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  Eva chuckled. “Yeah, it would have.”

  “Sweetheart, don’t sweat this. We’ll figure it out one step at a time. These documents are supposed to be fluid, ever changing. You try something you think you’re going to like but don’t, so you move the yes into the no category. Sometimes you get involved with someone and something you think you’d never try suddenly becomes enticing. It’s all okay. The lines you draw today can be erased and drawn elsewhere tomorrow.”

  “You’re right.” She put her hand over his for a moment then quickly removed it and chuckled awkwardly. “Look at all the choices in the restraint category. Sheesh! I never realized there were this many options.”

  He noticed that her hand holding the clipboard was shaking. Why was she so nervous? “I’ve never been a fan of those leather hoods. Phoenix is hot enough without putting something like that on your head.”

  “Yeah, they gotta be hotter than hell. And in a club setting, how do you know for sure who is doing what?” She turned her pen end over end and tapped it.

  “Rest assured, Eva, I’d never let anyone else touch you while we’re scening together. In fact, I’d appreciate it if you’d wear my collar while you’re in the club. If I see some schmo making time with you, I’m gonna bust his head.” Of course, now he needed to buy one. He’d never had the desire to collar a sub before. It wouldn’t have mattered, anyway—for Eva he needed to find something special.

  “Whoa, hold up. This isn’t a relationship. It’s just scening and only in the clubs.” Eva slid sideways and turned, looking him in the eye.

  “I didn’t say a ring, Eva, I said a collar, and I only asked you to wear it at the clubs.” Gio tried hard to insert amusement into his voice. “We aren’t having a relationship, but I’m going to be damned pissed if I find you’re fucking someone else while we have an agreement.” He wasn’t backing up on this issue.

  “The term we use in polite company is ‘scening’, not fucking, Gio. You’d do well to remember that.”

  Her prim and proper attitude made him want to smile. “I apologize for my vulgar language. Scening is a much better term because fucking implies that I’d only be pissed if you were engaging in intercourse and that’s false. I should have made it clear that I’d be busting heads if you were involved in any sort of sexual behavior.” The idea of her getting down and dirty with anyone else kept the smile from appearing on his face. He took a deep breath and searched for a logical, unemotional reason why her ‘scening’ with someone else would be a bad idea. “It’s just safer that way… Health-wise and all.”

  “Sure, I can see that.” She looked at him long and hard. “I wouldn’t want to catch anything from some girl you might hook up with. Speaking of which… This club demands regular testing. I’m clear. Please get checked before we scene again.”

  Eva tilted her head down and her hair blocked his view of her face but from her brittle tone, he knew she wasn’t happy.

  Gio tucked her silky blonde tresses behind her ear. “We do, too. I haven’t been with anyone but you since my last test. No worries there.”

  “What are your duties at Dom’s Place?” Her voice sounded casual, but her body language was anything but.

  “For the most part, I monitor the dungeon.” He didn’t want to discuss his other duties. Duties he would no longer be participating in anyway.

  “Ahh, I see. I thought you might be a Dom in Residence.” Her head was still tipped downward, but her eyes pinned him to the wall.

  He cleared his throat, stalling for time, hoping a lightning strike would eradicate him from the face of the Earth and spare him from having this discussion. “I have, in the past, served in that capacity. But, Eva, while we have an arrangement, I will only work as a DM.”

  When she turned away from him, he took her chin between his thumb and index finger to make her look at him. “I figured I’d be spending a lot more time here. My brothers enjoy helping out at the club. I’m not really needed much.”

  “I appreciate that. Like you said, there are health concerns to consider and unattached women…” She shrugged.

  He could point out that a DR’s duties went beyond unattached women, but since it wouldn’t help his situation, he let it slide. “Yeah, I hear ya. If you’re done, I’d like to see your list.”

  She looked back through the pages. “I guess I’m done.” Eva slid her pen through the clipboard catch, but she didn’t give it to him. Instead she placed both hands on the top corners and rocked back and forth.

  Gio wasn’t sure if she was having second thoughts about scening with him or if she was concerned about the list. Most likely it was both. “Eva, the only things we’re going to do are those activities that we’ve both indicated we desire.”

  “I know.” She stopped rocking, but she still wasn’t looking at him.

  “I expect there are items on the list where we disagree. It would be really odd if there weren’t.” He kept hoping she’d throw him a sign or give him a hint as to what she was thinking.

  Eva nodded.

  “Are you comfortable with your answers, given that this is an ever changing document and you can make new choices as needed?” He just needed to be patient with her and show her he wasn’t going to force her into something.

  She took a deep breath then exhaled slowly before lifting her head. “Yeah.” Eva handed him the clipboard and took his in exchange.

  He gave a quick glance through hers and realized his first assumption had been completely wrong. If she had a list on file, he’d bet dollars to donuts that it was less restrictive than this. Either she had very narrow tastes or she didn’t trust him for shit. He wanted to talk to her about it, but he knew it would just cost him ground.

  Gio decided he needed to take his time and gain her trust. “I have my kit in the locker room. Since you have the night off, why don’t we adjourn to a privacy room?”

  Chapter Four

  Her head popped up and she met his gaze, not having clue one how to answer. “I…um… Sure, yeah. Sounds good.”

  Eva watched as Gio headed off. Damn, he had a sexy ass. The tension coiling through her became too much. She had to do something. Pushing off the couch, she walked to the bar, wishing it were miles away instead of only a few feet. She dropped his clipboard on the counter, removed his list and folded it into a small square.

  She felt guilty for marking ‘no’ to so many things. She’d thought she’d made such huge strides, yet that list told her she was still that scared country girl, afraid to get out of her comfort zone. While filling out the list, she’d considered bluffing her way through it. Knowing he’d, at some point, call her on it kept her from going that route.

  This was such a bad idea. It wasn’t going to end well. It couldn’t. They had too much backstory to keep it just sex for sex’s sake.

  Eva jumped when Gio placed his hand on the small of her back. Thankfully, he chose to ignore it.

  “I’m assuming the privacy rooms are over there?” He pointed to the far end of the club.

  “Yeah. I don’t know if any of them are open, though.” She noticed she was wringing her hands and laid them flat along the counter.

  “If DiscipliNation is anything like Dom’s Place, midweek is pretty slow. I expect at least one will be open. Let’s go talk to a DM and find out.” Gio began leading her past the stage.

  Butterflies were flittering in her stomach. No matter how much her head told her to run, her body wouldn’t let her. She was drawn to Gio, whether she wanted to be or not.

  As they neared the hallway, Gio pulled her against him. “I know the lines get a little fuzzy since you work here, but I was taught protocol is important. When we are together, you will defer to me. Do not speak to anyone else without permission. If you are addressed, you will look to me for permission before responding. Do you understand?”

  Her stomach bottomed out and her pussy clenched. “Yes.”

  He gave her a light kiss on the forehead. “Good girl.”

  As they co
ntinued, Eva felt a little like she was on an escalator with no real options other than to finish the ride.

  Gio stepped slightly in front of her and extended his hand to the DM. “Good evening. I’m Gio Parma.”

  Ian, the DM, shook Gio’s hand. “Ian. I remember you from the wedding. It’s good to see you again. André said he was granting Adriana’s family rights here. Can I help you with something?”

  “Is there a room available? Preferably with a St Andrew’s Cross.” He reached behind him and took Eva’s hand.

  Did he know she was ready to bolt? Is that why he’d taken her hand? Whatever the reason, she was grateful and she appreciated him taking the lead. She wasn’t sure she’d have been able to look Ian in the face and ask him for a room to have sex in. How had she gotten into this mess? This had been so much easier at a club where she didn’t know anyone.

  “Room two. Fridays or Saturdays you’re going to want to call ahead and reserve a room if you think you’re going to need one.” Ian peeked through the window before twisting the handle and opening the door for them. “Club safeword is ‘crisis’. I’ll be close by, in case you need anything.” Ian stood back and let them enter.

  “Thank you. We’ll be fine.” Gio closed the door and set his kit on the cabinet near the sink.

  Gio put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a gentle massage. “Now that we both know what the club safeword is”—he smiled and rolled his eyes—“tell me again what yours is.”

  She chuckled. No, Ian hadn’t been very subtle. He was probably making sure she knew it, not him. “I don’t mix work and play, Gio. I’m sure Ian was surprised to see me back here.”

  “You haven’t scened here before?” He sounded casual, but his body language was on alert.

  “Not in the true sense, no. I work here,” Eva explained.

  “I’m sure there are Doms here besides the employees. Doesn’t André allow his crew to fraternize with the members?” Gio had a silly smirk on his face that annoyed the hell out of her.

  “André doesn’t care, but I do. I’m here to work.” Okay, that was lame. Why hadn’t she just kept her mouth shut?

  Gio looked into her eyes, making her squirm. “Do you need money, Eva? Is that why you work here?”

  “I don’t need this job, but I also don’t want it complicated.” Bartending was the perfect gig. She could visit with people in the lifestyle without an expectation that she was there to play.

  With great confidence, Gio began unhooking her corset. “How did you learn about BDSM?”

  She had no idea what to do with her hands. First she put them on her hips, but decided that was too snarky. Next, she began to fidget with the lace on her skirt. Why was this so hard? It was piss poor timing for Adriana to be away on her honeymoon. It wasn’t like she could talk to Sister Carol about this.

  “Do you really want to talk about this?” Eva asked without looking up at him.

  “Maybe I should have asked for a room with a spanking bench.” He tilted her chin until they were eye to eye. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know.” Gio took her wrists and pinned them behind her back. “Do not move.”

  At his firm command, Eva stopped squirming.

  “Now. Tell me.”

  She didn’t want to look at him, but he’d told her not to move. Fuck it. This wasn’t about sex. This was simply a conversation and one she didn’t want to have. Eva turned away from him and walked to the couch. She sat down, pushed the fabric of her skirt between her legs to cover her pussy and drew her knees under her chin.

  “What is this, Eva?” Gio sat on the couch next to her.

  She tipped her head down hiding her face. “I can either tell you or look at you but not both. So you pick.”

  Gio was silent for a few moments. “You know… Every club I’ve been to seems to do things a little differently, but I’ve never visited one where the submissives gave the orders. I guess we’re going to need a contract after all.”

  “Very funny. This isn’t about sex”—she shrugged—“not really. This is a conversation, so it doesn’t count.”

  “You just arbitrarily decided what counts and what doesn’t. I see.” Gio’s voice was calm and low.

  Eva wrapped her arms around her legs and refused to lift her head. Gio’s tone wasn’t reassuring at all. Eva was pretty sure she’d stepped into a big pile of trouble. “This isn’t about a scene, Gio. Be reasonable.”

  “I told you I believe protocol is important. It helps you slip into your submissive mindset and I enjoy being in control. What you are doing now is unacceptable.”

  The air rushed from her lungs as the word ‘unacceptable’ bounced around inside her head. It was the only word she had heard, the only one that mattered. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and refused to allow a single tear to fall. “What should I have done?” she asked in a whisper.

  “What do you think?”

  She was listening closely for any signal that he was angry or hurt, but his tone was strictly neutral, a teacher helping a student work through a mistake in judgment. If anything, his calm demeanor made her feel even worse.

  “I should have talked to you,” she muttered.

  “Wrong. Try again.”

  What? Anger streaked through her and she lifted her head to glare at Gio. “What do you mean wrong? D/s is about communication. If something isn’t going right, we’re supposed to talk about it.”

  “D/s is about a lot of things, including protocol and communication.”

  Fuck. Protocol wasn’t something she paid a lot of attention to. Every Dom seemed to prefer a different level. “Okay, within the constraints of protocol, what should I have done?” She hoped she’d kept the sarcasm out of her voice, but considering Gio’s raised eyebrow, she’d have to assume she’d been unsuccessful at that too.

  “Safeword, Eva. When you’re in a situation and feel you cannot continue, you safeword.”

  “We were just talking,” she argued, trying to wrap her mind around his point of view.

  “You disobeyed two direct orders—‘Do not move’ and ‘Tell me’. If you felt you couldn’t comply, you should have safeworded.”

  Damn it. When he put it that way, it sounded so simple. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Okay, that had gone easier than she’d expected. She hadn’t choked on her tongue.

  “Resume your spot.” Gio tipped his chin toward where they’d stood by the door.

  Her heart started pounding. Funny—after all this, she felt like telling him how she’d discovered BDSM wasn’t that big of a deal. Was she just being a drama queen?

  Reluctantly, she walked back to where she’d been, chin up and hands behind her back. She kept her elbows tight against her sides to help keep her corset in place. With half the hooks open, the material gaped apart. Eva wanted to rip it off rather than stand there looking foolish. She’d made such a mess of this.

  Gio left her standing there for at least a full minute before he stood in front of her. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

  Just say it. “Your ex-girlfriend Rhonda.”

  Gio flinched. “Come again?”

  “She cornered me in the breezeway and asked why you stopped attending class. By that time, I’d spoken to your roommate and I knew you’d left school. I told her as much. She blamed me.” Eva felt her face heat up and knew she was red with shame, but she continued. “She said I’d run you off by making you feel guilty for enjoying kinky sex. She said you’d taken her to a club… I asked her to take me.” Eva shrugged. “And the rest is history.”

  “I see.” Gio’s jaw was set at an angle letting Eva know he wasn’t happy. He grabbed the two sides of her corset and pulled, releasing each closure instantly. “Lose the skirt and stand facing the cross.”

  He reached for his buckle, unhooked it and slid his belt through the loops.

  Eva was trembling from a potent brew of fear and arousal. She’d been out of her comfort zone since she’d walked into the room. With great trepidati
on that felt weirdly like anticipation, Eva took her position at the cross.

  “How many direct orders did you ignore?”

  “Two.” She knew where this was going and it wouldn’t be enough.

  “You’re going to take two swats with the belt. That will clear the slate and we will continue with my original plans.” To listen to Gio, you’d think he was an ocean of calm.

  “I want more,” Eva told him.

  “You’re getting two, but I see we need to address your desire to top from the bottom also. Don’t worry. It will vanish quickly. Open your mouth.”

  He was going to ball gag her, she assumed, leaving her unable to talk back, top from the bottom or anything else. If she opened her mouth and she allowed him to bind her to the cross, she’d be completely at his mercy. She thought through all the possibilities then opened her mouth.

  Gio looped his belt and slid the leather between her teeth. “Bite it. I want your teeth imprinted in it.”

  Eva glanced his way, surprised, but she followed his instructions. She made sure she used enough force to permanently mark it and she also ran her tongue along the rough suede as she inhaled the scent of leather. She wondered how many other girls had had held his belt in their mouths.

  “Whatever you’re thinking, stop it. And to answer your unasked question… Yes, I can and will control what goes on inside that head of yours. While we’re together, I’m in charge. I have all the power, because you gave it to me.”

  Her tummy bunched and she knew she was getting wet. He hadn’t even touched her, not intimately, and she was already aroused. How did that happen?

  Gio took her left wrist and pulled it toward the cuff. Once it was secured, he did the same with the right. He stepped behind her and slid her skirt to the floor. “Step out of it.”

  It was a little awkward with her arms attached to the cross, but she followed his order. She stood there in just her panties, wondering if they’d be the next to go.

  “Spread your legs. Put your feet just to the inside of the cross.”