by Sykes, Julia
Lucas paused, stopping her short at the entranceway. He gave her a sardonic smile. “May I take your coat, sub?”
Shay’s jaw dropped. No. No way. She clutched at the lapels, pulling them close together as she shook her head vigorously.
Lucas grasped her wrists roughly, applying pressure until her fingers were forced to unfurl, her grip on the fabric loosening. He pulled her arms down to her sides, not releasing her wrists.
“Please, Sir,” she whispered. “No.”
His gaze was pitiless, unrelenting. “‘Please’ and ‘no’ are not safe words, sub,” he reminded her. “Do you want to use one now?”
He was giving her the choice; she didn’t have to do this. A part of her, a large part, was fearful, worried about people seeing her naked body. Lucas seemed to like her curves, but what if others didn’t? What if they were disgusted by her? She felt as though every tiny white stretch mark on her thighs would be visible to everyone. But Lucas wanted this, wanted people to see her with him. Was he… proud to be seen with her? Surely he would not have forced her to dress like this otherwise.
Her desire to please him overrode her fear. “No, Sir,” she said finally. “I don’t want to use my safe word.”
He smiled down at her, looking genuinely pleased. And a bit… proud? “Brave little sub. I knew you could do this.”
At his praise, she relaxed. When he felt her resistance leave her, Lucas released her wrists. She held them resolutely at her sides as he began to slowly un-do her buttons. The coat fell open, and he pushed it off her shoulders, roughly jerking it over her arms until she was completely bare before him. The sudden coolness of the air on her skin made her nipples pebble to hard peaks. Or was that a result of her sudden arousal?
Lucas traced his fingers under one breast, then the other, sending tingles across her body from her chest to her pussy.
“Lovely,” he murmured. His obvious appreciation for her figure gave Shay the courage she needed to walk into the lion’s den. But Lucas wasn’t going to give her the option of proudly striding in. Instead, his hand fisted in her hair at the back of her head, and he pulled her forward sharply as he walked through the entranceway.
She tottered along beside him, struggling to maintain his pace and balance on her ultra-high heels. Although most of her concentration was focused on keeping herself upright, she was vaguely aware of the fact that people were calling out greetings to Lucas. He nodded politely, acknowledging them, but he continued to steer Shay purposefully to some unknown location. They crossed through a sitting area, bypassing the bar and a dance floor as they headed for a doorway that led into a separate room. In a way, Shay was almost grateful for the distraction of concentrating on keeping her footing; otherwise, she would have been freaking out at the number of people who were staring at her naked body.
But that distraction was not enough to keep her eyes from widening when they entered what had to be the club’s dungeon. There were some easily recognizable pieces of furniture – a spanking bench, a large cage – but many that were completely unfamiliar to her. And all around her: moans of pleasure and pain as submissives enjoyed the sweet torment of their Doms (or Dommes, for that matter).
Then her eyes zeroed in on the apparatus that they were heading for: a St. Andrew’s Cross. The large black X with restraints for wrists and ankles at each corner seemed to grow as she approached it, filling her vision. It seemed to take an eternity for them to reach it, but when they did, everything sped up to double-time.
Lucas spun her around and pressed her back against the cool metal, making her shiver, partly from the cold, and partly from fear. Tight cuffs soon encircled her wrists and ankles, holding her in place.
There was only one thought on her mind: Oh, god, what is he going to do to me?
Lucas was holding something in his hand, a small, red rubber ball with a strip of black leather attached to either side. Shay had never seen one in person before, but she knew what it was: a ball-gag. She swallowed nervously. How could she use her safe words if she couldn’t talk? But she didn’t dare ask, remembering that she didn’t have permission to speak.
Thankfully, Lucas seemed to sense her fear. Moving in on her until his body was only inches from hers, he cupped her face lightly. “Don’t be afraid, sub. No one is going to hurt you,” he said gently. “If you need this to stop, I want you to snap your fingers. Can you do that for me now?”
Shay’s fingers were trembling, but somehow she managed to snap for him, showing him that she understood.
“Good girl. Now open for me.” His tone was commanding, all hints of gentleness gone.
She immediately complied, parting her lips into an O shape. He slid the gag between her teeth, and her mouth closed around it. It pressed further into her when Lucas fastened it, buckling it behind her head. She pressed her tongue against it experimentally to see if she could dislodge it. But she was rewarded only by a slightly rubbery taste on her tongue; she couldn’t budge it.
Then Lucas was holding something else out to her, something small and black. She realized what it was as he slipped the cloth over her eyes. The world around her suddenly winked out. Only, it wasn’t gone. After a moment of panic at her blindness, Shay found that her other senses were going into overdrive. The lustful moans around her were magnified, and she could hear Lucas’ even breaths beside her, reassuring her that she was not alone. And she could smell sex, arousal. It pervaded her nostrils in a heady perfume that made her own pussy begin to grow wet with need.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when Lucas first touched her, raising goose-bumps all over her flesh as the gentle contact brought out a visceral reaction in her. His long nails traced circles around her breasts, gently teasing her. But no, that wasn’t right. Those weren’t Lucas’ hands. She realized with sudden, shocking clarity that a woman was touching her. She jerked in surprise, unsure how she felt about what was happening to her. Had Lucas left her? If he hadn’t, why was he allowing strangers to touch her? She tensed, trying to ignore the tightening of her nipples as the nails raked across her skin, increasing their pressure as they spiraled toward her tight peaks.
“Where did you find this one?” A throaty, accented feminine voice asked. “I’ve never seen her before.”
Then Lucas’ voice was there, and Shay nearly sagged in relief as she realized that he hadn’t abandoned her. “An American import,” he answered.
“Oooh, I do love American accents. Pity she can’t speak.” The woman laughed, and instead of feeling resentful, Shay felt an intoxicating rush of excitement at her predicament, her utter vulnerability. “I bet I can get her to make some pretty noises, though.”
Shay shuddered as the woman’s long nails dug into the sensitive flesh just around her nipples. The increased pressure made her moan into the gag as the sharp pain made her clit throb in need.
“Easy there, Katarina,” came Lucas’ deep voice. “Don’t be too hard on her now.”
“You ruin all my fun,” the woman said huffily, but her long nails moved from Shay’s vulnerable breasts to trace lightly down her sternum. Shay had never been touched by another woman before, but she concluded that it was decidedly erotic. And the idea of Lucas watching made her grow even wetter.
Then another pair of hands were touching her, masculine, calloused fingertips running up and down her thighs. But Lucas didn’t have callouses.
“Lovely,” a man’s voice said.
Shay’s chest filled with warmth at the word, realizing what an incredible gift Lucas was giving her. Not only were the sensations of being touched intensely erotic, but the appreciation that her admirers were showing for her body made her elated. She had never felt more desirable in her entire life, and she was intoxicated by it, riding a high of physical and emotional pleasure.
More people, she didn’t know how many, came and went, each of them stroking her, teasing her. She didn’t know how long it lasted, but soon, what had been sweet pleasure turned to torment. Everyone was careful to avoid he
r nipples and her pussy, toying with her, stroking her body to a frenzy, but never allowing her any release.
She was dimly aware of a whining noise, but now even her sense of hearing had faded away along with her sight as she honed in only on the feelings of strangers touching her skin.
Then there was only one pair of hands on her: large, familiar hands. Lucas.
His fingers swirled in the wetness between her thighs, and he chuckled triumphantly. “In need, are we?” He asked in amusement.
But Shay couldn’t answer aloud other than to moan into the gag, so she nodded her head vigorously, desperate.
“Then you have my permission to come.” As he spoke, he pressed his thumb against her hard clit, moving it in a circular motion.
Shay came almost immediately. It felt as though her entire world were centered on his touch, on that one tiny area of her body. Her muscles trembled as her orgasm shook her, pleasure bursting outward from her clit in strong waves. She felt light-headed as the endorphins rushed through her body. Her legs sagged out from under her as the final tremors ran through her, all of her senses overwhelmed.
Part of her was aware that the cuffs were biting into her wrists as they supported her weight, but she was too high to care about the pain. But someone unbuckled her restraints, and strong arms were lifting her up, keeping her from falling to her knees.
When her sight was finally returned to her, even the dim red lighting of the room was painfully bright. Shay blinked rapidly, waiting for her eyes to adjust. When they did, she found herself looking up into a pair of startlingly green eyes. Lucas was holding her in his lap, stroking a hand up and down her back, much as he had done on the first night that he had met her.
“Thank you, Sir,” she said automatically when she realized that her gag had been removed. She truly was grateful for what he had done for her. In a short span of time, he had helped rid her of years of insecurities. And given her one of the most incredible orgasms she had ever experienced with no more than a brush of his thumb.
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled down at her. “You are more than welcome, little sub.”
“Lucas.” A deep voice came down from above them, cutting through their intimate moment. “I wasn’t sure I would see you here.”
Shay glanced in the direction of the voice, and was momentarily knocked breathless when she saw who had spoken. The man could give Lucas a run for his money on the hotness scale, only where he was dark and serious, this stranger was golden blond with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Lucas introduced him, a strange edge to his voice. “Shay, this is my business partner, Jonathan.”
Chapter 7
Shay realized that her mouth was hanging open slightly as she stared at Jonathan. She snapped it closed quickly as Lucas said her name, calling her back to reality.
“Jonathan, this is Shay.”
Jonathan’s light blue eyes roved over her body and she blushed, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that she was still naked.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Shay,” he said, taking her hand in his. He bent forward slightly and raised it to his lips, staring into her eyes as he kissed it gently.
She felt Lucas’ arms tighten around her, and her attention jerked back to him. To most people his expression would have seemed completely at ease, but Shay had spent enough time with him now to recognize some underlying emotion there. Was that… jealousy that she saw in the taut lines around his eyes and mouth?
Guilt flooded her instantly as she realized that her appreciative reaction to Jonathan must have been obvious. And Lucas clearly didn’t appreciate the way that his partner was eyeing Shay, not even bothering to hide the lust in his eyes. Hoping to clear away the tense atmosphere that suddenly surrounded her, Shay broke the silence growing between them.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
A grin broke out on Jonathan’s face, giving him an air of boyish charm. Shay couldn’t deny that his smile was dazzling. She glanced at Lucas nervously, worried that he could sense her thoughts somehow.
“So you’re American too? Where are you from?” Jonathan asked, beaming. It was then that Shay noticed his accent: the one other American in a room full of British people. He had a hint of a Southern drawl, an accent that Shay had always found appealing.
Stop thinking like that! She ordered herself. Despite their unorthodox arrangement, she felt like she was cheating on Lucas just by being attracted to Jonathan.
“North Carolina,” she hedged, not wanting to tell him that she was their new architect. She so didn’t want to meet her new boss in a fetish club. Again.
“Really?” He asked. “I’m just opening up a new branch of our business in Charlotte. Where in North Carolina do you live?”
She sighed. “Charlotte,” she said, a bit miserably. She might as well get it over with; it was going to come out eventually. “I’m actually your architect.”
Jonathan’s blue eyes widened, and his gaze darted from Shay to Lucas, who still looked tense. It seemed as though Jonathan wanted to make a flippant remark, but he held himself back. “Uh-huh,” he said simply. “Well, why don’t you two join me at the bar for a drink?” He changed the subject.
Lucas’ grip on Shay tightened. “No,” he said quickly, the trace of harshness in his tone belying his attempt at nonchalance. “We have an early flight tomorrow, so we need to get going.”
Jonathan laughed. “Always the responsible one,” he said. “I have an early flight, too. If you will recall, we have a business meeting on Monday.” His gaze turned back to Shay. “And I suppose I’ll be seeing you there, too.” His eyes roved up and down her body again, and she struggled not to squirm under his scrutiny. Although his demeanor was more playful than Lucas’, it was clear to her in that moment that he was also a Dom.
“Then we’ll see you there,” Lucas said, his voice a bit more gravelly than usual. “Goodnight.” His tone had an air of finality. But the twist of Jonathan’s lips said that he did not like being dismissed.
Lucas and Jonathan locked eyes, and tension built in the space between them, trapping Shay in the middle. After a long moment, Jonathan shrugged, his easy smile sliding back into place. “Later, then.” He winked at Shay as he turned away, and Lucas let out a low growl.
Definitely jealous.
Although Shay was distinctly uncomfortable with what had just happened, she couldn’t help her feeling of satisfaction at Lucas’ possessiveness.
He must care. She was relieved to know that she hadn’t just been dreaming up the intense connection between them.
The next morning, Lucas struggled to get rid of his hard-on while he gazed down at Shay’s sleeping form. He had been thinking of the night before: how Shay had writhed in her bonds as strangers touched her; how she had come all over his hand when he finally gave her permission; how she had thanked him so sweetly. She truly was beautiful in her submission.
Lucas frowned. But he clearly wasn’t the only one who found her beautiful. His hands clenched into fists as he recalled how Jonathan had looked at her. They had always been a bit competitive with each other – a friendly rivalry – but the idea of seeing him with Shay made Lucas’ blood run cold.
What is wrong with me? He wondered again. He and Jonathan had shared women before, sometimes even at the same time, but this was the first time that he had resented his business partner’s desire for his submissive.
His submissive? Christ, there really was something wrong with him. Since when was she his? He never kept a submissive, not since Sandra. And he had vowed that he never would again. But he had also vowed never to be with a woman for more than one night, and he had broken that rule. He had fucked up, and he knew it.
Now was the time to pull back, before either of them got more involved. He had promised her a weekend, and that was what she had gotten. She couldn’t expect more from him than simply what he had promised. It would be difficult having to work with her in the coming months, to resist her, but that was sim
ply what he would have to do.
Man up, Cross, he ordered himself.
He was still frowning when Shay opened her eyes, but at least his cock wasn’t hard for her anymore.
Shay didn’t understand. Had she done something wrong? Lucas had hardly touched her all day. She hadn’t realized how much she had relished his touch, the feeling of his strong fingers gripping her, until it was gone.
Any hint of his softer nature that he had shown her in the past was gone, but it hadn’t been replaced by his forbidding dominant persona. No, this was something different: he was… cold towards her now.
Was it because of her reaction to Jonathan? Surely a brief moment of attraction wasn’t enough to have marred their entire weekend? The way that Lucas had held her so possessively the night before stood in stark contrast to the indifference he showed her now.
