He grinned. “That’s awesome. I always knew you’d do something great. You were the only one who took your job seriously when we were working for Reid’s uncle. The rest of us were just a bunch of slackers. I only lasted a few months before Roslyn told me I should explore other opportunities.”

She laughed. “Well, I didn’t have much choice. It was work hard or head back to ‘Would you like fries with that?’ ” She glanced around the posh office again. “Looks like you’re not slacking anymore. Although, I’m a little surprised at the business choice. Weren’t you supposed to become a financial planner or something?”

He leaned back in the chair and smirked. “Yeah, the fam wasn’t too thrilled with my little venture. They’ve cut me out of the family fortune. But my finance jobs were soul sucking. I needed to follow my passion.”

She raised her eyebrows. “And your passion is selling whips and vibrators?”

A warm chuckle rumbled from deep in his chest. “Among other things. But yeah, I enjoy helping people indulge in their fantasies.”

She nodded and fiddled with the clasp of her watch, not sure what to say next. Was she supposed to just come out and ask? Hey, Jace, can you help me get into that super-duper fancy kink club?

He sat forward, his mop of blond hair falling across his forehead. “Relax, Brynn. Reid told me about your sister and why you want into The Ranch.”

She blew out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Oh, thank God.”

“Look, I’ll be honest. I’m a little nervous about sneaking you in. Grant, the club owner, is one of my biggest customers and if he found out I brought someone in under false pretenses, not only would I lose my membership, but a big chunk of my business.”

“Oh, Jace. I don’t want to put you in that position. I just—”

He held up a hand. “No, it’s okay—I know if my sister was in trouble, I’d want to do everything I could to help her, too. I was even willing to go look for Kelsey for you, but Reid said she’s not going to trust a stranger.”

She sighed. “Yeah, she’s hiding from some pretty scary people, so there’s no way she’s going to talk to someone she doesn’t recognize.”

“So that means it’s up to you. We just need to make sure you pull this off flawlessly.”

She wet her lips. “Flawlessly?”

“Yes. Grant Waters is crazy good at reading people. It makes him a top-notch master, but it also means he can sniff out bullshit at a hundred paces. You can’t go in playing sub—you need to be a sub. Really surrender.”

She uncrossed her legs and tucked her hands in her lap, trying to keep them from shaking. “Right.”

He gave her knee a quick reassuring squeeze. “I’m not telling you this to scare you—just to help you understand what needs to happen. The key is going to be not to overthink it. You know what to do.”

“I do?”

“Well, it’s not like it was a big secret that you and Reid were experimenting with D/s back when I knew you. You’re not a novice.”

She clenched her jaw. “Yes, apparently Reid was quite free with that information.”

His tilted his head. “Really? I thought I was the only who knew.”

No, at least one other person knew. And whoever that someone was had used it to their ultimate advantage to hurt her. Unless… She stared at Jace for a moment, a sick feeling rolling through her. What if he had been the one?

No. She dismissed the thought as quickly as it appeared. Jace didn’t have a cruel bone in his body. He would’ve never violated her that way. She shifted in her chair, shaking off the ridiculous idea. “It doesn’t matter. Ancient history.”

He paused for a moment as if he were going to push further, but the look on her face must have made him think better of it. He crooked a thumb toward the mini-fridge next to his desk. “You want something to drink? Beer, soda? I would offer wine, but despite the décor, I’m not that refined.”

The corner of her mouth tilted up. “A beer would be great.”

He stood, turning his back to her. “So, are you saying you haven’t continued to explore the Scene?”

The Scene. What an innocuous term for something that had the potential to rip her apart from the inside out. “No, I dropped the whole idea after Reid and I broke up.”

He grabbed two bottles from the fridge, twisted off the caps, and handed her a beer. “Wow, really? I’m surprised.”

She took a sip, the fizzy liquid easing the dryness in her throat. “Why is that?”

He shrugged and sat on the edge of his desk. “We were all new to it back then, but it didn’t take an expert to see how well you took to the sub role. I was all kinds of jealous that Reid had you all to himself. Too bad he was such a selfish bastard—things could’ve gotten much more interesting.”

Brynn wet her lips and gripped the bottle with both hands as images more erotic than the art downstairs filled her mind. She knew Jace’s kink back then had extended beyond D/s and into ménage. And even though she’d always viewed him as more of a buddy than a lover, she couldn’t deny that the handsome blond could get her hormones hopping.

She cleared her throat, trying to shake the images from her brain. “Perhaps. And that’s part of the reason I’m here. Beyond wanting to get to my sister, I also think I need to do this for myself. There are some things I need to work through, and I think this type of thing could help.”

“What do you mean?”

She shifted her gaze away, trying to come up with something—anything—other than telling him about the rape. “I don’t know, it’s just lately, I’ve found myself—”

“Unsatisfied?” he suggested.

She nodded, goose bumps pricking her skin. She had wanted her lie to sound authentic. But hearing it out loud hit a bit too close to home. Shit. She hadn’t needed to make up a fib. Unsatisfied was exactly what she was. “I thought maybe this could be the answer.”

“And you’re willing to go into this blind, with a stranger?”

“Yes.”

His eyebrows knitted. “You sure? I could try to get Reid a membership if you want.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head.

“How come?”

She sighed. “Time doesn’t heal everything, Jace.”

He swigged his beer, keeping his eyes on her. “You realize that going into a place like The Ranch is the real deal. What you and Reid did back in the day was dabbling. The members at this place vary from one end of the spectrum to the other. You might find a dom who’s just looking for a little casual play, but many others are seeking total submission.”

Her heartbeat seemed incredibly loud in the quiet intimacy of the room. “Meaning?”

“Meaning guys who want to break down every barrier you have—physical, psychological, sexual—until you’re totally and completely theirs to command. Master and slave. It can be an incredible rush to get into something like that, but also can be seriously overwhelming for the inexperienced.”

Sweat beaded her back, and she shifted in her chair. “Is it safe?”

“The club is very selective about membership for doms. They do background checks, there are income requirements, and you have to have a clean bill of health. And as for the play itself, there are safe words and surveillance cameras to make sure people only take it as far as they mutually want to.”

“Oh, that’s good.” A little flash of relief went through her, not just for herself but for her sister.

He shot her a stern look. “But that’s not across the board, Brynn. They don’t broadcast it, but be aware that there are also unmonitored areas you can get into if you sign a waiver. You need to promise me you won’t venture into any of those areas until you’ve established a trusted relationship with someone. Only the assholes will try to get you into an isolated place this early in the game. And that is dangerous.”

“Right.” Shit. “So what happens when I go to The Ranch?”

He set his beer down on the desk. “Well, if you go in as a single, guest sub, you’d be presented to the members who were interested in taking you on, and you would get to select which one to be with. Then you’d have to demonstrate your submission to him in front of the group.”

“Why would I have to do that?”

He shrugged. “It’s a way to make sure you’re serious. Some members of the club are pretty important people. If a reporter or private investigator tried to sneak in, they’d have to really want to get a story to go through public submission. Grant will be there looking for that kind of thing, so that’s why you have to make sure you’re absolutely convincing.”

Her knuckles turned white against the bottle. “And what exactly does public submission involve?”

“Whatever the hell your dom wants.”

She nodded slowly, then glanced up at him. “I’m kind of freaked out about the whole thing. What if I can’t convince that Grant guy?”

He smiled and stepped closer to her, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. “I have faith in you. All you need to do is channel whoever you were back when you were Reid’s sub. You have it in you. The key is going to be to not focus on anything but your own personal reasons for being there. Give yourself over to the experience. Once you’re past initiation, you can worry about tracking down your sister.”

“Right,” she said, trying to convince herself.

“You’ll be fine. I bet after a few days there, the sub role will become second nature to you again.”

“Wait? A few days?” she asked, her voice coming out too high.

He stepped over to his desk and grabbed a few papers. “The Ranch is a retreat, not a drop-in club. You can’t sign up for anything less than a three-day stay.”

“Shit.”

“I had to pull some strings to get you in this quickly.” He handed her the documents. “Fill these out and fax them back to me by tomorrow morning, and I can get you in for the retreat starting on Wednesday. There is also a rule sheet in there for you to go over.”

She set her beer on the side table and took the pages from him. A hopeful thought hit her. “Are you going to be there?”

He gave her a rueful smile. “Doll, I’d love to take you on as my sub for a while, if you’d have me, but I can’t bail on the store without more notice.”

Her shoulders sagged.

He sighed and kissed the top of her head. “You’re going to be fine. Just trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to use your safe word if someone pushes you too far.”

She managed a shaky smile and stood. Now she needed to make sure she pulled off this ruse to the nth degree for yet another reason. She definitely didn’t want to get Jace in any trouble with the club or screw with whatever business dealings he had with The Ranch.

“Thanks, Jace. I really appreciate you risking your hide to help me.”

“You’re welcome, doll.” He pulled her in for one last bear hug. “Make sure you call me and let me know how it goes. And don’t be a stranger. I can get you discounts on all kinds of naughty stuff.”

She laughed. “It’s good to have friends in high places.”

“No doubt.”

Jace sank into his desk chair with a groan. He’d been looking forward to seeing Brynn again, but he hadn’t anticipated the raging hard-on she would inspire. The hopeful look on her face when she’d thought he might be able to go to The Ranch with her had sent him over the edge. God, he’d love to be the guy who got to experience the sweet submission he knew she was capable of. But he was under strict orders.