“We’re the hosts. That would be rude.”
His head dropped to her forehead and he chuckled, although she didn’t think he found this conversation particularly funny. “Baby,” he murmured, “what do you want? You’re making my head spin.”
She bit her lip, trying to stop talking in circles. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but she knew this was important to him. He called it a lifestyle, using the term several times. In D.C., they’d had a few nights at The Gilded Cage; otherwise, it was the two of them, intimate and private. In San Antonio, with his group of friends all being into it, playing together here in their home and later at their new club, it seemed like so much more. Everything he’d introduced her to so far had been enjoyable. He kept expanding on it, though, like tonight, for example. A knot formed in her gut as images whirled in her mind. What came next, and at what point did she draw the line?
Mentally shaking off her worries, she told herself to stop being such an infant. It was sex, plain as that. She needed to do as he asked and trust him.
“I want to be with you. So I’ll relax and go wherever you lead me tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“You always have your safewords, Mara. And remember, you’re with me.”
“I’m a mess and you’re really being patient with me. I appreciate that.”
“I love you, Mara. How else would I be?”
The clock chimed in the hall. She checked the time, only thirty minutes before people would start arriving. “I’ve gotta get dressed.”
The doorbell rang then and she shrieked, “They’re early.”
“It’s the caterer. He was scheduled at 6:30. I’ll get the door while you go get ready. Wear something pretty for me.” He brushed her lips with his one last time before he released her.
“I’ve got a dress picked out already, but I’m warning you, it’s not pink.”
He grimaced as he headed for the door. “Sorry about that. I’m partial to you in pink, but I didn’t realize it had evolved into a fetish until I helped you unpack.” He paused in the doorway. “You realize it’s the color you were wearing the first time I saw you.”
She thought back. “I was wearing pink scrubs. They were too big, shapeless and baggy as I recall.”
“You didn’t see the view from behind. They hugged your spectacular ass like a second skin, which was the most beautiful sight in the world to a tired soldier’s eyes.” He winked at her. “Whatever the color of your dress, I know you’ll look amazing.”
After imparting his fond memory, which turned her legs all rubbery and made her heart race, he disappeared down the hall. She stood remembering the night he’d come out of his drug induced haze and she’d sat holding his hand, thinking he was in too much pain to think of anything else. That he’d been ogling her ass was a pleasant surprise. It filled her with warmth knowing it had been lust at first sight for both of them and having that in common made her love him more.
Loud voices from the front hall spurred her into action. Instead of doing a happy dance, as she wanted, she settled for a giggle of joy and a wide smile as she rushed up the stairs to primp and preen before hosting her first sex party. Holy shit!
Chapter Ten
By eight o’clock, all the guests had arrived, the food was being enjoyed, every hand had a drink and the house was filled with chatter and laughter. Everyone appeared to be having a good time. Not having seen his fiancée in a bit, Sean went looking for her. Excusing himself from a conversation with Dex and Jonas, he checked the kitchen and the upstairs bedrooms. He considered the basement, but doubted she’d go downstairs without him, especially tonight. It didn’t leave many other places she could be. Their modest colonial wasn’t all that big. Only the garage remained, although he couldn’t imagine what reason she would have to go out there. He started that way. Mara had to be somewhere.
As he passed through the kitchen, a flash of green out the window caught his eye. She was in the backyard with one of the girls. Stepping closer, he saw she was chatting animatedly with Elena. He flipped off the kitchen light so he could observe unseen. She was so beautiful. Falling in loose waves around her shoulders and halfway down her back as he liked it, her pale blonde hair gleamed in the moonlight. He’d always known her as a blonde, but since moving to Texas, she’d considered going back to her natural brown. He’d told her she’d be beautiful with blue hair and to do it if she wanted. She hadn’t yet, not having time most likely.
She had found time to shop for a dress, and damn, what a dress it was. In a stunning emerald green—his second favorite color—the stretchy fabric hugged her curves beautifully, so much so that when he’d first seen her, he’d almost swallowed his tongue. It showed skin, though not enough to be tasteless. The sleeveless design left her toned arms bare and the low rounded neckline showed off a hint of cleavage. The top was formfitting with crisscrossed laces up the front that reminded him of a corset. From the snug waist, the layered skirt fell to right above her knees leaving the frothy material floating around her thighs as she moved. It was ultra-feminine and at the same time very sexy.
Completing her outfit was her shoes. The heels were at least five-inches. He knew because when he’d kissed her earlier, he barely had to bend to reach her lips. They were colorless or translucent, or some such shit; he didn’t know the term. He did know they were sparkly, strappy and the open toes showed off the crimson red of her toenails. They also made her long legs look even longer. Merely the thought of those legs wrapped around his hips, wearing those fucking fantastic shoes made his cock twitch, as did her shoes each time he got a glimpse of them.
Right now, she sat with her legs crossed on one of the outside benches, a shoe dangling from her toes as she bounced one leg gently.
“You’ve got it bad, man.”
Startled, Sean turned his head toward Dex who had slipped in unnoticed to stand next to him, also staring out the window at his own beautiful girlfriend. Sean chuckled, knowing he’d likely worn the same lovesick smile on his own dopey face.
“Look who’s talking. When are you going to make an honest woman of your girl? It’s been over a year.”
“I was hoping to take care of that tonight, actually.”
“Seriously?”
Dex patted his pocket. “Yep, I’ve got the hardware right here.”
“Damn, I’m glad to hear it. With you and me engaged, and Rick already married, we’re dropping like flies. The others will be running scared.”
“The youngsters, yes,” Dex agreed, referring to Jonas and Lil T, the youngest of their crew. “Cap is another story.” He carried on the conversation without taking his eyes off Elena through the glass. “That man’s clock is ticking. I’m predicting a year before he’s settled down and starting a family. He wants kids.”
“If that’s so, he’s not going to find what he’s searching for with Bambi, or is it Barbie? Whoever. She’s not it.”
“Nope,” Dex agreed. “She’s a one and done. He always makes it clear up front.”
“That shit gets old fast.”
“Cap will be thirty-eight next year. Believe me, he knows.”
“Since he’s in the one night stand M.O., I might put money on your prediction. He’s got a lot of work to do before he gets someone to the altar.”
“You might be right, although I’ve suspected there’s been someone special for a while. He won’t admit it though.”
“If that’s true, why is he dicking around with Barbie?”
“You know how tight lipped Cap can be. It’s obviously not the right time.”
“The poor bastard, I hope if he’s waiting for the right moment to make his move, it’s not too late when he finally gets off his ass and does it.”
Dex grunted in agreement, glancing at him for the first time. “If anyone knows you have to live for the day, it’s you, BM.”
“Fuck, I’m gonna kill T for that idiotic nickname.”
His best friend laughed wh
ile Sean bristled, easy for him, he didn’t have a ridiculous nickname. He determined to change the subject.
“So you and Elena... I’m thinking the back yard is the perfect spot. It’s warm, the moon is full and Mara hung white lights in the trees.”
“I was thinking the same thing, bud.”
“Let me help by clearing everyone out and keeping the curious otherwise occupied inside.”
“Thanks.”
Sean clapped him on the back. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” He nodded.
“Great, afterward, I’ll open up the dungeon and we can try out the new equipment.”
“Don’t wait on us. If all goes as planned, we’ll stick with outdoor activities tonight.”
“Understood. Fortunately, with everyone else downstairs, you’ll have lots of privacy to celebrate. Before you pop the question, let me tell you about some of the special features of the garden bench. It came with the dungeon delivery…”
* * * * *
Although Mara had been to the basement several times, she hadn’t been since Sean had discarded the tarps, tools and boxes, and added the last few finishing touches. Wide-eyed, she stood gaping at the transformation of her once Spartan basement.
As Sean spoke to the group who were already moving around the room exploring, he explained that Master’s Crafts, not only specialized in dungeon furniture, but they made hand tooled wood and leather goods as well, and had recently branched out into wrought iron. As she surveyed the room, Mara saw the equipment she’d helped him put together along with several other pieces, including a leather swing that hung suspended from hooks in the ceiling and a wrought iron cage the size of a crate, big enough for a large sized dog or an average sized submissive. Unlike the one’s they’d seen at the club in D.C., this one was multi-purpose with a thickly padded top and, as Sean proceeded to demonstrate, a convenient fold down kneeler on one end, also padded.
“In case the subbie requires more punishment than the cage alone can provide, or immediate fucking, either way.”
His comment was met with chuckles and ribald comments. Sean then moved on to the other new piece that stood tall and ominous in the middle of the room. It was obviously a whipping post, except with a twist. Sean demonstrated the unique function by spinning the upside down Y-shaped device on its center axis. With a half turn, it stood downside up, allowing inversion.
Along the far wall, a table was set up with a variety of wood and leather implements: paddles, straps, whips, restraints, blindfolds. Name it. If it could be made of leather or wood, Master’s Crafts created it, and had provided samples.
“This is it, only because I couldn’t squeeze in anything else. The bondage table is still boxed up in the garage.” Chuckles broke out from the guests. “Next time, we’ll swap it out with another piece. Enjoy, play safe and let the games begin.”
Couples immediately moved to claim a station. From where she’d planted herself at the bottom of his stairs, she saw Sean turn and look for her. When he spotted her trying to become part of the wall, he shook his head, while extending his hand. As good as an order, she walked forward and placed her cold fingers in his warm, larger ones. He gripped her and with a tug, pulled her against his body.
“Are you doing okay, baby?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Ah, my good subbie remembered.” His praise coincided with a kiss to her temple. “Is there anything you’d like to try?”
“The Y thing is a bit scary, I’m not sure about being upside down, and the metal crate kind of freaks me out, but everything else is like at The Cage.”
“Not quite,” he countered, his lips curving into a grin. “They didn’t have a swing.” Without asking, he turned and pulled her along to where the leather sling hung from heavy ceiling-mounted chains. Despite her edgy nerves, her heart pounded with excitement. She could do this. The swing was in the farthest corner of the room where it was dark and semi-private unlike the spinning post standing dead center in the middle of the room.
Sean stopped in front of the suspended black square with silver rivets, chains and straps. As she eyed it doubtfully, he pulled her around to face him.
“Arms up.”
She had no sooner raised her hands shoulder high before her dress was whisked over her head, leaving her in only shoes and her matching green bra and panties.
“This is very pretty,” he said, tracing the lace edge with a fingertip, “but the bra goes too. While you finish up, I’m going to turn on the music.” He kissed her forehead. “Be right back.”
He was gone, leaving her half-naked in the corner with the perfect vantage point of the rest of the room. No one was paying attention to her. Everyone else was engaged with their partner. Cap had commandeered the spanking bench and was strapping down his giggling blonde. Rick and Regan had gravitated to the cross against the far wall. Dex and Elena were absent, seeking private time after announcing their engagement. The two other couples who Mara didn’t know were already occupied. One Dom had his sub in the cage while he perused the table laden with spanking implements. The other, a Domme, and the only female dominant in the group, had her inverted sub balls up in the Y-post. They were enthusiastically carrying out a most inventive sixty-nine with the upside down man’s head wedged firmly between the woman’s thighs as she alternated sucking his cock while slapping his ass and balls with a sharp hand.
Mara shuddered, what was it about these dominant women and ball slapping?
“That’s Mistress Anne.” Sean’s low whisper sounded in her ear as he slid his hands up her arms to cup her shoulders. Pulling her back against his chest, he filled her in on the details of the Domme and her sub. “Cap has known her for years. A retired Army lieutenant, she’s in her forties, owns her own business and according to Cap is as sweet as pie outside a club, but inside she’s a real ball buster. Pun intended. Roger, her sub, is also her husband of twenty years and a local attorney.”
“You’re kidding?”
“Nope. He’s a cutthroat trial lawyer, busting balls by his own right in the courtroom, so I hear. It gets old evidently, so he likes to give up control to his Mistress after hours. They’ve already purchased a charter membership and Decadence doesn’t open until the summer.”
“I had no idea there were so many people into this in San Antonio.”
“We have twenty paid memberships already. Only two are local. One couple is from as far away as San Francisco. The high profile clients prefer not to play in their own back yard, which is understandable.”
“Twenty members at thirty grand a year...” Her voice trailed off in amazement.
“Yep. Our goal for the first year is one hundred members and I’ve got a pile of applications three times that on my desk now.”
“Wow.”
“It shows how desperate people are to find a quality club these days.” He undid the front hook to her bra and peeled it off. “Most are experienced in the lifestyle, but a few of the applications are from newbies looking for a safe place to learn and explore. It will make for a good mix. I enjoy opening new eyes to the delights of our world, especially beautiful green ones.” Tossing aside her lace bra, he caressed a bare breast, his eyes skimming down the length of her, naked except for her skimpy panties. “Since you were so distracted, I’ll give you a pass on disobeying my order about the bra, but that’s the last one tonight. Pay attention from here on out.” He patted the leather sling. “Hop on up.”
Eyeing it uncertainly, she turned her back to the swing and attempted to heft her booty in the seat. It skittered away. The second try was no more successful and she could imagine how awkward and graceless she looked. Gallantly, Sean came to her rescue, encircling her waist and with little effort on his part, planted her butt in the middle of the leather seat.
“Lean back.”
She did so and found it quite comfortable. He grinned down at her as he wrapped a fleece lined leather restraint around her wrist. “This will hold both of us, you know. I
had to reinforce the mounting brackets and drill heavy duty eyebolts into the ceiling, so I figure we might as well keep this one.”
She smiled up at him. “I wouldn’t mind, it’s very comfortable, although I can’t work out the logistics on how you’re going to climb in with me.”
“Let me get you bound and chained, little subbie, and I’ll be happy to demonstrate.”
He hooked both wrist cuffs to the chains supporting the top of the sling leaving a bend in her elbows. Spinning her until he stood between her legs, his hands cupped her hips and slid her down until her ass rested at the very bottom of the sling.
Arms now fully extended—ending the comfortable bend—her legs in this position had no support and flopped over the end. Feeling off balance, she wrapped her fingers around the thick chain and held on.
“I’m not going to let you fall,” Sean assured her as he took hold of one foot and pushed her knee toward her chest, guiding her ankle around the outside of the bottom chain. With speed and dexterity, he had one ankle cuffed and restrained, the other done just as quickly and in the same fashion. This left her lying almost flat on her back with her legs spread wide apart.
“I have a bar to hold your legs apart, if need be, subbie. Is it needful?”
“I—uh, I guess it depends on what you need them spread for, Master.”
“Mm… I suppose you’re right. We’ll see how it goes.” He delved into his front shirt pocket and pulled out a fine link chain, much more delicate than the one that suspended her from the ceiling. She noticed the tweezer clamps on the ends. Her pussy tingled and teemed with anticipation. Having discovered early how much she enjoyed nipple play, Sean had added a variety of clamps to their toy collection. He leaned over her and took an already peaked nipple into his mouth.
“I can smell the heat of your arousal, baby,” he murmured as he worried the bud between his teeth. “I believe you’re enjoying our little basement dungeon.”
Second Time Lucky (Club Decadence Book 5) Page 13
