Inside the Lines: Without a Trace series, a contemporary erotic romance novel Read Free

I appreciate it. I just gotta wrap my head around it, you know? I’m not the entrepreneur that you two are. The idea of interacting with people as a business entity and having employees...” I mock-shiver.
    Noah chuckles, his dark eyes teasing. “Oh, please. It will be just like having a whole team of slaves to do your bidding. What Dominatrix wouldn’t love that?”
    I smile. “You make a very good point, my minion. A very good point.”

    Later, as I pack my work bag, worries about Kinked return. While Ella and Noah’s response to my idea is reassuring, it digs up a whole other set of concerns. What the hell am I thinking? I’ve been a professional Dominatrix for...five years? Six? I’ve worked in corporate America, and I didn’t belong there. This was the first thing I found that resonated with my soul. While starting Kinked doesn’t mean I have to give everything up, I’ve watched Noah and Ella build Elementary, and they worked on it day and night. Ella wasn’t even sure she could have a relationship and a family while still being an active CEO in her own company. She’s made it work...but she has Noah and Ian to pick up the slack. I’ve got me. And if the ball drops, there’s no one else to catch it.
    Not to mention, with my latest faux pas concerning my work rules, I’m not bringing my A-game to the table. I would never admit this to anyone, but I’m a little worried about me. I’ve never played this far outside the lines before—and that’s saying something for someone who lives outside them—and I’m not sure that I can tread water much longer.
    This mindset does nothing for the scene I’m setting tonight. As I walk towards the subway, I dig out my earbuds and listen to some haunting, wordless music. Deep, slow breaths help center me and focus my thoughts on the powerful night ahead. The rest of it—Kinked, my relationship worries, my doubts about my own abilities—doesn’t matter. What I am and have always been good at is controlling a situation and giving people their fantasies. I embrace that as I head off into the night.

Chapter 3
    Substitutions
    You are never going to believe me when I say that I work out of a dungeon space I keep on reserve, but I swear that’s usually the case. But in this specific situation, I am, once again, going to the client. Tonight is a very special evening.
    I arrive at the Parisienne Hotel, one of the newest hotels in Soho. This evening’s client wanted something romantic and chic, and the Parisienne Hotel fits the bill, while not breaking the bank.
    Everything about the hotel is European, from the creamy decor to the extravagant chandeliers that line the ceiling. I’m early, as intended, so I check-in and head for the far alcove. My stomach drops in time to the quick lift of the elevator, and I swallow hard. While I usually have a bit of nerves before a scene, this one comes with complications.
    I wasn’t kidding about my three rules. They’ve served me well. Somewhere along the way, though, I started breaking the last one. Fuck it; I’ll be honest. It happened after my relationship with Evan ended. He was—and is—a sweetheart. Good looking, submissive, kind, loving, talented...the list goes on. He’s what every healthy, normal woman wants in a really nice guy. It wasn’t enough for me. I wanted it to be—so badly, I wanted it to be enough. But I couldn’t do it. He deserved someone who loved all of him, completely. And I couldn’t do that. So I let go of him. Pushed him away, really, because he’d wanted to continue dating.
    Something about that experience angered me. It created a resentment that’s hard to describe. So when a long-time client of mine booked me to join him in a scene with another couple, I did something I never do: I got involved sexually. It was delicious, and I had an amazing time. Limiting your sex life to only what you can create with one lover when you consistently create sexual energy for others is draining. And that