by Livia Grant
It occurred to her as she finally looked over at the two large roulette wheels that she hadn't paid any attention to which Dom had spun her name.
Sensing she'd taken longer than what was acceptable to get on stage, she hurried over to Chase, the evening’s emcee. He gave her a playful smile and a curt nod. After acknowledging him with her own grin, she finally looked over at the Dom. She’d been so deep in her own worry, she hadn’t heard a word Chase said prior to calling her name.
“You?” she muttered, unable to hide the shock in her voice.
Dane Stellar stood ten steps away, portraying a look of light annoyance laced with amusement. She swallowed back her initial reaction of shock and tried to keep a soft smile on her lips. She’d seen him in the club once or twice, but she didn’t think he’d be on stage during the Roulette game. His cheek twitched. Was he annoyed because he remembered her, or amused that she'd shown up for the game?
His membership to the club wasn't a surprise. There were few clubs for those in the lifestyle to have such freedom and autonomy as with Black Light. She'd seen him play a few times since the club opened, and envied the submissive every second she'd mentally drooled over the scene. Not that she would admit that to him or anyone else. And now he was standing in front of her.
More than that, he’d apparently spun her name.
He was going to be her play partner for the evening. Being matched up with an ex wasn't exactly what she’d had in mind when she had decided to give Valentine Roulette a go. The chance that she might be matched up with him hadn't even entered her mind. Why would he need to play the game? Surely he had a full-time sub by now? It's what he’d always wanted. Wasn’t that why she'd left?
Chase grinned, “So, I see you two have met. Let’s give the wheel another roll, shall we?”
Chase pointed to the wheel before her lined with play activities. Glancing over them she only noted two of her hard limits. If the ball landed on one, she could re-spin. The reassurance did little to squash the nerves over having Dane so close.
Dane's stare bore into her as she opened her hand for the ball. His harsh features reminded her how his severe determination played into his scenes. She'd watched him play more times than she would admit, and during his scenes, the murky green of his eyes would darken, while his sculpted jaw tightened, leaving no doubt about where his concentration lay. Though at the moment his features suggested a balmy attitude. Even his hair, which was usually kept trimmed high and tight, seemed longer, more relaxed.
Realizing she was staring at him, she looked down at the little white ball in her hand. Had she just heard him chuckle? Great, the first time they stood in such close proximity to each other in years, and her brain was addled.
"I'll spin, you drop the ball when you're ready." Chase explained. "If the ball lands on an activity that either of you have deemed a hard limit, we’ll spin again. Okay?”
She took in Chase’s handsome features for a brief moment, wondering why her toes didn’t curl for him like they did when she merely glanced in Dane’s direction.
"Yes. I understand." She nodded, and he gripped the wheel.
"Then here we go." He flashed her a wicked smile and spun the wheel.
Her hand hovered over the spinning activities, and she tried to see the words as they flew by her. The murmurings of the crowd around them melted away.
"Riley, you have to drop the ball," Chase whispered when she still hadn't moved.
She nodded, gave one last glance up at Dane who was now smiling with obvious amusement, and sent the small sphere spinning in the track. Around and around she watched it roll, tensing a fraction when Dane stepped closer as well to get a better look. Of course, he was just as interested, it was his activity as much as hers.
As the wheel slowed, the ball began to makes its descent onto the grooves. Hands fisted at her sides, she watched it bounce until it finally settled in one groove and remained motionless as the wheel slowed to a stop. Her breath hitched and her muscles tightened. Both excitement and terror ran through her as they battled to dominate her insides.
"Humiliation!" Chase called out with a clap of his hands. "Not on either of your lists, is it?" He checked his list. Dane had moved even closer, and was now standing beside her.
“No.” Without turning her head, she glanced over at Dane.
"No." His hand snaked into hers, their fingers lacing together. A familiar calm seeped into her. "We’re good with this."
Humiliation play. Her eyes darted from the wheel to him. "Yeah. Good." She slowly nodded. Her darker side hadn’t allowed her to mark it on her limits list. It was that side that made her sign up for the game. Her dark desire longed to be in a scene involving it, but never had she asked for it, never had she allowed her top to think she was into that. It was one thing for her to enjoy a spanking, or a flogging, but quite another for a partner in one of the top law firms in D.C. to crave being humbled and humiliated. But she hadn't marked it as off limits. And now she was being led off the stage with the one man who haunted too many of her waking moments, and most of her fantasies.
Dane pulled her along with him to stage left to wait for the final couple to spin. The sub who had looked irritated when Riley left her to go on stage, was down-right pissed now. Apparently, her ex-husband was the only Dom left, which meant they were teamed up, and Veronica wasn’t shy about how she felt. Jabs went back and forth between the two until they finally rolled their activity and every couple was paired off and ready to go.
“And that concludes our pairing ceremony. I thank all of you who are participating and also, those of you here to observe. You may all get started with your first kink.” Chase sent them all on their way to begin their evenings, and Riley still hadn’t wrapped her mind around having been paired with Dane.
Again, she found her hand being pulled until she started walking, following Dane off the stage and through the new crowd of couples starting to get ready to play.
Riley caught Sydney’s smile as they passed her in the crowd. The little wink didn't go unnoticed, by either of them.
"Looks like she approves," Dane said as he walked them over to the bar area.
"Yeah," Riley mumbled. Sydney had made it clear she didn’t understand Riley breaking it off with Dane, and she now looked more than just approving, she looked damn near thrilled. If only Riley could dredge up the same excitement. Dane had a way about him, a way to shine light on her darkness and make it look okay. For the past several years, she'd hidden that spot of hers, not letting anyone get near it and now she would be diving into one of her dirtiest secrets with Dane.
"Let's get a drink and talk for a minute before we begin." He waved over the bartender. "Two waters," he ordered for them. The bright neon lighting of the bar accentuated his strong features, giving him a serious look.
Riley took the bottle he handed her and twisted the top off, pressing her back against the bar to keep her eyes on the crowd of people sorting out their seats and play stations.
"You seemed surprised to see me." He broke the silence between them, motioning for them to move to a high-top table a few feet away from the bar.
"No, I mean, yeah, but not really. I knew you were a member." The real surprise had come when she’d seen him the first time at Black Light. Over the years, she’d lost track of his whereabouts, until then she hadn’t known for certain he was even still in the D.C. area.
She put the bottle of water down on the cocktail table, watching as the condensation dripped down the rippling of the plastic onto the table.
"I've seen you, too, but we never seem to be free at the same time."
Glancing up at him, she took in his casual expression. He leaned his forearms on the table. The tribal band tattoo on his left arm had faded over the years, more blue than black now, but his biceps hadn't changed. He was still in top physical condition.
"You still like to run every morning?" She grabbed the bottle again and concentrated on taking a drink. Her heart was starting to ramp up with him so close.
"Five miles." He nodded. "I heard you were a DA for a while. Haven't seen your name in the paper lately though. Things change?"
"Yeah. Private practice now." She wiped a drop of water from the table and rubbed her hands over her skirt. "You? Probably high rank by now."
"E7 when I got out." His jaw tightened at the mention of his army rank.
"I didn't realize you were out. I figured you'd stay until retirement." She swiped a chestnut brown hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.
"That was the plan." Another nod. "Ended up getting stationed in South Carolina: Fort Jackson."
"Fort Jackson? Isn't that boot camp?" Riley asked. Sydney's brother had recently enlisted and had been shipped there for basic training.
"Yeah." He fixed his stare on her. An unsettling calm came over his features. His military career had always been a worry of hers. The idea of him being deployed and shipped halfway across the world had weighed on her. "Decided to stick to what I do best. Training. I was a drill sergeant for the last five years of my time."
"Hey, you two!" Sydney's voice penetrated their locked gazes.
"Sydney," Riley groaned.
Behind Sydney walked Tate, a dominant Sydney had been mentally drooling over for the last six months. He didn't look particularly pleased to be led over to their table, but Riley figured he'd work that out with Sydney soon enough. She was highly into discipline scenes, and more than likely she was setting the mood by being a little bossy.
"Dane." Tate extended a hand once they reached the table. Dane turned slightly when he reached for Tate's hand, and Riley saw the scar. A long scar ran down the back of his neck, disappearing into his shirt.
"See who’s sharing my table?” Sydney pointed to her chest, indicating the man standing behind her.
"I do.” Riley acknowledged with a nod.
“We’re going to have our own little fun while we watch. Nothing like you’re going to have, though. I’m still jealous I didn’t get my application in before you." Sydney leaned over to whisper into Riley's ear. Not soft enough though; Tate raised an eyebrow at them.
"And I see who spun you." The woman was alight with giggles. To hear how giddy she was, no one would believe she was one of the top DAs in the city. "How exciting."
"We'll see." Riley glanced over at Dane again. He was watching her while Tate was talking.
"Okay, Sydney. Let's go. You've wasted enough of their time already." Tate snagged her hand.
"Talking to my friend isn't wasting time," Sydney pouted. Tate released her hand and covered her mouth with his hand, using his thumb to pinch her nose closed. Sydney's own hands went to his large paw.
"You should understand right now, I don't fuck around. If we’re going to share a table, there will be no pouting, no talking back. Do you understand me?"
Riley watched with fascination as her usually headstrong, bratty friend nodded and put her hands down to her sides.
"That's my good girl." He peeled his fingers away from her nose, letting her take in a breath. "Breathe. Good. Very good." A red handprint stood out against her pale complexion. "Now. It's time to let these two finish their talk, and get you over to our table. I think you’ve earned a little spanking before the shows begin. Naughty girls get spanked."
"I was naughty?"
"Are you talking back again?" Tate asked.
Riley doubted Sydney understood that the hard tone Tate gave her wasn’t play-acting. He didn't like bratting, and if Sydney had stopped drooling long enough to have actually watched him some time, she would have known that. But it looked like she was about to find out.
"Okay, I'm coming," Sydney huffed. A sharp slap to her tight, skirt-clad ass had her changing her answer. "I mean, yes, sir." Sydney flashed a grin at Riley before following Tate toward the tables.
"Sydney hasn't changed much." Dane shook his head and took a sip of his water.
"No, not at all actually." Riley pulled the hem of her skirt down. If she'd known whom she'd be playing with, she might have rethought the outfit. Though the mysterious, dangerous thrill of not knowing which Dom she was dressing for was part of what brought her here on Valentine’s Day in the first place.
"And what about you?" He leaned forward, placing his hand on hers. "Have you changed?"
How the hell was she supposed to answer that question? "It's been eight years, Dane. I'm sure I have."
"But not here you haven't." He gestured to the play areas where couples were starting to get into their scenes. "Here you are just like always. Nothing too serious, nothing that might get you out of your comfort zone."
"Are we going to start up where we left off?" She released a heavy sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe if you ask Chase nicely he'll let you spin again. Get someone else." Without another word, she started to stalk off.
He caught her around the middle before she could get three steps away. His tight grip around her stomach hurt, but struggling only made him tighten his hold.
"No fucking way." His mouth pressed against her ear as he spoke the words, sending a shiver through her. "Unless of course, you don’t think you can handle the evening." He eased his hold, but didn't release her.
Spend the night at the mercy of Dane? After all the years of regret and wondering? If she walked away now, again, how would she spend the rest of her life?
"No, I'm good." She twisted in his grip.
He let her go, taking a step back and dragging his fingers through his hair, leaving it to stand on end in places. "Good."
"You've seen me here, but never tried to look me up?"
He flashed her his grin. The same one that had melted her resolve years ago. "Who said I didn't? Now. Anything not on this card I should know about? I know we were only allowed to list four hard limits, but if there’s a trigger I should know about, now’s a good time to tell me. Humiliation isn’t cut and dry like flogging. If I don’t know where the triggers are that will cause damage, I can’t avoid them." He rolled his shoulders back, like he was getting ready to pounce.
"No, nothing I can think of. Nothing’s changed in that area." Not even her level of experience or her ability to explain her desires. Playing with men who don’t challenge you will keep your submission stagnant like that.
"Good. Let's go." He grabbed her hand and started marching off through the crowd towards the locker rooms. “Time to start.”
Riley's hand gripped his as he pulled her through the large crowd of people. Spectators were starting to take their seats to watch the scenes unfold around them, and the last couple stepped off the stage. Everyone was paired up, and he had Riley.
After eight years, Riley was his again. At least for the night.
Letting her go had been so hard, but he couldn’t make her stay and he couldn’t chase her down, either. After she made it clear she wasn’t interested in anything more than a slap-and-tickle session now and then, she had stopped taking his calls. After a few dozen voicemails went unanswered, he accepted the invitation to go to Fort Jackson and became a drill sergeant. Doing that course was a trip to the zoo compared to trying to hold on to Riley who fought him every step of the way.
Now he was stalking across an elite dungeon, filled with women that would willingly fall at his feet with a simple snap of his fingers, and he had the one unwilling submissive in his hand that could deny them both their desires. No, not totally unwilling. She still got off on a solid paddling, from what he'd seen of her play in the dungeon. But he also saw her calling all the shots during those scenes, and looking damn miserable afterward.
"Where are we going?" She tried to pull back from him.
"Just over here." He nodded toward the stage where several couples were still milling about. When he reached his destination, he released her hand and spun to face her. "I want you to undress."
She glanced around with wild eyes. Nudity wasn't on her hard limits, not even her soft limits, yet she hesitated.
"Here? There's people—I'll go to the locker room." He gr
abbed her arm when she tried to turn and spun her back to him.
No time like the present to set the mood for the evening. He caught her around her middle again, pushing her over his arm, and raising her ass in the air. She shrieked but that didn't stop him, and no one would get in the way either, unless she started screaming her safeword.
"Dane!" she called out, but he wasn't giving in.
With his right hand, he flipped the skirt up over her ass until the beautiful round globes he remembered were staring up at him. She'd put on a little weight since the last time they'd been together, and she looked better for it. No time to waste admiring the deliciousness of her ass though; work needed to be done.
"Dane!" She yelped again as his hand made contact with her lush cheek. The impact pressed into her flesh, which bounced back immediately, making him want to groan. Another swat to the other cheek, and she stomped her foot.
"Can't have that, now can we?" He aimed his swats lower, down her thighs, peppering them to her knees and then back up to her ass, where he delivered half a dozen to each cheek. She squirmed, which probably resulted in even more pressure on her belly, but that was for her to fix, not him.
Once he was finished, she was gulping for air but was no longer sputtering for him to stop, or release her. "Now. The topping from the bottom stops." One last slap to her already pink ass, and he flipped her skirt back over the mounds, and put her back on her feet.
Although her face was flushed, she was nowhere near tears. He hadn't been that hard on her. He'd seen her take a good spanking, and solid canings, too. She could take more than a simple hand spanking, but to have been flipped over like a naughty girl? That she didn't have experience with. Which explained the dilated eyes, and the red cheeks.
He ran his hands over her head, smoothing down the flyaway strands. Her soft brown eyes found his. Her lips formed a perfect pout. Running his thumb over her bottom lip, he massaged away the frown. "You still fight for control."
"I—"
"It's okay. But I'm not letting you have it tonight. Tonight, you'll obey, or you'll be punished. Tonight, you’ll submit and take everything I give you, or you'll be punished. Use your safewords if you need to, but it’s only going to get us kicked out and stop me from giving you what you need, what you want."
