“Training?”
“Yes, but that’s a conversation for… never. I didn’t bring you here to corrupt you.”
“Is that what you think this place is? Corruption?”
“For someone who has no interest in the lifestyle… yes. You’re a nice girl.”
“Wow. Dismissive much? For a start, I’m a woman. And ‘nice’ is as insulting as if you called me fat.” I’m not the harmless woman he believes me to be.
“What?” His eyebrows shoot up, his eyes wide. “I was not trying to insult you. I just mean…”
“What? That I’m boring. Too vanilla for somewhere like this. For all you know, I’m a Domme. Maybe I attend a different club. Maybe I have a harem of male and female submissives.”
His demeanor softens, a smile creeping across his chiseled features.
“And do you do any of those things?”
“Well, no, but I could. I guess regular sex isn’t your thing, but I happen to enjoy it. A lot.” I realize, regardless of where we are, I’m being so unprofessional right now it’s embarrassing. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about this. It’s inappropriate.”
“Then, if you want the job, it’s yours, and we leave the talk of you, me, and the club behind.” Him. Me. And the club. That’s a fantasy I’ll be using in the future.
He holds his hand out to me. “Deal?”
I shake on it. “Deal.” A jolt of electricity courses through me where our skin meets, and it’s all I can do not to gasp.
“Welcome to Venom, Aspen. I look forward to working with you.”
“Thank you. I’m excited to show you your faith in me isn’t misplaced, sir.”
“There’s one other stipulation if we’re going to work together.”
“Anything.”
“Call me Ryder. Enough with the ‘sir.’ It means something very different within the walls of this club.”
“Oh.” My heart is hammering in my chest so hard I fear it’s going to burst through my ribcage.
Flex meanders over to us, his hands tucked in his pockets, looking mouthwateringly handsome. “Yeah, when a woman calls him ‘Sir,’ she’s getting lucky. He goes feral for that shit.”
Ryder gives him a death stare, so I attempt to steer the conversation away from anything I call Chef—Ryder.
“And what do women call you?”
“Master. Not women. I’m a one-woman man these days. I’m sure you’ll meet my wife sometime soon. She’s a sucker for Ry’s cooking.”
“So, people who want to be Doms and subs still get married?” I have a million questions, and I just agreed not to ask Ryder any of them.
“Some do, some don’t. Just like any other relationship. I didn’t think I was the marrying kind until I fell for Helena.”
“I guess it just sort of finds you out of the blue.”
“You sound like you have experience.” I feel Ryder’s eyes on me at his friend’s words.
“Nope. I’m one of the last singles in my friend group. I’ve listened to so many love-at-first-sight moments it’s sickening.”
“So, you’re single.” Flex looks to his friend with a sly grin.
“Don’t start, Flex. We don’t all fuck every single woman we meet,” Ryder bites out.
