r to them, even though she was supposed to be a Domme tonight, not a sub. She figured it would be okay though because as a Domme she shouldn't be scared, right? So when they'd all s

her than the men at the table. Most people were there as part of a couple. She envied those couples. Especially the woman tied to the St. Andrew's Cross who.was being very lightly flogged, warming her up for a more strenuous workout. Her Dom was completel

walked away. "No, thank you?" asked the gorgeous blonde pirate-y man, sounding kind of judgmental. He was studying her like she was some kind of insect pinned to a board.The scrutiny made her uncomfortable, especially because those bright blue eyes looked like they could see deep inside of her, sorting through her secrets. Approaching these men had probably been a mistake, but she'd been drawn like a moth to the flame. Even though tall, dark, and handsome was her usual type, she found herself feeling more interested in the blond. Maybe it was just the way he seemed interested in her. Not just in a sexual way, but he seemed curious and speculative, as if she'd done something wrong or unexpected. Oops. Apparently Dommes don't say thank you? "Didn't your mother teach you manners?" she asked back dryly. "Must have had a strict mother," observed tall, dark, and handsome. "I take after her," quipped Angel with a wink, making them laugh. Okay, time for introductions. They weren't taking the lead so she would. That's what a Domme would do, right? "I'm Angela." She left off the 'Mistress.' None of these men would ever use the honorific for her, just as she wouldn't use any for them while she was pretending to be a Domme. "Chris," said tall, dark, and handsome. "Nice to meet you." He winked at her. There was nothing seriously flirtatious in his face, he was just naturally flirtatious and friendly. "Andrew," said the other dark haired man, reaching out to shake her hand. Angel smiled and responded with her most professional handshake; the one she used whenever she was making a sales pitch. Firm, confident, poised. "Rick," said the blond without facial hair. He shook her hand too. "Well now I feel left out. I'm Chris." Shouldering Andrew aside, he claimed her hand and shook it as Angel laughed. Chris was fun. Turning to the gorgeous blond with the well-trimmed mustache and goatee, Angel held out her hand, arching her eyebrow. He took it slowly, deliberately, almost as if he was testing her. The easy confidence of his movements took her breath away, and the warmth of his hand wrapped around hers was almost enough to make her knees buckle. All of them were deliciously authoritative, but unlike the other men there was something about the way he was looking at her, touching her, it wasn't quite flirtatious but was de

**

cks like that. I would have expected it from Chris but not from you." "Hey," said Chris. "I was perfectly polite to the lady." Rick rolled his eyes. "Mostly." All three of them looked at Adam, even Andrew who normally didn't get involved in the interrogate-your-friends sessions. Since he didn't like to talk about his own issues, he rarely got involved in trying to talk about others'. The fact that Adam's actions had aroused even Andrew's curiosity meant he'd been less subtle than he'd thought. "I wan

curiosity towards a woman li

hed her earlier came up again. This time she ordered a Jack and ginger. Adam watched the interaction closely. Although she seemed to appreciate the young man's obvious charms, there didn't seem to be any true interest there. Maybe the server wasn't her type. Maybe subs in general weren't actually her type, maybe she only thought they were. Maybe Adam was just a big, overanalyzing idiot. That seemed like a pretty good possibility. "It's fascinating," she said brightly. Energy flowed from her, she practically quivered in her seat with it. The bouncy quality of her personality seemed almost at odds with the in-control Domme she'd introduced herself as before, her teasing had been careful but pointed, now she seemed more natural. "I'm not a big fan of the decor, but I love being able to see everything going on. Some of the scenes are..." She shivered a little, a reaction she obviously wasn't able to suppress. "And I do love a good tiki-bar, even if it's not outside." She beamed playfully at him, tugging at something instinctive deep within him that he couldn't quite decipher. If she'd been his sub he would have asked her to expound on what she found so fascinating about the activities of the club. As it was, he held the question in, still watching her carefully. Adam didn't usually make new friends. Patrick, Rick, and Andrew had been his friends since college, after which Rick's friends Justin and Chris had ended up joining their circle. Rick had met Justin and Chris at a rather specialized school and had realized immediately they'd fit right in with his other friends. Jared had been pulled in by Andrew and the two had bonded over talking about their troubled relationships. Adam had been the slowest to open up to all of them, although over the years he'd become friends with them. Still, he hadn't made any new friends on his own since Patrick, Rick, and Andrew. "What do you think?" she asked in return, shooting a quick smile at the sub who brought her drink. The young man nearly fell over himself with happiness at her notice of him, but she turned back to Adam quickly enough, leaving the young man to sigh with regret and trot off again. "About the same as you," he said. "Except I wish there wer

t much, and she immediately lifted her drink to her mouth again. "Um, no," she said. "Definitely a Domme." Well that last part was said with complete conviction. Still, Adam couldn't shake the feeling he was missing something about her. There had been some hesitation, unless he was fooling himself. Maybe she was just scared of admitting to a submissive side? Or maybe his wishful thinking was getting out of hand. He