Five Stars (Desire Island 5)

“Fresh start,” Shani said. “I totally get that.” Boy, did she.

“Yeah. It was scary, but also liberating. I wanted to try something completely new. I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands. When I took this leather workshop at a BDSM event, I knew I’d found my calling. I set up my own shop and I now have several guys working under me. No matter how much we produce, we can’t keep up with demand. I’ve been able to travel to all sorts of exotic places in my quest to learn new techniques and get new ideas. I actually get paid to attend BDSM events all over the world. I wake up every day and pinch myself, still not quite believing it’s all real.”

“That’s great,” Shani said, happy for him. “Your work is really exquisite,” she added. “You use such vibrant colors in your leathers. The braiding work reminds me of Native American designs. I can see why people love your stuff. It’s not just functional. It’s art.”

“Thanks, Shani. That means a lot to me, especially coming from an artist like you. Your jewelry, what I’ve seen of it, is really special. Where did you learn your skills?”

Shani shrugged, her face warming at his praise. “My grandmother taught me, and I took a few courses at a local community college. While my sisters saved the money from their summer jobs for bikes and cars, I saved for beads, silver and semi-precious stones. My grandmother died when I was nineteen. She left me all her tools and inventory. It’s always been a labor of love. I’ve never really thought about doing it for a living long-term.”

“Well, I’m sure I’m not the first person to say you should be thinking about it. Have you ever considered designing a BDSM line? Bracelets that serve as cuffs? Necklaces that serve as collars? Nipple and clit rings? I know a woman in Portland, her name is Allie Byrne. She’ll be at the BDSM Connections event. She makes her own jewelry, too. I bet she’d be glad to talk to you about what it takes to get into the business, if and when you were ever interested.”

Shani laughed. “You’re making my head spin.”

Adam slapped his forehead, making a comical face. “Oh, man. I’m doing it again. Pushing you—rushing you. I’m sorry. I—”

“No,” Shani interrupted. “Please don’t apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong. I’m just overwhelmed by all this. It’s sounds amazing and wonderful and I’d be nuts not to say yes to all of it. It’s just…”

She wanted to tell him. She did. But somehow the words just wouldn’t come.

But at the very least, he’d helped her to see it was time to stop hiding—to stop running from a past she couldn’t change by willing it away. Her mother and grandmother would have said the spirit gods had sent Adam to bring her home. Who was she to stand in the way of the spirit gods?

She stopped walking, and Adam stopped too, a questioning look on his face.

She took a deep breath and said, “Yes. Yes, Adam. I would be honored to come with you to Portland.”

Adam’s face broke into a wide, sunny smile that warmed Shani to her bones. Pulling her into his arms, he lifted and whirled her in a circle as they both laughed.

Setting her back on her feet, he said, “Now, if you’re game, I want to check out that new forced orgasm tower Ryan was telling me about. That luscious ass of yours needs some pretty new marks. And it’s been, what, at least seven hours since your last orgasm? That’s way too long.”

~*~

They took a quick shower together in Adam’s bathroom to wash the ocean salt from their skin. Afterward, Adam pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but instructed Shani to remain naked. He packed his gear bag with several gorgeous impact toys including a flogger, a leather paddle and a snake whip.

All the pieces were Adam’s handiwork. The snake whip was especially beautiful. It was artfully braided and dyed so it looked like an actual snake, with vivid oranges, reds and blacks woven together in an intricate pattern. Shani’s skin tingled with anticipatory expectation.

It was only a little after nine when they walked into the main dungeon. A couple of training sessions were already in progress, and a handful of guests were engaged in scenes at various stations. Adam made a beeline for the new piece of equipment.

Happily, the station was unoccupied. One of the newer acquisitions in the dungeon, Shani had yet to try out the tower. Made of steel, it consisted of a tripod base with a single bar rising about six feet high for the sub to stand against. There were two adjustable horizontal spreader bars with cuffs attached to secure the wrists and ankles, as well as a leather collar strap. A Hitachi wand was already set into the stand at the front of the tower, ready to be adjusted so its head rested snugly between spread legs. Just looking at the thing instantly got Shani’s juices flowing.