they say. Come on."
She took his hand, but resisted being pulled along. "Wait. Am I dressed okay? How fancy is this place?" He was dressed in his usual jeans and boots, but sported a western shirt with wide yoke shoulders and fancy buttons. Liv considered her own slightly rumpled linen pants and loose tank top and felt inadequate.
"It's not fancy, and you're dressed fine. You look gorgeous. You always look gorgeous," he assured her.
She didn't feel gorgeous, but she did have makeup on, and her hair was okay, so she stopped resisting and got in the truck with him.
It took half an hour to get to the cantina called Carlos' Carniceria. It didn't look like a butcher shop, so the name was obviously a quip.
Liv was a little nervous about meeting Trey's friends, but she plastered on a smile and tried to think confident thoughts.
The inside of the restaurant was colorful, with murals on the walls and lots of attractive Mexican pottery and lush plants. Trey murmured something to the pretty hostess at the wooden hostess stand and she guided them to a table where three people sat smiling and conversing.
They all looked up as Trey and Liv arrived.
A bright-eyed brunette spoke up first. "Trey! Finally. We thought you'd had a flat tire or something."
He smiled and pulled out a chair for Liv. "I like to keep y’all guessin’."
The brunette grinned and winked at Liv.
Beside her at the table were a blond guy with stylish glasses and a slender redhead with big green eyes. They both said their hellos enthusiastically.
Trey made the introductions.
"Everybody, this is Liv Aune. Liv, this inquisitive little minx is Rosaria Sanchez. Beside her is Mark Wallace, and beside him is Laura Niles."
Liv greeted them in turn, and was graced with smiles and friendly welcomes.
As they sat down, Mark pushed his glasses up on his nose and addressed Liv. "So you're a model? Do you like it?"
She shot a look at Trey who grinned shamelessly. He must have talked about her to his friends. "Yes, I'm at Journey's End doing a photo shoot for Jen Christenson Clothing right now. It's a good job. I've been doing it so long that I can't imagine doing anything else." Except maybe having a family and kids, she thought, then wondered where that brain burp had come from.
Liv put her napkin in her lap as the waitress put water down in front of her and Trey and took their drink orders. Liv ordered a margarita, despite thinking that she ought not to have the calories. It was okay to live a little.
"So," she began, "how do you all know Trey?"
They looked at each other, then at Trey who nodded once. They were getting permission to speak freely.
The redhead spoke first. "We're members of a little club. It's called Boys With Toys, and has several chapters across North America."
"Boys With Toys?" Liv responded. "I've never heard of it. Is it a children's charity?"
Mark laughed, and the women smiled, prompting a smile back from Liv.
"Hell no," Rosaria answered. "It's an adult group that explores BDSM. It's for male dominants and female submissives."
"Wow."
"I warned you," Trey said.
Liv nodded and put on her I'm-so-sophisticated face. "Right. I’ve heard of organizations like that, but that’s as close as I’ve gotten."
Mark spoke next. "We're having our annual Boot Camp at Journey's End starting tomorrow." He turned to Trey. "Have you talked to Liv about it?"
Trey shook his head and a lock of his brown hair fell down on his forehead. It was boyish, and appealing. Liv wanted to reach out and comb it back in place. "No. We haven't talked about Boot Camp Inc. at all, in fact."
"Boot Camp Inc.?" Liv asked. Was this the side business he'd referred to recently?
"My brothers and one of my sisters formed a company a few years ago. We offer week-long corporate bondin’ 'boot camps' at Journey's End. That's why we have all the little cabins. We also have an old house which is used as a conference center for the groups."
"What do you do at the camps?"
"It's
She took his hand, but resisted being pulled along. "Wait. Am I dressed okay? How fancy is this place?" He was dressed in his usual jeans and boots, but sported a western shirt with wide yoke shoulders and fancy buttons. Liv considered her own slightly rumpled linen pants and loose tank top and felt inadequate.
"It's not fancy, and you're dressed fine. You look gorgeous. You always look gorgeous," he assured her.
She didn't feel gorgeous, but she did have makeup on, and her hair was okay, so she stopped resisting and got in the truck with him.
It took half an hour to get to the cantina called Carlos' Carniceria. It didn't look like a butcher shop, so the name was obviously a quip.
Liv was a little nervous about meeting Trey's friends, but she plastered on a smile and tried to think confident thoughts.
The inside of the restaurant was colorful, with murals on the walls and lots of attractive Mexican pottery and lush plants. Trey murmured something to the pretty hostess at the wooden hostess stand and she guided them to a table where three people sat smiling and conversing.
They all looked up as Trey and Liv arrived.
A bright-eyed brunette spoke up first. "Trey! Finally. We thought you'd had a flat tire or something."
He smiled and pulled out a chair for Liv. "I like to keep y’all guessin’."
The brunette grinned and winked at Liv.
Beside her at the table were a blond guy with stylish glasses and a slender redhead with big green eyes. They both said their hellos enthusiastically.
Trey made the introductions.
"Everybody, this is Liv Aune. Liv, this inquisitive little minx is Rosaria Sanchez. Beside her is Mark Wallace, and beside him is Laura Niles."
Liv greeted them in turn, and was graced with smiles and friendly welcomes.
As they sat down, Mark pushed his glasses up on his nose and addressed Liv. "So you're a model? Do you like it?"
She shot a look at Trey who grinned shamelessly. He must have talked about her to his friends. "Yes, I'm at Journey's End doing a photo shoot for Jen Christenson Clothing right now. It's a good job. I've been doing it so long that I can't imagine doing anything else." Except maybe having a family and kids, she thought, then wondered where that brain burp had come from.
Liv put her napkin in her lap as the waitress put water down in front of her and Trey and took their drink orders. Liv ordered a margarita, despite thinking that she ought not to have the calories. It was okay to live a little.
"So," she began, "how do you all know Trey?"
They looked at each other, then at Trey who nodded once. They were getting permission to speak freely.
The redhead spoke first. "We're members of a little club. It's called Boys With Toys, and has several chapters across North America."
"Boys With Toys?" Liv responded. "I've never heard of it. Is it a children's charity?"
Mark laughed, and the women smiled, prompting a smile back from Liv.
"Hell no," Rosaria answered. "It's an adult group that explores BDSM. It's for male dominants and female submissives."
"Wow."
"I warned you," Trey said.
Liv nodded and put on her I'm-so-sophisticated face. "Right. I’ve heard of organizations like that, but that’s as close as I’ve gotten."
Mark spoke next. "We're having our annual Boot Camp at Journey's End starting tomorrow." He turned to Trey. "Have you talked to Liv about it?"
Trey shook his head and a lock of his brown hair fell down on his forehead. It was boyish, and appealing. Liv wanted to reach out and comb it back in place. "No. We haven't talked about Boot Camp Inc. at all, in fact."
"Boot Camp Inc.?" Liv asked. Was this the side business he'd referred to recently?
"My brothers and one of my sisters formed a company a few years ago. We offer week-long corporate bondin’ 'boot camps' at Journey's End. That's why we have all the little cabins. We also have an old house which is used as a conference center for the groups."
"What do you do at the camps?"
"It's
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