He rarely visited Devorar even though he owned it. He had a competent manager who ran it well, so he didn’t need to enter the club often. This pleased him, because he wasn’t nearly as comfortable there as he was back home at Veritas.
If Samantha would go with him, though, he would make an exception. And perhaps Alex was right. He needed to know. Painful as it might be for him if she wasn’t the kind of woman he needed, he couldn’t ask her to change for him. He would be negligent in his responsibilities as a Dom . . . and he just wasn’t that kind of man.
“When you met Maddy, she intrigued you from the start.” This wasn’t a question—Elijah knew that Alex had been infatuated with the woman from the moment he’d set eyes on her. He’d pursued her despite the fact that he avoided relationships at all costs. “But what if she hadn’t been submissive? Would you still have pursued her?”
There was a long moment of silence before Alex replied.
“I don’t know if I can answer that.” Alex’s voice was serious. “Because one of the things that first caught my eye about Maddy was how submissive she seemed. You’re that serious about this woman? What’s her name?”
“Her name is Samantha.” The name was like honey on his tongue. “I don’t know if I’d describe my feelings as serious. True, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her since I met her. The heat between us is . . . tangible. I want her again. But her personality, her mannerisms . . . She’s curious, but I just can’t picture her as a submissive who does more than play. I can’t picture her giving herself fully to a Dom.”
And that description had applied to his ex-wife as well. He’d been young, and had thought that love and the desire to play kinky games was the same thing as submission.
He’d been wrong.
As if reading his thoughts, Alex mentioned his ex in the next breath. “I don’t need to remind you of what happened with Tara.”
Elijah snorted out a harsh laugh, leaning back in his desk chair and raking his fingers through his hair. “No, you certainly don’t.”
“But if you don’t give things a try with Samantha, will you always wonder?” Elijah heard Maddy’s voice again, followed by a giggle.
He guessed what she wanted Alex’s attention for. He certainly wasn’t going to deprive his friend of the charms of his soon-to-be wife.
“Thanks, Alex. This has been helpful.” They said their good-byes and hung up, and Elijah pondered the conversation.
Alex hadn’t told him anything that he hadn’t already thought of, but it had been useful to talk it out. And his friend had hit one point square on the head.
If he didn’t explore this connection that he felt with Samantha, he would regret it. And ultimately, wasn’t his lifestyle all about exploring a person’s true desires? Even though he had never felt fully satisfied by sexual relationships outside of a true Dominant/submissive relationship, Samantha seemed to be an exception that he wasn’t ready to give up on.
What would be so wrong with exploring their connection further?
Decision made, Elijah felt anticipation begin to simmer.
He had given Samantha until the next day to give her his decision regarding the commission. He would honor his word on that matter.
But he hadn’t said he would leave her alone until then.
• • •
T he thump of heavy bass disturbed the warm evening air. The parking lot of Pecado was full, steam from the day’s heat curling upward between the vehicles that were crammed side by side on the asphalt.
Anticipation was like a million little needles running along her skin.
She was about to take that first step—to see if her compelling dreams had been a manifestation of her actual desires.
Inhaling deeply, she strode toward the front door of the club on shaky legs. The outside of Pecado didn’t look different from any other club she’d ever seen—the name spanned the building in glowing
If Samantha would go with him, though, he would make an exception. And perhaps Alex was right. He needed to know. Painful as it might be for him if she wasn’t the kind of woman he needed, he couldn’t ask her to change for him. He would be negligent in his responsibilities as a Dom . . . and he just wasn’t that kind of man.
“When you met Maddy, she intrigued you from the start.” This wasn’t a question—Elijah knew that Alex had been infatuated with the woman from the moment he’d set eyes on her. He’d pursued her despite the fact that he avoided relationships at all costs. “But what if she hadn’t been submissive? Would you still have pursued her?”
There was a long moment of silence before Alex replied.
“I don’t know if I can answer that.” Alex’s voice was serious. “Because one of the things that first caught my eye about Maddy was how submissive she seemed. You’re that serious about this woman? What’s her name?”
“Her name is Samantha.” The name was like honey on his tongue. “I don’t know if I’d describe my feelings as serious. True, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her since I met her. The heat between us is . . . tangible. I want her again. But her personality, her mannerisms . . . She’s curious, but I just can’t picture her as a submissive who does more than play. I can’t picture her giving herself fully to a Dom.”
And that description had applied to his ex-wife as well. He’d been young, and had thought that love and the desire to play kinky games was the same thing as submission.
He’d been wrong.
As if reading his thoughts, Alex mentioned his ex in the next breath. “I don’t need to remind you of what happened with Tara.”
Elijah snorted out a harsh laugh, leaning back in his desk chair and raking his fingers through his hair. “No, you certainly don’t.”
“But if you don’t give things a try with Samantha, will you always wonder?” Elijah heard Maddy’s voice again, followed by a giggle.
He guessed what she wanted Alex’s attention for. He certainly wasn’t going to deprive his friend of the charms of his soon-to-be wife.
“Thanks, Alex. This has been helpful.” They said their good-byes and hung up, and Elijah pondered the conversation.
Alex hadn’t told him anything that he hadn’t already thought of, but it had been useful to talk it out. And his friend had hit one point square on the head.
If he didn’t explore this connection that he felt with Samantha, he would regret it. And ultimately, wasn’t his lifestyle all about exploring a person’s true desires? Even though he had never felt fully satisfied by sexual relationships outside of a true Dominant/submissive relationship, Samantha seemed to be an exception that he wasn’t ready to give up on.
What would be so wrong with exploring their connection further?
Decision made, Elijah felt anticipation begin to simmer.
He had given Samantha until the next day to give her his decision regarding the commission. He would honor his word on that matter.
But he hadn’t said he would leave her alone until then.
• • •
T he thump of heavy bass disturbed the warm evening air. The parking lot of Pecado was full, steam from the day’s heat curling upward between the vehicles that were crammed side by side on the asphalt.
Anticipation was like a million little needles running along her skin.
She was about to take that first step—to see if her compelling dreams had been a manifestation of her actual desires.
Inhaling deeply, she strode toward the front door of the club on shaky legs. The outside of Pecado didn’t look different from any other club she’d ever seen—the name spanned the building in glowing
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