Firm

by Emma York

  “What, eat vegetables?”

  “Meet up. Me and mine, you and yours.”

  “Are you saying you want a two couple dinner party. Are we that age already?”

  “We’re a bit old for sneaking into clubs and trying to get served.”

  “But a dinner party? I never thought I’d hear you saying you wanted one.”

  “Take the piss anymore and I won’t invite you.”

  “All right, I’ll ask Lucy, see what she says. I’m going to have to dash off pretty quick though.”

  “No rest for the perverted.”

  “You should know.”

  We laughed and it felt good. It had been too long. I wasn’t shocked by him asking me and Lucy to a dinner party as much as by my reaction to it. For the first time, something like that sounded like a good idea. So often, they were boring as hell and I couldn’t wait to get my sub back home for more fun and games. But this was different.

  Ever since I’d met Lucy, things had been different. I wanted a life with her, I wanted to introduce her to people. Telling the office we were in a relationship was next on the list. We’d kept it secret for long enough. The book was out, it was still on the top of the bestseller list. The ebook strategy was coming along nicely. All that was left was to tell the office about Lucy and me and to tell Lucy about something else, something I had planned that would hopefully come as a real surprise to her.

  I wanted to make her happy in the one way that would prove how much she meant to me. She’d already been able to expand the food club thanks to Anna’s royalty cheques and her bonus. It was spreading across the south west and if the sequel turned out to be as big a hit as the first book, she might have enough to expand across the whole country, helping anyone who needed a decent meal. It just made me feel even more strongly about her to know she had such a compassionate streak inside her. She only ever thought about other people. My surprise would show her what one particular other person thought about her.

  When I got in that evening I found out she had a surprise for me before I got a chance to tell her mine. “What’s that?” I asked, seeing her with a pile of parcels laid out on the dining room table.

  “Anna wanted to ask me some questions about the sequel,” she said, tearing into the wrapping paper of the first parcel. “And I realised I couldn’t really answer her without doing some research first.”

  “So?”

  “So I might have done the noble thing and decided to order a few things to help me understand the BDSM mindset better.”

  “I think you understand it pretty well already,” I said, squeezing her ass while kissing her cheek at the same time.

  “Then you won’t want to use this on me, I’m guessing,” she said, pulling a brand new riding crop out of the parcel. “Shall I send it back?”

  “I didn’t say that,” I replied, taking the crop from her and making a few experimental strikes through the air, the swishing sound music to my ears. “I’m always up for helping the professional development of my staff.”

  “That’s good to hear.” She picked up the remaining parcels. “Come on, upstairs.”

  “Why not here?”

  “I can’t think of a single good reason.” She put the parcels back down. “Do you want to see what’s in the rest of these?”

  “They can wait. Strip.”

  She was out of her work clothes so fast, I couldn’t help but smile.

  “As you commanded,” she said, extending a little curtsey in my direction,” Sir.”

  “You look good naked,” I replied, leaning down and kissing her nipples one after the other. “Now bend over and brace yourself, this may sting.”

  “I hope so.”

  I swished the crop through the air again. “Ready?”

  She looked over her shoulder at me, her hands gripping the dining table tightly. “Ready.”

  I brought the crop down on her ass a second later. It left a deep red mark where it struck, a scream escaping her a second later. “Good?” I asked.

  “Harder.”

  I lifted the crop, bringing it down a second time. This time she gasped instead of screaming, her legs starting to shake as she shuffled her knees apart, her ass pointing back at me, begging for more.

  I brought the crop down again and again, each time her gasps growing louder. Pausing to rub her ass with my hand, I was rewarded by the feel of heat coming from her, a sign the crop was doing its job. “I can’t wait,” I said, fumbling with my trousers, kicking them down, freeing my cock which pointed straight towards her. “Don’t move.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Her voice was weak but I knew she was telling the truth. She had never lied to me.

  I stroked the tip of my cock against her pussy, loving the wetness, enjoying the teasing sensation for as long as I could before thrusting slowly in a long movement deep into her. I pulled her hips back onto me at the same time, not stopping until I was buried all the way inside her.

  Rocking back and forth, I smiled to myself. I still couldn’t believe how happy she made me, how different things were with her compared to anyone else in my life before. She really was perfect, obeying my every command but with that hint of feisty defiance that made things spicy, stopped things getting boring.

  We might not have used the crop before but we’d used lots of other things and there were still the parcels in front of me.

  Reaching down, I slipped a finger into her ass, moving it in the way I knew she loved most, bringing her orgasm closer.

  When I could tell she was on the edge, I paused, waiting for the question I knew was coming. “Please can I come?” she asked.

  “Come for me,” I replied. “Come around my cock. I want to feel you coming for me.”

  I thrust deep into her and she did exactly as I asked, screaming her way through an intense climax. Her insides contracted around my cock and with another thrust, I was lost, spurting deep into her, groaning as I did so, loving it as if it was the first time. Every time was like the first, so new, so exciting, so perfect.

  I thrust one last time before sliding back out of her pussy. At once she sank to her knees, sucking me into her mouth, squeezing the last drops from me, licking the tip until I pulled her upright.

  Holding her tight against me, I whispered, “I got a parcel too today. Do you want to see it?”

  She nodded. “What is it?”

  I was still wearing my jacket. The box was in the inside pocket. I pulled it out and placed it in her palm. “Have a look.”

  “What is it?” she asked, looking down at it in disbelief.

  “If only there was some way of you finding out.”

  “All right, Sarcasm Boy.” But she was smiling as she said it, opening the lid to reveal the sparkling jewels topping the ring inside. “Is this…for me?”

  “If you’re up for marrying a man with his trousers off.”

  “As long as you put them back on in time for the wedding.”

  “Don’t try to change me, baby.”

  Then we were kissing and it was glorious. I put the ring on her finger a minute later. It looked right there. “I have another parcel,” she said as she looked down at it. “But it didn’t come in the post.”

  “What? You mean…?”

  She took my hand and moved it to her stomach, pressing it flat against her flesh. “A very special parcel.”

  Then we were kissing again. I thought we were perfect as a couple but I hadn’t even realised things could get even better. “You’re happy?” she asked. “About…?”

  “About becoming a family? I couldn’t be happier. How far along are you?”

  “Far enough to be sure. Hopefully not far enough to need the wedding dress taking out.”

  “Then we better get planning hadn’t we?”

  I wrapped her in my arms, feeling the warmth of her skin against me.

  "I love you," I said, kissing the top of her head.

  "I love you too," she replied, looking up adoringly at me.

&nb
sp; We stayed like that for a very long time.

  END OF BOOK 3

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  If you enjoyed Firm, you may enjoy the first two books in the Billionaire's Club series, The Bid, and The Win. Turn the page to sample the first chapter of the first book in the series, The Bid.

  THE BID

  ONE

  "So, how's the new job?"

  I'd been waiting for that question. My mother was an awkward customer at the best of times. When I'd texted her to let her know that I'd finally managed to get a job, I knew she'd ask about it at some point. That had been a fortnight ago and I had been waiting for the phone call ever since. It had to come while I was driving to work, the worst possible time. I signalled left, pulling off the side of the road so I could answer.

  She'd been on holiday when I told her. I had picked the time carefully, knowing it would give me some breathing space to work out how much she needed to know.

  "It's going well, I'm on my way there now." Carefully worded, not a single lie involved. I couldn't lie to her, not to my mother. However, I could choose my words with precision, that wasn't the same as lying.

  Like when I was sixteen and she asked me why I'd come home crying. I told her I was upset. I didn't tell her Brian Laws had tried to stick his hand down my panties and when I'd told him to stop, he'd called me a frigid bitch. Nor did I tell her he'd told everyone who would listen that he had turned me down when I'd begged him for sex. I didn't tell her about any of that. I just told her I was upset and left it at that.

  "So, what kind of job is it?"

  That was the difficult question.

  Technically, my new job was in an exclusive member's only club, one that contained certain types of adult entertainment. I had quite the awakening when I turned up for the interview. I was greeted by the sight of a naked woman dancing in a cage that was surrounded by men in suits and that was just in the lobby.

  I almost turned and ran before I got any further. But I was desperate for a job, already a month behind on the rent and the other bills were piling up too. It was the first place to even offer me an interview after more than a hundred applications all over the country and it was right on my doorstep, in London same as me.

  The interviewer had asked me how much I knew about BDSM. Plenty, I had said, knowing that to add, "I don't even know what the letters stand for," wouldn't help my chances. I instead said, "But I thought this was just bar work."

  "It is. I only ask because you're likely to see some things here that might make you feel uncomfortable if you're not into this lifestyle."

  "I'm not easily shocked, don't worry," said me, the woman who blushed when they did the breast exams on breakfast television.

  So when I started my first shift and observed a woman on all fours being walked on a lead, diamond collar around her neck, tail sticking out of her...

  Let's just say I did my best not to look shocked. I needed the job.

  "Well?" Mum asked, sounding worried.

  "It's a bar job, serving drinks."

  "I hope it's not anywhere dangerous, Alice. Are you sure it's safe?"

  "Yes, Mum, it's perfectly safe."

  The sound of last night's whips cracking to a chorus of screams echoed around my head.

  "Oh, good. You know I worry."

  I did know she worried. It was what she'd done my entire life. If I told her what I'd seen in the club, she'd be down here dragging me home and locking the door behind us, wrapping me back up in the cotton wool I'd only recently been able to remove before it suffocated me.

  "Your father always made me promise I'd keep you safe."

  "I know, Mum. Look, I need to get going. I don't want to be late."

  Before Dad had died, it was one of two promises he got out of us. One, Mum would keep me safe. Two, I would never lie to her.

  "All right. Oh, I haven't told you about the holiday yet. Can I ring you tonight?"

  "I won't be finishing until late."

  "That's all right. I'm still on Fiji time anyway."

  "Ring me tomorrow."

  "Why? Why can't I ring tonight?"

  "Because I'll be working, then I'll be sleeping."

  "Are you sure that's all you'll be doing? I've heard about this new drug that's going around. You're not on it are you? Is that why you don't want to speak to me?"

  "Bye, Mum."

  "I love you, Sweetie."

  "I love you too."

  I hung up before signalling to rejoin the traffic. I sighed as I set off. I'd done it. I'd told her about the job. I hadn't lied.

  She knew I worked behind a bar which was the truth. It wasn't an ordinary bar but I could handle that because I didn't need to be involved in any of the things that took place on the other side of my counter. They could get up to what they liked.

  I had promised myself before I started my first shift that I would never get involved in that side of things. I was a good girl and good girls do not allow themselves to be led around the room like pets begging to be allowed to orgasm. Nor do they strap things on to themselves on stage and call for volunteers to ride them like it's the Grand National.

  I blushed just thinking about that one.

  I was a country girl at heart. This side of city life had come as quite a shock. But I'd rolled with it and I'd been there a week without anything bad happening beyond a few spilled drinks and a couple of drunken propositions that I'd easily batted away.

  I pulled into the car park twenty minutes later. There was only a couple of other cars there. The guests didn't usually start arriving until after nine.

  Stepping out into the cold, my breath caught in my throat. The temperature was dropping. Christmas was coming and it was bringing icy winds with it.

  The building itself used to be a mansion, owned by some steel magnate who died without heirs. Over the years it had been a school, a hospital, then derelict for a decade or so.

  It had come back to life as a club about five years ago, not that you'd know from looking at it. Other than the car park, it gave no sign from the outside that it was anything but an ordinary city mansion. The members liked it that way. Anonymity was something they all desired. There were some very rich and very famous people who frequented Club Darkness and they preferred to do it without paparazzi photographers snapping them going in and out.

  Occasionally photographers roamed the car park on the off chance. They'd take one look at me, realise I was no one important, then fade away again. I didn't care about them. I was just glad of the job.

  I swiped my card to get in, the staff door clicking open as I stamped my feet to try and stop the cold numbing my toes.

  I was glad to get inside into the warm. Music was playing in the kitchen as I passed by. Anton was already there, getting started on the cooking with his army of staff putting up with his tuneless renditions. Tonight's choice was Bohemian Rhapsody in falsetto.

  I continued on until I reached Rowena's office. I knocked and waited. "Come in," she shouted through the door.

  Heading inside, I found her buried in paperwork as always, the smell of incense sticks wafting towards me. "Ah, Alice," she said. "You ready for a hectic one?"

  "Aren't they all?" I replied, sitting in the chair she pointed at while she shuffled her papers together.

  "Tonight's a special one. It's auction night and we've got two off sick, great timing, right? I'll be out to help behind the bar in a bit."

  "Auction night, sounds fun. Looking forward to it."

  She nodded. "You've no idea what auction night is, have you?"

  I thought about lying then decided against it. I'd only get caught out. "No."

  "It's great fun. I've done it myself a couple of times. The auction master takes the na
mes of any woman who wants to be auctioned off for the night. He chooses three or four, lines them up and then they're auctioned off to whoever has a bid token which looks like this." She held up a black disc of thick metal, about two inches across. It was marked C.D on the front. Club Darkness. "One bid token, one bid."

  "As in, the bidders buy women?"

  "Just for the night. Whoever bids highest for each woman gets to spend the night in their company. All the money raised goes to a good cause. Fancy giving it a go?"

  "What me? I haven't got a bid token."

  "Not bidding, being bid on. You'd make a fortune."

  "No I wouldn't."

  "Course you would, you're hot."

  "That's sweet of you to say but I'm happy just serving the drinks."

  "You're sure?"

  I nodded. There was no way in hell I'd take part in an auction like that. If I took part, there was a chance he would bid on me.

  There was one man who frequented the club who had caught my eye. He wasn't like the others. There was something different about him. He was hot as hell and although he'd only smiled at me once, it had been enough to send me swooning backwards like a black and white film heroine about to pass out. Just looking at him got me burning up inside. He had the chiselled jaw of a superhero and just enough stubble to make me want to feel it, see whether it felt rough or smooth. That wasn't all I wanted to feel either.

  What if he bid on the auction? What if he won me? There'd be no way I'd be able to stay a good girl if that happened. Better not to risk it.

  "Well you better get out the back," Rowena said, bringing my attention back from thoughts of him hauling me over his shoulder. "The delivery will be here any minute."

  I headed to the goods entrance, glad to get away. The thought of being in an auction like that was exciting but I'd promised to keep myself this side of the bar, not to give in to the intoxicating temptations out on the floor.

  Don't get me wrong, I did sometimes picture myself out there, on the leash of my dream guy, him telling me I had to submit, that I had no choice but to obey. Or in one of the side rooms, spanked until my ass was red and he couldn't resist doing much more than just disciplining me.