“I won’t touch her. Only you.”
Drake stiffens behind me.
I’m speechless as I stare at the black ropes hanging from the ceiling. On the one hand, this could be an excellent training opportunity to learn what we need to know for Salacious, and I’d love to see how we could get our members involved in these demos. I’ve also always wanted to try Shibari. It’s harmless. I mean…we are here to learn.
On the other hand, if Hunter sees me on stage, he might not react well.
But I’ll be with Drake.
“Okay,” I call as I take a step toward the stage.
“Really?” Drake replies quietly. Turning around, I reach a hand toward him.
“It’s just a demonstration. We should learn this stuff. Come on.”
He hesitates as he takes my hand but still lets me pull him up the three steps to the top of the black stage, where we meet Maxwell under the bright pink can light shining from the rafters.
“Beautiful couple,” Maxwell greets us as we meet him in the middle of the stage.
Drake’s hand is still in mine, so I give it a quick squeeze as I glance up at him with a tight-lipped smile. He only shakes his head in return. This is making him uncomfortable already, I can tell.
“Thank you,” I reply to Maxwell.
“I’d love to show you how to tie the pentagon harness on this beautiful woman, would you like to learn?” he asks.
Drake clears his throat. “Sure.”
“Excellent. This dress is lovely, but the harness would fit better without it. Would you mind removing it? You can say no.”
My mouth goes dry. Remove my dress? On stage?
I scan the gathering crowd for any sign of Hunter or Mirabel, but I don’t see them. I’m in a bra, and this is a sex club. I mean…it’s hardly inappropriate here to be half-naked. And I am with Drake.
It’s just a demonstration.
“Yeah,” I answer quickly. Pulling the straps off of my shoulders, I let my dress fall down to my ankles. When I pick it up and turn to drape it over the chair to the left, I catch Drake’s expression, and he looks downright livid. His cheeks are red, and no, that’s not just the bright pink light shining on us. His eyes are wide and his jaw is set. He takes a step closer to me, keeping his eyes laser-focused on my face and not my nearly see-through bra.
“Beautiful,” Maxwell says. Then he steals Drake’s attention as he hands him one of the black ropes. “Now stand behind her,” he tells him, and Drake obeys. He’s so close behind me, I feel the warmth from his body against my skin.
“With the rope doubled, run the length between her breasts and around to the back.”
I’m relaxed and standing there proudly, staring at the audience as Drake reaches around me and sets the rope against my skin. Even when he lays it between my breasts, I’m fine. But as the demonstration proceeds, each step adding another layer of rope around me, between my breasts, cinching them tighter until they begin to protrude through the layers of rope, my body begins to react in nervous arousal.
I can’t quite sense how Drake is feeling, but every time his fingers swipe over my bare skin, goosebumps erupt, and I swear I almost imagine his touch lingering every time we connect. Even through the bumping music, I hear his breath in my ear as he works to bind me.
It’s only a harness over my top half, wound around my breasts and torso. I look down to see a star pattern at the top of my chest.
“Please turn to show the audience the knot at the back,” Maxwell tells him, and I flinch a little when I’m spun around. In nothing but a thong and this harness, my backside is on display for the audience and the cool confidence I felt a moment ago is gone.
As Maxwell demonstrates to Drake how to finish the knot at my back, I focus only on Drake’s touch and his calming presence, weaving the rope in and out of itself until it’s finished.
“Perfect,” Maxwell announces when it’s done. I glance up at Drake and we share a long moment of eye contact that’s not like anything we’ve ever shared. It’s not our usual inside jokes or laughing at awkward moments. It’s intense and intimate.
“Please rotate for the audience,” Maxwell says, and I do, spinning slowly to show off the harness. I might be wearing a bra, but I might as well be naked with the way this harness exposes my breasts.
The crowd applauds, and I think it’s over, a feeling of relief washing over me.
But Maxwell doesn’t show us how to take it off, not yet.