Page 28 of Of Poison & Pumpkins
Tucked into our parking spot, he shuts off the engine.
“Does this count as our first date?” I ask.
“No way. I’ve got to plan that. How do you feel about bungee jumping?”
I point my finger in his face like a dagger tip. “Don’t even think about it. I will not leap off any buildings.”
Laughing, he shoves his door open and exits, waiting for me to join him on the sidewalk. When I do, he gestures for me to lead the way on the pavement of doom. I breathe in deeply, cherishing that sharp scent that is a mixture of leaves and trees, of plants dying and rotting. How romantic I am. At a perfectly sunny, sixty-five degrees, I don’t need a sweater and could stay outside all day. I close my eyes and let the warmth soak into my cheeks. Inspiration hits. Maybe we should move a few shelves outside on the shop’s front stoop for the season. It may even bring more customers inside.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. After a quick check to see Orion’s name on the screen, I silence the call and let it drop back into the depths.
“Is this it?” Elias asks, standing in front of the red door that makes a bold statement against all the browns on the street.
“Yeah, they might be busy since it’s lunch hour,” I say, motioning to the influx of people going through all the nearby doors. “Hungry?”
“Starved.”
The door groans and gets stuck against something, only opening halfway. Having been here before, and knowing this is normal, I slip in sideways, hoping Elias’s shoulders will fit. Like a puzzle piece rammed into the wrong spot, he barely makes it inside. In the foyer, walls covered in black curtains, a hostess greets us. Knowing how this place functions, I whisper, “Nothing sticky,” in the hostess’s ear, and she nods.
“Interesting,” Elias says; the three of us crammed into the small space.
I can’t wait for him to experience this place. “I may have left out a few minor details.”
“Don’t tell me it’s a sex dungeon.”
“No, it’s in the middle of downtown.” Softly, I smack his shoulder. “By the way, my ex also works here.”
A flurry of emotions crosses his features faster than a whip until he properly disguises them all behind that mask. Maybe one day he’ll take it off for me. Thinking back, he did once, and I hadn’t responded positively. What eighteen-year-old knows how to deal with someone’s heaviest truths?
“Welcome to Raven Slam,” the hostess says in a high-pitched, spunky voice. She’s smiling as she offers us both a blindfold. “Put these on, drop your phones in this basket, and then I’ll tie your wrists together for the performance.”
Elias’s reaction shocks me to my core. His gaze lands on the padded handcuffs the hostess pulls out. His eyes darken with pure lust. That look sends a shiver up my spine and my body turns on high alert.
“How did you know?” Elias practically growls, a thrilling excitement sparkling in his eyes. “Did Zanther spill my secret?”
“I’m not sure what you mean, but this is a sensory café. It’ll be in the dark and we’re cuffed.” I pause, worried he’ll retreat. “So, are you okay with this?”
“Squawking ducks, yes!”
“It’s a poetry slam that’s all about experiencing tastes and scents paired with the poems.”
“I’m definitely very much into this,” he says enthusiastically. “Cuff me.”
CHAPTER TEN
Elias
Blindfolded, in complete darkness, my cock is rock hard. Did Rynn figure out that I love restraints? Or is this a happy coincidence?
At our wrists, I’m loosely connected to Rynn, yet there’s enough slack to let my shoulders relax. Good. That’ll make this experience absolutely divine.
The hostess takes my free hand and guides me while telling us, “We’re stepping down ten times. Take it slow.”
I’m glad I’m descending first; if Rynn trips behind me, I’ll catch her body weight. My feet tap at each stair to check the depth and my muscles brace in case Rynn loses her balance.
“I’m glad you agreed to this,” she whispers behind me.
Without sight, all my other senses are on fire and the soft caress of her breath on my neck gives me gooseflesh.
