Page 7 of His Christmas Temptation

The stairs leading to the second floor were cordoned off, but here too the banisters were lit with festive lights. The landing had been cleared of the comfort couches.

The roleplay area didn’t have as many people as usual, and the few who were watching chatted amongst themselves—not an easy feat with the music blasting around them.

A DM stood with his back against the wall, where he could survey three different scenes. Maddie exhaled when she realized the man was shorter than Master Zander, and he was far less intimidating. “Trinity asked me to remind you that this area needs to close no later than 11:45.”

“Was going to give them another five minutes.”

“Sounds good.” She edged past him, only to miss a step.

Master Zander stood all the way at the end, facing her, arms crossed, head tilted to one side. Even though they were not alone, all his attention was directed toward her, as if she were the only woman on the planet. Her tummy turned inside out.

Refusing to let him get the best of her, she drew back her shoulders and purposefully walked toward him—well, as much as she could with her ridiculous boots.

Standing in front of him, wishing she were much, much taller, she repeated her earlier, rehearsed words. “Trinity asked me to remind you that this area needs to close no later than 11:45.”

“I remembered your instructions very well.”

“Good.” She pivoted to leave, and the turned-up toe tripped her, plunging her into his arms.

He didn’t just steady her, he held her for far too long. She should have pulled away immediately, but she didn’t. Instead, she allowed herself to momentarily luxuriate in the strength of his muscles.

How long had it been since a man had offered any support? And how odd that it came from him.

“Do those shoes come with hazard pay?”

“Thank you.” She wiggled away from him, but he retained a light grip on her upper arms. “Not sure what happened.”

“You were trying to escape.”

“No…I wasn’t.”

“Hmm.”

He’d seen straight through her lie.

A quick movement nearby caught her attention, and she instinctively glanced in that direction.

“The scene I’ve been watching.” Master Zander whispered the words into her ear, feathering strands of her hair. “You might enjoy it.”

“I need to be going.”

He chuckled as if sensing her lie.

She had no place to be, other than here, with him.

Instead of excusing herself, she allowed him to turn her toward the roleplay space. Others she’d passed had included a schoolroom, Victorian bed chamber, a principal’s office, and a jail cell. This was meant to be for interrogations. Leather straps and tawses hung from a wall painted to resemble crumbling stones. And in a corner was a chair with a hole cut in the seat.

In the center of the floor, a blindfolded woman wearing only a demicup bra and a thong was on her tiptoes on top of a thick acrylic stand. Her wrists were tied together, and her arms were stretched high above her head, attached to a ring hanging from the ceiling.

A man dressed as a corrections officer circled her. Even though she was blindfolded, she continued to breathe easily, in trust, maybe.

Master Zander placed his hands lightly on Maddie’s shoulders. “Have you ever been bound like that?”

A shiver rocked Maddie’s spine. “No.” And truthfully she had only scened a couple of times. “I usually volunteer when I come here.” Which he had to know. He’d spent many nights broodingly watching the comings and goings at the club.

“Would you like to be?”

She froze.Yes.But there was no way she could admit that to someone like Master Zander.

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