Red Club Temptation

by Marie Tuhart

  “She locked me in one of the cages.”

  “What the fuck.” Caleb shot out of his chair. She locked her daughter in a cage. A cage!

  “Easy, Caleb.” Jessie jumped to her feet, touching his arm. “In a way I understand now. She didn’t want her baby girl to leave.”

  “But to lock you in a cage.” He brought his hand up and cradled her cheek in his palm.

  “It was only for a few hours until both of us calmed down. Then we started talking. She never really understood why I was submissive.”

  “And after you talked?” He was still trying to wrap his mind around Lacy locking her daughter up in a cage. Her mom wouldn’t have taken it well that Jessie was a submissive. But he was glad to see it hadn’t ruined their relationship.

  “She got that I didn’t mind running the business, or parts of it, but in the bedroom I didn’t want control. I wanted someone who would take care of me rather than expect me to do it.”

  “Makes sense.” He brushed a thumb over her cheek. “I want...” A knock on the door interrupted him.

  “Yes,” Jessie called. The door opened and Becky peeked around the frame.

  “Ryan wanted to let you know things are under control. It’s pretty subdued out there, and he thought you might want to make an appearance.”

  “Thanks.” The door closed and she sighed. “Time for appearances. We’ll talk more about this later.” She slipped from his hold, and he already missed her.

  ****

  Caleb glanced at the clock. Four in the morning. He should be tired, but he was too wired. He was in Jessie’s bed with her in his arms. Jessie tilted her head and looked up at him. “So, tell me about what made you leave Lobster Cove.”

  “Aren’t you tired?”

  “I’m too keyed up to sleep.”

  “It’s not a pretty bedtime story.”

  “Please, Caleb. I need to understand.”

  He tightened his arms around her. “I don’t know how much you remember about my dad.”

  “I know he was abusive, and he died.”

  “Yeah, well, part of the story Ron mentioned yesterday is true.” Her gaze locked with his. “My dad got Susie Winston pregnant.”

  As he said the words, a weight started to lift from his chest. Maybe it was time to talk about it.

  “Susie was eighteen.” Jessie’s voice was soft and quiet.

  “Dad was furious when she turned up telling him she was pregnant, and he started to beat her.”

  “Oh, Caleb.” Her fingers touched his cheek, and he couldn’t help but rub against her soft skin.

  “I walked in on them when Dad was beating the crap out her. I was so angry, but first I had to get Susie some help. I took her to the hospital. They tried to detain me, but I left anyway.” He remembered the security guards at the hospital, trying to stop him from leaving before they got the full story. The hands grabbing at him, but he had pushed them all aside.

  “Why did you leave the hospital?”

  “Because I knew what it looked like, but I also knew my father.” He turned his head and kissed her fingers. “By the time I made it back to the house, the sheriff was there. Together we went inside.”

  Memories of the darkness threatened to overwhelm him. His father had closed the house up, curtains pulled, no light, no noise. The smell of alcohol still made him sick to this day.

  “And?”

  “Dad was slumped in his chair. He laughed and said Susie deserved what she got for getting pregnant.” Anger surged through his bloodstream. “I told him no woman deserves to be beaten. My father stood, and then he fell back into his chair with a grunt. He was dead from a massive heart attack.”

  “Oh, Caleb.” She snuggled closer to him, offering him comfort. But he had to wonder once she heard the whole story if she wouldn’t run.

  “The sheriff kept everything under wraps because Susie and her parents asked him to. Susie lost the baby but was going to be okay. I left town the next morning.”

  “I’d heard the rumors, but I knew you wouldn’t do something like that.”

  “Yeah, well for a while I blamed myself.”

  “Why? There was nothing you could have done.”

  Caleb couldn’t lie in bed anymore. He set Jessie from him, rose, and began pacing the room. “My life hasn’t been easy.”

  Jessie pulled the sheet over herself and stared at him. “My life with my mother wasn’t always easy. But I don’t blame myself for her death as I think you do for your father’s.”

  “Jessie, my dad was a mean son of a bitch.” Caleb ran his hands through his hair. Why did he feel compelled to tell her this? Maybe because he was falling for her.

  Every nerve in his body froze. He was falling for Jessie? Why did that surprise him? He’d enjoyed her company when they were younger and now...now she was a beautiful woman.

  The guilt ate at him for not telling her the truth of why he was there. He would have to go back to Chicago eventually, but did he? Hell, Matt was already threatening to come to Lobster Cove if Caleb didn’t find out why the club was so popular.

  But Caleb was falling for Jessie. Maybe he could find something to give Matt and then stay. Movement caught his eye as Jessie climbed out of bed.

  “What did your father do to you, Caleb?” Her tone was quiet but probing.

  “You need to understand something, Jessie. For years I thought I was a submissive.”

  She burst out laughing.

  That was the last thing he expected. “You’re laughing.”

  “I can’t help it,” she gasped out. Then she sobered. “You’re nothing but a Dominant.”

  “My father beat me. And I let him.”

  Her eyes grew wide, and then she hugged him. “And why did you let him?” Her words were soft, and her hands caressed his back. “Because you knew if he beat on you he couldn’t hurt anyone else. Your dominant side made you protect those weaker than you. And you never acted submissive in public.”

  “I couldn't. Dad expected me to be a tough guy just like him.” With those words, his entire view of the situation shifted. “Damn it, Jessie, when I left Lobster Cove, I was a submissive in some of the dingiest clubs, allowing Dommes to use me as they wanted.”

  “And you hated every second of it.” She guided him back over to the bed, and then climbed onto the mattress before pulling him down to her. With a slight tumble, he found himself wrapped in a cocoon of Jessie.

  Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. Jessie was right, he did hate every second of it. A weight lifted from his soul. “How did you guess?”

  “Submissives like to be submissive. Some are like me, just submissive in the bedroom. Others are in life. You know this, because you’ve trained as a Dominant.”

  “Yes, but—” He stopped, and then grinned. “Intellectually I knew it, but in my heart I ignored it.”

  “And because you’ve seen the dark side and have been a submissive, you know how to be a better Dominant than any man I’ve ever known.” She brushed a lock of hair away from his forehead. “Well, except Rusty. He would go toe to toe with my mom.”

  “Rusty’s a good man.”

  “He is, but is more into men than women, which is such a shame. He would have made a good match for my mom.”

  “How did I get so lucky?” Caleb tightened his arms around her.

  “I don’t know.” Jessie placed a kiss on his nose. “Tell me about when you realized you weren’t a submissive.”

  Caleb’s muscles tensed. This was another talk he didn’t want to have, but they had to have it sooner or later.

  “I was checking out a new club in Chicago. I was really just observing, knowing I was unhappy with my life. And I was watching this one scene when a guy walked up to me and began talking.” Caleb allowed the memory to come, and he welcomed it. It was time for him to face his demons.

  “The man asked me if I was willing to scene with him. When I replied no, he tried to force the issue. That was when Matt stepped in.”

&
nbsp; “Matt?”

  “Yeah. Matt was part-owner of the club. You’d like him.” At least he thought she would. Matt was a good guy; a bit ruthless in business, but otherwise good people. “Anyway, he told the guy that no meant no and to lay off.”

  “Sounds like a good man.”

  “Matt started talking to me, and by the end of the night, we’d become friends. Over the next few months, Matt taught me about the club, how it worked, and about being a Dominant. Matt saw that I wasn’t really submissive.”

  “I like him already.”

  Well, that wouldn’t last long, especially if she found out about him and Matt spying on her. “It took time, but Matt gave me back my self-respect. I started working for him, and that’s it.”

  “Why do I think there’s more to that story?” She yawned after her question.

  “Later.” He pulled her down until she was resting on his chest. “Go to sleep. We can talk more tomorrow.”

  “At least it’s Monday.”

  “Yes and we can play.” He stared at her until Jessie was asleep, then he closed his eyes. Maybe it was time for him to sell out to Matt and go his own way. He didn’t want to think about Matt or Chicago right now. He didn’t have much time left, and what he did have, he wanted to cherish.

  Chapter Seven

  Jessie closed the last of the books for the business. Thank goodness that was done. She stood and stretched. Caleb had bounced out the door a few hours ago, saying he had some things to do. She didn’t mind. She had more than enough paperwork to do.

  Part of her wondered what he might have planned for them tonight. One thing Caleb never lacked was imagination. He knew how to play her body like a fine-tuned instrument, and she enjoyed every second of their time together.

  A knock at the front door made her frown. She went to the door and opened it a crack. A man about forty with blond hair stood there. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Yes, I’m looking for Caleb. I was told he’d probably be here.”

  Her grip tightened on the door. “Caleb isn’t here right now. Can I take a message?”

  “Sure, will you tell him Matt is looking for him?”

  Matt? “Just a second.” Jessie closed the door and removed the heavy chain before reopening it. “Hi Matt, I’m Jessie. Caleb has told me about you. Why don’t you come in and wait for him.”

  Surprise crossed his face. “Caleb told you about me?”

  “Well, sort of. We were talking about how he worked for you in Chicago.” She stood back and gestured for him to enter.

  “Thanks. Yeah, I love working with Caleb.”

  Jessie relocked the door and motioned Matt down the hall. “Would you like some coffee or something else to drink?” she asked as they entered her office.

  “Coffee is fine.” He sat down and thanked her when she handed him the mug.

  “So what brings you down here?” Jessie wasn’t sure why Matt was there.

  His fingers tightened around the mug before he set it on her desk. “I need Caleb to come back to Chicago.”

  “Excuse me?” Jessie couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “It’s time for Caleb to come back to work with me.” Matt picked the mug up and took a sip. “His time down here was limited.”

  “Oh.” This was news to her. Why hadn’t Caleb told her this? Heck, why did Rusty recommend him for the job if he wasn’t going to stay? “Tell me what you mean, Matt.”

  “Sure. I sent Caleb down here to find out your secret.” He flashed a satisfied grin at her, and it was all Jessie could do not to slap it off his smug face.

  “Really.” Her teeth ground together, and she fought to keep her breathing even. No sense in letting this man know he upset her.

  “Yes. Now we can duplicate it in all our clubs.”

  “And just how many clubs do you and Caleb own.” Time to find out exactly what Caleb was hiding from her.

  “Three, soon to be four if we can ever get the San Francisco club off the ground.” Matt rattled on and Jessie listened, letting her anger build. Damn Caleb.

  ****

  Caleb let himself into the club. If Jessie was done with her work, he was going to bring her into the private area, and they were going to play on the bondage system. He’d been dying to try it with her.

  With that in mind, he’d taken a run into Bar Harbor to get some rope. He couldn’t wait to see what positions he could tie her in. By the end of tonight, neither one of them would be able to think straight.

  Dropping his bag by the stage, he made his way down the hallway to her office. “Jessie?”

  “In here.” Her voice was tight, and Caleb went on alert. Something was wrong. He strode into her office.

  Jessie was sitting behind her desk, her face tight and her eyes glassy. There was a familiar figure sitting in the chair.

  “It’s about time,” the man said as he stood up.

  “Matt.” Caleb shook his head. Matt was here? He glanced over at Jessie. Her hands gripped her chair like a lifeline. Shit.

  “Jessie and I were just talking, but I’m glad you’re back.” Matt slapped him on the back and pulled him toward the chair.

  “Oh, did you have a nice conversation?” He didn’t take his gaze from Jessie.

  “It was enlightening,” she said, her gaze hard and cold.

  Matt plopped onto the chair. “I explained to Jessie how I needed you back in Chicago right away.”

  “Jessie,” he started. Damn, he was in deep shit now. Why did Matt have to show up today?

  “It’s okay, Caleb.” She stood up. “I’ll let you and Matt talk while I go check on the supplies for this week.” Without another word she marched out of the office.

  “What did you tell her?” Caleb turned to Matt. Damn it, it wasn’t supposed to happen this way.

  “Just that I needed my business partner back, and he couldn’t play here anymore.”

  “Fuck.” Caleb sprung out of the chair and went after Jessie.

  ****

  Jessie fought against the tears. Caleb had lied to her. Her hands gripped the bar as she tried to come to terms with what she had just learned. She stared at the polished wood, forcing the tears back. Her heart was heavy. Footsteps had her lifting her head.

  Caleb came rushing into the room and over to where she stood. “Jessie, I can explain.”

  “Really?” She straightened her spine and channeled her mother. She would get through this.

  “I owe Matt a lot.”

  “So it seems.” Unable to look at him anymore, she began taking inventory. Yeah, right. She couldn’t even count right now, her soul hurt too much.

  “Jessie.” He reached for her, but she stepped back.

  “Just go, Caleb.” She gritted her teeth as she fought to keep it together.

  “I—”

  “Hey, Caleb,” Matt interrupted him. “If we’re going to make the flight to Boston, we have to leave now.”

  “In a second, Matt.” He waved his hand at Matt but kept his gaze on her. “Will you talk to me?”

  She took a deep breath. “No.” Her mother would be proud of her. “Go, Caleb.”

  “Jessie, listen to me. It’s not what you think.” But she didn’t respond to him; she couldn’t.

  “Caleb. Come on, man.”

  “You’d better go.”

  “Fuck.” The word made her flinch.

  “This isn’t over.” His words were soft. Then hands closed over her shoulder, and he turned her to face him. “I’ll be back.” He pressed a soft kiss against her lips before he turned and walked over to Matt. The two men left by the back door and when Jessie heard the lock turn, she let herself sink behind the bar and the tears to flow. He was gone. But then, he was never hers to have.

  ****

  Three weeks later, Jessie strode through the club. They were busier than ever, and she hadn’t had time to replace Caleb, so she’d been doing double duty. Caleb. Her heart twanged
.

  She hadn’t heard from him. Well, she hadn’t really expected to. So what if he said he’d be back; those were just words. But it didn’t stop her from expecting to see him walk through the doors of her club.

  Enough. She couldn’t continue to dwell over Caleb. She’d done enough crying and thinking. That was the whole thing; she thought about everything and realized she’d fallen in love with him.

  That was the real reason her mother wouldn’t let her leave. Her mother had been afraid she’d fall in love and never come back home. As much as she loved her mother, it would have been better if her mother had let her leave, then maybe now her heart wouldn’t be in pieces.

  Blowing out a breath, Jessie made her rounds. There had been no more incidents in the club. Word had gotten around about both, and last she heard, Miss Peacock was on her way to Europe. Ron had been arrested for domestic violence and was now awaiting trial in Boston of all places.

  “Another full house,” Ryan commented, stepping up next to her.

  “Yeah. Business is good.”

  “Are you going to get another DM or four?”

  A smile crept over Jessie’s lips. Leave it to Ryan to make her smile. “Working on it. I wish I knew why we were so busy.”

  “It’s you, boss lady.”

  “Me?” She looked at Ryan to see if he was joking but his face was sober.

  “Not many women run a BDSM club, people are curious. Not only about the owner, but the lifestyle. Look how popular your education program is getting.”

  Four days after Caleb left, Jessie decided to do something to educate people about BDSM, so she started offering classes in the afternoons from one to three. They were a hit.

  “I figured I’d just have a few people.”

  “And each week, not only do you have locals, but the tourists as well. It’s a way for them to understand and make the club not so taboo.”

  “I guess.” She shrugged her shoulders. The classes were just another way for her to keep busy so she wouldn’t miss Caleb. Oh, who was she kidding? She missed him every day.

  “Yeah, well...”

  Both of their phones went off. Jessie looked up to see Evan standing near one of the private rooms, motioning for both of them. Damn, now what?