by Chiah Wilder
Before he could explore the odd feelings swirling around inside him, Frederick said something in her ear. His tone was sharp, a bit jagged, but Rock couldn’t make out the words.
She jumped up while saying, “Yes, Sir.”
He looked at his dinner guests and grinned wolfishly as he pushed back his chair. “Come here, my sweet fucktoy,” he said sternly. She stood up and then dropped to her knees between his, spreading them out, her head down. Frederick grasped the hem of her dress and yanked it up, revealing no panties and a smooth, shaved pussy. He fisted her hair and pulled her up by it, a small cry escaping from her lips. He placed his hands on her waist and spun her around so she faced the men at the table. “Bend over.”
Rock heard her say in a low voice, “Please, Frederick, don’t do this.” Her voice was as soft as a kiss and washed over Rock. His insides clenched and a single bolt of anger burned up his spine.
As if Bear sensed it, he muttered, “Easy, man. This isn’t our business. It’s part of a game they have going between them.”
“I don’t fuckin’ think she’s playing.” A primitive instinct to protect her flooded all his senses.
Frederick glared at the two bikers, his stare piercing. Rock fought every urge he had to beat the shit out of him, toss the red-dressed woman over his shoulder, and take her back to his cave. The host turned back around and slapped her ass hard. She gasped as he continued slapping her, the men laughing and egging Frederick on to hit her harder. From where he was standing, Rock could see her lips quivering, a flushed sliver of neck showing through her hair.
“He’s fuckin’ humiliating her on purpose,” Rock growled.
“I know, but it’s their scene, man.” Bear crossed his arms.
Both bikers were uncomfortable with the way the woman was being treated. Even though they fucked hard and rough, they fooled around with women who wanted it, and they wouldn’t embarrass a woman in public unless she enjoyed it. But maybe she does enjoy this. I know people get off on this type of play. Damn, why do I give a shit what’s going on here? Fuck you, Banger!
Frederick stood up, pulled down the woman’s dress, and then wrapped his hand in her hair, pulling her toward him. When her face was close to his, he kissed her and she curled her arm around his neck, leaning into him. Rock watched as the woman passionately kissed the man who’d just humiliated her. The host stood up, grabbed her leash, and tugged her behind him. In a loud voice, he said, “Gentlemen, let’s go to the playroom for some fun.”
The men followed their host, their subs obediently crawling behind them. Rock and Bear followed them to the basement door. Frederick turned to them. “You aren’t allowed downstairs. Stand guard in the room until we are finished,” he said in a dismissive tone before closing the door, the lock clicking loudly.
A few hours later, the dinner guests returned except for the woman in the red dress. Rock wondered if the prick had hurt her too bad and she was collapsed on the floor in the basement. Frederick walked his friends to the door and they exchanged “Thank yous” and “Good-byes.” He closed the door and stared at Rock, Wheelie, and Bear. “I wasn’t pleased that you talked during the dinner party when you were told not to. That won’t fly the next time. You can go.”
Rock, trying to control his temper, said, “We don’t give a fuck if you were pleased or not. And your attitude doesn’t ‘fly’ with us. You didn’t like it? Tough shit.”
“Let’s get outta here,” Wheelie said, clasping Rock’s shoulder.
“Come on, man. This shit ain’t worth it.” Bear stood next to Rock. Frederick glared at all three of them.
“Fuck it.” Rock stormed out, welcoming the cool night air. He had to clear his head, rid his mind of the woman who knelt so silently and obediently.
“Why’s he so pissed?” Chas asked as Rock jumped on his Harley, his face dark and brooding.
“Some intense shit went down inside this fucker’s house. Damn. Did you see any of it, Wheelie?”
“Yeah. It was cool ‘cause they all were into it. Why the hell is Rock so pissed? It’s not like it’s all that different from the initiation of a club whore. Everyone is down for it, including the chick.”
“Will someone tell me what the fuck you’re talking about? We were outside all night. What was going down in there?” Bones asked, while Axe, Chas, Rags, and Throttle nodded in agreement.
“I’ll tell you when we get back to the club. I’m fuckin’ dying for a beer.” Bear swung his leg over his bike.
“Your old lady gonna let you stay out late tonight?” joked Throttle.
“Yeah. What about yours?”
“Nope. She’s got something romantic planned.”
The brothers laughed and made kissy noises as they switched on their ignitions and roared into the night.
When they got back to the clubhouse, a party was in full swing. The brothers who had old ladies left after one beer while the single ones stayed and mingled with the partygoers. Rock was on his fourth shot of Jack when the pretty brunette from the previous night came up to him. He smiled when he saw her, the memory of his cock buried in her ass still fresh in his mind.
“Hi, sexy. I was hoping you’d show up. Where’ve you been?” she said as she pressed close, her hard nipples crushing against him.
“I was doing something.” He threw back his shot, then motioned for another. “You couldn’t find another brother?”
“No one here compares to you.” She squeezed his bicep, then bent down and traced his tattoo with her tongue. “Wanna have some fun?”
Rock wished he was feeling it the way he had the previous night. “Sorry, babe, not tonight. I’m so fuckin’ tired. Another time.”
Her eyes widened. “Didn’t I please you last night?”
“Yeah, and I did the same to you. It was great. It’s not you. I’m just fuckin’ tired, that’s all.” That wasn’t all. The woman at the mansion had disturbed him. He couldn’t get her out of his mind.
The brunette stayed next to him until Bones came over. “You having a good time with this one?” His whiskey breath fanned over Rock’s face.
“She’s cool. We had some fun last night. Passing on it tonight.”
The brunette smiled widely at Bones, and Rock knew she’d found a replacement. He blew out a relieved breath as she walked away from him, her arm around Bones’s waist and his draped over her shoulder.
Rock stared at the party unfolding before him, but his mind was on the woman at Frederick’s party. I want to see her again. Fuck, what am I talking about? I don’t know why she’s still in my head. But she was. Maybe it was the way her full lips took the pieces of food in her mouth, or the way her delicate hands gripped the table when her partner humiliated her. He didn’t know; he couldn’t make sense of it. All he knew was that she stirred something deep inside him. It was like she was a magnet drawing him to her. She didn’t even know I was in the damn room. This is fucked.
Shaking his head, he left the party and stumbled up to his room. When he closed the door, he took out a bottle of brandy, put on a CD of Lee Benoit’s music, and sat in his easy chair by the window, looking out into the darkness as the music filled the quietness around him. The spirited melody played by the fiddles eased the muddled feelings he had rustling inside him. He closed his eyes and let the rich, dynamic sounds of the button accordion take him back, and for the first time since he’d left Lafayette so many years before, he felt homesick. Right then he’d kill for a proper jambalaya, a lively two-step on the dance floor at Clementine’s Bar, and Clotille wrapped around his body. Why the hell did she pop into my mind? I haven’t thought about her in a long time. And when he had thought about her, disappointment and bitterness filled him. But at that moment the bad feelings weren’t there, and he was eighteen again and loving his sweetheart. And it had been good for that one single moment when they’d come together, their hearts flashing and throbbing as one. But that had been before he’d found his mother cold and bloody on the kitchen floor.
He poured more brandy into his glass and cranked the music louder.
That night, he wasn’t letting the demons in.
Chapter Three
I can’t believe Roche was here last night. What’s the chance of that after all these years? Clotille paced back and forth in the small room off her bedroom. She remembered she’d heard he’d left Lafayette right after he was released from prison. Someone had told her he’d joined up with a motorcycle gang, but she’d never expected to see him again. Being back in the same state as Roche made her feel better in a strange way. She’d missed him terribly over the years, and in her mind, she’d played the fantasy of running into him many times over years. It had finally come true, but it wasn’t at all the way she’d imagined it.
Red stained her cheeks and her stomach clenched when she recalled the humiliation of the previous night. The minute she’d spotted Roche, she’d made a concerted effort to keep her face hidden as much as she could. She’d have died if he’d recognized her, knowing what she’d become. But he didn’t seem to know her even though he’d watched her. She’d sensed it, and when he was whispering to the other biker, she’d stolen glances at him.
She rubbed her sore arms and wrists and tried to sit on the loveseat next to the window overlooking the garden. She gasped in pain and breathed heavily as she settled onto the cushion. Frederick went too far last night. Earlier that morning, after he had left to play golf, she’d run to the bathroom to look at her behind in the full-length mirror. Angry red stripes, welts, and the beginning of bruising on her ass showed off his handiwork. She knew he loved seeing how beautiful her butt looked, and sometimes he’d have her bend over on her knees for a long time as he sat on a chair, legs crossed, admiring it.
She sighed, happy that she had a slice of aloneness. The only room that she had any privacy in was the small room off the bedroom they shared; the rest of the house had cameras in every room and hallway. When she’d first come to Frederick’s house, she’d insisted upon having one room that was all hers or all bets were off. He’d agreed and it had become her refuge. Clotille especially welcomed her cocoon after a very intense session, like the one she’d just endured.
Her thoughts drifted back to Roche. She still couldn’t believe that he’d been less than ten feet away from her. A shiver shimmied up her spine. From what I could see, he’s still handsome. He’s built himself up, and he looks so damn good. When she’d first recognized him, her heart had skipped a beat and her insides clenched, but then she’d become consumed with him not recognizing her. It’d been his soot-black eyes that had given him away. They still flashed with fierceness and pride. They were the same ones that had once dragged her into their depths and made her fall in love with him. And she knew if she wasn’t careful, his dark orbs would pull her back in again.
She glanced at the clock and a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. Frederick would be home soon and he’d expect her to be in her full submissive pose, waiting for him at the door. She couldn’t slip up or he’d punish her, and she didn’t think she could take another one of his whippings so soon. Absently, she rubbed her bruised wrists where he’d tied the rope too tightly. The longer she’d stayed with him, the less she wanted to be part of his lifestyle. For the first few years, she’d actually enjoyed the pain mixed with the pleasure, but in the past year, his obsession with her had increased as well as his punishments. Just the week before, she’d used her safe word when he used the crop on her aroused sex, but he hadn’t stopped. He’d beaten her badly until she’d almost passed out from the pain. Later that night, he’d apologized to her and held her close, gently stroking her cheek. He’d told her that he was so consumed with passion for her he’d lost his head. He’d sworn it would never happen again—her safe word would be honored.
She’d forgiven him, but her trust in him had disappeared. Clotille no longer wanted the life he provided for her, and since she’d seen Roche, she wanted to break away from Frederick more than ever. But she knew she couldn’t; she was obligated to him. Besides, he’d never let her go; she was too entrenched in his life, and his love and passion for her went far beyond the regular Dominant and submissive relationship they’d shared in the beginning. She shivered imagining what he’d do if she ever tried to leave him.
The loud buzz of her timer startled her. She looked at the clock again, panic weaving through her. I should’ve been in the shower twenty minutes ago! She leapt up and scurried to the bathroom. When she’d finished, she slapped on her makeup in the way Frederick liked, fastened her black collar, and rushed down the stairs. When she was home alone with Frederick, he forbade her to wear clothes, but if guests were over, she’d wear what he picked out for her. He loved tight, revealing clothes that made her blush when she wore them. The more men ogled her in the outfits, the prouder he was of her. It made her happy that he was pleased and proud of her. When he was disappointed, shame would spread through her, making her feel so sorry for displeasing him. After all, he did take care of her, and he’d helped her so much in her life.
Damn! He’s going to be here in less than a minute. I can’t let him see my face red from rushing. He’ll know I was dawdling too much. Frederick was compulsively prompt and she knew if he told her he’d be home at five o’clock, he’d be home right at five—not a second before or after. She dropped to her knees on the marble floor and faced the front door. She sat upright on her heels and clasped her hands behind her back, her knees spread as wide apart as they would go. She’d stay in this position until he told her to move.
As the grandfather clock in the grand foyer struck five, she heard Frederick put the key in the lock and turn it. He walked in and his gaze locked with hers, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. He’s pleased with me. Her nerves relaxed a bit.
He bent down and patted her head. “I love seeing my sweet pet waiting for me at the door when I come home. Now go and get me my drink.”
She jumped up and rushed to the bar. His chuckling told her he was enjoying the way her beaten ass jiggled as she ran. She made him a scotch and soda, then scurried to the family room where he sat on a chair, his leg crossed over his thigh. She handed him his drink and dropped to her knees next to his feet.
He smiled. “How was your day, pet?”
She smiled back but didn’t answer. She’d learned early on that speaking without his permission resulted in being punished.
Frederick gently stroked her cheek with the back of his finger. “You have my permission to speak, pet.”
“I had a nice day, Sir.”
“Is there anything you want to talk to me about?”
Apprehension rose in her and the tension of the moment made her insides scream. Why is he asking me that? Did I do or say something that I wasn’t supposed to? Did he find out I know Roche. Oh God, no. He couldn’t have found that out.
She felt his hand pull her hair hard.
“Answer me.”
“No, Sir. I don’t have anything to talk to you about.” She didn’t dare breathe.
He ran his fingers through her hair. “You’re such a good little pet.”
She smiled demurely, her body relaxing. “Do you want me to fix your dinner, Sir?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. I want to look at you for a while.” And so they stayed for a long time, his intense gaze taking in her naked body with an admiring look in his eyes. Then he reached out and his fingertips brushed across her soft skin, sending shivers up her spine. Her nipples hardened, and his mouth curled into a smile. “You like that, pet? You’re so beautiful, and you’re all mine. Your body is mine to do with as I please. And you like that, don’t you?”
She nodded.
He pinched her nipples gently and she suppressed a moan. Frederick didn’t like her making a lot of sounds when he played with her. Then he pulled and twisted her reddened buds until she squirmed. Yanking them harder, he dragged her closer to him and kissed her deeply. When she began to respond, he fell back in his chair. “You can make my dinner now.”
“Thank you, Sir,” she said before she stood and went to the kitchen.
As she grilled his steak, she looked out the window at the Rocky Mountains, noticing a tinge of gold beginning on some of the trees. The air had the feel of autumn to it, even though summer wouldn’t officially be over for at least another month. She wondered what it would feel like to be on the back of Roche’s motorcycle, her arms clutching his waist as they rode high up the mountain passes. I wonder what he’s doing right now. Stop, Clotille! These kinds of thoughts will bring heartache, not only to you but to him and a lot of other people. You must forget you ever saw him. But how could she? He’d been her first love. We were so young. Where had all the time gone?
“Clotille!” Frederick’s harsh voice broke through her recollections.
She scurried to the family room, her large breasts swaying. “Sir?”
“I need another drink. You should’ve brought it. You know this. I shouldn’t have to ask you.” A displeased frown spread across his forehead. “What were you doing to make you so disobedient?”
I was remembering who I was before my nightmare started. I was remembering how much I loved Roche and thinking about how I have to see him again. “I was making sure your steak and baked potato wouldn’t burn.” I’m lying to him. Can he tell? Oh God, I hope not. This is the first time I’ve lied to him since we’ve been together.
Frederick’s eyes pierced right through her. She stood her ground, her gaze never wavering from his. Finally he smiled at her. “I’ll forgive this one indiscretion, my pet, but don’t try my patience any more tonight.”
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