Yes, Masters (Book 2 of Desire's Den)

Chapter 5 - Emma

Desire's Den was an inconspicuous, red-bricked building. If it hadn't been for the sign with its name, no one would think twice about what kinds of things happened inside. As it was, Desire's Den had a certain...indication of what it was all about.

Instead of going in through the main entrance, Mateo led me into the alleyway towards the back door. This way, I wouldn't run into Jennifer—the girl who seemed to have it in for me since my first visit.

Shit. I was nervous. Everything in my body, every cell of my being, objected to this meeting. I wasn't ready for it; I didn't think I ever would be.

Throughout this entire situation we'd found ourselves in, I never once stopped caring about them. If that hadn't been the case, then it would've made all of this a lot easier to deal with. If I didn't care, this wouldn't have been so hard.

My heartbeat rose steadily as I went with Mateo down the hall. My palms were sweaty, and I just barely caught myself before I tripped over nothing but air. Nerves were wreaking havoc inside my body.

The inside of the building held a reddish glow, and along with the sensual music playing from the speakers, it created an erotic ambiance.

This place teased your desires out of you, making them come to the surface. Fitting, considering the name and the purpose of this place. When coming here for the first time, it could be uncomfortable in the beginning. Still, as you relaxed, you'd sense the comfort and safety it provided. I'd been lucky enough to experience such a place where I could let my hidden desires loose and not be ashamed of them, all the while feeling safe enough to do so.

We stopped briefly by the railing, and I looked down at the first floor. Downstairs, I could see couples drinking, dancing...playing. There were six sections designed for public scenes, and five of them were in use. I longed to go down there and join the crowd, but mostly to avoid the conversation with the guys.

This would be the first time since I discovered what they'd hidden from me that I would be in the same room with all of them. Meeting one of them? Still a strong experience, but all of them at the same time? Good God, that was always intense.

As we got to a familiar door leading into the room where we went through the BDSM checklist, Mateo paused and looked at me. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but instead, he turned back around and opened the door for us.

I'd been in this room twice, once for the checklist and once to eat dinner with Callan. There wasn't much furniture aside from the table and chairs. Though, artistically black and white photos of the BDSM lifestyle hung on the walls. I knew they were tastefully done because they were in the same style as the pictures in the downstairs hallway before entering the dungeon.

Not taking the time to appreciate the photos, my eyes zeroed in on Callan and Gideon. Meeting their gaze, having their attention focused on me was like a slap of power. They both sat at the table, clearly having waited for us.

Callan's piercing green eyes took me in as I did him. My heart ached as I took notice of the bags beneath his eyes. I had a feeling these days hadn't been easy for him either. He usually looked so well rested, which was surprising given how late he went to bed and how early he arose.

He had his brown, rugged hair lazily styled, the slightly curled ends of it reaching just below his ears. His sharp jaw held a five o'clock shadow, and I squeezed my thighs together, knowing how the rough stubble felt against my inner thighs. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showcasing his tan and muscular forearms. God, he was devastatingly handsome; it almost hurt looking at him.

Gideon was impossible to ignore with his almost ominous presence. He was a huge man, packed with muscles and dressed in skillful ink. I hadn't gotten a good look at all of them, mostly because I'd never gotten to see him naked, but I knew there were more under his clothes than the ones encircling his neck and decorated his hands. It didn't surprise me to see his square jaw clenched or the frown on his face. And it definitely didn't surprise me that his dark eyes were narrowed and that he didn't show any emotion except anger in his expression. That was the Gideon I knew and lo—liked. The starting of a beard showed on his clenched jaw; it was just enough to notice, and I found that it suited him very much. Almost too much.