Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(167)

comfortable with a flogger and a cane, but shied away from the single tail whip. So Ben

helped them out, using the whip on Mary Jane while Cliff watched. When Mary Jane

reached her happy place, Ben left the scene. No hard-on, no hard feelings.


“Bennett. Haven’t seen you in a while.”


“It’s been a few. How are things with you?” He addressed his comments to Cliff,

since they followed traditional protocol in the club and Mary Jane kept her eyes

averted.


“Good. Is everything all right?” Cliff asked.


He sighed. “I’ve got a few things on my mind.”


“Anything we can help with?”


Ben looked from Cliff to Mary Jane. Maybe it was fated they ended up at his table

tonight, given the last couple days. He knew Mary Jane had a high-powered job as an oil

company executive, so maybe she could shed light on what’d happened with Ainsley.

“Would you allow me to speak freely to your sub, Cliff?”


“Mary Jane? You have permission to speak to Bennett.”


“Thank you, Sir.” Mary Jane raised her eyes to Ben’s. “What may I help you with?”


“This might sound like a strange question, but would your job be affected if anyone

you worked with discovered you were a sexual submissive?”


“In my job right now? Probably not.”


See? Ainsley was just making up excuses not to be with you.


“But bear in mind I’m five years from retirement. If I was a young woman just

starting out? Especially in a male-dominated industry? That would be the kiss of death

for my career.”


Ben froze.


“Also remember I’m a sexual submissive to my husband of three decades. I’m not a

single woman being passed from Dom to Dom in this sex club. That’s also an entirely

different situation.”


Ben’s hopes that the obstacles he and Ainsley faced would somehow magically work out,

given time and distance, began to fade.


Mary Jane tapped her fingernails on the table. “The reason Cliff and I insist on

almost total privacy here is because of my professional position. I wouldn’t be keen

on anyone finding out I liked to be whipped by a stranger. And I’m sure your outside

friends don’t know that you get…something from whipping the crap out of women you

have no sexual interest in.”


Ben frowned.


“No offense, Bennett, but I don’t want to get to know you. Emotional ties change

things. I’m fine with Cliff spanking or flogging me. But there’s something sadistic

about telling the man I love to whip me until I almost pass out.”


“But it’s different when I wield the whip?”


“Yes. Because when you’re landing strikes on my body I bear them for him. To show him

I can take it. I share the joy and pain with Cliff, not with you. To put it in the

simplest terms, you’re the bad guy beating me and Cliff is the good guy who will take

care of me when it’s all done.”


Holy shit. Was that really how she saw him? As the bad guy?


“Mary Jane. Apologize to Bennett for insulting him,” Cliff demanded.


He said, “It’s all right, Cliff,” even when it wasn’t. Fuck. He felt he’d just