“I’m sorry, Cassie. I’m not as ready for this as I thought I was and I’m ruining your evening.”
“You’re not ruining my evening. Don’t ever think that,” Cassie told her. “You’re ready. You just haven’t met the right Dom yet.” Cassie stayed with her for a while until Addison insisted she go with a cute Dom who seemed to know her.
An hour later, Addison breathed a sigh of relief as the latest Dom to approach her gave up and wandered away. Exasperated with herself and her inability to take a chance on someone else, she glanced at Cade again and saw Logan and Luc sitting on either side of him. Cade was scowling as the twins took turns talking to him. There were a lot of hand gestures going on, and Addison realized Logan kept pointing toward the area where she and Annie Oakley were sitting.
Addison had been fascinated, and embarrassed, when Annie Oakley had returned earlier and caught her staring at her rosy red butt. Annie Oakley had laughed then told her there was nothing like a good spanking to get the evening started off right.”
Addison had nodded, not sure what to say, especially when she noticed one of Annie Oakley’s “guns” was missing. Now Addison watched the scenes going on around her and wondered how soon she could leave.
“Oh, it looks like Master Logan and Master Luc are trying to talk Master Cade into playing tonight. I hope he picks me.”
Addison was afraid there was a good chance that would happen, and she knew there was no way she could stand witnessing it. Looking around, she saw the sign for the ladies’ room.
* * * *
Cade had been monitoring the cameras in security when Addison had arrived, and he had suspected that the curvy sub in the black-and-silver flapper costume was Addison. When he had seen her touch the horseshoe for luck he had known for sure it was her. The little hoyden had a superstitious streak a mile wide. By the time she had entered the main room, he had been back at Logan and Luc’s booth, and he had seen her reaction to the ornately carved stairs that led up to the private rooms.
Remembering the way she had looked, standing on the stairs of his home, offering herself to him, and how much he had wanted to take her, his cock had hardened and it had only gotten harder as the night wore on. The last year had been pure hell. Wanting her more than he had ever wanted any woman but determined to wait to have her until she wore his wedding ring had nearly driven him insane. He swore sometimes his balls were bluer than her eyes. He had decided a year ago it was time to go after her. Back then he had believed he would have her safely married and living at the ranch by now, maybe even pregnant, but she was a lot harder to pin down than he had ever thought she would be.
After their argument in the parking lot of the Hard Times Tavern, his calls to her had gone unanswered and the door of her house had remained closed when he had banged on it. Finally going to her shop, he had been told by her assistant Marcy that she was out of town and she didn’t know when she would return or how to get in touch with her.
Since he couldn’t find her in town, he had gone to Dallas to talk to Clint McCabe, the owner of Club Elysium. After learning that Mark had taken her there, and what she had done with Jacob Daniels and a Dom named Vincent Vitale, for the first time in his life he had gotten drunk. McCabe had had a couple of his security guys dump his sorry ass in one of the private rooms where he had slept it off. The next day, with a pounding headache, he had searched Dallas for Addison, but he knew it was a good thing he hadn’t found her.
His temper was still on a slow simmer and seeing her here tonight, dressed the way she was, had increased his need to shut her down. His hands literally itched to spank her. She had chosen him and he wasn’t going to let her go, but before this night was over she was going to be on her knees begging him to forgive her.
When she had hidden behind Mark rather than say hello to him, his temper had begun to burn even hotter. After seeing her dance so provocatively with the Brazilian Dom he’d decided to drag her off the dance floor when Mark Carlisle had brought Sherry over to say hello. He’d wanted to punch Mark in the face but he couldn’t do that with Sherry present. They had penned him in the booth until the song had ended and Addison had returned to the sub’s area.
As soon as Mark and Sherry left, Logan and Luc had brought Linda over. She had slid in next to him while Luc and Logan had sat opposite, each blocking both ends of the booth. Wondering if his younger brothers were deliberately sabotaging him, he had nearly lost control and punched both of them. He really didn’t want Addison to see him anywhere near Linda and be reminded of the night she had caught him with her at the ranch.
Seeing Troy Delacroix approach Addison, his teeth had been clenched so tightly they still ached and he had had to force himself to wait and see what she would do. When she had turned Delacroix down, he had breathed a sigh of relief while trying to ignore Logan and Luc’s arguing. When Linda had laid her hand on his arm, he had pulled his arm away. “Did I give you permission to touch me?” he asked her as he glanced toward Addison and caught her quick frown as she looked away from him.
Linda shook her head then glanced at Logan. “Sir Cade, I just wanted you to know how sorry I am that all this has happened because of that night at the ranch. I would do anything to make it up to you.”
Cade caught Logan and Luc tipping their heads toward him. Familiar with how the two of them communicated, with a nod here and a grimace there, he knew an entire conversation had just taken place. When Luc stood up and Linda slid out of the booth and left, he knew for sure they were up to something. He settled back and waited for the action to begin as he kept one eye on Addison.
“Luc and I are planning a ménage scene with Linda for later tonight and we want you to join us,” Logan said.
Cade took another sip of juice. “I’m busy.”
“Cade, you’ve been hanging around here for days but you never play anymore,” Logan said.
“What we mean is we want to encourage you to grab a sub and go for it,” Luc told him.
Cade was too busy watching Vitale cage Addison between his legs to waste any time or emotions on his brothers. His temper switched from Vitale to her when she stood up and shimmied her body so the fringe on that damn dress separated and her nipples and ass peeked out. Seeing Vitale grab her and bury his face in her soft belly, Cade clenched his fists, the urge to rip Vitale’s damn head off almost overwhelming.
Logan and Luc continued to badger him while Cade watched as man after man sat down next to Addison, touched her, and negotiated a scene with her.
As he watched her, he decided Addison had chosen this path by going to Club Elysium and by showing up here after breaking their engagement. If she wanted a D/s relationship then he would give her one, but she would pay for manipulating him and forcing his hand. Knowing after he claimed her tonight his decision would be final and there would be no turning back, he waited for the right time to make his move. About an hour later, as the inevitable argument between the twins grew in intensity, he decided now was the right time to grab Addison.
Her eyes widened then lowered as she glanced at the sub sitting across from her. Taking several steps to the side, she surprised him by clearing a path for him to the other woman. Realizing that she thought he was coming after the other woman, a ferocious light entered his eyes and he charged toward her, shoved his shoulder into her belly then stood up with her draped over his shoulder. He wrapped one arm over her legs then swatted her ass hard when she cussed at him, his hand making a sharp snapping sound as his palm met with bare skin. “Be quiet. One more word out of you and I’ll blister your ass.”
Mark Carlisle moved into his path, his palms open and held up in a conciliatory gesture. “Cade, can we talk about this?”
“No. The time for talking was before you took her to Club Elysium.” Cade stepped around Mark and kept moving closer to the stairs.
“I couldn’t get in touch with you to let you know what she was up to,” Mark told him as he kept pace with him.
“Thor can always reach me. You o
nly had to tell him and I would have had Jackson take her to the ranch until I could get back and deal with her.”
Hearing that, Addison lifted up and took a swing at him, the edge of her hand brushing the top of his head. “You bastard, you always told me there was no way to get in touch with you when you were on an assignment!”
Cade slapped her ass three more times, leaving a rosy handprint on her creamy ass cheek. “No cussing, pet.”
“Lying bastard.”
Cade stopped, his big body stiff with anger. Spotting an empty chair he pulled her off his shoulder, dropped into the chair and arranged her across his lap. Pushing her dress out of his way, he swatted her ass five times in quick succession. “Do you want to say that again, pet?” he asked her, his voice so deep it rumbled through his chest and into her hip where he held her against him. Seeing her shake her head as she sniffled, he stood, lifted her back over his shoulder, and took off for the stairs again.
Mark stepped behind him and he could hear him talking to Addison. He felt her shake her head then her body softened and he felt her sink into his shoulder. Giving him her submission. “That’s not going to save you,” he told her, but slid his hand over her ass and between her legs, feeling her tremble in response. His fingers came away coated with her cream and he lifted them to his mouth and licked them. She tasted like honey and orange blossoms. “You’ve got some punishment coming, pet,” he told her as he rubbed her ass again and took the steps two at a time.
At the top he paused for a moment, turned, and looked down to the main room, spotted Jackson watching them with a grin, then rapidly walked to the last door at the end of the hallway. Entering the room, he kicked the door closed then dropped her onto her feet. He jerked the club collar off her neck, threw it down, then grasped the wig and mask and jerked them off.
“Ouch!” Addison rubbed her head. “Dammit, Cade, that hurt.”
Pushing her hands away he clenched his fists in the hair at the nape of her neck and tipped her head back until their eyes met. Satisfaction swept through him when he felt her tremble. Good, she was scared. She should be, he thought. Pressing down on her shoulders, he enjoyed her squeak of surprise when her knees buckled and he forced her to the floor. “Get into position and stay there. If you move, you’ll wish you hadn’t.” He squeezed her shoulders in warning then stepped back and lowered himself into the only chair in the room. Stretching his legs out, he placed his boots on either side of her, pinning her in. “You have a decision to make, Addison. You can get up and I’ll take you home. The wedding will go on as planned…eventually. Or, you can go into the bathroom, strip, then present yourself to me. If you choose to become my sub the wedding is off…permanently.”
Worrying her lip as she glanced at him through her lashes, she realized this cold-eyed, soft-voiced stranger wasn’t the man she was used to dealing with. This was Cade in Dom mode and he scared her, a lot, yet she felt herself responding to his voice and body language. Aroused, hot, and wet, she knew he was aroused as well. From her position on her knees, her eyes were on the same level as the bulge of his cock pressing against the front of his jeans.
“I want both,” she said, aching to reach up and run her hands over the front of his jeans, her eyes widening with wonder when she saw the bulge grow, stressing the buttons on his jeans.
“No. This is your last chance to choose.”
Stalling for time, she said, “You said we’d get married eventually? What did you mean by that?”
“I’ve spoken to Clint McCabe at Club Elysium, Addison.” He growled. “I know what you’ve been doing there. I know about Jacob Daniels and Vincent Vitale.”
Addison blushed then paled. “I only let them spa—”
“Don’t finish that sentence, pet.” Sitting forward, his huge body hanging over her, he said, “The fact you didn’t let them fuck you in any way is the only reason I’m still giving you the option of marriage. But it’s going to take some time for me to come to terms with the knowledge that other men have seen you like”—he waved his hand in front of her body—“this.”
Feeling the heat of his eyes on her breasts, her first instinct was to cover them. Fighting the need, refusing to let him shame her, she fisted her hands on her knees and fought the tears in her eyes. He was the reason she had done this. This was the man the subs had been talking about. She didn’t know whether to run in fear or crawl up on his lap and beg him to fuck her. “I don’t understand why you’re so angry.”
“The difference is I was already in the D/s lifestyle and what I did at the clubs didn’t have anything to do with you, Addison. We were engaged when you went to Club Elysium.”
“I just wanted to learn about the D/s lifestyle so we could be closer and have a stronger relationship, Cade. I thought that you would be happy that I wanted to submit to you.”
“No. I never intended this”—he indicated the room—“with you or to allow other men to see or touch you.” He was so pissed off he could hardly think straight. He couldn’t believe she had paraded around Club Elysium and now Club Mystique while other men enjoyed seeing her beautiful body. Addison had the kind of curves a man just couldn’t resist touching. The Brazilian Dom and the other men who had approached her had proven that. “You belong to me, pet.”
“So, as far as you’re concerned you weren’t cheating on me when we were dating and you were going to the clubs and playing with the subs, but when I went to Club Elysium to learn about the D/s relationship for you and to find out if I’m submissive I was cheating on you?” Addison rose to her feet and planted her hands on her hips. “That’s quite a double standard you’ve got there, Cade.”
“If you wanted to know if you’re submissive all you had to do was ask me, and I could have told you you’re about as submissive as they come, pet. I just don’t want a marriage that includes the D/s lifestyle. Not for my wife and the mother of my children.” Cade leaned forward. “I told you not to move.”
“You’re always bossing me around,” Addison mumbled, ignoring him and perching on the edge of the bed. Cade had sprung this on her out of the blue and she couldn’t get her thoughts in order. “Can I have some time to think about this?”
“No. I’ve had enough of chasing after you and trying to get you to talk and work this out. We’re settling this tonight.”
Addison heard the unspoken or never in his voice. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I need this kind of lifestyle? If we get married will you ever play with me?” she asked him then gave him a knowing look and added, “Not just making all the decisions for us and getting me to do what you want me to do, but like this?” She waved her hands, indicating the room.
“No, and don’t think after we’re married you can manipulate me into a D/s relationship. I won’t allow that.”
Hearing the finality in his voice, she had to accept that Cade had made up his mind about this. Deciding to push back a little, she told him, “You said I only have two options, but the way I see it I have four. I could leave this room and take myself home, or I could go downstairs and find another Dom to play with this evening.” Seeing him rushing toward her, she squeaked in fear and tried to scramble across the bed. He grabbed her and pulled her back until he loomed over her. Putting her hands up, she pressed them against his chest, trying to keep some distance between them. He dropped his chest onto the palms of her hands, forcing her to lower the backs of her upper arms to the bed. His muscles flexed beneath her palms and waves of heat surrounded him.
“You can go home with me and we’ll get married,” he told her, his voice deadly. “You can strip and present yourself to me. Or you can go home without me and it’s over between us. But, you dare to let another man touch you in my presence again and I’ll make you sorry, baby. You like coming too much to enjoy what I’d do to you.”
Shuddering with dread, followed perversely by a wave of arousal, she reached up and framed his face with her hands. Looking into his blazing green eyes she begged him, “Please, Master, let’s
try having both. Please?”
The sound of her begging and addressing him as her master sent a hot jolt of lust to his cock, and he was tempted to rip her clothes off, pull her over his lap, and wail away on her ass, then fuck her until she couldn’t move. Instead, he forced his will to take command of his lust for her, jerked his face away, and moved back to the chair. “Time’s up, Addison, decide.”
She sat up and rubbed her sweaty palms on the skirt of her dress. She lifted her eyes to his. “Cade, do you love me?”
“I want you, Addison. More than I’ve ever wanted any woman.”
She wanted him, too, she thought as tears blurred her image of him and she turned her face away from him, letting her hair hide her expression from him. He had her cornered. She could leave and never see him again or she could stay and be his sub, but the one thing she couldn’t do now was marry him. Not when she loved him so much and he didn’t love her at all. If she left him tonight she knew she would never get another chance to be with him, so she took the only option left to her.
Sliding off the bed, Addison walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Pulling her dress over her head, she slipped her shoes from her feet then removed the heavy kohl liner from her eyes with a damp washcloth. Staring at herself in the mirror, she removed the pins from her hair and smoothed it with her fingers, doubts flooding her mind. Was she making the right decision? If she became his sub would he ever see her as more, would he ever love her? She had waited almost her entire life for this night. God, she thought, please, please let this work out.
Folding the dress over her arm, she picked up her shoes then walked into the bedroom. Eyes down, she handed the dress and shoes to him then dropped to her knees in front of him. Spreading her knees as wide as she could, she felt the heat of a blush begin on her cheeks as the cold air in the room brushed over her pussy. She placed her hands, palms up, on her thighs, then locked her eyes on his boots.
To Love and Obey [The Doms of Club Mystique] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 10
