The conversation continued around her, and Grant gave her permission to speak freely with his friends. Despite that first whip of jealousy, Charli found herself liking Evan. She seemed like a no-nonsense woman with a good head on her shoulders. Not at all what she would’ve imagined a submissive woman to be like. And Evan’s two guys were like a comedy team with their easy volleys back and forth. Charli got the sense that the three of them probably created quite a cozy and loving household.
But just as Charli began to relax and mellow, the guy from the training class she’d crashed sidled up to the table. The dip in his brow said something was wrong before his mouth opened. “Hey, Boss.”
Grant straightened a bit behind her. “Colby.”
“I hate to bother you, but Elliot’s sick as hell. He just called me to say he’s going back to his cabin to get some sleep and won’t be able to do his demonstration tonight.”
Grant made a displeased noise under his breath. “What was he supposed to feature?”
“Shibari. It’s one of the main things the Florida group wanted to see. And I’ve been working on it a little, but I’m definitely not in the position to demo it.” Colby’s attention diverted briefly to Charli, then back to Grant. “Nyla was scheduled to bottom for Elliot. She’s still ready to go, but…”
Colby was speaking a different language as far as Charli was concerned, but could feel Grant release a long breath behind her, which didn’t bode well. “Give me a minute, Colby.”
Colby nodded. “No problem. I’ll be in the staging room.”
After Colby strode off, Grant scooted out of the booth, taking her along with him. She turned to face him, her recently loosened muscles starting to coil again. Grant put a hand to her cheek. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I planned for tonight to be about getting you acclimated, but I’m going to have to take care of this first. I promised my friend Stefan that we’d train his staff well for his club opening. We don’t have anyone here besides me and Elliot who are trained in Shibari.”
“What’s that?”
“A Japanese rope bondage technique.” He lowered his hand from her face and rubbed the back of his neck, looking more displeased than she’d ever seen him. “They’re going to need me to do the demonstration tonight.”
With some other woman. He didn’t have to say it. She’d pieced together Colby’s conversation. “Oh.”
“I’m sorry.” He tilted his head to look around her. “Would one of you guys mind walking Charlotte back to her cabin? She’s staying in the one just west of my place.”
“Whatever you need,” Jace replied.
“Wait a second, you’re sending me home?” Charli asked, yanking Grant’s attention back her way. Anger began to simmer beneath the calm façade she was trying so hard to maintain.
“Yes, it’s bad enough I have to end our evening early, but I’m certainly not going to make you watch me do this. You’re still uncomfortable here, which is to be expected. I’m not going to make it worse.”
She gritted her teeth. She’d been through the gauntlet of beauty treatments today, had been twisted up with nerves all evening, and now he was going to send her home so he could tie up some other naked woman? Oh, hell no. Her freshly polished nails dug into her palms as she tried to frame her retort to match her role. “Sir, Grant, you set up tonight as my opportunity to serve you, correct?”
His mouth thinned, no doubt noticing her words had come through clenched teeth. “Yes, Charlotte. But—”
“Then please let me do so. I know I’m new, but it can’t be that hard to be the one being bound.”
Either Jace or Andre coughed behind her, obviously covering up a laugh or a sound of surprise. She didn’t bother to look back at them, her eyes fixated on Grant. He crossed his arms, staring down at her, his expression a mix of things she couldn’t name. “Charlotte, you struggled standing naked in front of me the other day. You’re not ready to do that in front of a room full of people.”
Naked? In front of a crowd?
Her heart hammered against her ribs, her palms going sweaty at the thought. But she matched his posture and jutted out her chin. “Maybe you’re underestimating me, sir.”
He leaned closer, his voice going low and dangerous. “You’re treading a fine line, freckles. I’m doing this to protect you from something you’re not prepared for.”
Red edged her vision.
“You know what I’m really tired of, sir? People telling me what I am and am not prepared for or capable of. Really. Fucking. Tired.” Her mother. Her brothers. Her boss. And now Grant?
Screw that.
Without breaking eye contact, she lowered herself until she was kneeling on the cold floor at his feet. “I don’t share, Grant. Add that to my hard limits. If you send me away, I won’t need my cabin anymore.”
The music and ambient conversation in the club seemed to fade as her challenge hung in the air between them. Grant stared down at her, the muscle in his jaw twitching. Power and anger seemed to drip off him, the impact of it splashing down over her like fat raindrops. She’d threatened him, and he didn’t like it. Adrenaline leaked into her system, giving her that panicky rush that usually only preceded things like that slow climb on a roller coaster before the big drop.
He leaned forward, his evaluating gaze coming closer. She looked down at her lap, the response automatic. He grabbed her hair and forced her face back upward. “Don’t play demure now. That’s not going to get you out of trouble. Talking back and cursing? You’re lucky this is your first night because otherwise I’d take you over my knee right this second in front of everyone.”
Breath became hard to come by, and her limbs tingled as if blood had forgotten to flow. She managed a whispered “I’m sorry, sir.”