“Yes it’s Logan’s.It was the first thing he had installed when he moved in.”
The white couches and chairs, though elegant, made the place look very austere.Though there were colourful cushions on the chairs.
“What kind of place would you choose?”
“Something smaller, with clean lines and nothing white.Wood with lots of colour to the place.These stairs lead to my part of the house.”
Josie stared at the wide staircase, and above it to what looked like an open hallway.“This is colossal.I’ve been in museums that are smaller than this place.”
“I know.I would love to show you upstairs after I show you downstairs?”
Josie hesitated.The stairs were hardwood, and there were more of them than there were outside.
“Let me show you the dungeon, then you can decide.”
“Sounds perfect.”Josie’s heart skipped a beat as Ares took her hand and lead her past the kitchen and turned so they were walking down the hallway to a small staircase.To the left was a closed door, a sign on it said, “Logan’s Laundry Room.Not Logan?Keep Out.”
“What’s that about?”Josie couldn’t help giggling.
Ares flashed her a glimmering smile.“Never a dull moment around here.Logan is a bit of a control freak when it comes to laundry.”
Past another closed door, down a smaller hallway to a wooden panel door.
“Ready?”
“Yes,” though the swarm of butterflies in her belly didn’t agree.
Ares tapped in a code in a lockbox beside the door.It flashed green, then he opened it to reveal a long room, with a set of doors leading to the outside at the back.He flicked on the lights.
“This is…wow,” Josie took two steps in, trying to get her head around what she was seeing.She thought of how thrilled Cecilia would be that she was standing here and grinned.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s not scary.The floor is gorgeous.”
The floor was hardwood inlaid with two tones of wood.She stared at the floor, mentally tracing the pattern.
“Josie?”Ares grabbed her hand, holding it to his lips.“Look at what’s in the room.”
“Okay,” she lifted her eyes from the floor and yep, she was standing in a beautiful room with a leather table in front of her and a cross in the shape of an X on the far wall.
A hook suspended from the ceiling to the left and she couldn’t stop her thoughts from churning up ideas of what that was for.
“Want to hop up here and see how it feels?”
Ares pressed his palm to the small of her back and she nodded, awkwardly getting herself up on the table.Above her there was a bar, and she noticed there were restraints attached to the table.
“A bondage table with many uses.You said you didn’t think you liked pain, but what about rope?”He stood next to her, his gaze roaming over her body.
“I’ve always wanted to, but I don’t think that’s for me.”
“Why?”Ares cupped her chin in his hand and stared at her with those gorgeous green eyes.This moment was so intimate and for the hundredth time, Josie wondered what she was doing here with him.
Josie stared past Ares up to the brushed bronze ceiling.“In all the photos I have ever seen of rope bondage, the women and men are gorgeous.I’m not.”
“You are stunning, Josie.”Ares glided a fingertip along her cheek.
“No,” Josie closed her eyes, wishing the words to express how she felt were coming easier.“I’m not fishing for compliments.Those models I have seen in the ropes…they’re perfect.They don’t have anything wrong with them.”
