“Good to hear,” Hayden said with apparent approval.
The blush won, heat rushing full-force into her cheeks.
“I’m what you’d call a sensual sadist,” Hayden continued. “I get off on inflicting erotic pain and exerting complete sexual control over another human being, though only with their full consent and desire. What you heard on the phone—that was a fellow Dom in need of some advice about training a new submissive. We both belong to a private club that caters to this particular lifestyle.”
“For real?” Dahlia squeaked, her normally low-pitched voice suddenly an octave higher. A private BDSM club? Clearly, Hayden was into way more than a bit of bondage and a playful spanking!
Not yet ready to confront him directly about his predilections, she offered instead, “I’ve heard of those underground BDSM clubs, but I figured they were just skeevy pickup joints with a theme. There are actual private clubs for that kind of thing?”
“There are private clubs, and then there’s this particular club, which as far as I know, is quite unique. Members are only admitted after rigorous assessment of their dedication and understanding of the lifestyle, and that includes Doms as well as subs. This is a lot more than just an exclusive, private dungeon for folks to massage their kink. It’s about a lot more than just whips and chains, I assure you. We explore the passion and power of erotic submission on a number of levels—everything from casual play to full-on slave training. Your remark the other night about cavemen notwithstanding, true D/s isn’t about subjugation. Not at all. It’s a free and loving exchange of power—the most intense, absorbing exchange possible between two human beings, at least for those hardwired for the experience.”
Dahlia was quiet as she pondered his words. She could feel his unspoken power pulling her toward him as if he were the flame and she the moth. While her brain cautioned her from stepping into dangerous waters, the rest of her had other ideas.
“I want to go,” she blurted, surprising herself not only with her forwardness, but with how very much she meant it. “Can I come with you? I want to go to your club and see for myself.”
Hayden shook his head, though he was smiling. “Sorry. No can do. I’ve already said too much as it is. As for you coming to take a peek, that would never fly. Only members or prospective members are granted admittance.”
Suddenly he furrowed his brow, pursing his lips in apparent thought. “Except…” He trailed off, then shook his head. “Nah. Not a good idea.”
“What?” she insisted. “What isn’t a good idea? What were you going to say? Finish the sentence. Except…?”
Hayden met her gaze with a small shrug. “Okay, okay. I was going to say, except for the one time during the year when we make an exception. In fact, it’s right around the corner. Guests are permitted at our annual holiday party, which happens to be a week from this Saturday. That said, I don’t really think it’s something you would want to attend. It’s not for—”
“I do want to attend,” she interrupted, aware she was being pushy, but unable to help herself. “Come on, Hayden. You can’t throw something like that out there and then pull it back. I’m wildly curious now.”
He studied her while he weighed his response. She held her breath, willing him to say yes.
Finally, he said, “Academic curiosity is all very well, Dahlia, but this event is something else again. We are not talking about a Christmas party with a kinky theme. Not by a long shot.”
“So, enlighten me,” she urged, more intrigued than ever. “Let me make an informed decision before I say yes or no.”
Hayden chuckled, shaking his head. “So sorry. The decision isn’t yours to make.” He smiled to soften his words. “I haven’t yet extended the invitation. It was indiscreet of me even to bring up the possibility.”
“Come on, Hayden. Please,” she cajoled in a wheedling tone, her curiosity raging. “Don’t be such a tease. At least tell me what it is I’d be missing.”
“Fair enough,” he finally replied. “I’ve let the cat out of the bag, so no harm in sharing a little more detail, I suppose. I trust all of this will remain strictly between us.”
“Of course,” Dahlia readily agreed, trying to tamp down her excitement. She drew her finger across her lips. “My lips are sealed.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she added with a grin, “Cross my heart and hope to die.”
Hayden chuckled. “All right, all right. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He lowered his voice so she had to lean across the table to hear him. “Our members engage in serious, hardcore, explicit BDSM play. If you were to attend the party, while you wouldn’t be required to actively participate, you’d be witness to bondage, impact play, extreme submission, nudity and overt sexual acts. What we do is one-hundred-percent consensual, but it’s not a game. Not for us. It’s serious business—the essence of who we are.”
“Gosh,” Dahlia blurted, both shocked and thrilled.
Did she really want to get within a mile of such a place? While her brain attempted to dismiss the whole thing out of hand, her body had other ideas. There was a definite damp spot spreading in the crotch of her panties, and her nipples were so hard they almost hurt. And that secret, barely acknowledged part of her soul was melting with longing for something she’d never quite dared to articulate.
And this was Hayden she was talking to, not some creepy guy at a bar, or some unreliable source on the internet. Everything she knew about Hayden Pierce spoke to his integrity and goodness. If he was involved with this club, there had to be more to it.
“Gosh,” she repeated. “I never imagined such a place could exist, except in novels.”
“Novels you’ve read?” Hayden queried, fixing her with a curious gaze.
“Well, um, yes,” she admitted, her eyes flitting away from his. “Romance novels. They’re my escape. Well,” she amended, determined to be honest, “romance novels with a BDSM twist. And sometimes fantasy abduction stories.”
Hayden’s eyes hooded in a sexy way as he regarded her. Then, slowly, deliberately, he reached his hand across the small table and ran his finger lightly down her bare arm, his eyes on hers all the while.
His touch left a trail of heat in its wake, and her body responded with a shudder of desire she couldn’t suppress. She had a sudden insane desire to grab his hand and kiss his palm, right there in the staff cafeteria.
Instead, she pushed on. “So, you see? I’m not some totally clueless vanilla girl. I already know all about this stuff and I’m totally cool with it. I’d love a chance to see what it’s like in real life.”