“A scene is when members play together.”
“And you…” I take a sip, gathering my courage. “You have sex with them?”
He shakes his head. “A scene doesn’t always mean sex.”
“So you don’t have sex here?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“For God’s sake, Braden, I’m ageing. What kind of play do you do here?” And with whom? I add in my head.
“First of all, you’ll see all kinds of play here, and some includes sex. Some includes other types of intimacy, and some includes no intimacy at all. I’ll tell you this. If I’m involved in a relationship, as I am with you, I will have sex only with you. In the past, when I haven’t been involved with a woman and I’ve had sex here, I’ve always used protection and I’ve only had sex with women.”
I’m awed by his candor. It’s more than I get most of the time. “So some members…”
He nods. “Some members have sex with both men and women, yes. Some only with their own sex. Whatever their preference.”
I nod. “What will you and I do here?”
“That’s up to you.”
I smile and swallow more Wild Turkey. “Really? I thought you had control in the bedroom.”
“I do. But I’ve never done anything without your consent, have I?”
“No. Though sometimes it’s implied.”
“True. It won’t be implied here. I’ll get your express consent for everything I do to you.”
My body is on fire. Seriously. I’m ready to burst into blue flames. What kind of stuff does he have in mind?
“You’re flushing,” he says.
“Am I?” I know damned well I am.
“This excites you.” A statement.
I nod.
“And that excites me.” He stands and removes his coat then, revealing his bare chest.
I suck in a breath.
He’s magnificent, as always, but here, in the dim lighting, with others around so scantily clad, he’s a fucking king.
“Stand up,” he says to me.
I do, and he unties the sash of my coat and then unbuttons each button. He parts the fabric and takes the coat from my shoulders.
For a moment, I’m freaked. I’ve never been this exposed in a public place before.
But is this a public place?
Not really. Members only, he said.
I look around. Though the corset covers my breasts, my ass cheeks are completely hanging out. The fishnets and stilettos make my legs look longer and more slender than they are.
I look good. Damned good.
Yet no one even glances at me.
I’m not as gorgeous as Tessa, but usually I merit a look or two in a club. What gives?
I meet Braden’s gaze. “No one is looking at us.”
He smiles. Sort of. “You mean no one is looking at you.”
“Well…yeah.”
“You’re wearing my collar.”
“Oh. That’s what you meant when you told me it was for my protection? So no one would look at me?”
He shakes his head. “No. If you weren’t wearing a collar, others would feel free to approach you, ask you to join in their play.”
“But I could always say no, right?”
“Yes. But if you’re not collared, you’re seen as available here.” He lowers his eyelids. “And you’re not available, Skye. You will play with no one but me.”
That’s fine with me. I’m not interested in anyone but Braden. Does he expect me to argue the point?
Braden finishes his bourbon. “Are you ready to see more?”
I glance down at my own glass. Only a tiny bit of amber left. I down it quickly. “Yes.”
“Good.” He hands our coats, along with another fifty, to an attendant who seemed to appear from nowhere. “I want to take you to the bondage room.”
My heart races as I recall the photos in the book in his library. “Okay.”
“I think you’ll like it.”
I have no idea what to expect as he leads me away from the bar, through a dark-red curtain, and into a hallway. Doors line both sides of the hallway. We walk about halfway down, and Braden stops at a door.
“Any member can enter this room,” he says. “It’s not private.”
“Okay.”
“You’ll see bondage in here, but you may also see people engaging in intimate play. Are you ready for that?”
“I’ve seen porn, Braden.”
“Live acts are a little different.”
I’m oddly turned on. Maybe not so oddly. I’m fucking hot. I want to see what’s behind this door more than I want anything else at this moment.
“Normal bodies aren’t always as beautiful as porn-star bodies,” he continues.
“I know that. Don’t worry. I won’t stare.”
“Actually, stare all you want. Anyone engaging in intimate acts in a clubroom that’s open to everyone is naturally an exhibitionist. They expect you to look.”
I suck in a breath, remembering that first day in Braden’s office when he fucked me up against his floor-to-ceiling window. I thought anyone could see us, and when he told me later that they were tinted and no one could see in, I was strangely disappointed.
Am I an exhibitionist? Will Braden and I play together in this room someday?