Read Online Roses and Chains by Delphine Dryden - Free Book Online

to end, I guess. Letdown tears, or whatever. But not because of what
    happened. My god, honey, that was…I don’t even have words.”
    If she’d had more energy, she would have cracked up at the look on his face.
    Now I finally know what “gobsmacked” means.
    “You liked it too?”
    “Too? So I gather you liked it.”
    “If I had liked it any more I would have probably needed medical attention
    afterward.”
    She smiled, marveling that all the brilliant communicating they’d done earlier in the evening was so effortless when this , normal conversation with talking and no blindfolds or role-playing, was so often difficult and led to misunderstandings.
    Potentially disastrous misunderstandings. Because if Daniel had gone on thinking
    she hadn’t enjoyed the scene, and had therefore avoided a repeat, that would mean—
    “Mara!”
    “It’s okay, I got her number,” Daniel reassured her. “And she has ours.”
    “I just realized. She didn’t get to come.”
    They were quiet for a moment, contemplating this.
    “We’ll make it up to her next time,” he said at last.
    “As long as you know there needs to be a next time.”
    * * * * *
    It wasn’t until the next day that the doubts started to creep into Delia’s head. Late that afternoon, when she saw Daniel pick up his phone and put it down a few times,
    obviously trying to decide whether to make a call.
    Did he really want this? And what was this , exactly, anyway? What were Mara’s expectations? Delia wished she could talk to Mara outside the club setting, find out 56
    Roses and Chains
    what kind of person she was. If she was really the impish little pixie she seemed, full of whimsy and deviance. Or if, in real life, she was perhaps less enticing. She didn’t think that would be possible.
    She had the strangest urge to call her like she might a girlfriend, to go shopping or to a movie. To hang out. As if she knew her already. But Delia knew that was
    ridiculous. They had barely spoken.
    “I’m going to call,” Daniel announced.
    She just nodded. Waited with him as the phone rang a few times. Met his eyes with
    an eager smile when Mara picked up.
    But she couldn’t quite make out both ends of the conversation, though she stood on
    tiptoe trying to listen.
    “We are,” Daniel was saying. “How are you?”
    So formal. It was nerves. Daniel was using his business-call voice, although she
    didn’t mind that. She found it oddly attractive.
    “Absolutely. At nine. We’ll need to talk first about limits.”
    That sounds more promising.
    “Yes, I did. Oh, and I meant to reassure you about that last night. Delia too. I can bring condoms, though, if you’re more comfortable—oh, okay.”
    Wait wait bring WHAT now?
    He must have heard her thinking, because he gave her a stern look and did the
    eyebrow thing. Kept a straight face, snapped his fingers at the floor and nodded his head at her.
    Delia slid to her knees, arms wrapping loosely around Daniel’s calf, and she felt a
    deep and thrilling ease possess her as his hand came to rest on her head.
    “Seriously?”
    He sounded a lot less formal all of a sudden.
    “What server? Wait, text me your character name and I’ll find you on the database.”
    57
    Delphine Dryden
    “Computer games?” she hissed up at him. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”
    “It’s okay, honey,” he whispered with a wink, “she plays on the good guy side.”
    * * * * *
    By the time they arrived at the club that evening, Daniel had plenty to talk about
    with Mara. She was sitting at the bar waiting for them, and when she turned and
    waved, Delia’s heart gave that funny lurch again.
    She was wearing a little nothing of a black wrap skirt and even less of a little red-lace underbust corset. A black crochet shrug kept her shoulders warm and her breasts covered enough to walk down the street, but Delia could see enough to imagine the
    rest.
    And imagining it made her feel all wobbly again.
    She wanted Mara. Wanted to