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“I also wrote my and Sydney’s phone numbers. Call one of us when you get there and we’ll come out to greet you. If you arrive after nine, the doors will be locked, so someone will have to let you in.”
“Okay, but I’m not making any promises.” She didn’t tell them she didn’t dare use her cell phone, but maybe she could pick up a pre-paid phone sometime tomorrow.
Avery waited until Friday evening to call Sydney and accept her guest invitation to The Barn. In the last twenty-four hours, she had changed her mind ten times, going back and forth between wanting to satisfy her curiosity by observing the side of Grayson she’d only heard in his voice and running away from something so far out of her realm of experience the thought brought on a flurry of nerves skittering under her skin.
She almost missed the turnoff to the secluded club from the highway, but Nan’s instructions were good enough she spotted the narrow, tree-lined road right before passing it. Each bump along the unpaved lane jarred the steering wheel under her grip, distracting her from second-guessing her decision. She slowed a little, more used to smooth, straight-forward highway driving than rugged back roads, but couldn’t risk arriving too late. The busy Friday night at the diner had kept her longer than planned and she hadn’t wanted to risk getting on Gertie’s bad side by leaving her short-handed after her boss had been nice enough to change her schedule. With relief, Avery spotted a lighted copse as the dense woods opened into a gravel parking lot and large, two-story barn.
She sat for a minute, waiting until the couple heading inside entered. The woman’s bare legs peeking out from under her winter coat gave Avery pause as she glanced down at her loose jeans and the nicest top she had brought with her, a button-up, teal blue blouse. Sydney neglected to pass on a dress code and now Avery wondered if she would stand out like the naïve newbie she was in her plain attire, giving her something else to fret over. Why can’t anything be easy? Since there was no answer to that age-old question, she forced herself to get out of the car, hoping Sydney was waiting for her in the foyer beyond the double doors like she promised. I’m just here to observe, nothing else. That’s the line she’d been falling back on every time she thought of ditching this idea and it worked again this time as she stepped inside the spacious entry. The tautness cramping her muscles eased when she saw Sydney standing in the foyer.
Smiling, she rushed for
ward. “I’m glad you didn’t change your mind.” Waving her arm toward a large closet, Sydney prompted, “Hang up your coat and place your shoes in a cubby and we’ll go in.”
Eying her friend’s short skirt, bare legs and camisole top that revealed her braless breasts, Avery couldn’t help blurting out, “Aren’t you freezing?”
Sydney shook her head, her grin widening. “The guys keep it plenty warm inside, not to mention they’re darn good at heating us up in other ways. Come on, you’ll see what I mean.”
Avery followed her into the cavernous space of the converted farm building, the inside resembling nothing like a barn except for the high rafters and open loft on both sides. The far, opposite wall of glass brought the outside in with the wide, dimly lit view of the surrounding woods. She couldn’t resist the temptation to look for Grayson as her bare toes curled against the smooth, hardwood floor. She executed a quick scan of the tables and seating areas between her and the circular bar separating the room but didn’t see him. Not until a flesh-snapping echo followed by a soft cry drifted down from the loft and drew her gaze to the upper level on her left.
“Oh!” Nothing could have prepared her for seeing the man who had haunted her dreams for so long wielding a wicked looking crop on a naked woman’s buttocks. Strapped facing a large cross with her arms and legs spread in a wide V-shape, the red stripes crossing the poor girl’s cheeks were noticeable even from this distance.
“Yeah,” Sydney sighed, following Avery’s gaze. “Master Grayson has a way about him that draws all the girls, vanilla and subs alike.”
Avery could see why. Even with a whole level and several yards separating them, she could depict the intense focus etched on Grayson’s face as he concentrated on the woman who appeared to trust him enough to allow him to bind and torment her in such a manner. What would it be like, she wondered, to have a man so attuned to her every movement, her every need, as he appeared to be? During their two-hour phone conversation, she’d basked in his undivided attention and the respite his hard-edged commands offered from her fears. An ache had formed for a repeat of that experience, one that had intensified since meeting him in person.
He paused in wielding the slim rod to brush his hand in a slow caress over the woman’s quivering back. The quick knot of displeasure tightening Avery’s abdomen surprised her. It would not do for her to become enamored of the sheriff or to read more into his friendship than he offered. She’d made enough poor decisions regarding men to last her a lifetime.
She sighed and answered Sydney. “I can see that.”
“If you’re interested, you won’t find better than him or Connor to take you through a few introductory scenes. Except for Caden, of course, but I’m not sharing. Oh, crap, here comes Cassie.”
Sydney’s disgruntled tone drew Avery’s sharp glance and curiosity about her scowl. She watched an attractive blonde stroll toward them dressed in a leather bustier that displayed her breasts while drawing eyes to the sheer black thong barely covering her denuded pubes. “Why do you sound as if that’s a bad thing?”
“I don’t know her well, but the little I’ve seen of her I don’t like. She’s pushy and seems to like causing trouble. Several of the other girls I’ve met here have warned me to stay clear of her, and I have. Come on, let’s get a drink while Caden is still monitoring upstairs.” Leading the way, Sydney started toward the bar, but the other woman stepped into her path with an arrogant toss of her head.
“Sydney, be a dear and introduce me to your guest.”
With a sigh, Sydney said, “Cassie, this is Avery. She just moved to Willow Springs.”
Avery held out her hand, glad Sydney had kept the introduction short and minus any more details. Not that her new friend knew much else about her. She’d been careful about that with everyone. “Hi, Cassie.”
Cassie shook her hand but the derisive curl to her mouth was nothing new for Avery. She’d met more than her fair share of girls who had looked down on her for her geeky appearance. “Avery, I’m surprised one of the Masters hasn’t punished you for your wardrobe. They much prefer skin to…” she waved a hand at Avery’s jeans with a sneer, “denim. You won’t catch anyone’s notice all covered up.”
Avery’s face warmed, whether from the derogatory statement or the reference to punishment she didn’t know. Maybe she should have worn her hair down and tried the contacts again, and then shook those thoughts aside. As much as she needed to get to know Grayson before enlisting his help, she refused to be someone she wasn’t. She’d tried that with Darren and look where it had landed her.
“I’m just observing, not here to catch anyone’s notice. If I’ve offended someone, I’ll go.”
“You haven’t,” Sydney interjected with a cool, pointed glare at Cassie. “Excuse us; there are others I want to introduce Avery to.”
Avery wasn’t accustomed to such loyal support, especially from someone she’d known less than two weeks. Gratitude filled her, and she bumped into a chair as she followed Sydney by the tables. “Excuse me,” she mumbled to the two men seated in the other chairs, her face heating from their amused expressions and the idle way one was stroking the nipple of the woman snuggled on his lap.
“No problem,” the man on her right drawled with a wink. “Welcome to The Barn.”
“Thanks,” she managed before darting after Sydney. She resisted the urge to look toward the loft again, too reluctant to witness what Grayson was doing now or to face what her reaction might be.
Avery found the open displays of nudity and scenes she’d never imagined she would be privy to view up close and personal overwhelming, distracting her from making a note of the names of people Sydney stopped to introduce her to. Seeing a plump woman kneeling at a blond man’s side, her head resting on his thigh as he absently stroked her hair while conversing with the other man seated at the table shook her in an odd, indefinable way, one similar to her reaction to Grayson’s voice. Her sudden inattention caused her to run into Sydney who turned and smiled at the couple.
With a light touch on Avery’s arm, Sydney introduced them. “Avery, this is the Thompsons, Master Brett and Sue Ellen. This is my guest, Avery. She’s new to Willow Springs.”
