Page 11 of Protecting Lanie

So why did she feel like she didn’t belong?

Her pulse kicked up when Master Dane’s voice dropped to a lower timbre. “For tonight’s sensory exercise, we have volunteer Doms who will help guide you. You are always in control. If something doesn’t feel right, you say red and it stops immediately. Understood?”

A soft murmur of ‘yes, Sirs’ rippled through the group. Lanie managed a nod.

Dane turned, scanning the room. “Lanie.”

She froze.

Every muscle in her body went tight as Dane motioned her forward. Shit. No. She wasn’t ready.

But then she saw him.

Archer, standing just beyond the semi-circle, arms folded, watching her. The moment their eyes met, something inside her steadied. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t urging her forward. He was simply there, his presence like a solid, unshakable anchor.

She inhaled through her nose, exhaled through her mouth, and forced herself to stand.

The group parted slightly as she made her way toward Dane. He gestured toward Archer. “You’ll be working with Master Archer tonight.”

Her breath caught. She looked up at Archer, half expecting him to say no, not her, but he didn’t.

Instead, he simply held out his hand. “Come here, little one.”

Lanie hesitated for only a second before she placed her hand in his.

His fingers closed around hers—firm, warm, reassuring—and the second they touched, the tight coil of nerves in her stomach loosened just a little.

Archer led her to a quiet corner, away from the rest of the group. The club’s lighting was already low, but here, the shadows felt softer, more intimate.

“You good?” His voice was low, steady.

She nodded. “Yeah. Just… nervous.”

“That’s normal.” He squeezed her fingers before letting go. “I’ll talk you through everything before we start. You stop me at any point, understand?”

“Yes.”

His eyes flickered with something unreadable. “Yes, what?”

Her stomach flipped. “Yes, Sir.”

Archer’s expression didn’t change, but she swore the air between them shifted.

“Good girl.”

Heat curled low in her belly at those two simple words, her pulse skipping.

What the hell was wrong with her? She wasn’t here to play. She wasn’t here to feel anything. And yet, standing in front of this man, with his deep voice and steady hands and calm authority, she suddenly wanted to know what it would feel like to let go—just once.

Archer pulled a soft black blindfold from his back pocket, rolling the material between his fingers before looking at her. “Trust exercise.”

Her stomach tightened.

He must have seen it in her expression, because his voice softened. “We’ll stop the second you want to.”

Lanie exhaled shakily and nodded.

“Turn around.”

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