“Mad Dog, Gears, and I are the only ones in the club who’ll know. Velvet will know because she’s Velvet. She’s good at cleaning so a crime lab won’t find anything.”
“We were told to stay away from the ol’ladies.” One of the biggest rules at orientation. If an ol’lady comes to you, walk away. Don’t talk to her, even if she’s screaming and demanding answers. Talking to them meant we were fired. No exceptions.
“Yes, you were. This is an exception.”
“We were told no exceptions.”
“Of course you were, and now you’re being told I’ve created one.”
He stood me up, grabbed a towel, and started drying me.
“I can dry myself. I’m okay now.”
“Yes you can, and I’m not so sure you are. Stand still.”
My body froze at the order. I started to move once I realized it, but then decided to let him finish drying me.
Surprisingly, Squatch pulled clothes from a cabinet, and they had sweats and a t-shirt that fit me. Also, socks and shoes. No panties or bra, but that was okay. We were both in black from head to toe. I rubbed my hands on the sides of my thighs to keep from reaching for him.
I still couldn’t believe he’d turned me down for sex. Did he not want me since I’d killed? I wiggled my toes in the cheap black canvas shoes and stood. “You can take me back to my apartment. I’m okay, and I don’t like being a charity case.”
He sat in front of me and looked a little pissed. I scented his anger and frustration, and my heart sped when I realized he was more than a little pissed.
“What the fuck? Have I ever treated you like a charity case?”
My heart raced in my chest, but I wasn’t going to back down.
“Look, I get that I’m the MC’s employee and you take care of us in exchange for us being loyal underlings, but I called you instead of Bobcat or Mad Dog because I trust you. It’s more than boss and employee, and if you can’t see that, then...” I folded my arms across my chest, took a step back, and turned to walk out the door. “Just take me home, please.”
“Come. Here.”
I stopped walking but kept my back to him. “No.”
“You have no idea how bad my hand is itching to spank your little bottom until it’s bright red. Get your ass over here while it’s still all snow white.”
My insides ignited and I started to walk out just to make him spank me, except I didn’t want to be spanked like that. I wanted a fun spanking, not a humiliating one.
I turned and walked to him. “Don’t be a bully. You might be bigger and stronger in human form, but I’ll eat you for lunch in our animal forms.”
“There are rules that keep me from taking advantage of you. I pay you when I use you. Period. I’m your boss, and there are responsibilities that come with that. I didn’t turn you down because I don’t want you. I turned you down because fucking you right now doesn’t seem right. I want to be here for you as a friend — as someone you can trust, someone you can always call, no matter what. Can you let me take care of you without it turning into sex?”
“If you weren’t my boss?” I wanted to ask more, but I was a little horrified I’d even asked that much.
“I’d want to lock you in my attic and never let you out.”
I gave him a half smile. “That’s a little creepy.”
“You asked.” His growly voice was like a vibrator on my clit. Not helping.
“The rules say I can’t take advantage of you,” he said. “The suggestion is that it’s a bad idea for us to become involved with the dancers, but there isn’t a rule against it. However, we have to go to Mad Dog and make it official before I’ll fuck you without paying you, and that isn’t happening tonight. Tonight, you’re going to let me hold you while we sleep, and you’re going to refrain from bitching about it.”
“And if I don’t?”
He uncrossed his arms, leaned back, and looked me over from head to feet, and back up.
“You’ve never backtalked me before, Kitty. What’s up?”
I sighed, uncrossed my arms as well, and then wasn’t sure what to do with them. I ended up crossing them back. “I don’t know. I guess I feel out of control, and I don’t like it.”
“Okay. In a way, we’re both along for the ride tonight. We ride the client’s bike across the road, and we’ll have full-face helmets on so no one can prove it’s us if they get us on video. I’d love to take you to my apartment, but I trust Mad Dog to know how to keep us safe, and he wants us in the clubhouse. So, tonight is about keeping both of us safe. Tomorrow night? That’s up to us.”
“I want to talk to Mad Dog.”
“Not tonight. I need you to sleep on it.”
I started to argue, but he put a finger over my lips. “I’m asking, Kitty. Please wait until tomorrow so I’ll know you aren’t doing it out of some misguided need to thank me. We need to talk about it under the light of day first.”
“Okay.”
He’d said please, and there was no way I could argue with that.
Chapter Four
Squatch
I was losing my mind, because I wanted to lock the sexy little tiger into my apartment and never let her leave, but she was a damned stripper who prides herself on being self-sufficient, so that was never going to fly.
We have a daybed in the main room of our temporary clubhouse, and Velvet had put sheets on it and brought us some pillows. Getting both of us on was a tight fit, but that was fine by me because I liked holding her. I rubbed her back until her breathing evened out, and then I let myself drop off into a light sleep. The wolf would wake me if there was danger, but I still didn’t feel comfortable falling into a deep sleep.
I knew when she moved, and I adjusted with her. Sometime around nine, we got up and dressed in the clothes Velvet had brought. Jeans and a black tee for me, and jeans with a charcoal tee for Kitty. She’d also brought boots for Kitty, a hairbrush, a one-time-use toothbrush, and a small backpack — the kind women sometimes use as a purse.
“It’s the shirt Daffodil wore to your apartment last night,” Velvet told me. “Just to further confuse any video surveillance that may have happened, though I don’t think they’re watching us right now. She had black boots on, and this shade of jeans. Luckily, we had them in the storeroom.” She looked at Kitty. “Do the boots fit? They’re a half size bigger than the shoes you had on last night. We didn’t have the same size.”
“They’re perfect. I’ll get them back to you in the coming days. The hairbrush, too. Should I give them to Squatch?”
I’d worried she’d get pissed when she found out Daffodil had been with me when she called, but she didn’t say a word about it, and her scent never altered. Part of me was pleased, the other part concerned. She should be jealous, right? I’d sure as fuck be jealous if I found out she’d had someone in her bed.
“They’re yours,” Velvet told her. “If you’re going to ride with us on the back of Squatch’s bike, you’ll need good riding boots. We buy the hairbrushes and toothbrushes in bulk for just this reason. Keep the hairbrush at Squatch’s place. I’m certain he can provide a toothbrush for future visits.” She looked at the clock on the wall. “I need to get to the restaurant. If you need something else, let one of us know. Mad Dog should be here in the next ten or fifteen minutes. Ya’ll need to work on your story with him before Squatch takes you home.”
We followed Mad Dog into his office when he arrived, and waited for him to initiate the sound dampening protocols, to make sure we weren’t heard.
“First things first,” he told Kitty, “you never mention what happened again. Not even to Squatch or me. You never know when someone might be listening. If you absolutely must, you tell him to find a safe place to talk, and wait for him to give the all clear. Understood?”
She nodded, realized he wanted more, and said, “Yes. I understand.”
“Traffic cams and private security cams from your route last night don’t show anything conclusive. It’s possible
we missed something, but what we pulled up won’t convince a jury of anything.” He held Kitty’s gaze a few seconds. “You forgot your phone at home, so you have no idea what time you got here. It was dark, beyond that, you don’t know. You started out in Squatch’s apartment and then came to the clubhouse. There wasn’t a party. Various bikers came and went.”
He handed us a list. “Here are the people who came and went last night. The two of you fell asleep on a sofa and no one woke you. I need the two of you to go to Squatch’s apartment this morning.” He looked at Kitty. “Get your DNA on his sofa and in his bed. I do not think anyone is going to look at the two of you for this, but if they do, we need to make sure we’re covered.”
Kitty sat up a little straighter and met Mad Dog’s gaze. “I want to fuck Squatch without him having to pay me.”
Mad Dog didn’t cut his eyes to me, he stayed focused on Kitty. “He helped you last night because you’re one of ours. You don’t owe him for that.”
“I know that.”
“What’s brought this on?”
“He...” She shrugged. “I like him. I called him instead of you or Bobcat because I like Squatch. I wanted him, not ya’ll. I know he had to help me because I work for the club. Maybe I have it all wrong, but I think he...” She turned and looked up at me. “Do I have it wrong?”
My life would have been so much simpler if I could’ve told her she was absolutely wrong, but my wolf wouldn’t let me do that. I kissed her forehead and looked to Mad Dog. “I think we need to explore this.”
“And you’re going to walk next door at Blaze and guard her while she fucks johns?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea how that will work.”
Mad Dog sat back in his chair and looked at me another ten seconds before returning his gaze to Kitty. “Wolves are monogamous. You need to consider those ramifications before you jump in with both feet.”
She leaned into me a little more. “Like Squatch said, we need to explore it. I don’t think either of us has those answers right now.”
“I wish you both the best.” He looked at Kitty. “If it goes to shit and we have to get rid of someone to keep the peace at Blaze, you have to know it’ll be you.”
I scented her anger and fear, but only for a second. “That sucks, but yes, I figured as much.”
“Then don’t let it come to that.” He looked at me. “I’ll be talking to Bobcat before church and I’ll give him a heads up, but you need to talk to him when he comes back. Dementor, too, since he’s acting as manager.” He sighed. “Once Bobcat is back, ya’ll need to have a heart-to-heart, and I need you to keep both of us updated.”
I nodded and stood. Kitty took the hint and stood with me, and I walked her out.
“I wish you’d told me you were going to bring it up to Mad Dog.”
“You told me to!”
“No. I told you that I couldn’t move in that direction unless you brought it up with him. I asked you to hold off. I told you we needed to talk about it once we’d put this behind us. I had no idea you were actually going to talk to him about it. I’d have liked to’ve had some answers for him.”
“We’re headed to your apartment now, right?”
“Yes.”
“And I need to get naked and into your bed. Mad Dog’s orders.”
My dick throbbed. “Yeah.” It was misting rain, but not enough to bother either of us. I leaned down and popped her on the ass. “You’ll sleep while I’m at church, and when I return, you’re going to get a spanking.”
“What did I do?”
I didn’t answer, and she didn’t ask again.
As it turns out, she was starving when I returned from church, so we went out to eat, and then went for a long walk in the park before returning to my apartment. I wanted to let her food settle before I had to punish her.
She knew something was up on the drive back to my apartment, and I wasn’t surprised. She’s a smart little kitten.
“You seem troubled,” she said as I turned into the apartment complex.
“I’ll explain why when we get inside.”
Neither of us said anything else while I parked, and then as we walked across the parking lot, hand-in-hand. I unlocked my door, motioned her in, and finally spoke again. “Take your clothes off and fold them neatly on the table.”
One of the reasons I like the little kitty so much is her natural submission. She wants to please. She does as she’s told.
I’d been caught off guard earlier, because I’d assumed she’d talk to me before talking to Mad Dog. I was pleased she’d wanted to explore this enough to do so, but displeased she’d put me into a situation where I didn’t have answers for Mad Dog. However, based on her understanding of our conversation, we needed to have a talk about it before I spanked her for it.
I pulled an armless chair from my kitchen table into the living room and sat in it while she undressed. It took her a few moments to get the boots off, but everything came off quickly once they were set to the side. She undressed without giving me a strip tease, which was fine. If I’d wanted a show, I’d have told her. Also, I wouldn’t have instructed her to fold her clothes neatly. Honestly, I didn’t give a fuck about the clothes, but requiring it is part of making this formal.
When she was finished, I leaned forward a little and pointed to the floor in front of me. “Kneel. We’re going to have regular conversations about the state of our relationship, and this is how it will happen.”
I’d scented unease and confusion with a hint of arousal while she undressed. Now, the arousal kicked up several notches. She needed someone to take control, someone to feed her submission.
“I have a specific way I put my boots on and take them off. Pay attention.” I leaned down and took my right boot off, talking my way through as I untied it and loosened a set number of laces. I lifted my foot towards her and talked her through placing her hand around the back of the heel and pulling it off at the right angle.
“Now you do the other one.”
She reached out for it and I said, “Stop.”
She froze, and I told her, “You acknowledge orders with Yes, Sir.”
“Yes, Sir. I understand, Sir.”
Her fingers deftly worked the laces, and she asked, “Can you lift your foot, Sir?”
I smiled and lifted it. “Very good, Kitten.”
When she had it off, I directed her to settle both boots under my chair, and then I touched the inside of her knee with one of my toes. “Spread your legs so I can see your pussy better. Wide enough you can feel them part. Feel the air inside. Sit your ass on your feet, arch your back, let your breasts lift up towards me, and look at my lips.”
She settled into the position and I counted six of her breaths before I spoke again. “We’ll work on it, but this is good enough for now. You’re focusing on my mouth because we’re having a conversation. If we’re in a scene, you’ll focus on my dick. There will never be direct eye contact when you’re kneeling like this unless I order it. Tell me you understand.”
“I understand, Sir.”
“Eye contact, Kitten.”
She lifted her gaze, and I smiled. “Good girl. I need you to hear this. It’s important. These talks aren’t just me talking to you, they have to be about you talking to me, too. Your thoughts and feelings matter. If this relationship is to work, it has to work for both of us. It has to feed both of our needs. You need to submit, and that’s one of the things I’m drawn to, but it isn’t the only thing. You’re strong. You’re a fighter. Those things attract me as much as your submissive nature.”
Time to give her something to control. “You have two options for your hands. They can be behind your back, or they can be on your thighs, palms up, fingers relaxed. Try both out for me, please. Lower your gaze to my cock while you do so.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Her heart had been racing, and now the pulse in her neck slowed a little. The spicy-sweet scent of her arousal blossomed around us and faded. Still there,
but it was as if she’d needed to rein it in.
She put her hands behind her back, clasped them, and then tried it while holding her elbows. Three breaths while she settled into it. Next, she brought them around and put them on her thighs. Two breaths to settle into it this time. She left them there and looked to my mouth again. Smart girl.
“At least in the beginning, I intend to let you decide upon placement of your hands most of the time.” Not all the time, but she was smart enough to pick up on that without me saying it. “If I order your hands behind your back, that’s a signal for you to only speak if I ask a direct question. If I don’t make that order, then this is a conversation, and you may respectfully speak when you have something to say.”
I sat back. “No, it isn’t that you can, it’s that I expect you to. Do you understand?”
“I do, Sir.”
“Are you okay with the rules so far?”
Her arousal once again scented the air around me, and I realized she had enough control to hold it back and let it out. That was her answer. I couldn’t hold my smile back, but I needed more from her.
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I need to hear it, Kitten.”
“You’re right. I need to submit. I don’t understand why, but I do. But it’s more than that. It’s... you, Sir. I won’t submit to just anyone, and I will never let anyone abuse me. I like you because I can see how you’re responsible with the power you have. I trust you.” She finished her thought and then remembered, as an afterthought, “Sir.”
“Everyday life sometimes gets hectic, and it’s the small things that remind everyone of their place. This is why the Sir is important. It’s a small reminder of our place in each other’s lives, but when it happens so many times a day, it’s big. I’m glad you remembered without needing a reminder. Do you have an issue with using it at work?”
She considered the question a few moments. “No, Sir. I don’t have a problem with it, but I think we should talk to Bobcat about it before I do.”
Squatch (Rolling Thunder MC Birmingham Book 4) Page 3
