Page 44 of Hushed

She chewed on her lip and put both hands on his chest. “I want to. But I’m nervous.”

“Completely understandable. What are you most nervous about?”

“I’m not sure about everyone seeing me naked. I’m not down on my body. Most of the time, I even like the way I look. But there are some seriously beautiful people here.”

He frowned. “And you’re one of them. Trust me, babe, naked is your best outfit. However, there are plenty of ways to play that don’t involve taking your clothes off.”

“Can we observe for a little while longer?”

He picked up her hands and kissed each palm. “We can watch for as long as you like. We can always play in private later, after the party is over.”

“Gage Allard, what the hell are you doing here?” A thick southern voice drawled.

He grinned and turned Kenzie around to face the alcove entry. “Kenzie, meet Dakota Hylander. An old friend, and a pain in my ass.”

“I’ll cop to being a pain in the ass, but watch where you put that old shit, Gage. I’m not even forty yet, unlike some people in this room.”

She opened her arms to Kenzie. “I heard Gage was bringing a girl to visit. Come find me next time he has to go to the bathroom, and I’ll give you all the dirty secrets I’ve got on him.”

Gage scowled. “Is Jax here tonight?”

Dakota grinned. “Nope. He’s chasing down some politician’s mistress or something, but he’s flying in tomorrow.”

Kenzie frowned. “I’m sorry… who is Jax?”

Gage laughed. “The only man who can keep this one in line.”

“Damn straight, so don’t you even try.”

Gage grinned. “I wouldn’t dream of it, hot stuff. How’s business these days?”

“Now that the old man kicked the bucket, I can do things my way without having to worry about his antics.”

Gage and Dakota chatted for a few more minutes, while Kenzie stood glued to his side. She stayed mostly quiet, and Gage hoped they weren’t making her uncomfortable. Gage had played with Dakota once or twice before Jax came into her life, but the two went together like oil and water in the bedroom, so they’d agreed to stick to being friends.

Dakota said goodbye when someone called her name, and Kenzie laughed as the cattle heiress disappeared. “She’s… something else.”

And that was pretty much the only way to describe Dakota, so Gage didn’t add anything, just kissed her cheek, and picked up her hand. They wandered back into the dungeon and found a place to sit where they could take everything in.

When they were settled, Gage noticed that Kenzie was fixated on a couple playing under a suspension frame in one corner of the dungeon. The woman was tying herself up, while the man was using a violet wand on her to try and slow her progress down. It was a delightful example of how kink and BDSM could be fun and silly.

“I’m convinced I’m not supposed to be here,” Kenzie whispered, still staring.

He frowned and leaned closer. “Why’s that, little imp?”

She looked around uncomfortably.

“Because I’m fairly sure that’s Marissa Sullivan-Moss in the corner tying herself up, and that means the guy with his back to us is Lance Moss. And Dakota Hylander is one of the richest women in America. And I might be mistaken, but I’m like ninety percent sure I just saw Hunter Novak and his wife while we were walking through the dungeon. It’s a sea of really powerful people, and I design logos and play music in nightclubs until three in the morning to keep the lights on.”

Gage chuckled at her rambling. “Take a breath, babe. I can see where they might make you a little uncomfortable. But I promise that none of them will treat you any differently because of what you do for a living or how much money is in your bank account. They’re not like that.”

She grimaced. “I’ve heard Hunter is a major dick.”

Gage threw his head back, laughing. “When it comes to business, he’s a fucking monster. But here, he puts that aside. I’m totally telling him you said that, though.”

She scowled. “Don’t you dare.”

He grew serious as he pulled her closer with his arm around her shoulder. “These people are his family, Kenz. Mine too. That unites most of us. We either don’t have biological families or aren’t that close to them, and we made our own family through the kink community.”

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