by Sara Brookes
There was so much going on in the room, Grae didn’t know where to look first. Until her gaze landed on a Dom in the center of the room, standing naked and holding his cock in offering to two women who had been suspended by an intricate arrangement of brightly colored nylon ropes. The subs greedily sucked on the man, taking turns to swallow him whole, while they were each being fucked from behind.
“Those are the two newest trainees, Bracey and Dahlia. Master Enver, the Dom in the center, will decide if they graduate to full House Slaves tonight. That’s Master Kyle on the left, behind Bracey. And Master Parker on the right, behind Dahlia. The Doms are new as well. Still too fresh for the cameras. Master Kochran can keep an eye on them up here. Let them smooth out their rough edges. Or hone them.” Asha guided Grae to a corner farthest from the play area cordoned off with black velvet rope. “One of the other trainees will be by after the scene is over to see if you need anything to drink or snack on. I have to go or I’m really, really going to be in trouble. If you stick around, maybe we can hang out later?”
The idea of talking to Asha, someone Grae wouldn’t have to censor herself with, sounded perfect. “I’d like that.”
Asha bounced around, her braids dancing against her shoulders. “I just know we’re—”
“Asha!”
As the deep bellow shook the room, Asha gasped. “I am in so much trouble. I was supposed to come right back after I fetched Master Kochran’s toy bag. I just know he’s going to make me pay for it. Talk to you later.”
Asha darted around the perimeter of the room, careful to not block the view of members watching the suspension scene. When she arrived in front of a surly-looking man sitting on an elaborate wood-carved chair, she dropped to her knees and bowed her head.
Grae’s gaze darted to the man Asha kneeled before.
Kochran Duke wore much different attire than when she’d seen him playing with Duality the other night. Then he’d been casual and relaxed in baggy jeans and a tee. Tonight he wore tight leather pants and an unbuttoned shirt that showcased the chiseled curves of his well-defined pecs and abs.
A clear sign he was in complete command of the room.
A king on his throne.
Grae realized it had been a while since she’d been surrounded by the D/s environment. She’d been behind her computer for too damn long. The abrupt change was startling. One she was having trouble reconciling. As natural as it felt to be surrounded by a lifestyle she had embraced years ago, it was hard to believe she was actually here.
A submissive in the scene with the three Doms gave a piercing scream unmistakably saturated with lust. The other sub gave a cry as well. The group had a captive audience as every gaze in the room focused on them.
Except for Grae.
She was too busy noticing the newest arrivals—and wondering who she’d pissed off in a previous life. Saint and Boyce stood near the entrance, watching the culmination of the scene. Though she’d already spent a few days with them getting reacquainted, this situation was markedly different. The atmosphere was so saturated with sex, her body was reacting without any kind of encouragement. Not that she needed any when it came to these two.
She swallowed past the dryness in her throat. They were intimidating standing there in leathers. Holy hotness.
The taller of the two men, Saint, wore a tight black tee, black jeans, and black boots. His muscles rippled as he leaned toward Boyce to whisper in his ear. Boyce smirked and nodded, gesturing at something Master Enver had done.
Boyce wore an off-white tee, dark jeans, and boots that were identical to Saint’s. Where Saint’s jaw was square, Boyce’s was softer, though just as masculine. Boyce had a brawny bulk that a man didn’t earn without a lot of sweat and hard work. Saint was fit, but his frame was far more compact. His muscles were just as defined, but not as overt.
It didn’t even occur to her to question why they were here and not at the vineyard.
She was too worried about getting caught.
Quiet applause broke out as the scene came to an end. Most of the people seated at the tables positioned around the perimeter of the room stood and began mingling as the two submissives were carefully unbound from the rigging. Boyce headed for the corner, where Asha still kneeled before the man in charge. Saint walked toward Enver to speak with him.
This was the perfect opportunity for her to escape.
She started to rise, keeping her gaze on Saint to make sure he stayed away from the door. As long as they kept talking, kept busy, she’d have a chance. But just as she stood, someone to her right called Saint’s name.
When he scanned the room, Grae tried to shrink back into the chair.
Don’t see me. Don’t see me.
His gaze landed squarely on her.
Fuck.
Chapter Six
To give Saint credit, he didn’t storm across the room and demand to know why she was there. Or lift his eyebrows in surprise. He just calmly made his way to the couch and slid next to her. Then shot her a knowing smile.
She should’ve listened to her hunches more often—she’d been right to suspect those beautiful vineyard pictures had been faked.
“Guess you’re not surprised to see me.”
“No. But I am disappointed you felt you couldn’t be honest with us.” Though his voice was stern, his touch was gentle. He combed his fingers through her hair using steady, smooth strokes that did nothing to quench the smoldering heat that had ignited in her gut the second they’d stepped into the room.
If her body would just end this perpetual war, maybe she could think straight.
But whenever her thoughts had Saint and Boyce attached to them, coherency was beyond her grasp. “How did you know I would be here?”
Saint licked his lips and studied her for a minute. “Your name was on the visit list.”
“But that’s private.” She bit her lip when she realized she’d spoken loud enough to draw the attention of the entire room.
Saint answered even though all those gazes were still aimed at them. “Yes. It is. Except for the fact that I own a stake in the club. Which means I have full access.”
“What?” As far as she was aware, Kochran was the only owner of the club. At least that was what her research had turned up when she’d done her initial pass for information about the club before she’d sunk her money into the costly membership fee.
Saint scooted closer. Odd. She’d thought he couldn’t possibly invade her space more than he already had. “Do you think I fucked my way onto the owner’s floor?”
“No. Of course not.” She glanced away quickly, noting that everyone had gone back to whatever they’d been talking about. Or negotiating. She wished another scene would start in order to draw Saint’s attention away from her.
“Kochran wanted to buy the building and surrounding land when the base shut down because of budget cuts. When he couldn’t come up with all the money the government was demanding, myself and the Dom you just watched in a spectacular suspension scene put up the rest of what he needed. Kochran lives nearby, on the land we purchased.” Saint’s hot breath caressed her collarbone.
Sucked how he could be sexy and intimidating at the same time. Really, really sucked. Because right now, she loved it and hated it at the same time. She wanted him to go away almost as much as she wanted him to stay.
“This used to be an armory, didn’t it?” Maybe if she kept the topic on anything other than her, she could excuse herself after a few minutes without embarrassing herself too much.
“It was. Kochran’s done a lot of work on the place to bring it up to his standards. There’s still some original quarters down on the lower levels. Good if someone wants authentic military training experience for a scene.”
“This all must have taken a lot of time.”
“When some
thing is your passion, you make the time. Besides, expansion keeps his mind off...other things.”
The way Saint’s tone changed during the last sentence, Grae knew there was more to Kochran than she—and maybe anyone else—knew. “His band can really tear things up. I’m surprised some music executive hasn’t been through to sign them.”
“Are you really here to discuss Kochran?”
A knot of dread formed in her stomach. She’d known trying to distract him was futile. “No.”
“You saw, didn’t you? You were watching last Saturday night when Boyce had his...episode.” Grae’s breath caught in her throat as his knowing gaze arrowed in on her, so she simply nodded. He smiled slowly. “Explains why you showed up so unexpectedly at the house. Boyce and I had a little wager going on about what your true intentions were. Nice to see I was right. How long have you been watching us, Grae?”
Though it was a question, his stern tone told her that he didn’t want an argument. Funny, she wasn’t interested in giving him one. There were a lot of things she couldn’t be honest with herself about, but this was one thing she couldn’t deny. The facts were too easily attained given his status with Kochran.
“Since I joined.”
“And how long has that been?”
“A while. I didn’t know,” she rushed on, desperate to make her case. The last thing she needed was for the two of them to think she’d taken a long walk off the short plank to Stalkersville. “When I signed the forms for Noble House, I didn’t realize you both were members. I had no idea this lifestyle was even a possibility for you guys. It wasn’t as though we all talked about this kind of thing in college. I didn’t know about myself until about eight years ago, well after we last saw each other. But then I saw you two, realized I knew you...and I couldn’t help but watch. Sorry.”
Saint caught her chin, his hold firm but gentle. “Don’t be sorry for finding pleasure in something, Grae. Never, ever be sorry about something so precious. The world would be a far happier place if everyone just accepted their desires and were more open about them. Which is why places like Noble House are so necessary. People want to indulge, but they aren’t comfortable being open about it. I’m glad you’re here.”
“So am I.” She blew out the breath she’d been holding even though Saint had just touched on something she was familiar with. Acceptance wasn’t easy for her. Especially when it came to her wants and desires.
“Good. Most members don’t know this room exists, even those who have been visiting the club for years. There is a reason you’re here, Grae. In this place. And you’ll be asked to maintain the privacy of those who are in this room. The owner’s room is...special. Like you.” The dominant edge to his stare made her cheeks heat even as her body softened. “But the Keep also isn’t for the faint of heart. Kochran has a flair for the dramatic. You’ll see that if you decide to keep coming back. But he isn’t the only one. Enver’s scene wasn’t too much for you, was it? He goes over the top more often than not.”
Grae decided not to mention the fact Saint shared that same dramatic angle to his scenes. That she loved watching him work. Undoubtedly, that was the common thread that had drawn the three men together to start the club. It also explained why Saint and Enver were the only other men present who had the Noble House crest inked on their bodies. That made this room so special, and why they didn’t want to share it with the general population.
“It was spectacular.”
Saint rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell him that. His head is swelled enough as it is. In more ways than one.”
The vague reference caused Grae to realize the Dom leading the scene hadn’t gotten off. She knew a Dom sometimes drew pleasure from seeing a person derive pleasure from serving them. There had been plenty of scenes broadcasted from Noble House where the Dom had gotten the submissive off and never found the same pleasure for himself.
At least not on camera.
“Is that usual? For Enver, I mean.” Calling him Master Enver out loud as Asha had done didn’t feel right to Grae. She still considered herself a newbie, even though she had years of experience under her belt.
“To not blow? Oh yeah. He never has sex with a sub during a scene. At least not penetration. Refuses to play anywhere but inside this room when he’s at Noble House. No cameras here.”
Grae’s gaze scanned the corners that would have been perfect areas to mount cameras. She’d known that about this room, but she’d forgotten to look when she’d entered. “Shame to keep all that talent behind locked doors.”
Saint shrugged. “I stopped trying to figure out Kochran or Enver’s headspace a long time ago. There are better ways to expend my energy.” He gestured toward the room, at the people milling around talking quietly. “Did you bring someone to scene with tonight?”
“Here by my lonesome. Wanted to look—”
“Grae,” he remarked sternly.
“No, really. I thought I could get the lay of the club since I knew you two were going to be out of town. No way for us to run into each other with you two wrapped around one another at some winery.”
Damn those images again. Damn the grapes. Damn the sunset.
All faked.
“If you didn’t come to participate, and you didn’t come to watch, then why are you here?”
“Just visiting, like I said.”
“Honey, no one comes to Noble House to visit.” Saint scooted closer. She really wished he would stop doing that. Any closer and she’d be sitting in his lap. Though that wouldn’t be an especially terrible thing. “You may not know why you’re here, but you definitely came with some kind of mission in mind...” Boyce joined them just as Saint trailed off. “Grae says she isn’t here to watch or participate.”
Boyce smirked as he sat. “She came for the food, didn’t she? Duke does offer some mean snacks. Still won’t take my suggestion of serving cocktail wieners. Can’t imagine why.”
Grae giggled. Surprised, she smothered the noise by covering her mouth.
Saint angled his head. “Don’t stop. It sounds pretty.”
Grae lowered her hand, feeling her cheeks heat. She already sounded unhinged. Admitting she’d visited the club for a specific reason—them—would make her sound like a stalker. She wanted to get closer to them, be with them, not scare them.
“I did say I was on vacation. Thought it was time I see some places I’ve always wanted to visit.”
“Road trip,” Boyce murmured. “Any more stops for you?”
Grae dipped her head. “Other than coming to see you and Saint, this was my only destination.”
Boyce barked out a laugh. “Now that is one vacation I can get behind.”
“I know quite a few things you’re willing to get behind,” Saint said.
“Mmm. Tempting.” Boyce studied her, his gaze just as steady and assessing as Saint’s. “I say we help Grae kick off her vacation right—by putting her to work. I believe I know a few things that could use dictation.” Grae yelped as Boyce swept her up into his arms. “What do you say, Ms. Burrows? Care to sharpen a few pencils?”
Grae put her hand in the center of Boyce’s chest, felt his strong heartbeat, and noticed hers skipped a beat. “No.”
Chapter Seven
Despite Grae’s protest, Boyce carried her out of the room. She didn’t struggle as he walked down the darkened hallway. There would be no point. They would want to know why she’d said no.
She was thrilled by the idea of playing with them. No reason to deny that her body had been reaching for them since she’d discovered they played at Noble House. But she needed to clear the air before she entered into any sort of power exchange with them. And since they didn’t have an established play relationship, with no assigned safe word, no would have to suffice.
Funny how the idea of sex with them was easier to swal
low than the full-blown relationship she truly craved. She knew she was her own worst enemy when it came to what she wanted. But damn if she could stop herself. Wasn’t as though she could just up and tell them, Hey, I want to barge right into the middle of your longstanding relationship and muck it all up.
And she needed to remember the kind of sacrifice necessary in order to make her dreams a reality. Her life, her career, was in Los Angeles.
Talk about screwed up.
What the hell was wrong with her?
After Boyce sat on a couch in a secluded alcove, he positioned her across his thighs. He tucked her against his body as Saint slipped beside them and snuggled close. Both men wore twin expressions of concern, but Boyce spoke first.
“What’s the problem?”
Her intent hadn’t been to burden them, but it needed to be said. “That last time I saw you both here, things didn’t end well.”
“If you’re worried about that happening again, I’m fine.” Small lines formed at the edges of Boyce’s eyes as he smiled. Gah. Just when she thought the man couldn’t possibly get more attractive.
She swallowed, forcing herself to stay on topic. Her just rewards would come later as long as she got through this part. “I know. Saint wouldn’t have let you come tonight if he didn’t think otherwise. And that’s the reason why I want to talk about this first.”
“You need peace of mind,” Saint interjected.
“Yes.” While that wasn’t all she needed, it certainly helped that they were on the same wavelength. “I’ve reappeared at a time when you’re both going through some things. I don’t want to feel as though I’m intruding in any way. If you both need time to regroup, then I will gladly step away. The relationship you two have—the love you share—isn’t worth damaging because I’ve got some hankering to scene with you both. It’s not worth it.” She pressed on, knowing she was babbling, but needed to get it all out. “I know it’s not my place to make that call when it’s your relationship, but—”
