Page 1 of Bound in the Dark

Chapter1

If you never ask yourself ‘What have I gotten myself into’ then you aren’t truly living your life.

Two months ago

An undercurrent of sensual delight and primal need washed through Diana as she stepped inside Dark Secrets. Only here could she shed the exacting demands of her everyday life and exist inside the moment. The siren call of temptation was something she didn’t usually indulge. But lately she longed to forget, to lose herself in the pleasure this place promised.

Clubs, even those that catered to the darker desires of human nature weren’t unknown to Diana. Hell, there had been plenty of times visiting one was a necessary part of her job. But for some reason, this one was special.

While doing a job as a favor for her sister, Diana had discovered the private BDSM club. The place had intrigued her so much she had obtained a membership even if it hadn't been exactly necessary. Seeing first hand what her targets had been doing inside had been her flimsy excuse.

After a single night of watching the members' hedonistic activities, it had become an obsession. Her dreams filled with the idea of exploring the fantasies the club offered. Months of observing had done nothing but build the hunger inside her. Diana couldn’t resist the urge any longer to be more than a bystander.

Her whole life had been rigidly laid out, spent in the service of others. Control was critical to survival. Careful and precise with everything. Each breath, every movement, even the words she spoke, were influenced by her brutal childhood training.

Breaking free of their control years ago had almost cost her her life. The training she had endured wasn't as easy to shake. Even now, forgetting those lessons might cost her her life, but she longed for just a few moments of mental relaxation.

Perhaps participating in a scene wasn’t the best way to break the conditioning that kept her wound so tight. But nothing else Diana had tried in her twenty-nine years had worked. Studies said that giving up control willingly was a freeing experience. And she had chosen the one man she was willing to give it to.

Master H.

The members of Dark Secrets hid their identities behind club names making her research into who to trust complicated, but not impossible. Her current identity, Luna Hunt, had been expensive to obtain but necessary in order to pass their government level background checks. The cyber security of the club was above her meager hacking skills so she had been forced to use other talents to identify the regulars.

Hell, if she was the type of woman who trusted easily she could have accepted one of the many offers to scene a long time ago. But her mind didn't work like that. Diana needed to know everything about a person. Her obsessive planning was the only reason she was still alive.

The man she had chosen wasn’t the logical choice. He wasn't the safest or even the least likely to endanger her cover. But Highdive had fascinated her from the moment she'd seen him through her sniper scope. And now no one else would do.

The man was a fascinating example of everything she shouldn't want in a man. Enforcer for his Motorcycle Club the Dark Sons, he should be someone she avoided. But she couldn't stay away.

Years in the Marines had crafted his body into a solid wall of muscle. Like her, he trained everyday. But it wasn't the perfectly sculpted muscles or his deadly skills that attracted her. It was his eyes.

A fascinating shade of green that changed with his mood. It was obvious when looking into them that he could take on any challenge. He wouldn't give up until he mastered whatever he needed to succeed. They showed his complete focus on whatever task he was assigned.

Diana's dreams had been filled with fantasies of those eyes focused completely on her. In them he wouldn’t give up until he succeeded where so many lovers before him had failed.

At Dark Secrets he was known as Master H. An expert in Shibari. Every time he used his rope to turn a sub into a living piece of artwork Diana had been entranced. A shiver ran across her skin, she wanted the intense concentration when he bound a woman and strung her up on display focused on her. He drew the inner core that was the essence of submission from every sub he played with.

The idiots around here described him as a cold heartless machine. They feared his indifference as much as they respected him. Diana understood what they didn't. Emotions got in the way of control. He focused on creating perfection. So there was no room for messy feelings.

Having a scene with him was considered both an honor and a curse. Master H played a woman's body like a savant but rarely spoke to his partners once aftercare was complete. Rumor was that many hearts had been broken against the stone wall that was his indifference.

Most women craved an emotional connection. But not Diana. She respected the cool way he interacted with women. How he made sure they didn't misunderstand his intentions.

It didn't even appear to be the sex that Highdive enjoyed, though he did obtain release, but rather the perfecting of his art. He would play with a sub several times but once he figured out how to shatter her with pleasure he rarely chose her again.

He was perfect for her. Diana's life was complicated and she couldn't afford emotional entanglements. The truth was she had nothing to offer a partner except her body and that only on a limited time frame.

Only inside the club's walls could she indulge. It was a calculated risk, but she would allow herself the freedom to give over control in this one place with this one man. A few times with Master H would have to be enough to satisfy her new cravings.

Diana smoothed down the silk robe she had chosen for the night to settle her nerves. Her plan was set. She had prepared for every possible response. She'd even tightly braided her long dark hair away from her face in the way she had noticed he preferred.

The folder in her hand was cool. She focused on not gripping it too tightly. The stiff manilla paper contained her limits list, medical information, and club profile. Master H always requested printed copies of those items from the club receptionist before he played with someone new and she hoped to save him the time. Another sign that she was prepared.

Her body hummed with anticipation. Highdive sat relaxed, talking with two men from his motorcycle club in a back booth. Sweat dropped down her back as she mentally prepared to approach him. Why was she so nervous?

Her sexual interactions in the past had been at best mediocre. Initiated more out of curiosity or if she had alternative goals in mind other than pleasure. The worst-case he would reject her. Or not live up to expectations.

That was what she really feared. Ever since she had noticed him, her body had come alive with a need she struggled to contain. Hopefully, giving in would help her regain focus. Even if he turned her down it would be better than all the what-ifs that plagued her mind.

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