Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“But is the venue okay with you?” he asked nervously. “I mean, I know it isn’t the nicest place in town, but this club is where I first trained as a Dom. This is what brought me to you and you to me.” He glanced around. “This room is nice enough and Jaxson worked hard to make sure it was decorated as beautifully as possible, but I can still hear moaning and the swats of paddles in the room next door. That’s not all right, is it?”
“It’s more than all right, Seth. It’s ours.”
Before he could find something else to fret over, Ari breezed through the door. A huge grin split his face when he saw us. He rushed over, gave us both tight hugs, and said, “I’m here! Let’s get this party started!”
The words and enthusiasm matched the Ari I’d come to love. The way his eyes nervously darted around the room, no doubt searching for Eli.
“He isn’t here,” I assured him. “Just like we promised. He is next door, though, in the club. He’s Samantha’s ride home. She promised he won’t come anywhere near our room. You’re safe from facing your past and trying that whole communication thing you bitched me out for.”
“Touché,” he muttered…but looked relieved, nonetheless.
“It’s time,” Seth whispered. “You ready, babe?”
I smiled at him and answered, “I’ve been ready since the first moment I saw you. Give me your collar.”
“Better than that…I’ll give you my heart.”
*****
Ari
I leaned against the opened doorframe and stared out, in shock and awe, at the sexual acts going on right in front of me. Right there. In front of me. It was like a wonderful, live version of porn. Sure, some men and women were getting their asses spanked and they were tied up in a various assortment of humiliating positions, but it was still porn. I would only have to take two steps forward, and I would be out of the sanctity of the fairy-tale love story taking place in the room behind me, and into the pits of sinful delights.
My feet remained glued to the floor, though, because no matter how badly I might want the glorious display of wickedness in front of me, I also wanted the love that existed in the room behind me. The sad truth of the matter was that I’d probably never have either one of them. Like a coward, I sat at home every day, working away on my computer and not existing in the real world.
The story of my life—afraid to take a step forward and afraid to take a step back.
Just as I started to turn away and rejoin Seth and Baker’s collaring ceremony after-party, something caught my eye. No, someone. I froze, my feet suddenly unable or unwilling to move. I felt like every person in the club froze and then simply disappeared. Everyone except for me and Eli.
He stood about ten feet away from me, looking sexier than fuck and even more arrogant than I remembered. I hadn’t thought it possible, but his muscles were larger, more defined, and oh-so-perfectly accented by the leather harness thingie that criss-crossed his chest. Black leather pants were molded to his legs.
I literally felt myself gulp. Seriously, like some cartoon character, I gulped.
He smirked and then crooked his finger to gesture for me to come to him. With what could only be described as pure guidance by my cock, my right foot took a step forward. The sounds of the club returned and all the participants reappeared. That’s when it dawned on me. Eli was not only at a BDSM club but he was dressed the part.
My feet froze again.
His finger crooked again.
Knowing I needed to face the music sooner or later, I covered the short distance between us and said, “What are you doing in Colorado, Eli? This is my world, with my friends. Not very long ago, you made it perfectly clear that you didn’t belong with me. Why show up now? If you’re hoping for a side order of revenge because of my lie, then you’d best get ready to be disappointed. My friends will kill you if you try to hurt me.” That probably wasn’t true, but maybe Eli wouldn’t know any better.
One corner of his lips tilted upward as he gazed down at me…working some sort of deviltry with the lower portion of my body. Why? Why did he have to smell so fucking good? Look so fucking delicious? Why?
“I’m here because I got tired of waiting, Ari. You’re old enough now…and you’re mine.”
And then I ran…in the opposite direction.
The End