Club Shadowlands Read Free Page A

begging to be savored. Her skin was fair, and her eyes the color of spring leaves.
    And right now, those eyes were wide as his grandmother’s favorite supper plates. How she’d read the rules and not understood the nature of the club, he couldn’t comprehend. He really shouldn’t have let her in, signature or not, but her helplessness had brought out all his Dom instincts to protect and nurture.
    “A hot drink would be wonderful,” she told the bartender.
    Zachary’s eyes narrowed; she was still shivering a little but much improved.
    The toweling off had helped, as had her dawning embarrassment when he’d handled her. Although in her mid- to late twenties, she was obviously not accustomed to being touched so intimately. Her blushes had left him with a growing desire to touch her even more thoroughly, to explore her body, and discover her responses.
    But he hadn’t been able to ascertain if she would welcome his attentions or not. As for if she was a sub… The votes weren’t in on that yet either. However, once she moved past the 12
    Cherise Sinclair
    initial shock of seeing the club, he’d be able to look into her mind and see if the sight of domination excited her.
    The night was yet young. If he sensed desire in her thoughts, he would enjoy laying her soft, vanilla-scented body out across his bed, restraining and opening her for his pleasure.
    “Master Z.” One of his newer dungeon monitors stopped beside him, his bony face worried. “Could you arbitrate for a minute?”
    “Certainly.” Zachary glanced at Jessica. “Do you need an escort to the entry or will you be staying?”
    Her mouth -- pretty pink lips that would look quite lovely around his cock -- pursed as she glanced around the room. He sensed her misgivings vying with her intense curiosity. The curiosity won. “I’ll stay.”
    “Brave girl.”
    The creamy Irish coffee burned all the way down, starting a little fire inside her.
    Heavenly. When the bartender came back, Jessica had finished and was gazing sadly into the already empty cup.
    “Ready for more?” he asked.
    Heck, her purse was in the car trunk and would be there until a tow truck pulled her car out. “No, thank you. That’s all right.”
    He leaned an enormous arm on the bar and frowned. “You obviously want another.
    What’s the problem?”
    What was it with these guys? “Are you and your boss mind readers or what?”
    His laugh boomed, drowning out the music. “Master Z’s the mind reader; I’m just observant.”
    His statement was a little too straightforward for comfort. Surely, the manager didn’t read -- nah. “I left my purse in the car, so no money.”

    Club Shadowlands
    13
    “Not to worry. You’re the owner’s guest tonight.” After a minute, the bartender set a steaming mug in front of her. “There’s a two-drink limit, so I made this one plain coffee.”
    “But I’ve only had one drink.”
    He grinned at her. “You haven’t been here before. You may well need more alcohol after a bit.”
    Now why did that sound so ominous? She sipped the drink instead of inhaling it, and this time the warmth filling her was from hot coffee and not potent alcohol. She set an elbow on the bar, sighing as the cold released its last grip. When she saw Sir again, she’d have to thank him for the drinks.
    So, he was the owner of this place, not the manager. No wonder everyone jumped at his requests. Then again, she hadn’t known he was the owner, and she’d let him strip her naked and that wasn’t like her at all. Somehow he’d been in control from the moment he walked into the dressing room. Master Z, the bartender had called him; that fit all too well.
    She stiffened. Bondage club… Did that mean he was into tying people up?
    The thought made her squirm. How could she ever face him again without turning red? She sighed, realizing she probably wouldn’t see him again anyway. After all, he was way out of her class. Too good-looking. Too self-assured. With that touch