Praise (Salacious Players Club, #1)(14)

“So you work from home?” Charlotte asks.

“Yes, I do. We all do at the moment. The new building is in construction right now.”

“Oh, that’s exciting.”

I fight back a smirk, picturing the blueprint for the new building with the cages, stage, and fully-equipped private rooms. Yes, it is exciting, but I’m not going to hit her with all of that right now. Best to ease her into things.

“Do you have any questions about the company?” I ask.

Her eyes go wide. “Tons. I have tons of questions.”

I have to bite back my smile again. “Well, go ahead then. Ask one.”

“Umm…” She twists up her ruby red lips, and furrows her brow seemingly in thought. “So you hire girls to kneel and serve you. Is that what everyone does?”

“Not at all. That’s just my style. There is an array of fantasies that our employees will fulfill.”

“But no sex?”

“Not exactly.”

“What does that mean?” she asks with a curious expression.

“It means that the money exchanged is not for sex. What they do behind closed doors is their business.” Best to leave it at that. We find a lot of loopholes and loose language in the law books to work around, but that’s what we have Xander for—the best lawyer in Briar Point.

The look on her face, tight-lipped and skeptical, says she doesn’t quite believe what I’m saying, so I pry her some more. “What other questions do you have?”

“What other…things do people do?” she asks with a sort of curious delight in her eyes.

I have to give her credit. She doesn’t look as uncomfortable as I expected her to be, and I love her open curiosity. There is still so much stigma attached with sexual fantasies and pleasure, it’s ridiculous. But Charlotte doesn’t seem bothered by that.

Standing from my desk, I walk around to the front where I lean against its surface and cross my arms. “Anything and everything. As long as it’s consensual and everyone is of age, anything goes.”

“Like…tying people up and whipping them?”

I shrug. “Sure. If that’s what they like. We also have clients who just like to watch…or be watched. Role play. Degradation. Age-play, edging, objectification, bondage…”

With each word that comes out of my mouth, I watch Charlotte’s eyes widen and her shoulders tighten, so I stop, giving her a moment to say whatever it is she’s thinking, or rather, wondering. I mean…it’s only nine in the morning. We might need coffee for this conversation.

“I don’t know what half of those are,” she replies.

“Well, it’s not something you need to know for this job, but if you are curious, you can learn. There’s no reason to be intimidated by all of it. I know it seems strange, but you’d be surprised how normal it really is.”

A laugh escapes her lips.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing, it’s just…normal?”

“Everyone has a desire they think is kinky, Ms. Underwood. Thinking what we like is abnormal is the one thing we all seem to have in common.”

Her grin relaxes, and she leans forward, giving me a full view of her tits that I have to force myself to look away from.

“Okay, then,” she replies, resting her chin on her clenched fists. “What is yours?”

My head snaps back in her direction, and I glare at her in shock. Not because I’m offended by her asking that. I can’t give a speech about how normal kinks are and then act like it’s an affront to be interrogated to reveal mine. But I’m shocked because Charlotte is nothing like any girl I’ve had in my office. She’s blunt in a way I’m not used to.

“You should already know,” I reply, biting back my grin.

“The whole secretary on her knees thing?”

This time I do grin. “It’s called a Dominant/submissive relationship.”

She seems to deliberate for a moment, as if she’s trying to tell if she likes the taste of something. I use the approximately three seconds of silence to imagine her in that role for me, and it’s the most appealing vision I’ve had in a while. Isn’t life grand like that? The forbidden fruit always tastes sweetest.

“What about me?”

I nearly choke, clearing my throat and waiting for her to elaborate. “What about you?”

Please, God. Don’t let her tempt me more than she already has.

“What do you think my kink is?”

She bites her bottom lip, and I can’t resist the urge to mirror her actions, tugging mine between my teeth as well. Charlotte is beautiful in a mysterious and unique way. Her eyes are large and innocent-looking, and her nose has a high ridge, making her look a little more regal than her attitude suggests. It’s those wide red lips of hers that keep my attention, though.

“I don’t know you well enough yet. Besides, that’s really up to you to decide, isn’t it?”

“I thought that was your job,” she replies with a smile that shows her bright teeth in contrast to her scarlet lips. “You’re supposed to help people find their deepest, darkest desires, aren’t you?”

I can’t tell if she’s patronizing me or not, but I don’t reprimand her for it. I think she’s taking this as seriously as Charlotte can, guessing she’s not an overtly austere person. It makes me wonder if she was this way with Beau.