Page 11 of The Sadist and the Brat

“A big one,” Rebecca agreed, frowning at Sadie’s hands. “What’d you get at the bar?”

“I didn’t bring my play bag, which means I don’t have my aftercare kit.” She held up the two small bags. “I snagged a couple of the emergency kits they stocked for the night.”

“Almonds and chocolate, good choice.” Rebecca nodded. “I like meat and cheese, myself.”

Sadie started to consolidate the contents of the two bags into one. “Well, if I were placing an order, it would be a full charcuterie plate, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

“I should make more specific aftercare requests,” Rebecca mused. “A cheeseburger would be awesome after a scene, don’t you think?”

“My favorite is fondue,” Sadie said. “It’s warm and buttery and there’s just a little bit of booze. Perfect.”

“I’d either burn myself or stab myself with a skewer if I tried to eat fondue after a scene,” Rebecca admitted.

“Life is full of risks.”

“Speaking of…” Rebecca raised an eyebrow. “Playing with Jack.”

“It’s a demo,” Sadie reminded her, and zipped the full baggie closed with a scowl. “Don’t you have to get back to Nick?”

“And miss this? Hell, no.”

“I need better friends,” Sadie muttered. “Oh, look. Resting Dick Face returns.”

“Shhh!”

“He’s halfway across the room, Rebecca,” Sadie pointed out drily. “He can’t hear me.”

“Doms hear everything,” Rebecca hissed, her lips barely moving. “Sooner or later.”

“You’re paranoid.”

“And you’re reckless,” Rebecca shot back. “One of these days you’re going to meet a Dom who you can’t boss around, then you’ll see.”

“I doubt it,” Sadie groused and ignored Rebecca’s curious glance. “He looks weird tonight.”

“What do you mean?” Rebecca narrowed her eyes. “I think he looks good. The leathers really suit him, don’t they?”

Sadie refused to look, focusing her attention on his face as he moved through the crowd. “Why’s he smiling?”

“People do that, you know.”

“Jack doesn’t. At least, not at me.” Sadie watched him approach, unease building with every step he took. “I didn’t even know his face could move like that. He looks almost…happy.”

“Maybe he is,” Rebecca said. “After all, he tricked you into playing with him.”

“He didn’t trick me,” Sadie protested. “And we’re not playing.”

Rebecca turned to grin at Sadie, laughter dancing in her gray eyes. “Whatever you need to tell yourself, sweetie.”

“I hate you,” Sadie said, and, ignoring the flutter in her belly as Jack drew closer, reached out and pinched Rebecca’s thigh.

Rebecca pinched her back, making Sadie flinch, but there was no time to retaliate because Jack was there, towering over them with his arms crossed over his chest, that odd little smile on his face. It made her nervous, so she ignored it. But that meant she either had to look away or look at the rest of him. And since looking away would be like holding up a neon sign readingHey! I’m nervous!, she looked at the rest of him.

Rebecca was right—the leathers suited him.

She’d gotten used to seeing him in business clothes, since he often came to parties and events straight from his job as head of a liquor distribution company, and he looked good in a suit. But the black leather pants were…whew. They rode low on his hips and clung to his thighs, and the leather had the supple look that came from years of wear and care. The urge to reach out and see if they were as soft as they looked had her curling her fingers into her palms.Bad Sadie, no touch,she reminded herself, and tried to find fault with the shirt he’d chosen.

Unfortunately, the white dress shirt looked perfect, a bright, crisp contrast to the leathers. He’d left the neck open to show off the column of his throat and several delicious inches of hair-sprinkled chest. He’d rolled back the sleeves too, in a blatant display of forearm porn. The sight of well-defined muscles and the dusting of reddish-brown hair would have been appealing enough, but the tattoo on his right arm made it downright mesmerizing. The twisting black lines rippled as the muscles in his forearms flexed, and she bit back a curse.

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