“She’s a very special girl.” Chase leaned down and kissed the top of her head. She beamed up at him.
“I can see that,” Jim said.
Malcolm asked Chase a question about their meeting earlier in the day and the conversation turned to business matters.
Sabrina listened to the men talk, trying to follow the general gist of the conversation but a few minutes in, she was lost. So, she did as she’d been trained and made sure it looked like she was interested. She didn’t mind too much, though. It gave her an excuse to lean her head on Chase’s chest and soak up his presence.
Malcolm kept stealing glances at her, giving her seductive smiles. He had a definite charm about him, which made her smile. Jim was more distant, though she could feel his desire building.
She smiled back at Malcolm and stood taller. An energy filled the room she couldn’t explain. It soaked into her skin and made her want to turn to Chase and kiss him until he pushed her against the wall and fucked her without mercy.
Hands slid around her waist and someone nuzzled her neck. She jumped and turned to see Richard standing behind her. His affectionate gaze made her heart leap in her chest.
His eyes crinkled at the corners and he leaned into her ear. “That’s my girl.” He nuzzled her neck again. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”
Sabrina glanced up at Chase, who had let her go, and watched her with curious eyes. He leaned down and kissed her gently. “Enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about me.” His heated look sent shivers down her spine as Richard took her hand and led her away to the bar.
“What would you like to drink?” Richard asked as Sabrina settled on a stool.
“Anything.”
Richard grinned and turned to the bartender and placed his order.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as the bartender mixed the drinks.
She looked around. More than one couple stood close together, bodies pressed together, speaking in low tones. The room was alive with sexual tension. She felt it all deep inside her chest. It felt good. She felt amazing. Powerful.
A slave girl approached Chase and greeted him with a kiss on the mouth.
Sabrina’s face went cold. She swallowed hard and looked away, doing her best to keep her face inscrutable. Her heart pounded in her ears.
“I can’t do this,” Sabrina whispered, tears burning her eyes. She shook her head. “I can’t—” Her chest tightened, and she struggled to breathe.
Richard stepped between her and the rest of the room and put his hand on her cheek. “Sabrina, take a deep breath.”
She sucked in a shaky breath, the air catching in her throat. And another. And another.
Chase smiled down at Addie as she gazed up at him. She was one of the girls he used frequently and he had a fondness for her. But kissing a slave was nothing to kissing the love of his life. Addie was an expert in all things sexual, but compared to Sabrina, she was nothing.
“How are you tonight, my lord?” she asked softly.
“Very good, Addie.” Movement across the room caught his attention, and he sucked in a breath. Sabrina’s face was pale, and she was blinking rapidly.
He stepped around Addie and started across the room, but Richard had stepped in front of Sabrina. He held up his hand and Chase clenched his jaw. Sometimes he hated that Richard knew everything going on around him.
Had she seen Addie kissing him? Is that what upset her? God, what would happen if Sabrina couldn’t deal with Brotherhood activities?
Richard took Sabrina’s hand. “A few minutes ago, you were fine. What happened?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. She couldn’t admit her weakness, especially to her Master. He would be so disappointed in her.
“Sabrina, look at me.” Richard had commanded her, but his voice was gentle.
She lifted her face to him, embarrassingly close to tears.
“Tell me,” he commanded in a gentle tone.
She swallowed hard. “I saw someone . . . a girl. Slave. Kiss Chase.” She pressed her lips together, wishing she could look away.
Richard’s eyes turned sympathetic, and he gave her a sad smile. “I remember the first time I saw another man kiss Kathy.” He stroked Sabrina’s cheek. She felt the release from her Master’s commands but didn’t look away. “I will admit, it stung. We’d talked and talked about it, but when it finally came down to it, I honestly didn’t know if I could deal with it. I felt very hypocritical because I’d been a part of The Brotherhood for years.” He smiled and shook his head. “She knew I was upset about something, but my pride wouldn’t let me admit it. After all, I’d been the one to suggest opening the Gatherings up to our wives.” He chuckled. “I know I wasn’t the only jealous husband.”
Sabrina glanced across the room to where Kathy stood close to a younger man with shoulder-length blond hair. He leaned forward and kissed her neck and Kathy smiled. “You’re jealous of what she does?”
Richard shook his head. “No. Not anymore.” He smiled. “I get turned on by it now. I love watching her enjoy herself.” He gazed lovingly at his wife. “She’s the most beautiful woman in the world to me. She’s my everything.” He looked back at Sabrina. “By the end of that first night, I was so turned on, we didn’t leave our bedroom the entire next day.”
“Didn’t you have sex with other women?”
He nodded. “Yes. But sex here, as enjoyable as it is, is nothing compared to being with my wife. Now I think of Friday nights as appetizers, and then we go home and have a very long, drawn-out main course.”
Sabrina remembered Theo’s similar comparisons of the difference between sex and making love. She smiled, but then her heart fell. “But I can’t go home and make love to Chase.”
“Not right now. That’s true. It can’t be helped. But it won’t be long before you two can get married. In the meantime, this,” he motioned around the room, “will help you maintain your sanity.” He smiled. “And I know Chase will enjoy it.”
Sabrina thought back to her musings in the car. She looked down at her hands in her lap. “I was imagining Chase being with another woman in the car and it turned me on.”
Richard nodded. “I think seeing it for the first time can be a bit jarring, but it’ll get easier.” He turned serious. “Accepting your true nature will help.”
“I’m trying.” Sabrina swallowed. “It’s so hard. I’ve believed it to be evil for so long.”
“I know you’re trying. I can see it. I saw it earlier.”
“You did?”
“I did.” He put his hand on her head. “Close your eyes.”
Sabrina obeyed.
“Feel the energy in the room. Feel it flowing around you. Feel the harmony between you and it.” He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He nuzzled her ear, sending goosebumps down her arms. “Feel the power inside you. Now let it out.”
She whimpered. “I don’t want to black out.”
“You’re safe, Sabrina. I’m in control. Nothing will harm you.” His soft tone soothed her fears. “You’re safe,” he repeated, his hot breath against her neck.