by Tara Rose
She glanced out at the trees, finally turning green with new growth, and thought about what he’d just said. “You’re probably right. Ria is always bucking them on something. The only reason she was allowed to live above Luke’s Bar is because she moved in with Pep. And now of course they’re both back home.”
Ellis nodded. “I had a long talk with Luke the night of the tornado when I came on scene to view the damage. He was pretty emotional because so many of his friends had been in his bar that night, and because it had taken a while before he’d heard from Chase and Alexa and knew that they were all right.”
Marisol nodded, remembering the short phone call between Rafe and Luke while she and Rafe were at his parent’s house. It sounded as though Luke had opened up more to Ellis that night than he had to his own brother.
“Luke told me his parents still haven’t accepted his relationship with Chase and Alexa. He said they were fine with him dating Alexa, but when they found out that Chase is with her, too, they went nuts. They’re convinced that he and Chase have sex with each other as well as with Alexa, and nothing he’s said has changed their minds. He’s never even told them that he’s in the lifestyle now and that he and Chase are actually her Doms. They’d go ballistic.”
“Ria said something about that once, but I guess I never thought about it from Luke’s point of view, or from Chase’s or Alexa’s for that matter.”
“When Luke told them he was moving into the house above Tye Me Up with Chase and Alexa, they didn’t speak to him for days.”
“Then I guess it’s just who they are. They treat Luke the same way, apparently.”
“That’s right. It’s who they are.” He gave her an appreciative glance that included his gaze roving over her entire body from head to toe. Shivers ran up and down her spine. “But I still can’t imagine anyone not liking you, Marisol. You’re fun and easy to be with. As for your situation with Rafe, I wish I had words of wisdom but I don’t.”
They reached the Racy town limits, and when Ellis stopped at a red light, he gave her a searching look. “But I do want to know one thing, if you’ll please be honest with me about it.”
“Okay.” Her pulse raced at the serious tone in his voice.
“Are you and Rafe back together?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because I would love to see you again.”
Marisol stared at him, unsure whether he’d actually spoken or if she’d only imagined the words.
“But if you two are back together, forget I just said that.”
“I’d love to see you again, too, Ellis. And to be perfectly frank, I’m not sure what Rafe and I are doing. That’s the best answer I can come up with right now.”
The corners of his mouth turned up. “All right. Fair enough. All I ask is that we keep things open and truthful between us. Will you agree to do that?”
“Yes. Absolutely.” As the light turned green and he continued to drive, Marisol felt like she was perched on the edge of a great precipice but jumping off wouldn’t kill her. Rather, it would propel her toward the greatest adventure of her life.
“In that case, would you like me to take you home, or would you like to see the club?”
Chapter Nine
Marisol drew in a slow breath and let it out again. She wanted to see Maddox’s club in the worst way. The thought of touching all those floggers and whips made her nipples tingle and her heart race. Every dark, secret fantasy she’d ever had rushed to the surface of her consciousness. She risked a quick glance at Ellis. Did he sense the way desire coursed through her body? “I’d like to see the club, as long as Maddox doesn’t mind.”
If he noticed the change in her, it didn’t show. “I’ll ask him.” He pushed a button on his steering wheel, and his Bluetooth light came on.
Marisol barely heard his brief conversation with Maddox. She was too busy trying to slow her breathing and formulate questions about his lifestyle that would make her sound halfway intelligent.
“It’s a go.”
“What?”
“Maddox says it’s fine, as long as we don’t mind the fact that he and Julie are over there right now trying to settle in their temporary house guests.”
“No, of course I don’t mind. Does Julie live there now?”
Ellis nodded. “She and Sean both do.”
“What about your house? Don’t you need to be there?” She hadn’t considered that this outing had kept him away from the generous help he’d extended.
“No. I had everyone settled in by yesterday evening. I was determined to do it no matter what Bernie and the others said, so I’d already made the arrangements.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Don’t rat me out, okay?”
“Never.”
When he winked at her, Marisol had to bite back a moan. “I knew I could trust you, Marisol.”
“So how many people will be living in your house?”
“Only eight. The others all had family members who were more than happy to take them in.”
“Who’s with you?”
“Flo and Robert Humboldt. They’re the couple who lived in the apartment across from Annalise. I’m also hosting the four Blakes, and Clair, the little girl you gave the doll back to, along with her mother, Sage Lanning.”
She gasped. “What? You heard about that?”
“Of course I did. Everyone has heard about it.”
The admiration in his eyes was unmistakable, and Marisol wasn’t sure what to say. Surely anyone who’d found that doll would have tried to return it. But something he’d said about the Humboldts sparked a memory, and she turned toward him again. “The building where Annalise lived is totally gone, right? Didn’t she have a cat?” Marisol remembered her talking about it one night when she was in the bar and Annalise was working.
“She does, and Shadow is fine. She’d actually taken her to live at Chad’s house a while ago because she spends so much time there now that she was hardly ever in her apartment, and she didn’t want Shadow alone so much.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“See? That’s what I mean.”
“About what?”
“You’re a considerate person, Marisol. You worry over total strangers.”
She didn’t have time to process his comment because they were pulling into Maddox’s driveway. Several cars lined the pavement and were parked at odd angles next to the garage. “He’s going to have to paint lines on the blacktop.”
He chuckled. “That’s not a bad idea. I’ll suggest that to him.”
Ellis led her into the house and Marisol expected to see the others, but they were alone in the foyer and main hallway. She stopped in her tracks with her mouth open and twirled in a slow circle as she tried to take in every detail from the gleaming woodwork to the rich furnishings.
Ellis’s house hadn’t been this lush, but then again when she’d arrived for the meeting Sunday morning she’d been shown to the back door and led straight into the basement. She hadn’t seen the rest of it. The rooms downstairs had been finished and decorated in more of a sleek modern style. This was like walking into a museum.
“The club is in the back.” Ellis took her arm and Marisol sighed as a rush of warmth spread throughout her body at his touch. She hoped she didn’t look like an idiot as she gaped at everything.
“This house is beautiful.”
“I agree, although the decorating is a bit overdone for my tastes. But he enjoys it. Here we are.” Ellis unlocked a set of wooden double doors and opened them. He stepped inside and flipped a switch on the wall.
Marisol crossed the threshold and stood at the top of three carpeted steps leading down into a large room. The lighting was soft and soothing, and it complemented the red-and-black colors on the walls and floor. She glanced at the bondage furniture along the walls and in the center of the room, her pulse racing. To see it in person was intimidating but exciting at the same time.
Ellis closed the doors behind them, and then he descended the stair
s. When he reached the main floor he turned around because she was still standing on the top step. “It’s okay, Marisol.” He held out his hand. “No one will disturb us here. And nothing in this room bites.”
His wink helped to relax her enough that she smiled, but it took a few seconds before she moved. At the bottom of the stairs she took his hand because he still held it toward her, and drew strength from his warm, firm grasp. As she imagined that hand grasping her breast or spanking her ass, she bit back a moan.
“It can be overwhelming at first, so let’s just walk the perimeter and I’ll let you ask the questions. Is that all right?”
“I don’t even know what to ask.”
“Okay. Well, the furniture is for bondage. And all that simply means is that a Dom and sub can agree that she lie over it or sit on it without being restrained, all the way up to her entire body being tied or chained down in such a way that she’s immobile. Maddox has suspension equipment in here as well.”
“Is the sub always female and the Dom always male?”
“No, not at all. The Dom/sub relationship is whatever the two or more people in it agree that it is. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Maddox and Sean are both Doms to Julie, and Chase and Luke are Alexa’s Doms, so you can have a combination of people as well.”
“This is going to sound like a really stupid question, but don’t people feel embarrassed or self-conscious doing all this in front of others?”
He smiled. “Some do, especially at first, but if a Dom is doing a good job of giving his sub a pleasurable experience, he or she won’t be paying attention to anyone else, at least not for long.”
His voice was silky smooth and the rich tones sent shivers up and down her spine. His gaze bore into hers. She found it easy to imagine exactly what he was saying, and couldn’t stop the image of her draped over the bench they were standing in front of, her ass and pussy exposed to him, while he licked her, paddled her, and fucked her silly.
She struggled to find something to say that would tear those eyes away from her face, even just for a second. “I don’t see any toys.”
“It’s customary for people to bring their own.” He glanced toward an armoire on the far wall. “But Maddox keeps a few things down here, with the understanding that anyone using them had better clean them afterwards. Wait here a second.”
He crossed the room and opened the cabinet then took out a long black flogger. Marisol swallowed as she remembered staring at a picture of one online, wondering what it felt like to be struck with it. He swung it through the air a few times, his gaze on her face, and this time she couldn’t help but moan at the soft whistling sound it made.
Marisol forced her attention to the rest of the room as he walked slowly toward her. Every nerve ending was on fire and her panties were now thoroughly soaked. Her vision had adjusted to the soft lighting, and once again she gaped at the array of equipment around the room. She tried to imagine being restrained over a bench or against a large wooden X while Ellis used that flogger on her ass or even on more sensitive body parts, while all around her others were experiencing the same kinds of pain and pleasure.
“It’s not all about inflicting pain, Marisol.” He brushed the leather straps lightly over her forearm, and she trembled. “It’s about using new and different sensations to enhance the arousal.”
She gazed into his eyes. If that wasn’t lust shining out of them, then she didn’t know what was. “Do people actually have sex in here, too?” Her voice came out unsure and breathy, and she hoped he wouldn’t think her a naïve little girl.
“Sometimes. It’s a private house, so the rules that would apply in a club that’s housed in a warehouse or other building where there are codes to adhere to don’t have to be followed. But Maddox keeps a close watch on things.”
“What does that mean?”
“The club is officially open for play three nights a week, and Maddox and I take turns with a few others that we trust completely to serve as Dungeon Masters. It’s our job to make sure the play is safe, sane, and consensual.”
“I see. How do you know if someone is…I’m not sure how to ask what I mean.” It was difficult to take a full breath, let alone form coherent questions. She was aware of his scent, mixed with the smells of leather and other scents she couldn’t identify, as if this room had a life force all its own. The air was suddenly hot and alive with sensations and colors she hadn’t noticed before. The AC was on, and she heard the slight whine of the motor. One of the sconces on the walls had a light bulb that flickered slightly, whereas the rest of them were still.
“If someone has reached their limits? We use safewords or signals that are predetermined. Although once a Dom gets to know their sub well enough, he should know when she’s had enough.”
“So there’s a huge element of trust involved. It’s not only about control.”
“Absolutely. No one should ever play before they’ve spent some time talking about limits, at the very least. And the degree of submission varies as well.” He brushed the flogger down her back and over her ass. This time Marisol couldn’t stop the soft moan. “Like I said, the Dom and sub set their own rules. Not everyone finds the same sensations pleasurable, and not every Dom wants total control over his sub’s life.”
“But how do you know what you like if you’ve never done it before?” she whispered.
“You experiment under controlled conditions. A Dom and a sub can even negotiate a single-play session, with no expectations beyond that, simply for the experience.”
She closed her eyes for a second as the memories of Rafe spanking her filled her head. She’d enjoyed that. A lot. But they hadn’t talked about it beforehand. Rafe hadn’t known how she’d react. But then he wasn’t a Dom, and Ellis was. Marisol shivered as he brushed the flogger over her back and ass again.
“Marisol, do you want to know what this feels like against your bare skin?”
She couldn’t look him in the eye. It was the boldest thing he’d asked her all day, and now there was no use in pretending he’d been thinking about what it would be like to make love to her any less than she’d been imagining the same thing about him.
“Hold out your arm. I won’t hit you hard with it. There’s not as much padding on your arm.”
“As there is on my ass, you mean?” She forced a little laugh, but it was more from nervousness than anything.
“Please don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?” The look on his face was full of disappointment, and Marisol’s heart sank. She was blowing this already.
“Don’t put down your body. You’re so pretty. Surely you know that. And your body is curvy and luscious. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been imagining all day long what it looks like naked.”
Well, there it was. He’d put it out there, and it was too late to take it back. Now it was up to her to do something about it. She looked into his eyes for a long time. It would be so easy to just give in and experience something she’d barely fantasized about, but that excited her beyond all reason. But where would that leave Rafe?
“Tell me what you’re thinking right now.”
She let out a loud sigh. “You said to keep things up front and honest, but I haven’t been completely truthful about me and Rafe.” Marisol wasn’t entirely sure she’d been ready to tell him until the words left her mouth. It was as if the act of simply gazing into his eyes had compelled her to come clean.
She’d expected the lust in his eyes to dissipate or a frown to crease his forehead, but neither of those things occurred. Instead he took her arm and lifted it, holding it out in front of her. “Don’t move,” he whispered.
He took a step back and swung the flogger. When it struck her arm, she jumped a bit, but the sensation was more of a thudding one than a stinging one, and she knew he hadn’t struck her very hard. “The straps are thick,” he said. “Thinner straps produce more of a sting, like someone slapping you would.”
Or someone spanking you. She co
uld easily imagine the flogger striking her bare ass, hard. It would be similar to being paddled with a wooden paddle or something thick and hard, like a mixing spoon.
“You can put your arm down. I just wanted you to know what it felt like in case this evening ended before I had a chance to give you that experience.”
All she could do was continue to stare into his hypnotic eyes.
“Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me about you and Rafe?”
Chapter Ten
Marisol closed her eyes again for a second. How the hell had she gotten herself into this mess? When she opened them, she took a deep breath and then spoke in a rush, knowing if she stopped she’d never tell him. “Friday night my car was dying again, and I spotted Rafe still at the garage so I stopped. Bobby had already gone home but Rafe said he’d look at it in the morning. Then I told him what happened at the bar Friday night before I left. Did you hear about that? Dustin Alexander’s ex-wife came in and confronted him, Chad Bristol, and Annalise. Dustin told Susan to get lost, basically, and then there was a big moment between him and Annalise, and Chad and Annalise, where they told her they loved her and she said she loved them, too.”
Marisol took a quick breath and kept talking. Ellis was grinning now and his eyes shone with amusement. “So I told Rafe about that and then he offered to drive me home because the storm was coming up fast. I was going to call Bonnie, but he didn’t want me to wait in the storm. By the time we pulled into my driveway the tornado sirens were going off. We hid in my basement until it was over, and then we drove downtown.”
She had to stop for a second as the memories of seeing Market Street in ruins washed over her. “I found the doll a couple of streets away. We had to park there and walk because they already had Market Street blocked off. After we found Luke, I went to Nan’s where Luke said some people had gathered, and returned the doll. Then Rafe and I drove to his parents’ house because none of the cell calls were going through. While we were there, Rafe finally heard from Luke on the phone at the same time I got a call from my mother. Then Rafe drove me home and…and it just happened, Ellis. We didn’t plan it. It just happened.”
