Ali sighed and leaned back in her seat. “My boss had me running all over the hospital today, so my feet are killing me. And I have to come in early Monday so I can get a spreadsheet ready for a meeting he has at ten.”
“Why did he have you running all over the hospital?” His tone was even and to someone who didn’t know him, they would think he was only making conversation. She knew better. He wasn’t happy.
She told Daniel about the surveys. His response had been the same as hers. “Why not just email them to each department?”
“He said he couldn’t wait for the department heads to get around to it when they felt like it. That he needed it done today.”
Daniel frowned as he pulled into the parking lot of Serpent’s Kiss. From the outside, the club blended into its surroundings. The brick building had been there for over one hundred years, as had several other buildings in the neighborhood.
She waited in the passenger seat until Daniel came around to help her out of the vehicle. He retrieved her bag from the back seat with her change of clothes and placed a hand on her low back as they walked toward the club. “We’re going to discuss your job situation this weekend in more detail, but I want you to forget about it for the rest of the night.”
He opened the door, letting them inside the small foyer. She didn’t say anything as he swiped his membership card to let them into the lobby area where she typically worked the coat check. No one was there, of course. It was still early. Club members wouldn’t begin arriving until six thirty or seven.
Helping her out of her jacket, he hung both items behind the coat check, then handed Ali’s bag to her. “I need to speak to Katrina about something, but I’ll be around if you need me.”
“Yes, Sir.” They may not be playing right now, but they were in the club and he was her Dom.
Daniel brushed his thumb along her cheek, then bent to give her a soft kiss. Opening the door that led to the club, he motioned for her to enter.
Ali waited until he disappeared down the hallway that led to Katrina’s office before making her way to the locker room. She needed to change into her club attire.
Her heels echoed in the empty locker room. She set her bag on the bench in front of her locker and began removing her clothes. When she opened her bag, she found a note.
Meet me upstairs at six forty-five. Room four.
She knew they would most likely be playing tonight, but the note had blood pumping through her veins in anticipation. The urge to get her work done so she could be ready for him had her moving with renewed energy.
Knowing she wasn’t working the entire night and that she now had a Dom, Ali had chosen an outfit she thought Daniel would like. After his reaction to her red lingerie the night before, she’d chosen something similar. The bra was all lace. It came up high, giving the illusion of modesty, but it was anything but. The lacy flowers on the panties were strategically placed to hint at the important bits but keep them hidden.
Over her bra and panties, she wore a purple dress. It was tight, hugging her curves and hiding what she had on beneath.
After taking a long look at herself in the mirror, Ali folded her dress clothes into her bag and shoved all of it into her locker. She had a lot of work to do before she could play, and she needed to get started.
* * *
Katrina sat at her desk, her wavy blond hair cascading over her shoulders as she read the paper in front of her. He tapped lightly on the doorframe, and she looked up.
“Got a minute?” Daniel asked.
“Sure. Come in.” She tucked the papers into a folder and pushed them aside. A new application, no doubt. “You’re here early tonight.”
“Ali agreed to cover the prep for Bridget tonight.” Daniel closed the door behind him before taking a seat across from her.
One side of the club mistress’s mouth lifted in a smirk. “I see.”
“I’ve agreed to be Ali’s Dom.” He figured he’d put it out there. It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t have figured it out in an hour or so anyway. News traveled fast in the club. He had no doubt that within minutes of him entering a playroom with Ali, Katrina and over half the club would know about it.
Katrina sat back in her leather chair. She was already dressed for the night in her signature corset and even over the desk he could appreciate the way the silk and lace hugged her body. It was why she had the uncollared male subs in the club drooling after her. “I’m assuming you don’t need me to provide either of you with a limits list, so what is it I can do for you this evening?”
“I need a background check ran on someone and I need it to be discreet.”
She nodded, not asking him who or why, and turned her attention to her computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard. When she was finished, she returned to her relaxed position. “He should be giving you a call within the next twenty-four hours. It’ll be from an unknown number.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” Daniel had met the private investigator Katrina used to screen applicants once before by chance. She didn’t advertise who she used, and Daniel knew he was one of the few members who’d had any direct contact with him.
He walked to the door, closing his hand over the knob. As he was walking out the door, he heard Katrina’s parting words. “Don’t break her heart.”
Daniel strolled into the hall, leaving the door open behind him. He headed to the main room, following the sound of ice being poured into the large wells behind the bar.