Page 28 of Tower

She forced herself to pull away from his touch, and received a laugh from him for her effort.

“I need to see to a few things. You have a choice here, Azalea. You can sit in my private box to the left of the main stage and listen to the music and watch the show about to start, or you can sit in my office with me.”

The change in his voice when he offered the second choice made her believe watching him work would be exactly that. Sitting and watching. Sitting in his private box would give her the ability to see the show, to see how the other couples in the club reacted and played. She’d get to see exactly what she’d wanted to the first night she’d come.

And he knew it. She could sense it even if he wouldn’t admit to it.

“I’ll sit in your box,” she answered with a soft tone. He was offering a short olive branch. Very short, considering she still wasn’t able to walk out and go home, but at least he wasn’t shackling her to him.

“Sergio will be standing by. Anything you need, just ask him.” Peter gestured to the side, and a man stepped out of the shadows. The mammoth from the guard building.

“I thought you said you keep your business separate from the Titon ones?” she asked, eying the large man walking up to them. If his sheer size didn’t keep people away, his fierce scowl would do the job perfectly fine.

“I do. When I stay at the house, Sergio comes with. He’s part of my personal security team.” Peter turned to the man in question. “She’s not to leave the box unescorted for any reason. Have a bottle of wine brought to her table and a bread and cheese platter. She didn’t eat very much dinner.”

“Sheis right here, andsheisn’t very hungry,” Azalea said.

“I’ll be in my office but will join her shortly.” Peter continued to address the mammoth.

Azalea rolled her eyes.

“Yes, sir.” Sergio turned his attention to Azalea. “After you.” He gestured for her to walk back down the hall she’d just entered.

“Azalea.” Peter’s hard tone stopped her a few paces in. “Be good for me. Don’t make me punish you again today.”

Her stomach clenched and her face heated, more so when she realized Sergio had heard.

Not trusting her voice to remain steady, she chose not to respond. Turning on her heel, which thankfully wasn’t too high, she made her way down the hall away from him.

? ? ?

“Sergio says you gave him no trouble.” Peter startled her with his sudden appearance, making her jolt. His hand rested on her shoulder, stilling her. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he offered.

A gentle smile perched on his lips.

“I was watching…” She shrugged, unable to say what she’d been so enthralled with before he joined her.

She had no idea how long he’d been in his office working, but she’d managed to polish off three glasses of wine and too much of the crusty bread and cheese he’d had brought to her.

Peter glanced up at the main stage. A woman remained suspended in the intricate weavings of shibari bondage. Azalea knew the term because they had announced it when the couple began. Did Peter have the same skill as the man on stage?

“I thought you might like tonight’s show.” He took a seat beside her. A server placed a drink before him, and Peter thanked him before waving him off. Everything sort of appeared for him when he wanted it.

“I—” She shook her head, deciding not to ruin the casual ambiance with any more snark. “Yes. It’s been entertaining. This is the second time he’s tied her up. The first was like a spiderweb with her cocooned in the middle. Amazing, and beautiful.” Azalea took another sip of her white wine. “And it takes so much time, so much patience.”

“It does, yes. On both the part of the Top and the bottom.” He brushed her hair from her shoulder. “If they weren’t doing this as a performance tonight, Jerry would have her bound tighter, her breasts more prominent, and he’d be taking a flogger to her. She loves it best when she’s bound tight with no wiggle room.”

Azalea turned to him. Though there was a slight tilt to his lips, giving her the impression he enjoyed the topic, he wasn’t teasing her.

“A flogger to her breasts?” she asked sincerely.

“Oh, yes. And binding them makes them a bit more sensitive. It’s perfectly safe, Azalea,” he assured her.

She didn’t comment on that. Even after he proved what an ass he could be, and after all she knew about the Titon family, she didn’t doubt what he said.

She focused her attention on the couple who were ending their performance. Jerry brought his playmate down from the suspension binds with as much care and gentleness as she had been put in them.

“I was thinking.” He cleared his throat before taking a sip of his drink.

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