the stack.
“I’ve pulled the paperwork from all active members,” he said. “I thought if you were going to be redoing the application process, we might as well have everyone fill out paperwork and resubmit.”
“I was actually going to suggest that. I was thinking it was a good idea because Peter had been out of the mentor program for a while and Ron was still in it when he harassed Dena, so it’s not like we can point to one thing to identify as the breakdown.”
He leaned back in his chair. “I know you and Abby are coming to the party tomorrow night. I’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts after.”
I’d been to the group’s play parties before, but always as a guest. This coming weekend, Abby and I would attend as members. But more than that, we’d be looking for ways to improve safety and security for all members.
“Abby mentioned Sasha wanted to attend this weekend’s party,” I said. “What are your thoughts?”
“I talked to her when she came over to help Julie in the garden. I won’t lie to you, after what happened with Peter, I thought she would never join the group again.”
“She was that bad off?” At first, I’d been alarmed when I saw her. She still looked depressed. She was too thin and her eyes had the look of a person who didn’t sleep very well. But her comeback on the Nate thing showed me she had more fire inside than it at first appeared.
“Yes. She wouldn’t even stay and watch when I collared Julie.”
“But when you talked to her this afternoon?”
“She’s in a better place. I’m okay with her attending tomorrow night, but I’d like for us all to keep an eye on her and be there if she needs us.”
Sasha’s paperwork was on the top of the pile. I picked it up and glanced over it. “Abby said she wasn’t planning to play.”
“No, I know she won’t tomorrow. But I think it’d be good for us to be proactive and have a plan ready for when she is.”
A noise from outside caused us both to turn our heads. The two women had moved to the side of the house with their gardening. Cole stood with them holding a flat of flowers. But what had captured everyone’s attention was the petite woman at his side.
“Cole has company,” Daniel said. “First time I’ve known him to have someone over. Maybe he’s finally getting Kate out of his system.”
“She could be his editor.”
As we watched, he passed the flowers to Julie and then slipped his hand to rest low on the unknown woman’s ass.
“Or not,” I added.
“Yeah, I’m guessing not his editor. Wonder why he brought those back to Julie? I had them delivered to the guesthouse because that’s where she wanted them planted.”
“I saw her and Sasha working by the driveway.”
“She wanted to add some new plants and I want her to think of this as her home, too.” He laughed. “Though I told her I’d like it better if she planted in the nude.”
I chuckled, then glanced back outside. Cole and his friend had left, heading toward the guesthouse. Julie and Sasha appeared to be arguing. Julie looked up and Daniel motioned for her to come inside. She put the container down and walked toward us. Sasha followed, not looking happy at all.
“Hey,” Julie said, once inside. She sounded a bit huffy, and was clearly agitated.
“Did Cole have a problem with the plants?” Daniel asked.
“No, he thought they brought them to the guesthouse by mistake. He was going to take them back, but I told him to leave them. I wanted to fertilize them anyway. Then we can plant them.”
“There’s no we,” Sasha said, crossing her arms.
“Honestly, Sasha. I want to get these in the ground today.”
“I’ll do all the other plants.”
“You’re being absurd.”
Daniel cleared his throat. “Nathaniel, can you get me one of the blank checklists from the bottom of that pile?”
I took the pile of papers and gave Daniel a sheet from the bottom. I lifted an eyebrow. Sasha’s demeanor had changed from when I first arrived. If I didn’t know better, I would say she was being bratty because she was jealous. The look on her face reminded me so much of one Abby got when Charlene’s name was mentioned. Daniel nodded. He’d picked up on it, too.
“Sasha,” he said. “I need you to fill out a new checklist. You can give it to either me or Nathaniel at the next play party.”
Her cheeks were flushed when she took the paper. I hadn’t realized how pale she was until I saw the dark splotches on her cheeks.
“Thank you, Sir,” she said. “I was going to ask for a new one.” She looked back at Julie. “I’m going to fill this out. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Julie shook her head as Sasha walked away, but gave Daniel a quick kiss and headed back outside to finish.
“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Daniel said. “There’s a tri-state BDSM chapter starting and they’re looking for someone to lead some demos. I don’t think Julie’s ready for something like that, but I was wondering if you and Abby might be interested.”
“When and where are the meetings?” I asked, thinking it might be a fun way to further explore Abby’s exhibitionist side.
“The schedule’s still being worked on, but the first meeting is in Pennsylvania. I can give you the name and number of the person in charge if you think it’s something you’d be interested in.”
“That would be great. I’ll definitely talk to Abby about it.”
As I thought, Abby was excited about the possibility of the demos. I waited until we’d put the kids to bed and she came downstairs to the living room, where I was preparing for work the next day. I looked up as she entered and smiled when I saw what she had on.
“You look sexy as hell,” I said, appreciating the long silver gown she’d changed into.
She shot me a sultry smile and sat on the floor near my feet. I ran a free hand through her hair.
She hummed and leaned into my touch. “Mmm, thank you. I thought you might like this.”
“I like it very much.”
We sat in the stillness for several minutes. It was one of those rare and precious moments when everything seemed right, and I wanted to drink it in. My children and my wife, all together with me, healthy and happy. There was nothing more I wanted.
“How’d it go at Daniel and Julie’s today?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“Good. Sasha was there. And Cole. With a woman.”
“Oh?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t meet her; they were going to the guesthouse.” I tapped her shoulder. “Come sit up here for a minute.”
She rose gracefully and curled up on the couch beside me. I wrapped my arm around her and inhaled deeply, smelling her hair.
“I did want to talk to you about something Daniel brought up.”
She looked up, expectantly.
“There’s a tri-state BDSM chapter starting up and they’re looking for couples to do a few demos.” I didn’t miss her look of excitement at the word “demo.” “It seems like you’re craving exhibitionism, and I thought this might be a good way to meet that need.”
“I have been fantasizing about playing in public a lot lately. I don’t know why.”
“Whatever reason there is, if it’s something you need right now, I want you to have it.”
“I don’t know if it’s a need or just a recurring fantasy.”
I ran my knuckles over her cheekbones. “Do you want to do the demos, regardless of why you’re fantasizing about it?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll do it.” I twisted a piece of loose hair around my fingers. “I’ll call the organizers tomorrow and get more information.”
“Do you know what they want us to demo?”
“Daniel said bullwhip was one. That’s why they called him first.”
Her excitement dwindled a bit at the mention of the bullwhip. “You’ve never used one on me.”
“True, but I have on
e and I know how to use it. I’ll just need some practice before I use it on you.” I tilted my head. “Does that make you not want to do the demo?”
“Oh no. I’m still very interested.”
“Even with the bullwhip?”
She leaned in for a kiss. “I trust you completely.”
That was what sometimes scared me. Not that she trusted me not to hurt her, but that she trusted me to fulfill all her desires and fantasies.
What if I failed?
I’d always enjoyed play parties. The way they vibrated with the sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant undercurrent of the power exchange we were all a part of. And I’d never stop enjoying the diversity of the participants. In one room you could happen across a Dom with two male submissives, and in another find a submissive being led by a leash. And there were those who looked as if they just finished shopping with the girls or had come straight from work.
Tonight, Abby and I were only observing to see if we noticed anything happening that was a concern. There were fewer people present than there had been at previous parties we’d attended with the group. Space wasn’t an issue, though. Daniel’s house was more than sufficient for the people in attendance. He and Julie weren’t doing a demo tonight, but when we arrived, he’d had her pressed against a wall, holding her hands above her head and saying something that had her eyes heavy with desire.
Jeff stood off by himself, watching Dena. The vivacious blonde was in the middle of a group of three women who’d come expressing interest in the lifestyle. She spoke animatedly, but with a smile and a demeanor that left the women looking calm and at ease. Not always an easy thing to do.
“You’re a lucky man,” I said to Jeff.
He smiled. “That I am. She’s something else.”
One of the women pointed to Dena’s collar, causing her to look over her shoulder to where we were. Jeff waved.
“Baby doing well?” I asked. At Abby’s request, I’d called him a few days ago and casually brought up playing during pregnancy.
“Yes,” he replied. “And thank you for the talk the other day. I spoke with Dena and we’re going to try a few things. I’m still nervous, but I feel better. And it made me realize that I was being unfair not only to her, but to our relationship as well.”
We stood quietly for a few minutes. Master Greene hurried past us with a brief “hello” and wave. He was the acting Dungeon Monitor and obviously on his way down to Daniel’s playroom. Several people followed in his wake. I thought again that the responsibility was too much for one person.
I scanned the room, looking for Abby, and found her at the living room’s entryway. We’d arrived together, but decided to split up for the first thirty minutes to observe separately. At her side was Sasha, looking paler than she had appeared days before. Papers were clutched in her hand.
“I hope it wasn’t a mistake letting her come tonight,” I said, inclining my head toward the pair.
“I wish you could have seen her before,” Jeff said. “She was always so full of life and, from what I’ve heard from those who played with her, borderline insolent.”
She certainly didn’t look insolent now. Her eyes were wide and she was nodding at whatever Abby was saying. Abby caught sight of me and, at the tilt of my head, crossed the room in our direction with Sasha following.
I slipped my hand up to the back of Abby’s neck when she made it to my side, fingering her collar. “Sasha, it’s good to see you.”
“Thank you, Master West.” She held out a wrinkled paper. “I filled out my checklist like you asked.”
I took the paper. “Very good. I’ll make sure it’s entered into the system.” Abby and I had talked when I got home from Daniel’s the day before and she’d suggested the idea of loading group member information into an electronic database. She’d mentioned it might be a good way to pair up unattached members based on interest. I wasn’t sure we wanted to do anything electronically, but she brought up listing everyone by a number instead of putting personal information in the computer. I told her I’d think about it. I did like the idea of matching people up.
Looking at Sasha at that moment, I found it hard to believe she’d want to be matched up any time soon. Just as well. Since tonight was her first party in a long time, it was best she took things slowly. Once she had a few meetings and parties under her belt, maybe we’d think about pairing her with a Dom, if that was what she wanted.
Jeff looked at his watch. “Cole’s demo is starting in about five minutes. Dena and I aren’t going to watch, but you and Abby might want to.”
I raised an eyebrow at Abby. “Let’s go see Cole. Sasha, you can come with us.”
Sasha’s mouth opened, as if she was going to say something, but she only nodded. Abby must have sensed something. She put a hand on Sasha’s upper arm and gently asked her, “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Sasha replied, and her voice shook a bit. “I’ll be fine.”
Abby would have picked up on the fact that I wanted Sasha with us. So her double check meant there was something going on with Sasha that I had missed.
We made our way down the stairs to Daniel’s playroom. I led the way and held the door open for the women. “Sasha,” I said when she walked by. “Is everything okay?”
She looked me in the eye. “Yes, Sir. I’m fine.”
There was a glimmer of something in her expression that hinted otherwise and she couldn’t hold my gaze for long. “If you don’t want to watch, Abby can sit with you upstairs.”
“I’m fine, Sir. Really.”
There wasn’t much else I could do. I’d asked if she was okay and I’d given her an out. If she wanted to stay in the playroom, I would let her. “Stay near Abby.”
She nodded and stood next to Abby. I kept my eyes on Sasha instead of paying attention to the setup for the demo. She spoke quietly to Abby, but when she turned to observe the middle of the room, she jerked in shock.
Curious, I followed her line of sight and saw Cole and the petite woman he’d brought to the guesthouse. She knelt at his feet while Cole waited for everyone to make it inside and close the door. Once the crowd settled down and he was satisfied, he began by introducing himself, the submissive, and what his plans were. I worried for just a bit when he told the crowd he’d be using a violet wand. While I knew Sasha had been hurt with a bullwhip, I wasn’t sure how she’d do watching an electrical scene. A quick glance showed her relaxed and calm, though.
Cole had the submissive move to the top of a table, and while she got into place, he went over safety information with the crowd. When he finished, he shifted so he faced both her and those of us watching. He looked over the people gathered, and it wasn’t my imagination when he did a brief double take at seeing Sasha.
Then he turned his attention to the woman before him, and I thought we all held our breath as he spoke quietly to her and turned the wand on. The lights were dim in the room, which served to showcase the bluish purple light of the wand and tiny spark of electricity that licked the submissive’s skin.
Cole’s face was a mask of concentration. He’d told us before he started he would only use a low setting tonight, but it was enough. The submissive he worked with held perfectly still, letting out only the slightest moans in pleasure.
He stopped for a second to check in with her after she’d been quiet for a few minutes, and it wasn’t until she nodded and he started again that it hit me how loud the room had been with the combination of wand and submissive. I shot a quick glance to Sasha, hoping she didn’t feel overwhelmed, but she appeared transfixed by the scene before her.
Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing rapid, but her lips parted in what looked like desire. I imagined she must be picturing herself in the submissive’s place, yet when I followed her line of sight, she wasn’t captivated by the submissive, but Cole. At the same moment I realized where her attention was, Cole did as well. He looked up briefly and caught Sasha’s gaze. The corner of his mouth uplifted just a bit in a smug half
smile.
Sasha gasped and I braced myself, waiting to see if she’d turn and leave the room. But she stood where she was, simply dropping her eyes to the glowing wand.
I looked over at Abby and saw she’d picked up on Sasha’s reaction, too.
Definitely a discussion for later.
Chapter Seven
ABBY
We had a leisurely breakfast the next morning, thanks to Linda taking the kids for the weekend. She’d picked them up yesterday before the play party, saying she’d missed them horribly since we moved.