Page 12 of Possess

“It’s okay.” She smiled at him. “The club has gotten so busy, it’s hard to know who’s here and who’s not.”

“True. You’ll be a great addition to help Ralph.” He’d hired Dani for a couple of landscaping jobs. She was a hard worker, and he knew she’d do a good job.

“Thanks, Zeke. Now ask me the question you’ve been wanting to ask.”

“What question is that?”

“Is Allyson interested in kink?”

Damn, how had she figured that out? Subs were tricky at times; they could read a Dom’s face even better than a Dom could read them. “It doesn’t matter.” In that moment, he realized it didn’t. He wanted Allyson regardless.

Dani smiled. “Allyson isn’t as shy as you think. She’s aware I’m a member, and I believe you escorted her around the bookstore on opening day.”

“I did.” Hell. He hadn’t put it together until now. Allyson hadn’t said anything as he escorted her around; she hadn’t balked when he stopped in front of certain sections to talk with other people. She’d even picked up a book or two. “Well, damn.”

Dani’s soft laughter floated over to him. “Yep.” With that, Dani scampered out of the room.

Zeke’s breath caught in his throat. So Allyson was aware of the club and Dani being into kink. His mind spun in a thousand directions as he made his way into the men’s room to dress for tonight.

Once dressed, he closed his eyes and centered himself. Tonight was a work night. But he couldn’t get Allyson out of his mind. She always occupied some space in his brain. The way her hair framed her face, her bright eyes twinkling as they worked together. She’d captured his attention from the beginning. Now, he had to figure out how to get her to agree to a date.

He’d asked twice in the last couple of years, and she’d turned him down flat, but now… She’d been flirty at the bookstore and at the café. A grin overtook his lips. He’d see her on Monday, so he’d have another chance to ease his way into her good graces.

Once business was concluded, he’d ask her out, even if just for coffee. He wanted to get to know her better, and baby steps meant a coffee date first. Mind set, he left the men’s room and walked into the club.

Techno music was playing, and there was already a good crowd. Max stood by the bar. “Hey,” Zeke said as he approached. Max was dressed in his typical black pants and a half-buttoned black shirt.

“Evening, Zeke.”

“I know we’re meeting next week about the plans, but I wanted to talk to you about how to handle the inspector and workers around the club.”

“I’ve been thinking about that.” Max set his water bottle on the cherry wood bar. “I can see how it might be an issue, but I think we can mitigate it. The club is open Thursday through Saturday, and they’ll be here during the day, not after hours. We should be okay.”

“True.”

“Also, when they have to be inside the club, we can cover any equipment and make things look as vanilla as possible.”

Zeke was impressed that Max had already thought this all through. “Workable. Once I get the plans approved by the city and have the permit, I’ll set up an appointment with the inspector.” Zeke rubbed the back of his neck.

“What’s the issue there?”

“There’s no telling which inspector we’ll get.”

“And one of them might be a problem?”

“Possibly. I worked with him on the expansion for the bookstore for Damon. He made some very snide comments.”

“I see.” Max stared over Zeke’s shoulder. “Let’s see who we get, but let me know about the first meeting, and I’ll make sure I’m there. If he makes any snide comments, I’ll let him know how unacceptable he is and call his boss.”

“Perfect.” Zeke rarely made complaints because he didn’t want to stir the water. “Okay, I’m off to work.” He walked away with a smile.

A few hours later, Zeke downed a bottle of water and watched the activities. He’d just come off shift as one of the monitors, and the club was packed tonight. It was a good thing Max was expanding. They were at capacity now.

He saw Dani talking with one of the Doms, and he took a step before he stopped himself. Dani was a big girl and didn’t need him stepping in. Did he feel protective of Dani because she was Allyson’s friend?

Allyson. His mind mulled over scenarios of getting her to go out for coffee with him. Monday couldn’t come soon enough. A shout pulled him out of his head, and he didn’t hesitate to head for the station the shout had come from. He might be off duty as a dungeon monitor, but he would make sure everything was okay.

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