Now I’m upset; he’s referring to my past, making me feel like a victim all over again. I start to regret I ever told him, and I say so. “I shouldn’t have told you what happened to me. Why can’t you just treat me like an ordinary person? It may have relevance to the case, but tonight, I’m not your case! I’m a woman wanting to enjoy her first visit to a BDSM club.”
It’s obvious he’s taken aback, and for a moment doesn’t know what to say. He rubs his hand over his chin as he thinks. “This is your first visit, sweetheart. Whatever your background, I think you’d enjoy it more if you stayed close to me.”
And do what? What exactly would happen if I stayed close to him? A shiver runs down my spine as I could see myself begging Jon to do more than just stand with me observing the play around us. What if I wanted to join in?
Another beautiful sub is approaching the bar, seeming to be making a beeline for him. That decides me. “No, Jon. Please. I’m not here to cramp your style.” Repeating it again, I turn away from him, resting one elbow on the bar as I lift my drink in my other hand. I look thoroughly engrossed with the competent way Ralph is pouring drinks.
There’s a mirror over the bar, so I watch his face as he surveys the room. People are coming in through the main doors in greater numbers as time’s getting on, and I realise, now I’ve rejected him, he’ll be checking out the sub approaching him, or seeking someone else to amuse himself with tonight. The thought causes pain to shoot through me. God, I wished I have the nerve to do more. Shit! Why do the chains of my past still bind me?
After a moment he spins me around so I’m forced to look at him. He’s staring at me, his face blank. “If that’s what you want, Mia.” He questions me with his eyes.
“That’s what I want,” I confirm, as forcefully as I can.
Jon’s gaze stays fixed on me for a moment, then his features tauten as though he’s annoyed then, with a sigh, he turns to the bartender. “Keep an eye on her for me, Ralph. I’ll be out the back.” And without another word to me he leaves.
Chapter 15
Jon
Four years ago
Nijad threw me a hard look; his dark eyes cold and fierce, “Let me get this right, Jon. You’re accusing the Kassis family of manipulating the fucking odds at our casinos?” Pulling himself up to his impressive full height, he continued, “That we run a crooked fucking house?”
Trying to get Nijad to admit that he had stacked the odds in my favour was proving nigh on impossible. I had to bark out a laugh, knowing him well enough to recognise that his supposed anger wasn’t genuine. “Of course, I’m not, but you must admit my winning streak was a bit suspect.”
“You won. That’s an end to it.” He gave his signature shrug. “The luck was with you. That’s the way it goes, sometimes the house loses.”
Heaving an exasperated sigh, I knew when it was time to give up; we’d spent the best part of the last half-hour arguing without getting anywhere. Nijad refused to sway from his original assertion that I’d won the money fair and square. As I reluctantly conceded, he waved my thanks away.
The result being, out of the blue, I was a multi-millionaire with new avenues opening up for me. I moved from being an employee to becoming a partner of Grade A Security along with Ben and Jason. When, in a surprise move Sheikh Jasim, Nijad’s older brother announced his plans to establish a club in the UK I accepted his kind offer to let me buy into it. An establishment, catering to the kinky desires of the elite of society. A top drawer BDSM club. Having had a wealth of experience of playing in such places alongside the two sheikhs all over Europe, I was intrigued by the opportunity. Not only did I stand to make money from it, but welcomed the idea of providing a safe, well run place to play. So without having to think twice about it, I made my second investment. It proved to be a sound one.
Nijad’s generosity set me up for life. But once given the all clear from the medics, and despite my changed circumstances, I continued to act as his primary CPO, knowing I wouldn’t hesitate to risk my life to save his again if I needed to. I’d always respected him; now he’d become so much more to me, he’d become my brother.
Present day
As I leave Mia sitting at the bar under Ralph’s watchful eye, such a myriad of emotions flit across my mind I have difficulty separating them. The principle ones being anger that she’s dismissed me, disappointment that she obviously has no intention of playing with me, and jealousy that she might end up with someone else. I’d been so certain there was a spark between us; that it had been there from day one. I saw her checking me out earlier – have I read her wrong? Or has she noticed someone else she likes better? Shaking my head in confusion, I can’t understand why she sent me away. I thought she’d have wanted me close for reassurance at least. But she was so adamant I leave her, she left me no choice. Asserting so confidently she wanted to be left alone, I can only assume it’s Dexie in the house tonight. All I can do is hope she can keep that up. At least the bartender’s looking out for her. But I’ll go back out and check on her soon, unable to shake the apprehension that scared and innocent Mia might rear her head again. Fuck! Again I shake my head. Women! Trying to fathom out what they’re thinking is difficult. Even for a Dom.
Unclipping the velvet rope separating the VIP area from the rest of the club, I storm through, throwing myself onto a sofa. Blinded by my emotions, it takes me a moment to see I’m not alone. Sheikh Jasim, one of the other owners of the club is already there, seated in a relaxed position on a couch. He’s looking at me with a smirk on his face and his eyebrows shoot up.
“Don’t ask.” I rasp out.
He chuckles, but then, of course, he has to probe. “I thought you were bringing a guest with you tonight?”
I scowl. “I did.”
“Where is she then?”
“At the bar.”
“With?”
“With no one. Well, Ralph’s keeping an eye on her.”
His eyes widen as he looks at me searchingly. “You left an uncollared neophyte alone?” He’s shaking his head. “She’ll be fair game.”
I shrug. “She thinks she’s capable of fending them off.”
Jasim’s sharp eyes don’t miss anything, “What did you do to upset her? It’s unlike you to be turned down by a sub.”
“She’s not my sub.” I can’t understand it myself; I thought we’d been getting close, “She said she wanted to give me a chance to play with someone else. She made it clear she doesn’t even want my company.”
He snorts, “So why aren’t you playing, then?” Then his eyes narrow, as he regards me thoughtfully. Too quickly he summons up the answer. “Because the only person you want to scene with tonight is her, isn’t it? Have you made that too obvious and scared her? You said she had a history of abuse. Perhaps this was not a good idea, brother.”
I’d told him the headlines, but hadn’t shared the details. That secret is Mia’s to disclose if and when she wants to. But Jasim deserves to know who is playing in his club. And I can’t deny it’s worries me too; her history could mean some of the sights she’s exposed to tonight might overwhelm her. So my answer’s a measured one as I respond to him, “As long as Mia stays near Ralph she should be okay. He’s a good Dom, and would quickly recognise if it gets too much for her. And I’ll be going back out shortly, to keep an eye on things. I just needed a moment to cool down.” I sigh, and make my confession, “Yes, I wanted to do a simple scene with her, something that wouldn’t frighten her.” I look up and him and grin, my anger rapidly fading, “She’s a beautiful woman, Jas. And a sub, although she hasn’t admitted to that yet. And even if we don’t play, I’m responsible for her. She’s my guest tonight; I haven’t forgotten that.”
“You want to be the one to introduce her to our lifestyle?”
“I shouldn’t.” My smile disappears. “She needs someone who could commit to her, and you know me, Jas. I’m the same as you. I’ll scene with virtually anyone, perhaps go home with a sub for the night; maybe have a contrac
t that lasts a few weeks, but after that? The women I’m with here all know the score, we negotiate that up front.”
He nods, “It’s what this lifestyle is all about. Communication and making sure all parties are clear on expectations.” Then he laughs, “But someone’s got to catch you sometime, Jon. And it might be Mia.”
I scowl at him. “She’s made it clear she doesn’t want me.”
“Has she?” His eyes are probing.
Ignoring him, confused as much as he is about her feelings for me as well as my own sentiments towards her, I change the subject. “I thought you said if I had a moment, you wanted to discuss the extension? Well, I’m here. Tell me what you want from me, then I’ll get back and see how she’d doing.”
He stays quiet for a moment, still regarding me with that intense look of his. He’s as much Dom as me, well used to analysing reactions and expressions, and I know I’m having no success hiding my feelings from him. Fucking woman! She’s got me tangled up in knots! For the first time in my life I’m not clear what I want from her, so where the fuck does that fit into and Dom/sub communication?
After a short space of silence, he gives a nod of affirmation, and we start discussing the extension we’re considering on the back of the building. The club being so popular, membership is creeping up, and soon we’ll be running out of space.
It’s only a few minutes later when there’s noise of a commotion coming through from the main room. Jasim stands at the same time as I get to my feet, and just as a dungeon monitor rushes in. “Master Jonathan, your guest….”
Not stopping to wait to hear what’s happened, preferring to see for myself, I rush out into the club. Mia’s standing at the bar, unhurt, but the man in front of her is fuming and rubbing his cheek. He’s roaring, “That fucking bitch hit me!” He’s attracting attention, and a crowd has gathered around. Shit! This is not what I wanted for Mia’s first time at Tiacapan!
Pushing through, I claim Mia by putting my arm around her and feel her violently trembling. She hit him? She’s not the violent type! “What’s going on?” I demand my voice crisp and sharp. It has the effect of making everyone else simmer down and quieten.
The man, a newish Dom to our scene, and a junior Member of Parliament in his everyday life turns to me, informing me angrily, “I was trying to negotiate a scene with this, this…” he breaks off and sees the expression on my face. “This sub,” he continues, choosing his words with wisely, “Out of the blue, with no provocation she hits me.”
I glance at Ralph, who’s joined us, and raise a quizzical eyebrow, it doesn’t sound like Mia at all.
“I’m sorry,” Ralph is frowning and appears to be annoyed with himself. “I was serving at the other end of the bar, so missed what happened.”
Mia’s still shaking, she feels cold to the touch. Looking down at her I can see she’s gone pale and is probably in shock. I won’t be able to press her for answers until she calms a little, so I turn my attention back to the man who she’d apparently struck. There is a fading red handprint on his right cheek. “What did you say to her, Donavan?” remembering his club name at last.
He looks at the ground, and then back up at me, and lifts then lowers his shoulders in dismissal. “Just tried to negotiate a scene. I told her I wanted to tie her up, flog her and lick her sweet little cunt.”
When he throws me a challenging look, I guiltily realise that’s exactly what I want to do to her, but the difference is, I know something he doesn’t. I know she’s far from ready for that yet. Becoming angry, I realise a good part of this is his fault, he ought to find out a bit more about the sub he wants to play with before jumping in with both feet, particularly one he hasn’t seen before. But the fact that she’s hit someone in the club needs to be addressed.
As the participants have calmed down, the crowd around us drifts away, intent on finding better ways of amusing themselves. When Donovan realises he’s no longer playing to a full house, his belligerence disappears.
“She’s new,” I tell him, trying to keep my temper under control. “She’s finding her way. With a new sub, you should take the time to get to know their limits first. Everything you’ve mentioned is a soft limit for Mia.”
He knows a Master and co-owner of the club is giving him advice, and that he isn’t in a position to argue. To his credit, he thinks about what my words, and nods. “Maybe I did rush in,” he begrudgingly admits. “But she slapped me, and she needs to be punished.”
Unfortunately, I agree, but I don’t want to scare her more. Looking down at the girl by my side, who seems to have regained some composure now the crowd has dissipated, I turn her to face me, and tell her quietly, “Take off your thong, Mia.”
She looks at me horrified.
Donavan huffs. “That’s punishment?” He asks, scathingly.
“It is for her, and will suffice for now.” I glare at him. “I’ve taken the time to know her limits,” Again I take the opportunity to stress the point. I’m annoyed, punishing Mia was the last thing I wanted to do tonight unless it was for fun. But in my heart of hearts, I know she can’t get away with such behaviour. So I have to reassure him. “I’ll discipline her later, but first, we’ve all got to calm down.”
To give him his due, he seems to accept this, and his nod shows he trusts me to do what’s necessary.
Mia hasn’t moved. She’s only going to make things worse if she doesn’t comply with my demand. “Don’t disobey me, Mia; you won’t like the consequences. No violence is allowed in this club, for whatever reason. Now remove your thong or your subsequent punishment will be worse.”
She looks up at me beseechingly, but my face is firm. She reaches down and removes her thong. She sniffs, and a tear rolls down from her eye. Then, without needing to be prompted, she swivels around to face Donavan, her eyes respectively looking down at the floor, “I’m sorry I hit you, Sir.”
He glances at me, clearly understanding she is under my protection. I’m giving him an unyielding stare to signal this matter will be dealt with, but by me, not him. With a quick nod and a sigh, he moves away. Crisis over. But what to do about Mia?
Master Ralph catches my eye and beckons me closer. “Sounds like something he said must have set her off. I was talking to her just before the incident, and she seemed to be enjoying herself. She was quite relaxed. There was no indication anything was upsetting her.”
I study him, he’s a good Dom, and I agree with him. It’s a shame he didn’t witness the incident. “I’ll explore that, Ralph. Thanks.” I turn to Mia hating that her face is streaked with tears, her makeup running. Scanning the room I see Diamond approaching, and I call her over. Although I turned her down earlier, I know she won’t bear a grudge; she’s a lovely girl, always offering to clean equipment or serve at the bar when it’s busy. I know she’ll help. “Can you take Mia to the locker room, Diamond, to clean herself up? Please?”
A broad smile crosses Diamond’s face; she’s a real service sub, getting pleasure from helping. “Of course, I will.” She takes Mia’s hand.
My fingers press on Mia’s shoulder, preventing her from leaving and getting her attention. She looks up at me, “Go and freshen up; then Diamond will bring you back to me. If you want to go home, just say. We can end this now.”
She’s softly crying, her free hand coming up to wipe the tears away smearing her mascara even more. “You said you’d punish me? Isn’t humiliating me enough?”
Exhaling slowly, I pull her close. “I haven’t humiliated you, sweetheart. Just look around you, you’re still wearing more than most of the subs here. I’m pushing your boundaries; that’s all. I can’t ignore what happened. If you stay, I’ll have to make good on my promise to Donavan. But I said I’d take you home the moment you feel uncomfortable. And that still stands.”
She shakes her head, “I’m sorry, Jon, for causing trouble. I’m more embarrassed than upset. I’d like to stay.”
“You stick with Diamond until she brings you back to me. I’m not
letting you out of my sight again, Mia. Don’t even try to push me away.”
When I see her accept that, I tell Diamond I’ll be waiting in the VIP area and request she brings Mia to me there. I watch them go, running my hand through my hair, deep in thought. Was it wrong to bring Mia here? Is she not ready, and if not, would she ever be? Does just the thought of playing bring back memories best left forgotten? What exactly was the trigger Donavan hit? Can I help her get over it? Or should I walk away? I remember my impulse when I first met her, and briefly think it would have been better had I acted on it. Maybe running fast in the other direction would have been a more sensible idea for all concerned. Mia would have been better left alone, and well out of my life, and my lifestyle. But then she would have gone to a club alone, and without me there to help her get out of trouble. The thought is a chilling one and makes me realise we need to have a serious talk. And soon. And for the rest of tonight, she’s going to stay right by my side.
Ralph hands me my second whisky of the night; he can see I need it. Returning to the VIP area, I find Jasim is chatting with another of our Masters but breaks off as I approach, throwing me a curious look, so I quickly fill him in on what’s happened. He doesn’t censure me, seeing I’m berating myself enough for bringing her here in the first place and for leaving her alone. As we discuss the situation, I keep an eye open for Diamond returning, getting to my feet when at last the girls appear.
Dismissing Diamond with my thanks, I stand tall, my features set, and my arms folded in an uncompromising stance. Now Mia is going to find out what I’m like as a Dom. “Mia,” I say firmly. “Come.” I point to the couch where I’ve been sitting. She goes as if to sit down, but I put out my hand to stop her. “Kneel,” I tell her. With raised eyebrows she questions me. So I repeat my command, my voice strict and unbending. “Remember; just say the word and I’ll take you home. But if you want to stay, then do as I ask. Kneel.” I’m sure she’ll know what I want; she watched Diamond earlier and has written about the submissive pose many times. Her eyes flick towards Jasim and his companion. The sheikh’s observing her with interest. He has a smirk on his face as if he’s not sure that I’m in control of the situation. I’m wondering that myself.
Close Protection (Blood Brothers #2) Page 19
