She jerked her stare up to him. Yes, she remembered the way he’d made her speak each response at Angelo’s when he’d bound her wrists.
“No. You know all my secrets.”
His nerves were pinging like the signal off a cell tower. He and Seth shared a pensive stare as another uncomfortable silence filled the air.
“You two are starting to scare me. What’s with the serious expressions? What’s going on?”
Having this private conversation in the back of River’s truck wasn’t his first choice, but Raine’s brother already knew about their kink. Besides, Heavenly had chosen to give him first dibs on her virginity, so he must not make her too self-conscious.
“We have to be honest, too.” Seth squeezed her hand. “I know you went with Beck to a BDSM art exhibit. He said you two had a good time.”
She stared at the two of them as if they were from Mars. “Yes.”
“Was it educational, angel?”
A pink flush crawled up her cheeks. “I-it definitely made me think about things I never had.”
“Some of those works turned you on,” Beck pointed out. “Your pulse quickened, your breathing slowed, your eyes dilated, and I could smell your sweet pussy.”
Heavenly’s eyes widened. “You really were watching how I reacted?”
“I cataloged every shiver and gasp.”
“B-but…” Suddenly, she seemed to confront the unavoidable truth and swallowed tightly. “You’re into that stuff?”
“We both are,” Seth confirmed, cupping her chin and turning her to face him.
“Oh, my gosh.”
“We’re not saying this to frighten you,” Beck explained. “If we expect you to be honest with us—”
“Which will be an absolute from now on. No more lying,” Seth interrupted sternly.
“Ever.” Beck nodded. “That means we have to be totally honest with you.”
A soft shiver wracked her body. “I’m not sure what to say.”
“Then listen. There are rules. Like Seth said, one is always telling the truth,” Beck began. “Another one, which is sacred, is anonymity. You always protect the identity of those in the lifestyle.”
“So you can’t talk about Beck’s proclivities at the hospital. It could ruin his career. You understand? We’re sharing our secret with you, and trusting you to keep it.”
Heavenly blinked. “Raine, Liam, and Hammer. They’re…in the lifestyle, too?”
The two men shared a glance. Finally, Seth shrugged. “The morning Bill attacked Raine, that fucking newscaster basically spilled it to the world.”
“True,” Beck bit out. “Ignorant prick.”
“So, the answer is yes?” Heavenly prodded.
“Raine, Liam, and Hammer are,” Beck confirmed. “Hammer owns a BDSM dungeon here in LA. Where I’m a member.”
“A dungeon?” Heavenly blinked.
“Yes. And Raine has worked for him for years. He took her in off the streets and kind of…adopted her when she was seventeen, but he never touched her until a few months ago.”
Seth nodded. “I met Liam and Hammer both at a BDSM club in New York years ago.”
“Wow.” Heavenly looked stunned. “That’s… Wow. And Raine is…”
“Their submissive.”
“I guess that explains why you four are so dang bossy…”
Despite the tension, Beck laughed.
“I’m not bossy.” Seth looked mildly insulted.
“Oh, no. Never.” She snickered, then covered her grin.
Her teasing was way closer to acceptance than Beck had expected, especially this quickly. Of course, they hadn’t given her enough information yet to really comprehend what she might be getting into. Heavenly would have a million more questions, but his fear that she’d instantly run away in horror had been laid to rest.
She sobered. “What happens now?”
“Anything you want,” Beck promised. “We can go back to the condo and explore the things that turn you on. Or we can grab some drinks, sit on the balcony, and listen to the ocean. Like the women in the images you saw at the gallery, ultimately you hold all the power.”
“You said that but…” She grappled for words. “What does that mean? How does everything work?”
“Good questions,” Seth praised. “BDSM is simply an exchange of power. The Dominant and submissive build their relationship on a foundation of honesty, trust, and communication. You, as the submissive, agree to hand over your control to us, the Dominants. Boundaries and safe words give you the ability to stop everything if you’re scared or overwhelmed or…”
Beck sat back and listened to Seth explain the dynamics to their girl. He caressed her hand, watched her face, and hoped like fuck this worked.
In many ways, he would be starting at zero, too. Usually, by the time a submissive sought him, she’d traveled her path of enlightenment and grown self-aware enough to crave the wicked edge he wielded. While Heavenly might end up at that crossroads someday, Beck refused to pin his hopes on that. Instead, he’d put his whole soul into helping Heavenly grow and blossom—and enjoy the fuck out of the journey.
“It’s a lot to take in,” Heavenly whispered.
Beck smiled and cupped her chin. “In time, everything will make sense. For now, just let us be by your side,” he murmured, leaning in low, hovering just above her lips. “We’ll stay here, helping you, until you wonder why you ever worried.”