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. The club 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. 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, finding 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.