The Beauty of Surrender by Eden Bradley Page B

Five minutes of nine.
    She’d done exactly as he’d asked. She’d dressed in a short, white leather dress, white patent-leather stiletto heels that wereimpossibly high, white lace panties and bra. No jewelry other than a pair of tiny silver hoop earrings. Jewelry only got in the way of the ropes.
    The ropes .
    Her pulse sped up.
    The ropes and Desmond Hale to tie her up.
    Oh, yes …
    The doorbell rang, and her fluttering heartbeat shifted into high gear. She could swear she heard her blood thrumming in her ears. Taking a breath, she went to answer the door.
    He really was beautiful. Masculine. Imposing. Regal.
    He was dressed all in black, as the Doms often were, and he looked damn good in it: the finely made slacks hanging low on his waist, the black button-down shirt making his shoulders look broader on his narrow frame. And that evil-looking goatee that made him look like the devil himself. She loved it.
    He reached for her immediately, taking her hand in his.
    “Are you going to invite me inside, Ava?”
    “What? Yes, of course. Please come in.”
    Such nice manners from them both, when they intended to do such depraved things later. She loved that, too.
    Desmond stepped through the door, seeming to dwarf her small apartment. She’d never noticed before how tiny the place was. It must be his height. Or perhaps the enormity of his presence.
    Out of the corner of her eye she saw Wicked scurry down the hallway to her bedroom. “You have a cat?”
    “His name is Wicked. He’s good company.”
    “I’m fond of cats.”
    “Are you?”
    “Does that surprise you?”
    “Everything about you surprises me.”
    He smiled but didn’t respond.
    “And you collect antiques?” He moved to the oversized dresser she had against one wall in the living room, ran a hand over the carving on the front of it. “You have some very nice pieces. I’ll have to really look sometime. But we should be off to Pinnacle now.”
    A small thrill ran through her at the insinuation that he would see her again, be in her apartment. That he approved of her choice in furniture. Such small things, yet she couldn’t help but love them, revel in his approval of her.
    “I’ll get my coat.”
    She opened the hall closet and pulled her trench coat out, was surprised once more when he helped her into it.
    “You’re different from some of the Doms I’ve been with, Desmond.”
    “Am I?” He led her out the door, waited while she locked it, then they walked down the narrow staircase.
    “Yes. You’re more commanding than anyone else I’ve been with. But at the same time, you’re so … careful with me.”
    “That’s part of my duty, Ava. If these other men have failed to understand that, then they aren’t true dominants in my book. And they aren’t true gentlemen.”
    “Marina told me that about you, but it’s different actually experiencing it.”
    His car was parked right in front of her building, as though he had some strange power even over the street. It was a sleek, dark Lexus, which fit him perfectly.
    He opened her door for her, helped her slide onto the seat before closing the door and coming around the car to get in on the driver’s side.
    He buckled his seat belt, started the engine. “What else has Marina told you about me?”
    Was this some sort of test? He was just letting the engine run, looking at the dark street rather than at her.
    “Oh, well, not very much. Just that you were nawashi , a Shibarimaster, to surpass even her. That she’d learned a lot from you over the years. That she trusted you completely. That I could, as well.”
    He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. He pulled out, gunned the engine to make it up the hill.
    They were both quiet on the drive to the other side of the city. The club was at the foot of the Potrero Hill district, tucked away between warehouses. Not the safest part of that neighborhood; she’d never walk around alone there at night. But it was best for a fetish club to have