Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 93751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Her face now warm with both embarrassment and pleasure, Hannah replied, “Thank you. That means a lot to me.” Had everyone at The Enclave read her books? The thought was both thrilling and unnerving. She had always just assumed her primary fanbase consisted of people like her—intrigued by BDSM, but with limited or no actual personal experience.
She remembered Marjorie’s remark about the slave girl, Lia, chained to her bed. While she was burning with curiosity, she couldn’t quite find the nerve to ask Lawrence what the girl’s transgression had been.
As they continued to make the rounds, Hannah had to make a conscious effort to keep from gawking, open-mouthed, at everything and everyone she saw. The scent of lust and power permeated the air. So much smooth, bare flesh, some of it freshly marked from recent whippings, accentuated by collars, cuffs and chains. Dominants in repose, a casual hand on the back of a kneeling slave’s neck or loosely holding the leash attached to the kneeling sub’s collar, was a constant reminder that she wasn’t in Kansas anymore.
Unfortunately, Hannah was so visually distracted and just plain thrilled to be there that most of the rest of the names went in one ear and right out the other.
Once they’d completed the circuit of the room, Marjorie brought Hannah to the sofa nearest the large fireplace, where she saw Anthony. As they approached, he rose to his feet, his face warm with welcome.
“I’ll leave you here,” Marjorie said, giving Hannah’s hand a friendly squeeze. “The ceremony is about to start.”
Anthony looked dashing as ever, dressed that evening in a charcoal-gray cashmere sweater over black leather pants. In his sixties, he was still quite handsome, with a full head of silver hair, dark eyes and an athletic build. He exuded a natural dominance that was extremely sexy.
“Hannah,” he said, taking both her hands in his. “It’s a pleasure to see you again after so long.” Still holding her hands, he examined her face as if he could see past it into her soul. “I know it’s been tough this past year,” he said gently. “I’m glad you came out tonight.”
“Thank you,” Hannah said, blinking back sudden, unwelcome tears. “I’m very honored to be here. Truly.”
Letting her go, Anthony turned to a woman beside him. “This is Lucia, my slave girl and my true love.”
Lucia was a petite woman with an olive complexion, dark eyes and thick, straight black hair. With the grace of a ballet dancer, she rose from her cushion. She was naked and shaved smooth, as all the female submissives at The Enclave seemed to be. Around her neck was a beautiful slave collar made from strips of artfully woven burgundy leather, a gold O-ring at its center.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hannah,” the woman said with the hint of a Spanish accent that was pleasing to the ear. “I’m sorry for your loss.” She glanced at Anthony and back to Hannah. “As two people who were also widowed, please know it is possible to find love again, even if you don’t think so now.” She slipped her small hand into Anthony’s much larger one.
Hannah was at first taken aback. So self-absorbed in her own grief this past year, she had almost forgotten others had experienced the same loss, or worse. “Thank you,” she said sincerely, both humbled and encouraged by Lucia’s kind words.
“My slave has been looking forward to meeting you,” Anthony said, smiling. “She’s a big fan.”
Hannah smiled warmly at Lucia. “I’m so glad you enjoy my stories. It means a lot to me.”
To her surprise, Lucia placed her hands on her hips and fixed Hannah with a surprisingly stern gaze. The effect was mildly comical, given her nudity. “You left us with a cliffhanger last year, Ms. Rose. Tell me you’re almost done with the next installment.”
Hannah shook her head ruefully. “I wish I could say yes. I’ve been suffering from writer’s block. Too stuck in my own head, I guess.”
“No worries,” Anthony interjected. “We know just the thing to remove writer’s block, or any kind of block, don’t we, Lucia?”
“Yes, Master Anthony,” she replied with an angelic smile. Anthony’s smile, on the other hand, looked decidedly devilish.
“All joking aside,” he said. “I hope you will join Lucia and me for a scene in the dungeon after the ceremony.”
“Oh, I, um…” Hannah sputtered stupidly, dumbfounded and thrilled in equal measure. While she’d hoped someone would toss her a bone, she hadn’t dreamed it would be Anthony Gerace himself.
“Please,” Lucia added earnestly. “We would be honored.”
“I’d love to,” she blurted, trying to ignore the panicky feeling rising in her gut. No way was she going to throw away the most amazing opportunity of her life. But in the interest of full disclosure, she felt compelled to add, “I should tell you, I’ve never actually participated in a scene before. I mean, I’ve observed plenty, and my late husband and I dabbled a bit. But I have no real experience to speak of.”