Zurlo, Michele - Two Masters for Samantha [Awakenings 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Michele Zurlo

wasn’t saying anything sexy. She was beginning to think he could read a grocery list and bring her to the brink.
    A pressure against her leg brought her attention back to Stefano. He had moved his chair closer. A similar pressure informed her that Alexei had done the same thing on her right. She questioned Stefano with her eyes, but she said nothing.
    He wasn’t smiling. His blue eyes were nearly grey with the gravity of the situation. “Tell us to leave you alone.”
    And they would. He didn’t say it out loud, but she knew what kind of men they were. No meant no and stop meant stop.
    “Just so you understand,” she began. Her throat was suddenly dry. She sipped her water before continuing. “I’m not into this stuff.”
    “Noted.” Stefano made no move to give her more space.
    The lights dimmed before Samantha could say anything. She looked over to Ellen to find her friend’s attention riveted on the door at the far side of the room.
    A Dom followed his sub as she navigated the maze of tables that would take them to the central dais. He wore black leather pants and no shirt. Thankfully, he had the chest to carry it off.
    The sub wore a shapeless white gown. It covered her from neck to ankle, revealing nothing about her shape or her outfit.
    “He’ll take that off of her onstage,” Alexei whispered. His warm breath caressed her skin.
    “She walks in front, a place of honor, because she has earned the privilege.” Stefano supplied this on her other side.
    Samantha had wondered about that. Most submissives seemed to wait somewhere behind their Dom until they were told to do otherwise. Her lip curled in distaste. Nobody would ever treat her like that.
    “How did she earn the honor?” Sam wasn’t sure she wanted to know what depths to which the woman had sunk in order to earn that privilege.
    “It’s likely she agreed to do this demonstration.”
    Sam snorted. “Like she had a choice.”
    The only Doms she knew who kept subs were Ellen and Jonas, but they seemed to have a bedroom-only policy. Anyone who didn’t know them wouldn’t be able to guess at that side of their relationships. She couldn’t see Sabrina or Ryan putting up with being leashed or being relegated to the status of a pet.
    Alexei’s fingers traced a light trail along her wrist. “The submissive always has a choice.”
    “I’m not a submissive,” she reminded him. She wondered if her denial rang as hollow to him as it did to her.
    The Dom lifted his slave onto the raised platform and followed her up. He drew her gown over her head, folded it, and placed it at the edge of the dais. The woman wore a skimpy black leather bra that looked more like a bathing suit top. The shoulder straps tied around the neck. Her short leather skirt matched. If he bent her over something, everyone would see whether or not she wore panties. Samantha searched the woman’s face for signs of intelligence. What kind of woman let herself be paraded in front of a crowd and treated this way?
    The woman’s expression was expectant and nervous, yet she showed no signs of bolting. Samantha frowned, knowing she would never have entered the room if she were in the woman’s position.
    “What do you mean, she has a choice? How so?”
    “They negotiated what would happen beforehand. She might have chosen a type of punishment or a tool she wants him to use on her. He might have requested to use some of his favorites, but he can only do that if she agreed to it.”
    Samantha tore her eyes from the woman and fastened them on Alexei. The idea that she might be able to ask for something, to request a fulfillment of her secret fantasies, brought tingles from her toes to her breasts. “Are you honestly saying she asked for this?”
    Alexei grinned. “Can I kiss you?”
    She hadn’t expected that question. Flustered, she couldn’t think of an answer. Did she want him to kiss her? Hell, yes, as long as he didn’t stop. On her other side, Stefano’s hand gripped her