Soon I began to live from session to session. I hardly missed the fact that I was seeing Diana outside of these sessions less and less. Of course, I told no one about my descent into the world of domination—not even Steve, the one guy at work I was close to. We used to go out on Fridays looking for babes at the bars before I met Diana. Steve, a tall black guy who resembled an actor on TV, was a real babe magnet. He had been in the car with me the night of the accident and had broken his arm so badly it required surgery. After Diana came into the picture, we’d sort of drifted apart.
Then one night out of the blue, Steve called me. He sounded upset and wanted to meet for a drink.
“Hey, John. Glad you came,” he said, shaking my hand as I sat down.
He looked like hell. “What’s up?” I asked.
There was a pitcher of beer on the table. I poured myself a glass as he began to talk.
“Do you remember the nurse you had while you were in the hospital?”
“Of course I do.”
“Well, we started to date and before long she pulled me into her world of domination. Can you believe that sweet, angelic sister was actually a dominatrix? Soon our normal dates became less frequent, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to be her love slave. Until I discovered she was videotaping our sessions and selling them.” He stopped. “What’s the matter, John? You look sick.”
Sick? I felt as if my entire world had imploded. A cold hand began to squeeze my heart as my throat constricted. I immediately got a sinking feeling. My life as I once knew it was about to be flushed down a sewer of gossip and shame.
He stared at me. “Don’t tell me. Were you involved with Lady Di?”
I nodded.
“Oh, no. Not you, too. I wonder how many others.”
“Do you think she taped my sessions, as well?” I asked.
“Probably. How the hell do you think she can afford that place and her fancy car?”
“Are you going to continue to see her?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s not like there’s a Dominatrix Anonymous group to join.”
So much for my angel of mercy, I thought.
Read on for a sneak peek at
SAVE THE LAST DANCE
by Candy Caine
Coming in June 2014 from Arrow Publications
Chapter One
Amber Bennington stepped into the shower. She had a little time before she was to meet up with her study group at the coffee shop. The hot water felt good on the back of her neck soothing away some of the tension from the day.
First, she’d overslept, missing breakfast in order to get to her first class on time. It had rained heavily the night before and was still drizzling when she tore out of her dorm and raced to class. Then some guy on a bike roaring through a giant puddle splashed her, soaking her jacket thoroughly. She sloshed into class and a puddle formed around her shoes as she sat through the lecture.
Next, on her way to her next class, her roommate, Shawna, texted her that she wouldn’t be able to pick up the tickets to see Getting Weird With Adam Devine, after all, and would Amber mind picking them up? Tickets would be available after five that day at the university’s Union Information Center and Amber knew the tickets would go fast. That meant she had to be there early.
By the time Amber got over to the Union Information Center at 4:00, the line was already snaking around the side of the building. Amber sighed, took out her iPad and started doing some Internet searches for a paper she was researching. She was resigned to a long wait. By the time the ticket office opened, there was an even longer line behind her. Gradually, she moved up in line. She prayed the tickets wouldn’t be sold out by the time she got to the ticket window. Then she noticed—him. No way could she miss the shaggy blond hair and the tall six-foot-plus frame with impossibly wide shoulders. He was the annoying know-it-all from her undergraduate biochemistry class. She hadn’t seen him in a couple of years, since she got her Bachelor’s degree, but she remembered him well. Back then he thought he was God’s gift to women. He always had some giggly co-ed attached to some part of his anatomy.
And he was about to break into the line in front of her. Amber couldn’t believe it! He was cutting directly in front of her, slapping the back of the chunky guy in a leather jacket who stood in front of her. Unbelievable.
“Thanks for holding a place for me, man,” he said to his friend.
To make matters worse, by the time Amber got to the ticket window, all the tickets were gone. Fuming, she started to walk away, but caught a glimpse of the blond guy waving two tickets in front of a girl. He was bragging loudly, “Look what I’ve got.”
A look of utter hero worship appeared on the girl’s face making Amber want to puke. Red-hot anger rose from within her as she watched the guy practically pat himself on his shoulder. That was what pushed Amber over the line. Those should have been her tickets!
She stormed over to confront the jerk. “Nice job, Casanova. Next time, stand in line like the rest of us common folk.”
Moss green eyes widened as they took in her angry face.
“Those tickets belonged to me. I waited in line over an hour for them!” After saying her piece, Amber stormed off.
The shower beginning to cool brought Amber back to the present, but still steamed over the ticket incident. She was stepping out of the shower when she heard knocking on the door. “Shawna! Can you get that?”
But, moments later, the knocking had become dull thuds. Where the hell is Shawna when I need her? Amber knew the answer
