Page 38 of Reignite

A Beautiful Thing

“You’ve built a beautiful thing here, Angel.” Gray put and arm around me and kissed the top of my head.

The line to get in was wrapped around the building, people were pouring in faster than I could believe. The bar was packed and Jim kept the drinks flowing, while people waited their turn for orientation classes. Yes, he did call the opening night specialty drink Cruzin’ for a Bruisin’.

No manches.

Jim had eagle eyes and nobody got past him without the black wristbands indicating they were drinking, which were on plenty of arms.

I considered getting one and a glass of champagne. The bubbles would help calm my nerves but drinking it would mean Gray and I wouldn’t be playing. Tonight was a celebration, not just the opening of the club, but the journey that had gotten us here.

I’d rather have Gray inside me than champagne.

I took his face between my palms and pulled him down for a kiss. We stayed lip-locked for long enough to get us both hot and bothered. It was exactly what I needed. I broke the kiss, but kept his face close to mine. “We built this, querida.”

Gray didn’t take his hands out of my hair and that intensity I’d seen in the bedroom flashed through his eyes. But he was still holding something back, something inside. It was gone before I could even blink.

He smiled, bit at my lip and tugged me toward the stage. “Let’s take a tour of your dream, shall we?”

Everything was perfect. Well, almost. The one thing missing was Ilario. I hadn’t gotten to even talk to him in weeks, but I had hoped Gray would have him come back for the grand opening.

The night was still young, so maybe he’d surprise me later.

We walked toward the St. Andrew’s cross standing center stage like it was waiting for its first performance to begin. I’d arranged with one of our new members and her two submissives to do a scene tonight on the stage. It should loosen up the crowd and let everyone know this was as much their club and their stage as it was mine.

The groupings of comfy chairs were almost all filled with small groups of people. Ian patrolled the floor as tonight’s monitor. We met him in the middle. “Everything going okay?”

“Indeed, darlin’. You’ve got some shy newbies, but plenty of experienced players. I dare say a lot of people will walk out of here in the wee hours with smiles on their faces for that’ll last for weeks.”

“Thanks for giving up your night to be our monitor.” Hawk had called in Ian in to surprise me and I was grateful he was here for the grand opening. Those two would always hold a special place in my kinky heart.

“No problem. It gives me a chance to admire the scenery.”

Gray and I both glanced to where Ian’s eyes were fixed. A curvy brunette sat in a group milling about one of the glass rooms. She was doing her best to pretend to ignore Ian, but their interest sizzled through the room.

“Hawk is about to start his ropes demonstration in one of the glass rooms. Let’s go be voyeurs.”

It was hard not to bump into people, because the room was overly crowded. I lost Gray’s hand and managed to maneuver around everyone except a gorilla of a man who happened to fold his arms right when I tried to squeeze by. I clipped him right in the elbow.

“Oops, sorry.” I reached out to touch his arm where I’d caught him and apologize to his face.

He harrumphed and walked away. Geez.

Gigantor probably hadn’t noticed me anymore than a fly bumping into King Kong. We ought to hire him to monitor the door. No one would get past that guy.

Maybe we should get a password too.

The crowd around the glass rooms swallowed me up until I stood at Gray’s side again. Hawk had Lilly’s chest wrapped in red roped intricately knotted into a bustier. Looked to me like he’d adeptly avoided cinching her waist.

I stood on tiptoe and whispered in Gray’s ear. “Have you guessed Lilly’s secret?”

“That baby bump isn’t as secretive as she’d like to think.”

She was barely showing, only if one knew what to look for. “Should they even be doing Shibari?”

“Hawk knows what he’s doing better than any other rope master I’ve seen. He’ll protect her.”

I slid a hand over my own belly. Round, but not with Gray’s child. What would it be like to have a little blue-eyed brown skinned baby growing in me? I hadn’t thought of being a mother since forever.

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