. His proposal for a human art installation had been intriguing. Now it was a mind-bending spectacular.
The week leading up to the event was always stressful, but this time Kade was in the driver's seat. It forced him to rely on the entire team to pull it together, and there were points in the week he wasn't sure it would hap
pen. Now he could sit back and focus on the one distraction which threatened to derail him in more than one way.
"It is quite the spectacle, Parker," Ian said as the artist approached them.
"Wait until you see inside the hall," he replied with a light Italian accent.
"Thank you for your patience this week." Kade nodded.
"It was a pleasure working with you, Mr. Kinkaid. But I must say, I do miss our Alexandra. When is she due to return home?"
The question was on everyone's mind, and Kade still didn't have an answer. Ian's ground team was monitoring, but there'd been no sign of Edmund despite the information they'd obtained earlier in the week.
"You know Alexandra, Parker. She'll return when she decides to return. That woman doesn't submit to the whims of those around her."
Parker let out a soft chuckle. "That is true, my friend. She is most definitely an iron fist in a velvet glove most of the time. Though there's something about her I can never understand."
"Yes. She's an enigma wrapped in a mystery for most of us," Kade acknowledged.
"She'd be a glorious art piece. Maybe I'll put her on a throne atop a crowd. Better yet, I wonder if she'd let me bind her feet underneath a long skirt for fun."
Kade thought about the many sides of the woman in question. Parker was closer than he realized to perfection in his idea.
"If you have a few minutes, there's someone I'd like you to meet," Kade said, avoiding both the confirmation of the idea or the denial of it.
"This is a first, Mr. Kinkaid. You are usually the muscle I want to tie to the wall."
Kade's eyebrow shot up in response, but he said nothing. Instead, he led them through the ebb and flow of the crowd until they got to the other side of the room and stepped behind Jessica without a word.
"You look stunning, Ma'am," he murmured against her ear.
She startled at his unexpected voice.
"Sneaking up on me isn't advisable, Mr. Kinkaid. You may find yourself on the floor in an unsightly display."
"We may have to see that in action at some point, Ma'am," he challenged, the smile evident in his voice. "There's someone to whom I'd like to introduce you."
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