I’m duplicitous. I know it. I work my ass off nine hours a day five days a week at Earnest and Heart. I’m a fantastic accountant. People pay me good money to save them as much as I can. I show up every day as the poster-woman for professionalism. Half my closet is filled with pencil skirts, blouses, jackets, and pumps. I can put my hair in the perfect bun in the dark without a mirror. I learned how to apply makeup from the best—my mother.
So what if my preferred method of relaxation after a long day or week is to pretend I’m a small child without a concern in the world? It’s fun. It’s freeing. Liberating, even. And even better when I have a partner who’s willing to baby me and pamper me.
I flop on my bed and stare at the ceiling.
I’ve only been submitting to Owen for a month, but I think we click in the Dom/sub world. I find him charming. It’s not like I’m planning to date him outside of the club. We’re just friends. No big deal. I’m not sure why Leah finds him creepy. He’s a perfectly nice man. He owns a bar nearby, which I found out by accident a few weeks ago when I went there for a drink after work.
Owen is a good match for me as a Daddy. He can be playful and fun but also stern and serious when called for. And when I’m in my little persona at the club, I always ensure the Daddy I’m subbing for ends up needing to discipline me.
I get a rush of endorphins when I scene with a Daddy. Usually, it’s planned. I look cute, misbehave intentionally, and get my bottom spanked. It’s not really different from what Leah enjoys. She gets spanked too. She just prefers not to have a tantrum first.
I giggle and roll to my side to grab my favorite stuffed animal, Jessie. She’s a unicorn. Who doesn’t love to curl up with a furry toy at the end of a long day and just breathe?
Chapter 3
Colton
When I step into Surrender the following morning, I have no idea what to expect. The receptionist area is perfectly normal. Desk, computer, bulletin board. The usual. I assume the door on the other side leads to the main club, and this makes sense because if anyone accidentally wanders in off the street, they won’t have a clue what this place is from this room alone.
Davis is here, and he extends a hand. “Hey. Good to see you. It’s been a while.”
“You too.” I shake his hand and then take a deep breath. “So, what am I getting myself into here?”
He nods behind him. “Follow me. I’ll show you around. Roman Cortell is the owner. Julius Polk is the manager. They’re both upstairs in Roman’s office.”
“Perfect.” I follow Davis through the rear door and step into a large open space. The lights are on, so I can see everything clearly, but I imagine when the club is open, it’s not usually this bright. The main room is painted entirely black, even the ceiling and floor. A wide variety of apparatus are spaced around the room, some even in the center.
“This is the main playroom,” Davis tells me.
I nod slowly as I wander around a bit. I’ve done my research. I’m at least marginally familiar with most of what I’m seeing. St. Andrew’s crosses. Spanking benches. An interesting chain structure that looks like a spider’s web. There are leather-covered tables, sort of like what a masseuse would use. A variety of restraints hang from the ceiling. There’s even a large cage.
Davis points to a hallway. “Down that way are private rooms and the daycare.”
I lift a brow. “Daycare? People bring kids here?”
He chuckles. “God, no. It’s for adults pretending to be young. Littles.” He claps a hand on my back. “We’ll tackle that room later. It’s gonna take me a few days to educate you, my friend.”
I nod. “Apparently.” My mind wanders back to the possibility that Davis is a Daddy, and I wonder again what that might mean.
I follow Davis through a door on the far side of the room and then up a flight of stairs. We pass a few offices on the second floor before entering one.
Two men are inside, and they both stand as we arrive.
Davis steps to the side. “Roman. Julius. This is… Well, I have no idea what your name is or what you’re going by this week.” Davis chuckles. “You were totally undercover when we met as Gordon Shepherd.”
I smile as I shake both men’s hands. “My real name is Colton. You can call me Colt.” I pull out my badge and flash it around. “Swear I’m legit.” I also hand everyone in the room a business card. “This is my boss at the precinct. Captain Johansson. Call him. You should definitely verify I am who I say I am. He’ll know who Colton is. I won’t disclose my last name.”
Both men are in their forties with dark hair. Roman has darker skin than Julius. He’s also about an inch shorter, which is saying something. Both men are a few inches over six feet, as am I. I figure Davis to be six feet, and he’s the shortest man in the room.
“Please, have a seat.” Roman sweeps a hand to indicate a seating area with two armchairs and a loveseat. He and Julius take the loveseat. Davis and I take the armchairs.
Julius speaks next. “Davis has filled us in on a few of the details about how he met you last year and what went down. I understand two of our members are on your radar. This concerns us.” His brow is furrowed.
“Concerns me too. That’s why I’m here. It’s always possible I’m barking up the wrong tree, so I don’t want any of you to panic. I’ve been following Evelyn Dean for a
