Page 7 of S is for…

“Hi, Joni,” he said, the smile pulling his cheeks up.He had very white teeth.

His tone was mild, maybe even amused.No censure.But Joni winced.

“Hi.I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that.”She walked forward, hand outstretched.“I’m Joni, which apparently you already know.”

“I do.”He extended his arm.“I’m Lihn.”

His hand was large and warm around her cold fingers.It was a warm night, plenty warm enough to be outside in the minimal clothing that most subs wore.If Joni hadn’t spent the past few hours lying in a lounge chair in the Subs’ Garden and fantasizing about the Checklist game, her fingers would probably have been warm.But too much outdoor stillness had let what little chill there was seep into her fingers and toes.

“Cold?”Lihn didn’t let go of her hand.Instead he switched hands, gripping her right one with his left, enclosing her fingers in the cage of his hand.He held out his now empty right hand, and she responded instantly, settling her left hand into his grip.He squeezed her fingers, and her nipples hardened.

Hours fantasizing had left her needy to the point of desperate.Standing this close she could smell him—a subtle masculine scent.His hands were warm and strong, and the commanding way he’d taken control of the situation and solved the cold-finger problem was like catnip.Her body throbbed in response, arousal stealing her breath.Holy shit, she was right there, on the edge of release.

Anywhere else, if she’d been this horny, she would have taken care of it.She even carried one of those little vibrators that looked like lipstick in her purse.

That wasn’t an option at Las Palmas.

Masturbating in the Subs’ Garden wasn’t explicitly forbidden, but it was taboo.Anyone who disagreed with the sentiment that decisions around both pleasure and pain—including frequency of orgasms—belonged to the club’s Masters, Owners, and Doms, probably wouldn’t be offered membership in Las Palmas.

So instead of rubbing one out, Joni had spent the past few hours fantasizing, and in the process topped up her arousal to the point it was ready to spill.

Sure, seeing the body-bag had tempered some of that, but having his hands on hers, being close enough she could smell his expensive cologne, had her libido at red alert levels.

If she said her nipples were cold, would he give them a nice hand-hug, too?

Joni reined herself in.When she was aroused, she was both more submissive and far more likely to accidentally top from the bottom.She’d reached the age of thirty without reaching a conclusive answer as to whether she felt arousal and desire more acutely than other people, or if other people just had better self-control.

“Do I call you Master Lihn?”

“Master Vo, once we start the scene.”He smiled down at her.“My last name.”

Oooo, he’d told her his first and last name.Interesting.Many people at Las Palmas either used pseudonyms, or used exclusively their first or last name.Not both.

The club had incredibly strict privacy and anonymity rules that protected the membership list, however there were no rules specifically saying that members couldn’t talk about their lives in the outside world while on-site.But, like no-masturbating-unless-given-permission-or-a-command, real names and identities were taboo.

She had no idea what it meant that Lihn Vo seemed to have no reservations about giving his full name.Or maybe both names he’d given were fake.

Lihn for now, and Master Vo once the scene started.There were a good number of people who used the societal norms around methods of address to reinforce power dynamics.Addressing someone by their first name implied intimacy and/or that the two people were on equal footing.Using a title and last name combo was both more formal, and established hierarchy.

The transition from being called Lihn to being addressed as Master Vo was a subtle way to express the power dynamic shift.From two people who shared an interest in BDSM discussing their plans, to a Master and submissive in an active scene.

“I can see your brain working.”

Joni blinked.“I’m sorry?”

He released one hand and touched the center of her forehead.“I can see your brain working.”

“X-ray vision?Nifty.”Joni cocked her head.“Actually, would that be MRI vision?”

“Science isn’t my forte, but that sounds right.”

Joni had let the hand he dropped fall to her side.Lihn reached down and picked it up, once more cupping her now-warmed fingers in his.

“Would you prefer to call me something else during the scene?It’s negotiable.”He was back to looking calm and dominant.

“No, I can do Master Vo.”

“Good.If you ended up calling me Sir that won’t be a problem, though I may correct you.”

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