Trust by Sherri Hayes

I needed a few moments to put on my game face. I had a feeling tonight was going to be more difficult for me than any of them would understand.
    Logan parked the car along the driveway, and we walked up a winding path to the front door. The house was modern in design with lots of windows, all of which were covered with thick curtains—the only telltale sign of what kind of party this was.
    I’d debated the entire ride whether or not I should demand they take me home and call off this charade. The only thing that had stopped me was when I saw how happy my acceptance had made my friends. They cared about me and were attempting to help. I couldn’t fault them for that, even if I didn’t exactly agree with their methods.
    A man who looked to be in his forties greeted us at the door. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place him. “Logan. Lily. Welcome.”
    “Hi, Daniel. Sorry we’re late.”
    He waved his hand in dismissal. “We were just sitting down to dinner. Your timing is perfect.”
    After quick introductions, Daniel led us into a large dining room where all the other guests were already situated. I took note of how everyone was arranged around the table. Unless I was mistaken, everyone was in couples.
    That assumption was cemented once the meal began. While every guest was seated at the table, each couple’s dynamic began to show. Even Logan and Lily, and Daren and Gina, slipped into their Dominant and submissive roles with ease. It might not be obvious to everyone, but for those who knew what to look for, it was easy to spot.
    Sarah and I were the only exception. She sat at my left, eating her food and chatting happily with a woman I heard introduce herself as Missy. For my part, I focused on my meal and let the conversation flow around me. If someone spoke to me directly, I would answer, but for most of dinner everyone let me be.
    After dinner, the group moved into a large, well-lit room. Most of the space was filled with various seating areas clearly meant to encourage conversation. Along the one wall was a buffet of desserts and bottles of water. Daren immediately gravitated in the direction of the food, taking Gina with him, while the rest of us moved to one of the larger seating areas.
    For the first half hour, most of the couples talked with one another—a few even wandered over and introduced themselves. Logan and Lily said they knew everyone in attendance, but to my surprise, Daren and Gina knew most of them as well. They’d been living in the area for less than a year. Apparently they got around more than I’d realized. Then again, I hadn’t been active in the local scene since Tami.
    Thoughts of Tami led me back to the two hours I’d spent being questioned by Agent Marco that afternoon. One of the many topics of conversation had included my ex. He’d spoken with her, and of course, she’d been more than happy to leave him with the impression that I was an abuser and a manipulator. Agent Marco had eaten it up and used it to try and goad me into admitting some sort of wrongdoing. Oscar hadn’t allowed that to go on long, however, before he brought up the fact that Tami had never pressed any sort of charges against me.
    That simple fact had only redirected his line of questioning. He’d wanted to know why I had ropes in my condo and how I’d learned to tie them so well. He’d made it sound like Jonathan Reeves had intently inspected my handiwork while bound, which wasn’t the case. His being unconscious while I’d trussed him up made that feat impossible.
    Thinking about Brianna’s father inevitably led me to wonder about the woman herself—not that she was ever far from my thoughts. She would never have been able to come with me to a party like this. Not only were there too many people she didn’t know, but there would eventually be play taking place on the far side of the room. This wasn’t what those in the lifestyle called a sex positive event. Any play that occurred would be