The trio rose from their seats and said their goodnights. Bunny noticed that Samson parted from Jillian with merely a simple nod. Evidently no love connection had been made that night.
Chapter Sixteen
Joseph stood near the bar chatting with club members. He’d always made a point of visiting with them during club nights. Tonight, his focus was divided as he kept an eye on Bunny with her friends on the dance floor.
She was once again playing with fire, dancing to a song with a moody seductive beat, but he was gratified that it was him she was looking at, enticing from across the room. Robert, Shae, and Mona were out there with her, on strict orders to stay with her and keep her out of trouble.
From his bar stool, Samson sipped his beer and then said, “You’d think the little sass-pot wouldn’t have any energy left after that scene earlier. I’m surprised she’s even vertical.”
“She has enough energy for two subs, that one,” Cecelia said from her post behind the bar. “She’s got a nice scream, Joseph.”
Not only did she have enough energy for two subs, she also had a good sense of rhythm as she undulated to the beat of the music.
“Look at that smile, will you?” Cecelia said to Samson, nudging him across the bar. “About time some little sub came along and gave him one of those.”
“What?” Joseph asked, looking over at his friends with an arched eyebrow. “I smile all the time.”
Cecelia chuckled as she handed Joseph the drink she’d been mixing for him. “Yes, but it’s always been the smile of a predator. A lion or a tiger, maybe? This is the smile of a pussycat having his belly scratched. Purring,” she added in her soft Bahamian accent. “Purrr.”
Samson chuckled and rubbed his chest, just over his heart. “You know we’re teasing, my friend, but I envy you the challenge she’s giving you. While you were walking Hector, Juno, and Jillian to their suite, a couple of members asked if I knew whether Bunny has any sisters who are as full of spunk as she is.”
He frowned at Samson and added, “They didn’t approach her, did they?”
Samson shook his head. “With your collar on? No. They saw me nearby, serving as her bodyguard and asked.”
Joseph shook his head. “As far as close family goes, it’s just her brother and her grandmother. She’s the breadwinner in their family.”
Bubbling laughter from several yards away drew their attention, and Samson nodded. “Looks as though Jade and Blake have hit it off.”
Joseph nodded, angling his head so he could observe without appearing to. Jade sat at Blake’s feet, dressed in a green satin corset and G-string that matched the shade of her jade-green eyes perfectly. She was chatting with Blake, using her hands as she spoke. He laughed with her as if she’d told a joke, and she put her hands to her pink cheeks before placing them on his knees. Blake spoke to her and motioned to the play areas, and she responded to him as if he’d asked a question. Joseph waited for signs she was reluctant to play with him, but her body language stayed open, and her submissive posture, as ever, was perfect. Normally, her perfectionism was a point of concern for him, but he saw the willingness in the way she kept her eyes on Blake and nodded as he spoke.
“I imagine we’ll be having a collaring ceremony before too long,” Samson said, his gaze on her as well.
“She and I had a meeting of the minds earlier. It’s still early days for her, but at least now she’s moving forward. I think he’ll be good for her. I’ve already warned Blake she has to meet two other Doms first.”
Samson grunted. “How’d he take that news? The man looks ready to claim her right now.”
“I agree with you, and he was up-front about having feelings for her, but he knows she needs to explore her world a little bit before she makes a choice. I guess I should’ve pushed her a little sooner.”
“You guess?” Samson asked, tilting his head down to eye him. “You don’t usually question yourself about your decisions. You were letting a friend move along at her own pace, only it turns out she was frozen. I can’t say I blame her. It’s hard to let go and move on when you find the perfect person for you and they slip through your fingers. Maybe it’s better to never have someone like that than to have them and lose them.”
Joseph studied Samson, who had turned back to the bar and was gazing off into the distance. The big man seldom showed more than a casual interest in the subs. That wasn’t to say he didn’t care. Maybe it was that he was careful to not give any of them any ideas about him. He’d been Joseph’s right hand since the club had opened, and although he appeared happy, Joseph didn’t know if he had much of a social life outside the club and his career in law enforcement.