Red Handed(22)

If he hadn’t come by now, that should probably do it for him.

Ready for sleep, she stood from the couch and tucked her breast back into the corset. Then she barreled out of the locker room.

And straight into Cole.

“Finish cleaning so soon?” He panted, as if he’d been running.

She couldn’t help but feel victorious. “Yes, Cole. I mean, Master.”

He leaned to whisper in her ear. “I can smell you, you know.”

“Smell me?”

“I can smell your pussy.”

She gasped. “That’s not possible.”

“When it comes to me,” he said, moving close enough she could feel his erection against her stomach, “anything is possible. What drove you to lie down on the couch and expose yourself to me? Anger because I punished you for breaking the rules? Or were you too turned on by the club to wait until you got to the privacy of your bedroom?”

All the confidence she’d felt earlier disappeared out the window, leaving only shame. “I just . . . ”

“You knew I’d be watching.”

She nodded, keeping her gaze lowered. “Yes.”

“Is that what turns you on?” With two of his fingers under her chin, he tipped up her face. “To be watched?”

Would she have been as aroused without the camera? She’d masturbated plenty of times, but never had it felt like that. “Yes.”

“Exhibitionism is nothing to be ashamed of, Danielle. Plenty of us find it sexy as hell.” He motioned to the frames on the maroon wall. “What do you think of the photographs?”

She moved closer to study them. They were black and white photographs of naked men and women. Bound by rope. Tied by sashes to a bed. Chained to a wall. Each photo contained a single object in color. The ropes were yellow. The sashes red. Purple floggers. Pink rose petals.

They simply took her breath away with their passion and eroticism. “They’re beautiful.”

Dimples appeared in his cheeks, and his eyes twinkled. “Thank you.”

Something in his expression spoke to her. It was pride. “They’re yours? I mean, you’re the photographer?”

“Yes,” he said, nodding. He paused, staring at her intently. “I’d like to photograph you.”

“Me?” Her stomach plummeted. He couldn’t be serious. “I’m not model material.”

“Why not?”

“Look at me.”

“Believe me, I am.” He cupped her face in his hands, swiping his thumb over her cheekbone. “And I’m not giving you an option. I’m telling you. You will model for me. Tomorrow. I’ll come for you.”

As he walked away with a hint of a grin on his lips, her stomach did a slow somersault, and she had to grip the wall so she didn’t fall. Model for him? Was he insane?

Tonight’s performance for the camera had been an aberration, no matter how much she’d enjoyed it. Even if she could relax in front of Cole to take the photographs, no one would want to see them. She could barely tolerate to see herself in pictures, most of the time shunning the camera at public events and avoiding family photos by being the one behind the lens. Mirrors and cameras had been her enemy for as long as she could remember, but it seemed as though she couldn’t escape them in Benediction.

From across the room, she spotted Gracie speaking with the small blonde—Kate—whose scene Danielle had interrupted earlier. Both of them were looking straight at her, and her cheeks turned hot at the assumption they were talking about her.

Cole may have punished her for the mistake, but she still owed the woman an explanation for her outburst. Choking down her pride, she picked up a few pieces of chocolate from a bowl and sashayed her butt over for an apology. “I’m really sorry about interrupting your scene. I didn’t realize you—”

“Enjoy getting beaten?” Kate said, accepting the candy from Danielle and unwrapping it. She laughed. “Yeah, I can see how it would look to an outsider. Don’t worry about it. I assume you’re new to the lifestyle?”

That was it? The girls Danielle had grown up with would never have accepted an apology so quickly. “Yeah. Brand new.” She popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth. “Like fresh out of the womb new.”

“I’m relatively new as well,” Kate said, “but I’ve got about a year and a half under my belt now. If you have any questions, I’m available. I don’t know everything, but I’m happy to help in any way I can.”

“And you know I will too,” Gracie said. “But everyone has a different story. I’ve been in the lifestyle a long time and a staple at Benediction for years. In fact, I was here the first night Kate came here with Jaxon. You should have seen her. You think you were shocked, I think Kate wanted to sock me in the mouth for propositioning Master Jaxon in front of her. She’s more of a masochist than a full-out kinky slut like me.”