by Dakota Trace
“Very true. Perhaps, next time you should choose your company a bit more wisely?” Kaleb’s tone was soft but firm. The duality made her wonder what kind of dominant he was. Would he be gentle during a scene with a scared submissive, or berate her for her mistakes?
She forced the inappropriate thoughts to the side, then nodded. “Of course.” She turned away, but something struck her about earlier. “The man who escorted Sam out? He’s one of the owners, isn’t he?”
“Yes. Master Ethan.” The guarded look was back.
Regret filled her. Even if Master Ethan overlooked Sam’s behavior, there was probably no chance of him allowing her to observe the inner workings of the club. First impressions were a bitch.
“I don’t suppose if I came to the next Subbie night alone, he might change his mind?”
Kaleb sighed softly, then shrugged. “I don't know. Master Ethan is usually pretty understanding, but when it comes to his club, he doesn't want troublemakers underfoot. It's bad for business and after some recent events, the last thing the owners need is more trouble.”
She nodded, then her shoulders slumped. “I understand. Sam can be a troublemaker at the best of times. I realize just why you wouldn't want her here.” She turned to leave, but decided instead to lay all her cards on the table. It couldn’t hurt to ask.
“Master Kaleb, could you do me a small favor?” She pulled the card Professor Gylberte had given her. “I wouldn’t normally ask, but could you give this to him?”
He took the card, scanned its contents, then nodded.
Relief washed over her, perhaps not all was lost. “Thank you, this trip was supposed to gather information for my thesis. I'm a psychology student. I’m interested in exploring the intricacies of the power exchange which occurs between couples who practice BDSM.”
Kaleb looked intrigued, but then resigned. “I'll talk to Ethan about it tonight after hours, but I can’t promise anything.” He flipped the top page on his clipboard over before handing it to Alyce. “Write down your contact information, in case he wants to contact you.”
A shy smile brightened her face before she accepted the clipboard. Scribbling quickly but neatly, she wrote her info on the sheet, all the while nervously nibbling on her lower lip. After she was done, she handed it back to Kaleb. He glanced down at it before looking up at her.
“Alyce with a ‘y’?”
She nodded shyly. “Yeah eccentric mother…don’t ask.” She paused for a second, relieved the night hadn’t been a total bust. For Kaleb to do this meant the world to her, even though she’d never be able to say more than thank you. The last thing she needed was for him to assume that she was a sub in need. So she impulsively, in a totally non-Alyce move, lifted up on her toes to brush a light kiss over Kaleb's cheek. “Thank you, Master Kaleb. This means more to me than you realize.”
* * * *
Holding his cheek, Kaleb Terzis stared after the petite redhead who quickly hurried out the door. She’d actually kissed him. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman who would dare such a thing. Most could feel the untouchable vibe he put off when in Dom mode. Part of him wanted to go after her to show her what she risked with such impulsive actions. But his jaded side, which recognized true innocence, warned him to let her go. Because, despite all of her submissive tendencies, Alyce O’Connell wasn’t ready for the reality of tangling with him. Besides, she reminded him too much of Mariah. Like his ex-wife, everything about the woman screamed money and sophistication. Nothing other than the possibility of not completing her thesis had ruffled her feathers - even her sister causing a scene.
But that kiss - it was out of place. Mariah had abhorred PDA’s - claiming they drew unwanted attention to a person’s baser needs. So why did the little society girl do it?
Kaleb watched the door shut behind the puzzling, intriguing woman, then pushed her from his mind. He had a job to do. Returning to his former position next to the entry to the main floor, he nodded to the next woman in line. Subbie Night was, by far, one of New Beginnings most popular attractions, and the long line of hopefuls waiting tonight proved it. He smiled as he recognized the approaching sub. Tianna was a regular who’d been coming to the club for a couple months now, using Subbie Nights as a safe environment to explore her submissive needs. He smiled down at her, then checked her name off the list. After he opened the main door for her, he told her, “Have fun, little one.”
“Thank you, Master Kaleb.” With a flounce in her step, she almost skipped into the main room of the club.
Kaleb couldn’t help but smile at her antics. If there ever was a sub who relished her submission it was Tianna. He turned back to the line, only to bump into Nicholaus Tarquinio. As one of the newer Doms to frequent New Beginnings, both he and his lover, Stephanie, had volunteered to help tonight.
“Damn, you’re light on your feet.” Kaleb looked up at the man. “I didn’t hear even hear you.”
“Sorry about that.” Nicholaus shrugged. “About the scene earlier...”
Kaleb shrugged it off. “No problem. It happens occasionally. Some people think Subbie Night is like Ladies Night at their local bar.”
“Still…” Nicholaus rolled his shoulders. “I’m glad the bitch didn’t get in. I didn’t look forward to spending the night breaking up fights. Steph would’ve ended up belting her. Too bad about the sister though. Her body language just screamed ‘hidden submissive’. She really could’ve benefited from tonight.”
“Maybe.” He forced a nonchalant tone into his voice, as if his dick didn’t ache at the thought of exploring Alyce with a Y’s slender body. “Whether she would or not, she’s not our primary concern tonight.”
Next to him, Nicky as he preferred his friends to call him, continued to hover. After verifying the name and age of the next sub waiting in line, he finally glanced up at the man. “What?”
“So when are you going to talk to Ethan about her?”
Kaleb frowned, wishing the man would just drop it. “About who?”
“Alyce.” Stephanie joined them a big grin. “Under all those layers is a submissive who is crying out to be released. Based on the way she responded to you, it wouldn’t take much to have her bound to your bed and begging to come. Whether you do or not…” She shrugged and gave him another wicked grin. Evidently, his reputation as a Dominant who loved controlling a woman’s pleasure, until she only came on his command, had proceeded him.
Although the idea of having the pretty redhead at his mercy, of dripping hot wax across her bare mound as he used a bullet to tease her clit - had his fingers itching to do just that, he forced himself to not react. “Nicky, I think you need to take your sub in hand. She doesn’t have the slightest clue what she’s talking about.”
Nicky chuckled and gave Stephanie’s ass a squeeze. “Taking her in hand is one of my favorite things.” He tipped his sub’s head up and pressed a kiss against her parted lips, then released her.
She whispered to Nicky, but loud enough for Kaleb to hear clearly. “I think Master Kaleb protests a bit too much. I think, if only the situation had been different, shy little Alyce would have ended up either on a spanking bench or kneeling naked in front of our friend here.”
If she only knew…
“Don’t make me sic Ethan on you.” Kaleb threatened good-naturedly, ignoring the desire to correct Stephanie’s impression. The spanking bench would never do. He’d have Alyce wrapped up in rope and suspended. Then she’d be unable to stop him from doing whatever he wanted to have happen. As his cock pushed insistently at the front of his leathers at the delicious thought, he gave a grunt and took the next submissive’s voucher. It was going to be a long, long night if he didn’t get his head on straight and his mind on the club’s business.
CHAPTER TWO
“We need to talk.”
Alyce mentally groaned at her mother’s words as she continued to pack up her daughter’s bag. She’d hoped to pick up Anissa, then leave without having a confrontation with her mom. But a
fter Sam had slammed the front door and accused Alyce of wasting her precious time, she’d known the chances of it happening were probably slim to none. Zipping the bag closed, she glanced over her shoulder toward the door where Abigail O’Connell stood. In her early sixties, with every silver hair in place despite the late hour, her mom was the epitome of a classic high society matron. Serene in every aspect of her life, nothing seemed to upset the matriarch of the O’Connell family.
Except for me.
“Can’t it wait, Mom? It’s been a long night and I really should get Anissa home and in bed. You know how much it upsets her routine if I deviate from her bedtime.”
“No, it can’t.” Abigail crossed her arms over her breasts. “Your sister said you dragged her to a sex club tonight.”
“I didn’t drag her anywhere. She invited herself. And it isn’t a sex club in any manner.”
“And you took her? Knowing she’d been drinking again?”
The censure in her tone made Alyce cringe, and not for the first time she wanted to scream in frustration. Sam could get away with anything short of murder, while Alyce on the other hand, had every single decision and action she made weighed, measured, and found wanting. As if she’d forced her sister to accompany her instead of the other way around. She bit her lower lip to keep from lashing out at the unfairness of it all.
But she’d been raised better than that. She didn’t scream, didn’t yell, or throw tantrums. She was a responsible mother who always put the need of her child first. Which was the sole reason she went to the club. She needed Professor Gylberte to sign off on her thesis.
“I’m waiting for an explanation, Alyce.”
“How exactly was I supposed to know she’d been drinking, Mom?” She hefted Anissa’s bag over her shoulder. “She chose to tag along. I did not go to the club for fun. I went because my professor insisted I put a more personal touch on my thesis, and the only way to do it was experience the club atmosphere firsthand.”
Her mom scowled. “Reba Gylberte demanded you go to a sex club?”
“She suggested I go to a BDSM club to speak with its owner. I highly doubt there was any sex going on. From what I gathered, it was more of an open house night than a regular night full of wild sex.”
“Sex, or BDSM, - whatever, not withstanding, Alyce. O’Connells do not frequent sex clubs. Do not let me hear of you doing it again.”
Alyce sighed. Why her mother thought at forty-two years of age Alyce would obey like a child was a mystery. However, after years of dealing with her, Alyce’d found discretion had been the key to finding her own way.
“It doesn’t matter anyway, Mom. I didn’t even get past the front door because of Sam’s antics.” She raked her hand through her short red hair. “As usual she pissed off the owner who had…” she tried to think of what to call the hunky Dom who’d returned their money. Sex on a stick? The Dom who made her wish things were different - that she was different? She shook her head. No, she couldn’t tell her mom that. So she substituted the word Dom for… “the bouncer who ended up refunding our money, then escorted us off the premise.”
“Not surprisingly.” Her hard gaze raked over Alyce and her choice of a soft white turtleneck and cream colored slacks. While not the dressiest clothing she owned, it was still chic without being pretentious. But evidently her mother didn't agree. “Considering you're hardly dressed for anything more exciting than grocery shopping. Really, Alyce. Even if you had to go to such a place, you could've made an effort to dress correctly. We O'Connell's have an image to uphold.”
Alyce sighed. First, it was how dare she go to a BDSM club, then it was the fact she hadn't dressed appropriately. What would her mother say if she knew depending up on her role, she would've had to wear lots of leather, or hardly anything at all? It'd probably shock her down to the core of her elitist soul.
“I'll keep that in mind the next time I think about going back to New Beginnings, Mom.” She turned at the soft whine from the door. A sound caught her attention. In the door way, her twelve-year-old daughter, a smaller version of herself, stood. A mixture of fear and uncertainty showed clearly on her expressive face. As an autistic child, Anissa had never handled the sound of raised voices well. Another sin to lay at her ex's door. “Hey, sweetie-pie, you ready to go home?”
Anissa looked from her mother to her grandmother. “Is Nana mad? She sounds just like Daddy...”
Alyce forced a smile, knowing where her daughter’s thought process was going. How raised voices often led to raised fists and bruises which Alyce would later have to hide from her more than observant daughter. She’d like to kick Obed’s ass or worse at times. “Remember how I told you sometimes adults disagree, but it doesn't mean they are angry or someone is going to be hit?”
Her daughter gave a slow nod. Out of the corner of her eye, Alyce saw her mother pale. Even the mere mention of the physical abuse she’d endured at the hands of her ex-husband still made her mother uncomfortable.
“Well, that's what happened,” she assured her daughter. “You know how I don't like you to wear your favorite sweater to school because it has a huge hole in it? Well, Nana, didn't think I wore the right thing tonight. But she still loves me.” She turned her gaze to her mother. “Right, Mom?”
A seldom seen smile appeared, before Abigail crossed the room to wrap an arm around Anissa. If her mother had one weakness, it was her only granddaughter. “That's right, Anissa. I love your mom, which is why I always want her to look her best.” She gave her a stiff one-armed hug. “Now, why don't you go tell Papa good-bye, while I finish helping your mom get your stuff gathered up?” She tugged on one of Anissa's cinnamon hued curls. “Papa will turn into a growly bear if he doesn't get his good-bye hug.”
Anissa giggled and made a growly noise in her throat.
Abigail laughed. “Yes, just like that. Now, go. Bedtime fast approaches and tomorrow you promised Poppa to go with him to the Winter festival.”
“Yes, Nana.” Anissa pulled away, to dart down the hall.
* * * *
The sharp intrusion of the trilling phone on the corner of his desk made Ethan stiffen. He wanted to shoot whoever thought to interrupt his private time with his sub. The horny bastards on the club floor knew better than to intrude during 'aftercare'. It was one on the most sacrosanct times for a Dom and his sub. Sometimes it was all that stood between a sub and sub-drop.
“There's no need to glare at the phone, Master.” On his lap, wrapped in a soft blanket, his sweetly submissive soon-to-be wife stirred, lifting her head from his chest. “They wouldn't call if it weren't important.”
He sighed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I know, but it still pisses me off.” He grabbed the still ringing phone.
“Yeah?”
“Master Ethan,” A faintly familiar voice trickled through the receiver. “It's Noah Gylberte. I haven't interrupted at a bad time, have I? I truly hope that Subbie Night is process of winding down.”
Surprise and a bit of confusion flowed through him. It'd been several months since he'd heard from the man. In fact, shortly after he and Davis had gotten the club off the ground the man had quietly retired from his psychiatric practice and had taken up artistic basket weaving, of all things. He rarely visited the club, even though he had a long-standing founding patron membership at New Beginnings. Instead, he preferred to play with his still vivacious wife in the privacy of their home dungeon.
“Well, if you'd called ten minutes earlier, you might have. But it's okay, Noah, we just finished up aftercare. What can I do for you? You know you and Reba are welcome to stop by anytime. I’d love to introduce you to my new submissive.”
Noah laughed. “While I’d love to meet her, you youngin's don't need us old folks showing you up.”
Ethan chuckled. “There you go assuming again that the old ways are better. You know you're never too old to learn a few new tricks. Just the other day I learned a new way to tie...” he began to launch into the intricacies of his favori
te subject - rope bondage when Noah interrupted.
“As much as I'd love to hear about this new method, this unfortunately isn't merely a pleasure call, Ethan. I have a very contrite sub kneeling at my feet right now. It seems she sent one of her female graduate students out to your club tonight, without clearing it in advance with either you or Davis.”
“I don't remember any student ...” Immediately the memory from earlier in the night came to the fore - of the two women he'd had Kaleb escort off the premises.
“Is everything okay, Master?” Bella spoke softly, interrupting his thought process as she moved to leave his lap. “Do you need me to leave?”
He quickly shook his head and tightened his arms around her. While he loved her understanding about not confiding in her about his patients, and that she had no interest in the running of the club itself, he wasn't ready to let her go yet. He'd flown nearly as high as she had during their scene and was reluctant to break their connection.
He covered the mouth of the receiver. “Stay put.” Then he returned to the call. “Was the student a redhead or a blonde?”
“A red-head.” Noah barked in his ear. “Alyce O'Connell is about redheaded as they come and one of Reba’s most promising graduate students.” His firm tone hardened. “However, it won’t go well for a certain submissive if I find out Alyce made a nuisance of herself for any of the Doms at your club.”
The hair on the back of Ethan’s neck rose. He recognized that tone. And it wouldn’t bode well for Reba, if he let on even for a moment that her student’s visit had disrupted the start of Subbie Night.
“Relax, Noah. She was quite respectful.”
