weren’t prepared for it. Especially when you were already out of your comfort zone.
“Hey, Betsy.” He moved closer. “You’re all right. Betsy? Look at me.”
Her gaze was moving around the room, as though searching for a threat.
“Betsy, you’re safe. Look at me now.” He put more steel into his voice and she glanced up at him. “Good girl. You’re safe. You’re at Fringe. Nobody is going to hurt you. Well, not unless you want them to.”
Give it up, idiot. You’re not funny.
She gave him a nod.
“All right, brown eyes. Let’s go sit down and we can talk. The whip might sound again, but nobody is going to use it on you, all right?”
Damn it. From the look of her, she was about thirty seconds away from bolting.
But she took a deep breath. “All right.”
“Can I have your hand?” He held out his hand, letting her decide whether to take it. She reached out and put her hand in his. Shit. She was freezing. Even though she wasn’t wearing much, it wasn’t that cold in here. Not with this many bodies around.
The bullwhip cracked again and she gasped, jumping, her hand squeezing his. To his shock, she stepped closer to him as she glanced over at the area from where the whip had sounded across the far side of the dungeon.
He would be lying if he said he didn’t like the way she clung to him. It called at his protective instincts. Made him want to tug her in tight and keep her safe.
Leading her over to a couch, he sat and patted the seat beside him.
“I thought submissives usually knelt on the floor,” she said huskily.
“Well, right now, I’d like you to sit here so we can chat.” He made his voice firm and she immediately sat.
“Sorry,” she whispered, clasping her hands in her lap and staring down at them.
“Hey, no need to be sorry. You’re just learning. I’m here to help teach you. Not that I’m the best teacher.”
“Why is that?” She chewed at her lip. “I mean…if that’s okay for me to ask.”
“We’re just talking right now. You can ask what you like.” He leaned back and put an arm across the back of the sofa. Not touching her, but keeping close.
“I don’t always like to play by the rules. But don’t worry, I’m just a temporary fill-in. Next time you come, someone else will help you.”
Worry filled her face. He wondered if she’d even come back a second time.
“Betsy, I’m going to need you to tell me a few things since Angus just dumped you and ran off.”
She winced. “Okay.”
She wasn’t going to chew his ear off all night at least.
“When you address me you need to call me Sir.”
“Sorry, Sir,” she whispered.
“Did Angus go through a contract with you, about your limits?”
“He said that I should come and watch first before I settled on my limits since I don’t really have any experience. I’m not certain what my limits would be.”
“Well, I’d say the bullwhip is a hard limit, huh?”
She shuddered. “Ahh, yeah, think you can say that.”
“So you’ve never been to another club before? What made you decide to come here tonight?”
She was silent for a moment. “I guess I just wanted to try. You don’t know unless you try, right? And I’ve always been interested in this.”
“Would you like to do any playing tonight?”
“Only if you wish to, Sir.”
He shook his head. “Not how this thing works, brown eyes.”
He wasn’t sure why he was drawn to her. She wasn’t his type. He liked curves. He preferred some sass with the sweet. Someone who lit up a room with their energy and bounce. Betsy was more refined. Elegant, even with the cheap outfit she was wearing.
“This isn’t about what I want or need. Tonight is all about you. It’s your choice what you do. I’m merely here as a guide. I’ll show you through the dungeon. You ask me questions, I answer. I’ll point things out, you think about whether it’s something you’d like to try or not.”
She was watching the sub tied to the St. Andrews Cross, her cries of pain filling the air.
“Don’t worry, Annie is a masochist,” he explained. “Rory has been married to her for ten years. He knows what she needs. What you’re watching is entirely consensual.”
“It’s really my choice whether to play or not?” she asked quietly.
He frowned. Fuck. She really did know nothing. What was Angus thinking?
Unable to stop himself, he reached out to touch her chin, turning