Page 76 of In His Cuffs

But after half an hour of mindless white lies, assuring his friends and acquaintances that he was well, he’d made his escape to the solitude of the patio. He’d dragged a chair close to the crackling fire pit to enjoy the sunset. Today had been a mild day, and summer was breathing her last gasps before surrendering to the inevitable shorter, colder, bleaker days.

Brandy, a natural submissive, rather than one who’d been trained for it, cast her gaze down at the ground before looking up him. “I never said thank you for what happened at the last Ladies’ Night.”

“No thanks necessary,” he assured her. “Any Dom would have done the same thing.”

Many times, there was an assumption among new Doms that subs wearing the house’s purple wristband welcomed any attention. A first-time visitor had made that error with Brandy.

Master Damien had not served alcoholic beverages at Ladies’ Night, opting for frou-frou, sugar-laced umbrella drinks that the ladies seemed to like. But that hadn’t stopped the guest from drinking before he arrived.

Even when Brandy had used the Den’s safe word, the asshole had continued on, forcing her to her knees and shoving his dick in his mouth. Niles had noticed her distress and stepped in.

Truthfully he’d enjoyed throwing the wannabe Dom out the front door. The physical altercation had dissipated some of the angst churning in his gut, emotion he couldn’t get rid of otherwise. If Master Damien or anyone else had noticed the uppercut Niles had delivered to the guy’s jaw, no one had mentioned it.

Seeing his bruised knuckles the next day had been satisfying, but not as rewarding as seeing the current, exquisite expression of gratitude on Brandy’s face.

He rolled the empty glass between his palms, keeping his hands busy so he didn’t yield to the temptation to reach out and touch her.

Niles realised he knew little about her. He’d seen her around the Den for years. She was always unfailingly obedient, but she didn’t stand out. No wonder Damien continued to have her at his events.

“If you’d like to go to one of the private rooms, Sir, I’m available.”

His cock hardened. He met her gaze. Her blue eyes were wide open and she gave him a quick smile that slammed his solar plexus. Fuck. Why had he never noticed how attractive she was? Maybe because she wasn’t the type he usually went for.

At six feet tall, his wife had looked him in the eye when she had donned the heels he liked. She’d been runway-model thin, with deep brown eyes and raven hair styled in a sleek, no-nonsense bob.

The two women couldn’t be any more different.

Suddenly, though, the idea of bending Brandy over, making her scream his name as she came, appealed to every dominant urge. Still, he didn’t want to scene just because she had a misplaced sense of gratitude. “You owe me nothing.”

“I think you misunderstood. It was an invitation, Sir.” She linked her hands at her back.

Interesting. Brandy was well trained, a perfect sub. And if he wasn’t mistaken, she’d tucked her hands out of sight so he couldn’t see the way she was fidgeting.

“I’m afraid I was being bold,” she said, still looking at the ground.

So she was nervous, and he understood why. Though she was often summoned to the dungeon, he was certain she initiated few, if any, of the scenes. “I respect a woman who asks for what she wants.”

As he stood, he put down his glass. Brandy didn’t glance up. He placed his forefinger beneath her chin and tipped her head back.

She smelt of cinnamon with a tangy undercurrent of arousal. The spicy scent intrigued him. He’d expected something more floral, in keeping with her femininity. For the first time since Eleanor had passed, he wanted to scene for pleasure. “I accept,” he said.

Brandy smiled.

The slow, sensuous curve of her lips made something deep inside start to melt. “After you,” he said.

She scooped up his glass and started towards the main house. Her hips swayed from side to side, not in an exaggerated movement, but with natural feminine grace. He was looking forward to getting her naked.

Responding to a male instinct as old as time, he placed his fingers against the small of her back.

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