Deep in the Woods Read Free Page B

long, strong legs that he’d bumped her with twice. Probably not intentionally. Well, perhaps she’d intentionally bumped him the second time. And his hands…he was a nail biter. His nails had been bitten practically to the quick. She’d looked at his hands because she couldn’t look at his face. His face, his easy smile, his kind laugh had made her start to think…start to think that maybe she might…
    No. Not anytime soon. She was lonely, but she wasn’t that lonely yet. For all she knew, he was a sub himself. You could never really tell, not really. He certainly hadn’t been pulling any domly crap with her. But then neither had Barry the first time they met. He had been very quiet and circumspect, all the harsh reality hidden underneath a handsome exterior. What was hidden underneath Dave’s polite, humorous veneer?
    There was no way to tell. That was the really scary thing. Sophie looked at herself in the mirror, started to brush out her hair, thinking how strange it was that you could look right in someone’s eyes and still not be certain what was going on in there. You never really knew. And when you did finally know, sometimes you found yourself in a position you might not have chosen if you had known how things would really be. But then of course, sometimes it was too late. Sometimes you realized it was just too, too late and you were truly fucked.
    She put the brush down with a clatter on the countertop and gripped the edge of it. Past. Past. Let bygones be bygones. She took a deep breath and willed the heavy pounding in her chest to subside. She swallowed down the hot panic, the tight ball of emotion in her throat. There was nothing to be done about it now, except to go on living. She should pull herself together and show up for the play party. She should ease back into the community. It would be a good thing.
    She pulled out a black dress and black tights. Low-heeled Mary Jane shoes. She wanted to blend in. She wanted to go, watch, soak in the scene, but not play. She didn’t really want to be approached, although she figured no one would approach her judging from the way they’d acted at the munch. Jerry had been nice to her, but then he had always been protective of her. It was sweet, but she knew it was only because he wanted her. She wasn’t looking for a daddy-type thing, though. She wasn’t looking for nice .
    But she wasn’t looking for psycho either. There had to be some middle ground there.
    She applied makeup, dark eyeliner and crimson lipstick. She even painted her nails. It was nice to feel human again, to feel alive and pretty. If she wanted to dress up, she could. She could smile at whomever she wanted to smile at, and chat with whomever she chose. No one could make her do anything, at least for now. At least until she chose to give someone that power again. And she knew she eventually would, because that was just the way she was.
    * * * * *
     
    It was ladies’ night at Studio Erotica so they let Sophie in without a cover charge. The play party was already rollicking along. Studio Erotica was a full-service dungeon, one that Sophie and Barry had played at often before they were driven away. She had always loved the decor—dark plum and crimson velvet drapes, goth art and iron candlesticks on the wall. Tapestries and velvet-upholstered sofas and divans. Campy? Sure. But effective. The low trance music was the perfect background to the moans and squeals of Studio’s patrons, already entrenched in erotic scenes.
    So much skin. Sophie wanted to look but she wasn’t quite ready yet. She made a detour into the lounge area, but there was nowhere to sit. She scooted into a corner and looked around at everyone enjoying themselves. The chatter and laughter was kept respectfully low, but all the faces were smiling. Sophie had always loved it here. People came to Studio Erotica for one reason and one reason only—to have fun and feel good. From the lounge, Sophie could barely see a male sub