Bound With Pearls by Sidney Bristol

need to. Words would cheapen the magic happening between them.
    They strolled around the edges of the public dungeon and into the common area. Bodies writhed on the dance floor and groups clustered around tables.
    He didn’t want leave the club yet. It was a weeknight and, though he could get up whenever he felt like it, he would need to take Christine home. If he were honest with himself, he wanted to show her off. The few subs he’d entertained the idea of collaring had been play partners only. She was an entirely different creature.
    As if she felt his thoughts, she glanced at him. Her height coupled with the lift of her heels had her at eye level. Not a very submissive posture, but between them there was no doubt who was in control.
    Catching sight of two of his favorite people, he steered her to the booth where Bianca and Clay reclined.
    “Hello, Ma’am. May we?” He gestured to the unoccupied bench.
    Bianca peered past him and straight to Christine. Her eyes lit with avid interest. “Of course.” Her gaze drifted back to him as a smile spread across her lips.
    Clay sat on the floor, his head against her knee. Bianca ran her fingers absently through his hair, which he seemed to be enjoying. A gold chain ran from his nipple clamps and coiled around Bianca’s wrist. They were already putting his gift to good use.
    “Thank you,” he replied, settling on the bench. Christine stood, her eyes focused somewhere between the floor and his knee. She never failed to surprise him. He realized if he told her to mirror Clay’s pose, she would. In that moment, he could have fucked her all over again as a thank you. Instead, he patted the cushion next to him.
    She sat, hands folded primly in her lap and her gaze cast down. Her cheeks were tinged a faint pink most might mistake for makeup, but he knew the truth. She’d pushed past a barrier when he’d insisted on public play. He was proud of her, and it might be silly but he wanted everyone to know she was here with him. The crowd might not comprehend what had happened, but the energy between them was undeniable.
    “Who is this?” Bianca asked, though the minx had a good idea.
    Still, he wasn’t above showing her off. He smoothed her wild hair behind her ear. “This is Christine. Christine, say hello to my friends, Mistress Bianca and her husband, Clay.”
    Christine lifted her chin, a slight smile curling her lips. “Hello, Mistress Bianca, Clay.”
    “She’s exquisite, Daniel.” Bianca tugged on Clay’s hair. “Are you sharing?”
    His hand, which had been stroking Christine’s hair, closed around the nape of her neck. His response was immediate, visceral. He’d break the arms of whatever person tried to touch her. His answer came out low and rough. “No.”
    Bianca’s reply of “Pity” was drowned out by his revelation that he was thinking of Christine as his. He’d begun tonight as an endeavor to see if they were compatible, and now he knew they were combustible in all the right ways. The jewelry sitting on his workbench took on a whole new importance.
    Christine studied him from the corner of her eye, and what he wouldn’t have given for a private room. He couldn’t read the nuances in her gaze, but the slight relaxation of her shoulders, the way she leaned her body against his, those were signs he could understand. They’d reached a point that transcended the casual. She might not know it yet, but he owned her, and he embraced the idea.
    “Your loss,” he agreed. He applied pressure to her neck, pulling her against his side. She kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around his neck, turning her body toward him.
    “Are you staying for the demonstrations tonight?”
    “Demonstrations?” He shrugged. “Probably not.”
    “She’s rather well mannered.”
    Oh, Bianca was dying to ask questions, he knew how nosy she was. He hid his smile in Chris’ hair. “She is, isn’t she? Where did you learn such good manners, hm?”
    She peeked up at him,