With Hearts Aflame: Valentine's Day Box Set

by Maren Smith

  She knew better than to discount his warning, the words "very uncomfortable" rousing her vivid imagination. A graphic image of lying naked over Master Eric's lap, while his hand seared her bottom to a crimson hue, flashed before her eyes. Smothering a groan, she shifted uncomfortably as a flood of moisture pooled between her thighs. Giving herself a mental shake, she released her hands which she'd been wringing unthinkingly—a nervous habit for certain—and looked away. Had he sensed her attraction to the surly Dom? She already knew Master T was very perceptive, but had he figured out she'd willingly prostrate herself before Master Eric and submit to just about anything? Her fervent response was a surprise. She hadn't actually gotten inside the sex club and she was already acting like an animal in heat.

  "My goodness, the big bad Master Dom made quite an impression. But I didn't mean you personally, Val. I don't think you're ready for Eric. I was thinking of a fluffier type Dom to initiate you."

  "Fluffier? What does that mean, exactly?" Fluffy meant soft and light. That didn't sound anything like what she wanted. Her husband, Kent, always a kind, giving man, had been gentle and tender. They'd been best friends in high school and been inseparable. They went to the same college and it seemed natural after graduation for them to marry. When the kids came along, she couldn't have asked for a better father for her children. Theirs had never been a grand romance, like in the movies. Instead, it had been comfortable, like an old pair of jeans, and she'd learned to be content with what they had.

  However, after years of soft and sweet as a staple in the bedroom, she wanted something different now. She wanted hot, steamy, mind-blowing sex. She wanted something hard and dark that appealed to her inner bad girl.

  Kent had been gone almost four years. With the kids away at college, her nest was empty and she was lonely. Her friends, especially Kate, were badgering her to get back out there. Kate was one of the few she had confided in about her submissive desires. She'd had them for years, but had never told Kent. She'd subtly tried to spice things up with him, but he'd never taken the hint. When she mentioned role-play he'd declined, worried he'd feel silly. She'd even tried to get him to spank her over the years, to no avail. When she'd finally come out and asked for it, he'd reluctantly agreed, given her two mild swats and then called it quits, afraid he might hurt her. She'd stopped trying after that and sublimated her needs with her volunteer work and the children.

  Surprisingly, Kate shared her fascination with spanking and was dating a man who, she claimed, paddled her ass like a pro. She said it was heavenly and everything that she'd imagined. After two failed marriages, Kate had finally found the perfect man, one who wouldn't take her crap when she was in a "mood" and who called her on her bullshit. That's exactly what Val wanted. If she was going to dip her toe in the relationship pool again, she wanted a strong man this time, one who would take her in hand when she needed it, spanking, paddling or even flogging her, if necessary.

  As a rush of heat flooded her core, her mind reflexively conjured up her favorite spanking fantasy. It changed slightly each time, but the basic dream stayed the same. A powerful man took her over his knee after admonishing her firmly for some imagined offense. He'd wrap his sinewy arm around her waist, tugging her skirt well above her hips. Then her panties would come down, but not all the way. He'd leave them twisted just above her knees. Somehow, that seemed naughtier, more wicked than if he'd pulled them off altogether. Once bared, he'd rub her cool skin until it was warm, bringing the blood to the surface and stimulating the circulation, both to her bottom and deep within her. Stifling a groan, she imagined him bringing his big hand down forcefully right on the fleshiest part of her backside.

  The brush of T's hand against her cheek interrupted her daydream bringing her sharply back to reality. "I see he made more than an impression. He's very strict, Val, and although skilled, he at times practices on the fringe."

  "What?" She raised her hands to her burning cheeks. They felt scalded, both from the heat of her fantasy and the fact that T knew what she'd been doing. "I don't know what that means either. Is there a BDSM dictionary I can get for all these crazy terms?"

  "As a matter of fact, there are many books on the topic and several online resources. Don't worry about it; a good Dom will teach you what he wants you to know. When I say fringe, I mean edge play. Ever heard of that?"

  "No."

  "It's kink that goes beyond the mainstream, even for BDSM, if you can imagine that. It's darker, extreme and poses higher risks. Some use breath play, knives, and needles."

  "Oh my God! You mean—" Disappointment flowed through her. That was too far out for her. Knives? Holy cripes!

  "I didn't mean Eric practiced those techniques, Val." He grinned at her sigh of relief. "Nor is that type of play allowed in The Club. We have liability issues to consider. Eric's edginess includes some imaginative equipment and a bit of a spark, shall we say."

  "Please stop being so cryptic and tell me." Val was about done with his little cat and mouse game and her voice revealed her irritation.

  "Little subbie, although I promised no shenanigans with you tonight, that doesn't mean I'll tolerate a sassy or rude-mouthed sub. I'm happy to take you over my knee for a good hiding like we give in Texas."

  She blanched in alarm. He was so easy to talk to she'd forgotten their roles. Offering a quick apology, she said contritely, "I'm sorry, Master T. I forgot my place. It won't happen again."

  "I'll hold you to that. Now then, where were we?"

  "Master Eric's edge play, you were going to tell me about his spark."

  "Can't you put two and two together, Val? My good friend Eric is an expert electrician. He likes restraints and then kindling a spark with violet wands and other delightfully shocking devices to bring about a highly charged response." He laughed at his own puns, but they barely registered with Val who was fixated on one word—electricity!

  Noticing the time, T grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward administration. "Let's get your guest paperwork done and head out. I've only got about 45 minutes, so the tour is probably going to be delayed until after my meeting." He led her to the conference room and seated her at the large glass top table. A clipboard loaded with forms was placed in front of her just as Master Eric appeared in the doorway.

  "There's a call on the red line for you, T. It's Cap. He says it's urgent."

  "Damn! Okay, will you help Val with her forms until I get back?"

  Eric nodded, silently walking into the room, coming to stand by her side. Somehow he seemed larger than T, and much more overwhelming. A frisson of current shot down her spine as she felt his looming presence just inches away. The room felt electrically charged and her hand quavered as she reached for the pen he offered. Merciful heavens, she'd become preoccupied with electric sex—or whatever they called it—even though she had no idea how it worked. Damn Master T. He was obviously a hypnotist and had planted a hypnotic suggestion, which she couldn't let go.

  "Is it me or the situation?" His deep voice rumbling unexpectedly made her jump.

  "Pardon me?"

  "You're trembling. Are you afraid of me or the situation?"

  "I'm just nervous, I guess."

  "You don't seem that way with T."

  "There is something calming about him. Maybe it's our agreement."

  "You have an agreement?" His voice tightened and he stiffened perceptively before he leaned over her shoulder to retrieve the papers. "I'm sorry. I thought you and T weren't… Never mind, you'll need a couple's contract."

  Their fingers brushed as he grabbed the clipboard. She flinched as a static charge shot up her arm. Goose bumps broke out along her skin and her hair stood on end. Then she remembered what T had said about him. 'He's a master electrician.' Holy moly!

  Her eyes flew to meet his. Bent over her shoulder as he was, they were mere inches apart. She took in every detail of his gorgeous face, noticing that his eyes weren't the dark blue she'd thought. Instead, they were a steely gray with little flecks of dar
k blue. They were beautiful and intimidating as hell.

  As he started to move away, she reached out and laid her hand on his arm. "Wait. I am unattached. Master T and I aren't together."

  Rising to his full height, he looked down on her with a foreboding glare. "Maybe you better explain this agreement. It is important that I know the status of all my clients."

  "Master T caught me on the front steps ready to cut and run. He agreed to show me around, and if I like what I see, he said he'd introduce me to some fluffy Doms. If I don't, he'll escort me to my car, no questions asked."

  "Fluffy Doms, huh?" He folded his arms across his chest and gave her the first hint of a smile she had seen since she'd met him. "Why would you be interested in a fluffy Dom? Are you a closet Domme? Or do you like to top from the bottom?" He tapped a long finger over his pursed lips. She could tell he was sizing up the situation from all sides. "Maybe you're a SAM? But you don't seem the type."

  "I'm sorry, Master Eric. I didn't understand any of that."

  "She's a novice, Eric. I told you that." T reappeared at that point, looking agitated. "I'm sorry, Val. I'm going to have to give you a rain check on tonight. I've been called away on urgent business."

  She watched as Eric and T shared a look of silent communication. There might be tension between the two men, but Val also sensed a level of respect, as well.

  "I understand. I've learned quite a lot for my first visit." A troublesome thought occurred to her then. "Does my invitation expire? Can I come back another night when you're here, T?"

  "I'll be heading home on Monday, babe. I'm sorry."

  Val didn't know how she felt about that, but it lay somewhere between welcome relief and frustration.

  "I'll show her around," Eric offered, surprising them both.

  "I'm not sure, Eric. She's looking for a different kind of—" T's words of caution were ignored by Eric as he talked over him, addressing Val directly.

  "I'm not a fluffy Dom by any means, Valerie. But I can show you around and honor the same agreement you made with Master T."

  Val sat speechless. She was torn between wanting to jump out of her seat screaming, 'Yes, Master Eric, take me!' and politely declining because she wanted to jump out of her seat screaming 'Yes Master Eric, take me!' Certain she didn't want to insult the Master Dom of The Club, she looked at T for guidance.

  "You can trust him, Val. I promise."

  Her eyes flicked to Eric who was frowning again. Too late, she realized she had insulted him anyway.

  "It might be the only chance you get, darlin'. We don't know where that invite came from and another might not be forthcoming. With my business here complete, I may not be back for months or longer."

  "Okay, I'll submit to Master Eric." Hearing her words coming back to her, she added, "Under our original agreement, of course."

  "You make it sound like you're going to the dentist. Subs have been known to have a good time with me, believe it or not."

  T laughed loudly, obviously enjoying Val's hesitancy to be handed over to the other Dom. "Not used to being second choice are you, buddy?"

  "It's a blow to the ego, yes, but I'll survive." Checking his watch, he began shaking his head. "Our meeting starts in fifteen minutes. You, my little novice, will sit in my office and read your paperwork while I take care of my business."

  The way he issued orders in his rich resonant voice triggered a tremor of excitement within her. Kent had never taken that authoritative tone with her—ever. He placated and pleaded, doing anything to avoid conflict or strife. The comparison between Kent and Eric was drastic, as different as daylight and dark. For the hundredth time that evening, she wondered if this was what she wanted.

  Before she could respond to Master Eric's directive, T chimed in. "The meeting shouldn't take more than an hour, Val. That will still leave plenty of time for your tour. The Club on a Friday night will be in full play mode. It should be quite an introduction..."

  Voices sounded in the hall at that moment. Eric pulled out her chair and with a firm hand on her lower back, guided her to his office next door. Seating her in a plush chair, he went to a file cabinet and pulled out more papers.

  "You have the guest contract and confidentiality agreement on the clipboard. This is a full set of club rules and a limit list for you to fill out. This usually doesn't happen until full membership is approved, but it will help me steer you to activities of interest later tonight. Any questions?"

  "No."

  "Master Eric," he corrected. "You need to get into the habit of proper address."

  "This is a lot to take in, Master Eric."

  "Most of our new members come with some experience or have an experienced mentor. We do offer beginners classes. After I review your application, I'll be better equipped to recommend a plan for initiation into the lifestyle, if you should choose to pursue it." Glancing at the clock on the wall, he moved toward the door. "I hate to leave you with so much unanswered, but my meeting is starting."

  He swept out the door only to pop back in a second later. "Do not step a toe out this door, little sub. If you need the restroom, you can use my private washroom, there to your left. Understood?"

  "Yes, Master Eric."

  "Good girl." With that, he was gone.

  Despite the condescending address, his brief words of praise made her smile. Her feminist friends would be appalled. Looking down at the papers, her eyes scanned the top form, the limit list. Her face flamed like a torch when she read the first few activities on the list; anal sex, anal beads, breast sex, butt plugs, camming, creampies, cunnilingus... Flipping through the pages, she was stunned to see there were 350 items on the list ranging from sex acts to fetishes, from role-play to toys. She didn't know what half of this stuff was. The rating system was straight forward with a yes, I will, and no, I won't. Other options were "willing to try," "soft limit," "hard limit," "only with master," and a number scale to rate the experience level for each activity.

  "Other than missionary, I guess I'm a one on the experience scale for everything," she muttered to herself. She began checking off the list but gave up in exasperation when she reached the bottom of the first page and all but two questions were marked, "I don't know what that is." Frustrated, she once again wondered what she was doing there. It was like a different country where she didn't know the language or the laws. And here I sit without a green card, she snorted to herself. Morbid curiosity had her picking up the list again. As she turned the page, her eyes immediately zoned in on several alarming activities: gang bang, vacuum pumps, diapers, gunplay. What the hell?

  She stacked the incomplete forms neatly and replaced them on the clipboard. At a loss, she sat pensively for a moment before she got up and began to pace again. Gun play—how was that a real thing? She didn't even want to know what body bags and gas masks entailed. Her eyes swept Master Eric's office. It looked normal and very similar to hers at home: desk, computer, comfortable and professional furniture and décor. Noticing the armoire across the room, she approached it. The door was slightly ajar and she couldn't resist peeking inside. Her jaw dropped open and she could have sworn she heard the Twilight Zone theme begin to play in the background. Inside, she found shelves of sex toys—restraints, dildos and gags. At least she thought they were gags, one was shaped like a large penis and had straps. There were also vibrators of all shapes, sizes and colors. Small drawers were labeled: lube, condoms and clamps. On the back of the door were hooks filled with paddles, whips and crops and what she thought were floggers, at least they matched the descriptions she'd read in her naughty romances.

  She opened a large drawer and found rope in all colors and thick stainless steel hardware in separator cubes. The last drawer she opened contained things she didn't recognize. She found a condom-sized packet and read the label. She immediately dropped it, closed the drawer and both upper doors promptly. Electrodes! Oh my God! Eric used those on his subs, according to Master T. Visions of Russell Crowe in "A Beautiful Mind" flashed before
her, in particular, the scene where he got shock therapy, suffering unbearable pain and convulsions. "Hell no," she murmured aloud, and bolted.

  * * * * *

  Eric wrapped up his meeting in record time and his guests departed soon after. He usually didn't use The Club for Rossi business, but three members were already here so it seemed practical. He had just exited the conference room when he saw a little blonde blur, running out of his office as if the devil was at her heels. In her mad rush, she turned suddenly and slammed right into him, her small body bouncing off his chest. She would have fallen if he hadn't grabbed her and pulled her close.

  "Where are you going, subbie? I thought I told you to stay put."

  She looked up, alarm flashing in her vivid blue eyes. "I've made a mistake. I need to go."

  "Easy now," he said, lowering his voice to a soft soothing tone. Nudging her face up with a crooked finger, he searched her anxious features. "What spooked you?"

  "I can't do this," she babbled in panic. "I don't know what half of that is or how to do it, or if I even want to."

  "Hush, it's all right. Let's sit and talk for a few minutes and if you still want to go, I'll see you out personally."

  "I'm sorry, Master Eric, but that doesn't make me feel better."

  As he escorted her back inside his office, he seated her on the couch. Grabbing her paperwork off his desk where she'd left it, he glanced at the heading. Nothing unexpected. The beginner's packet included a short inventory of BDSM basics and shouldn't have caused such a panic. Flipping it over, he groaned. Some idiot had stapled the advanced limit list to the novice packet. Hell, no wonder she'd freaked. Some of the advanced activities gave even him, an experienced Dom, the willies.

  "This is my fault. The beginners limit list, which is an abridged one I assure you, is supposed to be on the last page. I was in a hurry and didn't check it."

  Pulling the correct document from the cabinet, he handed it to her. As she scanned it quickly, he pointed out that the fetishes were not listed and the more severe punishments and implements had been left off. He watched her relax incrementally and when she looked at him, she appeared less frightened.