Page 16 of The Sadist and the Brat

He’d spent enough time observing her to see the pattern. She favored hookups, for scenes or sex or both, and shied away from deeper connections—he’d never seen her stick with a romantic partner for more than six weeks. It baffled her friends, and while it could be that she genuinely wanted to stay unattached, he had a different theory.

He could be wrong, of course. He didn’t know her well enough to say for sure that it was a fear of genuine intimacy keeping her single. But if he was right, and she had any inkling how much he wanted her, she’d never let him near her.

So he’d bided his time, keeping his eyes peeled for the right opportunity, and it had finally come.

Now, he just had to not fuck it up.

There was already a crowd gathered around the demo area, almost every chair filled. He moved through the throngs, past the ropes that marked off the scene space, and with a gentle tug on her hand, urged her forward.

She dropped his hand and turned in a circle, taking in the setup. There was a rope dangling from a ceiling beam, the leather cuffs attached having been set for Nikki’s height. He eyed her boots, noting the high heel, and decided to forgo adjusting them until he had her barefoot.

There was a table set up a few feet away from the cuffs, its surface laden with the items he’d brought to demonstrate. He’d laid them out meticulously in the order he’d planned to use them and covered them with a black sheet. He’d planned to unveil them in a bit of showmanship for the crowd, but now he’d be doing it for Sadie as well.

He bit back a smile when she trailed her fingertips over the sheet, fingers toying with the edge. He saw the quick, side-eye glance she shot his way, the calculation as she weighed her curiosity against the possible consequences of peeking. He had no objection to her looking, but she didn’t know that, and basic protocol would dictate that she either ask, or wait for permission.

But Sadie almost never did the expected, so he waited for her to decide.

She held his gaze for a moment, fingering the sheet, then dropped it and turned back to the cuffs. She lifted one, stroking her thumb against the soft leather. “I take it those are for me?”

“Yes.” Jack kept his voice mild and controlled with an effort. The surge of excitement he’d felt watching her try to decide whether to be bad or good had him fighting to appear unaffected. “Cade checked out the beam, and it’s safe for suspension. Not that we have time for that.”

“Thank God.”

“You don’t like suspension?”

She shrugged and flicked the cuffs, sending them spinning. “I don’t know. I’ve never done it.”

“Why is that?”

She turned away from the cuffs. “I have trust issues.”

“Hmmm,” he said, and bit back a smile when she narrowed her eyes.

“Again with thehmmm?” she asked, and he had to swallow another smile at the sardonic bite in her tone.

“It’s a good word. Versatile.”

“Hmmm,” she said, and he laughed.

She turned to face him fully, a look of shock on her face.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she squeaked, and cleared her throat. “I just don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh before.”

“Maybe you haven’t been paying attention.” He jerked his chin at her hand, curled in a loose fist at her side. “What do you have there?”

“Oh.” She unfurled her fingers to display the contents. “I wasn’t planning to play tonight, and I didn’t bring my aftercare kit, so I got one from the bar.”

He frowned. “You bring your own aftercare kit?”

“Sure.” She jiggled the bag in her hand. “Most Doms have a blanket and a bottle of water ready to go, but sometimes I want something specific. A pair of fuzzy socks, lip balm, good dark chocolate. So, I bring it with me.”

“You should tell your play partner what you need,” he told her, still frowning. It bothered him that she was supplying her own aftercare. “And they should get it for you.”

She shrugged. “I don’t have a regular play partner, and most of my scenes are pickups. It’s easier to just bring what I need.”

“Trust issues,”she’d said. Making a mental note to revisit that statement, he held out a hand. “I’ll put it with the blanket and the bottle of water.”

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