“I’m a member of a private BDSM resort called The Ranch. You already know that I’m a dominant, but this will give you a better idea of what that really means. This will be much more formal. You’d wear a collar. Call me sir. Obey me. Everyone who will be there is in this lifestyle, so discretion is rule number one for all. You wouldn’t need to worry about anyone seeing us and talking.”
She needed water, something to ease the sudden dryness in her throat. Yes, she’d let him mostly take charge since they’d started seeing each other, but going to this place sounded like it’d be graduating from the kiddie pool they were wading in to being thrown into the ocean. “Sounds . . . intense.”
“It can be,” he agreed, “but based on how things have gone between us so far, I think you might enjoy what you’ll find there.”
She straightened papers on her desk, needing to channel the nervous energy somewhere. “Is it safe?”
His gaze turned somber. “You are always safe with me, Tess. No matter what.”
The promise landed heavy on her, the weight of his unwavering assurance almost too much to bear. Safety. It was something of a fairy-tale concept for her. She’d never truly felt safe in her life except when she was shutting everyone out of it. Anytime she’d trusted someone, taken a breath around them and let her defenses down, she’d gotten blasted. Her mother had left her, foster parents had decided she wasn’t adoptable, Doug and her best friend had betrayed her. But for some reason, in that moment there in her office, she believed Kade.
She raised her eyes to meet his and nodded. “Okay. I’m open to trying it.”
The pure satisfaction in his smile lit up places inside her she hadn’t even known existed. “Good. And if you enjoy tonight and decide you want to stay the weekend, I can introduce you to the rest of my friends so you can get to know them. A lot of them will be there.”
She stared down at the collar, the simple thing sending her heart thumping against her ribs. But his other suggestion is what really had nerves rising. “You want me to meet your friends? Like not for a fantasy thing, like hang out with them?”
He frowned. “You say that like it’s a horrible notion.”
She rubbed her palms on her pant legs. “It’s not that, it’s just, you know, what you’d do with a girlfriend.”
“Right.” He stared down at her, hands in his pockets, a tired look crossing his face. She hated that shift in his expression, like she was wounding him. But they’d made an agreement, and she planned to stick to it. She wasn’t up to being hurt again, and she knew if she crossed that line with him, that’s all that would end up happening. She’d already struggled with her feelings after the night at Colby’s place. If she let it get serious, Kade would eventually leave or get bored with her. It was a pattern she’d seen too often in her life—no matter how pretty the promises, no one stuck around. Love sounded nice, but it was conditional. And she’d never been able to meet the conditions for anyone she’d loved back for long—not her mother, or any foster family, or even her husband. Everyone had an expiration date.
And if she hadn’t been convinced that a true relationship with Kade would be a bad idea already, she’d heard two of the receptionists gossiping in the bathroom the other day about Kade’s string of past conquests. Apparently, he’d even garnered a nickname for cycling through women on such a steady schedule. She hadn’t caught what that nickname was, but she got the gist. He conquered and moved on to the next, leaving broken hearts in his wake. So even if Kade didn’t see it for himself, she was just the next battle to achieve.
When she didn’t say anything further, Kade blew out a breath and sat in the chair on the other side of her desk. “I’m not asking you to meet my parents to ask for my hand in marriage or anything, they’re just my friends. But if it makes you uncomfortable, then we’ll stick to the fantasy. You’ll go as my slave and property. You’ll be there for my benefit only and not to socialize.”
She swallowed hard, the prospect over
whelming. That prince and slave fantasy had fueled her libido more often than she cared to admit in these last few weeks. But it also scared her on an elemental level. There was a big difference between playing games a few nights a week and giving total control to Kade in a place where no one would bat an eye at a slave girl. But at least Kade was giving her a way to keep this in the realm that felt safer—fantasy. Not emotions. Not the girlfriend hanging out with people who were important to him. Just a hot weekend on the edge.
She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Would my safeword still apply?”
His eyes met hers. “It always applies, Tess. All I ask is that you give this a chance before pulling the escape hatch too soon. I’ve shown you some things, but going to a place like The Ranch can be overwhelming. I’d need complete control. Just know that you’ll be under my care and that no one can touch you unless I give them permission.”
She coughed, the last part causing her to swallow wrong. But she nodded anyway. “Okay.”
“Good.” He took the collar off her desk and put it in his suit’s inner pocket. “Put what’s in the bag on then put your trench coat over it. When you’re done, head out and walk down to the corner by the sushi place. I’ll have the car waiting for you over there so no one sees us get in together.”
“All right.”
He leveled a gaze at her. “From this point on tonight, it’s Sir or Master Van. Forget that and there will be a consequence.”
The authoritative tone zipped through her like heat lightning. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“Better.” He stood. “Now get dressed. You have twenty minutes. I’ll see you in the car.”
Tessa waited until he’d left the office and she’d locked her door before peeking in the bag. She expected to find some skimpy vinyl something or other. Isn’t that what one wore to these things? At least that’s what she remembered from those old HBO specials. But instead she found a gorgeous chocolate brown leather corset with intricate gold design work and gold ribbons lacing the back. The accompanying skirt was sheer brown fabric and long, but had slits all the way up each side to the hip. It was a gorgeous outfit but the colors gave it the feel appropriate for the slave of royalty. Like she was being dressed for someone’s amusement.
It was a costume she would’ve coveted in the high-end lingerie boutiques she’d gone to when she’d first married Doug and had thought enticing him with sexy outfits would work. She’d usually chosen white, flowing things for Doug, hoping it’d be elegant and ladylike enough for him. But in truth, she’d always been drawn to the more risqué stuff in the shops, even if she’d been too chicken to try any of it on.
Now she’d be wearing one of those outfits . . . in front of other people. Her stomach flip-flopped at the notion, but she couldn’t tell if that was fear or anticipation. She pulled out both pieces and laid them on her desk then peered into the bag, looking for panties, but of course Kade had conveniently left those out. Lord, she was actually going to have to walk down the street with only this under her coat.
Well, here goes nothing. Fantasy was about to become reality. Hopefully it didn’t lose its sparkle.
When Tessa saw the black town car idling at the curb, she almost chickened out right there. Kade always drove his own car. He’d told her he didn’t like giving up the wheel to anyone. But tonight he was taking her out in high style—like he really was some aristocrat claiming her for a night of debauchery.
She knew in theory this whole dominance/submission thing could be sexy, but now that she was faced with doing it for real, with other people around, she’d broken out into a sweat beneath her coat. Somehow her legs kept moving forward despite her mind’s retreat. The corset jostled with each step, threatening to fall down. The thing laced up the back and she hadn’t been able to cinch it up tight enough on her own. She’d also tucked the length of the skirt up under her waistband so no one could see the fabric coming out the bottom of her coat. But even though no one could possibly know, it felt like every person who passed her on the street had x-ray vision and could see how little she was wearing beneath.