Bad Things (Tristan & Danika #1)(94)

We wound up in a real dump of a club on a Tuesday night. It was one of those off the strip locations that probably wouldn’t last a year. Frankie and I watched them play from the bar, since I’d learned my lesson about going anywhere near the stage, though this place was hardly packed. Tristan insisted that I was too much of a distraction when he was performing, and though I could have wished that it was otherwise, because I ached to be close to him when he was singing like that—I respected his wishes.

Still, as I saw some scantily clad bimbo try to climb on stage with him, I had the urge to do something crazy.

I stifled the urge, if barely.

Instead, I just drank. And drank.

Frankie was no help, ordering tequila shots. She was in a diabolical mood, getting me drunk with an unabashed smile on her face.

She was smiling at me for so long, and so intently, that I finally had to ask her why.

She just shrugged. “You’re fun drunk, and I wanted to get some juicy gossip about stud muffin over there out of you. That’s all.”

I giggled. “Stud muffin,” I repeated back, then giggled again.

“You’re feeling pretty, I see.” Everyone seemed to have adopted my phrase for being drunk.

I nodded, glancing once at the stage, which instantly made me a little sullen, since I had to stay so far away from him, when all I wanted to do was get closer.

“So tell me, is he the Dom I think he is?” she asked.

I shot her a startled look. “A Dom? Excuse me? Like S&M?”

She snorted. “A Dom is not all about the S&M, and I don’t see that in Tristan. No, what I mean is, does he dominate you in bed? Does he take control of you like that? And is he heavy on the kink?”

I blushed, but this was Frankie, who’d always been beyond open with me about her own preferences, so I didn’t even think about not telling her. “He is. I never thought about it quite like that, but he definitely takes control. I need him to, and he always knew it.”

That had her brows shooting up. “So you’d say you’re a submissive?”

I bit my lip, thinking that the term couldn’t possibly apply to me, of all people. Except in that one thing… finally, I nodded. “I think I am, at least in bed.”

She snorted again. “Obviously it’s only in bed. What about the kink? What have you two tried?”

I pursed my lips, playing with an empty shot glass. “He’s restrained me twice. I didn’t think I’d like it, I thought it was for him, but the more I think about it, it was for me, and I loved it. I don’t think it’s his usual thing, but he’s really good at it.”

She nodded. “I think you two have hit a sweet spot. Miss control freak Danika could use a little escape into the land of submission. I’ll talk to him about it, k? If anyone knows about this stuff, you’re looking at her.”

I nodded, shooting him a look. “I really…really like it. He’s made sex so wonderful for me, but the restraints, and the blindfolds…it’s like icing on the cake.”

She laughed. “I agree. Totally. That’s great. You know, the first time I saw him, I thought he could be part of the Dom club with us.”

I studied her, wondering who the ‘us’ was. I was too drunk to keep such a curious question to myself. “Who is in the Dom club?”

She smiled, and it was pure mischief. “Well, it’s me, and I would bet money that Tryst is about to join. And one other, but I have to swear you to secrecy before I tell you.”

I was nodding before she finished talking. Who on earth would I tell?

“You can’t even tell your f**k anonymous group about it. In fact, you especially can’t tell them.”

I nodded again, simply dying to know now. “I swear I won’t tell a soul, not even Tristan.”

“Well, him you could probably tell, because, as I said, he’s about to join the club.”

“Oh my God! Tell me now! You’re killing me!”

She leaned in close, whispering into my ear. “James Cavendish.”

I was floored. He was so rich, and polished, and sophisticated, and well, just plain beautiful. “Are you shitting me?”

She shook her head. “He’s into the hardcore stuff, though, nothing you’d be on board for, trust me. He makes me look like a soft Master, and I am not that.”

I rolled this around in my head for a good ten minutes before I spoke. I was fascinated by the idea that someone that high profile, could have such an unusual sexual preference and it not be public knowledge.

“That’s crazy,” I finally said.

She nodded. “I know. But doesn’t it make him even hotter?”

I laughed, because there was no denying it; even to a lesbian, the man was hot. “I’m not sure. It really depends on what you mean by hardcore. I’m not into pain.”

“Pain is what I mean. Yes, you can be sure that one is not for you. Though I do hear that he is spectacular in bed.”

I let out a dreamy sigh, thinking of Tristan. “So is Tristan. Spectacular.”

“Fan-f*cking-tastic! Let’s drink to that!” She signaled the bartender for another round of tequila shots.

“He’s so big. Like huge. I never imagined I could enjoy a man with a c**k that big. It was…intimidating at first. I mean, I’m small, how could he fit?”