Under His Protection

by Doris O'Connor

  “I have a key.” Lukas held the shiny object up in the air, as though that explained everything, and when she did nothing but stare at him, sighed, stepped in, and shut the door.

  “Look, I realize you may not want me here, but I need to get this off my chest, okay?”

  He took a step closer to her, and another, and Jacqui’s skin tingled under his silent perusal. Her nipples pebbled behind the thin fabric of her tank top, and she hastily crossed her arms to hide her body’s far too obvious reaction to his presence, as his scent enveloped her.

  “What the fuck? You’re bleeding. What did you do, baby?”

  Before Jacqui could look down to find out the reason for his outburst, he was towering over her, grasped her wrist, and held her hand up in the air. Bile rose in her throat, when she saw the blood trailing down her arm from the cut on her fingers, and she jumped when Lukas pulled that injured digit into his mouth.

  Heat spread through her at that contact, especially when he released her finger and probed at the cut.

  Fresh blood welled out of it, and Lukas clucked his tongue.

  “Where’s your first aid kit, sweetheart? This needs a bandage, at least. What on Earth did you do to yourself?”

  She tried for a nonchalant shrug, but failed miserably. This close to him and with him holding her as though she was made from spun glass, all her hormones sighed in submission. “It’s nothing. I broke a glass, that’s all. What are you doing here?”

  Lukas tugged her along to the kitchen, swore softly when he saw the devastation in the sink, and pulling a chair out, urged her to sit. She didn’t need much encouragement. In truth her legs were in danger of giving up, and she gladly sank down on the hard surface of the stool.

  He gave her a brief smile.

  “Bandages?” he asked, a man on a mission, it seemed, because he swung round when she pointed to the cupboard by the window with her uninjured hand.

  After a second of rummaging he was back next to her, dabbing at her cut with an antiseptic wipe. Her stomach churned anew when she saw the white material turn crimson, and she turned her head away from the sight of his tending to the cut.

  “Not fond of blood, little dove?” There was no censure in those softly spoken words, and Jacqui shook her head.

  “Not my own, no. I can handle other people’s just not mine. I know it’s stupid and childish…”

  “Hardly, sweetheart, and it’s quite common you know. There, that should hold. It’s safe to look now, but you’ll need to take that top off. I’m afraid that’s stained beyond repair.”

  Long fingers grasped her chin to make her glance at him rather than her top, and her heart lurched in hope at the blaze of emotion with which he regarded her. That almost gave the impression as though he cared about her, truly cared, and that was impossible.

  “I can see I’m going to have my hands full looking after you, girl.”

  He smiled at her sharp intake of breath.

  “What?”

  Inwardly Jacqui grimaced at her inane responses, and Lukas’s grin deepened.

  “I told you last night, you’re my little dove. Thus it’s my responsibility to take care of you, and clearly, you need a keeper, considering the state you got yourself into in one morning. Once you’ve got some color back in your cheeks I’m going to redden your sweet ass cheeks for scaring me like that. When I first saw the blood…” He ran his free hand through his hair and frowned. “Jesus, you took ten years off my life. I didn’t know what to think. Don’t do that to your Dom, girl.”

  Again he paused, and this time he looked unsure.

  “I’m making assumptions, I know, but … fuck it, Jacqui, say something. Tell me to fuck off if you want, that I’ve blown it all and you never want to see me again, just don’t simply sit there and stare at me as though I’ve run over your cat.”

  Jacqui opened her mouth, but, try as she might nothing came out, and Lukas started to pace. It was the oddest thing, but seeing him this agitated calmed her misgivings.

  “I’m sorry. I just don’t understand why you’re here at all.”

  Those words brought him to an abrupt stop in front of her, and she blinked when he got to his haunches in front of her and framed her face in his large hands. “Where else would I be? When I woke up this morning, and you weren’t there … fuck, don’t do that. I don’t like it.”

  “You don’t?”

  A grim laugh kicked up his full lips. “You sound as astonished as Lance did. Serves me right, I suppose.”

  “Lance?” Jacqui was uncomfortably aware that she was beginning to sound like a parrot, but really what did Lance have to do with anything?

  “Yeah, he phoned and woke me up, and then you weren’t there, and I—fuck, look baby, I know you have no reason to believe me when I say that. You of all people know my habits.”

  He sighed when she couldn’t help but flinch at that.

  “I’m assuming that’s why you walked out on me this morning, right? To save the morning after thing, but you must know, I wouldn’t…” Lukas let go of her so abruptly that Jacqui had to grasp the edge of the table for support, or she would have been in danger of sliding off of her chair. She hadn’t even been aware of leaning forward and into him, but without his support she felt at sea, not helped by his renewed pacing to and fro.

  “Sir, I…”

  With a huff of relief he swung round, and Jacqui marveled at how easily that title rolled off her tongue now and how right it felt to call him that.

  “Yes, little dove?”

  “Are you saying you didn’t want me to leave this morning, Sir?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  “Oh.”

  Lukas’s eyebrow rose, and her throat went dry when he crossed his arms and spread his legs in a stance of dominance that sent an instant rush of moisture to her knickers.

  “Oh? That is all you have to say to your Dom, girl? I should put you over my knee right now.”

  He grinned when Jacqui groaned at the far too appealing images that bombarded her brain.

  “My naughty little subbie would like that, I see. I’ll have to come up with a more suitable form of punishment. Feather play, perhaps, as you’re so fond of tickling.”

  He laughed at her immediate and vehement denial. Laughter that died in his throat, when she slid to her knees and presented in front of him as best she could.

  “Hot damn, girl. I love seeing you like that.”

  Jacqui closed her eyes as he stepped closer and put his hand on top of her head while she nuzzled into his thigh.

  “I’m sorry for running away this morning, Sir. I thought that’s what you wanted.”

  A grunt was her answer, and in the next instant, Lukas fisted his hands in her hair and pulled her up to standing. His mouth crashed down on hers, and when she instantly opened for him, he gentled the kiss. It left her in no doubt of his intentions, as he explored her mouth with a breathtaking intensity that made her feel utterly owned and cherished. By the time he pulled away they were both breathing heavily and his cock was a hard ridge against her belly.

  “Never, sweetheart. I want you any which way I can have you. You’re mine now, baby, and I promise you I’ll never take the gift of your submission for granted.” He pulled back to study her, and the honesty blazing at her from the depths of his midnight blue eyes brought a lump to her throat.

  “I can also promise you that I’ll fuck up along the way. I’ve never been good at this relationship lark, but I will try for you, if you’ll have me, of course.”

  He gave a short laugh, as he uttered those words, but he couldn’t fool Jacqui. She might open herself up to a world of hurt if this all went pear shaped, but life was full of risks at the best of times, and this was a risk worth taking.

  “To echo my Sir, I’ll have you any which way I can have you.”

  Lukas huffed out a breath, and Jacqui smiled through her tears.

  “Thank fuck for that. Now about that punishment, little dove.�
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  Epilogue

  One year later

  Jacqui smiled at the insistent ring of the doorbell. It was so reminiscent of her last birthday, yet couldn’t have been any more different. Just like a year ago, Lauren was at the door, ready to escort her to the club. Unlike a year ago, however, Jacqui was already in her club wear, and she answered the door of Lukas’s apartment with a big grin.

  Her friend groaned and flopped down in the first available chair with a sigh. “God, I’m getting too big for this nonsense. Our Lords and Masters have a lot to answer for putting us through all this.” She rubbed her extended belly, lovingly outlined by the clingy dress she wore. “This baby has not held still all day long.”

  “Well, he wouldn’t, would he? He’s got your genes, after all.”

  Lauren pulled a face at her, and twirled her finger in an unspoken demand for Jacqui to turn, which she dutifully did.

  “Hmm, very nice. Lukas picked it, I bet.”

  “Naturally.”

  The other woman grinned. “Thought so. You think you can see everything, yet you can see nothing. It’s really quite adorable how possessive he is over you.”

  Jacqui just grinned, and fingered the day collar Lukas had given her as her birthday present, while she held her hand out to help Lauren out of her chair. Little did her friend know that her Master was just as possessive, and downright devious. Ever since Lauren and Jake had found themselves unexpectedly pregnant, Master Jake had asked his sub to marry him. She steadfastly refused every time, not seeing why they needed a piece of paper to manifest their relationship. Lately though, she’d wavered, and while Lauren thought she was escorting Jacqui to the club for Jacqui’s official collaring ceremony, that’s not what they were doing there. No, Lauren would be attending her very own wedding, with Jacqui as her bridesmaid so to speak, and Lukas as Jake’s best man.

  Excitement bubbled in the pit of her stomach, and she was glad for the cover they’d chosen, which meant that Lauren didn’t wonder at Jacqui’s over excited bouncing rabbit act.

  By the time they had accomplished the taxi ride, and a smirking Lance opened the door to them, Jacqui could barely breathe. Lauren grumbled to herself as they went through the motions of signing in with Mimi, and then pushed Jacqui through the door to the main play area first.

  “What the fuck?”

  Her friend’s hoarse exclamation behind her back made her grin even as she silently echoed that sentiment. To swear out loud, when her very own Sir was turning ‘round to watch them enter would never do. As it always did, Jacqui’s heart beat faster when Lukas’s gaze settled on her, and the warm approval in his ever-darkening eyes would have meant an instant dampening of her knickers, if she was wearing any, of course. As Lukas preferred her without them, however, she wasn’t, and she clamped her thighs together.

  “What on Earth is going on?” Lauren might well ask that, because the place had been transformed. While all the equipment was still there, it was covered in white swathes of material, and adorned with flowers, and a path had been cleared to the stage were Master Jake and Lukas were standing. Jake’s lined face broke into a wide smile when Jacqui turned around and offered her friend her arm to lean on.

  “Your wedding, that’s what’s going on, silly. If Lauren won’t go to the registry office then the wedding will have to come to the club and all that.”

  Lauren’s mouth opened and shut, and Jacqui rather enjoyed seeing her exuberant friend speechless for once.

  Having handed her over to her future husband, Jacqui took her place by her Sir’s side.

  “Happy Birthday, my sweet little dove.” Lukas’s whisper in her ear made her smile and lean into him. “Don’t let him know I told you, but Jake was beside himself with worry. Please tell me you won’t make it this difficult to get you down the altar when our time comes, sweetheart.” He pinched her butt, when Jacqui made a big show of seeming to think this over.

  She giggled as he raised an eyebrow. “Is that your way of asking me to marry you, Sir?” she asked.

  Lukas sobered, and an army of butterflies took up residence in her belly until she thought she might burst from sheer happiness.

  “What if it was?”

  “Well, if it was I think you’ll have to do better, Sir.”

  Lukas threw his head back and laughed, earning himself a stern glance from the registrar and an amused look from Jake.

  Leaning in closer he bit her earlobe and whispered the words she would never grow tired of hearing. “You, minx, are incorrigible. Just as well I love you.”

  “And I love you, Sir.”

  The End

  www.dorisoconnor.com

  Other Books by Doris O'Connor:

  www.evernightpublishing.com/doris-oconnor

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