by Cara Carnes
Passion’s Trust
Cara Carnes
Book four in the Pleasure Brigade series.
Katey Meadows has a dream job—working at The Brigade, an exclusive BDSM resort catering to curious, inexperienced vanillas like her. Studiously taking notes and formulating her strategy for plunging desire-first into her submission fantasies becomes an exercise in futility and sexual frustration when the Master she wants more than anything is the one man who rescued her from the brink of financial ruin. Overcoming her past was easy. Kneeling before her heart’s desire could prove impossible.
Lorenzo Garofali has adhered to a hands-off policy with Katey—until now. Determined to strip away her armor of distrust and insecurity, he soon discovers that baring her submissive desires means setting aside his baser instinct to claim her as his. Sharing her passion with his fellow Brigade Masters is tolerable. Losing her is not.
An Exotika® BDSM erotica story from Ellora’s Cave
Passion’s Trust
Cara Carnes
Dedication
To all the Kateys out there—may you find your Lorenzo. Lastly, to my fabulous editor Grace Bradley for her constant dedication and keen eye. You make me a better writer and I’m eternally grateful to be one of your Fallen Angels.
Chapter One
Katey Meadows took a deep breath and willed her legs to move, even though her brain had braked moments before. Gabe Santiago worked the door at The Brig as if he owned it. But she’d expect any Dom from The Brigade to do exactly that—control.
Adrenaline thrummed through her blood like jet fuel. The man was almost more tempting than Lorenzo Garofali. That was a mighty big hill for others to climb.
“No notebook?” Gabe’s mocha gaze roamed her body with a slow, sensuous gait.
She always grew nervous around this man. First off, she never knew what to call him. Half the men used his last name. The others called him Gabe. At The Brig he was Master Santiago. Three options, none of which settled the raging butterflies in her belly. Silence was best.
His eyebrows lifted in a warning his patience was being tested. Right, he’d asked a question.
The notebook.
That’d been her first mistake. Hindsight left her regretting her penchant for lists, organization and research. She never forayed into uncharted areas without at least two strategies and three alternative courses of action. The planner in her wouldn’t allow it, even though the submissive within her wanted nothing more than complete surrender to a man like this one.
Or Lorenzo.
Don’t go there. He can’t be yours. Not now, not ever.
Katey expended a regretful sigh at the thought. Her job was too important.
Don’t play where you work.
Lorenzo had already done more for her than anyone else. He’d taken firm control over her situation once he’d realized she’d lost her house and was essentially homeless in an effort to pay off the massive medical bills and other debts her aunt had accumulated during her battle with cancer.
She’d resorted to sleeping within Brigade Financial—in Lorenzo’s office—until security footage had captured her. Until he had captured her. He’d promoted her to a new position and moved her out to The Brigade.
Of course, she hadn’t figured out he knew her situation until a few weeks after she’d accepted the position. He’d expected her to be angry at his highhanded intrusion. Truth be told, she’d been humbled and hopeful. Having someone care enough to fight her battles empowered her.
She mattered.
She missed Lorenzo. His visits to The Brigade were sporadic, hectic. Truth be told, she was lonely.
Dating proved difficult when no man could measure up to the Brigade Masters. They’d raised the bar so incredibly high Katey doubted any man she’d be worthy of could ever reach it.
“Katey.”
Heat rose in her face when she realized she’d zoned out.
He scraped his five-o’clock shadow with his palm. “I see you’ve foregone the grunge muffin look. Such a shame, I liked the challenge of stripping the excess garb from you.”
A knot formed in her throat. Her gaze darted past him into the darkened, hallowed playground for resort patrons. Running from the obvious flirtation would be too simple, the chicken approach to an intoxicating morsel of wickedness she’d longed to savor.
“I thought this would be more appealing.”
Gabe’s gaze roamed her body again as he locked his hands in front of his body. Heat spread down her like an uncontrolled brushfire with each sensuous stroke of his eyes. He’d miss nothing in his observation, yet he’d say nothing. He was the epitome of control. Steel resolve encased in bronze skin rippling from under a snug black t-shirt and denim jeans. The look reminded her of Lorenzo.
The consequence was a flaring awareness so fierce her nipples hardened under her red leather under-bust corset and matching thong—a gift from Viviana—and a way-too-short black pettiskirt—a gift from Autumn. The women had been beyond insane to think she’d wear the outfit as they’d intended.
Her breasts would’ve been fully exposed. It was bad enough her ass would be exposed if she bent over. She wasn’t about to bare anything else. She’d added a red bikini top for a modicum of coverage, which would no doubt leave the two women amused and horrified.
Arousal flared to life when she imagined wearing the outfit as it had been intended. The nipple pasties with dangling tassels would’ve been adorable.
“Absolutely delectable, as I suspected.” He grinned. “I’ll have to kick Stryker’s ass for putting me on the door tonight. Otherwise I’d drag you over to a St. Andrew’s cross and get your party kicked off in style.”
The nervousness grinding her excitement to a halt must’ve shown somehow because his teasing tone took on a more sedate, commanding tenor that slid through her like a shot of warm brandy. “Go as slowly as you need to, Katey.”
She nodded. “Thank you, Sir.”
“We have quite a few newcomers this evening, all Doms. Choose your playmate wisely—perhaps someone you know.”
“Newcomers?”
How had she not known about this? As Chase’s assistant she planned events. He’d probably kept this more illicit part of the resort in his turf. He wouldn’t trust her to understand the workings of a BDSM club. Rightfully so.
“Potential Brigade Masters.” He shrugged. “We vet interested Doms once a year.”
Okay. Time for Plan E—aka run like hell and forget about this foolish idea. She flashed an apprehensive smile laced with self-doubt and took a couple steps back. Showing up during a slow night had seemed like a good idea but the information cast a harsh light on potential outcomes. An overstock of Doms translated to a shortage of submissives.
Definitely not a good scenario.
Moisture pooled between her legs. She was in over her head and she hadn’t even made it to the kiddie pool yet. A list of potentially satisfying yet somewhat bland excuses for not entering cycled through her mind.
It was one thing to enter mentally embracing her submissive nature. It was another one entirely to do so in a room filled with strangers. Dominant strangers.
Shock made her jump when a firm hand settled on her shoulder. Adrenaline gave way to molten desire. Lorenzo. Thick, wavy dark hair and hazel eyes. The combination was potent enough without the olive-toned skin she longed to lick, to feel naked against hers.
Although she’d watched most of the resident Brigade Doms scene with the patron submissives, she’d lacked the guts and the fortitude to watch Lorenzo. Her former boss ignited a need within her she’d suppressed too long.
“Katey.” Her name flowed from his thick lips like a sensuous caress against her most intimate parts. “Second thoughts?”
How had h
e known about her first thoughts?
The question evaporated under his intense scrutiny—surgical precision slicing to her marrow. Her stomach turned and twisted into a chaotic mess.
Warm fingers squeezed her neck gently, a calm but firm reminder she’d been asked a direct question that required an answer. She nodded.
“My fault.” Gabe shrugged when Lorenzo arrowed a displeased glare his direction. “I warned her about the tryouts.”
“Ah.” The simple word shifted the air between them.
Lorenzo stepped closer until she inhaled his cologne, the woodsy, musky scent permanently adhered in her brain as his. Her pulse drummed in her ears so loud she barely heard the husky whisper tickling across her neck. “Santiago was kind enough to take your comfort into consideration, bella donna. What do you say?”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Gabe grinned. “I’ll get my reward later.”
Her pussy clenched at the notion. Would he and Lorenzo scene a ménage with her? She’d observed Lance and Stryker with Viviana so many times she felt downright lascivious just hearing their names.
No.
Lorenzo wasn’t on the potential playlist she’d made. He was too intense, too tempting. Everything she desired yet couldn’t afford to chance.
What if she humiliated herself? Or worse—what if she did something horrendous to upset them all? Where would she be? On the street with no home, no job. No stability.
“Come, Katey.” Lorenzo squeezed her shoulder and then ran the hand down her back until it settled at her waist.
Tingles shadowed his path. An ache settled between her legs.
Low lighting enhanced the darkened atmosphere. Although The Brig was a fully stocked BDSM dungeon and playroom, the club was an instruction mechanism more than anything—which explained the additional lighting along the entryway and ample seating along the walls.
A wide assortment of play stations sat in sporadic yet somewhat secluded locations in a large, open room adorned with various seating and furniture to create the image of sections. Speakers hung in the corners, partially obscuring security cameras. The layout of the room changed frequently to spotlight the various BDSM facets.
Most of her time was spent in the background, tucked within the darkened walkway a few feet off the ground, which encircled the room. The circle opened to a large hallway she’d never had the courage to enter. She’d been told there was an assortment of private scene rooms and a couple of dungeons.
Lorenzo paused at a small check-in room at the club’s primary entrance off the foyer. He nodded at the woman behind the counter.
“Hey, Katey.” Marissa tapped away on a keyboard and the bracelet on Katey’s wrist vibrated softly. The device provided all information on the wearer’s identity, sexual play preferences and other data—including all pertinent notes Brigade Masters or employees might’ve made.
She wondered if there was really much in her file yet. The most important part seemed to be the daunting checklist-slash-questionnaire, which she’d spent the past couple of months studying.
The questionnaire was designed by Satan to pick his wicked angels. Nothing else could explain the temptations listed on the daunting smorgasbord of BDSM activities. If she marked even half the things she wouldn’t mind trying once, she’d be branded as a pervert and cast from the island—or in this case job.
Lorenzo squeezed her arm slightly. “You with us, bella donna?”
Nervousness settled in the pit of her stomach. She was definitely here, whether it was the wise decision or not. “Yes Sir.”
“Are you observing?” Marissa reached for the orange band Katey’d become accustomed to wearing.
“Katey will be more active tonight.”
Lorenzo’s voice tumbled through her mind. She was really doing this.
“Leave your shoes with Marissa. For tonight your feet at the very least shall remain bare.”
A gleam appeared in Marissa’s eyes as she took Katey’s shoes and gave her a yellow bracelet to wear on her left wrist. The color denoted her first night of exploration, a warning for the Doms that she would more than likely screw up in just about every conceivable way.
Fortunately most Doms in residence seemed to enjoy the need for additional guidance. It left Katey wondering if Lorenzo was the same. He rarely frequented the club while she was there. Perhaps his schedule didn’t allow him the luxury.
“I’d watch this one. He’s known for making subs remain fully exposed for his pleasure,” Marissa whispered.
“Did you forget the rules, Marissa?”
Shock reflected in the woman’s widened eyes. “Forgive me, Sir.”
“What occurs within the club or at this resort is private. More importantly, what a Dom chooses to do with a sub is his business to share if he wishes.”
She nodded mutely.
“Report to Master Santiago after your shift and he’ll administer to your punishment.”
“Yes Sir.”
Katey remained silent as they walked away from the woman. Lorenzo pulled a handheld device from his belt and tapped away on the keyboard. She swallowed the questions on the tip of her tongue. She’d observed enough situations with the other Doms to know when to remain silent.
This was one of those times.
“Marissa tests authority,” Lorenzo offered. “I find it tiring but others enjoy her antics.”
The flooring felt cool against her bare feet. He guided her toward a small area nestled in the corner, bare of any paraphernalia other than a leather ottoman and an overgrown potted plant hiding most of the seating. Her heart raced as her gaze swept the remainder of the room.
She tried to ignore the bustling activity and various scenes in progress, but moans and gasps riddled her courage with bullet-sized doubt. She’d rushed into tonight. Maybe she should’ve waited another week. Or three.
“Come, sit.”
Lorenzo’s massive frame enveloped the small sofa. His long legs sprawled out, slightly parted. She chewed on her lower lip and noted the small space on his right. She could squeeze in but it would be tight.
Or perhaps he’d intended for her to kneel. Most subs did that. Caution always proved the best course of action. Her arm tingled where he touched.
“I want you in my arms while we talk.”
She sat on his lap and tried hard to hold the bulk of her weight on her feet. Squishing the sexy Dom wouldn’t make the night go well. He tsked softly at her aversion to his order and pulled until she was fully in his embrace.
His fingers ran down her arm until she shivered. “You are very responsive, bella donna. This pleases me immensely.”
Was she supposed to say something? Thank you maybe? She should’ve read over her notes just in case she’d scrawled anything about that down.
“Red suits your coloring and brings out the blush in your cheeks.” Fingertips grazed her face and he grinned. “That’s the sexy hue I enjoy seeing on you. I bet your sweet little ass will be even more beautiful a shade when I spank it.”
The statement thudded in her pulse, leaving her limbs leaden and her insides clanging for more. She hadn’t expected the conversation to jump the rails into nirvana this quickly.
“You’ve shown your desire for more in so many little ways.” His voice lowered an octave and made her pussy clench as arousal coated her panties. “I’ve been patient and watched you step closer. I haven’t pressured you, but I will tonight. Don’t make us wait any longer.”
Any hope Katey had of seeking another Dom who didn’t turn her brain into mush and her insides into goo unraveled with each word Lorenzo spoke. He knew she wanted him and he hadn’t rejected her.
“I’d like to be one of your first Doms.” His fingers stroked her cheek. “I want you coming around my cock.”
“I’d like that too.” Her pulse pounded in her ears and she rubbed her hands along her thighs in a nervous need to do something other than sit here and inhale the intensity that was Lorenzo Garofali.
�
��Very good.” His hand settled on her knee. Awareness flared across her skin like a brushfire blazing a path between her legs. “I’ve watched your diligence with the questionnaire.”
“You can do that?” She swallowed, re-formed the question. “You can see it even though I haven’t finished?”
“We can see alterations and notations added or removed.”
“I didn’t realize.”
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Stryker and Lance were meticulous. Viviana was a programming genius wrapped in satin curves. Of course the freaking questionnaire would be a live shared form. How else could they make notations so easily?
Ugh.
She should’ve printed it out, written the checklists down in her notebook to work through privately. Then they wouldn’t have seen her virtual eraser scrubbing away the darkest of her fantasies. But it was too late to salvage the blemishes she’d left behind in her haste to not appear too twisted.
Too kinky.
“Some people have difficulty deciding where their desires lie within the checkmarks. There’s a vast sea between a hard limit and a possibly—and an ocean of pleasure between possibly and most definitely.”
She swallowed. “I’ve never been very decisive.”
“Don’t explain away your innocence, Katey. I find it very appealing.” His fingers toyed with her hair until the clasp holding it high on her head gave way to his will. The long mass of curls tumbled to her shoulders. “Would you like our help making your decisions?”
“Wh-which ones?” She shivered when his hand ran up her knee, pausing to rub tiny circles on the inside of her lower thigh. Tingles shot northward, as if guiding the heated touch to where she craved it most.
“There will be no planning your time with us. Your arousal is more than a small box on a mighty list.” Hot breath tickled her ear. “At least it is for me. I hope you agree.”
Pleasure burst through her veins, firing blood to the apex of her thighs. She battled to remain still. Two more circles, another couple of inches closer. “Yes Sir.”
