by Cara Adams
“I would expect nothing less.”
“Are you free for dinner there on Tuesday night?”
“I’m in court Tuesday and will be meeting with the client and his team afterward. It might be very late when I finish. Wednesday should be clear though.”
“If you give Juliana your email address, she can send you the forms so you’ll have had a chance to read them before Wednesday, and then we can talk,” said Cam.
Allegra shot them both a questioning look as Cam spoke. Yeah, talk wasn’t the only thing on any of their minds. But if she wasn’t ready for a game in the dungeon, he could deal with that. Kissing and touching would be a great place to start anyway, and he planned to dance with her as a minimum amount of touching.
Chapter Three
Allegra’s week was so incredibly busy that, by Wednesday evening, it seemed like the day beside the swimming pool with Cam, Hammer, and their friends was nothing but a distant memory.
However, she had taken the time to read and complete the contract from The Dom’s Dungeon. It was strange. She’d never thought much about BDSM, despite attending a bachelorette party and really enjoying the ideas and displays there. But the more she read, and the more she thought about BDSM, the more she liked the idea of completely giving her body into the care of an attentive Dom for a period of time in a dungeon. Watching subs being whipped and flogged had aroused her immensely, and she knew she’d relish that side of things. She was also ready to put all of her busy life on hold for a few hours of complete and total handover of power to a Dom. But only to one she could trust. Someone like Hammer.
Harlan Hammersmith III was nothing like what she’d seen of his father, Harlan Hammersmith Junior, and grandfather, Harlan Hammersmith Senior. The old man was a bully and a tyrant. He’d needed to be strong, determined, and powerful to build up his company from nothing to the multimillion-dollar business it was today. But he still held the reins and ruled as though it was 1960. He surrounded himself with older men just like himself, and consequently, his business was bleeding money and clients due to its lack of involvement with social media and new ideas. No, not even new ideas, just ones that were a little newer than the era he was stuck in.
One day soon he was going to wake up and find his customers had all jumped ship to a bright new company that treated its staff as human beings and interacted with the clients. Taking the CEOs of client businesses golfing only worked once. The old man needed to get a few advisors who were under the age of sixty and actually knew about the pressures facing people in the twenty-first century.
As for Junior, he was totally under his father’s control. She was surprised he’d managed to rear a man like Hammer. But maybe Hammer took after his mom.
Allegra hurried into the ladies restroom at work and exchanged her severe white shirt for a softer prettier one in pale blue and touched up her makeup. She brushed and rebraided her hair, her fingers working nimbly as her mind checked that all her day’s tasks had been accomplished, or at least moved on to the next stage.
On arrival at The Dom’s Dungeon, she switched her office shoes for a less severe pair, but still only with low heels. Thanks to her useless ankle, she never ever wore high heels, not even to balls. However, most people didn’t even notice her footwear. In court she needed to be on her feet for hours at times, and under those circumstances, most female attorneys wore low heels or none at all.
She took the elevator up to reception and handed the receptionist, who was not Juliana, her completed form. The woman’s nametag read, Adelaide. “Thank you, Adelaide.”
“You’re welcome. Have a good evening. If there’s anything I can help you with, just ask me.”
Allegra took the pass she’d been given and smiled at the security guard standing at the entry to the hallway that led to the Stage Lounge. Anyone could visit the Stage Lounge and the bar to dine, dance, and watch the floor shows. But to access the dungeons and the private rooms, it was necessary to have the relevant pass. And she would have her first experience in a dungeon tonight. As long as Hammer agreed to her boundaries.
* * * *
Cam and Hammer were both sitting at the bar waiting for their woman. Hammer was talking to Gavan, the bearded barman, but Cam sat side-on so he could watch for her approach. He’d wanted to wait in the reception area but wasn’t certain he might not miss her there. If she didn’t stop at the reception desk and there were too many people moving around in the foyer, it’d be easy for her to disappear in the crowd. She wasn’t all that tall to be particularly visible.
Waiting here made a lot more sense, but that didn’t stop his body from aching to be moving around, pacing the floor, wanting her to hurry up and get here. That was a most unusual feeling for him. He was generally exceptionally patient, happy to sit and wait while everyone else ranted and raved about whoever was late. But not tonight. Tonight her comment about being punctual kept running around in his head, assuring him she’d be here soon. Or maybe she was already here somewhere and he’d missed her in the crowd. Perhaps he should wait on the mezzanine level so he could lean over the balcony and have an uninterrupted view of everyone down here?
He wanted to pull out his cell phone and check the time, but he didn’t want to lift his gaze from the entryway where she’d appear. Cam just knew the moment he looked away he’d miss seeing her arrive. He was relatively confident she’d come straight from work, so would be wearing one of her prim suits. He wondered if she had an entire closet full of them in navy, brown, gray, and black, or if she had a couple of identical ones, which she alternated.
It was so much easier being a man. As long as he had a suit, and a handful of shirts and neckties, a man could go anywhere, but for women it was different. At least in Cam’s job all he needed was a couple of pairs of jeans and one pair of good pants for special occasions. He didn’t mind dressing up occasionally but wasn’t sure he’d like the idea of being choked by a tie every day of the week.
Beside him Hammer grunted at the exact moment Cam saw Allegra arrive. She didn’t appear to hurry or push, but she made her way through the crowd very efficiently, reaching them much faster than he could have done.
“How did you do that?” he asked.
“Do what?” she asked him straight back.
“Get from the doorway to here in a nanosecond without pushing past people.”
“Oh. A room full of people is like a maze. I look for the gaps and work my way from one gap to the next. People tend to stand in clusters, and there’s always a space and a way around them.”
Cam wasn’t convinced, but he’d just seen for himself that her theory worked. Well, it worked for her. He wasn’t sure it’d work for him.
“I’ve reserved a table. Are you ready to go sit there?” Hammer asked Allegra.
“Absolutely. The food here is amazing. It’s better than some of the so-called ‘fine dining’ restaurants I’ve been to.”
Cam was more a steak-and-fries kind of man himself, but he knew The Dom’s Dungeon took food preparation seriously, and he’d been to enough other places to know that, even with steak and fries, there was a world of difference between the places who did them best and the other more run-of-the-mill establishments.
Hammer led them to one of the best tables on the mezzanine floor. That was the good thing about being friends with a Dom. Hammer took organizing his events seriously, and there was never any likelihood they’d end up standing in line waiting for a table to become vacant.
Cam held Allegra’s chair for her to sit down, and then Hammer handed each of them menus he’d collected from the bar while they were waiting for Allegra. Cam already knew what he was going to order, so he watched Allegra. She was wearing a severe navy suit. He didn’t know whether or not it was the same one as before. He wasn’t that clued-in to women’s clothing. But she had a pretty pale-blue shirt under it, which he liked.
Although Allegra naked would be even better. Seeing her in that bikini on Saturday had been wonderful, although she’d covered i
t with the sarong most of the time. He thought it very likely she’d agree to go to the dungeon with them after the meal. She’d pretty much already said she would, with a couple of provisos. He hoped one of them wasn’t that she stay fully clothed. That would complicate the scene a hell of a lot. Fortunately that would be Hammer’s problem, not his.
The server appeared at their table, and Allegra looked up at him and smiled. “I’m tempted by the jalapeno poppers, but I think I’ll have the pork hock with chili caramel and the chocolate soufflé afterward, thank you.”
“And to drink, ma’am?”
“Cherry ice tea, please.”
“And for you, sir?” He looked at Cam. Cam wanted to ask her why she’d chosen the hock over the poppers but decided to ask later. “Steak and fries, thank you, but I’ll have the pecan pie for dessert and Coca Cola to drink.”
“I’ll have the hock as well please, and water.”
As soon as the server left, Cam asked her, “What made you change your mind about the poppers?”
“Jalapeno and cheddar croquettes taste best with beer, and since alcohol is inadvisable before a dungeon session, I didn’t want to limit my options at this point.”
“Does that mean you’re still undecided?” asked Hammer.
“I work in a career where keeping as many options open for as long as possible is always the best plan.”
Cam supposed that made sense, but he didn’t have to like it. He wanted to know exactly how she felt, but they’d talked some at the barbecue, and tonight was really Hammer’s event. It was important that the lead-up to the dungeon be exactly right, so Cam needed to follow Hammer’s lead, not go racing away with his own ideas and potentially spoil Hammer’s plans.
Fortunately he and Hammer had talked a bit in the car on the way here, and he knew dancing with Allegra was part of Hammer’s plan. “Will you dance with me, please?” he asked.
She smiled but didn’t answer immediately, and Cam had the horrible feeling she was going to refuse. He knew about her foot, but surely that wouldn’t stop her dancing in a gentle way with him. He really wanted an excuse to hold her in his arms. He didn’t mind if they didn’t go waltzing all around the dance floor. Besides, the dance floor wasn’t very big, and it’d soon fill up with people.
By the time she said, “Thank you,” he was just about ready to beg her. Smiling in relief, he jumped to his feet and held out his hand to her. He led her down to the dance floor and pulled her into his arms. Instead of pressing his aching dick against her body as he wanted to, he maintained a very correct inch of space between them and concentrated on the delightful softness of her back against his hand and the way her hand folded itself inside his other one.
The music slowed for the second song, and cautiously he moved closer to her and held her more firmly. She didn’t object, and he relished the slight touch of her soft body against his. He still wasn’t brave enough to press against her as he wanted to, but he did let their torsos touch and felt the hard peaks of her nipples against his shirt. That alone was enough to make his dick stretch and harden even farther.
By the time the bracket of music ended, he was longing to kiss her but managed to continue to act appropriately, simply thanking her for the dance and leading her back to their table. Almost immediately the meals were served. Cam was hungry, but as far as he was concerned, this was all just foreplay. What really mattered was being in the dungeon together. If she agreed, that was.
* * * *
Everything was going smoothly, except that Allegra still hadn’t said she definitely would go into the dungeon with them. The meal was as delicious as always, and Hammer had taken his turn at dancing with her. He’d observed how careful Cam had been not to overstep the boundaries, and he behaved the same. But that didn’t stop him wishing he could hold her so tightly she could barely breathe and then kiss her until she agreed to do whatever he wanted her to.
He took the final sip of his coffee and put his cup down. Hammer glanced at Cam, and they each picked up one of Allegra’s hands. “Well, Allegra? Can we go down to the dungeon now?”
“First, you need to know there are a few things I will not do.”
Hammer tried not to scowl at her. “Do you understand that you will always have a safe word and can stop the scene at any time?”
“Yes. But don’t you think it’d be better to avoid doing something I will refuse to cooperate with in the first place?”
“Never try to negotiate with an attorney?” Hammer was grinning, despite his annoyance. Allegra couldn’t help who and what she was.
“Exactly.”
“What are the things you won’t do?”
“I won’t do anything that will put stress on my right ankle. I won’t, for example, stand on my right foot only or have to kick with that foot.”
“I know it’s been hurt, and I completely understand. Anything else?”
“No.”
“Good then. What’s your safe word?”
“Carpe diem.”
“Huh?” Hammer was almost certain the expensive middle school he’d attended had taught them famous sayings in other languages, but he had no idea what that one meant.
“Carpe diem roughly means seize the day. It’s from Horace. One of his Odes. Dated to 23 BC.”
“I think we learned something about Horace in the tenth grade. Likely I wasn’t listening that day,” said Cam.
“Yeah. Me either. It’s an appropriate safe word though. Shall we go downstairs?” Hammer was almost holding his breath. He wanted this so much, but until she gave her permission, there was nothing he could do. They were so close, but she had to say the words.
Allegra smiled, her bright blue eyes sparkling like sapphires in her intelligent face, and she nodded. Hammer heaved a sigh of relief and stood up. He led the way down the steps to the bar and then out into the hallway and down a lot more steps to the basement. He swiped his card to open the dungeon door and then turned to face her.
“The scene starts now. Go inside and undress and then stand in the middle of the room, hands behind your back and head lowered. You may stop the scene at any time by using your safe word. Other than that, you may only speak to answer a direct question from me. Do you understand?
“That’s quite a challenge for someone who talks for a living. I agree, Sir.”
He hadn’t seen her work in that light before, but he supposed she was correct. Hammer opened the door and waited for her to enter. He nodded at Cam, who followed her in and went across to the far side of the dungeon, where he stood against the counter along the back wall. He’d given Cam an outline of what he planned to do, but of course he didn’t know exactly how the scene would go because it would change according to the way Allegra responded to each individual challenge. But Cam was the best friend a man could ever have. He would watch and assist without needing much of a sign as to what Hammer decided to do.
They understood each other so well. It was as if they’d been brothers in a former life or something like that. He waited by the door as Allegra looked all around the room. She did it quickly, but he knew she was categorizing everything as her gaze swept a complete three-sixty before she stepped to the left and put her purse on the floor. That was interesting. Most people moved right when they entered a room. Yet Allegra had moved left. Was that because she was left-handed, or was she the kind of person who liked to do the opposite of what was expected? Was it how she won her cases at work? By being unpredictable?
It was one more fascinating fact he’d learned about her tonight. He’d wondered how she’d react at being told to undress. Naked or lingerie only was standard in a dungeon, but Hammer knew some women found stripping in front of other people the most difficult part of the process. He hated that women were socialized to worry about their bodies. It was crazy that women were made to feel bad about the tiniest bit of fat, whereas a man was forgiven for being ten or even twenty pounds overweight.
He watched, enthralled, as she undressed quickly and efficientl
y, with no drama or attempt to see if he was watching her. She folded her clothes neatly as she removed them and walked into the center of the room as calm and collected as if she were still fully clothed. He knew her skin was fair from seeing her in swimwear, but now he could stare at the straight line of her spine, and her lean legs. They were ideally proportioned for her height. In fact, she was perfectly proportioned all over.
He mentally shook his thoughts off. It was time to focus all his senses and every ounce of his concentration on Allegra, not his aching dick. Allegra, his beautiful, intelligent, and challenging mission for the evening. Her dark braid fell forward over her right shoulder as she waited in the center of the dungeon as he’d told her to. He remained perfectly still watching her. He needed to remember to be careful of her foot, but he knew she was on her feet for hours in court some days, so just standing shouldn’t cause her any problems. He wanted her to feel the cold stone floor under her bare feet and for her skin to pebble slightly as the air brushed over her body.
The Dom’s Dungeon had the heating set to a level so that naked persons wouldn’t catch a chill. But there was also the expectation that people would be moving around so the temperature wasn’t balmy-warm, just not cold.
He also knew Allegra would be very used to out-waiting angry clients or opponents, so making her wait too long wasn’t going to give him the results he wanted. “Turn to face the whips, sub.”
He expected her to face them instantly, not to need to look around, and he was correct. That one long look she’d taken as she’d entered the dungeon had fixed in her mind the position of everything in here. He needed to constantly remember that this woman was damn smart, and to act accordingly.
He stomped across the stone floor, making sure his boots rang out as he did so, and took a flogger off the rack.
