He had mentioned he had a meeting. Funny, Julie thought it had to do with bank business.
“There had been whispers after the last group meeting. About you. ” Dena shrugged. “So after the Sunday night session, I asked him. ”
Julie’s hands felt sweaty and she pressed her palms against her thighs. “What’d he say?”
“That the next time I asked about his personal life, I’d spend some quality time on his whipping bench. That’s when I knew he was serious. Always before he’d shrug and say it was nothing. ”
Julie didn’t know what to say to that. She’d only recently accepted that she was falling for the sensual Dominant. To hear he might feel the same . . .
“Sasha’s coming over to my apartment for dinner,” Dena said. “You should come, too. ”
“Say yes, Jules,” Sasha said from the doorway to the back room, looking slightly flushed. “It’ll be good. We can have submissive girl chats. ” Then she turned to their visitor. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Dena. That was Peter. ” She looked at Julie. “So, you in?”
It didn’t take much thinking for her to decide. After all, she could talk to Daniel on the phone from anywhere.
• • •
Julie wasn’t sure what Dena did for a living, but the woman had excellent taste in wine. They breezed through the first bottle during dinner and opened a second while they sat around Dena’s living room.
“Daniel’s your first Dom?” Dena asked, returning to a conversation touched on during dinner. At Julie’s nod, she continued. “Lucky bitch. First guy I submitted to was a grade A asshole. ”
“Then why did you do it?” Julie asked.
“Because as bad as it was, it was better than anything I’d done before. ”
Julie wasn’t so sure nothing wouldn’t be better. “At least you knew and admitted what you needed. You weren’t like me, sitting around, wondering, and too afraid to do anything about it. ”
Dena patted
her on the shoulder. “You’re doing something about it now. That’s the important part. Besides, look who you have for a teacher. ”
The wine had loosened her tongue. “I want him for more than a teacher. ”
“Don’t they all. ” And with one swallow, Dena downed the last of her wine.
Julie wondered if that meant her assumption about Daniel and Dena was correct. “What?”
Dena sat her glass on the floor. “All the submissives in the group want him. ”
“I told you they all drop their pants, remember?” Sasha asked.
Sure, Sasha had told her, but to have Dena confirm it . . . it made her head spin. Before she could think of a reply, her phone rang. “It’s him!” she said, and realized if either of the other two women had any doubt of how she felt about Daniel, her reaction to his phone call probably cleared it up.
Dena pointed to a closed door. “Guest bedroom through there. You’ll have privacy. ”
“Thanks,” she said, then answered the phone. “Hey. ”
“I thought for a second you were screening calls and I didn’t make the cut,” he teased.
Julie shut the door behind her. “Afraid I’d decided you didn’t pass my test after all?”
“Yes and I’d be upset. Last I checked, I speak in complete sentences. ” There was a slight pause. “Most of the time. ”
She shivered, remembering what caused him to speak in phrases. Picturing him over her, his back arched in pleasure as he cl**axed inside her.
“Mmm,” she hummed. “Maybe complete sentence are overrated. ”
He laughed. “We better change subjects before I’m tempted to come pick you up and render you speechless. ”
“Tease. ”
“I’m completely serious,” he said, and she didn’t doubt him. “What are you doing tonight?”
“I’m actually at Dena’s place. Sasha and I came for dinner. ” She took a second to look around. The room was tastefully decorated in a French country theme. Simple and uncluttered, much like the rest of the apartment. “I like her. ”
“I didn’t realize Sasha and Dena were close. ”
“I didn’t either. Today was the first time I’ve seen her, not counting the group meeting. ”
There was silence before he spoke again and when he did, his tone was flat, almost as if he were describing the weather. “She’s a good person. And an experienced submissive. She’d be happy to answer any questions you have on the lifestyle. ”
“She mentioned she saw you on Sunday. ” She brought it up, not because she felt jealous, but because she wanted him to know.
“Mentoring session with a new Dom. She helps sometimes. ”
She wondered what that would be like, training someone. From what Daniel had told her, there seemed to be a lot to learn.
“I thought about asking if you’d like to stay and watch,” he said. “But decided it might be too soon. ”
She respected both his decision and the thought that had gone behind it. He told her he’d been a Dom for over ten years; if he felt it too soon, it was too soon.
“Probably,” she agreed.
“I won’t keep you. I just wanted to call to see if you could come for dinner tomorrow?”
“Just dinner?”
“I was hoping you’d spend the night, too, but it didn’t seem polite to ask you to dinner and then to stay after so I could tie you up in my playroom. ”
He chuckled after he said it, but she had a feeling he wasn’t joking. He was going to tie her up and have sex with her. Her heart pounded with excitement and desire swelled between her legs.
“Julie?”
“Is it tomorrow yet?”
“Have a good time with the girls, kitten. ” His voice was low and sultry. “Tomorrow night you’re all mine. ”