"Totally. That's why I wanted to tell you. I swear I would never do anything to mess up your perfect day, but I didn't want you to wonder why Dominic and I might be kinda strange around each other. I have no idea what he's thinking about our indecent liaison, but there's no way he isn't slightly freaked out about seeing me, either."
"He probably thinks you're pissed that he didn't get your number from me and call."
"Exactly. And honestly, I'm not pissed. It was one night. We hardly exchanged words. We were horny. We seized the opportunity. We scratched an itch we obviously both had." She shrugged. "That's all."
"That's all?" Zia rubbed her hands together. "You just told me that you haven't been on a date since then, you're ruined for other men, and the asshole who easily lured you into his life time and again for two years no longer interests you. That's not all."
Lily cringed. "Okay. True. But don't tell Dominic that. It's embarrassing. I know nothing about him. Whatever fantasies I've enjoyed for the last three months, I conjured out of thin air. They have no merit. For all I know, he could annoy me with some random disgusting habit in fifty seconds flat. Given the opportunity."
"Mmm. I bet you know more than you're letting on." Zia leaned back, wiggling her brows. "You know he's a pitcher for Miami. You know he owns a kick-ass house. And since you slept with him, I'm betting you must think he's good in bed, or you wouldn't be brooding over him."
"I'm not brooding. Don't be ridiculous."
"Then why did you bring it up?" She grinned, and then she leaned forward. "Brett says he's a Dom. Is it true?"
Lily gasped. How did Brett know that?
"It is true." Zia's face lit up again. "I'm gonna swoon." She placed the back of her hand over her forehead. "And you kept this to yourself?"
"Girl, Brett isn't exactly a pushover himself. Don't try to tell me he isn't dominant in the bedroom."
"Oh, he totally is. But I've heard stories about Dominic that put Brett to shame."
Lily's face heated again. Not because Zia was right and she wondered how many people knew that about Dominic, but also because Lily's panties got wet remembering the way he'd commanded her.
"Come here."
"Hands behind your back … "
"You do not want me to come hard and fast inside your tight pussy and leave you hanging. Trust me."
"You'll crave it for the rest of your life now that you've had a taste of what it's like to shatter under the hands of a Dom."
She'd relived every word he spoke that night a thousand times.
Oh, yeah. He was a Dom. Probably trained at a club with someone. He was that cocky and confident. Even for his age. In some ways, his confidence in bed was so far superior to hers that he seemed older than her.
"Stories?" Lily wasn't sure she wanted to hear what Zia knew about Dominic. But she was also too intrigued not to ask.
"He belongs to this BDSM club." She tapped her lips. "Can't think of the name of it. Starts with a Z … "
"Zodiac."
"Yes." Zia narrowed her eyes again. "Why do you know that?"
Lily shrugged. "Everyone's heard of Club Zodiac. It's a popular, exclusive club in Miami." That wasn't entirely true. The reality was that Lily had considered going there more than once in recent months.
Dominic had been right about one thing-Lily would never be content with vanilla after tasting his brand of sex. Did that make her a pervert? She wasn't sure yet, but she'd trolled the Internet to see what sort of clubs were in the area.
Two things kept her from attending a munch to get to know some of the members-fear that Dominic might be a member and fear that she might like the lifestyle far more than she was currently willing to admit.
She'd done her research. She understood intellectually that having submissive tendencies didn't make her weak. On the contrary, it showed an inner strength. But that didn't make it any easier to let herself entertain the idea of putting her submissive side to practice.
She shuddered for the millionth time. What if some asshole took advantage of her? What if she freaked out and embarrassed herself? There were so many what ifs that she stopped herself from giving the lifestyle a try.
Nope. Instead she'd become a hermit. A nun. Because the only option left after ignoring her new truth and never contacting Dominic was to stop dating altogether. It sucked as a long-term plan, but it had only been months. Not years.
"Does Brett go there?"