“A drink?”
James shook his head. Noon was a bit too early.
Mikael poured himself something. Together they selected armchairs near the empty fireplace and sat.
“Here.” Mikael handed James the envelope.
Setting it on his knee, James didn’t open it, sensing that it would be better to listen to the overseer than to do what he wanted, which was to rip open the flap.
“The game is an opportunity.” Mikael relaxed back in his chair.
“For us, or for you?” James had no doubt that the overseers had ulterior motives embedded in the way they’d set up the game.
Mikael hid his smile behind his glass. “An opportunity for us to do what?”
“To experiment. To see what happens when you put people together who normally wouldn’t play with each other.”
Mikael dropped his hand, the smile now fully evident. “And what would you do, if you were us?”
“Maybe the same thing,” James admitted.
“When we realized we needed to do something to break the club out of the rut we’d fallen into, we realized that whatever we did would involve assigning partners.”
“Because you think we aren’t capable of picking our own?” James was trying not to be offended. He and the other members of Las Palmas were all powerful and in control of their lives. The overseer’s insinuation—that they were incapable of making decisions for themselves—rankled.
Mikael shrugged slightly, his body language conveying a sense of “you said it, not me, but yes, that’s what I think.”
James was tempted to protest, tempted to say that they didn’t need to be pushed. If members chose to come here and simply observe, or play with the same people over and over, repeating scenes that all parties enjoyed, then why should they step outside their comfort zone. But he couldn’t say that. Las Palmas had many of the trappings of an expensive country club, from the elegant interior design to the five-star catered food and top shelf alcohol, but it wasn’t a place to relax. It was a place to explore the darkness inside.
The ice in Mikael’s glass clicked as he raised it and took a sip, the sound drawing James’s attention back to the other man. “We know you’re wary of the more serious play.”
James stiffened. He didn’t like being reminded that they knew what he’d done, and what he’d been through. And that without them he might not have survived.
Mikael waited for a comment that never came. After a moment of silence he continued. “Your checklist game partner is someone who knows nothing but serious play.”
“Partner, not partners?”
“There’s a third name in there, but that individual is not really participating.”
“How is that?”
“You’ll see. It’s her information to tell. The reason that we held back your packet was so one of us could talk to you.”
“You’re talking, but I’m not sure I understand what you’re trying to tell me.”
“Have you ever been with subs who top from the bottom? And I don’t mean purposefully manipulative.” The overseer stressed that point.
James was slightly surprised by the question, but nodded. “I have. Though I don’t let them do it for long.”
“Why do they do it? Why do they try to control the play even as they give up control of their body?”
“They’re not ready. They don’t trust the Dom. They don’t know how to let someone else be in command.”
“Possibly, but it’s also a way to make sure their needs are met. It’s human instinct—they’re making sure they get what they desire.”
“That’s fair, though a well negotiated scene should guarantee that everyone’s needs are met.”
“And what if the sub doesn’t negotiate?”
“You mean what if they rely on their checklist alone?”
“No, I mean what if the submissive won’t, or doesn’t, tell the Master what they want?”
James sat back and considered. “Then it is up to the Dom to discover what they really desire and need.”
“Exactly.”
James shifted. “That kind of emotional interrogation is not what I come here to do.”
“I know that. But you’re good at it. I heard about what happened with Xavier and Mae. If you hadn’t talked to Mae, helped her figure out her feelings, would she and Xavier have made it through their checklist last weekend?”
“They barely made it through as it was.”
“But you could read Mae.”
James took a breath and looked at the sideboard. Maybe it wasn’t too early for a drink. “True.”
“All I ask is that you do the same with this sub. Don’t take her at face value. She’s incredibly obedient, and completely closed.”
James frowned. Who was Mikael talking about? He thought he knew most of the members of Las Palmas, if not by name then by sight.
“Open it.”
James carefully peeled back the flap of the envelope.
Chapter Two