The Words to Bind (The Playgrounds Book 1) Read online

  “I…have some experience.” The words came, pauses between each one as she tried to sum it up without going into details. “Most of it was online but I’ve scened a few times, in private, as a bottom.”

  “Ah-h.” Lani bobbed her head in understanding. “So what aspects are you curious about?”

  “The community,” Luna blurted out, maybe a little too fast. She wasn’t outright lying, but she knew inside that what she’d said wasn’t the most foremost reason. Something in her didn’t want to lie to Lani. Is that my inner submissiveness responding to the presence of a Dom?

  She bowed her head and fiddled with the hem of her T-shirt. “I’ve tried more ‘normal’ relationships but the dynamic just never sat right with me. I guess I just want to explore what other possibilities are out there.”

  “Well, then…”

  When Luna looked up, she saw Lani’s eyes were sparkling and she swallowed hard. Apprehension mingled with an odd sense of excitement.

  “Why don’t you come to the private party as my plus one?”

  “What” Luna’s eyes widened at the unexpected invitation.

  “Come on. It’d be fun. It’ll be mostly experienced people, so you’ll be perfectly safe, and there won’t be any pressure. You can observe, look at what appeals to you.”

  Luna’s jaw dropped a little, and she blushed at the idea. “But you hardly know me and—”

  For a second time, Lani waved her protests away. “We have time. The party’s a few weeks away. I can drill you on the rules to make sure you’re ready beforehand and won’t get culture-shocked or worry about making a mis-step.” The woman beamed and reached out to take her hand. “This is not me hitting on you, in case you’re wondering. I just remember how scary and lonely it can be when you’re starting out. Many subs get taken advantage of when they first dip their toes into this world, then they never come back. It’s sad. You seem nice and I don’t want to see you hurt, so I’d be happy to be your guide.”

  Luna was finding it harder and harder to say no to Lani. Something in her, though, fluttered against the bars of its cage. It was that something that made her nod in agreement.

  Memorizing the rules was not a problem—be respectful, don’t interrupt a scene, no touching unless invited, expect the same respect from others and ask if I have any questions. They were easy, basic and simple rules.

  The shopping Lani suggested, however, was a whole new level of exhaustion. Her new guide seemed to have an unending source of energy for hitting up all manners of stores. Luna had no idea that there were so many fetish-wear, goth-wear and lingerie stores in town. Then there were the shoes. Oh dear God, the shoes.

  By the end, she had begged off, only buying a few outfits, including a corset and two sets of lingerie, on the excuse that she had a limited budget. Lani had been skeptical at first, but Luna had distracted her by pointing out a pair of boots with beautiful tattooed roses across the sides. From there on, she was more of a shopping-assistant-slash-fashion-consultant than anything else. And if she were hard-pressed, she would have to admit that it was fun too.

  There was one more thing, an idea of her own. The last thing she wanted was to gawk like a tourist at the more intimate play party, so perhaps some real-life desensitization was in order.

  It couldn’t hurt, right?

  Chapter Two

  “You can stop looking so bored any time now,” Darryl strolled over to whisper to Jacob, elbowing him after his third yawn.

  It was quiet at The Playgrounds, and Jacob almost felt bad for the money Erica and Dominique were paying him for the hours he was going to clock in as a dungeon monitor. He scanned the floor, which consisted mostly of regulars. An older couple was starting a scene by one of the sawhorse play benches, the top just strapping the bottom, accompanying the action with a low murmuring of words. Another woman, sporting only a thong, was bent over and locked in what looked like a medieval stockade. She squealed from time to time as her partner would press a low voltage Taser to one of her rear cheeks. Normally, that kind of play would draw closer attention from the dungeon monitors, but the top had a reputation for his knowledge of how to handle this special brand of kink and the bottom was squirming with a little too much eagerness for any concerns.

  Then, she walked in.

  He’d caught a few glimpses of her at The Playgrounds before but never up here where the public dungeon spanned the second floor. Her pale hair with a paler complexion, combined with her sharp features, reminded him of a delicate fairy. The way she watched everything with an almost childlike curiosity that was reflected in those large baby blue eyes showed that she was likely a tourist, curious after reading Fifty Shades of Grey.

  And judging by how she pressed herself against a wall, hovering close to the stairs, looking as if she would flee at any minute, it looked like his guess wasn’t far off.

  Which didn’t explain why one look at the little mouse and everything in him had sharpened with interest.

  He kept an eye on the ongoing scenes but, to be honest, it was much more interesting to watch her reaction, a blend of apprehension and fascination. Every time the sub squealed from a shock, she jumped. Every time she moaned, the mouse would swallow. At some point, she began to chew her lower lip and Jacob felt an urge to command her to stop. And when her tongue peeked out to wet her lips, he felt a stirring in his groin.

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  “Looks like we have a newbie voyeur.” Darryl kept his voice low, nodding toward Jacob’s little mouse.

  All of a sudden, Darryl seemed more like competition than a friend. His comment scraped against Jacob’s nerves and he had to rein in his temper. In the back of his mind, he could hear Lani’s mock-clinical voice asling just how long it had been since he’d played, much less taken on a sub. She had hinted at it before, though not in so many words, during one of their previous sessions. Few would advise to blow off some steam as a solution, but Lani was a pro-kink counselor.

  Still, so not my style.

  But why did the little mouse intrigue him?

  “Interested?”

  Startled, Jacob came to realize he’d never replied to Darryl. When he managed to tear his eyes away from the girl, his gaze met his friend’s knowing one, complete with a smug smirk. The prick. Refusing to dignify that with an answer, he shrugged and turned to the couple on the bench, where the top had begun to employ a paddle. From the corner of his eye, he saw the mouse flinch. Ah, not into pain play. Good. Darryl wouldn’t be interested as much then, as the bigger man had a sadistic streak in him.

  “Well, if you’re not, I’m going over for a chat.”

  Darryl must have missed that flinch, though Jacob didn’t blame him, for it was so very subtle. She’d hidden it well. Still, he could feel a growl growing from the back of his throat. The more primal part of him shouted at him, urged him to stake his claim. Mine.

  Okay, this is getting out of hand. Maybe there was some merit to imaginary-Lani’s advice.

  A sudden loud clattering jolted him out of his thoughts. All play came to a halt. He turned to see his little mouse flushed bright red, frantic in her attempt to replace the spreader bars back onto their hooks that she had somehow knocked off.

  With a growl released for a very different reason, he pushed his way past Darryl to approach the flustered girl.

  Something in him softened when he saw how panicked and embarrassed she was. Crouching down, he helped her pick up and remount the bars without a word.

  Once they had set everything right again, she turned to him and ducked her head, her eyes not quite meeting his. “I’m really sorry,” she murmured beneath her breath.

  The submissiveness of her posture tightened his jeans with a shot of lust, and an image of her with her ankles strapped to one of those spreader bars popped in his head. The more logical part of his brain told his libido to take a hike.

  “Please refrain from touching the equipment if you are not using it for play.” He kept his voice soft but st
ern. It was his job as a dungeon monitor. In the background, he registered activities beginning to resume once more.

  “I’m really sorry,” she mumbled again, still staring at the floor.

  He stared at her, resisting the urge to tilt her chin up, all too aware of how intimidating he could be, towering over her. No, he didn’t want her to be scared of him—quite the opposite. So instead, as if he were consoling her—but, in truth, to soothe the urge in him—he placed a hand on her shoulder and ducked a little to catch her gaze.

  Her peasant blouse underneath a mock cincher had left her shoulders bare and her skin cool to touch, and it soothed the heat that radiated from him. When she looked up, his breathing hitched. Up close, her eyes were stunning, the color of serene waters. The earlier turmoil in him calmed.

  He opened his mouth to speak, to tell her it was okay.

  “Jacob, Erica would like to speak with you,” Dominique called out as she walked toward them. At five-foot-nine plus heels, the Amazonian brunette looked over most women’s and some men’s heads.

  Worst timing ever. Jacob snapped his mouth shut and straightened to look up at Dominique, who only inclined her head. As Erica’s submissive, she was deferential to many of the regular Dominants at or involved with The Playgrounds. However, none of them were ever under the illusion that Dominique wasn’t also an authority herself within these premises. After all, she did have a share in the club’s ownership.

  “I’ll be right there.” With a sigh, he flashed the little mouse what he hoped was a warmer smile and dropped his hand from her shoulder to follow Dominique up the stairs.

  She took him to the third and top floor of the building, past the long hall with doors leading to the private rooms—some more functional, others more themed, but all catering to different tastes. Toward the end of the hall, the rooms ceded territory to the offices required to run the place.

  Arriving at the very last closed door, Dominique rapped her knuckles on the panel of wood then waited for a “Come in” before opening it. “Jacob, as requested, Ma’am.” She stepped aside to allow Jacob to precede her.

  Erica sat behind her desk, reading glasses perched on her nose as she scanned through the papers in her hand, her legs crossed in composure. Since the woman was blonde and petite, the inexperienced might mistake her at first glance for a submissive, but it would be hard to miss the air of authority that clung to her.

  “Good evening, Erica,” Jacob greeted, with wariness reflected in every move. Although he had known the majority owner of the club for over a year now as an employee, and longer as a club patron, he was still trying to settle into the right dynamic with her as a fellow Dominant. It didn’t help that everyone else had nicknamed her and Dominique ‘the two goddesses of The Playgrounds’.

  “Good evening, Jacob. Please have a seat.” Erica gestured to the chair across from her.

  A younger version of him would have stood, just to spite her, but he was past that time of having something to prove. He eased himself into the chair, curiosity keeping him from reclining.

  “I wanted to check in with you regarding the party this weekend.” Erica pulled the glasses from her face, folded them and placed them on the desk. “Are you sure you don’t need me to arrange for someone to relieve you for a shift or two so you have some time to enjoy too?”

  Had Lani said something to Erica? That pest.

  “No, I’m fine with the schedule.”

  He sat still, aware of Erica’s scrutiny. Minutes ticked by before she nodded, as if to herself. “Very well. In that case, I’d like you to keep an eye on someone.”

  Now that he did not expect. Everyone on the guest list he had seen were people who were well known within their small community. He raised a brow in question.

  “Lani asked me for permission to bring a new one to the community, as her personal guest. From what I gathered, this one made an impression when she showed up at the last munch. It also appears that she’s likely a sub but is exploring what that means for her. I’d like for you to keep an eye on her.”

  While he had no problem acting as a dungeon monitor, babysitting was a different matter. He tensed, ready with protests.

  “I understand you are quite skilled as a trainer. While I have no expectation for you to do any training at the party, I believe you are in a unique position to answer any questions and ensure that she follows the proper etiquette while she’s there.”

  Damn that woman. When put that way, it was hard to argue with her.

  “Are we expecting any trouble?”

  “No, Lani has assured me that she has been training this one in the proper protocols of a play party and feels she is ready.” Erica’s eyes hardened. “And while I trust my guest, I also want to ensure that the new person does not feel pressured into anything before she’s ready.”

  And Jacob understood. It was an unspoken pact for the Dominants in the community to ensure that the subs were protected, especially the new ones, who were the most vulnerable. With a sigh of resignation, he brushed his bangs back. “All right… What’s her name?”

  “Luna.”

  Chapter Three

  Luna couldn’t get him out of her mind. It wasn’t even the fact that he fit her type—tall, a bit on the lanky side, dark hair and gorgeous warm brown eyes—or that every single gesture, every word, along with the way he held himself, spoke of dominance. No, it was that damn smile he’d given her, despite her embarrassing klutziness, that had melted her insides. It said to her, “Hello, I’m a Dom, but I know how to have fun and be gentle too.”

  Okay, she had been building up the guy way too much in her mind the whole week.

  Jacob… His name is Jacob. That was what the tall woman had called him when she’d come to fetch him on behalf of another.

  She was so out of her depth.

  She stared at the little clock on the lower right corner of her computer screen. There were thirty minutes until quitting time. Next, her gaze traveled to the rest of the screen, which showcased the world’s most boring document that she should be editing. With a loud groan, she let her head fall to her desk, her forehead landing on it with a dull thud. The play party was the next day and already she had too much nervous energy to focus on work.

  Her longtime friend and cubicle neighbor, Ted, popped his head over the wall, peering down at her with curiosity. “What’s up, Luna?

  She turned her face toward him but kept her head down, her cheek now pressed against the cool surface. Grumbling, she closed her eyes.

  “That bad?” Ted rested his chin against the wall, his tone sympathetic. “Chin up. It’s minion duties now, but you’ll work your way to more advanced stuff soon.”

  Ted meant well. A few years her senior, he was already leading his own projects. Career-wise, she aspired to be like him. But all she could manage was a grunt in assent.

  “Tell you what. I’m meeting Brandon and a few of his friends for drinks. Why don’t you come along?”

  That caught her attention. Luna opened her eyes and pushed herself upright. “Are you guys introducing each other to friends now?” She already knew Brandon, as he was her sensei from the dojo, and she might have been the one who had introduced the two of them in the first place, but they had yet to all hang out together as a group. Luna remained hands off, letting them develop their relationship at their own pace after her initial push.

  The sheepish smile on Ted’s face told her everything she needed to know and her heart sang with gladness for her friend. He deserved to have someone good in his life. Things hadn’t been easy since he’d come out of the closet.

  Which was why, despite the nerves and the fact that she just wanted to sleep until it was time tomorrow, Luna nodded in agreement. “Sure, I’ll come.”

  She began regretting her decision about an hour later when she occupied one of the four seats around a small table at the pub close to work. To her left was Ted. To her right, a ‘friend’ of Brandon’s. He had introduced himself as Dylan. Never mind that
Dylan was super cute with his dimpled smile, hippie vibe and climber build. It was a setup and a sneak attack. She didn’t dare be mad at her sensei, but Luna vowed to never be supportive of Ted ever again.

  Still fuming, she lifted her pint of craft cider to her lips, trying to give herself time to get rid of the scowl that was threatening to break across her face. Dylan didn’t deserve that. He looked just as uncomfortable as she did.

  “So, Luna, any plans this weekend?” Ted asked, with an innocent smile plastered on his face.

  Oh yes, now would be a great time to tell everyone at the table about the play party she was going to. She swallowed and shook her head. “Not particularly,” she mumbled. At least she hadn’t choked on her drink.

  “How about you, Dylan?”

  “Well, I was thinking about a climb this weekend. The weather is supposed to be good. Gotta take advantage of that before fall and rain hits.”

  Well, that confirmed her guess about him being a climber. It was time to be polite and salvage the situation at hand however she could. “What kind of climbing do you do?”

  “Nothing too crazy, just top rope and sport climbing. I do some bouldering too but usually more in a gym in the winter.” He shifted in his seat, excitement lighting up in his eyes. It was clear as day where the man’s passion lay. “Do you climb?”

  “Nah.” Luna set her drink down. “But I always wanted to try. I’ve always thought it’s a neat challenge, engaging the whole body physically and the mind at the same time.”

  “Exactly! Lots of people don’t get the mental aspect, but it’s totally true. It takes careful planning and consideration to figure out the right path up, where the hands and feet should go, given the limitations of your own body and abilities.”

  Okay, he was adorable. Perhaps she could forgive Ted—a little bit.

  “So what happens if you’re halfway up and you’re stuck?” That had always been a fear of hers and what held her back from trying.