Page 7 of Shatter

Before I can think better of it, I storm up to her, grip the edge of the bar top, caging her in and blocking everyone's view of her.

"What's your plan here, Mel?"

She swivels in her chair, looking up at me, which causes her heel to graze my slacks. Pink manicured nails bring a straw to her lips as she wraps them around it. I force my gaze to drop to her lips, which tug up in a knowing smile.

"Coming to check out the scene, Hare-Bear."

I growl in response. My collar feels too tight, my chest too hot.

For a long moment we simply stare each other down. I have two choices: kick her out or let her stay. Pinching the inside of my cheek with my canines, I know I'm going to let her stay. This is the safest sex club in the city - maybe anywhere. And our iron-clad NDAs mean her presence here won't get leaked to the press. America's Sweetheart being caught in a sex club would ruin her career - her reputation. Networks would stop playing reruns of her movies. She'd be reduced to scandal.

I think about the men and women behind me. We have experienced Doms who know how to primal play safely.

But this is Mel. I watched her grow up. She doesn't know what she's asking. She's not experienced with kink and safe-words - of consensual non-consent. What if someone takes it too far and she doesn't know how to stop it?

Or has she? We've seen each other a couple of times a year at birthdays or holidays, but what do I really know about her? Certainly nothing about her personal life.

But there's a reason she's here and not somewhere else. She wants to experience something new.

Maybe if I give her a taste, it'll scare her enough to never come back. It'll satisfy whatever rebellious streak she's going through. I trust my own self-discipline to stop before it goes too far.

I hold up one finger.

"Once. And then you don't come back. Got it?"

The grin she gives me is entirely too smug.

"We have rules," I start, before choking on my own spit as her heel grazes my crotch. Fucking hell, I was not prepared for this side of her.

She nods. "I can play by the rules..." she purrs, but I don't believe a word of it.

This is my worst fucking nightmare. I respect this girl. I care for her. I always have. I've always protected her from her parents' comments that always sound like concern but are incredibly damaging to a young woman. The comments about what she eats or parts of her body. The insults wrapped as sage advice. The passive aggressive comments that she always bears with a smile.

I've never looked at her sexually. If only to protect her from myself. I've always gotten the feeling that Mel doesn't have a lot of people in her life who put her needs first. Or even fucking ask her about what she needs. And I want to make sure that I'm always that man whenever we're in the same room.

"Do you need to do this?"

Her smile slips a little, and if you didn't know her, you wouldn't catch it, but I notice everything when it comes to her.

She shrugs. "Don't take it so seriously, Hare-Bear. It's just sex."

She avoids my eyes as I study her face. There's a sadness there that covers her like a shadow, but one you have to really look behind the mask to see.

She also didn't answer my question.

I grip her chin with my hand, a little rougher than would be polite, and tilt her face up to meet mine. To her credit, she doesn't flinch at the little bit of pain - a precursor to the night.

"You didn't answer the question, Little Bird. Do you need to do this?" The pet name slips out unbidden, but the last time I saw her, that's what she reminded me of - a bird in a cage. Something pretty you look at and take out to perform for you, but something not free.

"Yes."

Her voice doesn't waver at all, and from this angle all I can see is the sadness in her beautiful blue eyes.

Fuck.

I nod once, squeezing her chin before releasing her. I check my watch. It's a minute until lights out.

I reach over the bar top and retrieve the slim night vision goggles we keep there so the staff can work safely.