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  Oh no, he’s gone!

  She scanned the room in a full circle. Crap. Crap. Crap. She was too late. Nicole walked towards her, a huge smile on her face.

  “Hurry up, girl. You have two minutes left!”

  “He’s gone!”

  “What do you mean he’s gone?”

  “I mean the bastard I was supposed to kiss. He bloody well left the bar before I had a chance to have at him!”

  Nicole burst out laughing.

  “Oh thank you very much for your support.”

  “Sorry, sweetie, but you should see your face. A few minutes ago you were looking like you were going to do a runner, but now the time is up you’re upset because your chance to be a bad girl has been taken away from you.”

  Erica opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. What was she upset about? She smiled, realising she was off the hook now, although the relief was kind of hollow. “I guess it is kind of funny.”

  “Oh yeah, but not to worry. Now I get to choose your punishment.”

  She shrugged. So what could be worse than kissing a stranger? “You’re just glad you don’t have to entertain my brother.”

  “Well there is that.” She smiled. “But truly, I can’t wait to get started planning my winning side of the wager.”

  “Should I be worried?”

  Nicole just smiled at her.

  Oh crap.

  Chapter Two

  How had she let herself get talked into this? It’s not like she couldn’t have got out of it. Nicole would have been disappointed if she hadn’t followed through, but she would have forgiven her. Eventually. So why was it that she was still there, sitting in a cab on her way to a remote retreat? Not just a retreat, apparently, she thought while re-reading the invitation in her hand. ‘Dangerous Liaisons is a retreat for singles or couples wanting to learn more about BDSM’. Her invitation informed her that she was to spend the weekend training in submission. Holy hell! What had she been thinking when she’d agreed to this?

  Her heart was pounding at the thought of what lay ahead of her. She’d broken down just that one time when she’d told Nicole about her relationship with her ex-boyfriend. He’d liked a little bit of bondage with their sex and, despite feeling that it was a bit too kinky to be normal, she’d liked it. A lot. They’d drifted apart, but he’d showed her a side of herself that scared her. Normal people didn’t get off on being under the complete control of another, did they? She had to admit that her strict Catholic upbringing probably played a big part in her complete rejection of the idea. That didn’t stop her from being there in the cab. It also didn’t account for how wet she’d been ever since she’d realised Nicole’s idea of a punishment involved bondage, and a lot of spanking. Nicole had told her she needed to explore her feelings to find out what she really wanted. She’d also explained that it was high time she stopped feeling guilty about something that was a part of who she was and just enjoy it.

  Who would have thought her friend was a regular member of the local BDSM community? She’d never once hinted to her, but then again, Erica had hidden away in her own world for a while so Nic hadn’t had much of a chance to tell her. It was Nicole’s membership that had enabled her to get Erica a booking on such short notice. It certainly looked like the gods were conspiring to get her involved in BDSM in some way. She was terrified, but if she was honest, she was so aroused that it wouldn’t take more than a slide of a finger over her clit for her to climax hard. In fact if she’d crossed her legs and rubbed them together right then that might just have done it.

  The taxi pulled into a long driveway and drove towards a large two-storey dwelling which put an end to that idea. The oak trees lining the driveway formed a leafy canopy over the road, making a tunnel effect. The house stood directly at the end of the road and resembled a Victorian mansion with lacework balconies on both the ground and first storeys.

  The sun was setting over the hills behind the building, the brilliance of the light making it difficult to make out the details of the front entrance. As the car stopped Erica’s heart jumped. The door was opened by a tall man wearing a tuxedo, his face covered by a black satin hood. Erica hesitated, struck dumb at how the reality of her predicament had finally caught up with her.

  “Miss Neilson?”

  Maybe it was just her nervousness, but his voice compelled her to move. She jumped out of her seat and stood, not daring to take a look at her surroundings.

  “Miss Neilson, this way.”

  She scrambled to follow him along a pathway to the entrance. The man knocked twice on the intricately carved wood with the ornate brass knocker. It opened as he stepped back, ushering her inside. The hallway was narrow but a door appeared immediately on her right.

  “Go inside the first room. There you will be given instructions for the beginning of your training.”

  She turned, wanting to thank the man for his direction, but he’d already left. She knocked lightly, and the door opened under the pressure of her hand. The room was warm and inviting with a cast iron fireplace blazing with flames. She walked farther inside, spying a wide partners’ desk and several chairs. All class, taste and decorum. No kink to be seen.

  From where she stood the area appeared unoccupied. Not sure of what was expected of her she made a beeline for the comfortable looking couch and sat down.

  “Did I say you could sit down?”

  Shit, where did he come from? Erica struggled to stand back up, almost slipping to the floor as her dress slid on the buttery soft leather cushion. Way to make an impression, girl. “I’m sorry,” she said before she managed to scramble to her feet. “I didn’t realise there was anyone h—” Oh my God it’s him. The guy from the bar. The one who was so much like Colin Farrell he could be his twin brother. Her knees faltered as she tried to stand up straight. It was then that the penny dropped. The bar had been a set-up.

  Nicole was a dead woman.

  She struggled to get her voice to work, but since she didn’t want to come across as an idiot she’d better suck it up. “Er…here. I didn’t know there was anyone in the room.”

  Good one. Now she well and truly sounded like an idiot.

  The man’s expression didn’t change but she thought she detected a slight softening of his gorgeous lips. “I’ll let that one pass,” he said as he flashed her the same wicked grin she’d seen at the bar. “This time.”

  Huh? What did that mean?

  He stepped towards her, clasping her trembling hand in his with a firm grip. “Welcome to Dangerous Liaisons. I am Conal Brennan, the owner of this retreat and your host for this weekend.”

  Oh. My. God. That voice! His sexy Irish brogue wrapped around her like a big woollen blanket. She gazed down at his hand, which he still had firmly wrapped around her palm. She felt a frisson of energy coil up her arm as a warming heat seeped into her chilled fingers. Wow. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy had caused such a reaction.

  “Ms Neilson?”

  Huh? Oops. Caught dreaming again. “I’m sorry, I was miles away. What did you say?”

  “You need to pay more attention.” His voice deepened when he was ticked off, and he certainly looked annoyed for some reason.

  “I guess I should apologise again, Mr Brennan. I’m not usually this ill-mannered, but I find myself surprised that I recognise you.”

  “Apology accepted. However, I have no idea what you mean. I would definitely remember meeting you before. You must be mistaken. Now we come to the formal part of this weekend. I have several papers for you to read through and a contract for you to sign.”

  She swallowed. Maybe he didn’t recognise her, but she sure as hell recognised him. “A contract?”

  His eyebrow lifted. “How much do you know about BDSM?”

  She clasped her hands behind her back, rubbing her thumbs against palms. Her voice cracked, and she struggled to answer him. “Not a lot, but I’ve read some books, plus my ex-boyfriend used to tie me up and spank me.”

  His lip
s twitched slightly. “And you liked it?”

  “Yes,” she whispered as her face heated.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear you,” he said.

  Taking in a deep breath, she rose onto the balls of her feet. “Yes,” she said, leaning forward and looking him straight in the eye. “I liked it very much.”

  “Good,” he said. “An honest answer. If you stay you will be expected to always be honest about your feelings. Do you think you can do that?”

  She sucked in a breath before answering, “Yes, I think I can do that, but I have a question.”

  He nodded. “You may ask.”

  “I was wondering about the contract. What is it for? What will I be signing up for?”

  His eyebrows lifted. “That is two questions, but given that you’re new I will let it go,” he said. “This time.” He circled her, walking slowly and staring at her as though she was his prey and he was getting ready to pounce. “We need to ensure that you participate in our programme of your own free will and we also require a list of your hard and soft limits. Although you will find yourself challenged this weekend, nothing will happen that you have not agreed to in advance.”

  Erica felt a layer of her nervous tension lift at his words. “Thank you for explaining that. It’s comforting to hear.”

  Conal nodded, and gestured for her to sit down, while he stood on the other side of the desk and slid a folder towards her. “I’ll leave you to read through the papers and fill them out. One of my assistants will collect you when you have signed them and take you to your room where you will be settled in.”

  Erica looked up into his face, momentarily panicking at being left alone. Although she didn’t know him, she felt that everything would be okay if Conal was with her. “When will I see you again, Conal?”

  “You’ll see me soon enough,” he said. “However, for the rest of your stay you must follow a few basic rules. Firstly, unless you are using your safe word you will not speak unless you are directed to by a Dominant. You will follow all directions from staff as you are under our protection for the weekend.” His dark eyes twinkled. “And lastly, you will refer to me as Sir. Do you think you can manage that?”

  Oh shit. This really was a Dom/sub thing she was getting into. If possible, her panties got even wetter at his words. “Um, yes, I think so.” Smooth. Not!

  He tilted her chin with his knuckle, forcing her to look into his eyes. “You must be sure, because any failure to follow the rules will have consequences.”

  She swallowed, her skin tingling where his thumb rubbed against her neck. “I am sure.”

  He cocked an eyebrow, staring her down again.

  Oh crap. Forgot the rules again. If she kept this up she’d never get through the weekend. She blew out a breath. “I am sure I can follow the rules, Sir.”

  He stared at her for several more seconds before letting her go and walking towards the door. He stopped at the entrance and turned to her, giving her a devastating smile that made her go weak at the knees. “Good. While you’re here in my care I think I’ll call you Enya. It means fire. I’m thinking you’re going to show me lots of it this weekend and I look forward to it.”

  “But my name is Erica.”

  He smiled. “Tell me what you think is the aim of any good submissive?”

  She thought back to all those books she’d read on D/s relationships. Her time with her ex didn’t really count. He had just been playing and hadn’t taken it seriously. However, since that time she’d spent many hours researching BDSM when she was looking to see if her feelings were normal. “A good submissive trusts her Master.”

  His smile widened. “Excellent. And what else does she aim for?”

  Her heart lifted at his praise. “To please her Master?”

  “Correct.” He smiled. “It pleases me to call you Enya. It will help remind you that you have given me your trust. Is that clear?”

  The intensity of his stare took her breath away. Here was this gorgeous man and all his attention was on her. She could only think of one response. “Yes, Sir.”

  “Well done.” He hesitated, but his face gave away nothing as he nodded and left the room.

  Erica held her breath until she heard the door close then let it out in a rush of air. She opened the file on the desk and started reading. Her body heated while she read the list of preferences for domination and submission, fetishes and toys. She probably rushed through it too quickly, ticking ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘hard limit’ in quick succession, wondering if she would live to regret the amount of affirmative answers she had given. Oh well, she thought, smiling remembering her response to Nicole’s bet while she signed the consent form. In for a penny, in for a pound.

  She placed the folder back on the desk and the door opened. She turned to see a young woman dressed in a short leather skirt and plain white T-shirt enter the room. Her breasts showed through the transparent material, reminding Erica that she might soon be similarly displayed for all to see.

  “Come with me, Miss Neilson.”

  Erica rose and followed her out into the hallway and up the stairs. Conal’s assistant walked quickly and Erica struggled to keep up with her while she was led to a room on the second level of the house. The girl opened the door and stood back, ushering her inside.

  The assistant followed her in and closed the door behind her. “You must remove your clothes now.”

  Erica’s pulse kicked up several dozen notches. She’d never undressed in front of another woman before. Not even her mother had seen her without clothes since she’d started puberty and had begun the whole poor body image thing, so this was new for her. This woman didn’t seem to notice her reluctance because she walked past her to an adjoining room. The sound of running water reminded her that she was here to enjoy herself, so she might as well get into the spirit of things.

  She almost lost her nerve, however, after she removed her dress and placed it on a small padded cushion. At this moment in time she couldn’t decide if she was going to kill Nicole or be forever in her debt. Either way she’d committed to be here now so unless she wanted to leave without having any fun at all she needed to cooperate. It was now or never.

  “Do you require assistance?”

  “Um, no. I’m good.”

  The assistant waited patiently while Erica fumbled with the catch of her black lace bra. She resisted the urge to cover herself when it was taken from her. Before she could think too hard about it, she slid her fingers under the elastic of the matching G-string and removed the last scrap of covering from her body.

  “I guess if we’re getting acquainted I should know your name.”

  The girl lowered her head, her eyes to the floor. “My name is not important.”

  Erica crossed her arms and shifted her weight from one foot to the other as a cool breeze tickled her skin. “Come on, I’m naked here. Surely that qualifies as friendly.”

  She lifted her face, her eyes showing a hint of an apology. “My role here does not require for my name to be used. I am here to serve Master Conal.”

  Erica stood and stared for a few more seconds, pondering exactly what this girl’s role was, and why she would want to be subjugated to a level that took away her name. Apparently, since everyone was here by choice, she must want it that way, so who was Erica to judge? “All right, so I’m naked. What’s next?”

  She was led into the adjoining room. A large empty spa bath filled the centre space but Erica was ushered to the side where there was a table covered with a cotton sheet.

  “You must lie on the table.”

  “So I’m getting a massage?”

  The girl with no name shook her head. “Sir may allow that later, but for now you are to be prepared.”

  Prepared? What the heck did she mean by prepared? And that’s when she spied the side table. On top of it lay a silver tray with blades and an electric razor, a shaving brush, and a bowl of steaming water. Oh shit. She remembered the section of the checklist that mentioned ge
nital shaving. She’d marked it with a ‘yes’ because she always got hot reading about it in the BDSM novels she read. Was that what they were going to do to her now?

  “Miss Neilson?”

  Here we go. Her heart was pounding as she lay down on the table.

  “Face up, please,” the girl said.

  The girl covered her with a small sheet while she turned onto her back. At least she was able to keep some basic modesty, she thought. However, those thoughts were short lived when two men entered the room. Two shirtless muscular men. Oh boy, this is really happening.

  The first man, who seemed to be in charge, moved forward to stand by her side. “Have you chosen a safe word?”

  She answered him without thinking. “Yes, it’s ‘penny’.” That expression had kept crossing her mind since this all started, so it seemed like a good choice.

  “Fine. We’ll get started. You are aware of the rules?”

  She nodded automatically, but wondered which particular rule he referred to. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word the men each took one of her hands, wrapped her wrists in cloth and tied her securely to the table. After that they reached under the table and brought out two metal poles, each with a hook and a leather strap attached at one end. The sound of metal sliding against metal startled her and she jumped as they placed the poles upright into sockets at the side of the table. As they worked, the girl with no name moved to the head of the table and covered Erica’s eyes with a black satin mask.

  She struggled against her restraints. “Hey, wait a minute!”

  The sheet was drawn back from her chest and someone grabbed one of her nipples, twisting it hard and causing her eyes to tear up.

  “You will not speak unless you wish to use your safe word. Do you want to use it now?”