Her eyes widened. “And if I don’t?”
He paused. She was completely new. She was here just to get a feel for things. And she was looking for a reason to bolt. Go slowly. “Nothing’s going to happen tonight that you don’t want to happen. If you just want to watch then we can do that. If you decide you want to play, we can do that too. You’re in charge.”
The anxiety on her face started to ease. Good. He needed to keep her there as long as possible. The more time he spent with her, the more time he had to convince her they should explore this attraction between them.
“I’m not sure I want to play. I’m not even sure this is for me. I only came because, well, I guess I was curious. I wanted to see why Cady enjoyed it so much. Hunter had me sign a confidentiality agreement. He said I had to stick close to him all night.”
Which reminded him. He needed to have a word with his partner. He could have given him a head’s up that Lacey was going to be here tonight.
Gray nodded. “Then all we’ll do tonight is observe. If you’re uncertain this is for you, sometimes a little play can be a way to test the waters, so to speak.” He cupped her face. “But we won’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
She licked her lips again. A nervous gesture?
“I’m not taking you away from anything?”
Or anyone. She didn’t say it, but he could hear the question in her voice.
“No. I have nothing I’d rather do more than show you around the club tonight.
Chapter Nine
I have nothing I’d rather do more than show you around the club tonight.
The man sure did know how to turn on the charm. Lacey glanced up at Gray as he pulled her closer, gently leading her around a large group of people. The way he tucked her in against his side, keeping his arm around her waist, made her feel safe and secure. But was it real? Could she really trust him? He seemed sincere, but she’d learned the hard way her judgement wasn’t what she thought it was.
He leaned in and whispered in her ear, his breath brushing against her skin. “You’ve gone all tense. Relax. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
Safety was an illusion. But it was nice of him to say so.
“Come.” He pulled her towards the St. Andrews cross. She’d seen images of them online. This one had cuffs attached to the top and bottom cross beams. A male sub was currently secured to the cross while a Dom flicked a whip over his back. She flinched each time the whip made contact, fully expecting to see blood well up across the sub’s back. But nothing was left behind except a red mark. And she was guessing from the erection the sub was sporting, he was thoroughly enjoying the experience.
Gray moved in behind her, drawing her back against his chest, with his arm around her waist. His scent made her knees weaken as desire flowed through her.
Oh, dear Lord.
“Not for you, I think?” he whispered in her ear.
She shivered slightly, her nipples tightening to hard points and pressing against her bra, which was thankfully well-padded. The cross? No. Having him so close? Yes. She shook her head.
“Let’s move on, then.” He moved away, and she had to bite back the urge to cling to him, to hold him close. He took hold of her hand, and joy filled her, as warm as a soft blanket on a cool winter’s night.
They walked past some more scenes. Some interested her more than others. The wax scene made her cringe slightly. Watching a female sub getting spanked while tied down to a spanking bench had been more intriguing. But it wasn’t until they reached a rope scene that her blood truly started to heat.
She watched as a blond Dom wrapped long coils of rope around a plump redhead’s body. He wound it around her waist then over her breasts. The redhead winced, and Lacey frowned slightly. Beside her, Gray stiffened, and she looked up as he nodded at someone. She peered over and saw Javier move closer.
The redhead said something to the Dom, and he paused then nodded and loosened the rope.
“Seems like he might need a demonstration in Shibari,” an older man remarked from beside Gray. “He’s new, isn’t he?”
“Yep. He listened to her, though, when she asked him to stop.”
The older man nodded. “Still, it’s always good to learn from the best.”
The best? Did he mean Gray? She glanced up at him, tension filling her. Was he going to take over from the other Dom and continue with the redhead? Would he leave her standing here on her own? What if someone approached her? What did she do? And how would she feel about him having his hands on another woman? It wasn’t as though he was hers. They weren’t anything to each other. She had no claims. No right to make demands on him not to touch another woman.
He leaned in, running his hands over her arms. “Easy.” Then he turned to the older man. “I’m not playing tonight, Mike.”
“Shame. Wouldn’t mind seeing your sub bound in rope. And from the looks of her reaction, I’d say she’s longing to feel its embrace.”