spent the last quarter hour explaining. “You’re into the whole BDSM scene?” I ticked off the letters on my fingers. “Bondage, discipline / domination, submission / sadism, masochism?”
Juliette nodded. She still looked a bit buzzed, but there was some concern in her eyes now. She was watching me cautiously, as if she was worried I’d run out screaming at some point.
I was sure that wasn’t going to happen.
Pretty sure anyway.
“And you’re a Dominant, which basically means you like bossing people around?” She glared at me. “So when Cross Phillips asked if I’d consider subbing for him, he meant...sexually?”
“More or less.” Her voice was dry.
My stomach clenched and a shiver of something that wasn’t exactly unpleasant went through me. Then I reminded myself that Cross hadn’t wanted me. He’d wanted Juliette.
I frowned, confused as a thought occurred to me. “If you’re a Dominant, why did Cross ask you to be a Sub? I didn’t think it worked that way.”
“For some people it does,” she said, putting her empty bottle on the table in front of her. “But I’m not one of them. And from what I’ve heard, neither is Cross. I think he just wanted a challenge.”
“Mm-hm.” My head felt like it was about to explode with images and thoughts and questions. Despite my shock, however, I couldn’t deny the little spark of interest inside me that said I might want to know more.
“So, what’s it going to be, Hanna?” Juliette asked. “You going to go running back home? Back to the safety of Mom and Dad’s?”
That wasn’t even a consideration. But there was something else.
I shook my head. “No, I’m not going back. But there is something I would like.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
I met her gaze. “I want to see your world.”
Chapter Five
What the hell had I gotten myself into?
I stared at myself in the mirror as I asked the question again. When I’d told Juliette that I wanted to see her world, this wasn’t what I had in mind.
Hadn’t it?
A little voice in the back of my head spoke up. I’d been trying to ignore it since this morning when Juliette had woken me up to give me the answer she hadn’t given me last night. She’d told me that she’d take me somewhere that could give me a better idea of her...lifestyle.
But first we’d have to go shopping.
I’d been a little annoyed when it seemed like she’d just assumed I wouldn’t have anything to go out in. Then she’d showed me what she planned on wearing, and I realized that she was right.
I had dresses, and I’d been to parties and clubs before. But everything I had was cute and flirty. Sundresses and fun mini-skirts with flattering blouses. I looked good in all of them, and I’d never felt out of place. But all of that had been back home, and none had been in a club like the one Juliette was taking me to tonight.
So shopping we’d gone.
I’d half-expected her to take me into some sex shop to buy weird and freaky toys, but we didn’t go into some place shady.
Instead, Juliette had taken me into one of the most expensive boutiques I’d ever seen. Granted, I hadn’t seen many, but still, it was something. The women had apparently known her because they’d greeted her by name and then got to work on finding me a couple of outfits. Because, of course, just a nice dress wouldn’t be enough. I needed more than one dress, shoes to match each one, and accessories.
I kept telling Juliette that I couldn’t afford one of the dresses, much less everything she’d insisted I get, but she’d waved aside my concerns, and had said she had a few years of Christmas and birthday gifts to make up for. I’d reluctantly agreed, reminding myself that I couldn’t embarrass her with how I was dressed tonight. Especially since I’d most likely embarrass her by my reactions and how little I knew.
We’d gone out for brunch, then back to the apartment, where we’d spent hours figuring out the best of my