Emerald Dungeon
Authors: Kathy Kulig
Emerald Dungeon
A story in the
1-800-DOM-help
series.
Dana’s summer job as a musician in an Irish castle takes an adventurous turn after
she witnesses a BDSM scene in the dungeon, and her submissive side awakens. Jack is a sexy Dominant who recognizes the sub smoldering beneath her demure exterior. His
skillful commands take Dana beyond her darkest erotic fantasies.
Whips, restraints and increasing levels of pain heighten her passion, but complete
surrender and ecstasy are out of her reach. Secrets and strange events around the castle only add to the couple’s troubles. Will a summer affair be enough to find what they
both need? The appearance of a mysterious business card may help guide them. If Dana
can accept Jack with complete trust and surrender, then ultimate pleasure and true love are possible.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Emerald Dungeon
ISBN 9781419933721
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Emerald Dungeon Copyright © 2011 Kathy Kulig
Edited by Helen Woodall
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication March 2011
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
EMERALD DUNGEON
Kathy Kulig
To the authors of the 1-800-DOM-help series, for their support and knowledge.
To all my readers for their kinds words and support.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the
following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction,
Disney: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Velcro: Velcro Industries B.V. Limited Liability Company
Kathy Kulig
The Magic
The magic begins with the appearance of the business card. Sleek black print on a
pristine white background—unassuming in its appearance. Those brave enough to call
the number will begin a journey that will explore their greatest desires.
Once the call is made, the Operator goes to work. Somehow he knows just what
every caller needs, always able to find the answer the caller seeks.
Callers may be directed to Unfettered, a new club in town, one nobody has heard
of. It provides a safe haven for all who enter. Members are free to explore their every desire…even those they weren’t aware of. Little do they know Unfettered will
disappear once those yearnings have eased.
Submissives who don’t know how to handle their Dominants. Masters looking for
the perfect sub. People who need just a little push to admit vanilla isn’t their favorite flavor. The card finds them all.
And once you dial 1-800-DOM-help,
anything
can happen.
6
Emerald Dungeon
“The park’s closed today,” the gentleman at the visitor’s desk said in a slow Irish
drawl. He scowled at his computer screen then scribbled notes on a piece paper without looking at her.
“I’m not a tourist, I’m Dana Brennan. I was hired as a musician for the show.”
Glancing up from his work, he gave her a quick once-over and frowned. “What
happened to you, miss? You’re soaking wet.” He stood and approached the counter
from the other side, giving her a closer look. “Didn’t fall into the bog now, did you?”
“Bog? No, I had a flat tire on my drive over. It was raining.”
“Changed it yourself now?”
She nodded.
He smiled, clearly astonished. He was a man of indeterminate years with white
hair, a weatherworn face and blue eyes that held humor one moment and were severe
the next.
“I’ll get you your key so you can get into dry clothes. I’m Will Donegal, the
proprietor of Rathmore Castle.” He opened several drawers until he held up a key.
“Here you go, Ms. Brennan. The cottages for the performers are to the right of the
castle.” He handed her the key with the number six on it. “You be an American? First
time in Ireland?”
“I’m an American, but I’ve visited before. My cousin lives in Dublin. She told me
about the job.”
“I’d come and show you the cottage, but I best be staying here. Being it’s Monday,
the park is closed, but tourists still wander in.”
Her spirits fell. “Darn. I was hoping to check out the castle. It’s magnificent.”
7
Kathy Kulig
“It is that now, isn’t it?” His eyes brightened and his back straightened, then he
turned serious again. “You’ll have plenty of time to explore the castle when it’s open.”
“I will. Thanks.” She sighed. “I’m supposed to meet Jack. I understand he’s the one
who hired me.” They’d talked on the phone and emailed for months. She had all the
music he’d sent her memorized for the show. She couldn’t wait to meet him. Her
curiosity was driving her mad. Would his looks match her fantasy image of him? Jack’s voice had a slow, rugged sound. Maybe it was the Irish accent that had kicked her
libido into gear or that she hadn’t had anything more than a casual date over the last six months. Knowing her luck, Jack probably looked more like the proprietor.
“Jack’s around,” Mr. Donegal said. “His cottage is at the edge of the forest, number
two. And best you don’t wander into that forest alone. You could get lost in the bogs.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Get lost? She used to go backpacking in the Shenandoah
National Park alone and she never got lost. She thought better not to mention that. “I had a large package shipped. Do you know if it’s arrived yet?”
He pondered her question for a moment. “Yes, it’s here. Delivered two days ago.”
“Where is it? How did it look?” She clasped her hands to her chest, preparing
herself for the worse.
He gave her a puzzled look. “Why, it looked like a box, a rather large one at that.”
“I mean was it damaged?
“Don’t think so.”
“Good. Can I pick it up now, please?”
“Jack took it. Said it was your harp. Probably took it to the castle for the show.”
“And the castle is closed,” she reminded him. Her heart leapt with relief and
disappointment. By the look on the proprietor’s face, he wasn’t going to leave his post so she could get her instrument.
“Ah, I love the folk harp. ’Tis a lovely sound. I shall look forward to hearing you
play.”
8
Emerald Dungeon
“Thank you, Mr. Donegal.”
He caught her gaze and gave her a slight nod. “If you follow the drive, you’ll come
to a fork. Bear to the right. You’ll see the cottages. There’s a meeting tonight at seven in the castle for the entertainers. You can get your harp then.”
She thanked him again and left the visitor’s center with its quaint thatched roof and miniature windows with flower boxes, like something straight out of a fairytale. Despite her disappointment in having to wait to practice her music, she was excited about her summer job. Her parents had frowned on Dana’s decision to take a leave of absence
from a well-paying management position in a security company for a part-time,
minimal-paying job as an entertainer in a medieval show. They were both high-
powered executives and thrived on long work hours and stress. How could they
understand that the stress of Dana’s job had been wearing on her life? Work usually
slowed down in her company over the summer, so her boss had agreed to the leave as
long as she returned by September first. She deserved this break. At thirty-three, this was the first reckless thing she’d ever done.
The midday sun dried up the earlier rain and the air smelled of dew, cut grass and
flowers. For a Maryland girl, June in Ireland was on the cool side. She climbed into her rental car, which looked more like a fishbowl on a roller skate, and drove along the gravel road toward Rathmore Castle. As she reached the fork in the road, she stopped
the car. Across a large field toward the right were a dozen thatched-roofed cottages
similar to the visitor’s center. The left road led straight to the castle.
As she gazed up at the massive structure, a slight tremor went through her. Mostly,
she was shivering from cold. The rain had soaked through to her underwear and the
cool air had chilled her to the bone. But the tremor was more than that. She couldn’t imagine her good luck at working in such a beautiful place, but what if her parents
were right and taking this time off would somehow hurt her position at her old job? She found herself hoping to go back to her old routine. Why did she think she could make a big change in her life? That wasn’t her.
9
Kathy Kulig
Dana swung the car toward the cottages and stopped in front of number six. After
unloading her luggage, she dragged it all into her unit and dropped it on the bed. The cottage was small but very neat. A tiny kitchen with a table for two was at the front, a bed and dresser in the middle, then a seating area with loveseat and coffee table. On one wall was a fireplace. Her teeth were chattering at this point and a hot shower
beckoned.
She showered and changed into jeans and a tee shirt and slipped on a lightweight
hooded sweatshirt, leaving it unzipped. Grabbing her room key and stuffing it in her
sweatshirt pocket, she gave her unpacked suitcases a weary look as she left her cottage.
When she tried Jack’s door and got no answer, she accepted the grim fact that harp
practice would have to wait until after the meeting that evening. The castle loomed in front of her. A drive into town for groceries would wait. How could she pass up
exploring the grounds of a five-hundred-year-old monument? Closed or not, she had to
take a closer look. She had all afternoon to shop and unpack. Walking toward it, she
admired how the dark stone structure rose well above the trees and at each corner were tower-like turrets. The view from the top must be amazing.