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“Saul, didn’t expect to see you tonight. Nice surprise.” Liam leaned on the bar, eyeing Caera with a curious smile. “I see you brought me a gift. Who might this be?”
“Liam doesn’t get to play much, he’s so busy,” Saul explained before she could freak out at the idea of being gifted. “He gets excited when he sees a new face. Liam, this is Caera. She’s a little apprehensive about being here, so please don’t give her a panic attack. Just because you look like a Viking doesn’t mean you can kidnap women like one.”
“Well, fuck. There go my plans for the evening.” He pushed off the bar, giving her a calm smile. “There won’t be any kidnapping tonight, pet. What would you like to drink?”
Caera glanced at Saul, looking for guidance. Was there anything she wasn’t allowed? She knew that alcohol was off-limits if they were playing, but they weren’t. Then again, she wasn’t too tolerant of alcohol anyway, and she wasn’t going to humiliate herself or Saul by turning into a drunken harlot in front of his friends. “Coke? Please.”
“Sure. Ice?”
Oh no, she hated it when ice cubes plinked against her teeth. She shook her head.
“One Coke coming up. What about you, Saul?”
“I’m only allowed one beer. Designated Dom, designated driver.”
“Smart thinking. Give me a second.” Liam’s hands were already moving as he spoke, fishing a glass from beneath the bar and setting it beneath a soda dispenser. As he hit a button and the machine whirled to life, he turned around and plucked a bottle from the refrigerator behind him, popping the top and setting it on the wood as the dispenser spurted the last few drops of Coke into the glass. “One Coke, no ice. One beer.”
Saul frowned. “You got any snacks behind there?”
Liam’s eyebrow lifted. “Peanuts, pretzels, chocolate, chips. Standard subdrop comfort food, high in sugar and taste.”
“Can I get some pretzels and chocolate?”
“Don’t see why not.” Liam vanished behind the bar this time. A bag of pretzels flipped up and landed on the bar top. When he reappeared, he set a small slab of chocolate beside Saul’s beer. “Anything else?”
“No, thanks. You joining us?”
Liam shrugged his shoulders. “Might do, depending how busy it gets. Maybe in an hour when everyone’s drifted next door to do their scenes. Have you got anything exciting planned?”
“No playing tonight. Caera just came to scope the club out, see if she likes it.”
“Ah. And how do you like our small piece of heaven so far, pet?”
That was a loaded question. Caera bit her lip, assessing what she thought so far. She blurted words without checking them first, sure she’d be laughed at. “It’s not as scary as I thought.”
Liam did not laugh. “I don’t think you’re alone in thinking that. There’s a lot of new people here for you to meet, in a new place, and the lifestyle doesn’t always have a good name depending on who you talk to.” He lifted a finger to a woman waiting further down the bar, silently asking for a minute. “It’s okay to be scared, I’m sure Saul’s told you that already. It’s just as okay to come to Avalon and not want to play. We’ll still be here when you do.”
Saul’s hand skimmed up her back, his fingers curling around her nape for a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
“T-Thank you.”
The Viking—because he really did look like a conquering beast with all that hair—smiled and tapped a finger on her glass. “We’ll talk again later, if you feel brave enough to come back for a refill.” Gray eyes flicked down the bar. “I’d best go serve Madam Anita before she gets lippy with me. Sharp tongue, that one.”
“Madam?” Caera whispered to Saul as Liam stalked away. “Not Mistress?”
He handed her the snacks to carry, then took the drinks himself. A quiet nudge turned her around to face the seating pit, and as he walked, she followed on his heels. “Most of the Avalon Dommes prefer Mistress, but Anita…aside from having that sharp tongue, she also likes to set herself apart from the others. If you ever have the opportunity to meet her, keep your eyes down and be very, very polite.”
“That won’t be a problem,” she muttered.
“Because you’re my good girl,” he responded easily, crossing the distance to their friends with long strides. “But Anita has a fascination with getting quiet subs to engage with her.”
Oh, that didn’t sound pleasant. “Engage?”
“Hmmm. I think it’s best if we just keep her away from you tonight. Hopefully she has someone to scene with, so she’ll disappear next door.” Saul stepped down into the pit using the three steps, greeting everyone with a nod. “Come on, little rabbit. You know everyone.”
She stopped at the top of those steps. The bag of pretzels crumpled in her hand as she studied everyone carefully. There was a familiar face, one with big brown eyes appraising her like a steak, figuring how juicy she’d be when cooked. One she thought she’d never see again.
“Ignore Loki, he’s an ass,” Saul told her as he set their drinks down on the edge of the pit. “Loki, stop intimidating my bunny with your manwhore stare. If she runs, I’m going to have to chase her, and we agreed no sex tonight.”
