Chapter One
Looking at Grace, freshly bathed and sitting curled up in the large armchair by the long window of their bedroom in a toweling robe, David felt a rush of tenderness toward her. She’d achieved so much during the four months they’d been visiting the Dining Club, and this weekend she’d amazed him by her capacity for controlled pleasure.
He could no longer deny, even to himself, that he was in love with her, and it scared him. He’d never wanted this. He’d expected her to fail, then he would have had nothing to fear, for love and tenderness were the only things that did scare him. They left him vulnerable, and they would leave Grace vulnerable too because, no matter how much he was in love with her now, he knew that eventually he would tire of her.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked.
“How you looked earlier,” he said, not yet able to commit his love to words. She smiled at him, and he realized that, possibly even more worryingly, she was beginning to understand him. Joining her in the armchair, and settling her comfortably on his lap with her head against his shoulder, he stroked her long, dark hair. “Are you ready to hear about table five now?” he asked.
Grace nodded. “Yes, and everything else that you think I should know about the Dining Club.”
Holding her close to him, his fingers still playing with her hair, he struggled to think how best to explain it to her. After all she’d been through, she deserved the truth, but the truth might hurt her and she didn’t deserve to be hurt at this moment, when she’d passed her final trial so triumphantly.
“Have you ever wondered who owned the Club?” he asked.
“I did, but now I think it’s the new man who took part in tonight’s trial. He seemed to have authority, and he knew what he was doing too.”
“He’s a business partner of mine, but you’re wrong, he doesn’t own the Dining Club. I do.”
Grace looked at him in astonishment. “You said you had money invested in it, that you…”
“I do have money invested in it. I own it.”
“Then all along you’ve known what was going to happen. You must have planned the evenings right from the start. Everything that happened to me was designed by you.” She was clearly both shocked and hurt.
“That’s not true, Gracie. Amber designs all the trials, I merely approve them. This weekend you’ve just finished never varies. If people reach the fourth table then that’s the trial they all take, which is why despite what I feel for you, I need Amber in my life too.
“She understands what turns me on, what excites me and relieves the boredom of…”
“Of being in a loving relationship?” asked Grace quietly.
For the first time in his adult life, David wanted to lie. He wanted to tell this woman he was in love with that their relationship was all he needed, and all he would ever need, but he couldn’t do it. She’d earned the right to total honesty, even if that meant he destroyed their love at the very start. “Yes,” he admitted.
Grace sighed softly, but curled herself more tightly against him. “I see. Please tell me about table five now.”
“Table five is where Amber, as the hostess always sits. You see, the Dining Club doesn’t only open one weekend a month. There are themed weekends in between; bondage, S&M, and dominatrix breaks. Amber oversees them all.”
“Do you come to any of them?” asked Grace.
“I used to come quite a lot, but since I’ve met you I only come here if you’re working on a weekend. I prefer your company,” he added with a half-smile.
Grace didn’t smile back at him. “Do you have sex with Amber? Privately I mean, not in the context of a specialty event.”
“Yes, we’ve been lovers on and off for several years now. She fulfills a need in me that not all women would want to satisfy.”
“What sort of need?”
“Darling, I don’t think…”
“I want to know everything,” said Grace firmly.
“It’s only the
Looking at Grace, freshly bathed and sitting curled up in the large armchair by the long window of their bedroom in a toweling robe, David felt a rush of tenderness toward her. She’d achieved so much during the four months they’d been visiting the Dining Club, and this weekend she’d amazed him by her capacity for controlled pleasure.
He could no longer deny, even to himself, that he was in love with her, and it scared him. He’d never wanted this. He’d expected her to fail, then he would have had nothing to fear, for love and tenderness were the only things that did scare him. They left him vulnerable, and they would leave Grace vulnerable too because, no matter how much he was in love with her now, he knew that eventually he would tire of her.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked.
“How you looked earlier,” he said, not yet able to commit his love to words. She smiled at him, and he realized that, possibly even more worryingly, she was beginning to understand him. Joining her in the armchair, and settling her comfortably on his lap with her head against his shoulder, he stroked her long, dark hair. “Are you ready to hear about table five now?” he asked.
Grace nodded. “Yes, and everything else that you think I should know about the Dining Club.”
Holding her close to him, his fingers still playing with her hair, he struggled to think how best to explain it to her. After all she’d been through, she deserved the truth, but the truth might hurt her and she didn’t deserve to be hurt at this moment, when she’d passed her final trial so triumphantly.
“Have you ever wondered who owned the Club?” he asked.
“I did, but now I think it’s the new man who took part in tonight’s trial. He seemed to have authority, and he knew what he was doing too.”
“He’s a business partner of mine, but you’re wrong, he doesn’t own the Dining Club. I do.”
Grace looked at him in astonishment. “You said you had money invested in it, that you…”
“I do have money invested in it. I own it.”
“Then all along you’ve known what was going to happen. You must have planned the evenings right from the start. Everything that happened to me was designed by you.” She was clearly both shocked and hurt.
“That’s not true, Gracie. Amber designs all the trials, I merely approve them. This weekend you’ve just finished never varies. If people reach the fourth table then that’s the trial they all take, which is why despite what I feel for you, I need Amber in my life too.
“She understands what turns me on, what excites me and relieves the boredom of…”
“Of being in a loving relationship?” asked Grace quietly.
For the first time in his adult life, David wanted to lie. He wanted to tell this woman he was in love with that their relationship was all he needed, and all he would ever need, but he couldn’t do it. She’d earned the right to total honesty, even if that meant he destroyed their love at the very start. “Yes,” he admitted.
Grace sighed softly, but curled herself more tightly against him. “I see. Please tell me about table five now.”
“Table five is where Amber, as the hostess always sits. You see, the Dining Club doesn’t only open one weekend a month. There are themed weekends in between; bondage, S&M, and dominatrix breaks. Amber oversees them all.”
“Do you come to any of them?” asked Grace.
“I used to come quite a lot, but since I’ve met you I only come here if you’re working on a weekend. I prefer your company,” he added with a half-smile.
Grace didn’t smile back at him. “Do you have sex with Amber? Privately I mean, not in the context of a specialty event.”
“Yes, we’ve been lovers on and off for several years now. She fulfills a need in me that not all women would want to satisfy.”
“What sort of need?”
“Darling, I don’t think…”
“I want to know everything,” said Grace firmly.
“It’s only the
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