Chapter 200 Chapter 200

Chapter 200 Chapter 200
The setting, the gentle breeze, bright sunshine, and him… Lucas was the picture of understated elegance and power in a blazer and khakis, the top button of his polo shirt unfastened.

In order to save herself, she had to stay far, far away from him.

Hurriedly she finished packing her overnight bag and headed for the valet stand, checking out of her room on the app after she had left the hotel.

“So…?”

Anna Bella plopped her hat back into place.

“Help me out here. A billionaire treated you to champagne, ravaged you with his kiss, and then asked you to go out on a date. Yeah. Sounds like a sucky evening to me.”

In frustration, Wynter looked skyward.

“Oh shit. You’re attracted to him, aren’t you? And you want to call him?”

“No.”

Her reply was too quick.

“Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”

Maybe.

“Now I need all the details. You have to fill in the blanks.”

“You’ll have to walk to get them.”

“You are the absolute worst. A mean, evil friend.”

“Write me into your next play.”

“Don’t think I won’t. And I’ll have your character glowing all the time.”

At a slower pace than before, they continued down the path.

“So the reason I didn’t want to talk at a restaurant… I’m curious how you figured out you were into BDSM.”

“What? His Highness is a Dominant?”

“I’m not talking about him.”

Because she’d learned that information through work, she couldn’t share it with anyone.

“Oh. Sure. It’s a coincidence that a man asked you out last night and you have a sudden interest in my personal life.”

“Trying to expand my horizons.”

“Mmm-hmm. Okay. Fine. I’ll play along.”

A little more spring in her step, Anna Bella grinned.

“A guy I went to school with belonged to a club. One evening a bunch of us tagged along with him. I felt as if I belonged. Everything I saw, from the St. Andrew’s crosses to the cupping table, was a visual feast. And then the sounds… People interacting, but interlaced with the snap of leather and the whimpers and cries of pleasure. The first couple of times I went, I walked around in a little bit of a daze. Sensory overload is the best way to describe it. What really excited me was the fact it’s a place with no judgment. We have rules and safe words. But within those confines, everyone gets to express their true nature.”

Not sure she understood, Wynter remained silent.

“What?”

From beneath the brim of her ridiculous hat, Anna Bella peeked at Wynter.

“You have a question; I know you do.”

“I guess… I’m confused about what submission is.”

“In what way?”

“You kick ass in the real world.”

Running a theater, writing plays, raising funds, directing stagehands. She was a formidable force in the Houston arts community.

“Thank you.”

Anna Bella wrinkled her nose.

“At least I think that was a compliment.”

Wynter sighed.

“I’m trying to be tactful.”

“You’re crashing and burning.”

Her smile was quick and wide and teasing.

“But, here, let me get you a shovel so you can dig yourself in even deeper.”

“I don’t picture you as someone who is submissive.”

“There are as many ways to have a BDSM relationship as there are people on the planet. I have no interest in being subservient to anyone outside of a club. And a lot of other people share my point of view. Sure there are people who are really into it, like slaves, but that’s not the majority of us.”

She didn’t have to wait long for Anna Bella to go on.

“Submissive has nothing to do with your professional life. We have CEOs, a county sheriff, a CIA agent, and a few judges who bottom at the club.”

“Are you serious?”

Anna Bella gave a sassy grin.

“I’m sure you’ve argued in front of some of them.”

Oh God, no.

“I can’t deal with the images that are flashing in my mind.”

“There’s a few I would like to forget myself.”

“That’s just… Please tell me one of them isn’t Judge Hancock.”

Wynter never wanted to see what was beneath his black robe.

“My lips are sealed. And so would yours be if you attended the club. Privacy is absolutely guaranteed. And some people opt to use a scene name—meaning just when they’re at the club or attending a play party, that sort of thing. In fact, unless we’re sure it’s okay, we aren’t allowed to mention that we know people in real life.”

“I had no idea.”

“Bottoming—or topping—can be a great stress release. And it wouldn’t be if you had to worry about having your kinks broadcast to the world.”

“Makes sense.”

“So back to your question. I’m not submissive, but at the club…? Oh la la.”

She raised her shoulders and affected a shiver.

“I get to unleash my wildest imaginations and let my freak flag fly.”

“So it’s all acting?”

After all, Anna Bella was accomplished on the stage.

“Not at all. That’s not what I’m trying to say.”

Anna Bella shook her head.

“I love roleplay, but I feel as if I’m putting on a show if I’m having vanilla sex. Does that make sense? I want something more, and with most guys, I don’t get what I’m craving.”

After learning Lucas wanted a relationship with BDSM elements—or a wife who didn’t care that he would pursue it outside their marriage—Wynter hadn’t been able to sleep.

Watching the movies with Anna Bella had been Wynter’s first-ever exposure to BDSM, and they’d baked a couple of frozen pizzas so they could binge the entire trilogy. So obviously she was interested enough to invest over six hours of her time.

Until now, the films and her discussions with Anna Bella had been interesting, but nothing more.

But last night and for most of the day, she hadn’t been able to stop picturing Lucas picking up a flogger as he looked at her with his steely eyes.

The images shocked her. Worse—terrifyingly—they aroused her.

“Not everyone finds it the way I do. Some of my friends say they always knew they were a Dominant or a submissive. Or a Top or bottom. And they sought out others like themselves as soon as they could.”

Wynter had a vague recollection of discussing this before.

“Now I’m confused.”

Again.

“Is a Top a Dominant?”

Anna Bella laughed.