Instead, he, too, took a step back. “That’s a good rule of thumb,” he agreed. Leaning down, he pecked her lightly on the cheek. “Thanks for the great scene, Kendra.” He blew out a breath, his expression difficult to read. “I guess you probably have to be up super early, so…”
Nonplussed, she wrapped her arms protectively around her bare body. “Yeah,” she agreed. “I think I’ll call it a night.” Bending down, she grabbed her clothing and pulled it on, her face hot.
“I hope I’ll see you tomorrow?” Dylan asked as he watched her dress. “Maybe down at the beach during your afternoon break?”
“Yeah,” Kendra said, trying to take solace from the bone he’d just thrown. “That sounds like a plan.” Her voice came out a little sharper than she’d intended. “So, then… Good night.”
“Good night. Sleep well.”
Fuck. What the hell had just happened?
Chapter 4
Dylan watched Kendra walk away, admiring the rounded curve of her ass beneath the black leather while cursing himself for letting her go. She had been correct, of course. It was a wise move to let the heat of a particularly intense play session cool a bit before leaping into the sack with someone you’d only just met.
Not that he’d always been that way. Well into his twenties, he didn’t hesitate to take to bed whatever girl he was scening with, whether he’d known her for a month or an hour. Back then, the scene had been little more than foreplay leading to the final event. And once he’d climaxed, his mood, which had been filled with dark, vibrant lust and power from the BDSM play, would often cool almost to the point of indifference.
He hadn’t been mature enough or brave enough to take the time to know those women as living, breathing human beings with feelings and lives outside their immediate connection to him. They existed for him only within the context of a BDSM scene. When the scene ended, so did the attraction.
And to be fair, he was pretty sure most of them had felt the same way about him. He was a means to an end—a whip arm and a cock. In those days, he rarely scened with the same woman twice. He’d been greedy for variety and always vaguely dissatisfied the next morning, where he almost always woke up alone.
He wasn’t that guy anymore. And since Cynthia, he’d become exceedingly cautious. But somehow Kendra had stripped away his usual defenses. When they’d scened, it was as if they’d been together for years. He’d known intuitively what she needed and how to give it to her. When Kendra had flown, his heart had surged with dark excitement and deep tenderness. Even now, his cock hardened just at the thought of her. There was no question in his mind. If Kendra’s cooler head hadn’t prevailed, he would have taken her straight to bed.
“Excuse me, Sir,” someone said, dragging him from his reverie. A heavyset, fiftyish woman with ash blond hair stood before him. She was packed into a black leather bodysuit, holes cut out to reveal her ample breasts. “My name is Lauralee. I attended your seminar on suspension bondage yesterday. I absolutely adore rope bondage but I’ve never been suspended at the same time. I’d love to try it out for myself, if you were available, Sir.” She spoke with the musical, twangy lilt of a North Carolina accent. Her voice was soft, her tone respectful, the yearning palpable in her eyes.
“I saw you at the seminar,” he replied, managing to smile. The caretaker part of his Dom persona instantly wanted to give this woman what she needed. Yet he couldn’t quite muster the necessary enthusiasm, not so close on the heels of what he’d just experienced with Kendra. His head was too filled with thoughts of the woman who had just walked away.
“I’m glad you enjoyed the demonstration,” he added, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. “Normally, I’d love to scene with you. But I was just getting ready to leave for the evening. I’m afraid I have another engagement.” He felt bad for lying but decided it was kinder than an outright refusal.
As her face fell, he added quickly, “But I’d be happy to work with you one-on-one with suspension bondage, Lauralee. You can book a half hour or an hour during the day, if you’d like. Just check with Maya at the front desk regarding my availability.”
She brightened at that. “All right, then. I’ll definitely do that. Thank you, Sir.”
“It was nice to meet you, Lauralee. I look forward to working with you.”
He left the dungeon and took the stairs up to his suite on the fifth floor. After a hot shower, he fell into bed, thoughts of Kendra still consuming him. She’d agreed to meet him the next afternoon on the beach. That would have to do.