CHAPTER ONE SPRING BREAKS had never been more than a week of Jasper locking himself in his room and keeping quiet. How enjoyable the week was always inversely correlated to the number of times he saw his father, which meant spring breaks were usually shit. This year was different. Now that he’d moved in with his cousin Amber, her fiancé Terrance, and their three housemates, he no longer had to sneak around his own home to avoid verbal or physical blows. This year Jasper intended to enjoy himself, especially while he had a small break from both college and his part-time job. Which was how he ended up standing inside a kink club on Saturday night. He scrubbed his palms against his slacks—a bit too small since they were borrowed from Matt, one of his housemates—for the fifth time since getting out of the car. Touch of Leather was far classier than other clubs he’d been to, but then, none of them had catered to anything more than dancing and drinking. The bar was well stocked with every kind of nonalcoholic drink imaginable, and there was a sitting area with posh leather sofas and dark-wood, live-edge coffee tables. Black-and-white photos were interspersed along the walls, but he was too far away to make out anything more than the shapes of bodies. Amber and the others—Terrance, Keith, Matt, and Reiko—had already vanished into the play area, and while he was curious what was in there, he wasn’t ready to cross that threshold yet. Despite the fetish videos he’d watched and his growing curiosity about bondage, seeing all this up close and personal was something else entirely. Especially when Amber had invited him along only a few hours ago. Instead he went to the bar and ordered a soda, wishing he was a few months older and could have downed some liquid courage before they left the house. Then again, Amber would probably kill him if he got drunk just to try something new with a stranger. He wasn’t that stupid, thanks. He took his drink to a comfy armchair and settled in to people-watch, ignoring the little voice in his head piping up with a You’re stalling. Maybe he’d get lucky enough to catch someone’s eye while lingering in the sitting area. He sipped his drink with a soft snort. Yeah, right. People weren’t wearing as much leather as he’d expected. Most were in casual clothes, but there were a few who dressed the part: leather pants, corsets, fishnet. He caught sight of a man wearing a collar with a leash attached. A shiny silver collar that glinted against his dark skin. Jasper watched him as his partner led him into the dungeon, absently touching his own throat as he slumped further into his chair. No way was he going to get anyone’s attention sitting in the corner like this, but the thought of going in there alone made him feel like puking. He wasn’t entirely sure if that was the excitement or the nerves or both. With a sigh he pulled his phone out and found a game to keep himself occupied until his cousin was done. At least he’d gotten out of the house for a bit. He could even call it experiencing something new… if he ignored the heat of self-loathing in his gut for getting all the way here and chickening out. He’d only finished half his soda when someone sat in the chair next to him. From the corner of his eye, he caught the dark fabric of an expensive suit. Someone way out of his league. Probably waiting on someone. Probably straight. Such a travesty. “Seeking pain or pleasure?” a quiet voice asked, and it took Jasper a moment to realize Mr. Suit was talking to him. Jasper glanced up, choking on his soda and nearly shooting it out his nose. Dark hair, hazel eyes, and a face that belonged on a Forbes issue about the hottest entrepreneurs of the decade. “Uh, what?” he asked, pinching his stinging nose, his eyes watering. Real smooth, dumbass. Mr. Suit raised an eyebrow, and Jasper kissed his chances of making a good impression goodbye. “Are you here to play?” he asked.