After two weeks of playing online games with Faye, Simon was more sexually frustrated than he’d ever thought possible. He blamed himself. He’d always believed that he shouldn’t give his submissive an order that he couldn’t obey himself.
Since telling Faye that her orgasms belonged to him and allowing her that one night to come, he hadn’t given her permission again. Because he was a damn sadist, he decided the same would apply to him. He had no idea two weeks could seem so long.
Things were moving along great with Faye. They chatted by computer almost every day and he’d been pleased to discover that while she appeared sweet on the surface, she had a sarcastic streak that matched his. Things had progressed to the point where he’d really like to meet her in person to see if they were compatible off-line as well as online.
He would have to tread sofly and with care before they took such a step. Asking to meet a woman who only knew of him what he’d told her online was a huge step. He knew he wasn’t a deranged maniac, but that didn’t mean there weren’t plenty of predators on the Internet who were.
Before he asked her to meet in person, it might be better to push her a bit more online. So far he’d been pleasantly surprised that she didn’t whine or pout about the lack of anything sexual between them. Perhaps it was time he rewarded her behavior and added a touch of something physical.
Or as physical as you could get while communicating via a computer. A webcam would be a nice place to start.
He sent her a quick e-mail asking if she had the ability to do a video chat.
Three hours later, he was packing up to head home and he still hadn’t heard from her. That wasn’t typical. Normally she’d reply almost immediately. He hoped he hadn’t turned her off by suggesting a webcam. Surely, she didn’t think they were just going to get by on e-mails and web chats?
He wouldn’t push, though. Setting up a video chat with an almost perfect stranger would certainly give most women pause. At least it should. If she didn’t reply before their scheduled eight p.m. chat time, they could discuss it then. If he needed to pull back, he would. No matter how blue his balls were.
By the time he made it back to his apartment, he’d accepted the fact that the video chat wasn’t going to happen. Not that night anyway. He’d convinced himself to such a degree that he didn’t check his e-mail until six thirty. He almost dropped his phone when he saw she’d replied.
SirSimon,
Please forgive the tardiness of this reply. I wanted to ensure I had the capabilities to do a video chat and to make sure I knew how to work it (new computer). I can get everything to work except the audio output. The input works fine, so I can hear you, but you won’t be able to hear me. I hope that won’t be an issue. I can get it looked at and hopefully fixed, but not in time for tonight.
Best,
Faye
Well, damn. He smiled. He hadn’t been expecting that. It was always nice when someone surprised him in a good way. No, the audio situation wasn’t optimal, but she would be able to hear him so they could work around it for now. It would be similar to him commanding silence from a submissive or gagging her.
He hurriedly went about getting something together for dinner, while at the same time planning what he was going to do in a few hours. He’d just sat down to eat when his phone rang. He looked at the display. Luke.
“Hello?” he answered with a frown. He couldn’t think of a reason why Luke would be calling him.
“Master Neal,” Luke said, “I’m so sorry to interrupt your evening, but I have a situation. You know I wouldn’t bother you otherwise.”
Club business. That couldn’t be a good sign. “What’s the issue?”
Luke sighed. “Anna Beth.”
Of fucking course it was Anna Beth. He cursed the day he’d decided to go to the club and played with her. “What now?”
“One of the staff has information that she’s been going around telling the subs you’ve played with before that the two of you are together, but you can’t go public because of her job. She’s threatening anyone who expresses any interest in you.”
“What the fuck?” Surely Luke was making this up. “I don’t even go to the club that often.”
“I know, but the fact is, she’s causing trouble and dragging you into it. I don’t believe her, but some people are accepting what she’s telling them.” Luke took a deep breath. “I can deal with her myself, but it’d send a stronger message if you could come down and be part of it as well.”
Simon closed his eyes, knowing what the answer would be but having to ask the question anyway. “When?”
“She’s coming tonight at eight.”
It had to be eight. Of course it had to be. “I had plans, Luke.”
“I understand. I’ll take care of it.”
But he shouldn’t have to. Yes, he was the club’s owner and manager, but Anna Beth was a problem because of Simon. “I’ll be there,” he said, forcing each word out.
“I truly appreciate it.”
“Yeah, no big deal.” Except it was. He hung up after telling Luke he’d be at the club by seven forty-five, and then he wrote Faye.
Faye,
I am so sorry. I’ve had an urgent issue arise that I have to take care of tonight. We’re going to have to reschedule. Tomorrow night, same time?
Apologies,
SirSimon
In less than two minutes he had his answer.
I’d love to take care of any issue you have that’s come up, but I have the feeling my help isn’t needed in this instance. Maybe next time . . .
—Faye
He chuckled at her sense of humor and again bemoaned the fact that he was going to have to spend his time taking care of Anna Beth instead of experiencing what had the promise of being a very enjoyable video chat with Faye. He’d have to make it up to her at some point in the future.
However, even with the promise of a future video chat in the back of his mind, Simon arrived at Luke’s club in a foul mood. It was a Thursday night and the crowd was heavier than a normal weeknight. In some ways that was a good thing; it meant there would be more witnesses. On the other hand, the very fact that there would be more witnesses meant that Anna Beth would be even more upset. Not that he cared; he would have nothing to do with Anna Beth after tonight.
Not for the first time, he went back over the last scene they’d had together. He’d started out slowly. He’d played with her before, but it had been a long time and he’d wanted to get a feel for what she could handle before he did anything too extreme. It’d quickly become obvious, to him at least, that Anna Beth was not a masochist.
Yes, she’d begged him for more. She’d said she wanted it harder, but he had enough experience to know when he was being lied to. Worse yet was the way her body flinched. It wasn’t a movement of acceptance and need for the pain he gave, but rather a shrinking away.
It’d made him feel even worse than when he’d started in the lifestyle. He decided then and there the situation was too fucked-up for words. Unfortunately, Anna Beth wouldn’t use her safe word, so he’d decided to end things with the whip. He went light on her. Too light, really. And he made sure she got off. But that was it. He’d walked out of the room they’d been in and realized it was the first time he’d ever played that he didn’t get hard during the scene.
And now the chit was telling people they were exclusive?
What the ever-loving fuck?
He nodded to the doorman.
“Good evening, Master Neal,” the man, whose name Simon couldn’t remember, said. “Master DeVaan is expecting you. He said to tell you he’d be waiting at the bar.”
“Thank you.”
Normally, after he arrived at the club, he would stop by the locker room. But this was no normal night and he had no reason to stop there. He pushed open the double doors leading to the main area of the club.
As expected, there were a good number of people in attendance, but he didn’t stop to talk with any of them. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. He looked over the crowd at the bar until he spotted Luke.
The club owner had his back toward him, and at the moment, his attention was focused on the lovely blond woman at his side. Simon recognized Meagan Bishop, who was not only Luke’s submissive, but also the newest morning news anchor for the local television station. Their heads were close together and they appeared to be discussing something intently.
They didn’t move apart when he walked up to them, and it wasn’t until he cleared his throat that they stopped whispering.
“Sorry for interrupting,” he said when the two finally looked his way.
“Master Neal.” Luke slid off the barstool. “Thank you for coming. I apologize again that you had to change your plans.”
“Nothing that won’t keep,” he said.
“Meagan was just telling me about a conversation she overheard in the ladies’ locker room.” He nodded toward her. “Tell him what you told me, sweetheart.”
Meagan was frowning, which wasn’t like her at all. Not only that, but something lurked behind her expression that gave Simon the chills. “I was in the shower area, but no one knew I was back there because I wasn’t exactly showering.” She cut her eyes to her Dom.
“She was cleaning the tile floor,” Luke explained. “When she gets stressed, she stress-cleans. She also turns into a brat. The shower needed cleaning and I needed her to stop being a brat. Win-win.”
Meagan didn’t look like she so much agreed with the win-win part. “Anyway, I was out of sight, but I could still hear the conversations in the dressing rooms. One of the unattached subs, Gennie, started talking. Said you were part of an online group and that lately you’ve been out of pocket more than normal because you found an online play partner.”
He gritted his teeth. Now they had a bigger problem than just Anna Beth. Seemed as if Gennie needed a refresher course in basic confidentiality. He glanced at Luke.
“I’ll deal with Gennie,” Luke said with a wave of his hand. “There’s more.”
“Turns out, she was talking with Anna Beth,” Meagan continued. “And Anna Beth told Gennie that if she found out who the whore was you were seeing behind her back, she’d hurt her.”
Simon was at a loss for words. None of what Meagan said made any sense. Why would Anna Beth insist they had a relationship? And what the hell was she doing threatening a woman she didn’t even know when there was nothing at all between her and him?
“That right there is enough to get her kicked out of the club,” Luke said. “I don’t allow any type of threat made of that sort, joking or not.”
“I don’t think she was joking, Sir,” Meagan said, worry still etched across her features.
Luke put his arm around her. “It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”
“But what about . . . ?” She glanced first to Simon and then back to Luke. “Should someone tell her?”
“I’ll leave it up to you,” Luke told Simon. “With whatever you decide to tell your other partner or partners. It’s probably only talk, but I’d hate to make that assumption and be wrong.”
What Simon didn’t want to do was tell Faye to watch her back. Seriously, if he didn’t know what she looked like, how would anyone else find her? But like Luke had said, the possibility of something happening if he didn’t tell her was more than he could imagine.
“I think she’s safe, but I’ll let her know the threat has been made,” Simon said. Damn, he hoped she didn’t run away after he told her. Odd as their relationship was, he enjoyed the time they spent chatting together. “What’s the plan for Anna Beth?”
Luke was rubbing Meagan’s back. “She thinks you two are in a relationship? I say break up with her. Here. In public, so there’s no doubt.”
“She sounds a bit unstable,” Simon said. “You don’t think that will set her off?”
“I think she’ll handle it okay since you’re the one she’s obsessed with,” Luke said. “From what I gather, she’s all about making you happy.”
“Obviously not, or she wouldn’t threaten the woman I am with.”
“After you break up with her, I’ll be here with some backup and we’ll escort her out,” Luke said. “I’ll talk with her. If I think she was exaggerating for dramatics, I’ll send her through the retraining program. If I think she was serious, I’ll let her know she’s no longer welcome and that if she comes back or threatens anyone in the group, we won’t hesitate to call the police.”
“Here she comes, Sir,” Meagan whispered.
Simon looked over at the women’s locker room and, sure enough, Anna Beth had just trotted out and was making a beeline toward him.
This was not going to be pretty.
• • •
Lynne knew it was crazy, but she kept her laptop out and ready on the off chance Simon was able to finish whatever it was that had come up for him and was able to chat. She’d spent so much of the day stressing out about how to do the video conference and not reveal who she was, it was sort of a letdown now that it wasn’t going to happen.
She’d found a mask to cover her face. It was a no-frills black number that covered what she thought were her most telling features. The eye holes were small enough that she didn’t think anyone viewing her from a webcam could tell much about them. There was nothing remarkable about her nose, but the mask covered it as well. The only part of her face left uncovered was her mouth.
She’d made up the part about her audio output not working. She hated to add in another lie, but she couldn’t think of a way to change her voice on such short notice. It was only a little lie in the big scheme of things. And the only other option would have been to tell him she didn’t want to do it, and she was too curious about what he had planned for the video chat to tell him that.
And what was her reward? Some emergency had popped up and he’d had to reschedule. She’d been so worked up about what she hoped he had planned, she’d let loose and joked with him. Now, though, she had an entire evening of nothing planned.
If she really tried, she probably would have been able to convince herself that she’d brought it on herself for lying about the audio. Served her right. She’d always been told that there were consequences for lying.
However, she’d do the same thing again, if given the chance. More than that, she knew she would keep up the pretense of the audio output not working. Consequences be damned.
The ping of an e-mail made her jump.
Simon!
She grabbed her laptop and headed to the couch to read. Her smile withered when she saw it wasn’t Simon, but Anna Beth, and it disappeared completely as she read the e-mail.
Lynne,
I know we aren’t close, but you’re one of the few people I know in “real life” who’s into kink. It’s been crazy at work, and then shit has been going down at the club. You would not believe what happened tonight. I’m still furious.
I’m telling you in case you decide to revisit a club—be careful who you confide in. The place I was going to always seemed to be on the straight and narrow (or at least as straight and narrow as a BDSM club can be! LOL).
Someone at my club has been telling vicious lies about me. Straight-up LIES. Not only that, but when I showed up, the Dom I told you about? He said he wasn’t going to play with me anymore. In front of EVERYONE. It was so humiliating.
Ridiculous, right?
I don’t know who would do such a thing to me. Maybe someone who wants my Dom?
I don’t know.
I don’t know anything.
I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this.
—Anna Beth
P.S. I mentioned running into you to Lori—remember her? She had this old picture she asked me to send. Good times, right?
Lynne sat and stared at the screen for several long seconds, trying to process what she’d read. It was a serious matter to be kicked out of a club. And to have it done in such a manner? That made her think there might have been some credibility to what was being said. But she couldn’t tell that to Anna Beth.
Actually, she decided, it was late, she was tired, and it appeared Simon’s issue or whatever was still ongoing, and he wasn’t going to be able to chat. She closed her laptop. Plenty of time tomorrow to worry about the hot mess that was Anna Beth.
She clicked on the picture and smiled at Old Lynne at a party, three years ago. Though why Lori wanted her to have it, she didn’t know.
She changed into her pajamas, got into bed, and picked up her e-reader to read a few more chapters in her current BDSM romance novel. As she read, her hand drifted to the hem of her gown.
It would have been so easy to let her fingers keep going and to grant her body the relief it craved. But she stopped, her fingers curling into a fist. She had more self-control than that. She’d held up over the past two weeks. Surely, she could handle a few more days. With a heavy sigh, she put her e-reader on the nightstand and turned out the light. Maybe, if she was lucky, she would have a sex dream.
• • •
As it turned out, it was longer than a few days before they had a chance to get together again. The day after he had to cancel their evening appointment, he was called out of town. His regretful tone was evident through the e-mail he sent. He explained that as manager of the temp agency, he’d been asked to step in and visit a major client that was having personnel issues.
Lynne told him it was fine—she actually had exams to study for. As fun as it was to be spending time with Simon again, she couldn’t forget that her first priority was to study. She looked at the few days that Simon was away as a chance to buckle down and focus on her coursework.
The other thing she did was reply to Anna Beth. She kept it simple but straightforward, thanking her for the picture, telling her that she was sorry to hear that Anna Beth had had such a rough time at the club, and yes, it was uncalled for and totally unacceptable for someone to spread lies. She almost added that she hoped the club’s management found out what happened soon, but changed her mind. For one, she wasn’t certain Anna Beth was telling the complete truth, and if she wasn’t, Lynne didn’t want her to think she somehow condoned anything she had done.
She contemplated telling Simon about it, but didn’t want him to think she had whack jobs as friends. Eventually, she decided to keep the e-mail to herself, thinking maybe she’d talk to Abby about it in the future.
Finally, six days after they were supposed to have their video chat, she received a message from Simon right before she headed to bed.
Faye,
I’m finally back. Missed chatting with you. Reschedule video chat for tomorrow at 8 p.m.?
—SirSimon
Lynne was both excited and nervous. She was still going to say that her audio output wasn’t working. Maybe make it sound like it was more expensive to fix than she felt she could spend. She replied, telling him that eight p.m. the next night was perfect and she was looking forward to finally connecting.
As she turned her computer off, her blood suddenly ran cold.
Had Simon ever been to Nathaniel and Abby’s penthouse? Holy shit. How had she not thought of that before? She didn’t know, and she couldn’t very well ask Abby. She glanced around the living room. There were so many pictures displayed, of the kids, the entire family, and Nathaniel and Abby alone. She could make sure the pictures weren’t seen, but if Simon had ever been in the penthouse, there was no doubt he’d recognize it.
She carried the laptop to her bedroom and looked around. This room was nondescript enough. It could have been a bedroom anywhere, and there was no reason to believe Simon had ever been in the Wests’ guest room.
She messed around with the setup until she found a spot she liked. The entire time she was thinking that it was really a good thing Simon had gotten called away last time. If he hadn’t and she hadn’t realized what she just did . . .
She didn’t even want to think about it.
With a smile of satisfaction, she went to bed, hoping to dream about Simon and all the dirty things they could do together on video the next night.
• • •
Simon looked at his date with Faye as a reward for the hellish week he’d had trying to fix the issues at the Miami company that had kept him occupied all week. He’d never cared much for traveling, at least not by himself. Traveling with a submissive? That he could handle.
The trip to Miami wouldn’t have been as bad or seemed as long if he’d been able to chat with Faye. But before he left, she’d told him that she had some special projects due for school that week and they would take up a lot of her time in the evenings. Though it was difficult not to send her a message, he respected she was working and working hard. Simon appreciated her work ethic. But enough was enough. They’d both been working hard. It was time to play a bit.
The day of the planned video chat, he was able to keep himself busy, and for that he was grateful. Time went by a lot quicker when he had something to keep his mind occupied. Even still, his plans for the evening were never far from his mind. He just wasn’t able to let himself dwell on them for long.
By the time eight p.m. came around, he was ready to play, tease, and torment Faye. She hadn’t been able to get her audio output fixed yet, and while that was disappointing, it wouldn’t ruin the session.
He logged in and was immediately met with the picture of a woman kneeling in a large bedroom. After chatting with her online so many times, he’d wondered what she looked like. With a sigh, he realized he still wasn’t going to know because she wore a mask.
He snorted and then smiled. It was absolutely brilliant. He actually wished he’d thought of it. Tease her a bit. But no, all she had to do was look up and she’d see him.
Since her head was down, he decided to just watch her for a few minutes. She knelt with perfect form. He had told her not to be naked, knowing they hadn’t reached that level in their relationship yet. But even so, he could still appreciate her lithe body and graceful curves.
Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and it looked to be a light brown. He wished he was in the room with her so he could run his fingers through the strands and feel how soft they were.
The room itself spoke to a certain wealth, which surprised him. The way she’d set up the computer’s camera, he could see out a window. The room appeared to be on a high floor, judging by the tops of buildings he could see through the window. And for Manhattan, it was a very large bedroom.
She had told him she was twenty-five, and even with her mask on, he remembered she was several years younger than his thirty-three. How had she achieved so much at such a young age? He had a sudden urge to confirm she wasn’t married. That’s all he needed—to have an angry husband burst into the bedroom.
He hoped to God he hadn’t gotten involved with a married woman.
Or maybe her parents were wealthy.
He wasn’t going to let her social status impact the way he saw her. If she was well-off, what did it matter to him?
Except he found it difficult to believe she couldn’t afford to get her computer fixed.
“Faye,” he finally said, “you look perfect. And I have to say, that’s an amazing view you have there.”
Her position had relaxed when he praised her, but at the mention of the view, she tensed up. Interesting. There was definitely something there. He’d look into it later. For the moment, he wanted to play.
“I like the mask, too. Adds a bit of mystery.” And, as he’d hoped, at his words of praise, her body once more relaxed. “Look at the camera, Faye.”
She hesitated. It was only for a split second, but it was noticeable. Then she lifted her head and looked into the camera. He couldn’t see her eyes because they were obscured by the mask, as was most of her face.
Yet he had the most peculiar feeling of familiarity. He couldn’t put his finger on what exactly it was or where he might have seen Faye before. But it was there and it shocked him.
As the silence grew longer and longer, Faye’s chin lifted a notch. That was it. There was something about the way she held her head that struck him as something he should be able to identify. Damned if he knew what it was, though.
She had probably visited a club he frequented. That was the only thing he could think of. She didn’t appear to be studying him closely, but then again, he had his picture online on the boards they were part of.
“Stand up for me, Faye,” he said, wanting to see all of her.
She moved gracefully to her feet, so gracefully, he was almost certain she’d had some sort of dance lessons. He couldn’t help himself from asking, “Are you a dancer?”
She shook her head, and the uncomfortable tension in her body returned briefly. Very interesting. For some reason she was not fond of him guessing and observing details about her life. At least those that she didn’t freely share.
He should have left it at that. So she had secrets? Didn’t they all have things they didn’t want others to know? He hadn’t exactly been straightforward about his particular needs either.
Because he couldn’t yet. Besides, for whatever reason, she intrigued him more than he’d anticipated. This woman who lived in a multimillion-dollar apartment and yet couldn’t afford to get her computer fixed, who obviously needed the release that came with being a sex submissive, yet kept her identity a closely guarded secret.
Suddenly, it hit him. She was probably the daughter of an elected official. That had to be it. Now that he thought about it, it made perfect sense.
Damn, but this could become a nightmare.
The last thing he needed to do was to get involved with a politician’s daughter. Let word get out that someone in those powerful circles was involved with a sadist? No, thank you.
The only problem was, he didn’t think he cared. He was taken with her.
And he wanted more.
“You’re very lovely, Faye,” he said. “If you’re comfortable, take your shirt off.”
He hadn’t planned on asking her to strip, but with the thought that she could be related to a powerful political figure came the realization that their time might be limited. He wasn’t going to waste one minute.
She didn’t hesitate with following his command. As soon as the words left his mouth, she unbuttoned the pajama shirt she had on and pushed it over her shoulders.
She anticipated I’d have her take her shirt off.
The thought hit him as soon as her shirt landed on the floor. She’d anticipated he’d have her strip, and she’d prepared by wearing a shirt that buttoned as opposed to one she had to pull over her head, which could dislodge the mask. That knowledge turned him on.
“Did you wear that shirt hoping I would ask you to take it off?” he asked. She didn’t have a bra on underneath. There was nothing but Faye. And she was gorgeous.
She nodded, and not for the first time, he wished he could have heard her say, “Yes, Sir.”
She had to get that computer fixed. Either that or they had to meet in person.
He clenched his fist. No. Not yet. It was too soon. If he brought up meeting her now, he’d scare her. He needed to take things slow and fully earn her trust.
“Very nice,” he said. “That pleases me. Once we log off, you may bring yourself to climax.”
She nodded, both in acknowledgment and thanks, he assumed.
“Now I want to see the rest of you,” he said. No, he hadn’t planned on having her strip, but now that he’d started, he’d be damned if he’d go halfway. “Keep your eyes on me.”
There was that tilt to her head again. The one he thought he should have been able to place. But it made sense. If she was a politician’s daughter or related to a public figure, he might have seen her on television, or perhaps she shared mannerisms with her famous relative. That would explain why she seemed so familiar and yet he couldn’t place her.
She slowly pushed her tiny shorts down, and he was pleasantly surprised to see that she didn’t have any underwear on either. He stifled a groan. The sight of her standing in that bedroom, naked. Oh, the things he could do to her.
“Very nice, Faye.”
He thought he saw a hint of flush under the mask.
“I don’t want to push you too much on our first video call, so I’ll let you get back to your evening.” He paused, thinking. “Actually, I’m going to give you a bit of homework. I want you to write a fantasy before you make yourself come and send it to me before you go to bed.”
She gave a quick nod and mouthed a Yes, Sir.
“Good night, Faye. Talk soon.”
• • •
Lynne fell on the bed as soon as Simon disconnected. While not as stressful as she’d thought it might be, it had been stressful enough. She lifted her head to see what was visible outside her window. She hadn’t even thought about the window giving her away.
She was fairly certain he wouldn’t be able to tell anything other than she lived on a high floor. Though, frankly, that was enough.
She grabbed a nearby blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders while she thought back over the session. It had been hot as hell to strip for him. She knew he’d been affected as well. More than once, she’d heard a low groan she was almost certain he didn’t think she heard.
The only thing missing was now she wanted to be in his arms. That was the downside to doing everything online. She missed the touch of another person. Most importantly, she missed his touch.
She remembered the day they’d gone to Nathaniel and Abby’s. After the scene was finished, Nathaniel had taken Abby into their bedroom for aftercare, and Simon had taken her to the Wests’ indoor pool.
If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel it. The warmth of the room. The slight humidity that seemed so out of place for the time of year. But mostly, she remembered Simon. He’d pulled her into his lap, and they’d sat and talked about the scene they’d just witnessed.
Then, ever so slowly, his hand had inched down her body to the waist of her jeans. With a coarse voice, he’d told her to unbutton them, and when she had, his knowledgeable fingers had slipped inside.
She could probably come again just remembering.
And she might try, but not yet. First she had to write a fantasy. Funny, as she remembered that day, she also recalled having lunch afterward with Nathaniel and Abby. They had been talking, and Abby must have said or done something, because the next thing she knew, Nathaniel had commanded his wife to tell them all about the fantasy she was thinking of.
Lynne thought she’d be embarrassed, listening to a woman she barely knew talk about her sexual fantasy. But Abby didn’t seem to mind, and neither did Nathaniel or Simon, so she acted like it was no big deal as well.
And what a fantasy it had been. Abby was a complete exhibitionist, and her fantasy involved playing in front of people. It had definitely been hot. Lynne remembered how aroused she’d gotten, sitting at the table, listening to her describe how the scene played out. Her own fantasies, however, were much more private.
Though she knew some people in the BDSM world enjoyed public playing, the idea never did much for her. She always envisioned herself as a private player.
Would she play in public with Simon? She hadn’t thought about that. He was a very experienced Dom, and she assumed he played in public. They had exchanged checklists back when they were dating. Where had she put his checklist? She didn’t think she’d thrown it away.
She stood up, the blanket falling from her shoulders. She wanted that checklist. She needed that checklist. A quick search of the papers she’d brought only served to confirm what she’d thought. She didn’t have it with her, which meant it had to be in Delaware.
How could she get it without alerting the Wests that she was involved with Simon?
Her fingers drummed on the bookshelf. She’d think of something. Until then, she had a fantasy to write.
• • •
Lynne scrolled through the private New York message boards on Sunday while she ate dinner. She had chatted online with a few of the members and found everyone both interesting and informative. Most of them were also members of Luke DeVaan’s club, which was the one club she didn’t want to join because it was also Simon’s, as well as Nathaniel and Abby’s.
She’d thought about going to one of the other clubs but hadn’t taken any steps to do so. Before she went to one of them, it would be a good idea for her to find someone who was already a member so she could have a reference.
She took a bite of her salad while deciding which of her contacts she should ask about going along to visit a club. She was just getting ready to send a message to a woman she’d chatted with several times when a new message from Simon to the group popped up.
All interest in messaging the other member fell away as she read Simon’s post.
All,
I’m in need of a submissive to partner with during an upcoming single-tail demo session. Possibly involves weekend stay.
Message me for details.
—SirSimon
Lynne was hit with an overwhelming urge to do the demo with him. She knew there were plenty of persuasive reasons not to do the demo. Could she even do it and keep her identity a secret? Plus, she’d never had a single tail used on her. It was ridiculous to even think about offering to do the demo.
And yet she couldn’t stop herself.
SirSimon,
I would be willing to do the demo with you. As long as I can keep my mask on. Please let me know the details.
Best,
Faye
She sent the message quickly so she wouldn’t change her mind. Once it left her in-box, she logged out, not wanting to see evidence of what she’d just done.
Shit. She was an idiot. What had she been thinking?
She didn’t have to think too hard to understand what had made her send the message and volunteer: She didn’t want Simon playing with anyone except her. It was idiotic and childish and several other adjectives, but the truth was the truth. Just because it was idiotic or childish didn’t make it any less true.
Even though she’d logged out of the boards, Lynne hadn’t turned off the laptop, so when the private message came through, she was alerted with a chime.
She knew it had to be Simon. She didn’t communicate via private messages with anyone else. Part of her dreaded reading the message for fear he’d ask what the hell she was thinking.
But she knew the curiosity would eventually win out. To counteract it and hopefully prove to herself that she had at least a shred of self-control, she wouldn’t let herself read his message until she finished dinner.
It was the quickest she’d ever eaten.
When she finished, she told herself she now had to clean the kitchen. Five minutes later, the kitchen was more or less cleaned, so she took her laptop and curled up on the couch to read.
Are you sure? I thought about asking if you would be interested, but I know you mentioned you didn’t like to play in public. If you’d like to help me, I’ll take you up on it. I’m okay with you wearing a mask.
Her first thought was OMG, he’s okay with it, quickly followed by Holy shit, now what?
First things first though.
Yes, Sir. I’m sure.
He wrote back almost immediately.
Great! Will e-mail details.
She logged in to her in-box to wait for Simon’s e-mail and noticed a new message from Abby. Lynne smiled as she read it.
Abby talked about how the kids were doing and added that they all missed her and looked forward to her coming back in the fall. She told her about how Elizabeth decided to play school in order to show Henry what a teacher did. Lynne giggled as she read Abby’s account of Henry telling his sister to “Sit down. Not Lynne.”
Abby ended by telling her that they were planning to come to the city the next Friday because they had meetings on Saturday. The kids would be staying with Nathaniel’s aunt but, if it wouldn’t be a bother, could she and Nathaniel stay in the penthouse Friday night?
Lynne nearly laughed with the ridiculousness of it. Abby was asking if it was all right for them to stay in their own penthouse?
She sent back a quick reply telling her that they could come whenever they wanted, that she looked forward to seeing them next weekend, and to give the kids hugs for her.
Once she’d sent the e-mail off, she noticed Simon had sent the information. A quick look told her he’d included more than only the information; he’d also added his checklist.
She took a deep breath, exhaled loudly, and began to read. When she finished, she read it again. The entire time, one thought kept repeating in her head: What had she gotten herself into?