Black Light: Roulette Rematch (Black Light Series Book 20)

by Livia Grant

  His lips kicked up into a playful smile. “The spanking made the sex bad?”

  “No! That was the only part that was exciting.” She found herself grinning at him, enjoying the way his eyes softened. Maybe he wasn’t completely disappointed in having been paired with her.

  “The party you went to a few months ago—the one you were picking up the beer for?”

  So, he did recognize her. Not only that, he remembered her. “It was a play party. But I didn’t really play. The guy I was starting to see didn’t think I was ready.”

  His forehead wrinkled. “You weren’t ready?”

  “Yeah.” She sighed. “I think I’ve gone about all of this backwards. I wish I had found this place much sooner. The people here are way nicer, and the classes have been helpful.”

  His expression relaxed, and his smile warmed.

  “To answer your question. No, I haven’t done pet play, but that’s why I signed up for tonight—new experiences.” Finally, words that worked in the right order.

  “That’s good to hear. You said the guy you started to see… are you not seeing him now?” He gently guided her to the side as another couple joined the group.

  “Oh, no. I dropped him weeks ago. I thought he would be a good… I don’t know… teacher… mentor… I’m not sure of the terminology, but he was too much of a jerk. I mean, if I’m wrong and I earn punishment, I get that—and I like that… well, at least in theory—but I won’t let anyone just scream at me and berate me.”

  Tony had been a mistake—one she’d rectified later than she should have. Mary, her roommate and ex-matchmaker, might have liked her partners to be alpha-holes, but it wasn’t what Sandra wanted. She desired a man who took his dominance seriously, but still had a brain and a heart. Tony had neither qualification.

  The last dominant was called up to the stage, and Sandra turned to watch. James wrapped one hand around her torso, locking her arm in place, while the other came up under her chin, lightly clasping her throat. His chest pressed against her back, and she could feel every ripple of his muscles as he held her there.

  “Some people confuse fear and submission. Sounds like you weren’t interested in the fear he offered.” His voice was a soft whisper in her ear. The gentleness of the tone both calmed and aroused her the same time. The light brush of his chin against her earlobe made it hard to focus on their conversation and not other things pressing against her.

  “Not that kind, no,” she answered quietly, pushing away the distracting thoughts to keep her attention focused in front of her.

  If she moved, he would probably release her, so she leaned into his chest instead. Another first for her, having confidence that she could put her weight on him, and he wouldn’t let her fall. The other men she’d played with had been so overpowering with their chest-beating and demands, it hadn’t occurred to her that a dominant could be an anchor as much as the captain.

  So far, James had the promise of being different.

  A soft chuckle rumbled at her ear. “I didn’t think so.” His fingers curled into her throat, but not tight enough to take away her breath. His presence was doing that well enough all by itself. “Do you think you’ll make a good pet for me?” His words were spoken in a raw, almost animalistic tone, sending a heated shiver down her spine.

  She swallowed hard as his fingers squeezed a little tighter around her throat. Could he feel her heartbeat through her veins?

  “I’ll do my best,” she promised. It was all she had to offer.

  Hopefully, it was enough.

  Chapter 4

  James

  I’ll do my best.

  James grit his teeth to keep from moaning his pleasure right into her ear.

  “Let’s go!” a deep voice yelled out from the crowd as the last couple descended the steps of the stage.

  “You’re right! It’s time for our participants to start Valentine Roulette! Good luck!” Madison announced, starting the evening off.

  His little sub for the night tensed beneath his grip, and he inhaled the moment.

  “What should I call you? Master James?” she asked, remaining still. He recalled the conversation she had with her roommate. ‘Sir’ felt wrong after hearing she’d been forced to use the term with strangers who hadn’t bothered to take the time to earn her trust—her submission. It was a tainted label.

  And an unnecessary one.

  “James will do.” He released her throat. “We need to find a space, and I have to get to the costume room.” Her hand fit snuggly in his palm as he took it in his.

  Green eyes turned up at him, confusion sparkling in her eyes. “Did I do something wrong already?”

  “Wrong?” Nothing about his little pet was wrong.

  “You want me to call you only by your name?”

  The tension in her body trailed through her hand. Whatever she’d been taught previously, he’d need to wipe it clean. At least for their time together.

  “I wouldn’t worry about it. You won’t be able to use it much during this first scene anyway.” He gave her hand a little squeeze, then tugged her along with him.

  The players were already fanning out toward the equipment they needed for their scene. For what he had planned, he didn’t need anything fancy. He led her past the bar toward the main room where he found an empty play space they could use. Bringing her up on the platform, he looked around, finding what he wanted.

  “I’m going to go to the costume room to get a few things. While I’m gone, get one of those light chairs along the wall and bring it up here.” He looked over at the spanking bench. “I’ll move this when I get back.”

  “We can do that. What do you need?” Miles, one of the Dungeon Monitors for Black Light, approached the two.

  “Great. I need this area clear except for the chair she’s going to bring up,” James explained.

  “No problem. We can get you a chair too.”

  “No thanks.” James shook his head. “I’ve given her an instruction. She’ll get it.” He glanced at Sandra. If she hadn’t been standing beneath one of the lights in the ceiling, he may have missed the sweet blush covering her cheeks.

  “I’ll get the chair,” she promised.

  “Good.” He squeezed her hand once more, then let go. “I’ll be right back.” He hopped down from the platform and walked away, fighting the urge to peek over his shoulder to see if she was following his orders. Not because he was unsure she would, but because he didn’t want her to think he had any doubts.

  From the short conversation they’d had, he sensed her desire—no, her need—to obey. He also got the idea the people she’d surrounded herself with had a different meaning of the word. If she thought a checklist of behaviors was coming her way, she’d be wrong.

  When James approached the costume room, Dominic, one of the attendants, was busy talking with another dominant, helping him pick out a babygirl outfit. James stared for a moment. He could envision Sandra in the little dress Dominic held up, the white ruffles under the plaid skirt peeking out as they rode right at the edge of her ass cheeks. His cock shifted in his jeans.

  “Sorry. I was out back.” A soft, sweet voice cut through his musing. “Can I help you get something?” Annie, a young, almost bashful looking girl working the costume room tonight, smiled up at him. Awesome. He’d worked with her before.

  “Hey, Annie. I need pet play gear. A collar and leash. A tail.” He paused, debating if there was anything else he might want to put her in.

  “What sort of tail?” Annie pursed her lips. “Puppy, kitten, fox?”

  “Not the silicone. Do you have any furry puppy tails? But nothing that looks more like a fox than a puppy.”

  She looked upward, mentally checking inventory.

  “I think I have something that’ll work. Anything else? We have food bowls, wet pads for house training…”

  “I need treats. Do you have little cookies or something here?”

  “No, but I’ll call over to the bar and have them se
nd over some pretzels? Will that work?”

  Not ideal, but he’d make it work. “That’d be good.”

  “Okay. Be right back.” She turned to go.

  “Oh, wait—a clicker.”

  She put a finger in the air, making a checkmark, then breezed away. He had second thoughts about the tail. He hadn’t talked with her about her actual experiences. She may have never done anything anal before. There was still time. He’d question her about—or not. It hadn’t been on her limits list—and that made it fair game. The sadist in him decided not to mention it other than to let her see the tail. If she had any real objections, he expected her to bring them up.

  “Hey.” A man stepped up beside him. “Annie around?”

  “She’s getting a few things for me. She’ll be right out,” James said. Too bad they didn’t allow phones in the club. It made it hard to busy himself while this guy stepped closer. Having the barrier, no matter how small, would help ward off the annoying small talk moments like these often created. James had enough of shooting the shit with customers at the brewery. Roulette was his night off from fake pleasantries; it was a night of being just him.

  “You rolled Sandra, right?”

  That got James’ attention.

  “Yeah.”

  The man before him wore a white t-shirt with a V-neck that dipped so low, James could practically see his nipples. Definitely a body builder.

  “Good luck with that one.” The mammoth laughed.

  “How so?” James folded his arms over his chest. Could this be the asshole who’d blown it with all his yelling?

  “She knows nothing about being a sub. She can’t follow simple fucking orders.” He shook his head, probably pitying James.

  “Okay. Here’s what I have,” Annie interrupted, placing down an armful of things. James picked through the items, then decided to take everything. Once he gauged his pet’s reactions, he’d be in a better position to decide exactly what to use.

  “This will all work. Just put it on my membership.”

  “Will do. I think we have a hood too, with pointed ears?” She dangled the suggestion as though tempting him with dessert after gorging on a delicious meal.

  “That’s okay. This is good for now.” The hood would cover her face, and though it would dress her nicely as a pup, he didn’t want to sacrifice seeing her facial expressions for the sake of appearance. The memory of that sweet blush and what it had made his cock do…

  “Okay, pop back around if you need something else.” Annie smiled brightly, keeping her shoulders squared with James, completely ignoring the man inching toward her.

  “I will. Thanks.”

  “Tony, I didn’t think you were playing tonight,” Annie stated, finally giving him the attention he pawed at.

  “I’m not. Just thought I’d see what you were up to.”

  “I’m working.” Annie flashed James another smile, then spun on her heel and walked away.

  Smart lady.

  “Well, I should get back,” James said.

  “Yeah. Like I said, good luck,” Mammoth Man said knowingly.

  James stopped after a few steps. “You know, if you give the wrong commands, you’ll get the wrong results.”

  Tony’s brows pulled together, and his mouth dropped open. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he growled.

  Doms like him were a dime a dozen. They were in it for the fun of delivering a hard spanking or getting their dick sucked off on command, but they had no real clue how to speak to the heart of their partner. He wouldn’t know the needs of his submissive if she wrote them on her tits.

  “Never mind.” James laughed with a shake of his head. Even if he bothered to explain it, he doubted Tony could grasp the concept. Besides, he didn’t have time to dwell on selfish assholes. He had a pet to collar and train.

  Chapter 5

  Sandra

  Sandra stood beside the folding chair on the platform fiddling with the collar of her dress. Maybe she should have gone shopping for something more revealing… something that fit the tone for the evening. A plain cocktail dress didn’t exactly say ‘bend me over and spank me.’

  James came into view from the side, and her breath rushed from her lungs. He moved through the room with an armful of items, his chin up and eyes aimed right at her.

  She met him at the edge of the platform. “Do you need help?”

  “Nope.” He stepped up and went straight to the chair, placing the items down and picking through them. He draped a leash over the back, and a stiff black collar with silver studs on the seat.

  Her eyes widened as he placed the last item: a tail.

  At the sight of the plug with the attached furry appendage, Sandra closed her eyes. She could do this. New experiences were what she was here for.

  Once he had everything laid out, he spun around, his gaze roaming over her. Right. She knew what to do here. Mary had taught her the proper procedure when her Dom wanted to inspect her: hands behind her head, feet spread, chin up, eyes downcast.

  “What are you doing?” James asked, stepping up to her.

  “Did I get it wrong?” She brought her eyes up to his face.

  “Get what wrong? I didn’t ask you to do anything.” He pulled her arms down from her head. “Don’t try to anticipate me. I understand you’ve probably been taught a few things some Dominants may like, but don’t worry about any of that tonight.”

  How foolish could she make herself look with one action?

  “I’m sorry.” She lowered her gaze again.

  He brought his knuckle up under her chin and tilted her head back until she was staring into his dark eyes. He ran his tongue across his bottom lip, thinking for a moment. “You have nothing to be sorry for. All you have to do is what I tell you to—nothing more. If you actually do something you should be sorry for, I’ll let you know.”

  “And then what?” She regretted the question, but her thighs were already clenching at the possibilities. Surely a man with such sternness in his eyes would be a strict disciplinarian.

  “Do you like punishments?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

  So many wrong ways to answer that question.

  “I like the idea, but not the actual act.”

  He smiled. “But the discipline aspect, it’s appealing to you?”

  “At first, it’s what appealed to me about all of this—BDSM, that is. That probably sounds really stupid, but…” Her gaze fell away from his, and heat crept to her cheeks. Her fingers curled inward, because… well, it did sound stupid. And he was probably standing there right now, judging her not only for how naïve and dumb she sounded, but also for what a flawed submissive he’d been saddled with for the night.

  “That a submissive wants to be held accountable and punished by her dominant?” He dragged his knuckle down the length of her jaw. “No, not stupid at all.”

  The pressure eased in her chest. Maybe she could relax, just take the moments as they came.

  “But let’s hope you don’t earn any serious punishments tonight.” He winked, and with that one gesture, the last of her worry vanished. Instead of getting frustrated at her ignorance, he took the time to guide her. He wanted her to follow him, not anticipate and rush ahead of him. Follow him? Yeah, she could do that. Easily.

  “Yes. Let’s hope.” She grinned. Hopefully it meant she would still get to have a spanking. The first thing she’d understood about herself was how much she loved the pain spreading through her ass. But she wouldn’t purposely earn a punishment. Bratting wasn’t her style, and she didn’t think he’d like it either.

  “We should get you dressed and get started before the DM over there thinks we’re not really here to play.” He ran his hand over her shoulder, then down her arm. “Do you need help out of your dress?”

  “No. I can manage.” Of course he’d want her out of the dress. It would be expected. Tony had demanded it of her when they played, and she hadn’t taken any time to overthink it; she just did it. But Tony’s opini
on held very little weight with her. Not like with James. James didn’t snap his orders with a crisp arrogance. When he directed her, a warmth ran through her veins—a drastically different reaction than she’d had with Tony.

  She could easily get used to James’ brand of dominance.

  She clenched her teeth. She couldn’t think that way. He seemed to be a good guy, a patient guy, but he had a line of submissives a mile long waiting to get their hooks into him for a playdate. She wouldn’t be able to offer anything they couldn’t give him.

  “Take off the dress and anything else you have on under it. Put everything, along with your shoes, under the chair. Then I want you to kneel beside it.”

  With a deep breath, she nodded. “Okay.”

  “Good.” He grinned. “Go on.” He motioned toward the chair, then stepped to the side and folded his arms over his chest as he waited patiently.

  A thrill ran through her. With as much grace as she could muster, she unhooked the dress and pulled it over her head, moving over to the chair. Keeping her back to him, she unhooked her bra and let it slip down her arms until her breasts were free. Once she had her panties off, she knelt beside the chair and arranged everything neatly with her shoes lined up on top.

  The times she’d played at Black Light had been completely in the nude, so she wasn’t nervous about wandering eyes, but sensing James’ gaze focused on her put a flutter in her pulse. She didn’t dare check his expression. For better or worse, she was what she was, and she wouldn’t start second-guessing herself now.

  Footsteps signaled his approach.

  “Very good,” he said with approval, touching the top of her head. “From this moment on, you’re my little pet.” He grabbed the collar from the chair and squatted in front of her. “Pull your hair up please.”

  She gathered the thick curls, holding them off her neck while he pressed the leather collar to her throat. There was a little pressure as he wrapped it around her neck and buckled it. The metal studs gave it a harsh look, but the leather was soft and supple against her skin thanks to the thin layer of fur lining it.