Unbind My Heart (Club Decadence)

by Maddie Taylor

  After giving her a deep, lingering kiss, Lexie watched as his eyes shifted around the studio. He stared at the rubber mat for a while and glanced at the hard plastic chairs. She knew he was sizing up locations to give it a go here. Instead, he shook his head and pulled her up beside him.

  “Maybe you should put a soft couch in your office.”

  Startled, he looked down at her.

  “I knew what you were thinking,” she said with a giggle. “Your mind reading skills must be rubbing off on me.”

  He chose to ignore her last remark and said, “No one puts a couch in a dojo.” Turning her with a light swat on her behind, he nudged her toward her clothes. “Get dressed and meet me downstairs. We’ll wait ‘til we get home. After years of sleeping in tents on hard-packed rocky ground, I’m kind of partial to my soft bed.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Bright sunlight casting a swathe of light across the bed woke Lexie. Smiling contentedly, she rolled beneath the soft covers, reaching for Jonas, eager to feel the warmth of his skin and the strong cocoon of his arms as he cuddled her in his usual morning greeting. As she rolled to her side, little twinges and muscle aches reminded her of the night before. Her left leg was a bit stiff from being tied in the unusual position, and her shoulder muscles felt a little tender from being stretched awkwardly behind her back. Other intimate places were a bit tender, too. Her nipples felt swollen as they brushed the sheet, her pussy tingled and her sensitive inner tissues ached from considerable use. All were pleasant reminders of how he had taken her to heaven, multiple times throughout the evening and once during the night.

  Lexie remembered each of the four exquisite orgasms he had given her. The first had been a quickie, both of them so aroused from their lesson that they couldn’t wait. Jonas had carried her up to their bedroom, bent her over the end of the bed, and rode her quick and hard. She had loved it, coming as soon as the head of his cock had bottomed out deep inside. The second time had been slower. Lexie had the pleasure of being on top, riding his sexy body at her own pace for a change. With the initial edge off their passion, it had been more drawn out, each exploring and enjoying each other, touching and teasing. Jonas had free use of his hands and employed them expertly. Lexie was learning that she adored more intense nipple play, the little tweaks of pain and the tugs making her cry out for more. Until Jonas, she’d never imagined a fraction of the things she could enjoy.

  One of those things was giving him pleasure. She had come again as his broad thumb circled and worked her protruding clit unmercifully. After orgasm number two, with him still hard and throbbing deep inside her, Lexie had wanted to give him some of what he gave her so generously. Leaning over him, she licked and tasted his lips, her mouth moving over his bristled jaw, down his corded neck and across his muscular chest until she finally reached her goal. While running her hands over his cut chest and abs, she’d begun worrying his flat nipple with her lips and tongue. When his body was tense and he was near mad with pleasure, she’d clamped her teeth down to give him a mix of pleasure and pain. Unable to stand more, he had flipped her on her back with a growl—it was carnal, raw and she’d loved it—then he’d fucked her. That was the only word she could think to describe how he had driven into her, his hands anchoring her hips so she had to accept his driving need as he took his pleasure. At the last moment, just before his hot seed had erupted and splashed her insides, he had brought her along with him as he’d pinched her clit between a thumb and forefinger. Her echoing cry—orgasm number three—had barely been audible over the loud roar of his satisfaction.

  Later that night, he’d awakened her once again, coming into her while she was still asleep, moving slowly inside her as he aroused her, his kisses and caresses easing her slowly into wakefulness. How he had the energy to make love to her again at 3 a.m. was inconceivable, but she hadn’t complained. Why would she?—it was orgasm number four. She had followed his lead as this time he made love to her slowly and tenderly, achieving yet another spectacular ending.

  She had lapsed into an exhausted sleep, barely remembering him leaning over her and whispered three instructions against her lips in the early morning hours.

  “Ibuprofen, soak in a hot tub and an hour of yoga. I’ll see you tonight.”

  Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, knowing she wouldn’t find him there. She squinted against the brightness of the room. The rumpled linens and indented pillow on his side called to her, and she rolled into it, basking in his lingering scent. Disappointment coursed through her as she felt the emptiness of their bed, the sheets long since grown cold from his absence.

  The phone ringing was a welcome distraction before she began a lonely little pity party for one. Rolling over, she reached for her cell phone and saw the time: 10:36 a.m. Holy moly, she hadn’t slept this late in forever. Her fumbling fingers finally coordinated enough to thumb on the phone as she answered.

  “Meet us at Decadent Delight in ten minutes. We’re celebrating with pastries and some of Megan’s fabulous coffee.”

  “Joanna, good morning to you, too. What are we celebrating?” Lexie laughed at her aunt. The way she ordered the other girls around you’d have thought she was a Domme, but they all knew that wasn’t the case. She was totally in the tank for her Master. She was just inexhaustibly maternal and took every sub under her wing. Lexie was family so she was used to it.

  “Sorry hon, I’m so excited I forgot you don’t know. Mara got her hardware off, she’s up on crutches, and you should see her fly on those things. Any who, we are heading to Megan’s place to celebrate with the holy grail of party food groups: caffeine, carbs, bleached flour and refined sugar.”

  “That’s awesome. Count me in, but I’ll need thirty minutes at least.”

  ***

  “I have a new appreciation for what my patients go through. Never have I been so happy to be in an upright position in my life.” Mara was giddy with excitement as she stood on one leg and a crutch while stuffing an éclair into her mouth one-handed. “Mmmm…” she groaned, loud sex noises coming from her throat as she popped in the last bite of chocolate-covered gooeyness. “Utter bliss,” she sighed.

  “Just don’t say it’s better than sex, Mara,” Joanna said as she laughed at her charge’s expression. “I’ve gotten paddled for those words before.”

  Lexie noticed a flicker of something cross Mara’s face; was that pain? “Are you all right, honey? Do you need to sit?”

  Shaking her head vigorously, she smiled down at Lexie. “No, I’m great. What I need is another one of these to-die-for éclairs. Stat!”

  Although she thought Mara’s enthusiasm a bit forced, Lexie laughed, happy for her friend’s recovery. Mara had been stuck in the bed at least twice as long as Lexie had. She couldn’t imagine being flat on her back that long. Doubling the tedium, monotony and boredom of her own convalescence would have been simply too much to bear.

  “Let me get you another one. You look like you need some fattening up.”

  Megan and Regan were at the counter, a twin baby boy in each of the sister’s arms. As Lexie approached, she noticed that her friends were glaring at something behind her. Turning, she followed their gazes. If looks could kill, Mara would be lying on the bakery floor in a lifeless heap. Their target must have realized this too, because she turned away suddenly and let Joanna help her into a chair. Her aunt stood by, ready to help, as Mara carefully lowered herself and propped her walking boot up on a chair. As Mara settled her crutches nearby, Joanna was shooting a disappointed, scolding glare back at the twins.

  “What on earth is this all about? Do you know what she’s been through?”

  Regan frowned at Lexie and said in a hushed tone, “Do you know what Elena went through because of her?”

  “She was the leak at The Club, Lexie. Elena almost died. She betrayed us all.”

  “You don’t know that. You can’t assume she was involved in Elena’s kidnapping just because she associated with Shelby. They were both club members. You
can’t just paint her with the same evil brush. I’m disappointed in you two; you’ve convicted her without a trial.”

  The sisters looked at each other, a glimmer of doubt passing between them.

  “She may have made mistakes in the past, but she threw herself in front of a bullet for me and that little boy. I can’t believe someone that selfless would suddenly betray her husband and friends, only to throw in her hand with drug dealers and kidnappers.”

  Megan looked toward Mara with a speculative expression on her beautiful face and said, “Desperate times call for desperate measures, honey. They can make even good people act out of character.”

  “Yes, but even good people who do bad things deserve a second chance and forgiveness. Maybe she did do wrong, I don’t know. I wasn’t around then. Right now, she’s alone and struggling. She needs our help, and Joanna and I do not plan on turning our backs on her.”

  Disappointed in her friends, Lexie forgot the éclair and walked away. Megan and Regan weren’t ordinarily this narrow-minded and rigid in their beliefs. When she got to the table, she announced, “They’re out of éclairs. Maybe we should get you home, honey.” Lexie gave Joanna a look that spoke volumes.

  Her aunt’s gaze shifted over Lexie’s shoulder toward the bakery counter. After she stared for a moment, she nodded and rose. “I think she’s right, Mara. Lexie would know about these things. We don’t want you to overtax yourself and be tuckered out for your therapy session tomorrow.”

  “I seem to have lost my appetite anyway,” Mara replied quietly.

  Joanna held the door, and Lexie followed Mara out through the double doors, their previous light mood ruined by the awkward moments at the bakery

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Opening the door of the cab, Mara twisted and stuck her injured leg with the stiff half boot out first. Struggling with the crutches in the tight space, she juggled her purse and scooted forward, which was no easy feat. Luck as usual was against her, and her hand slipped. She watched helplessly as one crutch fell to the pavement, the rubber-tipped end hitting first so that it bounced just out of reach. Holding onto the door, she stretched to her limit, reaching and straining for it. Fearing she’d take a header onto the concrete and injure herself more, she sat up, cursing under her breath. Finally, using the other crutch to hook it, she emerged from the back seat out of breath and slightly sweaty. Tottering precariously, she reached back in and handed over the fare to the cabbie. He hadn’t even offered to help her with the door or her crutches so she stiffed him on the tip, feeling not one iota of guilt, the big jerk.

  As he pulled away, she barely controlled the urge to aim a very rude hand gesture his way. Standing on the wide concrete sidewalk outside the tall downtown high-rise that housed Rossi Security Inc., she took a deep breath to center herself. She didn’t have an appointment, but she couldn’t live with the guilt anymore. She had to talk to someone about what she knew.

  Hoping that Jonas was in the office, or Lil T, she painstakingly made her way up the ramp to the main entrance. It was a revolving door, jeez-oh-crap! She had already entered the carousel-like death trap when the security guard called to her.

  “Ma’am, there’s another door to the left.”

  Too little, too late. She hobbled awkwardly on her crutches, hopping occasionally to keep up with the spinning door. It went faster than she remembered, but it had been a long time since she used a revolving door so she could be wrong. She was almost in the clear when the end of one crutch caught on something and jerked from her hand. Pitched forward and off balance, she saw the floor rising up toward her face. At the last minute, strong hands caught her.

  Once she was upright and the crutch was returned, she looked up at her rescuer to thank him. The familiar face had any words of gratitude dying on her lips.

  “Mara,” Cap said abruptly, his brusque manner and closed expression similar to that of his wife and sister-in-law from earlier that week. “What business brings you here?”

  “Um… I, uh,” she stammered. Feeling like a fool, she tried again. “I was hoping to talk to Jonas.”

  “He’s unavailable.”

  “How about Lil T?”

  “Also, not possible. Do you have a personal matter with my men or is this business related?”

  “Maybe I’ll come back when they’re here.”

  “Maybe you should tell me what brought you here and quit playing games.”

  Mara swallowed. She’d always been intimidated by Cap. Like Sean and the others, he was tall, muscular, handsome as sin and strong as a bull, but Cap had a dose of something extra. As Sean’s commanding officer for years and then his boss, maybe it was the position of authority that made her think that way. Most likely, it was the power that radiated from his badass take-no-shit demeanor, which unfortunately was directed at her and made her think she should either run like hell or hide under the nearest table.

  “I’m waiting, Mara.”

  Her submissive nature responded to the authority in his voice. Although she hadn’t played in the lifestyle in years, she had been trained to answer to that tone of command. Trying to suppress her years of training, she said softly, “Maybe I should talk to General Davis, instead.”

  “No.” His patience obviously had run its course, because he lifted her with one strong arm around her waist. Gathering her crutches in his other hand, he held her against his hip and carried her toward the elevator like a sack of potatoes.

  Shocked speechless, she hung limp under his arm. Her voice returned as the elevator doors closed them in and they began their ascent to the uppermost floor. “I’d like to leave, please.”

  “And I’d like some answers. Once I get what I want, you can have what you want.” The doors opened with a ding, and she found herself being carried down a wide, carpeted hallway. “I’m taking you to my office where you will fill me in on the nature of your business. Then I’ll call Joanna to come fetch you. You’re obviously not ready to be out and about on your own yet.”

  “I’m fine, Sir.”

  “No, you’re not. If I hadn’t been there to stop your fall, you would have beefed it onto the hard marble floor. You’d have been bruised and banged up at the very least. Or you could be dealing with busted teeth or a bloody nose right about now.”

  She couldn’t argue with that and remained silent. Arriving at a set of double doors, he somehow managed to open them with his hands full, and then carried her through the lobby where the receptionist looked up in surprise. “Hold my calls, Gina. And if Sean’s in, tell him to join us.”

  “No. I don’t want to see him.”

  “Tough. Sean is one of my men, and I will not carry out business with his wife behind his back. I know it is hard for you to understand, but we insist on honesty and integrity among the owners, here at Rossi and at The Club.”

  Worried about another unpleasant face-off with Sean, she could barely process his remarks as he carried her into his office and plunked her down in a large, leather chair in front of his desk.

  “I’ve changed my mind. Please give me my crutches so I can go.” With panicked eyes, she watched as he propped them against a bookshelf on the other side of the room. Damn him!

  “You can’t keep me here against my will.”

  “Apparently, I can.”

  Mara glared at him in frustration, tears prickling against the backs of her eyes. She reached into her purse for her phone deciding to call Joanna right now. She’d barely thumbed it on before broad fingers pulled it from her grasp. Looking up, she saw Cap propped against his desk, arms folded over his chest. He hadn’t moved.

  “What are you doing here, Mara?”

  She froze as Sean’s voice rumbled above her.

  Hesitating only a second, with her ragged nerves on edge, she managed to state in a calm even tone, “I was leaving. If you’ll give me my phone, I’ll call for a ride and you can go about your day.”

  Ignoring her, Sean pocketed her phone and asked Cap, “Why is she here?”
/>   “She hasn’t shared yet. I found her in the lobby. For some reason she was trying to get through the revolving door on crutches. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Wes is on today. He said she had the same problem getting out of her cab. She’s a menace on those things and needs a keeper.”

  “Thankfully, that’s not my job anymore.”

  Sean’s voice was even colder than Cap’s and his words cut her to the quick. Beginning to feel sick, she finally accepted what the little voice in her head had been telling her all morning. This was a really bad idea. She’d almost told the general, but she was afraid he would kick her out of his house. She also didn’t think she could bear the look of scorn she knew she would see in Joanna’s eyes when she found out.

  “Please can I have my phone back?”

  “No.” Sean practically barked his reply. When he continued, his tone was more even. “If you’re not going to explain the reason for your visit, we’ll take this opportunity to ask you a few questions of our own.”

  Her head came up. Looking at Cap gave her no clue so she turned to look at Sean, facing him for the first time since he’d entered the office. A feeling of dread passed over her. He must know already. Cap, too. Why else would they be treating her like dog crap on the bottom of their shoe? A disgusting mess that was so foul it was dealt with quickly, and then forgotten forever, if you were lucky.

  “Do you have the file, Cap?”

  “It’s on Jonas’ desk.”

  “I’ll be right back. Don’t let her leave. I only want to do this once.”

  “Sure, bud.”

  Silence encompassed the room in his absence. Mara resigned herself to answering whatever questions they might have before she could leave. She should just tell Cap her story and get it over with. Her short-term disability checks had started so she had enough money to stay at a motel for a few days if need be, at least until she found another apartment.