I mentioned it to Nathaniel when they left to see the rest of the property.
“Maybe being out of town is good for them,” he said.
“We should keep them out of town, then,” I joked.
He laughed and then said he wanted to see the room he’d be giving his talk in, so we went into the main building to find it. The talks were to be held off the main lobby in large rooms set up with rows of chairs, like a theater. We went into the one he’d be speaking in and Nathaniel chatted for a few minutes with the woman setting up the sound system. Once everything was confirmed to his liking, he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulled me close, and kissed me.
“Let’s go get ready,” he said.
The music’s thump, thump, thump slowly worked its way from my ears, to my mind, and gradually eased into my muscles, loosening them, filling my body, and I soon found I was unable to do anything except sway to the beat.
While we had been eating dinner, a dance floor was put in the courtyard, flanked on one side by the play area and on the other, the eating area. Currently, the bulk of the people were on the dance floor. Men and women of all ages—from twenty to retirement—were dancing, and it didn’t seem to matter who they danced with. Men danced with men and women danced with women, and in one corner, a group of three men danced with one woman. Tonight, everyone was wearing masks and I thought maybe that accounted for the uninhibited mood.
Alcohol wasn’t allowed, so everyone was sober, but the very air seemed to be intoxicating. Even Nathaniel, who didn’t care much for clubs, was tapping his foot. He wasn’t acting as though he would be making any move to the dance floor, though. Daniel stood at his other side and Julie looked up expectantly.
“I don’t think this is my type of music, kitten,” he said. “If Nathaniel’s okay with it, why don’t you and Abby go dance?”
I glanced at Nathaniel and he nodded. “Go on, my lovely. I’ll get more enjoyment out of watching you than joining in myself.”
Julie and I didn’t have to be told twice. She reached for my hand and we made our way onto the middle of the dance floor.
Julie wore a half mask of navy and gold that matched the flirty skirt she wore. Her cheeks flushed a light pink as she turned toward me.
“I haven’t danced like this in forever,” she said.
I was wearing my black lace, one-sleeve dress. It was the same dress I’d worn to that seedy club in New York. But I chose it because it matched the black mask covering my face as well as the black leather collar that was very obvious with the low neckline of the dress and the way my hair was pulled up.
“Me neither,” I said.
We didn’t talk after that. The music was simply too loud. But I could feel her laughter as the crowd pushed us together. I closed my eyes and let the music sink into my body, allowing it to overtake me. My hips undulated and as the song went on, I felt as if I were the only person on the dance floor.
My eyes flew open as someone swung me around and I found myself facing a large wall of a man. I took a step back, my eyes searching the crowd at the edge of the dance floor for Nathaniel. I expected him to motion me back, but instead he nodded. To my left, Julie was dancing with another guy I didn’t recognize. When she saw me looking, she shrugged. Apparently, Daniel hadn’t minded, either.
It made me feel wanton and wild. I didn’t recognize the woman I became on the dance floor. Whoever she was, she was free and uninhibited. Very similar to when Nathaniel and I played in front of people. I wasn’t sure why, but even though I felt like someone else, for some reason I still felt safe and secure. I couldn’t make sense of it, but I didn’t worry about it, either. I didn’t know the large man dancing with me, but he made me feel sexy and sensual—not attracted to him, but just feeling sexy in my own skin.
I threw a look over my shoulder and I knew what it was. Though Nathaniel was watching me with that intensely sexy look of his, others in the room were, too. It was the same as having sex in public. Something about people watching me, wanting me, but unable to touch me. Hell, part of me thought it made me sound like a freak. And I was having too much fun to feel like a freak, so I decided not to think about it anymore. Instead I looked back to Nathaniel.
He watched me with a look of unadulterated lust and longing. He no longer tapped his foot, but stood completely still, his eyes locked on my every move. I circled my hips, dipped my knees, and swayed with my arms over my head. For him.
Over his shoulder, I noticed a group of strangers watching.
For them.
But wasn’t that wrong?
I closed my eyes once more and imagined I was a harem girl, dancing for Nathaniel, my sheik. In my mind, I was naked and taunting him with my body. Showing him how I could pleasure him later with the moves of my hips.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but as it did, I grew more and more turned on. Needed him more and more. Craved his touch. Yearned for his command. And it suddenly hit me that the people watching saw how much dancing for him turned me on and that made me want to dance even more. For him. For them. They blurred together.
The music slowed and as it changed, I looked for Julie. When I found her, I motioned that we should head back to our men. I didn’t want the dancing to end, but I knew I couldn’t slow-dance with another man. Julie slid away from the guy she’d been dancing with and we slowly walked back to the edge of the dance floor.
“I can’t believe Daniel and Nathaniel allowed us to dance with those two guys,” she said.
We took one last look back to where we’d been dancing. The two men were now dancing with each other. Julie raised an eyebrow and I simply shrugged. Who knew?
As soon as I got within touching distance, Nathaniel took me in his arms, pulled me close, and whispered coarsely, “That was damn near the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I danced for you,” I said, pushing my hips against his, feeling his erection. “It was all for you.” Well, not all of it, but most of it. Maybe.
“I think I understand it now,” he said. “At least in part.”
“The dancing?”
“No, we’ll talk about it later.”
He pulled me in front of him so my back was to his chest. “Right now we’re going to watch for a few minutes. Then I’m showing you what happens to sexy submissives who tease their Dominants.”
“I look forward to it, Master.”