Newmar, Lola - Devlin's Beast [Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns 5] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) by Lola Newmar Page B

contrast of her tan lines beneath the spaghetti straps of her black silk camisole. She wasn’t wearing a collar like many of the women in the club, which made Scarlett feel a little less like an outsider since she wasn’t wearing one, either.
    “My name is Jane,” she finally said, holding her hand out in greeting.
    Scarlett shook her hand and giggled. “What an ironic name.”
    Jane’s eyebrows knit together as she crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg in a sassy stance. “What do you mean, ironic ?”
    Scarlett’s smile fell when she realized how defensive Jane had grown, and she hurried to explain herself. “It’s just that you’re such a beautiful woman. Isn’t the term ‘plainly Jane’?”
    Scarlett felt relieved when a small smile formed on Jane’s lips. “The term is ‘plain Jane.’” She stepped back to allow Scarlett to step into her room. “And thank you for the compliment.” Jane closed the door behind her and locked it.
    Jane’s guest room was about three times bigger than the guest room she and Devlin shared. In fact, it wasn’t much of a guest room at all. It looked much more like a very glamorous dressing room straight from a girl’s fantasy. There were several racks of clothing and lingerie standing throughout the room, all organized neatly and perfectly by color. Scarlett counted four vanities, all covered in familiar-looking designer labels. It made her a little happy to know the logos were sparking past knowledge, an optimistic sign that her memory was slowly but surely returning to normal.
    Jane sat on the edge of one of the vanity counter tops, revealing just a flash of her black silk G-string panty as she crossed her ankles and motioned for Scarlett to sit in the stool in front of her. As she sat, she couldn’t help but notice how out of place Jane’s pretty, pedicured, baby-pink toenails looked in the building they sat in.
    “What you are about to participate in, Scarlett, is what we in the Lifestyle call a ‘scene.’”
    The sound of Jane’s professional-sounding voice took Scarlett’s attention away from the young blonde’s baby-pink toenails. Scarlett knew the definition of that term. Devlin had just explained it on the road trip to the city that morning. “A scene is a fantasy acted out,” Scarlett interjected, “either choreographed or done improv-style. A clear communication is made between all consensual adults before, during, and after the scene.”
    Jane smiled beautifully. “Someone’s been paying attention, I see.”
    “It’s important to me that I show interest in my mate’s…um…hobbies.”
    Jane’s head fell back as she roared with laughter. “Hobbies. I like that.”
    Scarlett shrugged. “Not only am I madly in love with him, but Devlin has saved my life recently. Participating in this scene tonight is the very least I could ever do to show my gratitude.”
    Platinum curls swayed as Jane softly shook her head. “Now don’t you sound like a fool in love,” she drawled softly, a hint of mourning in her tone. She stood from the counter and walked over to a rack of silk kimono robes.
    “Do you not believe in love?” Scarlett called out to her, curious as to why such a pretty girl would make such a cynical remark.
    “Oh, I believe in love,” Jane responded from across the room. “Love is as real as you and me as we stand here. But its power can be as poisonous as it can be cathartic.” She walked back over holding a white lace robe and a white silk sash and stood in front of Scarlett. “What I believe in is knowledge, education. A smart girl possesses a power far greater than love. I wasn’t always uncollared, you see.” Her violet-blue eyes darkened and shimmered with unshed tears as she appeared to dive deep in thought, her features tight with concentration.
    “What does it mean to be collared and uncollared?” Scarlett had been curious about this since she’d first come to visit Whipped Cream. She’d been too shy to