“Yes, Sir.”
“Good girl,” he crooned. “Sam, how would you like to lick that pretty pussy of ours?”
Sam’s eyes lit up. “Yes, Sir.”
Roarke gestured him over. Then he picked up a riding crop she hadn’t noticed sitting on the coffee table and walked towards to her.
As Sam sucked on her clit, Roarke ran the end of the crop over her body, building her anticipation. Roarke flicked the crop on her nipple, making her cry out. He did the same to the other, tapping them lightly, watching her intently.
“Ohh.” Ava felt her orgasm rise.
“No coming without permission,” Roarke ordered before leaning down to suck one nipple into his mouth.
Oh God. Oh God. She couldn’t handle this.
“Please, Sir,” she cried out as Sam pushed two fingers deep inside her pussy.
“No, and you are not allowed to speak. Stop, Sam.”
Sam pulled back, making her cry out as Roarke smacked her with the crop. Her buttocks heated as her pussy throbbed.
“Return, Sam. No more talking, little one.”
The torture started again, Sam at her pussy, Roarke moving over the rest of her body. Then Roarke knelt behind her, parting her butt cheeks. She cried out as his tongue probed at her asshole before sinking deep.
She trembled, straining to hold herself back from coming.
Roarke pulled back. “Come, baby.”
She didn’t need to be told twice.
Chapter Ten
Ava rested her head on Roarke’s chest as they lay in bed. “Tell me about your family.”
He played his fingers through her hair. She’d had an emotional day and all she wanted was to snuggle between the two of them. Sam spooned her from behind, surrounding her, making her feel captured. Safe.
”I had three brothers, all younger. There was me, then Garth, Rhys and lastly Austin. He was the baby. Smart, funny. He was the only one of us to go to College. Garth went into the marines and Rhys is a mechanic back home. Austin had it all.”
The neutrality in his voice masked the pain tensing his body. She clasped his hand, holding on tight. “You don't have to tell me,” she told him, aching for him.
Roarke grinned. “Yes, I do. We're a family, you, Sam and I. Families share things. I never thought I could let anyone close again after Austin died. He was hit by a drunk driver after I'd had an argument with him. Over a girl. A sub in one of my clubs. Austin fell hard for her, but I, in my great wisdom, thought she was using him to get to me. We argued and he raced out of the apartment and jumped in his car. A drunk driver ran a stop sign and hit him.”
“Oh God, that's terrible.” How awful that their last conversation was an argument. No wonder he’d tried to bottle up his feelings.
He nodded. “They kept Austin on life-support for a few days until, in the end, I had to make the decision to let him go.”
“You did?” she asked, aghast. Where had the rest of his family been?
Roarke squeezed her tight. “My mother wanted to keep him alive. My father was so busy trying to keep her together that he left it to me. I don't know that my mother will ever forgive me for that.”
She kneeled so she could look him full on in the face. “They blame you?”
“He blames himself,” Sam said.
“My mother told me to get out, to leave,” Roarke said, loathing in his voice.
“She was grieving,” Sam argued. “She didn't mean it. The only one who blames you is you, Roarke. You have to let this go. You have to forgive yourself.”
“Tom blamed me for a long time.”
“He never really meant it,” Sam said.
“Enough,” Roarke said in a harsher voice than she'd ever heard him use. Sam turned away, but she saw the hurt in his eyes.
“I'm sorry I made you bring this all up,” she said, feeling ill from their pain. She placed a soothing hand on Roarke’s chest before reaching over and squeezing Sam’s shoulder in support. “But Sam's right. It's not your fault. It was that driver's fault.”
“Austin wouldn't have been out there if I hadn't argued with him.”
“You were trying to help him,” she insisted. “Maybe he knew there was truth to what you said and that's why he reacted the way he did. But Roarke, you're not responsible for Austin running off, or for some asshole driving home drunk or for your mother's reaction.”
Roarke sighed. “Well, now you know my secret.”
And now she understood why he was so protective of her and Sam. He was terrified of losing them, the way he'd lost everyone else in his life.
Well, he’d never lose them. Ever.
She slipped back between them and clasped her arm around him, holding him tight.
“I’m here, baby. I’m here,” she murmured. “And neither Sam nor I are going anywhere.”
He squeezed her before rolling on his side and reaching an arm over to Sam. The other man stiffened and she held her breath until eventually he rolled back other. With Roarke’s arm over them both, sheltering them, they all fell asleep.
*****
“Oh, Ava. Have you seen Sam?”
Ava looked up in surprise as Rory walked into the kitchen. Her gaze narrowed as she watched the perfectly poised woman saunter across the room. Each movement was sleek, elegant. Her dark hair flowed down her back, not a single strand daring to move out of place as she watched Ava through ice-cold green eyes.
“He had to go out,” Ava replied. She wished she hadn’t changed into her sweatpants and an old t-shirt, but then she hadn’t expected to see anyone as she fixed a quick dinner. “Can I help?”
Rory frowned slightly, a hint of worry creeping into her gaze. “Well, it’s just that Tilly called in sick and we're already short because Tara is away. That only leaves me, with James behind the bar.”
Ava wondered why she was coming to Sam with this when Dylan was supposed to be the manager and Alex was in charge of the trainee subs.
Roarke was currently in Phoenix dealing with some problems in one of his clubs and ten minutes ago, Sam had rushed out the door, telling her he'd forgotten that he was supposed to be meeting a few friends for a drink. She'd been a bit hurt that she wasn't included, but hadn't argued. Although she really wished he was here now, dealing with Rory. She glanced over at the clock; the club was due to open in thirty minutes. Normally all the trainee subs arrived an hour before opening to get ready. Why was she just coming to someone now with this?
“Have you told Dylan? What about Alex? Why doesn't he call in the other subs?”
Rory bit on her lower lip. “Dylan told me to deal with it. Alex just called in, there's a problem with his car. I was hoping to get Sam to cover so I didn't have to bother Alex. He's not very happy with me.”
So Alex did have a word with her about Tilly, Ava had been starting to wonder.
“Well? Have you called the other subs?”
“None of them can come in. Do you know when Sam will be home? We're going to be run off our feet.”
Ava chewed her lip, wondering whether to believe the other woman or not. But then why would she lie about this?
“I'll help.”
Rory smiled. “You will? That's so great. Of course, you'll need to change.”
Ava looked down at her sweatpants and t-shirt. “Oh, I think I have something.” Sam adored being her all sorts of lingerie. She stood and raced up to her bedroom, her guts churning, telling her what a stupid idea this was.
*****
What had she been thinking? She’d been curious, that’s what. There was no denying it.
And that curiosity was going to land her in a whole lot of trouble. She really wished now that she’d told Rory where to stick her problem.
Her first clue that something was wrong was the horrified look James gave her. But Rory had quickly whisked her off, giving her a quick tour of the place before handing her a collar to wear. Ava hadn’t wanted to wear it, but Rory insisted that all trainee subs wore identical collars. Ava had been
When Ava had queried why she had to wear Missy’s collar, Rory had told her they didn’t have spares and everyone took theirs home. Because Missy hadn’t arrived yet, hers was waiting for her to collect.
Ava felt uncomfortable, but knew the collar would tell all the Dom’s that she was in training. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder at the gleam of enjoyment in Rory’s eyes.
Where the hell was Alex? He should have been here by now. And she’d been here forty minutes and still hadn’t seen Dylan, the club manager. Why wasn’t he here helping out?
She tugged at bright red corset she wore, wishing she’d put more clothes on. The tight, shiny black tights she wore didn’t exactly hide much, either. She’d come a long way in accepting her body, in seeing herself as beautiful, but she hadn’t quite been prepared for the level of exposure she’d feel.
“Ahh, you must be the new sub, Missy,” a deep voice came from behind her. She turned around and looked up.
Way up.
Jesus the man had to be well over six foot and he sure wasn’t scrawny with it.
“No, Sir. I’m not,” she said quietly and turned to keep moving towards the bar.
“Stop, sub,” he said in a deep voice. She immediately stilled at the firm command.
Oh bubbles.
“Turn,” he ordered.
She faced him. What was the worst that could happen?
“Eyes down,” he barked.
Immediately, she lowered them. For God’s sake, she really didn’t have time for this. Another Dom had ordered a beer for himself and soda water for his sub, and he didn’t seem the type to wait around patiently.
“Turn right around.”
“Sir, I really don’t have time. I have to get…”
“Right now, you have to do what I tell you. Unless you want to end up over my lap.”
She took a step back with a shudder of horror. Glancing around, she frantically searched for help. The place wasn’t busy, it was early evening, but everyone was engrossed in each other. Where the hell was the dungeon monitor? She spied him by the spanking bench where a Domme was paddling her sub. If she screamed out red, the club’s safe word, then he’d come running, but she’d also be horribly embarrassed. It wasn’t as if this guy was touching her after all.
“Stay still. You have more training that this, sub. Unless you lied on your questionnaire?”
What the hell was he talking about?
“Well, is the information you gave wrong, sub? Because according to the noticeboard you have enough experience to know that a Dom expects obedience, he expects your eyes to remain lowered, you tone to be respectful.”
“Well, I guess I’m just not a good sub,” she said flippantly. “Excuse me.”
“Not excused,” he growled. “Missy—”
“I told you, I’m not Missy,” she said with exasperation. “Now, leave me alone.”
She cringed back as he reached out, stumbling back and falling on her butt.
The big Dom looked on in horror. He reached out again and she scrambled back.
“Don’t touch me!” she yelled. “Red!”
“Touch her and I’ll kill you.”
At the sound of that voice, every cell in her body relaxed in relief. Turning, she spied Sam and Roarke. Sam was staring down at her, concern on his face.
But Roarke, his face was filled with fury.
And all of it aimed at the man behind her.
“Would you like to explain why you are terrifying my sub, Sloan?”
Chapter Eleven
Sam cuddled her close, running his hand up and down her back as they sat in the sofa in Roarke’s office.
A furious Roarke glared at Sloan, Alex and Dylan. Alex had turned up soon after Roarke had pulled Ava up. She now felt a bit sorry for the large Dom. He’d thought she was playing a role, that she was really Missy, but was acting the brat.
She briefly wondered who was running the club, then decided she didn’t care.
“So does someone want to explain why my sub was in the club without me, being terrified by another Dom,” he ordered.
The room was so thick with tension it was hard to breathe. God, she’d never seen Roarke so furious.
“Ava?” he questioned, his voice gentling as he stared over at her. “What were you doing down there when I expressly forbid it?”
Damn. It sounded really bad when he put it like that. She cleared her throat. “Rory came up to the kitchen, looking for Sam. She said they were desperate for help because Tilly called in sick and Tara was away. Sam had already disappeared, to pick up you, I guess. You’re home early.”
“It was supposed to be a surprise, sweet,” Sam explained.
And she’d ruined it.
Roarke scowled, turning to Dylan. “And where were you?”
Dylan sighed. “I knew nothing about this. I was dealing with Tamara, she said she was feeling ill.”
“Rory said you sent her to get Sam, though,” Ava said, puzzled.
Dylan frowned. “I told Rory that she and James could handle things and that I would be out shortly. The club doesn’t get busy until after ten. I never sent her up for Sam.”
“Alex? Where were you?” Roarke questioned.
“I was late because my car tires had been slashed. I decided to get a taxi in the end, but I called through and spoke to Rory. Told her I’d be there as soon as I could. She said everything was under control.” He turned to Dylan. “You know that she and Tamara are good friends, right? There seems to be a common theme to this. It seems my talk to Rory earlier about behaving herself may have fallen on deaf ears.”
“You need to speak to Tamara and Rory,” Roarke ordered. Alex nodded. “If she did all this I want her gone.”
“She will be,” Alex said grimly. Dylan nodded in agreement.
Roarke looked over at Ava. “So what made you decide to go into the club when you knew very well you weren’t allowed to?”
She swallowed her protest of that ‘allowed to’, and strove for a calm voice, hoping that would help chill his temper.
“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have volunteered. She just sounded so desperate, and well, I was curious. I knew it was a bad idea when I got there, and I was planning on getting out of there when, umm, Master Sloan grabbed me.”
Sloan looked at her apologetically before staring up at Roarke. “I’m really sorry, Roarke. I saw the notice about Missy and thought she had to be the new sub. I even double-checked her collar when she had her back to me. It had Missy’s name on it. She didn’t say her safe word, well, Missy’s safe word, so I figured she was just playing the brat. I understand if you want me gone. For me to terrify a sub like that is so wrong.”
“You stopped when you noticed her terror,” Roarke stated.
“Of course. But not soon enough.” He looked at Ava. “I am so sorry.”
Ava stared at him, saw the very real apology in his face. She nodded. “Apology accepted. I don’t understand this noticeboard thing, though.”
“With any new subs, their details, including their safe word, are put up on the noticeboard for everyone to read,” Sam explained. “There aren’t many trainee subs, so any new one’s are noticed and tested.”
“I should have figured out something was going on when Rory pointed you out to me and told me you were eager to interact with a few different Doms,” Sloan continued. “I questioned why Alex wasn’t there, but she explained he was on his way.”
“Rory again,” Roarke said darkly.
“But why?” Ava questioned. “I’ve hardly had anything to do with her.”
“I don’t know,” Alex said. “But I’ll find out, I promise you.”
“Good. I expect results. Soon,” Roarke told him. Alex nodded and left, Dylan following him close behind.
Sloan rose. “Again, I’m sorry.”
Roarke nodded and shook his hand. Then Sloan surprised her by coming and kneeling at her side. She flinched away slightly and his eyes filled with regret. “I’m sorry for my treatment of you, sweetheart. If there is ever anything I can do to make it up to you please let me know.”
Ava took a deep breath and gave him a tremulous smile. “It’s not your fault,” she told him. “You didn’t know and I should never have been down there.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” Roarke agreed ominously.
Sloan squeezed her hand and rose with a small smile, leaving quickly. Roarke started to pace. She’d never seen him like this, restless, on edge.
“Sam, please take Ava upstairs and help settle her.”
She stiffened. “Aren’t we going to talk about this?”
He shook his head, not looking at her. “I’m too mad to talk to you right now. Sam.”
Sam rose, easily lifting her up into his arms, holding her close to his chest as he moved out of the study. They were halfway up the stairs when she got over her shock and hurt and started to grow angry.
“Sam. Stop. Put me down.”
Sam stilled, but didn’t set her down. “Honey, you’ve had a shock, just let me carry you up and settle you into bed.”
“No.”
“No?” he questioned, clearly surprised.
“No. I am not some fragile little flower that needs to be tucked into bed to protect her from the big bad wolf’s temper. If he wants to yell at me, then let him yell, if he wants to spank me then I wish he would do it. But I am sick of hiding.”
Sam’s gaze softened. “You sure? He can be pretty scary when he’s this mad. Your butt could well pay the price.”
“I know. And I deserve it. I understand now why he didn’t want me down there, he wanted to protect me.”
“And to prepare you,” Sam added.
“But he could have told me why.”
Sam snorted and let her down, holding her hand as they walked down the stairs. “Doms aren’t always big on explaining why. They just like obedience.”
“Yeah, I’m getting that now.” Gathering up her courage, she stepped into Roarke’s study to find him sitting by the fireplace a glass of whiskey in his hands.
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