Wicked

by Sasha White

  15

  Sunday morning Lara was kicking her own ass for sending her second email to Karl the night before instead of waiting until morning. It sucked that she had no way of knowing if he’d even read it yet. Or worse, what if he read it right after she sent it and since it had been Saturday night—late Saturday night, but still Saturday night—what if he thought it was another attempt at the first fantasy and he was expecting another one for Sunday?

  No. He’d said two emails, she’d sent two, that was good enough.

  All morning she stewed about Karl’s reaction to her story. Her computer was plugged in and she checked her email obsessively, waiting for his response while she did laundry, washed dishes, and tried not to imagine him reading the email and bursting into laughter.

  She’d told him she wasn’t a writer. He better be happy with what she’d sent. Checking her email file one more time she saw that he still hadn’t responded. UGH! This was nuts. She wasn’t submissive, she didn’t even know what submissive was! Why she’d agreed to give this a try was beyond her.

  It was the challenge. Sure, she wanted a safe, sane, normal life. She really did. Her childhood had been enough of “different” to last her a lifetime. But safe and sane also meant finding other ways to keep life from being too boring. And a straight out challenge from a super sexy man that made her pussy clench was one way to do it.

  When Lara was seventeen, after two years of scrounging, stealing, and running, she’d met Richard. Richard had been in his midtwenties, a good guy who’d found her sleeping in an alley one night and offered her his couch. After a month on his couch without him trying to get anything from her, she’d realized he really was a good guy. For whatever his reason, he wanted to help her.

  She’d slept with him then. Given him her virginity and pretended to be his girlfriend until she could find a job, and get out on her own. They’d both known what was happening, and they’d both been okay with it.

  He’d introduced her to the pleasures of her own body. Although he’d never been able to give her an orgasm, it had been good. In all honesty, the only time she orgasmed during sex was when she took charge.

  Until Karl.

  Excitement zinged thought Lara. Maybe there really was something to this submissive thing. Her brain engaged, she typed Domination Submission into the Google search engine and stared at the results.

  Holy shit!

  Links to articles and websites dedicated to kink filled the page and Lara grinned. Oh yeah, it was definitely time for her to see what this was all about.

  Picking a link, she clicked on it and was instantly rewarded with the view of a simple, yet classy-looking site. Lara looked at the photos in the website header, all black and white pictures of women in various poses of submission. One woman was naked except for a black leather collar, another was bound with a rope that circled her breasts, immobilized her body, and framed her pussy. There was a back shot of a woman bent over, a crop pressed lightly against her bare buttocks.

  A minute trembling starting inside Lara as she studied the photos. They were explicit, but not pornographic. They were beautiful and highly erotic…and when she read the quote beneath them, an involuntary shudder rippled through her.

  * * *

  “I want to live darkly and richly in my femaleness. I want a man lying over me, always over me. His will, his pleasure, his desire, his life, his work, his sexuality the touchstone, the command, my pivot. I don't mind working, holding my ground intellectually, artistically; but as a woman, oh, God, as a woman I want to be dominated. I don't mind being told to stand on my own feet, not to cling, be all that I am capable of doing, but I am going to be pursued, fucked, possessed by the will of a male at his time, his bidding.”

  —Anais Nin

  * * *

  Pursued, fucked, and possessed by the will of a male.

  A delicious shiver ripped through Lara and she squeezed her thighs together…and read more.

  A couple of hours later Lara was a little overwhelmed. The technical terms, etiquette, and safety rules had been enlightening, but the most engrossing stuff had been the sex blogs she’d found.

  People who lived the lifestyle, or just enjoyed the kink as a part of their life, spilled everything on an anonymous journal for anyone to read and comment on. And read she had: she’d even commented on a couple, asking questions, and gone back later to discover that they’d been answered.

  Lara was amazed at the openness, and the sincerity of the words from people she’d never met.

  She bookmarked one in particular to read more of later. She’d already scrolled back and read posts from the woman who’d struggled with her fantasies of rough sex and pain and humiliation, before she’d found the man who accepted her, and gave her everything she needed.

  SubbieDreams blog brought Lara to tears at one point, and turned her on so much she was squirming in her seat at others. She might not want the pain and humiliation that woman had craved, but the closeness, and the open acceptance she’d found seemed magical.

  Okay, so maybe a bit of the rough sex stuff appealed to her. Being tied up and having Karl touch, tease, and test her to see exactly what got her off could be a lot of fun.

  The scary part was that in all of the personal accounts and sex blogs, the submissives talked about never holding back, about open and honest communication. She had no problem with that when it came to sex, but she wasn’t so sure she’d ever be capable of completely letting a man into her head.

  It just wasn’t safe to let anyone get that close.

  The timer on the oven went off and she used a tea towel to pull out the casserole dish. Home made macaroni and cheese, yum. Enough to feed her and the boys on their Sunday night movie night.

  She set the hot bowl on the counter to cool just as there was a knock on the door.

  Since when did the boys knock? Shit, since when did they go outside and come around to the door instead of using the stairs and the inside entrance by the bathroom?

  She tossed the towel on the counter and answered the door to a faceful of flowers.

  Stunned, she just stood there and stared.

  “Delivery for Lara Fox,” came the muffled voice from behind the flowers.

  Footsteps trampled behind her and Graham squealed. “Ohh, gorgeous flowers!”

  He jostled to get past her. “This is Lara, I’ll take those for her. Lara, sign for them, dear.”

  Lara signed the page on the clipboard the guy held out and closed the door with a smile. “Thank you.”

  She turned and watched as Graham shuffled over to the kitchen table, oohing and awing over the big bouquet the whole time. Feeling a little lost, Lara stood glued to the spot.

  She’d never gotten flowers before.

  Peter came over and put an arm around her shoulders, urging her forward. “Your birthday’s not for another couple of weeks, so what did you do to earn flowers?”

  “There’s a card.”

  “Give me that.” Lara jumped forward and snatched the card from Graham’s fingers. No way did she want him reading it. The flowers had to be from Karl.

  She opened the little envelope and pulled out the card.

  * * *

  Very nice story. Well done.

  * * *

  That was it. Five words and no name.

  But her chest tightened and her insides warmed just the same.

  “Well, who are they from?”

  “Graham,” Peter muttered.

  “What?”

  “Don’t be so nosy.”

  “Puleease, as if she’s not gonna tell us anyway.”

  “They’re from Karl.”

  She fingered a pretty orange-and-brown flower. It was a big flower; the whole arrangement was huge. And so colorful. Orange, white, pink, red. She didn’t know what a lot of them were but she recognized the giant colorful daisies, and there were roses and some sort of Lily, too.

  “Oh, honey, I should’ve known,” Graham looked at her, his brow wrinkled with c
oncern. “Are you okay?”

  “Of course I’m okay. They’re beautiful.” She laughed.

  “But, Lara, honey, they’re kiss-off flowers.” Graham looked at her, then the card she still held in her hand. “Aren’t they?”

  “No, why would you think that?”

  Graham looked from Lara to Peter, who was ignoring them both and pulling plates from the dish rack where they air-dried. “He always sends his female clients flowers when their case is over. It’s his standard thank you and good-bye.”

  Lara shook her head. “Not this time. Never mind that I’m not a client, but the card is more of a…thank you than a kiss off.”

  “But—”

  “Graham,” Peter interrupted. “Shut up about it and come and get some dinner already. Have you seen Pirates of the Caribbean yet, Lara? We brought One and Two down for movies tonight.”

  Hurt flashed across Graham’s face at Peter’s tone and Lara stilled. It wasn’t like him to be so harsh. Usually it was her telling Graham to shut up or back off.

  A small ache formed in the pit of her stomach. Was there trouble in paradise?

  16

  Monday morning wasn’t anything special. Typical slow start for the brain, with everything else around Lara going at warp speed. Just after lunch her phone rang on her hip and the sight of Karl’s number on the caller ID slowed everything to a crawl.

  She flipped her phone open and tried to sound casual. “Hello?”

  “Did you like the flowers?”

  “What’s not to like? They’re gorgeous. Thanks.”

  “You earned them. That was some fantasy you sent me. I thought you said you weren’t a writer?”

  “I’m not. Maybe I’m just a pervert.”

  His affectionate chuckle echoed over the phone line and a shiver rippled through Lara. “I like that about you,” he said. “I’d like to take you out tomorrow night. To a special club.”

  Tomorrow? She’d already waited all weekend, full of hormones and fantasies. Yet, she found herself agreeing to wait another day. “Okay. What time?”

  “I’ll pick you up at nine. And Lara?”

  “Yes?”

  “Wear a skirt for me again, with no panties.”

  Butterflies came to life in her belly and her nipples tightened. “Ohh, it’s going to be a naughty night out, is it?”

  “That will really depend on you,” he said. “See you at nine o’clock.”

  Lara could swear she floated above the ground for the rest of the day. Part of her knew she was letting herself expect too much from Karl. Shit, it was only their second date, and she never saw a man more than three times…so it was going to end soon. But she was determined to enjoy it while she could. That attitude was what had kept her sane.

  * * *

  The Dungeon was pretty quiet on Monday nights, which is why he’d planned his visit for that night. He had a few things to accomplish, first off being a visit with the owner.

  “Mr. Hardin, thanks for seeing me tonight.” Karl held out his hand to the clean-cut man standing behind the desk.

  “Not a problem, Karl. Please call me Mason. Valentine Ward spoke very highly of you. He also said you had something I really need to know about?”

  He’d had a hard time getting a meeting with the mysterious owner of the club, so he’d had Val give him a call. Being the owner of one of the hottest nightclubs in town, Val had been able to set up the meeting as a favor.

  Once they were both settled, Karl got straight to the point. “Someone’s taking compromising photographs of your members while they’re within the Dungeon.”

  As a lawyer and a Dom, Karl was pretty good at reading people’s expressions, but Mason didn’t give anything away. A breach in security like that would mean the club’s business. Members of the Dungeon paid highly to be able to play in a safe, protected environment. “And you’ve come by this information how?”

  “I’m sure you’ve read my membership file, so you know I’m a divorce lawyer. One of my clients is going through a bit of a nasty one, and she’s procured some photos of her soon-to-be ex-husband as leverage. She refused to tell me how she got them, but I will find out. I just figured you could work it from this end as well.”

  The muscle in the club owner’s clean-shaven jaw twitched. “You saw the photos?”

  “Yes.”

  “Describe them.”

  “To be blunt, a pretty well-known male client, strapped to a padded horse bench in the Shared Room with a dildo shoved up his ass and a cock down his throat.”

  Suddenly Mr. Clean-cut didn’t look so calm. “The Shared Room,” he said. “Do you know when they were taken?”

  Karl shook his head. “No, and I’ll do my best to make sure my client doesn’t use them, but I think you’ll need to do some damage control there anyway.”

  Karl stood and the two men shook hands. “Sorry I had to bring this to you, but we both know how important it is.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Mason said. “It’ll be dealt with, and quickly.”

  Karl left the office and put that issue in the back of his mind.

  Second up was a chat with his mentor and friend, Simone, before Marie arrived. Mistress Simone was a friend. A beautiful, sultry Latin woman with a well-rounded body that looked illegal in black leather. They’d probably have a helluva good time in bed together if they didn’t kill each other, but both would fight for control… So, instead, they worked scenes and subs together every now and then. She was someone he trusted to tell him if he was being a complete idiot.

  “Simone, thanks for meeting me tonight,” he said to the raven-haired beauty he found already seated at his favorite booth.

  “You know I’m always here for you, Karl. Especially when you’re so generous with your playmates.” She winked at him. “Your little Marie is a treat.”

  He smiled. Perfect. “I’m glad you enjoyed her, but she’s not strictly mine. She can play with whoever she chooses.”

  “Really?” Simone tapped a red painted fingernail on the tabletop. “She gave me the impression that she was strictly yours when I suggested we get together again.”

  “Did she give you a hard time?”

  “Oh, no, she was delightful to play with and very polite when she said she’d be happy to please me, anytime you instructed her to.”

  Karl waited while the waitress set their drinks on the table with a small smile. He’d been afraid Marie was getting too attached. Her phone calls and the fact that he’d not seen her play with anyone else at the club for a few months had made it clear it was time for him to do something.

  “I’m going to tell Marie tonight that I won’t be playing with her anymore,” he said when the waitress was gone and they were alone again. “She might need some attention.”

  Simone’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve been with her for a while, haven’t you?”

  He nodded. “Almost a year. But I made it clear from the start that it was a play situation only. While we have taken it outside of the club, it’s been scene-play only and I’ve never offered up a collar. She knows I play with others and I’ve encouraged her to as well.”

  “But she hasn’t?”

  “Only when I’ve arranged it.”

  Simone nodded, her dark eyes serious as they looked at one another. Karl didn’t need to say any more, he knew she understood his worry. “Is that the only reason you’re turning her loose? You’re feeling pressured?”

  He took a swallow from the frosty beer in front of him before answering. “You are entirely too astute at times, Simone.”

  “I am good, aren’t I?”

  They chuckled and he met her gaze. “I’ve met someone I think could be special.”

  “Do I know her?”

  Karl shook his head. “She’s not part of the scene. In fact, she’s not even aware of her own submissive nature.”

  Simone’s eyebrows jumped. “How did you meet her?”

  “It was a random meeting, we had dinner, and I thought that was it. Sh
e’s loud, bold and even brassy, so I walked away. But I couldn’t get her out of my mind, and when I saw her again, she showed me something rare. She feels…right when I’m with her. Like she was made for me.”

  “Does she know what you are?”

  “I’ve told her, and adventurous minx that she is, she’s willing to give it a try. But I don’t think she truly understands what she’s getting herself into, and…”

  “And what, baby?”

  He blew out a breath and met her gaze. “And I’m not sure I know what I’m getting into. But I can’t walk away.”

  “Then don’t,” Simone said simply, laying one of her hands over his. “You’ve been playing and skimming the surface with these playmates of yours for a long time. Now it’s time to get serious. You go after what you want, and maybe you’ll both find what you need.”

  He nodded. What she said not only made sense, it had a ring of truth to it that he couldn’t deny. He’d just been coasting, playing. It was why meeting Katie Long had affected him so deeply. She’d wanted more than play.

  Simone patted his hand on the table. “I’m here if you need me for anything.”

  “Thanks, Simone.”

  She grinned at him wickedly. “And it’ll be my pleasure to ensure little Marie doesn’t miss you in the least.”

  They laughed and Karl felt some of the tension ease from between his shoulders. Marie would be there soon. He’d say good-bye to her in one of the private rooms, with Simone there to cushion his departure.

  17

  Karl bit back a growl on Tuesday night when Lara opened the door and he saw what she was wearing. Anticipation had been building inside him all day, every minute of free time his mind had filled with ways to introduce Lara to her true nature. But none of that had prepared him for the sight of her again.

  The leather vest from the other night had been lovely on her, but this…this was a totally different kind of “wow.”