Page 11 of Power Play

“That was a mistake on my part. As you said, I charge in and can make a bit of mess. Can we try again?” He dropped his hand from her neck, and she missed his warm touch, but he took her hands in his. “Regina, would you be willing to play with me in and out of the club?”

“I would, but there will be some ground rules.”

His face lit up as he smiled. “Of course there will be. We’re new play partners.”

Regina shook her head. “Not protocols, but rules.”

His smile faded, but he nodded.

“First off, in the club, I play with whom I want.” When he opened his mouth, she held her hand up. “I understand exclusivity, but sometimes I need to release my emotions, and if you’re not available when I’m in need, I will ask someone else.”

“I will always be there for you.”

“You can’t promise that.” When he opened his mouth, she shook her head. “I mean it. Things happen.”

“Fine, but only if I’m not available.”

She nodded. “The club is open Thursday through Saturday.”

“Max told me. Since it’s Friday, we can spend tomorrow together and come to the club tomorrow night.”

“There’s that arrogance again.”

He grinned, and a shaft of awareness filled her body. Damn, this man was going to be hard to resist.

“You are assuming I’m available tomorrow.”

“It’s confidence, not arrogance.”

The laughter in his voice caused her to grin. This man called to her on every level. The tug she’d felt when she was eighteen was nothing to what she was beginning to feel for the man Dane had become.

“I beg to differ, but that’s not important at the moment.”

“It’s not.” He squeezed her hands. “How did you become interested in kink?”

They started talking about everything and anything.

Regina learned how Dane, after college, took a different path and used his business degree to open his first art gallery without his family’s money. He’d gotten a small business loan. Everyone thought he’d fail since his focus was underrepresented artists. Regina respected that kind of drive.

His first artist had been Peter Cadell. Now a world-famous sculptor. Dane had taken a chance on him, and it worked out. Since then, he’d opened more galleries and found artists whose work needed to be shown to the world.

“Like you did with Anthony,” Regina commented.

“Yes. His work is fantastic, but many dismiss it, like you noticed at the opening.”

“Some people are narrow-minded.” Hadn’t that come to light over the last ten months? Wicked Sanctuary had been through a lot with publicity. Most of it good, some of it not.

“They are.” He slid closer to her. “Now tell me more about how you got involved with Wicked Sanctuary.”

“As a nurse, I can’t show my emotions, and I needed a place to release them. When Master Max opened Wicked Sanctuary, it was perfect place for me to let go without judgment, and I enjoy play.”

“But no permanent relationships?”

“No, I find most men want total control. They don’t seem to understand that I want to be my own woman.”

“Oh?”

“Like you tonight. You assumed I needed to be taken by the hand and told not to play with anyone else.”

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