by Avery Gale
* * * *
Jamie leaned over and spoke close enough to her ear that she felt his warm breath move across her skin like a lover’s caress. “Stop thinking like a physician, chère. Sub-space is an experience we hope to give you very, very soon. But it is not something I think any two people experience in exactly the same way. I’m glad they didn’t give you any preconceived expectations because it will make your first time oh so much more intense. God, I can hardly wait for the moment when that quick mind of yours lets go and you find yourself floating in bliss.”
Bree noticed that his words were drawing her in like a moth to a flame. His voice was nearly hypnotizing and she wondered if it was possible to come just from words. She heard him chuckle and suddenly realized—much to her horror—that she’d spoken the words out loud.
“You are the most amazing woman. There are so many interesting layers that make you who you are, we’ll spend the next sixty years discovering new things each day and still barely scratch the surface.”
Jamie was so close she could feel the heat pulsing against her skin and she felt like the air between them was crackling with energy. What was it about these men that set them apart from all the others? She respected the other Doms she’d met since she’d been at ShadowDance, but none of them made her want to do whatever it took to please them. Kat’s words came back to her and Bree suddenly understood her friend’s devastation at feeling she’d let her husbands down. The moment of self-realization stunned her. Holy hell cats, she might end up getting the hang of this submission thing after all.
Chapter 30
Ethan watched the emotions play out over Bree’s face. She fascinated him. She was submissive to the bone and he’d bet his last nickel she’d just realized it on some level. The look of epiphany had been unmistakable and he was grateful she’d finally seen in herself what he and Creed had seen from that first day. Thinking back on that day and how it had changed his life, he vowed to buy Catherine Lamont a huge bouquet the next time she visited.
Catherine had sent Bree to them because she’d known of Bree’s curiosity about Ds relationships. When he’d spoken with her after Bree was shot, she’d told him that she’d known he and Jamie would be perfect to introduce the timid woman to the joys of submission. He had assured Catherine that Bree was perfect and he’d be forever in her debt for sending her to ShadowDance. Ethan had the greatest respect for the elder Lamonts, and while they had been wildly successful in every business venture they’d ever undertaken, it was their generosity that made them so special.
Ethan had grown up surrounded by people who were filthy rich but he’d never met anyone as open with their checkbooks or their hearts as Daniel and Catherine Lamont. Their domestic violence shelters were not just much-needed havens for victims but they also offered educational opportunities for the residents and their children. He didn’t doubt for a moment that Catherine Lamont was Daniel’s sub, and he was grateful she was open enough to mentor other women. She was a wonderful example of how intelligent women don’t lose anything by being submissive, actually the truth was the exact opposite. Extremely intelligent women tended to recognize the freedom submission afforded them and the value of not being responsible for their own pleasure. Most of the women Ethan had known who were what he’d jokingly termed super-subs enjoyed being able place the reins in someone else’s hands. They often told him how much they relished the fact that their only responsibility was to obey. They didn’t get bogged down in all the “Am I doing this right? Should I do this or that now?” questions.
Knowing that he and Creed could give Bree that kind of freedom was very satisfying indeed. They had discussed taking their little beauty to The Club in the near future because gauging a sub’s reactions to scenes was a great way to find out exactly what interested them. Often a sub either didn’t realize something was a trigger or they were too embarrassed to admit it. And even when their words said one thing, their body’s response told the tale. It was a very rare person who could control their body language for more than a few minutes. And every good Dom was an expert at reading body language; it was just a part of the definition.
Looking up at Creed, he knew his friend was thinking the same thing he was. Yes, their beautiful Bree was going to get see some interesting things tonight and he could hardly wait to discover some of the sweet secrets that he knew awaited. He leaned forward and kissed her. It wasn’t a kiss of passion or possession, but a kiss that assured her they had been listening not only to the words she’d spoken, but also to those she’d hadn’t had the courage to say—yet.
Chapter 31
Bree was so nervous during dinner she had barely been able to eat a bite despite both Ethan’s and Jamie’s glares. She had almost jumped for joy when they’d told her they planned to take her to The ShadowDance Club tonight. But as they’d explained more and more of what would be expected she’d started to wonder if she was ready. They had assured her that they would be with her every moment and that as long as she remembered to be respectful, no one would hold her up to any unreasonable expectations during her first visit.
Knowing Kat would be there with Zach had also gone a long way to ease her anxiety, well at least until she’d remembered Kat’s description of the stocks and paddling she’d gotten. Bree had been standing near Mitch at the time and he’d chuckled before leaning over and assuring her that Katarina had been sorely testing both Alex and Zach’s patience that evening and that her outburst at the bar had merely been the straw that broke the Dom’s back so to speak. When Bree had looked at him skeptically, he’d smiled and reminded her that he was an empath and that she “thought loud” which had made her giggle.
During dinner her men had needed to remind her several times to keep her legs spread wide so they had unimpeded access to all of her “sweet spots.” And access to them they had. Holy hell, if they’d been trying to distract her it had certainly been effective, even if it had gotten awfully close to mortifying a time or two. She had wondered if she’d ever eat an entire dinner at the Lamonts’ table without having an orgasm and had looked up to see Mitch Grayson snort in laughter. Knowing she had turned fourteen shades of red, she’d ducked her head and hoped he’d keep it to himself. Yeah, right, like that is going to happen.
When she’d finally gotten up the courage to look up again, she saw him watching her. He mouthed “doubtful” before laughing out loud. Ethan and Jamie had watched the interplay and promised her they would be expecting an explanation and she flushed yet again. “Did we mention that Mitch has a new invention he has asked us to test this evening, chère?” Jamie’s saccharin-sweet words didn’t match the intent look she saw in his eyes. She knew a setup when she heard one so she decided to just wait him out. “It’s a state-of-the-art sensor, it’ll send data to various devices, including our phones.”
Oh shit, this can’t be good. I’m just betting it sends data. I’ll bet it sends lots of information I might not particularly be of a mind to share. Geez, I swear that Mitch is too smart for his own good. Crap, crap, crap don’t think this stuff, he’ll hear it all.
“What kind of data?” She had barely recognized her own voice, it had been soft, but even she could hear the curiosity laced through her tone.
“Why don’t you go to the ladies’ room and then we’ll meet you on the back deck. Then we’ll explain all the wonderful little details of Master Mitch’s newest gadget. Don’t be long, chère, or I will come and get you.” Bree found herself walking numbly away from the table. All of their teasing words were having their desired effect, she was balanced right on the edge of anticipation and fear.
* * * *
Stepping out onto the deck, Bree was surprised to see several Doms but no other subs. When she started to take a step back, Ethan took her hand and pulled her close. “Don’t look so scared, little sub. Mitch wanted to explain the device to several of us at one time and he has done so. He has asked that you test his invention for several reasons that I’ll let him explain to you. If, after he
aring what he has to say, you don’t want to try it, you just need say so. There will not be any repercussions or consequences, do you understand?”
Bree knew she must have a deer-in-the-headlights expression because most of the Doms surrounding her chuckled and she heard Colt Matthews say, “I think you need to get on with the explanation, Grayson. Bree is looking a little pale and it’s been my experience that very bright women have imaginations that are much more creative than our reality.” His words seemed to bring her back to more solid footing and for that Bree was very grateful.
Mitch stepped forward and opened his palm. Bree was surprised to see a relatively small device that looked a lot like a smaller version of the bullet vibrators she’d seen in the specialty shops she and her roommates had visited in college. When she looked up at him confused he laughed out loud then looked at Ethan and Jamie. “I have known you two for a long time and honest to God I have no idea what you could have ever done to deserve her. She is an absolute delight.” When he returned his attention to her, she saw his eyes soften. “You and Rissa are going to be wonderful friends. And personally I’m so glad you’re here. Now, let me tell you why you are the perfect person to test drive this prototype.”
Bree listened while Mitch explained how the device monitored the female body’s autonomic responses to arousal. He’d skipped most of the technical stuff about how the data was sent to a mainframe, then analyzed and interpreted before being forwarded to the sub’s Dominant partner. She’d listened intently and when he’d finished she’d said, “So basically, this is an internally placed lie detector?”
Mitch had been so surprised by her simple but dead-on analysis of everything he’d told her that he was momentarily speechless. She heard the other men chuckle and then caught Alex Lamont’s observation, “Well I’ll be damned, I can’t say that I have ever seen Grayson speechless. Congratulations, Bree. Well done.” For a moment she was so surprised that Alex had actually made a joke she couldn’t even react, but when she looked at him, she saw the mirth in his expression so she nodded her head once in acknowledgement of his roundabout compliment.
Jamie had stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her from the back and pressed his hard length against her, immediately bringing her back to the topic at hand. Her body recognized its Dom’s message without the words. It was his way of reminding her that this was a scene of sorts and that respect was the order of the day. He leaned down close to her ear to speak and even though his words were for her alone, he made sure they were heard by everyone assembled there. “Chère, we are waiting for your answer. Because of your lack of previous experience with the things you are going to see during this first foray into a BDSM club, you are an ideal person to test Master Mitch’s new toy. We’d like to slip it into you, right here, right now, with all of these Doms watching. It would please your Masters very much. What is your answer?”
Bree knew every Dom on the deck could read her body’s instant response to Jamie’s words without the benefit of the device because her knees had nearly folded out from under her. She wasn’t sure she would have remained upright if it hadn’t been for Jamie’s arm banded around her shoulders.
* * * *
Jamie was sure that Bree hadn’t even realized that the entire time he’d been talking to her, he’d been running his fingers through her wet folds. She hadn’t even considered that with his hand snaking up under the front of her short dress, he’d already started their evening. Every Dom around them was watching her reactions and her slide into submission was really something to behold. Her breathing had become so shallow she was almost panting and the smell of her arousal had sweetened the air around them. He had enfolded her and watched as her eyelids slid down and her head tipped back onto his shoulder. Her softly whispered “Yes” was all they needed.
Mitch reached over and tapped a few keys on his laptop and then handed the small bullet-shaped device to Jamie. “Let Master Ethan help you spread your legs, chère, and then I’m going to use my fingers to slide this inside your sweet body. Every man near us is going to hear and see my fingers sliding through your slick folds, they are going to know how wet you are for your Masters and I want you to know that pleases us both very much. That’s right, let Master Ethan open you up to accept this gift. Your body is ready, your clit is already seeking the attention of my fingers, isn’t it, chère?” Her softly groaned affirmation was enough to send blood rushing into his already rock-hard cock. He knew she was so lost in the moment that she hadn’t even realized Ethan had placed the small device deeply inside her. He continued to rub small circles around her clit as he watched the excitement move over Mitch’s face as the screen started filling with numbers and lines of text. He had to smile to himself when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, no doubt telling him what he already knew, that the sweet sub in his arms was a hair’s breadth from orgasm.
God, she was incredible. Jamie would bet that, had you asked her earlier today if she was an exhibitionist, she’d have given you and emphatically negative response. But her sweet body was telling a different tale. Tightening his arm around her possessively he simply said, “Come for me, chère,” and felt her body shudder just before she screamed her release. Her cream washed over his fingers and he felt her vaginal walls pulsing even though he had kept his fingers just outside her opening. He was grateful the other men had returned to the house by the time she had opened her eyes because he wasn’t sure she was ready for face so many Doms when she would be feeling the most vulnerable. It was the rare submissive that didn’t need a few minutes of recovery time after a public scene.
Ethan stepped forward and wrapped her in a warm soft blanket and then carried her to a glider. As Jamie moved with them, he made sure she saw him licking his fingers. “You taste so sweet on my fingers, chère. I don’t want to waste any of your gift.” When she smiled faintly he leaned closer and kissed her. “You did beautifully. Your soul sings with pleasure at our touch and that we’ll spend the rest of our lives bringing you pleasure if you’ll let us.”
Jamie knew that she was still floating and that his words hadn’t fully penetrated her consciousness yet. He had simply hoped to plant the seed for the plans they had made for the end of their evening. “Let Ethan hold you for a few minutes while I check on something inside and then we’ll head over to The Club with the others.”
When he started to stand, she reached out and grasped his hand. She surprised him when she whispered her thanks for making her first exhibition scene so easy. He smiled and shook his head. It was going to take everything he and Ethan had—combined—to keep ahead of her lightning-quick mind. She hadn’t been so lost in the haze of arousal that she hadn’t understood exactly what he was doing. There wasn’t anything about her that didn’t tempt and astound him.
Chapter 32
Jamie walked into Alex and Zach’s office to find Mitch leaning over his laptop typing furiously and then beaming at the screen. When Grayson looked up to see Jamie, he smiled. “She is amazing. I hope you and Jantz know how lucky you are.”
Laughing and shaking his head at his friend, Jamie said, “We do. Where is your sweet wife? Does Tink know you are lusting after our woman?” Rissa had been nicknamed Tink, short for Tinkerbell, when she’d first come to The Club as an aesthetician and massage therapist. She was tiny, flighty, and her beautiful red hair had helped earn her the nickname, but it had been her wounded soul that had made her the unofficial “kid sister” of almost every Dom at The Club.
“She and Bry are already over at The Club. I’m joining them in a few minutes. We’ll wait until she has a chance to speak with Bree for a few minutes and then Bryant will be taking her home. As much as we all miss playing at The Club, neither Bryant nor I are willing to share her lushly pregnant body with you perverted bastards.” Chuckling as he folded his computer he added, “The device is working beautifully. The data stream is incredible. I hadn’t even considered the potential uses with victims until Bree. Of course we’d have to use mo
re traditional monitoring devices, but it would still have great applications for learning more about what various stimuli trigger adverse responses.”
Mitch must have noticed that everyone in the room had gone silent and had that “What the fuck is he talking about?” expression on their faces. Because he looked genuinely baffled before he rolled his eyes and said, “Ignorant bunch of soldier boys, Christ, what did I ever do to deserve this?”
Alex Lamont looked at him and said, “The list is nearly endless.” Everyone in the room laughed and Mitch just shook his head.
“I’ll leave this behind the bar so it processes and sends you the texts this evening. I’ll be monitoring things from the Crow’s Nest, I have first shift tonight. The wireless isn’t powerful enough to work at any great distance yet, but I’ll figure it out.” Mitch turned to leave the room, but Jamie stopped him.
“Grayson, I—well, I just wanted to say thanks. Your help is going to go a long ways to help us keep Bree in a good place tonight. We are anxious for her to experience everything our lifestyle has to offer, but it’s nice to know we’ve got this safety net.” Mitch just nodded once and started toward the door.
Jamie had always been impressed with Mitch’s techno-savvy and empathic gifts. He knew the man’s skills had been huge assets to several SEAL teams. Their stories were legendary and likely greatly exaggerated. Jamie saw Mitch stop at the door and then turn back. Mitch stood watching him carefully and when Jamie raised his eyebrow in question, Mitch sighed. “I really should keep my mouth shut, but I know you are worried and I’d rather your woman has your full attention tonight. And as great as my little invention is, it can’t tell you everything.”
