CHAPTER THREE

 

“What?” Crystal’s heart sped up, and her nerves tingled with anticipation and apprehension. “Are you serious?”

“I am.” He leaned forward. “You need to understand the lifestyle, and you can only get so much from reading.”

“True. Are we going to Seattle?”

“No. I’m surprised Sierra hasn’t told you.”

Crystal lowered her eyes. “She did. But I don’t want her to get into trouble. I know because I was making sure she was safe with Max.”

Jordan smiled. His warm fingers ran over her cheek, causing her skin to tingle. “Look at me, Crystal.” He waited until she was looking at him. “It’s okay. The NDA Sierra signed covers talking about who is at the club doing what. We figured people would talk about the club itself. We wanted to protect the people at the club.”

“We? Who is this we?”

“Max, Damon, and myself. We’re more or less partners in the club.” He shifted closer to her. “Since we’re talking about this, are you interested in learning more about kink?”

“In relation to the case?” Had he moved even closer? Yes, he had. She was sitting with her legs tucked under her, and his knees were now almost touching hers.

“More than the case.” His palm slid around to the back of her neck.

Her nerves danced with excitement and a hint of anxiety. Did she want to explore kink personally? To find out if kink was as good in real life as it was in the books she’d read or from what Sierra told her? To trust someone—she’d read the lifestyle was about trust—that much? Yes, to all of it. After reading about it and seeing how happy Sierra was, she wanted to know more. Still, in the back of her mind, she could hear her mother’s words: Sex is a sin.

“You’re thinking very hard,” Jordan said.

“I am.” He stroked the back of her neck. “Jordan, this is inappropriate.” She wiggled beneath his touch.

“Why? I’m attracted to you.”

“No.” Crystal rose to her feet and tried to control her breathing. Her thoughts were starting to jumble together. The case, his offer, his touch, everything.

“Crystal.” He frowned.

“If this has to do with the case, fine, but anything else is a no-go.” But I want it, a little voice inside her said. Yes, part of her wanted to explore with Jordan, but she couldn’t. They barely knew each other. However, it was more than that. Her upbringing hadn’t been one of a loving nature. While she’d gotten past certain aspects of her teen years, Jordan brought out memories best left in the past.

Jordan stared at her. “All right.” She released the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. “For now. Tomorrow I’ll have you sign the NDA for the club and fill out the paperwork for a background check.”

“Background check?” She remembered Sierra talking about the NDA and other stuff, but she hadn’t gone into detail. Crystal sat back down.

“Yes. It’s a private club. You’ll be my guest, but you still have to fill out the background check and NDA, and even though you’re not becoming a member, the club application, and go over the rules. We’ll go over them tomorrow and go to the club on Thursday.”

“You seem to have it all planned out.”

“I do.” He leaned in. “Tell me, Crystal, what scares you more: kink or my attraction to you?” His voice had dropped to a low, husky tone that sent shivers over her skin.

How the hell did she answer? It wasn’t his attraction to her so much, but how she was reacting to him. Her willpower took a hike when she was around him, and it wasn’t a good thing. “I’m scared of myself.” The words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them.

His lips parted, and his breath whooshed out of him. “That was unexpected.”

A tremor slid over her skin at his intense stare.

“You’re breathing is a little shallow. Not sure if it’s from excitement or fear, but I’m not going to lie to you. I’m a Dominant. And I’d like nothing more than to play with you.” He leaned toward her.

And she wanted to play with him. She wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t, not if she was honest with him and herself. Sinful. The word echoed in her mind.

Crystal froze. “Jordan.” She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed. “This is going way too fast.” His words made her heart pound and her mouth go dry. Yes, it was too soon.

He moved back. “Is it?” He stared at her with those brown eyes of his. “Be honest with me. How am I making you feel right now?”

“Excited, scared, and a little bit out of control.” Words like sinful and slut ran through her head like a broken record. Would she ever get past those memories? Maybe it was time to see a therapist again? She’d have to think about it.

“Good emotions, all of them. What is scaring you?”

“Everything,” she whispered. This was crazy. “Please scoot back.” She needed some distance between them to regain her balance. Emotionally and physically.

“Why?”

“Because I can’t breathe with you so close.” It was true; she was having trouble getting a full breath. No man had ever affected her like he did. Even the first night they met, he’d done this to her.

“Thank you for being honest.” He shifted until he was at the other end of the sofa.

Crystal blew out a breath. That was better. He wasn’t so close she would be tempted. She froze. Tempted? Yep, she was tempted to jump into his arms. Oh, this was so not good. He was a lawyer. She’d promised herself never to date another lawyer after the last disaster. But still, how would she be able to look him in the eye? And there were her family hang-ups.

“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” She shifted and unfolded her legs. Her father’s voice sounded in her head. Time for the sin closet, you slut.

“What’s got you running?” His voice held concern.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” She got to her feet and glanced at the beer sitting on the side table. She had barely finished half of it, so she couldn’t blame being tipsy for what had happened here. “I should be going. Thank you for dinner. We can talk tomorrow.”

“Very well.” His voice was soft. Jordan stood and waited while she slipped on her shoes, then escorted her to the front door without touching her.

“I can make it to my car,” she said as he stepped out with her.

“I’ll walk you.” He shut the door behind him. “I’m not sure why you’re running, but I won’t push you.” Crystal wasn’t going to say another word. This whole thing had made her uncomfortable. All she could remember was her father’s anger at her. Tears gathered behind her eyes. She did this. She made Jordan angry with her.

Thank goodness she had her own vehicle. It would make it easier to escape. Yeah, she admitted to herself, she was escaping. At her vehicle, she unlocked it and tossed her bag and jacket onto the passenger seat before she turned to Jordan.

He was right there. In her space. Her hands came up, palms flat on his chest. Damn, she could feel his muscles through the shirt. “Jordan.”

“I said I won’t push tonight. We have time.”

She wanted to ask him: Time for what? But he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. It was a soft kiss, a barely there kiss, before he lifted his head. Her lips tingled, and her body shifted ever so slightly toward him.

“Drive carefully, and call me when you get home.” He stepped away from her, and her hands fell to her sides.

Crystal climbed into her SUV, and Jordan shut the door. She started her vehicle, backed out of the space, and watched him in her rearview mirror until she couldn’t see him.

His soft kiss carried a promise of more. Crystal trembled. This was so not good. All the way home, she argued with herself over the kiss she wanted more of.

She got to her apartment and flopped down on the sofa, still unsure. What was she going to do tomorrow?

Act like nothing happened, that’s what. She was a professional. She could do this.

She fished her cell out of her purse. He’d told her to call him. Wait a second; she didn’t have Jordan’s number. Well, she couldn’t call him. Maybe she should call Sierra and ask for it. She didn’t want him to worry. She started to scroll through her contacts and stopped.

When had he programmed his number into her phone? Because there it sat. Jordan Frost. She punched the button.

“Are you home?”

“Yes. When did you program your number into my phone?” Her voice was firm.

His husky laugh sent waves of awareness through her nerves. “I’m going to plead the Fifth. Sleep well, my Crystal. See you tomorrow.”

The line went dead, and with it, Crystal’s ire. How did he manage to do that all the time? She shook her head and then put her phone down. She had a lot to think about before tomorrow. The biggest issue was how far would she allow this attraction to Jordan to go, and could she get past her upbringing to explore kink with him?

* * * *

When he could no longer see the lights of Crystal’s car, Jordan entered the house and moved down the hall to his home gym. He needed to work off some frustration. He wrapped his hands and pulled on his boxing gloves. Stepping up to the punching bag, he let go with a series of punches. Not hard, but not soft.

Once he was warmed up, he began to hit the bag harder and faster. Damn it! He’d moved too fast with Crystal. He should know better. She was apprehensive enough when he sprang bringing her to his home for dinner. That should have been enough to make him back off.

But no, he had to keep pushing. Yes, he was a Dominant, and pushing was a part of his makeup, but Crystal wasn’t his. At least not yet. There was that arrogance once again. He had to find a way to balance his attraction to her and his need to move too fast.

He wasn’t sure why he was so determined to pursue Crystal. He wasn’t into commitment with his play partners. A normal Top/bottom relationship with no ties was fine with him. Crystal was different. He punched the bag. From the first time he met her, it seemed as though a string connected them. Made him want more than a Top/bottom relationship. He wanted more with her. Lots more.

Slow and steady. His hands followed his brain. Tomorrow, they’d go over the club’s NDA and background check. Thursday, he’d introduce her to the club. His cock stirred. This had more to do with the case than him, he reminded himself.

They were going to have some long nights and weekend work sessions over the next couple of weeks. He wanted her to be comfortable with him, not jumping every time he made a move.

He needed to give her time to get used to being around him and for her to realize he wasn’t going to take advantage of her. So no more surprises. If he wanted them to work at his place, then he’d ask her. He would make this work.

Of course he would. He wanted Crystal, but she had to consent to him. He wasn’t going to take this any further without that because he wasn’t an ass. He could control his baser urges.

He’d apologize to her tomorrow and keep things professional between them until she signaled differently.

* * * *

“Sierra, I need your help,” Crystal said as she drove into work the next morning. She’d wrestled with herself all night. Thank goodness for Bluetooth headsets.

“What’s up?” Sierra asked.

“It’s about Jordan.”

“What?”

Even though Crystal couldn’t see Sierra, she heard the sharp intake of breath and the rustle of bedding. “Did I wake you?”

“No. Just a second.” There were muffled sounds in the background and the closing of a door. “Okay, I’m in the bathroom. What has Jordan done?”

“Hell, I caught you with Max.” She should have known.

Sierra laughed. “It’s okay. I needed to get up anyway. Now spill.”

Crystal pulled into the parking lot of Sweet and Savory, Lara’s cafe. At least she could sit here and talk. “Well, I can’t really talk about the case we’re working on together, but I can tell you it involves kink, and Jordan wants to take me to the club tomorrow night.”

Sierra squealed, and Crystal winced. “That’s fantastic.” There was a pause. “I’m fine, Max.” Crystal smiled. She must have woken Max with her yell.

“Has something changed since you asked me if I would talk to Max about letting you see the club?”

“No, but this is different.” Crystal stared out the windshield at the cafe. “I want to see what the club is like, but this is…Jordan.”

“Are you saying Jordan wants to scene with you?”

Crystal took a deep breath. “I don’t know. We talked—a little—about Dominants and subs.”

Sierra squealed. “Welcome to my world.”

“You better calm down or Max will break through the bathroom door to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine, sweetie,” Sierra yelled. “Look, I can’t do this over the phone.”

“Well, I have no choice. I have to be at work in twenty minutes, and Jordan wants to talk about what it means to go to the club tomorrow night. He talked about going over another NDA and background check before I can go to the club.”

“Okay. The NDA is easy, as is the background check. You’ll pass with flying colors.” Sierra’s long breath floated over the airwaves. “Listen, be honest with him. Don’t freak out. You’ll see. It’s close to the books we read, only more in-depth. Every little detail spelled out.”

“Why doesn’t that make me feel better?” Maybe she should tell Jordan to forget it. She could do the job without knowing kink. “You know how I was brought up.” While their childhoods had been different, they shared a past filled with dysfunctional family life.

“It will be fine. Listen to Jordan and follow your instincts.” Sierra lowered her voice. “Ignore the negative voices in your head. I never thought I’d find myself in the lifestyle, but Max convinced me to try, and I’m not sorry I did.”

Crystal rubbed her stomach when it grumbled. “Yeah, and I know you’re happy.”

“Deliriously.”

“Thanks, Sierra. I’ll let you get back to whatever you and Max were doing.”

Sierra laughed. “Girls’ dinner tonight. I want to hear all about this.” The line went dead, and Crystal got out of her vehicle. Coffee and food were the first order of business, but her mind kept focusing in on Sierra’s words: Follow your instincts.

After getting coffee and food, Crystal made her way to the office. She stepped out of her SUV and walked around to the passenger side. Before she could open the door, someone walked up to her car. Her head jerked up. Jordan stood there in all his tall, handsome, overwhelming glory.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay.” Her heart pounded, and she wanted to believe it was from the fright he gave her not how damn sexy the man looked in slacks and a polo shirt. She reached in and grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, then reached back in for the coffee tray and box of food.

“Let me help.” Jordan took the coffee tray from her and stepped back.

Crystal smiled. “Thank you.” She shut the door and locked her vehicle.

“It was nice of you to stop for treats.” He eyed the box and the tray of coffee cups. “You do know there is a pot in the break room,” he said as they walked side-by-side into the building.

“I do.” The elevator opened, and they stepped in. “But I love the way Lara makes a cafe mocha, and who can resist her carrot cake muffins?”

Jordan’s laugh was rich and deep, sending shivers of awareness over her skin. “There are three cups here.”

“Yep. One for me, a latte for Valerie, and an espresso for you.” The elevator arrived at their floor, and she stepped out with Jordan following.

“Good morning,” Valerie said when they entered the reception area.

“Morning.” Crystal turned and pulled one of the cups out of the holder. “Your latte and muffin.” She handed both to Valerie.

“Thank you so much. I was running late again today, so I forgot to stop.” Valerie looked at Jordan. “I’ve cleared your schedule for this morning.”

“Thank you, Valerie.” Jordan looked at Crystal. “Shall we get started?”

Damn. He wasn’t even going to give her a chance to gather her scattered thoughts. “I guess. Let me put the food in the break room, leave my bag in my office, and grab a note pad.”

“Of course. Conference room one.” He opened the box and stole a muffin, then took the coffee tray from her and sauntered away.

With a sigh, Crystal dropped off the food, grabbed her own muffin, and went to her office. She stowed her bag, then picked up a notebook and a pen.

She stopped inside the doorway of the conference room.

Jordan stood next to the small conference table, their coffee and three folders on the table in front of him.

“Why the conference room?” she asked.

“I want us to be comfortable as we talk.” He gestured for her to take a seat, then shut the door behind her.

Crystal fought to keep her breathing slow and even. She sat down, turned to her left and placed her notebook and pen on the table. She picked up her coffee cup and took a long drink. The chocolate exploded on her tongue, and the espresso perked her up.

Jordan sat down facing her. “You’re nervous.”

“Good guess.” She was. “I’m not sure about this, Jordan.”

“I am.” He sipped his coffee. “You need to understand the lifestyle so you can ask the right questions.”

That much was true. “I get that. But the whole attraction thing, that’s what I’m not sure about.”

“I pushed last night, and I’m sorry.” He sat his cup down. “I usually know when to back off.”

“This is all so new. Different.” Crystal tried to find the right words. Trust your instincts. Sierra’s words came to mind.

“I know.” He reached over and captured her left hand in his right. “I’ll try to take things slower.”

“That would be nice.” She bit her lower lip. “Before we go any further with this, I want you to understand.” She took a deep breath. Time to jump into the deep end. “I may be interested in the lifestyle and in being your sub. I need time to process it all.” The words rushed out of her.

“Agreed.” He squeezed her hand. “If I’m pushing you, say yellow.”

“A safe word.”

“Yep. I will instantly understand and adjust. Are you okay with that?”

Follow your instincts. “Yes.”

“Good. For this morning, I want to go over the NDA, background check, and application with you and get you all set up for Thursday night. Then go over the rules and questionnaire so you understand how this all relates to the case.” He released her hand.

“I think I can handle it.” A grin overtook his lips and made her insides turn over. She was glad she’d talked to Sierra about this.

“Then let’s start.” He picked up the first folder. “NDA, background check, club application.”

* * * *

Jordan watched as Crystal read the NDA, then filled out the background check and application while she drank her coffee and munched on her muffin. He was happy she was being open and honest with him. Those new to the lifestyle sometimes had a problem with the degree and depth of honesty required. Pride coursed through him as well. Some things made Crystal obviously nervous, but she didn’t let it hold her back. He liked that about her.

His dick twitched as Crystal bit her lower lip. Damn if that wasn’t sexy to him. He couldn’t wait until he could run his tongue over her mouth and soothe the sting of her bite. Hell, he wanted to use his tongue in other places too.

He reined his thoughts in. Hadn’t he promised to go slow? He flexed his fingers around his coffee cup. She wasn’t his sub…not yet.

She wasn’t ready for his dominance. He needed to give her time to adjust before he went full Dom on her. Even so, suppressing his dominant side was difficult. Jordan polished off his own coffee and muffin. But he hungered for her, not food.

“Done.” She handed the folder back to him.

“Thank you.” He picked up the next folder. “Why don’t you start reading this while I send the background check out.” He handed her the new folder, stood, and left the room.

Jordan scanned the document and checked the file.

Yep, perfect. Closing it, he emailed it to Logan, a police officer, who did the background checks for the club. He walked back into the conference room. Crystal was bent over, reading. He waited for her to say something, but she didn’t.

The flipping of pages sounded loud in the quiet room. Occasionally, she would pause, make a little check mark, and go on.

Jordan waited.

When she got to the end, she flipped the pages back to the beginning and tapped the end of the pen against her rosy lips. Her cheeks were a little pink.

Jordan waited.

She sighed and looked up. “This questionnaire is extensive. I’m going to need help understanding all of this.”

Finally.

He wasn’t sure she was going to ask questions or run screaming from the conference room. “Of course.” He adjusted his chair so he was closer to her. “What do you need help with?”

“Everything.” She stared at him, confusion in her green eyes. “I know this has to do with the case. But why so many questions?”

“In order for a Dom to understand what a sub is interested in, the questions are necessary.”

“But don’t you negotiate a scene together before you do it?”

“A Dom and sub do negotiate, but there is also this list.” He gestured toward the questionnaire. “This list is a little like a blueprint. In addition to limits, it gives the Dom an idea of what the sub enjoys and works as a sort of starting point when a Dom and sub are playing together for the first time.”

“Isn’t negotiation about that?”

“Yes, but think about it. A Dom and sub are going to play. Their negotiation could take hours to go over everything. This way, the Dom is already aware of the sub’s hard limits, wants, and desires.”

Crystal tilted her head. “Makes sense. Does the sub get to see the Dom’s questionnaire?”

“If they ask, yes. I can’t speak for everyone in the lifestyle. I do encourage the subs I train to ask to see the Dominant’s questionnaire. You never want to play with someone you don’t trust.”

“Wait a second.” Crystal shifted, turning more toward him. “If you play with someone you trust… Are you saying the Doms in your club don’t hook up with subs?”

“Not in the traditional sense.”

“Please explain, because now I’m even more confused.”

“You’ve gotten most of your information from the books you read, and that’s fine.” He held up his hand when she started to talk. “When Max, Damon, and I started the club, we did so for a reason.”

“Right. You mentioned Damon being involved last night.”

“The three of us were tired of the hook-ups we saw at parties. We wanted the club to be a place where people could explore the lifestyle without pressure, but also with a sense of trust.”

“The NDA, background checks, questionnaire, agreeing to the rules, it’s all part of it?”

She caught on fast. “It is. The club itself is private. In order to become a member, you must know a member or someone in the kink community who knows us.”

“That makes sense. You can vet people better.”

“There are classes we require people to take. We don’t have any new members coming in right now, or I’d have you sit through the classes that pertain to the club so you’d have a better understanding for the case. Max and I agreed I could explain to you as we go.”

“What are the classes?”

“First one is what we are doing here, the NDA, background check, and limits list. The other classes are going over rules, expectations and then, finally, a night at the club.”

“So how are we going to do it?” Her cheeks turned pink, and he hid a smile.

Jordan enjoyed explaining all of this to her. Her questions were intelligent. “Tomorrow night, I’ll take you into the club as my guest. Usually it takes about a week to get the background check back, but I asked my contact to rush it.”

“So I’ll be able to see the club and what goes on. Am I allowed to talk to people?”

“Of course you are.” He smiled. “You will be my guest, and it has not been conclusively established if you are a Dominant of submissive. Also, you are not in a committed D/s relationship, so lifestyle protocols don’t apply to you.” Jordan paused. “One thing to remember, however. If you wish to speak with a sub or slave, protocol and courtesy mandates you ask their Dom’s or Master’s permission.”

Crystal wrinkled her nose “I think I have a lot to learn.”

He wanted to gather her into his arms and kiss her, but they were in the office. “You don’t have to learn everything today, but I would like to get through the questionnaire.” He couldn’t get distracted from what he was supposed to be doing. He shifted, trying to ease the pulsing of his cock.

“I’d like to take this”—she patted the folder that held the questionnaire and rules—“back into my office and review it more.” There was a flash of hesitation in her eyes.

“Care to share why?”

“I would feel more comfortable. If I have any questions, I’ll ask you.”

Jordan looked at his watch. It was almost eleven. They’d been in the conference for three hours, and he should prep for his afternoon appointment. “All right. But we will need to discuss it before we leave tonight.”

“I can do that.” She sprang from her chair as if something had stung her. “Thanks.” Crystal bolted from the room, leaving Jordan shaking his head. He quickly cleaned up and made his way back to his office. Time to get to work and not think about Crystal at the club and at his mercy.

A familiar tightening reminded him this would be no easy task.

* * * *

Crystal was never so glad to escape to her office. One more minute with Jordan and she would have kissed him silly. The man had no clue how sexy he was. She could barely think when he touched her, even in a non-sexual way.

Maybe it wasn’t a bad thing, but not in the office. In the office, they needed to be professional. She laughed as she dropped to her chair and placed the folder on her desk. As if what they’d talked about was professional in the context of the case.

Her cell rang, and she fished it out of her bag. She wasn’t surprised to see it was Sierra. “Hey there.”

“I’ve been calling you for hours. Where have you been?”

“In the conference room with Jordan, discussing the club.”

“Ohhh.”

“Sierra, I’m doing this in a professional capacity. I need to understand what goes on.”

“Right. Have you forgotten our conversation from this morning?”

“Of course I haven’t, but…the questionnaire is intimidating.” It was more than that. Her upbringing around sex made it difficult for her to think logically at times. Her parents’ views on sex had been drummed into her. Sex was to only take place between a married couple. Crystal shivered. She had walked the straight and narrow while at home. Well, pretty much. But once she got out on her own, her eyes had been opened.

The few times she’d had sex in college, she’d approached it more as an experiment. With Jordan, it was different. He wasn’t an experiment; he was dynamite. He could rock her world if she let him. Slut. The word slipped into her mind, and she pushed it away. There was no sin closet here and never would be.

“Yes, it is. Did you go through it?”

“Not completely. I convinced Jordan to let me take it to my office to finish up. I don’t know how I didn’t spontaneously combust at some of those questions.” And there were those questions she had no clue what they meant.

Sierra laughed. “I have time right now. Do you want to go over it with me on the phone?”

Thank goodness for best friends. “Oh God, yes, that would be helpful.” The less she had to ask Jordan, the better off for her own self-preservation. Crystal sat forward and opened the folder. “I understand hard limits, but some of these questions are way out of my scope. Like canes, crops, floggers, hairbrush, paddles…”

“All impact play. Let me explain.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“Max has been teaching me, and after a couple times at the club, you’ll begin to understand. So these are all things that can be used on you.”

“Like hell.” A chill raced up her spine as she remembered the times her father had hit her with his belt.

“It’s not abuse. I kind of felt the same way, but think about the last book we read for the book club. Remember how the hero was flogging the heroine.”

Crystal closed her eyes. Damn, the scene had made her squirm, in a good way. “Flogging maybe, but canes, crops, or other things? I don’t think I can handle.”

“I get it. You’ll see all sorts of things at the club, so keep an open mind. What’s next?”

For the next hour, Sierra went over the questionnaire with her. There were still some things they had to look up on the internet.

“Done.” Crystal closed the folder. Damn, she hadn’t worked so hard over something in a while. She had notes on everything, so there was little she’d need to ask Jordan about. What a relief. The less time they spent discussing things like sex and kink, the better she’d be able to keep her attraction to him under wraps.

“Good. I’ll be at the club tomorrow night.”

“I thought you didn’t go on Thursdays?”

“I usually don’t, but I want to be there to support you.”

“You are the best.” It would make her less nervous if her best friend was there. “You and Max aren’t going to play, are you?” She wasn’t sure how she felt about seeing her friend and her friend’s boyfriend in that situation.

“What are you going to wear?”

“I…oh shit. I can’t wear what you wore. So not me.” How could she have forgotten how Sierra was dressed that first night? Oh no. This wasn’t going to work. She couldn’t show off her body like that. But she wasn’t going to the club to play. She was there to observe and learn for the case.

“Easy, Crystal. I’m sure we can find something in your closet. You have a little black dress, if I remember right.”

“I do.” She’d bought it for a song on sale a few years back. Crystal blew out a breath.

“It will work, and I’m sure Jordan will discuss it with you. You’re going in the capacity of learning about kink for your case, nothing more.”

Crystal wasn’t sure she wanted to have this conversation. She was so out of her depth with Jordan. “Right, research to learn about it.” Why did she have to keep reminding herself of that?

“Oh crap, Crystal, I have to go. I forgot I’m meeting a client. We still on for girls’ night?”

“It’s Wednesday. Book club night.” Crystal remembered because she was looking at her calendar.

“That’s right. Okay, see you at the book club.” Sierra hung up.

Crystal set her phone on her desk. It was almost two. Maybe she’d take lunch and go check out the boutique down the street to see what they had for clothing. But first things first. She put aside the questionnaire and her notes from the call, then picked up the folder with the signed club rules and went into reception.

“Valerie, is Jordan with a client?”

“No, but he left for a meeting.”

“Okay, I’m going to drop this folder on his desk and then go to lunch myself.” She strode into Jordan’s office, set the folder under his keyboard, then walked back out. “Did you go to lunch?” she asked Valerie.

“Not yet, but I will. I’m waiting for a client to arrive for Johnson’s one-thirty appointment to show up before I go.”

“All right, make sure you go. You need a break too.” Crystal walked back into her office and grabbed her bag before leaving.

A brisk walk for three blocks and she found the little boutique. She stepped inside and looked around, hoping she could find something in here to wear.

“Hello, can I help you?” The voice belonged to a young woman with purple and pink hair who was coming out from the back of the store.

Crystal thought for a moment. “Maybe you can. I’m looking for something sexy and revealing, yet not too revealing.”

The young woman tapped her chin with her finger. “I’m guessing something for a night out, going dancing and clubbing?”

“Sounds perfect.” Just what she needed, someone who understood.

“Got it. Let’s see what I have. If you’ll follow me.”

Forty minutes later, Crystal walked out of the boutique with a smile and a large bag. She wondered how Jordan would react when he saw her in the outfit she’d bought. Crystal shook her head; his reaction had nothing to do with it. It was an outfit for a later date so that when—and if—they played together, she’d fit in and not be the odd woman out like she’d been most of her life. Especially if she let Jordan into her life.

Her nerves danced in excitement. It was going to be a long wait until tomorrow night.