She hesitated. Something sounded off in his voice, but before she could pursue it, he continued. "Once we hit the summer heat, I'll call you out to a job so you can see how I earn my lazy times."

Today was already hinting at those temps. They'd experienced a warm front early in the week, spring temperatures climbing into the eighties. While that didn't sound too hot for normal labor, up on a roof against asphalt shingles and black tar paper, she expected it could be more strenuous.

"All right, I retract my hatred and restore my adoration for your virile self."

"Appreciate it. What's up? Did Madison call you about the party?"

"She did. I understand I have an escort."

"You do. Would you like to go? I know you've had a h.e.l.lish schedule lately."

"I have. But..."

"But you'd like to go."

"I would," she said. "With you."

Maybe she was getting better at reading his silences, but in his pause she sensed some of the sparks of excitement she herself was experiencing. Knowing he wanted to go to the party with her heated them into flame.

"You take this step forward, I'm probably not going to want to take any more steps back, Julie." His voice was low. "Fair warning. I've missed you."

It was clear what he meant. Her whole body certainly got the message, the reaction swirling in her core. "I've missed you, too. I haven't been to anything like this before. We just watch, right? We don't have to do anything?"

"Absolutely. We play only if that's what you want to do. If you don't, that's completely fine with me. I'm looking forward to getting you alone afterward."

She wasn't a public s.e.x kind of girl, but she could get excited about watching others. And even more excited from the promise she heard in his voice. She imagined what could happen after they were both stimulated by a visual cornucopia of BDSM offerings. It made her wish he was here right now.

Restraint, girl, she admonished herself. "Hey, Marcus and Thomas will be coming into town, week after next. Marcus suggested we do dinner."

"Sounds good. Too bad they're not coming in sooner. They could go to the party with us."

"That's okay. I think I'd be a little embarra.s.sed, you know. In front of them."

"Hmm. I bet I could get you over that hang up." His voice had that deep purr that made her toes curl.

"I bet you could. Which is why I'm hanging up before I'm tempted to have phone s.e.x with you. I have work to do."

"I'm far more interested in keeping you on the line for phone s.e.x."

"Not in front of the cows. That's illegal in most states."

He chuckled, his voice still throaty, sending more tingles through her. "Besides," she added. "I'll bet you already had your morning treats. Milk and cookies before you laid down on your mat for your midmorning nap."

"You can be spanked. Just saying."

"I thought that wasn't your thing."

"I'm rethinking it with you and that mouth of yours."

She grinned, happy to be teasing with him. "Go back to sleep. You're grumpy."

"Only because I've been denied phone s.e.x. And milk and cookies." He paused. A peculiar heat filled that significant silence and surrounded her. "I'll see you in a couple days, love."

"Are you all right?" she asked softly, not sure why she was asking, but there was a great deal in that stillness she wasn't sure about.

"Better than. You've got my attention, love. In every way. Talk to you soon."

When he disconnected, she tapped the phone against her lips thoughtfully. He'd sounded tired, but very pleased to talk to her. He wanted the same thing she did, to be together right now. Maybe it was best she had a million things to do. Otherwise she'd drive two hours to watch cows and corn with him. But antic.i.p.ation could be a wonderful thing.

She had a meet in a few moments with the volunteer who'd served as their house manager, to go over some front-of-house improvements for the next show. Time enough to text Madison, since Harris and Lila were well on top of the cast and script discussion.

We're going. Any dress code?

Madison's cheerleading emoticons were infectious. Her enthusiasm only stoked those sparks that were still warming Julie's insides. Inside the party, naked, fetish wear, or club wear is all fine. No T-shirts and jeans. If you wear street clothes, host wants people to dress up. Sets a party mood and reinforces standards of good behavior.

Julie honestly couldn't picture Des in slacks or a suit, and wondered if she'd be intrigued by the results. She had a s.e.xy little black dress she could wear. Nothing out of the ordinary, but she could razzle-dazzle it up with some accessories.

Touch base with me tomorrow on the marketing end. Look forward to seeing you.

You too. Madison's response was accompanied by a few more cheerleading emojis. Julie pocketed the phone and went back to work. However, a part of her mind remained two hours away, thinking about a lean man stretched out on a bed in a hotel room, dozing and watching calves cavort in the sunshine.

The day before the event, she was surprised to get a call directly from Logan.

"Des called and asked if I'd escort you to the party with Madison. He says the job is running behind and isn't going to finish up until early afternoon tomorrow. He doesn't plan to be late, but he said it makes more sense for us to meet him there, since he's going to have to go by his place first to get changed."

"No problem." But she was curious. There was an interesting formality to the call, Logan calling her personally, rather than Des texting her. "I know this sounds strange, but is this an etiquette thing? A Dom calling another Dom to escort...his sub?" She tried to act as if she was talking generally, not specifically about her and Des.

Logan's pause suggested she wasn't altogether successful, but at least he didn't call her on it. "There's no official etiquette written in stone. But a Master or Mistress picks up cues from their sub and responds to them. Or intentionally sends the sub a message to add to what they're building between each other."

She was standing in the middle of the s.p.a.cious audience area, normally quite cool when not filled with people, but that wasn't the way it felt right now. Message received loud and clear.

"It's so weird. I look at him sometimes and still don't expect him to be like that. But he so is."

"We all go through our learning stages before we gain confidence in power exchange and taking the reins," Logan said. "But Des is far past that. I've never seen him handle a sub where I didn't feel he was completely in control of the situation and solidly in tune with her needs. He's a through and through Dom."

"But no one's Master."

"I don't think that's true anymore." Logan's voice held amus.e.m.e.nt. Julie changed the subject fast.

"Hey, do you know what Madison will be wearing?"

"Whatever I tell her to wear," Logan said pleasantly.

Logan's simple statement, spoken so matter-of-factly, spiked anxiety and thrills through Julie. The reaction was so strong it was a startling reveal of what her subconscious was feeling about this party.

When Logan chuckled at her speechless pause, she narrowed her eyes.

"Okay, it's just mean to tease the newbie sub," she accused. "You're as bad as Marcus."

"But getting a sub worked up is way too tempting to a Dom. You're an easy and very pleasurable target. Are you blushing?"

"Shut up."

He laughed outright, which stroked the nerves up and down her spine. The man was like crack. No wonder Madison was gone over him. "Seriously, I'm sorry to tease you," he said. "But sometimes a Dom can't help himself. We're s.a.d.i.s.ts, after all."

She thought of the day in the orchid garden, when Des had held her wrist in that peculiar grip. The light in his eyes, the energy gathering around them both as she found the edge of pleasure and pain.

"You are evil and will be destroyed. I'll see you soon."

She heard more chuckling as she cut the line. But it made her think. She guessed she was a newbie sub. She'd been doing a lot of follow-the-leader-or follow-the-Dom-on this. While that was instinctive to both sides of the relationship, she hadn't, until now, had her feet under her enough to start exploring the boundaries of that world as it meshed with her own way of doing things.

Uncoding her phone once more, she decided not to think too much about what she was about to do. She didn't want to worry that he might misinterpret it, or worse, consider it a foolish lead in. Des had said he didn't really care about the more formal Dom/sub rituals, while at the same time proving he could answer those desires for her in a different, entirely satisfying way. Was that because they were so unexpectedly compatible as Dom and sub, or had he recognized that a sub's fantasies could look different in reality?

She typed her text quickly. Thanks for arranging for Logan to escort me. Second best Master I know to take a girl to a party. Hope the first best won't be too late. What would you like me to wear? She almost typed "No wrong answer", but that was a way to protect herself, something he'd warned her about. Pocketing the phone, she went back to what she was doing. If he was on a job, it might be an hour before he saw it.

Sure enough, forty-five minutes later, when her meet with the house manager was over and the woman was on her way back to her secretarial day job, the phone chirped.

Something that makes you as hot and bothered when you're wearing it as when I have my mouth between your legs. Something that tells me you want me to do whatever I want to do to you that night.

And people thought driving while texting was dangerous. h.e.l.l, she shouldn't be standing when reading his. She refused to be worried by his meaning. He wouldn't do anything with her in front of a bunch of people that she wouldn't feel comfortable doing. Of course, if he did certain things to her, she'd forget they were even there. She wasn't sure if that was a bad thing.

She punched in the autodial for Naughty Bits. Could she afford to end her work day a couple hours earlier tomorrow? Yes, she could. She worked 24/7. She'd attend one of her internal workaholic support meetings and make it happen without too much guilt.

Madison was ringing up a customer. She bid them good-bye and "have a wonderful day" before she greeted Julie. They'd talked so much these past few weeks, Julie antic.i.p.ated it, waiting with a lightly tapping foot. As she looked up, she noted one of the lights on stage appeared to be sagging and made a note to bring it to Harris's attention for the techs.

"Hey, girlfriend." Madison came on the line. "Excited about tomorrow?"

"Your husband was picking on me. You need to keep that man's pheromones in check. Or bottle them to make yourself a millionaire."

"Believe me, I know. But he's been invaluable at increasing our ticket sales. I think he's persuaded every female patron in his hardware store to invite their garden clubs to Consent."

"He told them Troy would be out front, handing out programs in a really tiny Speedo, didn't he?"

"No, he didn't. But maybe we should talk to Shale about that." Madison snickered. "Okay, I have a couple more customers coming in. Tell me what you need."

"I need a personal shopper. I'm going to be like Cinderella today and tomorrow, running up to the wire, but here's what I'm looking for. I'm hoping you might have it." She rattled off the specs and grinned at Madison's squeal.

"I have just the thing. You are going to look so fabulous. Oh my G.o.d, I'll give you the best customer discount. Or you could wear it for free and return it next day." She paused. "No, nix that. We'll call it a bonus to your already exorbitant salary."

"I can give it back to you. That's not a problem."

"Nope. If he reacts to it the way I bet he will, it will be in tatters. I promise."

The image expanded the ball of l.u.s.t in her stomach. "You're so demented."

"Which is why you love me. Come over as early as you can manage tomorrow and we'll get you gorgeous. I haven't played dress up with another girl since Alice died." Madison's voice softened as she recalled her sister, the former proprietress of Naughty Bits.

"I'll probably look like Cinderella coming straight from the ashbin, since I'm going to clean out that last cla.s.sroom so we can start storing things there for Lila's show. You'll have your work cut out for you."

"Isn't a managing director supposed to delegate, direct, represent and stay pristine and professional?"

"Yes, that's what a Broadway theater manager does. The manager of a community theater being built from scratch with a volunteer staff is a whole different ball of wax. I seem to recall the owner down here more than once these past few weeks getting herself covered in paint and sawdust."

"It's more fun that way, isn't it? When it succeeds, it will mean all the more."

"From your mouth to G.o.d's ear." And Julie meant it. Succeeding was a matter of professional pride, but with a good friend involved, she wanted to see this theater thrive as much for Madison as for her own sense of satisfaction. "See you soon."

She'd escaped the theater and arrived at Madison's all of ninety minutes before they had to leave for the party, but Madison was a miracle worker. She put Julie into a hot, soaking shower, to relax her muscles and do a "paradigm shift", as Madison called it. Sitting her down at the vanity afterward, Madison dried her long hair with a soft towel and did her makeup, chatting with her as if they had all the time in the world. Madison wore a thin robe and had already done her hair and makeup, a.s.suring Julie that all she had left to do was slip on her dress and shoes.

After she did a light blow-dry of Julie's hair and had the curling iron plugged in, Madison showed Julie the outfit and accessories she'd found for her.

"You are the best of personal shoppers," Julie said fervently.

"You made it easy. You chose perfectly for your body type. I can't wait for Des to see you." Madison winked. "It's fun to knock them off balance."

Ninety-two minutes later, they were ready to go. At the sight of both women, Logan put a hand over his heart and staggered, a gratifying response, and then he whisked them into the car and they were on their way.

The dance hall rented for the party had been an old 1920s theater, restored to keep that look for event bookings. Whoever tonight's host was in the BDSM community had deep pockets. Though the party was invitation-only, a nominal cover charge was all that was required from each partic.i.p.ant.

Madison had loaned Julie a pair of teetering heels with provocative ankle straps studded with silver eyelets. Fortunately, she knew how to walk in them. The skill had come from her short stint on stage and teaching plenty of other actresses to do it, plus one actor who had to do a transvest.i.te hooker scene.

As they crossed the parking lot and ascended the short set of steps to the entrance, Logan was drawing a lot of attention, and not merely because the man looked devastating.

With her and Madison displayed on his arms, Julie thought the three of them looked like a Bond film. Madison's short red satin dress clung to her slim frame. She wore a black pearl choker and a pair of matching wrap bracelets. Julie had noticed they had a discreet pair of hooks she suspected could be latched to one another if her Master wanted her hands bound behind her back, or at her nape, since the same hook was at the back latch of the choker. Her red high heels had ribbon ties that went up her long legs to just below the knee.

"You look stunning," Julie told her. "You both do."

Logan wore a black suit with a crisp white shirt that made the most of his powerful upper body. A red silk tie coordinated him with his wife's outfit. Julie could imagine Madison untying it at his command before her Master took it from her and used it to blindfold her.

Logan was taking them to the door, but Julie put a hand on his arm and drew the couple's attention to her.

"If you two don't mind, I'd like to wait for Des out here," she said, pointing to a column that flanked the entrance. "By myself."

Logan glanced toward the door. It was monitored by two cla.s.sy-looking, Secret Service style bouncers, definitely security muscle.

"I'll be fine," Julie further a.s.sured him. "You said the party was by invitation, so everyone's been vetted. I won't be getting any rude overtures. And I live in New York, remember? I ride the subway and deal with cabbies." She shot him an impish look. "I want my first impression of this shindig to be with him."

She also wanted him to see she'd waited for him, another of those subtle cues, right?

Logan pulled out his phone and looked at the screen. "He'll be here in about ten minutes."

"So good. See? It all works out." Julie kept her tone casual, though the news sent a little frisson of nerves through her. Both in antic.i.p.ation of his arrival and from the psychological impact of his continuing direct communication with Logan. Dom to Dom, man to man, watching over the women. Terribly s.e.xist, yes, but she didn't deny in the current circ.u.mstances it had a not-unpleasant effect.

Logan pursed his lips and slid his arm around Madison, hand intimately molded over her hip. "We don't mind staying with you until he gets here."

"I know you don't. I just...I'd really like him to see me, and me to see him, on my own. If that's okay."

She hoped they'd understand without her having to embarra.s.s herself with more explanation. She liked dramatic entrances and exits, portentous meetings with the setting framed the right way. For this, she wanted only two people on the stage, so she could drink in everything about him without embarra.s.sment. All this prep made her feel like Cinderella at the ball in truth.