by Ivy Nelson
As they finished the last of their second drink—Adara’s fourth—they said their good nights. Adara promised to be in the office early in the morning. The whiskey might have seemed like a bad choice then, but tonight she just wanted to sleep and forget.
The next day went by without event. Every hour or so she checked her phone hoping to hear from Michael, but so far, nothing. First thing in the morning she took care of being debriefed by Homeland Security and the FBI.
Next, she went to a campaign rally and held her first press conference since the kidnapping. It was the first time she stepped in front of news cameras and not felt apprehensive. For the first time her past wasn’t hanging over her. There were no secrets threatening her life or the lives of her friends. It should have been a happy, freeing moment, but it wasn’t. This was a moment she wanted to share with Michael. Why was he denying her that?
As she stepped down from the podium and went back inside the building, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket.
Without looking at the screen, she answered.
“You look good on TV.” It was Michael.
“Thank you. It felt good to be there without secrets hanging over me.”
“Can we have dinner tonight?”
“I’m not sure. Can I get back to you?”
“Of course.”
“I have to go.” She pressed end call. Talking to him again stirred up her anger all over again. It was probably best if she went to dinner and heard him out, but her pride wasn’t letting her. It still stung, the way he handled things. She was going to need time to see him the same again.
Her phone lit up with a text message.
I’m sorry. Please have dinner with me.
Her chest tightened. She wanted to just say yes but something was holding her back.
I’ll think about it. I promise. I’m just really angry right now.
His response didn’t take long.
So am I. Just have dinner with me.
Now she had no problem telling him no.
Stop asking. I’ll call you when I’m ready.
She huffed and shoved her phone back into her pocket and went to meet Bradley and Leslie Hanover.
“Adara. Darling. I’m so sorry for everything. I just feel awful about James. I feel like I led him straight to you. I’m so glad you’re safe.” Leslie hugged her as she spoke.
“Thank you, Leslie. Don’t feel bad about James. You had no way of knowing who he was. I’m just glad to be home.”
“Leslie was just telling me we should talk to my dad about his support. He’s doing a D.C. fundraiser next week. He’ll endorse you to the locals and probably raise a bunch of money for his campaign and yours.”
“It’s a good idea, Leslie. Bradley, feel free to set it up. Is it black tie?”
Bradley nodded. “Yes, a full works fundraising dinner and ball.”
“Awesome. Let’s do it.”
Adara should have been more excited. Being endorsed by the likely next President of the United States was a big deal. But her mind kept wandering to Michael. It would be fun to take him with her, especially if he put on a tux. But that didn’t seem like a possibility at the moment. Would they ever be able to patch things up? Did she want to? She just didn’t know. For now, though, she had to focus on the job at hand. There would be time to think about Michael later.
At lunch, Darci came into the office to see Bradley.
“Hey, Adara. Are you coming to the club tomorrow night?”
She hadn’t given it any thought. Should she? Why bother now? But she was curious and maybe Michael would be there. She couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“You should. It might be good to check it out on your own.”
Bradley’s eyebrow rose at that, but he didn’t say anything.
“I’ll think about it. I am a member now. I guess I should check it out again soon.”
• • •
When Michael arrived, the party at Exposure was just getting started. He hadn’t intended to come tonight but Darci had called him and insisted he join them. “You need to get out Michael. It’s been a stressful few days for you. You don’t have to play with anyone. Just come hang out and relax. You’ll work things out with Adara.”
He hoped so. After she had hung up on him yesterday, he was still feeling angry. But he still wanted to sit down and talk to her. What he really wanted was to bring her to the club with him so they could play and talk and work things out. He looked around at the people already playing and his heart constricted. Damn Darci for insisting he come here tonight. It was a bad idea right now.
As he scoped out the scenes taking place throughout the room, Leah, a female dominant, motioned him in her direction.
“You have time to teach me something with knives tonight?”
Michael considered it a moment and then nodded. “Sure. I’ve got my knife kit.”
“Thanks. My girl Jess has been dying to experience some knife play, but I just don’t have the skill for it. Where’s the girl you’ve been hanging out with?”
“Not able to be here tonight,” he said stiffly. “Lead the way. Let’s see if we can teach you a few things.” Before they reached the station that Jess was waiting at, Michael said, “I’ll need to get consent and negotiate with Jess as well as you. I don’t negotiate with someone else’s top.”
The tall Mistress held up her hands. “I respect that. Not trying to negotiate for her. Just trying to get the ball rolling.” When they reached the corner, Michael was tempted to ask the girl for ID she looked so young. But he knew the club vetted everyone carefully and there would be no underage people allowed in.
He introduced himself and began his normal negotiation spiel. He asked about limits and medical conditions he should be aware of. Physical and emotional triggers, the boring but very necessary stuff. Then he got to the fun part.
“What about knives appeal to you?”
She was a bit shy but a gentle prod from Mistress Leah got her talking.
“Hard steel, soft skin. I like the contrast it creates.” It came out a husky whisper. Michael understood what she was saying. He felt the same way about knives. An object that could induce great fear was also capable of bringing intense sensuality and pleasure. Cold steel on warm soft skin was a beautiful contradiction. It was a contradiction he wanted Adara to experience. He banished the thought. He needed to focus on the person in front of him so he didn’t hurt her. He was cautious about who he drew blood with, and he never did that on a first timer. But he could tell that Jess would take to knives instantly and her Mistress would need to learn the skill or allow her to play with others.
When the negotiating was complete, he opened the pouch that held his knives and pulled out three blades he enjoyed using on beginners. They had agreed to a blindfold and sensual touching. Marks that didn’t break the skin were OK, but there would be no drawing blood and no penetration.
Jess stripped off the simple dress she was wearing—with nothing underneath—and laid on the massage table that was set up nearby. He pulled out a blindfold and slipped it over her eyes, smoothing her hair after he stretched the elastic over it.
He motioned for Leah to join him at the table
“Do you have any experience at all with blades?”
She shook her head.
After directing her to keep physical contact with her submissive so she didn’t feel alone, he spoke in a low voice and went over a few safety tips before resting the first blade he had chosen between the girl’s breasts, letting her feel the weight of the knife and the temperature of the steel. Her breathing changed almost immediately, and he enjoyed watching his knife move up and down as she inhaled and exhaled. Picking up the blade, he ran the unsharpened edge across the underside of her left breast and gently ran his other hand down her right arm. She shivered and a gentle moan escaped her lips. Mistress Leah chuckled.
“I guess I’m going to have to learn a lot about knives.
I love her response already.”
Michael ran the knife across her torso then looked up to hand Leah the knife so she could try. His hand stopped midair, the blade gripped in his fingers.
He was staring right at Adara.
24
♥♥♥
Adara stepped into Exposure feeling better than she had in the last few days. Convincing herself to come tonight had taken some work, but once she had, she was committed. Scanning the dungeon, her eyes settled on the couches where she had spent time with Michael the last two times she had been here. Then she spotted the play station where she had been introduced to the idea of a public scene. The memories brought a flush to her face. As she was sweeping the dungeon one more time, looking for Darci, Peter, or someone she knew, her breath caught, and she froze in place.
Michael was next to a massage table with a very naked woman on it. A knife glinted in the dim light as he dragged it down the naked woman’s torso. Her stomach knotted and she tried to keep bile from rising in her throat. It certainly hadn’t taken him very long to move on. This had been a terrible idea. She should leave. But her feet seemed glued to the floor and she couldn’t make herself move. Her heart raced and the room seemed to spin. With jerky movements, she finally managed to turn around and make a beeline for the exit. Bradley intercepted her.
“Where are you going?” His voice was stern, and he wore a frown. What was his problem? Then she recognized it. A look she had seen on Michael’s face more than once. He was in dominant mode. Just lovely. Not exactly what she needed right now. Not from him anyway.
“I’m going home. He clearly doesn’t care about me like I thought.”
“Clearly? I don’t think anything is clear and I think you need to pull your head out of your ass.”
Her mouth fell open. In the decade they had been friends, he had never spoken to her like this. “You heard me,” he continued. His arms crossed over his chest, his black T-shirt stretching tight across him.
“Stop speaking to me like that. I am not your submissive.” She folded her arms, mirroring his posture.
“No, but you are my friend and I see you jumping to conclusions that you have no right to be jumping to. And even if it is what you think, he’s been asking you to sit down and talk for days and you won’t give him the time of day. You ran off and nearly got yourself killed. An act for which I would have taken you over my knee for without question if you and I had the same arrangement the two of you have—”
“Had,” she said cutting him off and trying to step around him.
His hand shot out and gripped her arm. “Stop. You’re being ridiculous right now and you need to recognize that. You went through a terrible trauma, but so did he. He had to sit there and watch that god damn video and so did I. And there wasn’t anything either of us could do about it. I’ve already said I thought he was an ass for how he handled it but you’re being one too.”
“Jesus, Bradley. You’ve never talked to me like this before.”
“You’ve never needed it before.”
“How the fuck do you know what I need?”
Still holding onto her arm, he led her to a couch and pushed her gently down on it. “Sit. Why are you being so defensive?”
“He’s over there with another woman. And she’s naked.”
“You saw him for ten seconds. You don’t know what he was doing. You need to give him a chance. Stop being a coward, Adara. You’ve run away too many times. I know you’re stronger than that.”
“Thank you, Bradley. I think I can take this from here.”
Adara whirled around to see Michael standing behind the couch.
“Come on, Angel. I think we need to talk.”
• • •
Michael held his hand out to Adara, hoping she would accept it. She eyed him warily but slipped her hand into his. He tugged her back into the dungeon and over to the bar area.
“Drink?”
“Yes, please.” She fidgeted and looked everywhere but him as she answered. After settling her at a table in the corner, he got them both glasses of whiskey.
“Sounds like Bradley was giving you the what-for,” he said when he returned.
“Something like that.” Her fingers closed around the glass and she rolled it in her hands.
He sighed. She was still closed off.
“It’s not what you think, Angel.”
“I don’t know what to think anymore. I thought you wanted to talk. Work things out. Then I come here and find you with another woman. And she’s naked.”
“If you had bothered to watch for more than five seconds before jumping to conclusions, you would know I wasn’t doing anything sexual with her. I was showing her Mistress some knife play techniques because she was interested but Leah knew nothing about it.” He did his best to keep his voice even and kind despite his irritation.
Then he watched her face contort as she remembered Leah approaching them the last time they were here together. “Well. I feel like an ass now.”
“So, let’s talk. I’m sorry for how I handled things when you first got home. I really am. I was angry and scared, and I reacted to those things in ways I shouldn’t have.”
“I didn’t handle it well either. And. You were right and had every right to be angry with me.”
“So, where do we go from here? Because I’m dying without you, Adara. I’ve fallen in love with you.”
“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t. But I want to work things out with you. I need people in my corner because I’m struggling to get past what happened. I probably need a therapist.”
“If that’s what you need, we’ll get you one. I’ll go too if you need me to.” He tried to ignore the fact that she didn’t respond to his declaration of love.
She shook her head. “I think I need to do this on my own.”
“I’m OK with that. What about all this?” He waved his hand around the club. He needed to know where they stood as a power exchange couple. It wasn’t a deal breaker, but it would certainly change how he approached their relationship.
“I’m here tonight, aren’t I?”
“That’s cute, but that’s not exactly an answer, Angel.”
“No. It’s not. I’m not sure what to tell you. I liked where we were headed before shit hit the fan. I enjoy the places you take me. I enjoy the things we do together but I’m not going to be at your beck and call and I’m not going to reshape my life to fit your rules.”
“Have I given you any reason to think I want those things? I’m not asking you to reshape your life. Nor do I need you at my beck and call. What I’m asking for is clearly defined roles. And I’m asking you to play this game with me. But you have to trust me. You have to trust that I have your best interests at heart. And I have to trust you to have mine at heart too. I have to be able to trust that you’re going to do as I ask and if you can’t do as I ask, you’re going to come to me so we can have a conversation about it.”
“Be honest. If I had told you I wanted to go meet my brother, what would you have said?”
“I would have told you not to. But if you had insisted, I would have come with you.”
“And you think you could have stopped him from drugging my coffee?” Adara asked, one eyebrow raised.
“No. But I could have stopped him from following you to the bathroom.”
“Fair point.” She took a deep breath. “So, do we just pick up where we left off?”
“I don’t know about that. I think we need a clean slate, don’t you? I think we need to reclaim what was taken from us by you being kidnapped and nearly killed. It may take some time. It may take some work. But we can do it.”
“I don’t want a collar.”
“That’s fine. We can talk about it some other time if you decide you’re ready. I don’t need to put a collar on you to make you mine, Angel.”
She blushed and he felt a moment of pride. Glad to know he still affected her that way.
“OK. So, what now? How do we wipe the sl
ate clean?”
“Fire.”
“Fire?”
“It’s not as scary as it sounds.”
Her expression told him she wasn’t convinced.
“It’s symbolic. Fire is cleansing. And letting me play with you that way is a sign of trust. Wouldn’t you agree? It’s completely up to you though, Angel.”
“No knives. I’m not ready for knives.”
He laughed. “No knives.”
“OK. I’m in.”
“Good girl. Let’s go.”
“What? You mean now?”
Her voice sounded strained and he chuckled. “I can’t think of a better time.”
In the main dungeon space, he found a massage table for them to play on. When he turned to face her, she looked nervous, so he gripped her face in his hands and kissed her hard. “Try to relax, Angel. Let me center you. Close your eyes.”
In the dimly lit dungeon, he watched as her eyes drifted closed, and he let his hands glide down her arms, stopping to rest at her waist. When he felt her relax under his touch, he pressed a soft kiss to her neck.
“Kneel,” he whispered when she was fully relaxed. “I need to go get a couple of things but I’m not going far.”
She sank to her knees and he watched her for a moment. She appeared to be doing a deep breathing exercise. When he reached his toy bag, he pulled out the silver case that housed his fire play equipment. Fire was a beautiful form of trust-based play. It wasn’t generally painful, but it did require a great deal of care and trust. Tonight, he hoped to solidify their bond through fire.
Back at the massage table, Adara was still kneeling with her eyes closed. When he placed the case on the massage table, she lifted her head.
“Before we start, I need to say something.”
“Go ahead, Angel.” He bent one leg intent on lowering himself to the floor, but she stopped him and stood.
