Thane rubbed his hand slowly over his mouth, considering his options. He didn't need to work, not with the amount of money in his bank account. His time was his own, and he was getting bored of puttering around the house, fixing this and that. His brain preferred puzzles and data, figuring out patterns and plotting ahead. He missed being involved in taking down the bad guys. “I'd like to help.”
“Thane, what are you doing?” Connie whispered.
“Being useful at a time when many hands make light work,” he murmured back, brushing his lips over hers for the fun of it. “The last three years, I've lost my way. I got caught up in physical therapy. I let parts of me fade away, threw others aside. Floated in limbo for a while. I moved away from Chicago to try and find out who I am now.”
He set his fingers under her chin, tipping her head back. “I joined clubs in Phoenix and was shunned for being a Switch. I've been rattling around in here for weeks, decorating, cleaning, trying to make it perfect for someone who wasn't me. Hell, the rest of my furniture didn't come until a couple of weeks ago, and now I don't know if I want any of it in these four walls. I found Avalon and it changed my life. It gave me friends who don't think I'm half a man because I submit as equally as I dominate. It gave me you, the woman who gives me clarity and makes me believe in a happy ever after, despite the shit that kicks me when I'm down. The woman I fucking love, the woman I wish I'd met twenty years ago, for both our sakes.”
Her lips twitched. “I would have been fourteen, Thane. You can get arrested for that shit.”
“I'd have waited. I'd wait an eternity for you. Hell, feels like I already have. I'm not wasting any more time, procrastinating on the small stuff. I want you to move in with me. I want you to wear my collar proudly, the same way I'll wear yours. I want to throw out every piece of furniture in this place that doesn't belong, and replace it all with what suits you and me.” He sighed heavily. “I'm not in the best physical shape of my life, I know that. I could still chase someone down and tackle them, but I'd be in a world of hurt afterwards. But my brain is sharp, my instincts are honed, and if Atticus needs an extra set of experienced hands to bring these fuckers to justice, then I'm offering them. To protect your family. To protect mine.”
They'd already said I love you out on the street. Just the two of them, promises and intentions made abundantly clear. Happy, laughing, perfect. This, here and now, was something more. Like Jasper's claiming of Anarchy with the clit ring, this was Thane’s turning point. He was willing to share his plans for the future with her, in front of the people she couldn't live without. Because he felt the same way about her, he'd declare his dreams in front of whoever wanted to hear them.
“You want me to move in with you?”
“Yes. Today, next week, six months from now. Whenever you feel ready. If you're worried about Alicia, I've got that covered. It won't take me long to build some ramps leading to the doors. I can renovate the dining room into a bedroom, knock a doorway through into the mudroom and turn that into a bathroom. She'd have full access to the kitchen, living room, her own space.”
Every eye in the room was on him. He didn't care—the only ones he was interested in were the big gray ones currently filling rapidly with fat, glistening tears. When she blinked, they slid down her cheeks in slow trickles. “You'd do that for me?”
“Fuck, woman, have you not heard anything I've told you since that first night we had together?” Thane kissed one of the tears, tasting salt and sweetness. “If I haven't said the words, or shown you that I'd do fucking anything for you, the big guy over there needs to kick my ass.”
“Maybe I will, after I give your proposal some thought.” Atticus propelled himself from his chair, stretching his shoulders. “I believe it's time for us interlopers to leave. The festivities will begin at nine, so don't be late. If you have any questions, we're all at your disposal.”
Stunned by the sudden exodus of their friends, Thane shifted Connie onto her feet. “I'll see you out.”
“It's okay, we know the way. Connie's barely containing herself from a very public display of affection.” Chuckling, Atticus winked and headed for the door. “Nine o'clock, boys and girls.”
Jasper stood, steadying Archie as she found her balance. He let her go as she hurried to Thane, eyes narrowing as she bent to kiss Thane's cheek. It was a simple thing, a butterfly kiss against the scruff of beard on his face, but it was beautiful in its simplicity, packed with emotion. “Thank you for listening, Master Thane. Thank you for not judging me.”
He didn't touch her back. He doubted he'd have his fingers left if he did. Friends or not, Jasper's face highlighted his displeasure at the interaction. Archie would probably have a sore ass before she even got to Avalon tonight, punishment for straining the limit of Jasper's comfort zone. He wasn't a Dom who shared without permission.
“You're a good girl, Archie. I've got no right to judge, so I won't. Go back to your Dom and show him how lucky he is to have you.”
She grinned and whispered. “Has he got his growly face on?”
“Growly face?” Baffled, Thane risked a glance at the man. “I don't know what expression that is, but he looks as though he's ready to strip off his belt and whip both our asses if you don't hurry back to him.”
“Perfect.” Calming her features into a somber mask, she turned and did indeed hurry back to the sadist, squeaking as he immediately curved his arm around her waist, leaned her forward, and smacked her ass with several sharp spanks that made Thane's palm tingle with jealousy.
“Sometimes, I think you intentionally rile me, kitten.” Jasper stood her upright again, then nodded to Thane. “Appreciate you taking the time to hear us out, Thane. I hope what we've told you helps you going forward. We'll see you in a few hours.”
Connie slipped off his lap as soon as their friends were out of sight, dropping to her knees between his thighs. Toying with his zipper, she peered up at him. “You took Anarchy's secret well. Do you see why I couldn't tell you myself?”
He threaded his fingers through her hair. “Oh yeah. That's a nasty clusterfuck she narrowly avoided. She'd be sitting in a cell right now if Atticus wasn't some kind of mercenary superhero. She's a very lucky girl. Strong, brave…she reminds me of you.” When Connie tried to shake her head, he clenched his fist and stopped her. “Don't argue, sugar. Denying it won't change my opinion of you or her. I'm sorry she was put in that position, but she's got a fucking spine beneath all that innocence.”
“She really does.” The front door closed, making her jump as though she'd forgotten their company had only just left. “Did you mean what you said about…moving in with you? Taking Alicia on?”
“Moving in? Absolutely, as long as you're sure that's what you want.” He loosened his fist, letting the tautness of her scalp relax. “As for Alicia…the door is always open for her, if that's what she wants. Her time at the facility is almost up, right? How does she feel about that?”
Connie sighed. “The last few times I called her, she said she was going to stay there if Braun would let her. But she's not happy, I could hear it in her voice. She'll stay, convincing everyone she wants to, because she doesn't want to be a burden. I hate that she'll sentence herself to a lifetime of unhappiness in a place she hates, because she wants everyone else to be happy.”
Been there, he thought, still have the scars. “We'll talk with Braun and Bodie, see what we can come up with. It'll take me a few weeks to get the renovations done, but if you say she's not in the right place to heal, I believe you.”
“What cloud did you fall off, Thane? There's no way you can be this damn perfect.”
“For you, sugar, I'll be as perfect as I can be. Is that a yes?”
The zipper lowered, and his cock rose from the confines of the material to be enveloped in a wash of warm breath. A soft, pink tongue licked a line up his shaft, drawing a bead of precum to the slit, only to be lapped away. He groaned and refrained from thrusting his crown past her lips. He wanted a fucking a
nswer before he gagged her.
“I can't think of a reason to say no, Sir.”
Chapter Fourteen
There came a time in a woman's life when she re-evaluated everything she thought she knew about herself. Her body, her needs. The life choices she'd made, and the path carved ahead of her. It was a time for reflection, for change, for self-growth and facing fears. It hurt like a bitch to pick at the seams of her carefully constructed shelter and discover that the woman she'd buried beneath the façade was mummified, forgotten, in the foundation stones of a life that was quickly spinning around on its axis.
The catalyst for Connie's internal overhaul was saying yes to Thane's request that she move in with him. It jolted her down to the core that she could even think about it after what living with Evan had done to her, yet there was a frisson of excitement singing under her skin as they walked into Avalon.
Thane had nothing left to prove to her. He was a gentleman, he was charming and funny and sweet. All the things Evan had been, she reminded herself wryly, remembering the man who'd swept her feet out from under her and carted her off into hell. But her lover lacked one essential element that Evan had possessed in spades—psychopathy.
Evan wouldn't have offered to take Alicia into his home and treat her with the respect Thane showed in his voice. No, that asshole would've found a disabled young woman the most entertaining of toys. Remove her chair, and she was trapped wherever she was put. He'd have swung her from her wrists for days, torturing an already broken body and fractured mind until she shattered completely.
Connie ran her fingers over her puffy lips, still swollen from the blowjob she'd gifted Thane earlier. Her damn jaw ached from stretching to accommodate his girth, but she continued to float under the haze of satisfaction she was beginning to crave. The peace of mind that tagged along behind pleasing her Dom so thoroughly, he'd spent an hour with her curled in his arms, crooning about what a good girl she was, how proud he was of her surrendering to her submissive side by choice. How good she made him feel.
Beside her, Thane noticed her touching her mouth and grinned. “I can still feel those lips around the base of my cock, Mistress.”
They signed in with Saul at the front desk, then stepped through into the social area. Thane dropped back a step, prepared to follow on her heels like a good sub, and for the first time, Connie's resolve wavered. She'd spent the last ten years building a reputation on being a damn good Domme, a reputation that was only half true. If she and Thane continued to grow their dynamic, was she sentencing him to a decade of hiding his Dom in the dark like she had with her submissive side? Only letting the Dominant out to play away from curious eyes?
No. No, she wouldn't allow that.
She was learning to embrace that discarded side of herself. She was finding the joy in submitting, the pleasure in serving a good man's needs. She didn't want to cloak herself in shadows anymore, concealing a vital part of herself in fear and anxiety. It wasn't fair to her—or to Thane.
Stopping inside the doors, she felt his chest bump against her back. His hand cupped her shoulder joint, stroked soothingly. “Everything okay, Mistress? Do you need me to get something from the locker room before we go in?”
Shaking her head, she turned to face him. Reaching up, she cupped his jaw and lost herself in amber eyes. “This is your night tonight, Thane. Your time to shine as a Dom.” Her lips curved into a proud smile she couldn't contain. “Your night to stand in the spotlight and be welcomed as an Avalon Master. You shouldn't be on your knees, waiting for me to give you an order.”
He frowned, trying to decipher what she was saying. “I can be a Master while I'm on my knees, sugar. We Switches are versatile.”
Damn it, she wasn't being as clear as she wanted to be. Nerves fluttered in her belly as she took a deep breath. “No, I'm saying…trying to say…fuck,” she hissed in frustration. The words wouldn't come, sticking in her throat like pills swallowed dry.
“Deep breath, Connie, and let them come of their own accord,” he coaxed.
A deep breath in the dress she wore? Hah! The goddamn seams would split down the sides if she sneezed. The material slicked over her breasts and down her body to a few inches past her ass cheeks, leaving her legs and shoulders bare. Almost the same color as her eyes, Thane had drooled over it when she yanked it out of her closet. It was tight enough to warrant no bra, no panties, no protection.
Paired with gray knee-high boots that put her on a level with him, and with her hair tumbling loosely around her shoulders, she looked like she was ready to party.
She inhaled sharply, held the breath, released it. Three times it took before she calmed her nerves enough to offer herself on a sacrificial alter, ready to slaughter ten years of domination in the name of progress. “I trust you not to let me make an ass of myself, Thane. I trust you to stand up for me if the shit hits the fan and a riot breaks out.” Another fortifying breath, another slow exhale. “I'm ready to submit to you, Master Thane. In public, among my friends and peers.”
“Because you are ready, or because you think you should be ready?”
Goddamn him, why could he not take the gift as it was given? The man questioned and prodded her every action, gauging the waters before he let her dip her toes in. Okay, so maybe he'd spared her from having those toes bitten off a few times—metaphorically—through his special brand of caution, but she was doing her best to offer herself to him. “If you'd rather keep up this pretense, it's no skin off my nose,” she snapped back, spinning around and stalking away.
She took a half dozen steps before she felt the air crack like a thunderclap. Around her, conversations continued as though it was a normal Saturday night. Several Doms lifted their hands in acknowledgement of her arrival. Not one person seemed aware of the tension ebbing through the room like a cloud of thick fog.
Fucking ungrateful asshole, she thought viciously. By God, she was actually pleased he'd turned her offer down. At least now, she could top him without remorse, let him have the full Mistress Connie experience. No more Mrs. Nice Domme, teasing him with a cock ring and letting him come like a fucking freight train. No, she'd wrap those perfect balls of his so tightly a drop of his semen would take a fucking month to squeeze free of the confinement.
A hand grabbed her by the back of the neck, catching a handful of hair with it. Her head jerked back as she was dragged to a halt, and Thane's lips touched her ear. Eyes were on them now, a lot of eyes, and a few of the more protective Dominants—male and female—eased nearer in case of trouble. The thick rush of lubrication dripping down her thighs warned her she was in over her head.
“I asked you a question, Constance.” His voice was the darkest she'd ever heard it. Rich, teeming with violence, he all but growled the words in a tone that was flush with displeasure. “A willing submissive wouldn't be so argumentative, would she? She'd answer the question with some modicum of respect, then wait for her Dom to instruct her. She would not,” he snarled quietly, “taunt him and then flounce away like a pissed-off queen. You might be my queen, sugar, but you gave me control and I'm going to use it.”
Thane steered her toward the bar, mindless of the gathering surrounding them. Two Doms were barely six feet away, inching closer as they decided whether to interfere or not. Unsure whether she was enjoying the role reversal or in real distress.
“You didn't want control,” she hissed, baring her teeth as the people waiting for drinks and standing talking to their friends parted like the Red Sea for the incoming Dom and his captive sub.
“Oh really? And where in the ten seconds before you walked away did you hear me say, 'Oh that's a lovely offer, Connie, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass tonight'? I asked you whether you were ready for this, or thought you should be, that was all. Obviously, we're past the point of me checking in on you, so we'll just go right ahead and throw you in at the deep end.” He stopped her by a vacated stool, then kicked it out of his way.
Liam approached, his expression wary. “Every
thing okay here?”
“Hunky-dory,” Thane shot back. “I need a wet bar towel.”
When the Viking Master flashed her a what the hell have you done now look at Connie, she could only gulp and lift her shoulders. The easy, sweet man she'd fallen for had faded into the background like a stalker, lurking in the shadows while the X-rated version of her Dom emerged.
“The dress comes off,” Thane ordered, folding his arms over his chest. “You have five seconds to take it off before I remove it in such a manner that there won't be anything left for you to put back on. Five…”
Holy shit, what had she unleashed?
“Four…three…”
She bent and grasped the hem, fiery nerves licking at her skin when she pulled it up and wrestled her way out of the tight material. She heard Thane continuing to countdown, a sharp slash of fear striking in her stomach as he hit one. She was tangled in the damn dress, unable to fight.
Thane yanked it over her head and tossed it over a neighboring stool. He let his gaze caress her naked skin, focusing on the tight peaks of her nipples, then down to the blatant evidence of her arousal smearing her inner thighs. “What's making you so hot and bothered, sugar? All these fine, outstanding pillars of your community stroking you with their eyes? The thrill of being stripped down to bare skin and exposing who you are? Or maybe the idea of punishment is making this perfect pussy wet and wanting?”
“I don't know, Sir.”
Connie quivered under the speculation and whispers sliding through the growing crowd. Jesus, what had possessed her to think she was ready for this? She turned, prepared to abandon her dignity and run to the locker room, but faced a wall of familiarity that was both suspicious and curious. Her eyes darted from face to face, reading the astonishment in the Dominants' eyes, and a range of emotion that spanned from excitement to outright hostility in some of the subs.
Talk For Me: Club Avalon Book 3 Page 35
