Page 5 of Power Play

Dane slid onto the stool, bracing his feet on the rungs as a dark-haired man walked up on stage. He reminded Dane of a biker type as he was dressed in leather pants and boots. No shirt though.

“Evening, everyone. I’ll get started in a moment. Just to remind you all, tonight, I’m going to be using an elk flogger, then buffalo, and finally, a leather flogger. Each one will produce different sensations with the leather flogger giving the most sting.”

“Do you have a lot of demos?” Dane asked Max. He liked the idea of being able to see how other Doms did things. Dane had only been a Dom for a few years and had nowhere near the experience of Max or even Theo in Chicago.

“A fair number. The crowd likes them, especially newer Doms who want to understand all the ins and outs.” Max shifted. “Are you planning on staying in Pleasant Valley?”

“Undetermined at this time.” Dane liked the town. Not so small everyone knew everyone’s business but big enough. His family expected him to come back to Chicago; Dane wasn’t so sure he wanted to go back. He loved his family, but they had different views on money.

His mother wanted him to open the gallery here and come back home, leaving a manager in place, but Dane found Stephanie, his manager at his Chicago gallery, was doing a fantastic job. And he needed a change.

Dane’s attention was caught by a flash of red. His gaze focused in on the woman the Dom was helping on the stage. It wasn’t until she turned to face the audience that he took a breath.

The redhead from the gallery. His redhead. Regina.

The name suited her. With her head held high, she was regal. The ruby red corset twinkled in the light, and the short black skirt showed off her long legs. His dick quivered with anticipation.

In that moment, he knew she was his. This was an interesting turn of events.

Chapter Three

Dane slipped off the stool before he could stop himself. What was Regina doing here?

“Dane?” Max said.

Dane fought to keep himself from storming the scene. Regina was his, not some other Dom’s sub. He stopped himself. He had no reason to react like a jealous lover. They barely knew each other. “She was at the gallery Tuesday.”

“What?” Max glared at him until he sat back down. “She was.” Max kept his gaze on him. “Did you speak with her on Tuesday? Or is there some other connection I don’t know about?”

Dane shook his head. The connection hit him. It was a thin one. He’d gone to college with her older brother, and she’d visited once, intriguing him even then, though she’d still been in high school. That’s why she looked so familiar.

Was she attached to a Dom? He glanced at her wrists. Her band was green and white, so she was an experienced sub but not taken.

“She’s not taken?” He didn’t see a ring on her finger, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone in her life.

“Regina isn’t involved with anyone that I know about. She’s been with the club almost since the day it opened.” Max turned his attention to the scene.

Dane’s entire focus stayed on the stage and Regina. His heart pounded. He was feeling uncharacteristically possessive about Regina and knew it went beyond knowing her brother. Heck, Dane hadn’t seen him since graduation some ten-odd years ago.

He’d met her two times, but the second time, she’d kissed him. Dane had frozen. He’d wanted more, but she’d just turned eighteen, and Dane had been at the family house working on an art project with her brother. He wouldn’t take advantage, but that kiss had left an impression on him. He hadn’t seen her after she’d run off.

A smile spread across Dane’s face. Finding her again, he now had a chance to explore what that kiss had meant, if anything.

He watched the scene with a critical eye. The Dom, Colby, was doing a good job of explaining what he was doing and about the floggers. Regina squirmed as he flogged her, her skin turning pink. She liked this. After ten minutes, Colby told the audience that, for the next set, he wasn’t going to speak. He picked up a leather flogger.

Dane noted the falls were narrow, and there weren’t many, which meant the flogger was going to sting. The Dom swung the flogger, and Regina cried out. Dane curled his hands into fists. He wanted to rush the stage, but he watched her face.

While Regina cried out, her face showed a sense of relief. Her eyes were closed, but her body remained loose, at times arching into the flogger. The scene continued, and even though the Dom was doing everything right, Dane fought against his instinct to rescue Regina.

When the Dom finished, Regina was sobbing.

“Colby is a good Dom,” Max said.

Colby placed a blanket over Regina and was talking with her. Dane could tell Regina was responding as the Dom released her from the restraints. Dane shook his head. He’d been concentrating on her face and reactions so much, he hadn’t even realized she’d been restrained to an X frame.

Dane watched as Colby lifted Regina into his arms and carried her to a sofa. A woman appeared with another blanket and sat down next to Regina as Colby went back to clean up the scene.

“You don’t require aftercare?” Dane asked Max.

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