For the moment, though, she followed behind him as he wove in and out of the small groups of other people in the house. He nodded to a few, spoke a greeting to one or two. There were a variety of people in attendance. A few couples appeared to be paired up, but they passed a group of four women who all watched as Master Parks walked by.
At the end of the hallway, he pushed open a door to a small bedroom. A pile of coats covered the twin bed in the middle of the room.
“You can leave your coat in here.”
She unbuckled the belt of her raincoat and shrugged out of it. “Thank you, Sir.”
She’d expected him to leave, but instead he watched as she put her coat on top of the pile. Quite on purpose, she stretched out as she laid it down, knowing that by doing so, she’d be showing off her toned legs. She mentally patted herself on the back for selecting the miniskirt to wear with the corset instead of the long, flowing one.
Makes getting up at five a.m. to jog worth it.
“How long have you been a submissive?” he asked.
“Four years, Sir.”
“You’ve played in public?”
“Yes, Sir.”
She turned around to find he was, in fact, watching her and with a look that clearly said he knew exactly what she’d been up to. A faint smile touched his lips. Just barely noticeable. But there. A surge of victory shot through her.
“Four years,” he repeated. “The assumption would be that because of your experience, you don’t need a detailed rundown of protocol.” Before she could respond, he continued. “I’ve learned, however, that assumptions typically come back to kick your ass, so I’ll give you a rundown anyway.”
“Thank you, Sir.” She was relieved. She’d read the paperwork, but not everything had been spelled out as clearly as she preferred. Out of habit, she shifted her gaze to the floor.
“Look at me, Dena.” He spoke softly and waited until she lifted her head. “I can’t speak for other Dominants in the group, but I want your eyes on me when we talk unless I tell you differently.”
“Thank you, Sir,” she replied. Something about the gruffness of his voice made her hyperaware of how long it’d been since she’d played with anyone. She wondered if his touch would match the roughness of his voice.
He nodded. “The group safe word is ‘red.’ Say it and the scene stops immediately. You’ll probably also have a few members come by to make sure you’re okay. Dungeon monitors have a yellow armband on. If you have questions or need anything, see one of them. As you’ve already noticed, no one is allowed inside who hasn’t been approved. But if someone comes up to you and you have any questions about their character or intent before you play, feel free to ask me.”
She wondered if he was at the party with anyone. He was extremely good-looking in a rough and rustic kind of way. She’d always been attracted to his type, probably because it was so different from her father.
Stop thinking about your father!
“The two rooms upstairs are for demos,” Master Parks continued. “Basement is free space to play—just make sure everything’s clean before you leave. Most Dominants bring their own toys, since we’re rather attached to our favorites. Kitchen is neutral; no play allowed. Only certain members are allowed to play with doors closed. Again, if you have any questions, ask a DM or me.”
She nodded.
“I think that’s all. Do you have any questions?”
“Just one, Sir.”
His forehead wrinkled as if he were trying to decide what he left out. “Yes?”
“What’s your favorite?”
“Favorite what?”
“Toy.” Her mind swam with images of him holding a flogger, smacking her backside with a crop, blindfolding her. “You said most Dominants had a favorite. I was wondering if you did.”
His eyes darkened and his lips parted just a tiny bit. He had really full, kissable lips. She bet he had nice teeth, too. Probably amazing what he could do with those lips and teeth.
“Actually,” he said, taking a step closer to her. There was very little space between them now; her belly tightened at how close he was. “I’m more of a bondage guy.” He captured her wrist, and his hands were warm and strong. Softly, he whispered in her ear, “How about you, Dena? What’s your favorite?”
She licked her lips. When had her mouth gotten so dry? And could he see how hard she was breathing? Probably, she decided. But instead of feeling shame at how much he turned her on, she squared her shoulders and answered, “All of it, Sir. I like all of it.”
Jeff Parks had taken one look at the beautiful blonde while she stood in the foyer and had known immediately she was out of his league. As a man who’d been raised in the lower middle class, it didn’t take much for him to recognize the look of someone with a completely different upbringing. Everything about her screamed upper class, from her perfect makeup and meticulously styled hair right down to the neatly painted red toenails peeking out of her ridiculously high heels.
She reminded him of an angel, she was so perfectly put together. And though she was at a BDSM play party, he knew he wasn’t anywhere near angelic enough to be in her world. He’d faltered briefly when she’d said she had four years’ experience and then again when she’d asked what his favorite toy was, all the while looking at him with the bluest eyes he’d ever seen.
Even now, standing in the kitchen, watching her move around the house, he wondered if he’d made a huge mistake in not asking if she wanted to play. If he closed his eyes, he could still smell the faint scent of jasmine that he’d first noticed when he’d taken her wrist.
“You plan on asking her to play, or are you going to sit here and stare at her all night?”
He turned at the sound of Daniel’s voice. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t even deny it.” Daniel nodded toward Dena. “The new blonde. I was thinking of asking her, but from the looks of it, you’ll pound anyone who approaches her into the ground.”
Jeff’s body tensed as a relatively new Dom walked up to her. She turned and smiled at the guy but peeked toward Jeff out of the corner of her eye. The tension left him when she sweetly shook her head.
“Looks like someone’s waiting for you,” Daniel said as the guy walked off.