“Oh?” she asked, trying to steady her voice.
He said, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I know that,” she said, shrinking back into the seat. If he came at her, she was a Southern girl and she could fight off any man, given half a chance. Her breath sped up, and frightened heat flashed across her face.
The Dom leaned forward and braced his forearms on his knees, clasping his hands. “I mean tonight, here, with Casimir. You have been shaking ever since you walked into the building. When you picked up your glass, the wine vibrated, and then you drank it as if you were trying to fortify yourself. You look pale and terrified. If Casimir is going too far, too fast, I can get you out of this. He will never know we spoke, and he won’t be upset at you. I will find some excuse. This happens all the time. It is neither a bother nor unusual. Do you want me to do this?”
Rox’s stomach uncoiled. “No, I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, still looking right at her.
“I’m sure. I’m here because I want to be.”
“If you change your mind at any time, just say ‘Not my cup of tea,’ and we will have someone to you very quickly. Can you remember that?”
“Right,” Rox said, breathing more easily. “Not my cup of tea.”
“That’s right.”
“Do you listen in?” she asked, horrified at what that might mean.
“We have security arrangements for everyone’s safety,” The Dom said, settling back in his seat.
“I suppose you have to for liability reasons.” She sipped her wine again.
His smile was a little less icy this time. “We are very careful, but we must be cognizant of liability issues.”
“That must be interesting,” she said, setting her wine glass back on the table and clasping her hands, the classic listening posture. “You must have interesting contract issues, too.”
“Why, yes.” He picked up his glass. “We’ll need you to sign a release, of course.”
“Oh, of course. I understand.”
“Casimir was instrumental in writing it,” he said. “There were problems early on with opening this place, and Casimir helped enormously on the legal end.”
“He’s a fantastic lawyer.”
“He is, indeed. I always have him look over my contracts, and I’d love to have him do more of my negotiations. He can talk anyone into anything, even if the idea is anathema to them.” He glanced at his phone screen. “And here he is.”
Cash opened the door, and Rox saw Glenda walking away down the hall. “I’ve secured a room for us.”
“Okay.” The trembling started in Rox’s chest again.
“You can drop by my office afterward, if you like,” The Dom told her, “for a drink or a cup of tea.”
WULF WATCHES
The Dom, for he even thought of himself by that name when he was in The Devilhouse, opened the door to the security room. “Mr. Jackson?”
“Yes, Sir?” Jeffrey Jackson answered.
His chief of security was half-reclining in a large office chair set before a bank of monitors. Each of the screens showed a wide-angle shot of a room on the premises. As it was Monday night, most showed a grainy image of unoccupied furniture or equipment.
The Dom watched the rooms that Arthur and Maxence were in for a moment. “They are all right?”
“All the usual,” Jeffrey said, pointing one stout finger toward the screen. “They just walked in.”
Casimir and Roxanne had just walked into Play Room Two, a fairly typical dungeon-style room.
The Dom watched the woman wrap her arms around herself. “I have concerns about that one.” He pointed to a screen where Roxanne stood, her arms hugged around herself. “I’ve given her a signal, ‘not my cup of tea.’ Someone should be stationed outside that door, and if you hear that, they go in immediately.”
He picked up his radio. “You think she was coerced?”
“I think Casimir could talk anyone into just about anything. I want her protected.”
“I’ve got a skeleton crew on tonight.”
The Dom paused. “We’ll use one of my private security for the evening. I’ll have Dieter pick up a radio.”
THE DEVILHOUSE
Rox followed Cash through the white hallways, trying not to look like she was gawking at every stupid thing in the sex club.
The hallway and doors looked so ordinary, so office-like, other than that the high ceiling hung much farther above her head than in an ordinary office building. The lighting fixtures were even higher up the walls than normal.