Maya Banks - Sweet Surrender

A giggle escaped her at that thought.

Damon looked at her in amusement. “You truly are as delightful in person as you came across on the phone and in your e-mails. I was prepared to be disappointed. I’m glad I wasn’t.”

Faith blushed, her cheeks warming under his scrutiny.

He leaned forward and set his glass on the mahogany coffee table. “The House is divided into two levels. The lower level is where all the socializing occurs. We invite a very relaxed, laidback atmosphere. Rooms are set up for patrons to mingle, talk, get to know each other. We have strict guidelines for what occurs on the main level.”

She pressed the rim of the glass to her lips and took a long swallow of the wine. Flutters abounded in her stomach as she listened. It was real. She was really here about to dive headfirst into…what? She wasn’t even sure.

“The second level is where the action is, so to speak. There are a variety of rooms. Some private. Some open to the public. There is a main room, quite large, where the space is divided into different sections. This is the common area, where you’ll find a variety of activities concentrated in one place. Some of our patrons enjoy the public aspect of it while others prefer and demand strict privacy. We accommodate both.”

She leaned forward, her interest alive, her curiosity insatiable. “And what happens in these public areas?”

Damon smiled. “Anything and everything. You must prepare yourself for any possibility. The House is a place to let your inhibitions fly away. When you step through our doors, you are free to become someone else entirely, or, as I suspect in your case, embrace who you really are. No one is judged here. We are very open and accepting of all lifestyles.”

“And the membership qualifications,” Faith began. “You said they were stringent. I assume this means that members are screened and that the ‘activities’ here are monitored for safety?”

“Excellent question,” Damon said, his eyes flaring with approval. “Our members do go through a strenuous screening process. We require extensive background checks. No one with any criminal record, regardless of charge, is allowed membership.

“All rooms are monitored by our staff. For those congregating in the public areas, staff members maintain a presence at all times. For the members who prefer private accommodations, well, even then they aren’t afforded complete privacy because we have surveillance cameras installed in each room, and a staff member closely monitors them at all times.

“Not only are we dedicated to providing an environment where members may play out their fantasies and lifestyle choices, but we absolutely guarantee the safety of each and every participant.”

Her eyes widened. “That seems a lot to guarantee.”

Damon nodded. “Yes, but we are one hundred percent committed to keeping that promise. We do not hesitate to step in if we feel the situation is unsafe for one or more members.”

Faith was impressed by his confidence and his air of authority. In fact, he managed to make her feel not so much like a weird freak sneaking around some seedy sex club looking for cheap thrills.

“Are you ready for your tour?” he asked.

She swallowed and set her glass down on the coffee table. “Yes. Yes, I think I am.”

He stood and offered his hand to her. She took his hand and let him help her rise. Her legs trembled, and she hoped she could keep her knees from knocking together. She found she wasn’t so much nervous as she was excited. Intrigued. And more than a little turned on.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way. If you have any questions, any concerns, I’ll be happy to address them.”

Faith smiled. “Okay then. I’m ready.”

He tucked her hand under his arm and escorted her out the door of the sitting room. “We’ll tour the social rooms on the lower level first. It will give you an idea of how relaxed things are here. No one will expect you to interact or to greet them unless that is your wish. Everyone here is well used to circumspection.”

She squeezed his arm with her fingers. He turned and looked questioningly at her.

“I really appreciate all you’ve done to make me feel at ease. If you do this with all your members, I can understand why your establishment is so successful.”

He smiled and laid his hand over hers. “I just hope you find what it is you’re looking for.”

So do I.

They entered a larger room where several people stood and sat around talking. It was a party environment, but not the loud, raucous variety. This was more like an upscale gathering where the talk was hushed. Soothing piano music played in the background, and a waiter walked among those gathered, distributing glasses of wine and hors d’oeuvres.

A few turned and smiled at Damon, but none approached him.

“This is the main meeting room. Usually the first stop for anyone coming into The House. From here, people split off or go on upstairs to other pursuits. It’s not always about sex or wanting to play. Many of our members just come here to meet with like-minded people and spend the evening talking and visiting.”

They spent a few moments circling the room, and Faith tried hard not to study the other members. They’d certainly afforded her the courtesy of not staring. But still, she couldn’t resist quick glances from the corners of her eyes.

There was an interesting mix of people. Some were dressed to the nines while others had adopted a much more casual look. Jeans, T-shirts, tennis shoes. She was glad she’d opted for a compromise between übercasual and very dressy.

Absent, much to her relief, were the leather Klingon costumes she was embarrassed to admit she’d thought she’d see. To her further surprise, the people gathered all looked like normal, average, everyday people.

Maybe she’d expected replicas of the oddities she’d found while scouring the internet, but clearly, those weren’t to be found here.

Damon touched her arm, and she looked up at him.

“Are you ready to move on?” he asked.

She nodded, and he led her out of the room and down the hall to a smaller, more intimate gathering. Here, most people were seated in tight-knit groups. Two men sat on a love seat, and a woman perched on one of their laps conversing with both guys. The second man smoothed his hand up and down her leg while the other man’s hands clasped loosely around her hips.

Faith’s cheeks grew warm again. It was obvious the woman held the attention of both males. A satisfied smile curved the beautiful woman’s lips.

Faith’s gaze was riveted to the scene before her so intently that she had to force herself to drag her stare away to take in the other occupants of the room.

Several feet away, a large man turned around, and when he saw Damon, a wide smile split his face. He waved and motioned them over. Faith panicked a moment as Damon started forward.

Damon looked down at her and smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay,” he murmured.

They walked up to the man, who studied Faith with undisguised interest. He was older. Not old but older than Faith. She put him in his upper thirties.

“Damon, it’s good to see you,” the man said, extending his hand.

Damon smiled broadly and shook his hand. “Tony, good to see you.” He looked back at Faith. “Faith, I want you to meet Tony. Tony, this is Faith. She’s my special guest tonight.”

Faith shivered as Tony’s intent gaze flickered over her. He slowly held his hand out to her. “Very glad to meet you, Faith.”

When she slid her hand into his, instead of shaking it, he pulled it upward to kiss the back of her hand. She blushed madly.

Tony gave a delighted chuckle as he released her hand. “I love a woman who blushes.”

“We won’t keep you,” Damon said to Tony. “I have a tour to give.”

“It was very nice to meet you, Faith. I do hope to see you again,” Tony said in a low voice.

The blatant invitation sent goose bumps over her skin. Her stomach churned with nervous anxiety, and she was grateful that Damon was even now pulling her away.

Her fingers curled just a little tighter around Damon’s arm as he led her toward the stairs. On the way, they passed two other side rooms where people had broken off into smaller groups to talk and socialize.

“Ready?” he asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

She took a deep breath and tried to settle all the butterflies doing somersaults in her stomach. “Ready.”

He smiled and started up the stairs. When they reached the top, she was surprised by the closed door. Damon reached for the knob. “The walls up here are soundproof. It’s to keep distractions to a minimum.”

When he opened the door, the murmur of voices reached her ears. She strained to hear more as they eased down the hallway. They passed several closed doors, and Damon made no move to open those. They must be the private accommodations he’d mentioned. What she wouldn’t give to know what was going on behind those doors.

As they ventured farther down the long hallway, other sounds tickled her ears. Curious sounds. Moans, a few gasps, a slapping sound, like the smack of skin on skin. They grew louder until she and Damon paused inside the doorway to a large common room.

Though there was no actual divider, the room was arranged into several sections merely by the arrangement of various furniture. The decor was also different for the segments.

Women, men, some nude, some not, some indulging in passionate embraces, some in positions she couldn’t quite discern the purpose for, dotted the room.