Don't Come

by Jessica Gadziala

  "So that's what was funny?" I asked. "That maybe her date is young enough to be her grandson?"

  "Or that she is decked out in head-to-toe hot pink leather," DOM corrected, jerking his chin across the room to a lithe older woman with long, graying hair, and, yep, skintight hot pink leather. And a man with a collar in nothing but black leather pants that she was leading around like a dog.

  "Oh, wow," I said, looking away, not wanting anyone to see my somewhat amused reaction. Though I secretly hoped that at seventy, I could have just as much of a 'fuck what you think' attitude as Miffy did.

  "We will be avoiding her scenes," DOM supplied, then immediately cut me off when I went to argue for her, figuring he was being ageist about it. "Not because she's older, pet, but because when it comes to firm hands, she's right there at the top. That sub is going to leave with a bloodied back, and I don't think that's your thing."

  "Oh, yeah... no."

  "There are a few Masters who will do more sadist-type scenes we can try out if you're curious, ones who won't be drawing blood."

  "Yeah, I'm not exactly good with blood," I admitted, cringing.

  "Noted," he agreed, his hand moving to the side of my hip to give it a squeeze. "I'm not a fan of seeing it either. For the record," he added, giving me a little reassurance that he had no plans on genuinely making me bleed. "I've always been more into the power dynamic than the actual pain," he explained, giving me another piece of him I felt lucky to know. "Incoming," he said, voice low, as a group of men in suits made their way over. Most were either here alone, or their subs were off somewhere else. One had his lady, a woman a few years younger than myself with white-blonde hair and big blue eyes, walking a few feet behind him.

  "Nathaniel," one of the Doms greeted, offering a hand.

  I felt my eyes shoot to the side of his face. I knew he felt my gaze there, but he was ignoring it for the moment.

  He had out and out refused to give me his name.

  He had to have known that coming here meant I would hear it.

  Nathaniel.

  Nathaniel Domenech.

  It was a name that suited him, rather distinguished and intriguing.

  I forced my eyes to move from him, looking over at my fellow sub, giving her a small smile that she returned, both of us seeming to communicate a They forgot their manners shrug.

  I looked over at her Dom, another man around DOM's... Nathaniel's age, in a similar dark suit, with neat, medium-brown hair, and a face that was somewhat pleasant if his green eyes weren't so cold.

  Seeming to feel my inspection, his head shifted to me, brow raising a bit condescendingly. "You have very wide eyes," he told me, tone odd, something I couldn't place.

  But, apparently DOM Nathaniel did.

  Because his entire body stiffened beside me; his voice broke off mid-sentence to whomever he was speaking to, and his gaze shot to the Dom's.

  "Do not scold my submissive." His voice cracked through the air like a whip, making everyone in the group stiffen, and everyone within earshot turn to see what was happening.

  The tension in the air between the two men was palpable, something that thrummed and vibrated around them, making it uncomfortable even to be standing beside them.

  It was like Animal Planet.

  The two alpha males seemed ready to duke it out for the right to be called top dog.

  Maybe it was growing feelings for him talking, but I would put my money on DOM Nathaniel winning.

  "I wouldn't need to if you trained her properly before bringing her to an event," the other Dom shot back, using that same tone on DOM Nathaniel as he did on me. And it was quite clear that that was a very bad move.

  "I believe you have forgotten, so allow me to educate you, on the protocol for events and play parties. You are not the motherfucking lord and master to all present. You do not ever deign to believe the way you train your submissive is superior to the way others train theirs. People like you might expect others to fall at your feet no matter what you do or say, Evander, but one more misstep like that, and I will show you that people like me will put you on your ass for it."

  Evander, clearly chastised, evidently found guilty by all who were around since they were nodding along to what Nathaniel said, reddened in the face. "Who do--"

  "Oh, look!" Corey's voice cheered as she moved in on the scene. "They're peacocking!" she declared, smiling, fearlessly teasing men who would not normally allow such a thing, leaving me to wonder again if she was a Domme herself. Or simply knew she was untouchable since she owned the establishment - and the big, burly security team that were discreetly placed all around the building. "I'm afraid it would not be a BDSMPA party without one set of Doms butting their horns. Evander, I believe you have been to enough of these parties to know it is not your place to chasten other submissives other than your own. Nathaniel," she said, giving him a little head shake, "while I appreciate your protectiveness over your sub, you know I am not going to allow violence here."

  To that, Nathaniel gave her an almost older-brother type smile. "Oh, Cor, you know I would have taken it outside," he told her, refusing to apologize for his behavior.

  She tried - and failed - to hide her smile at that. I got the feeling that this Evander guy was not a favorite of anyone around. "Evander, I believe you asked for the floor," she said, waving a hand to the empty space in the middle. "It is all yours now."

  My gaze shot to the sub as she was led away, worried that Nathaniel had just pissed off her Dom, and that he might take it out on her.

  As the conversation moved to other things, I watched as my fears came true. As the woman was stripped down to her bra and panties and got placed on the table. A ballgag was placed in her mouth, and then Evander got to work on tying her up. Hard. Tight. The kind of hard and tight that made me jump each time he fastened a knot.

  "She likes it," Nathaniel told me when the group who had been speaking to him finally moved away.

  But I was afraid that his little reassuring squeeze to my hip did nothing to ease the swirling feeling in my belly. "You don't know that."

  "I do know that," he corrected in such a sure tone that my gaze moved from the scene and back to him. "I knew Molly about two years back," he informed me, and I knew without asking exactly how he knew her. I had to squash down the uncharacteristic and unwelcome surge of jealousy at the information. It wasn't like me. Of course he had had other subs, other sexual partners before me. Every man - and woman - had a history. That had never bothered me before.

  "Oh," was all I could seem to manage.

  "She wanted a higher level of protocol than I was willing to give her."

  "Meaning?" I pressed, wanting to understand.

  "Meaning she was the kind of sub that was looking for - though she didn't know it at the time - a Master, not a Dom. She wants to be owned. She wants someone to tell her what to wear, eat, say, do, think. And she really gets off on being hurt. The kind of hurt that gives me no kind of pleasure in inflicting."

  "Like Miffy?" I guessed.

  "Like Miffy," he agreed, nodding. "I know that looks a bit harsh," he said, jerking his chin to the scene without looking over at it, "but I guarantee you that she is getting off on it, not a victim of it."

  "Is that why Evander is such an asshole?" I asked, my eyes going huge as soon as the words were out of my mouth, knowing that was likely incredibly inappropriate, especially if someone overheard.

  But Nathaniel just looked pleased, lips twitching, dark eyes warming up. "He likes her as a slave, but it chafes his ass that I had her first."

  "Is that why he is such an ass, or was there bad blood before?"

  "There was bad blood before," he admitted, somehow a lot more open in this environment, or perhaps simply because I was asking him more questions. With sex off the table, I was finding it easier than usual to be a bit more myself, to have opinions and questions. It was nice to spend time with him outside of the bedroom. Even if it was maybe bad for the whole I am falling for him prob
lem.

  "Why?"

  His brow lifted a little at that, like he was not used to talking so much about himself, having someone - especially a sub - demand to know so much. "We're in competition business-wise. He used to monopolize the market. I swooped in and took a huge chunk of it away from him. He's the bitter and petty sort."

  I nodded a bit at that, chancing a look at the man who was still red with anger in the face and neck. That seemed an apt description of him.

  I turned back, looking up at his gorgeous brown eyes, finding them on me as they almost always were. "Your name is Nathaniel," I heard myself say, the words only loud enough for us to hear.

  I expected him to stiffen, to be, I don't know, angry.

  But he actually seemed to soften a little. "Yeah, pet."

  I nodded a little awkwardly at that, my gaze falling when I asked, "Can I call you that?"

  His fingers closed around my chin, lifting my head. "How about you ask me, not the ground?"

  "Can I call you by your name?"

  "Outside of play, yes," he told me, making my belly soar a bit with victory.

  "Boss!" a voice called as two men sidled in beside us, making Nathaniel drop my chin quickly and turn to them. "Fancy seeing you here," the man said. He was maybe in his late twenties with medium-brown hair, an attractive face, and a collar around his neck. Seeing as the tall, well-built black man beside him was in a suit, I figured that to mean Nathaniel's assistant was a sub, and this was his Dom.

  "Haden," Nathaniel greeted the Dom. "Fagan," he said to his assistant. "This is Adley. Adley, Fagan, my assistant. And this is Haden, his Dom."

  I kept my hands to myself but offered them a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

  "You too, pretty lady," Fagan said, all charm. "I see you are without social lubrication," he went on. "How about we go to the bar, so the Doms can talk about us behind our backs?" he suggested.

  He said this while linking his arm through mine, already pulling me with him, taking away any chance of my turning him down. As we moved away, I could have sworn I heard Haden mumble in an affectionate tone Brat.

  "So, you and the boss man," Fagan said as we stood at the bar, waiting our turns because, apparently, Doms got served first.

  "Ah, yeah. I guess. It's..." Casual? Complicated? Neither of those felt like something I should say. "New," I decided on.

  "But serious," he said, his gaze dropping down. And since he was clearly gay, I knew it wasn't to check out my boobs. So what, then? My collar?

  "Oh, um. Well, we haven't really discussed the, ah, seriousness of it," I admitted carefully.

  But, apparently, something I said was still wrong.

  Because Fagan turned abruptly away from the bartender who had finally made his way over to us, and faced me directly, something in his eyes that I couldn't decipher but seemed incredibly serious.

  "Red wine?" he asked after a second.

  "Yeah, that's good," I agreed with a small smile, feeling odd after the hard look he had given me. "Thank you," I told him when the wine glass was in my hand.

  But I didn't even get to sip it because his arm linked in mine again. "Come on, we should be getting back," he said, tone distracted as he pulled me back through the crowd that was growing as more people kept arriving.

  Haden was gone, Nathaniel standing alone waiting for us. As soon as we were beside him, my arm was dropped suddenly, and Fagan was in his boss's face.

  "We need to talk," he snapped at Nathaniel who didn't seem like the kind of man who would tolerate that. "Right fucking now, boss," Fagan insisted.

  Nathaniel's gaze went to me, oddly, his gaze slipping to my neck as well before nodding and moving to step away with his assistant.

  "I'll be right back," he assured me, but then was gone.

  And I was alone.

  At a BDSM club.

  Had you told me even half a year ago that this would be my new reality, I would have laughed in your face. I mean, secretly, I would be praying that was true, but also accepting that it was likely not in the cards for me.

  Now, here I was.

  "You're here with Nathaniel?" a female voice asked, making my spine straighten. Because everyone knew that voice when they heard it. High, cocky, condescending, reminding everyone of the nasty popular girls in high school when they couldn't fathom why one of the football players would talk to someone as lowly as you.

  Taking a deep breath, I pivoted a little on my heel, finding a striking woman about my age with long deep red hair, sharp, triangular features, and ice blue eyes. "Yes," I answered, keeping my chin high, refusing to feel intimidated that so many of these people seemed to know him a bit better than I did.

  "Really?" she asked, eyes raking over me, clearly finding me lacking. Her gaze rested on my collar for a moment before she rolled her eyes and walked away.

  "Okay then," I grumbled to myself, trying not to let it take me down a peg, though that was clearly her intention, as I raised my glass to take a long sip.

  "When was your ceremony?" another, sweeter-sounding female voice asked, likely taking pity on me after the other chick did her little confidence-annihilating drive-by.

  "I'm sorry?" I asked, turning to find a short, plus-sized, middle-aged blonde with bright honey-brown eyes. Her soft, curly hair was down around her shoulders, drawing my attention down to her intricate silver and gold collar.

  "Your ceremony," she repeated, touching her own collar. "It must not have been too long ago. I saw Nath... your Dom about six months ago at a party. He didn't say anything about finally choosing..."

  "Ash," Nathaniel's voice said, sounding friendly as he moved back over toward us. "How have you been?"

  "Oh, you know how we are," she said, expertly including her Dom in the conversation.

  "The kids?" Nathaniel asked as he moved toward me, putting his hand at my lower back again.

  "Beautiful terrors," she said, beaming. "I have to get back. I just wanted to say hello to..."

  "Adley," Nathaniel supplied.

  "Adley," she agreed with a smile before moving off.

  "She was sweet," I told him when we were alone again.

  "Yeah, she and her Dom have been in the lifestyle for over fifteen years."

  So there were ones who did it seriously.

  I mean, I had heard stories about that.

  But it was starting to feel like everything was so casual, that subs were interchangeable. It was nice to know there were exceptions.

  "Can I ask you something?" I asked, sneaking a look at him.

  "Yeah, pet. What's up?"

  "What is everyone's fascination with my collar?" I asked, watching as he visibly shocked back at the question. "And what is a ceremony?"

  "Shit," Nathaniel cursed, running his hand across the back of his neck.

  Well... that wasn't a good reaction, was it?

  "What?"

  "This isn't a good place to talk about that. But I will explain it to you later."

  "Oh, ah... okay."

  "Do you want to go see some scenes?" he asked, clearly ready for this line of conversation to be over which meant that I needed to make sure to bring it back up when we were alone again.

  "Okay," I agreed.

  "Refill first?" he asked, tapping the glass that was somehow already empty.

  If I was going to be watching some kinky stuff - and maybe getting a little turned on - in public? "Yes."

  We were only halfway to the bar, stopped because someone stepped back from their group and blocked our way when I felt my glass being pulled out of my hand from my side.

  "Thank you!" Fagan's voice said, depositing a refill, then flitting away.

  "Is he working tonight?" I asked, confused, as Nathaniel turned us around to go back toward the rooms.

  "It's Fagan. He's always working," he said casually. "That's just how he is. Always on his game."

  "It doesn't... bother his partner that he waits on you while he is present?"

  "It's different, and he knows i
t. I introduced Haden and Fagan. They both knew how it was when they went into it. Besides, Fagan is on salary. So if I'm around, he just keeps an eye. Now, I have no idea until we go in what we're walking into," he told me, stopping us outside the first room. "If you're uncomfortable, just tell me. We can try the next room."

  "Okay," I agreed, belly a little jumpy as he pulled me in through the doorway into a lowly lit room with dark slate gray walls, standing room, and a giant wooden X toward the front.

  I had seen just enough BDSM porn to know exactly what that X was for even if we weren't currently standing in a room where it was in use. A woman was in the process of getting her ankles secured to the bottoms. Her wrists were already in the cuffs at the top, her complete powerlessness, even in a room full of strangers, not seeming to faze her as she stood almost casually as her Dom finished locking down her ankles.

  Next to naked, she wore nothing but a barely-there bright red thong, her shirt thrown over the top of the contraption to be put back on again after the scene was over.

  We watched as the Dom moved away, looking at a table that seemed to have an array of toys laid out. My stomach tightened in a mix of fear and anticipation, having no idea how far this might go. But he came back with a simple paddle, making my body relax a little.

  He was heavier handed than Nathaniel, or maybe the sub simply could take more than I could, because the whacks didn't start off slow and tentative. They landed with full impact, the sounds reverberating back off the walls as he kept at her ass and the backs of her thighs until they were bright, vivid red even in the low lights of the room.

  Her Dom was murmuring something to her that we were too far away to hear, something that I was sure was more personal between them.

  "Come here," Nathaniel said, taking my glass from my hands, setting it down on a small table to the side, pulling me into his side, his arm going around me.

  "What?" I asked, voice low, knowing he said it was rude to talk, though some others in the room were whispering too.