Page 2 of Bound in the Dark

It was ten o'clock. If he had been waiting for someone they would have already been there. She needed to approach him or he would soon search out one of his regular playmates. She slipped out of her shoes and robe, and folded it neatly into one of the many cubbies along the wall.

She wasn't body shy, but walking across the club naked for the first time, without shaking, took all of her self control. There were plenty of other naked people as well as others in outfits that didn't cover anything important. She had considered wearing something designed for temptation but thought it was a waste of time. Naked was more honest and she hoped Master H would agree.

When she reached the area where he sat, she stopped just outside conversational distance and dropped to her knees. Diana had practiced the motion hundreds of times to make sure she didn't embarrass herself. She placed the folder on the floor in front of her knees then settled her hands onto her thighs with her eyes downcast to wait.

The men's low voices were a rumble against her skin. Her excitement grew as they finished talking. She could feel their gazes and barely resisted the urge to look up.

"Who are you here for, darlin'?" a smooth Texan voice, that she recognized as Ink, asked. He and his partner Hannibal were well known at the club for wild chaotic scenes that didn't appeal to her.

"Sir, I am available if Master H is interested."

"Shame." Ink chuckled.

She kept her head bowed. From between her lashes she saw the two men stand. Ink scooped her folder off the ground and she heard the slap of it hitting the table. They left her kneeling in front of the table where Master H sat and headed out onto the floor. Nerves caused her stomach to clench, but she breathed through her nose and forced her body to remain relaxed.

The hard floor wasn't exactly comfortable as minutes slid by. The urge to scan the room for danger was like an itch under her skin. In all of her imagining of this moment she hadn't accounted for how she would feel sitting there not knowing if he was reading over her information. Not being able to read his face was nerve-wracking.

There was little she could do to affect the outcome at this point. Her path was chosen no matter where it ended. A sense of peace washed through her as she accepted that. Tonight was about giving over control. Right or wrong she would live with that choice and its consequences.

"Look at me." Master H's voice was deep and smooth.

She looked up and her breath caught. His green eyes glowed in the dim light of the club. Looking at him from a distance or in photographs hadn’t prepared her for the impact of him so close. His focus was like a heavy weight centered in her chest. The small smile that tipped up his lips told her that he liked what he was seeing.

He was dressed all in black. His tight jeans hugged him like they were tailored to fit every toned inch of his legs. The henley shirt he wore strained taut over his impressive muscles. The only color on him were the patches that decorated his motorcycle club cut. Highdive, Sergeant at Arms was embroidered in red on his chest proclaiming his road name and position within the Dark Sons.

"Well, Luna. This is a surprise. I've seen you around the club, but never participating in a scene. I wasn’t sure if you were a sub."

"I wish to submit to you, Master H." Diana hesitated but decided complete honesty was needed. "You should be aware, I've never been in a scene."

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you mean you've never been in a scene here, or at all?"

"At all."

He sat back crossing his arms in a gesture that could be interpreted as distancing, but his eyes never left hers. "I don't usually scene with beginners. They tend to get emotionally attached. Why should I make an exception for you?"

Diana tried to hide her smile at his unnecessary concern. Emotions had been beaten out of her at an early age. They were an inconvenience in her line of work, but that wasn't something she could share. This man intrigued her and woke within her a desire for the most carnal of experiences. Unfortunately there was no room in an assassin's life for anything as complicated as a relationship.

"I'm a blank slate. A puzzle without a picture. I'm not looking for anything other than discovering how this," she gestured to the activities going on around them, "fits into who I am. I'm not looking for anything but a skilled Master to spend a few sessions with.”

“That doesn't answer the question." He raised an eyebrow. "Every man and woman who has earned the title Master at this club is skilled.”

“I understand that." She shook her head. "The truth is complicated and simple at the same time. Although I'm willing to submit physically, I don't think I'm capable of doing so mentally. You don’t seem to require that from your partners. If I’m wrong about that I'll apologize and leave you to your usual playthings."

It was a calculated risk to lay everything out there. She could have pretended to submit, she had been trained to fool even experts into believing whatever lie she wanted. But that would've been counterproductive to what she wanted to achieve.

His eyes had flared with interest. She had known he would see her words as a challenge. They weren't. She couldn’t risk letting herself be that vulnerable. In another life maybe she would have been tempted to want something more, but the reality of her world made it impossible.

He ran a finger down her cheek and she enjoyed the rough feeling of his skin against hers.

"You are more confident than most new submissives. Your file says your only hard limits are blood play, bodily fluids, and permanent marks. Are you really interested in everything else, or are you just ignorant of what I could do to you with that much freedom?"

His threat sent chills down her spine. She had meticulously researched every item on the limits list. "I know what I've agreed to. I don't know if I'll enjoy any of it but that is what safewords are for and why I chose this club and you."

He stood and she had to tilt back her head to continue to look at him. This close, his large body was intimidating but even without her weapons she wasn't scared. Excitement had her nipples tightening as he walked around and stopped behind her. She felt completely exposed to him as she arched back trying to keep her gaze on him like he had ordered.

"But what is it you want from me? I've seen other Doms approach you. Is it ropes that interest you?"

The idea of letting someone tie her up both appealed and terrified her. She'd spent most of her life making sure she wasn’t vulnerable, and maybe that was the problem. She thought over what had drawn her to him.

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