Julian went still, but Jack laughed. He wasn’t ashamed. “Don’t knock it till you try it, buddy. My Abby is far too much woman for one man to handle alone. I need Sam just to keep her happy.” Jack felt a small satisfaction at the other man’s slight blush.
Slater wasn’t letting it go. “I’m afraid I couldn’t get into bed with a naked man to save my life.”
Jack let his whole face go decadent. If that idiot thought he could shame him for not being vanilla, Slater didn’t know him at all. “You say that because you’ve never seen Sam naked. He’s a sight. Don’t worry. I won’t try anything on you, Slater. You’re not my type.”
Julian laughed as Jack walked toward the doors. Yes, Jack thought, he should have brought Sam and Abby. Sometimes he forgot that they owed him comfort, too.
Chapter Seven
“It looks like a bar.” Abby heard the disappointment in her own voice. She was wearing these god-awful heels for this?
She looked all around her. It was a decadent bar, but it was just a bar as far as she could tell. There was a certain Roman orgy scene going on. All the seats were chaise lounges or large ottomans. The room was dominated by a huge chandelier with real candles providing the illumination. The small tables were covered in plates of fruit, cheese, or chocolates. Finger foods. They were all things that were easy to feed to your lover.
Sam shook his head and gestured around the room. “This is just the outer room, baby. Consider it a staging area. People mingle here before and after.”
“Before and after what?”
“Before and after they play,” Sam said with a wicked little smile.
“Sam! Oh, my god, Sam Fleetwood?”
Abby looked over, and a statuesque blonde was making her way toward Sam. She wore very little in the way of clothing. She had on leather boy shorts and a black leather bustier. Her long, long legs were covered with fishnet hose and ended in stilettos. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a severe ponytail that just accentuated her amazing bone structure. She could be a model.
Sam flashed the woman an open grin that let Abby know he really considered her a friend. Abby did not fail to note that the woman had a perfectly toned body.
Stop it, she told herself. He’s here with you. He married you.
Only Jack had married her, too, and he wasn’t here.
The blonde threw herself into Sam’s arms.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” The blonde was breathless as she hugged Sam. “Julian said there were some special guests coming tonight. I didn’t know he meant you.”
“I think he probably meant Jack,” Sam said with a self-deprecating laugh. He gently pulled himself out of the embrace. “He’s here somewhere, more than likely with Julian. Laura, this is my wife, Abigail. Abby, this is an old friend of mine, Laura Michaels.”
Laura turned to Abby. She smiled and held out a hand. She seemed genuinely nice. Abby shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet an old friend of Sam’s.”
“I couldn’t believe when I heard they finally found a woman they wanted to marry.” Laura leaned in as though telling a secret. “I figured Sam would, but Jack? He was always so picky. You must be an amazing woman.” She turned to Sam. “Is Jack going to be in the dungeon tonight? Did anyone warn the Doms? Jack can be hard on them if he thinks they’re not using the proper techniques.”
“Who’s the in-house now?”
Abby had never heard the term. She glanced between Laura and Sam, hoping someone would give her a definition.
“That used to be Jack’s job,” Laura explained. “The in-house Dom is the one in residence. He makes sure all the dungeon security is properly trained, and he gives classes for clients. He runs scenes.”
“Like spanking and stuff?”
“If that’s what the client wants,” Laura agreed. “Sometimes it’s as simple as a spanking. Sometimes it’s more complex, with scripted dialogue and practicing before going public. It can get very complicated. Leo Meyer is the Dom in residence.”
Sam nodded. “I’ve heard he’s good. I never met him, though. Julian trained him, so he must be good.”
Laura smiled but noticed someone waving at her. “I better get to work. It’s good to see you, Sam.” She nodded to Abby and went on her way.
“So…” Abby watched the blonde retreat.
Sam tried his high voltage smile on her. When she didn’t return it or move to another subject, he gave her his sad puppy smile. “Yes, I slept with her. It was a long time ago. I slept with everyone, Abby. You know that about me.”
“I know you had a blonde habit before.” There was no real heat behind the accusation. That was all in the past.
Sam ran his hands through her hair. “Now I just like redheads.”
“I know,” she said, leaning into him. “I’m sorry. I’m being ridiculously jealous.”
Sam gestured up and down his body. “Baby, if you weren’t, I’d call you crazy. This is a whole lotta man right here.”
Abby snorted. “Show me the rest of the club. If this is just a staging area, where’s the rest?” Now that she listened carefully, she could hear thumping music coming from somewhere. The music in the staging area was low so people could talk. It was sexy, but quiet. Abby glanced around the bar area. There were several couples sitting and talking. She noticed that many of the women reclined at their men’s feet. They didn’t speak, but rested their heads against the men’s thighs.
She liked the picture. Jack used to insist on it. It was one of the surefire ways to get him to relax. She would take off her clothes and rest at his feet, her head in his lap. The last time she had tried it was months ago. Jack had pulled her up and told her he didn’t want her to get cold. He also didn’t want her uncomfortable. He’d gotten her dressed and sat her beside him. She hadn’t tried it since.
Sam was watching her closely. “Do you want to sit down for a minute, baby?”
She shook her head. She knew what Sam would do. He would try to be Jack for her. He would try to fill that role. But she needed them both. “No, I think I’ll need the drink more after. Let’s go look.”
Sam took her hand and led her toward a short hallway. There were sconces on the wall giving off soft light. There was a big guy at the end of the hall. He was large and bald. The ropy muscles covering his body told Abby he spent a lot of time in the gym. He looked at them and frowned.
“Where’s her collar?”
Sam’s eyes went straight to her neck. He hesitated and looked to Abby for guidance. “I didn’t think about it.”
The bouncer shook his head. “For that matter, where’s yours, sub? Where’s your Dom?”
Abby started to talk to tell the asshole off. Sam stopped her by seeming to grow about a foot.
“She’s mine. She doesn’t need a fucking collar if I say she doesn’t need a collar,” Sam said between clenched teeth. “I’m a VIP guest here. Is this the way Julian has his employees treat his guests? If that’s so, perhaps I should give him a call. I have his personal number. He can be down here in minutes to clear this up. Do you need me to call him?”
Abby held her breath as the bouncer actually cast his eyes away from Sam. “No, sir. I apologize for any misunderstanding. Please enjoy your evening.”
Sam pulled her along into the next room.
“Wow. That was impressive.” She’d never seen Sam act that way before.
“Well, baby, I watched Jack do that for a long time,” Sam admitted. He ran his hand along her throat. “I should have gotten you a collar. I wasn’t thinking.”
Abby put her hands on his waist. “Just talk like you did to the last guy, and I doubt anyone will give us any trouble.” She looked around. This was a huge space. Like the bar before, it was richly decorated, though carpet had given way to hardwood floors. There were various spaces set up with different themes. She recognized some of the settings. “It’s a playroom.”