I took one slow breath, then another. My fingers flexed at my sides. Time to meet Master Loki.
Stepping into the public dungeon space, I moved toward him, every inch of me aware of the eyes I might be drawing, every nerve ending alight with something between nerves and thrill.
And then I was at his side.
“Master Loki?”
The name came out quieter than I intended, edged with nerves.
He turned, eyes dark and thoughtful, surprise flickering for a fraction of a second before discipline reclaimed the space. His gaze was slow, careful, thorough as it traveled the length of me.Not the look of a man admiring what he saw. The look of a man making certain I was exactly where I belonged.
“And you are?” His voice was smooth, low, and cultured. The kind of voice you obeyed before you realized you were doing it.
“Hecate,” I said, steadying my voice. “Your partner for the evening.”
Something unreadable flashed in his eyes, a quicksilver emotion there and gone before a practiced mask slid into place.
“Hecate,” he repeated, my name rolling off his tongue like something tasted and savored. An excited shiver rippled through my core.
“This way, please.”
He guided me toward a quieter corner near the bar, away from the hum of conversation and the rhythmic pulse of the dance floor. Even in the simple act of his hand hovering just close enough to steer but not touch, there was command. The air between us thickened with something I couldn’t quite name.
“You’re allowed one drink while we go over your list and discuss your limits,” he said, gesturing to the bar. “What can I order for you?”
“A Moscow Mule, please.”
I perched on the edge of the seat, my foot tapping an erratic rhythm as he ordered. The bartender, a woman with a too-stiff smile and sharp eyes, cast a brief glance at me, then back to him. There was history there, an ease in the way she moved, quick and efficient, but with just enough edge to make me wonder.
This world was so different from my father’s, yet… not. In his empire, calm, polished, dangerous men like this existed everywhere. The difference was here Ichoseto be near one. And that terrified and thrilled me in equal measure.
What if he recognized me? Would he tell my father? My stomach twisted at the thought, but I forced it down.Too late now. Make it worth it.
“Cold?” His voice cut into my thoughts as he set the sweating copper mug in front of me. His fingers brushed across my shoulders with just the lightest contact, and yet it sent goosebumps skating down my arms. There was no force behind the touch, but something in the way he did it held me utterly still.
He sat opposite me, unfolding a sheet of paper with precise movements, the gold-embossed pen catching the low light as he set it down between us. The black of his suit was severe, almost stark, yet somehow it fit him perfectly with an elegant kind of power that didn’t need to shout to be heard.
“Tell me why you’re here tonight, Hecate.”
I curved my lips into a teasing smile, keeping my tone light even as something knotted deep in my stomach. “I should think that’s obvious.”
His gaze sharpened, a single brow lifting just enough to warn me I hadn’t satisfied him. “That’s not the answer I’m looking for.” He didn’t raise his voice, didn’t lean forward, but the weight in his tone pressed against me all the same. His quiet, commanding authority made evasion feel impossible. “Let’s try again. Why are you here?”
I took a slow sip of my drink, the bite of ginger calming my nerves. “You have my list, Master Loki. I’m here for an escape. To step out of my life for one night and ride the edge between pleasure and pain until nothing else matters.”Until I forget who I am and what awaits when I go home.
What I didn’t say, and what I could never say aloud, was the rest. That the only time I’d ever felt truly free was when I’d chosen to give up control, not have it stolen. That I wanted, no, needed, someone strong enough to strip away the weight I carried, without caging the fire that made meme.
The kind of Dom you read about in stories but almost never meet in real life. One who could take my will in his hands andstill leave my spirit intact. A man who could be my anchor when the world pressed in, but never dull my edges or dim my light.
His eyes held mine, unblinking, probing, as if he could read those unspoken words right off my skin. It wasn’t just interest in his gaze, it was intensity, deliberate and exacting, the kind that could ground you and undo you in the same breath.
How had I been paired with someone like him? This wasn’t a casual player or a weekend hobbyist. This was a man who knew exactly what he was, and precisely what he could do to someone like me. The way he looked at me told me he could already see which parts of me might break… and which ones he wanted to keep.
That thought should’ve scared me. Instead, it thrilled me.Dangerous, whispered a voice inside.Exactly what you came for, it whispered again.
But then doubt crept in. Was this a mistake? He had mefeelingalready, and that wasn’t why I was here. I hadn’t risked sneaking out for emotions. I wanted escape, a release, not connection.
As if he sensed the shift, his hand moved across the table, covering mine. Warmth. Solid, grounding warmth.
