“Naked doesn’t bother me.”
I grinned, turned my attention to my food.
“I think we might be onto something,” Ian said in a conspiratorial whisper. “Anything else we should restrict clothing for?”
I looked up, met their gazes one at a time. “I can think of a lot of things.”
Heat curled into the room, sliding between us. The chemistry was off the charts and I found it both interesting and a bit surprising. At the club, the sexual tension was generally the focus. Whether it was one submissive or a handful. But this… We were in the intimacy of my home and though I’d always intended to have a full-time submissive, I’d pretty much given up all hope.
Until I’d met Everly.
“There’s only one problem with that.” Heaven pointed with her fork.
“What’s that?”
“I’m not a submissive.”
“You’re in luck. It’s not a requirement.”
Her eyes swung to me. “No?”
I sat up straight, took a swig of my beer. “No. Why would it be?”
“That’s what you’re looking for, right?”
“It is.” I didn’t mean for it to happen, but I found my hand sliding over to Everly’s thigh, a protective gesture that was instinctual.
She surprised me, placing her hand over mine and holding on.
“So that’s what it is,” Heaven said. “I don’t have to be because you’ve already got your submissive.”
I didn’t respond.
“See? I’m right. You’ve got your sights set on Everly.”
I wasn’t quite sure why she was so defensive, but I couldn’t refrain from responding. “There are some things you shouldn’t call me on, Miss Whitley.”
“Testy,” she snapped. “Are you denying it?”
“Denying what?”
“That you want them?”
“Not at all. Why would I deny what’s true?” I told her, holding her stare, waiting to hear a rebuttal.
Not surprising, one didn’t come.
“Dante, I’d like you to do the dishes,” Ian said absently.
He didn’t stop eating. “Yes, Sir.”
“Naked.”
The man didn’t even flinch. “It would be my pleasure, Sir.”
Heaven seemed to find her chicken to be interesting while Everly relaxed, as though some of the tension had drained out of her. I hoped by the end of the evening, they all would.
Half an hour later, we’d all deposited the dishes in the kitchen, where Dante took on the task of hand-washing every dish while buck naked. The dishwasher would’ve been faster, but where was the fun in that?
Everly and Heaven disappeared down the hall while Ian and I sat at the kitchen island, watching the man work. He certainly held my attention, moving with ease, quite comfortable in his own skin. Perhaps because he was vegan, Dante was quite lean. Then again, he had admitted to running, so it could very well be a rigorous exercise regimen. Whatever he did, it was working, and I couldn’t deny, he had a delicious physique.
I did my best not to ogle the numerous scars that marred his back and arms, but I cataloged each one, wanting nothing more than to hurt whoever had put those on him.
“I’m gonna meet the owner of Inferno tomorrow,” Ian told me, his voice low. “Want to get his take on this Roger Cherlish.”
I nodded. “Want me to go with you?”
He shook his head. “Nah. The club’s not open tomorrow. He said he’d meet with me at noon.”
“What do you hope to gain from the meeting?”
“Explain to him what happened, see what actions he intends to take.”
Nothing if I had to guess. It was unfortunate, but some of the BDSM clubs didn’t care what their members did after hours. As long as they paid their dues and didn’t cause issues at the club, they could overlook a lot of things. Of course, there were also clubs who turned a blind eye to what went on inside their walls. I hoped like hell Inferno wasn’t one of those places.
“You get any more info on him?” I asked.
“Nope. I’ve called in a favor. Got someone digging. It’s like the guy doesn’t exist.”
I took a long pull on my beer. “He clearly does since he’s gone back to Dante’s twice today. What’s he up to?”
“Figure he’s looking for this young stud.”
I admired the flex of Dante’s back muscles, my gaze drawn to a few faint lines on his back. They were scars that had been put there by either a whip or a flogger. Appeared to be rather old.
I nodded toward his back. “He mention anything about those?”
“Haven’t asked. Yet.”
I nodded. I’d had a conversation with Ian earlier regarding what had transpired down in the basement. He relayed the conversation they’d had, none of which surprised me. I’d known from the second Everly saw Dante yesterday that there was a connection there.
I was more interested to know the dynamic. They’d had plenty of opportunity to explore one another, see whether a relationship would work or not, yet they hadn’t.
Then again, I hadn’t gotten Everly’s take on the situation either.
The sound of pattering feet on hardwood alerted me to Everly’s and Heaven’s return. They were practically skipping when they joined us in the kitchen, both wrapped in towels.
