by Livia Grant
Let it go.
Davis turned and began walking toward the idling vehicle. The lieutenant disappeared inside as he approached, the door left open. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but Davis ignored it, continuing across the dusty lot. Coming up to the Humvee, he gripped the handhold and pulled himself inside.
Slamming the door, he called out to the driver, “Let’s go.”
Lost in memory, he stared at the back of the helmeted head as the vehicle began to move.
“Time to get back to work.”
Jessica
I’m sorry.
Jess sat looking at Davis’s text. She pressed her lips together tightly, wondering why the two words made her hurt almost as much as seeing the results of the test this morning had. Was it because the response was so short, so to the point? Or was it because…
He’s hurting too.
She couldn’t know that. Maybe he was happy. Gleeful. Dodged a bullet there! Except as she sat and stared at the white letters on black background, she knew as sure as any conviction she’d ever held in her life it wasn’t true. What was it he’d told her that night? ‘I get to be the fucking hero.’ Well, that opportunity had died on a single pink line. And for Jess? It had ended the chance to be something she hadn’t discussed with Davis. The part of their shared kink that excited her. The thing of Elise’s she envied.
To be a mother.
She set down her phone and clenched and unclenched her fingers. She should be relieved, honestly. Glad the twenty percent chance of probability hadn’t gone the direction it could have.
She had an exciting new project ahead of her. One which would take her away from Caltech for an unknown period of time, but would open up new opportunities for study, give her access to grant money and cutting-edge tech she’d only dreamed of before. Plus, it was a chance to be on the front lines of stopping a potentially life-threatening virus.
A baby? That was the last thing she needed to be dealing with right now. She could have a child anytime. Right now? Carpe diem. Seize this opportunity and don’t look back. Don’t regret what she and Davis had shared that night, nor focus on the what-might-have-beens.
She couldn’t afford to obsess over a pregnancy that wasn’t. She had a life to lead, a career to concentrate on. Davis, a child, everything in what they’d done together that night promised?
She picked up her phone. She let her thumbs dance quickly over the keys, then hit SEND.
It’s okay.
And it was.
THE END… or is it? Davis and Jessica’s story isn’t over yet. Coming in March, 2021 will be Black Light: Bred by Shane Starrett! Watch for the pre-order coming soon.
About the Author
Shane Starrett has spent twenty-five years writing steamy, erotic technical documents (okay, the erotic part is probably a bit of a stretch) for major companies in the live events industry. When he isn’t writing, which isn’t often, he can be found hiking trails up and down the Sierra Nevada’s, and the coastal range in Southern California.
Shane always has new and exciting stories in the works! If you’re interested in following him, you can find him online at:
Website: http://shanestarrett.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shane- Starrett/e/B07VRDQSZF
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/100169385- shane-starrett
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Also by Shane Starrett
SUBMISSIVE LIES
JASMINE (with Jennifer Bene)
JADED
FARIS
Butterfly
A Black Light: Roulette Rematch Novella
By
Ann Mayburn
Chapter 1
Butterfly
“You can do this,” Butterfly whispered to herself as she walked through the crowded bar at Black Light, the scent of leather, perfume, and anticipation hanging in the air. “You got this, girl, you can do this.”
Leaving the bar area behind, she found the lighting in the theater dim, but the stage at the far end of the long room was fully lit. The gigantic roulette wheels gleamed under the overhead spotlights, ready to change her life forever.
She hoped.
Ashleigh, her good friend and fellow kinkster, gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “What are you over there whispering to yourself?”
“Just giving myself a pep talk,” Butterfly turned and smiled up at her friend. “I’m fine. Just a mini-panic attack, that’s all. You know, stage fright and all that.”
“There is no way you have stage fright,” her friend said through a laugh. Ashleigh was a beautiful woman in her late forties dressed in a rather fabulous red latex gown that covered her from throat to ankle. She took both of Butterfly’s hands in her own and looked down at her with a stern expression. Being five foot tall, pretty much everyone looked down on her. “I know you are going to love this.”
“You think?” Looking around the room she reminded herself of why she was here. Of course, she told everyone that she was participating in Roulette this year because of the membership prize package, but in truth she was hoping for a little magic—that fate would set her up with the perfect Dom for the evening, or at least a Dom who knew what he was doing. She was tired of playing with newbie Doms who didn’t know how to hold a flogger or read a sub. Worse were selfish Doms that only cared about getting their own rocks off. It seemed like all the good Doms that were her type were taken, and she gave a little wistful sigh at the sight of all the happy couples around them.
“You used to perform before college stadiums full of people. Surely if you can survive that you can survive this,” Ashleigh said as she handed Butterfly a shot of some clear liquid they’d picked up at the bar. “For courage.”
“I know, but it’s a little different when you know you’re going to be naked and coming in front of them,” Butterfly said as she made a sour face from the bite of the alcohol. “Makes it a little weird to look people in the eye after they’ve seen your O face and you don’t even know their name.”
“You liar.” Ashleigh laughed, her perfect makeup highlighting her mature beauty. “You are aware that I know you, right? You love a crowd. I don’t know if you were born to perform, or if it was beat into you since birth by those weird preschool cheerleader camps your mom took you to…”
“Hey! They were not weird. They were fun.”
“Right, anyways, don’t pretend you aren’t the least bit turned on by the thought of all these people watching you. And you know how absolutely adorable you are, you vain little thing.”
Laughing, she gave Ashleigh a hip bump as she patted her solid abs. “I prefer to think of it as being proud of the results of my hard work.”
Lifting her perfectly arched brows, Ashleigh nodded. “Can’t argue with that. You have more energy than anyone I’ve ever known and you’re the personal trainer from hell. Your workouts leave me crying, literally crying, on the pavement like some broken little submissive who got her butt beat. Though you deny it, you are a complete sadist. And a masochist since you seem to relish putting your body through constant punishment.”
Laughing at her friend’s melodramatic description, she shook her head, her blonde pigtails swinging. “I’m not that bad.”
“Yes, you are. I’ve watched you laugh while doing sprints next to your bootcamp group as they run up that evil fucking hill you love to torture us with. You weren’t even out of breath. And you did four sets of mountain climbers at the top of the hill then jogged backwards all the way down. You’re inhuman.” Ashleigh gave a slow shake of her head. “Whoever you’re paired with, he better be a powerhouse of a Dom because you’re a handful.”
Fluttering her lash
es, she gave Ashleigh a mock pout and swung her hips back and forth a little as they moved toward the entrance to the theater. “I’m a good girl.”
“I can’t believe you said that without choking on those words.”
She laughed again as the alcohol warmed her blood and loosened her up further. “I’m as pure and innocent as the newly fallen snow.”
Rolling her eyes, Ashleigh turned so she was facing the stage in the theater where the two big wheels had been set up. To the left of the stage, a small group of men and a few women were already huddled together talking. Those were the Doms that would be part of the Roulette game. Her belly gave a little flutter as she looked over the guys that could be her potential partner tonight. Though she enjoyed playing with women, her true passion was men.
And the manlier the better. She liked big, thick guys with body hair and nice eyes, the kind of guy who looked like he could lead a Viking raid then rip your panties off with his teeth. A big man who could throw her over his shoulder and carry her around like she was a doll. She loved the overwhelming feeling of having a lover physically big enough to crush her.
Crossing her arms over her small chest, she examined the possible Tops she could be paired with tonight. The male Doms gathered so far ranged in age from their late fifties to early twenties and even though they were all physically different, they were still handsome men. Just not her type. She liked rugged, bearded, sexy lumberjack guys and the men on stage were all very polished and GQ handsome. Not bad looking by any stretch of the imagination, but also not the kind of guys who got her engine going on looks alone.
Most guys wouldn’t expect it of her because she looked so small and sweet, but she liked to be rough and she was unexpectedly strong. Being able to pin her Dom to the bed with her superior strength wasn’t exactly something that turned her on. She liked big, beefy guys that she didn’t have to worry about hurting. Sure, some would look at her diminutive size and laugh at that statement, but she’d put an ex-boyfriend into the hospital with a sprained shoulder thanks to her rather enthusiastic fucking.
“See anyone you like?” Ashleigh asked as she waved at someone across the room.
Butterfly sighed and twirled one of her blonde pigtails. “I don’t see anyone I’d kick out of bed for eating crackers, but no zing.”
“Don’t worry,” Ashleigh said with a sympathetic smile. “I’m sure you’ll zing with someone tonight.”
They were both giggling when one of the DMs, a smiling Latino man with nice eyes wearing a black t-shirt with the club’s name on it, came up to them. “Butterfly, we’re starting to get the submissives gathered together. If you could please make your way up to stage right we’d appreciate it.”
A hint of anxiety rolled through her stomach, but she was so used to it that she easily pushed it away as she smiled at the DM. “Thank you, I’ll be there in one second.”
He nodded and moved a few feet away, clearly waiting to escort her up to the stage.
Blowing out a deep breath, she said, “Okay, here I go. Promise you’ll keep an eye on me?”
“Of course.” Ashleigh hugged her tight, the smell of her perfume filling Butterfly’s nose before she gave her a push towards the stage. “I won’t leave your side. And, by the way, I’m totally jealous, you lucky little shit, so don’t waste this opportunity!”
Butterfly nodded and followed the DM, winding her way through the crowd, feeling disconnected from her body as her heart thundered in her chest. At the base of the stairs, she joined the group of submissives who were huddled together like sheep. As they stood waiting for the event to start, she was acutely aware of people staring at her and the other submissives, but she managed to keep it together and even flashed a smile to the crowd. After all, they’d be the ones voting on who won tonight. It had been a long time since she’d been in a contest, but the old drive to win still burned inside of her.
Some of her nerves dropped away as her competitive nature rose to the surface. Butterfly had always loved to perform for people, loved the attention, and missed the roar of the crowd as she did her death-defying highflyer stunts at college football games and cheerleading competitions. As an homage to her past, she’d worn what pretty much amounted to a BDSM cheerleading uniform. A minute black latex skirt with red inserts, a tiny black latex sports bra that pushed up her meager chest, and her blonde-streaked, brown hair up in piggy tails with big red and black ribbons. Paired with a glossy red lipstick that would smear nicely, she was ready for the night of debauchery ahead.
Maybe.
A few of the submissives whispered together, but many of the others were quiet like she was, studying the crowd and the Doms. She looked for Ashleigh in the mass of people milling about knowing her bright red dress would make her easy to find. Her friend was standing along the side wall with a couple of club members that Butterfly was vaguely familiar with. When they noticed she was watching them, they all waved, and she blew a kiss back. It was almost time to start and she bounced on her toes to try to get rid of some of her extra energy.
That bounce allowed her to see a man who was standing back in the shadows by the stage—a big man with a beard that darkened his jawline. Then he took a step forward and she corrected herself. He wasn’t just big, he was huge. And so fucking lumberjack sexy her clit twitched.
The air suddenly felt heavy around her as she took in his massive, heavily muscled body, thick dark hair, and luscious beard.
Wearing a pair of brown leather pants and a matching brown leather harness that strained across his furry chest, he physically dwarfed the other Doms around him, standing at least a head taller. And while many of the Doms were muscular, this new mystery man took it to the next level. He was so big she’d barely come up to his chest, and she had the sudden urge to climb him like a tree and see if his package matched the rest of his massive frame. He had to be a power lifter, or one of the guys that competed professionally in those Strongman competitions and Highlander sports. No one worked to attain his raw physical power and size without a purpose.
“Do you know who that is?” she whispered to a pretty redhead submissive nearby.
“No, but he is huge,” the redhead said with a wide gaze. “Jeeze, he looks like he could crush me with one hand.”
“Uh-huh,” Butterfly replied as she imagined what it would be like to be dominated by such a beast of a man. “I hope I get him.”
The redhead gave her an incredulous look. “He’ll split you in two! You’re like… not even half his size.”
“I could take him,” she said in a low voice as Madison, the MC, began to welcome the crowd and give her spiel on the rules and purpose of tonight’s event.
“Well, good luck,” the redhead whispered before she turned her attention to Madison.
“You too,” Butterfly echoed, her palms getting sweaty while she awaited her fate.
As the Doms received their numbers, the monster lumberjack got six. She studied the big man and found him staring right back at her—and his gaze was very admiring. Even from the distance, she could see he had deep, dark brown eyes set beneath heavy brows, the kind that captured a woman’s attention instantly. He was exceptionally good looking, if one liked their men beastly. He had a delicious pelt of chest hair that led on a trail down his solid stomach to his pants. He wasn’t cut enough for a six pack, but there was no doubt about the power of his body. As an athlete she could appreciate the dedication it took to get into shape like he was in, and she had a growing desire to just rub all over him like a kitten.
They were so busy eye fucking each other that at first she didn’t realize it was his turn. He gave her a sexy wink and a grin that made her all giddy inside as he moved forward to where the two wheels sat. His thighs were huge with muscle that strained against his leather pants as he took each step. She held her breath as he threw his white marble in and the wheel began to spin.
“Butterfly, you’ve been paired with Master Soren!” said the MC, who was dressed in a fabulous leather fetish d
ress.
When she met Master Soren’s dark eyes, he gave her a slow smile filled with the promise of a very fun night. Feeling like she was floating, she crossed the stage to where the second wheel, its slots filled with kinks, waited. She took in a deep breath, trying to clear her head. Looking at the wheel, she was so nervous and excited that she could barely understand the letters and moving on automatic, threw the marble into the spin. The crowd roared as Master Soren joined her and together they watched the wheel slow down.
“Hey,” he leaned down to whisper, “Name’s Soren, nice to meet you.”
“Hi, my name’s Tori, but everyone calls me Butterfly.”
“Butterfly… pretty name for a pretty girl.”
“Thanks.”
She was right, she barely came up to his chest. He had to be at least six and a half feet, maybe more, and his biceps were literally as big as her waist. Instead of watching the wheel, she ran her eyes over his body, wanting to reach out and run her fingers through the soft, dark hair on his arms. She was excited to see his hands were indeed big enough to cup her whole ass in one palm. She felt like a princess about to be sacrificed to some giant beast and loved it.
“Orgasm denial!” Madison shouted out. “Whooo, that’s going to be a fun one!”
