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LET’S have a drink and talk.That’s how it always started. It had to work out eventually, right? Darci sat across from the striking man who’d offered to buy her that drink and silently prayed she wasn’t being an idiot again. After being swept up by Damion’s intensity, she was wary. But when he looked at her and introduced himself, she felt an intense pull that she couldn’t ignore. And she was safe in Club Exposure where she had Peter and Carrie to watch over her. She had a feeling after Damion, they would be a lot more protective.

“What brings you to Solitaire, Bradley?”

He smiled and turned his glass in his hands. “I haven’t been back in town long. But I recently took a job here, and a buddy told me about this place.”

“Who’s your buddy?”

He leaned back and lifted an eyebrow. “Checking my references, huh?”

A blush crept up her cheeks, but she flashed him a smile. “You got a problem with that? It’s good to check references in this community. But really, I’m just curious to know if we have a mutual friend or not.”

He leaned forward. “I was teasing, Darci. You caught my eye. I would love to get to know you. My invitation came from Gage Allard.”

Darci’s eyes lit up. “I love Gage. He’s a sweetie pie.”

Bradley smirked. “Gage? A sweetie pie?”

Darci shrugged. “He’s always been sweet to me. You have a last name?”

Bradley took a long drink and lifted an eyebrow. “We all do. I think I want to keep some anonymity while I’m here, though.”

Darci waved. “Fair enough.”

“How long have you been a part of this group?”

His gaze was so intense she had to look away before she answered just to keep her wits about her. “I’ve been going to parties at one of the founder’s houses for several years. When she and Gage decided to open this place, they asked me to help.”

“So you’re experienced in the lifestyle?”

She nodded. “And you?

“I’ve been in and out. My job kept me from participating as much as I want and I always keep things low profile because I have family in politics and don’t want to bring any bad light on them.”

Darci leaned forward and picked up her drink. “I think it’s sad that participation in kink would shine a poor light on anyone. Our community is one of the most loving, accepting places on the planet, but we’re still supposed to be ashamed of who we are.”

He put his hand on hers and she sucked in a breath as sparks jumped between them. “I don’t think we need to be ashamed. Just cautious. Society is slow to accept things that were once deemed inappropriate. I apologize. I’ve turned the conversation to politics and society, and we’ve known each other for ten minutes.”

Darci laughed. “It’s hard to avoid in this town. What would you like to talk about instead?”

“What I really want is to kiss you right now, Darci.”

She blushed again. “Bold. I like it. I’m not opposed to casual kisses.”

And she wasn’t. She enjoyed kissing for fun and often kissed people she wasn’t romantically attached to.

He scooted his chair closer to hers and put a hand on her thigh. “There would be nothing casual about the way I want to kiss you, Darci.”

Darci swallowed when he brought his lips close to hers. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and pressed her mouth to his. The kiss was electric. Their lips met and clung, their tongues exploring each other deeply. She could feel the heat of his body, the racing of his heart. She moaned softly and pressed closer, her hands gripping his shoulders.

He deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with unrestrained hunger. He tasted divine, and his smell was intoxicating. Fresh soap and expensive cologne. She wanted to kiss him forever. But eventually they had to break apart, gasping for air.

“Wow,” she whispered. “You want to go somewhere else?” She still felt breathless as she stared at him.

“Well, you were going to show me around. I think a dark corner where I can keep kissing you would be a good place to start the tour.”

“Everything OK over here, Kitten?” A firm hand gripped her shoulder, and she turned to find Peter Mercer standing over her. He’d taken to calling her kitten after he proposed to Carrie. She always joked that it was because she was the couple’s stray.

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