A Little Harmless Scandal

by Melissa Schroeder

  She thought back to the summer before she turned seventeen. She knew the show wasn't doing well, worse, she knew she was part of the reason.

  “I was sixteen going on thirty.” She glanced around and found that no one was paying attention so she continued. “I had to take uppers to just get out of bed. I was exhausted all the time. Partying all night and then working all day is never fun, even when you are teenaged.”

  “Easier than when you are thirty.”

  She chuckled. “True, but it was not a path to happiness. Uppers in the morning, coffee throughout the day, and alcohol at night.”

  “You were sixteen,” Mick said.

  “Yeah, well, I started drinking when I was thirteen or fourteen, so it was no big deal.”

  He made a sound of disgust and Adam laughed. “Forgive Mick. As wild as he can be, he grew up with a very strict father and a doting mother. He had nothing to escape.”

  “Don't get me wrong. I wasn't this poor abused child. Part of it was my fault. I knew just how to act out to get attention in the rags. So, there I was, acting on a show I hated, dealing with the life of a teenage actress who doesn't even want to get out of bed, and I snapped. I couldn't do it anymore. Worse, I knew I didn't want to act.”

  “So, you didn't want to act. What's wrong with that?”

  “I had been brought up in front of the camera. I knew that I had nothing else to offer anyone, and worse, my mother had expectations. I'd been supporting my family since I was five years old.”

  “And I take it your mother wanted you to continue on?” Mick asked.

  She nodded.

  “She was working out deals for all these horrible movies. I started to see my future as a washed-up teen star, who was never that good at acting, being stuck working on movies that were embarrassing. Skin teen flicks. At one time, I had thought I wanted to be a serious actress. As I said, I hated acting by the time I left it.”

  “But you had liked it at one time?”

  “Yeah. But, then, when you’re five years old, and you have an entire crew to do your hair and dress you up, it’s like play, you know. Especially if you were a girly girl.”

  “And I take it you were.”

  She smiled. “Yep. Even before my first commercial, I would happily sit for hours at a time to have my hair and nails done. As with everything else, though, it got to be a chore. It was no longer fun for me to go out. I couldn’t just throw on anything and go to the store. There was always someone with a camera everywhere I went.”

  They were both looking at her as if she had grown another head. So, she decided to change the subject.

  “So, Adam was telling me about this club you two go to.”

  Mick glanced between them, then settled his gaze on hers. “You want to go to Rough ‘n Ready?”

  She nodded. “I...well. I’ve read BDSM books, mainly romances. But, I’m a girl who has to see things and Adam offered a trip.”

  Mick looked between the two of them, then he smiled. “I’ve already talked to Ross and got a pass for you. How about tonight?”

  “Sounds like a fantastic plan,” she said.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  They stepped through the door at Rough ‘n Ready and Serenity blinked. It was such a contrast to Hawaii. A low thrum of music filled the room. In here, the lights were dim, but there was enough light to look around. There was a dance floor, which she hadn't expected to see, and seating. Booths lined the area by the bar. It was packed, even for a Sunday night.

  She tapped Mick's arm and then motioned him to lean down. “Is it always this busy?”

  “No. Sometimes it’s even busier. They have the only BDSM club in the islands.”

  “Since we aren't playing, why don't we get a drink?” Adam said.

  They led her to the bar with a petite brunet serving drinks. She glanced at their wrists.

  “Not playing tonight, boys?”

  “No,” Mick said.

  “Dee, this is our friend Serenity. Serenity, this is Dee.”

  The woman smiled. “Hey. Nice to meet you. So, you're the one who got the free pass.”

  “Uh, I guess so. Am I?”

  Adam chuckled. “Don't worry. Micah owes us a few favors.”

  “Who is Micah?”

  “My ears were hot and I was wondering why,” a Southern accent came from behind her.

  She turned and found a large Native American man wearing a pair of black jeans and a dress shirt. A long waterfall of black silky hair trailed down his back. And he was smiling at her. He had a pretty smile.

  “Micah, this is Serenity,” Mick said,

  He took her hand and kissed the top of it.

  “So, nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too. Thank you for the pass.”

  “As Adam said, I do owe them a few favors, and lord knows how many members they've helped add to my club.”

  He glanced over her shoulder toward the bar. “You look tired.”

  “I am not tired,” Dee said.

  “You should take a break.”

  “You should get bent.”

  He only smiled.

  “My staff doesn't respect me. I thought maybe you would like the manager's table for tonight.”

  “Oh, I don't want to put you out.”

  “You’re not putting me out.” Then, he stepped toward the bar and leaned over it. He pulled Dee forward and kissed her.

  “Take a break.”

  She shook her head, but Serenity did not miss her smile. Micah held out his arm and waited until she took it.

  “I think you should make sure to watch St. John tonight. He and his wife are over from Hawai'i doing a demonstration on spanking. Adam told me you are a novice?”

  She nodded.

  “If you decide to join as a member, we have a lot of classes. They take place in the club, but they aren't out in the open like this.”

  “Thank you.”

  They arrived at a u-shaped booth and he handed her up. “Enjoy yourself tonight, and like I said, make sure you watch Eli and his wife. They are very good at this.”

  The guys joined her.

  “I take it he's involved with the bartender?” she asked.

  Adam nodded. “Married. And from the way he's acting, they are going to have baby number three later this year.”

  “This St. John and his wife...when Micah says they are going to do a demonstration, he means naked?”

  Mick chuckled. “Kind of hard to watch a spanking demonstration if she's wearing clothes.”

  She was both embarrassed and horribly intrigued by the notion.

  “What?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “I don't think I would ever do that. Not in public I mean.”

  “Not everyone has to, and not everyone wants to,” Adam explained. “Some people it helps in their enjoyment of the scene they are performing. Others prefer to keep things private.”

  “And what would you two be?”

  “Private,” they both answered at the same time, which made her laugh. Just then a waitress stopped at the table and gave them their drinks.

  As she sipped on her mai tai, she watched the crowd, she found herself intrigued. The crowd had lots of beautiful people, but also very ordinary folks.

  “What are you thinking?” Mick said, his breath feathering over her ear.

  “I'm thinking that these people are all normal.”

  “What did you expect?'

  “I'm not sure. I partied a lot, but I was never adventurous in the bedroom.”

  “Ah. I will admit, there is always a strange one in every crowd, but you are right.”

  “Come here,” Adam said as he urged her to set down her drink and slip closer to him.

  And without any indication of what he had planned, he bent his head and kissed her. And not just a little peck on the cheek or brush of her lips. He slid his tongue over the seam of her lips. At the same moment, she felt Mick's mouth over her neck. She moaned and opened her mouth to Adam. And just li
ke before, she was lost again. Every time they touched her, they were all that mattered. She could think of nothing else, not who might be watching, or that people might judge them for their relationship. She just wanted to feel.

  Mick crowded in behind her as Adam cupped her face, deepening the kiss. She gasped in the next instant because she felt Mick's hands sliding over her hip, then to her breasts. Shifting in the seat, she aggravated her arousal even more. She'd almost gone without panties, but even so, she was damned sure her legs were probably dripping.

  Apparently, Adam read her thoughts. He slipped his hand down her torso and eased her skirt up.

  Oh, God.

  He eased her legs apart with his hand and she was helpless to stop him. Why would any sane woman want to? Each time he brushed against her flesh, she had to fight back a moan. He wasn’t aggressive. Every touch seemed to be measured. He eased her panties aside. The moment his finger slid against her slit, she almost came. She wanted to so badly, to just let loose and lose control. But Adam had other plans. He slipped his hand from between her legs and pulled away.

  “What?”

  “Not here. We said we don’t like to play in public.”

  She frowned at him and looked over her shoulder at Mick. “So, this was just about teasing?”

  “No,” Adam said, drawing her attention to him again. He waited to continue until she looked at him. “This is about control. You want to play, you need to learn the rules.”

  She opened her mouth to complain, but he stopped her.

  “No. Final word. Besides, the demonstration is about to start and it’s something you should watch. If you decide to grant us this honor, then we need to know everything you desire, because it will be our job to give it to you.”

  She wanted to ask more, but she did as he asked. And maybe, she wouldn’t go crazy waiting.

  * * *

  Adam was trying to control his needs as they found a place close to the viewing area. There were private rooms below, and then there were two or three that were used for demonstrations. They were situated on what was really the first level of the club. They were on the second level, which always felt like it was the first. Micah and his partner Ethan had designed it to give it that feel.

  They had found a place close to the front of the crowd and like Micah had said, there were a lot of people interested. St. John was a big attraction, but now that he was married, Adam knew the two of them would whip the onlookers into a frenzy. The couple were so in tune with each other that it was mesmerizing.

  It was going to be interesting to see Serenity’s reaction to it. He had been happy when Mick said he could take the lead. They traded off, and sometimes, he was okay with Mick playing the Dom. Tonight though, he wanted to be the one. He knew they wouldn’t go into a full-fledged submission.

  None of them were ready for that.

  He leaned forward so that his mouth was close to her ear. Drawing in a deep breath, he reminded himself to stay in control. It wasn't usually a problem for him. In fact, he was sometimes too controlled, or so Mick claimed. But with Serenity, it was different. As both he and Mick had acknowledged, this relationship wasn't the same as their previous threesomes.

  He glanced over at his partner, who was watching the room below. As if sensing his study, Mick turned toward him. Each of them was wound tight. Adam leaned over and brushed his mouth over Mick's without either of them closing their eyes. They didn't know exactly what they had been looking for, but if this worked out with Serenity, they might have found a woman for the two of them.

  There was a murmur that moved through the crowd, and he realized that the St. John's had entered the room. Eli was a big guy, no shirt, and damned leather pants that molded perfectly to his ass. But tonight, the woman drew his attention.

  He'd met Crysta a time or two. She was tall, part African-American, part Hawaiian. She was already naked when they walked into the room. He turned back to Serenity and drew in another long breath. Sweet rose filled his senses. These days, that always aroused him. It was her, that flower scent mixed in with her own essence that could draw him in every time. He would immediately become aroused in the way he would when he detected sandalwood--Mick's favorite cologne.

  Her gaze was fixed on the scene below, and while they didn't play in public, there was no reason that they couldn't start a little play in the club.

  “Put your hands on the railing,” he whispered in her ear.

  She didn't even hesitate. She did as he ordered, her attention still on the couple below. St. John strapped his wife down then walked over to pick out his toy of choice.

  “Hmm, which one do you like?”

  “What?” Her voice shook when she asked the question.

  “How would you like to be spanked? Just a bare hand? Or maybe a nice little flogger?”

  “I haven't given it much thought.”

  “Liar. I know you have.” That he didn't know, but he had an idea after the demonstration, she would be very interested in it.

  “I think I would like the paddle.”

  “Hmm,” was all he said as he lowered his head so he could taste her flesh. He pressed his mouth against the sensitive flesh just behind her ear, then he pulled her earlobe into his mouth. She shuddered and turned her head.

  “Eyes forward, Serenity.”

  Again, like a good little sub, she did as he told her. How had this woman never taken the chance to learn about the lifestyle? She seemed perfectly suited for it.

  He watched her watch the spanking. St. John had picked a paddle, Serenity's choice. The day before, another box of toys had arrived at the house, and he had cursed Mick for buying it. Now, though, the paddle, flogger, and crop seemed like perfect timing.

  The first hit of the paddle against Crysta's ass sounded through the club. For the demonstration, the St. John's had requested no music. Serenity’s breath caught. If he hadn't been paying so much attention to her, he would have missed it. Each whack of the paddle heightened her arousal. It was easy to see. Her breathing increased and he watched her pulse beat harder in her neck. She licked her lips and transferred her weight back and forth between her feet.

  “Stop moving.”

  She made an irritated sound, but she did as he asked.

  Now it was time to turn up the heat. She needed to understand just what she would gain from submitting to them.

  “No moving, unless I tell you. Nod if you understand?”

  She nodded.

  “Keep your eyes on them. You like that. I can tell. I want to paint a picture of what we can offer. What I think you need.”

  She drew in a deep breath.

  “We both like to spank. A woman who likes to be spanked gets so fucking wet. Just watching it has you dripping, doesn't it?”

  She nodded.

  “Your nipples get tight, your pussy drips and you are going to want to come, but see, we control that too. We give you permission, and we don't like to do anything quickly, but you already know that, don't you?”

  He slipped his hand over her hip, allowing his fingers to linger over her. He knew talking to her like this was turning her on, but he had trapped himself. With each sentence, he saw her reaction, felt it in his core. That only spurred his own arousal. Mick was going to have to drive home.

  “Would you like to try that, Serenity? Would you like us to spank you?”

  She nodded.

  “Would you like to go now?”

  She nodded again.

  “Well, not just yet. Look, St. John is getting the flogger.”

  St. John started using it. With each smack against her ass, Crysta moaned.

  “Oh, yeah, she likes that. Just like you will.”

  She said nothing, but she shuddered again. The motion had her ass pressing against his cock.

  Fuck.

  Adam looked over at Mick and found him watching them. He saw the intensity in Mick's eyes and decided it had been long enough.

  “Want to go, pet?”

  She nodde
d.

  “What will you give me?”

  “What?”

  “You want to leave, you need to offer me something. How about you suck my cock with that perfect little mouth of yours?”

  “Now? Here?”

  Damn, she sounded like she wanted to do that, but he had been honest before. They liked their privacy.

  “No, but I think we need to go.”

  It wasn’t too hard to get out of the club. Everyone’s attention was on the demonstration. They worked their way through the crowd, then out into the sultry night air. After crossing the street, they found the SUV. Mick climbed into the driver’s seat and Serenity moved to step in. Adam stopped her. He slipped his finger beneath her chin and urged her to look at him. Her eyes were hazy with arousal.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? You can say no right now, and there will be no hard feelings.”

  “Yes.”

  “I need a safe word. We aren’t going to do anything radical tonight, but just in case you are overwhelmed, I want you to have a way out.”

  “Blue.”

  He nodded. “Take off your panties.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Take them off,” he said, this time a little more forcefully.

  She looked around, but then complied with his orders.

  “Put them in the front seat. That way Mick can see them.”

  She placed them on the front seat, then closed the door.

  “Now, in you go, all the way to the back.”

  He followed her into the vehicle and they were soon on their way.

  “Push your skirt up to your hips and spread your legs.”

  After she did, he reached over and pressed his hand against her pussy and groaned.

  “Wet?” Mick asked from up front.

  “Fucking dripping.”

  He caressed her, teasing her clit and dragging his index finger against her slit. Her breathing increased, and he could tell she was already close to losing her control. He stopped moving.

  “Rules for right now. You may not come.” Her gaze locked on his. “I mean it, Serenity, no coming.”

  She nodded.

  Once he had her agreement, he started to move his hand again. Over and over, he pushed her to the edge, only to pull away when she almost came.