Free Temptation to Submit by Jennifer Leeland Page A

hair from her face. “You know, when he was at the play party, he didn’t touch any of the submissives there, and I asked—” Gina stopped and clenched her jaw for a moment. “I wondered why. I was told he had already sized up his next play partner, and he wasn’t there to cruise.” She reached out and touched Nell’s hand. “I’m pretty sure he was interested in you then.”
    Nell’s lips curved into a smile. “He said something like that. I sort of put the kibosh on his plan to…convince me to sign that fraternization clause when I made my declaration in Vegas.”
    She laughed, and Tori’s heart tightened. Nell sounded so happy, so in love. Tori was envious.
    “You signed it? The declaration?”
    Nell nodded. “All those nights I spent online, fantasizing, dreaming about this kind of thing pale in comparison to the real thing.”
    “You’re in love with him,” Tori stated.
    Nell met her gaze. “I am. I’m terrified. But right now I’m enjoying what we have and not worrying about tomorrow.” She glanced at her phone, and her eyes widened. “Oh no. I have to go. I promised Mark I’d be back early.”
    Tori watched her friend hurry out of the restaurant. She turned to Gina. “Alone at last. Now you can tell me what happened in Vegas.”
    For the first time since Tori had known her, Gina’s face was blank. “Nothing happened. I wanted to drive back, not fly.”
    Tori studied her. She and Gina had always been friends but not close. Oh, they’d had intimate conversations about sex and BDSM, but Tori realized she didn’t know Gina as well as she knew Nell. “Ever since you and Reena—”
    “I’m not discussing her,” Gina snapped. “I don’t want to talk about Vegas. Besides, you haven’t told me anything. It’s pretty clear that your trips to the bathroom to get off are more than just taking the edge off.”
    Tori wanted the floor to swallow her. Gina had heard her? How could she explain that Finch got her so hot and horny she had to find relief? “You’re spying on me?”
    “You weren’t being very quiet,” Gina snapped.
    “Why the hell were you coming upstairs anyway?” Tori tried to divert Gina away from the real subject. She was surprised to see Gina look uncomfortable for a moment.
    “I take my breaks up there. Your floor has the better bathroom.” Gina cleared her throat, and all the hostility between them seemed to dissipate. “What’s going on that drives you into the executive bathroom to get yourself off?”
    Well, she couldn’t reveal her reasons without explaining why she couldn’t get her rocks off at home. “I can’t explain it. I’m sorry, Gina,” she said. She was sorry. Sorry she’d stuck her nose in.
    Gina put her face in her hands. “No. I’m sorry.” For a moment, she was quiet. And then, she dropped her hands and spoke slowly. “I can only say this. Everything I thought I understood about myself and about- about-” Her nostrils flared, and her voice broke. “I can’t tell you anything right now. I’m confused, and I need some time to think.”
    “Yeah. I get that. I have no idea what I’m doing right now, so I’m not in any position to question you.” Tori put her arm around Gina. “Just tell me that I made you fucking hot when you heard me.”
    A laugh exploded from Gina, and she tugged on Tori’s hair. “You did. Bitch.”
    “That’s me. First class.” She picked up the check. “Let’s go. We’re going to be late.”
    They were at the front counter when Reena entered the restaurant. “Gina? I need to talk to you. Now.”
    Tori raised her eyebrows, and Gina glared at Reena. “I’m busy.”
    That made Tori’s eyebrows raise higher. If what Gina said about Reena was true, then the shitty tone from the hardcore submissive was going to piss the Mistress right off.
    “This is important.” Reena’s face was unreadable. The woman was tall, statuesque, and always perfectly put together. She had ice-blue eyes and blonde hair. But it