Faith had chosen the private room.
He still had trouble thinking straight as he thought about how he would handle her as soon as he got her alone.
Shaking his plans for later to the back of his mind, he watched as Faith led Brooke to the spider web and then had her face the chain links. Interesting choice. It was one thing to lower a submissive onto his or her back against the chains. He’d yet to see anyone lying on the links face first.
But he trusted Faith to know what she was doing. No way would Rowen interrupt her scene. It was against Zodiac policy to ever interrupt a scene, besides, never once since Rowen had known Faith had she done anything to place any doubt in his mind as to her abilities as a Domme.
This scene was well planned and prepared for. Faith had even met privately with Brooke in Rowen’s office before they descended to start the scene. Faith would have made certain Brooke was ready for this public display.
As Brooke lifted her hands up in a V above her head, Faith used soft Velcro cuffs to attach her to the chain links.
Rowen let his gaze wander down to Brooke’s body. She was shorter than Faith, maybe five two, and so small as to seem fragile, though he doubted that was the case. Her skin was as pale as Faith’s with a sprinkle of freckles. Her curly red hair was braided down her back tonight, and Faith tucked it over her shoulder as she switched to attach her other wrist.
Brooke wore jeans and a loose-fitting, long-sleeved, black shirt. It caught Rowen’s attention. Members of the club wore all sorts of clothing on any given night, so no one surprised him ever. But Brooke… She was hiding.
Rowen realized he wasn’t alone a moment before Carter spoke from his side. “You might think it’s none of my business, but what exactly is going on here?”
Rowen glanced at Carter and then back at the women, unsure how much he wanted to divulge. Yes. Carter definitely had a stake in this situation. Even if Brooke didn’t know it yet.
Under any other normal situation, Rowen wouldn’t reveal a member’s secrets even to his closest friends and coworkers if they asked him not to. And he’d watched the tension ebb from Faith’s shoulders at dinner when he’d told her he hadn’t revealed the nature of their relationship to his employees.
But Carter’s arms were crossed and he was planted next to Rowen, sucking the oxygen out of the room. He deserved more than silence. He cared more about Brooke than he was probably fully aware of yet.
“Faith is helping Brooke.”
“Helping her?”
Rowen leaned closer to ensure their conversation could not be overheard while he kept his gaze on his woman and the woman Carter was preoccupied with. “You said yourself she has issues. She only submits to women. She prefers Faith. Cutting her off with no explanation would be cruel. I thought it was best if Faith worked with her tonight in an attempt to make a breakthrough.”
“You thought it was best…” Carter deadpanned.
“Yes.”
“Because cutting Brooke off would be cruel…” he continued.
“Yes.”
“So this is the last time Faith is going to dominate Brooke?”
“Quite possibly.”
“Quite possibly,” he repeated. “That’s clear as mud.”
“Isn’t it, though?” Rowen asked without looking at Carter’s face.
Carter’s stance relaxed slightly. “Maybe. Though this cryptic game we’re playing is making me think too hard.”
Rowen took a breath. “I apologize.”
“I get it. Don’t apologize. I’m a smart guy. Contrary to the confusion you planted in everyone else’s mind Thursday night, I know you better. No fucking way is that woman dominating you in private. You’re not protecting your own reputation. You’re protecting hers. And it makes perfect sense. I totally understand why she would want to hold her secrets close until she’s positive of her stance and willing to out herself to others.”
Rowen said nothing. It wasn’t necessary.
“Do you have a plan for aftercare here? Who’s going to work with Brooke an hour from now when Faith walks away?”
Rowen did glance at his friend at those questions. “You busy tonight?”
Faith moved around Brooke, taking things slow. Half of her felt like she slid right back into her element, her role as Domme, without a hitch. After all, she’d done this so many times it came naturally.
But it wasn’t natural. It was a learned behavior. And after a week of doing what was truly natural she was well aware of the way she mechanically maneuvered around a scene like this. No one would ever know it wasn’t her true calling. She was that good. But in her heart, she knew. She simply couldn’t allow it to affect her performance.
As usual, dozens of people were watching. She tuned them out, also as usual. However, she was super aware of Rowen. She knew exactly where he was standing, and in addition, she wasn’t surprised to find Carter next to him, arms crossed, face scrunched in concern. The blond man had an interest in Brooke, which was convenient because he was the perfect person to take over Brooke’s aftercare when Faith finished this scene.
Faith had no proof that Brooke was even interested in men, but she hoped to pull off the performance of a lifetime right here and get the woman to talk to her, both before and after the scene.
Already Faith had accomplished one goal—she knew with certainty that she didn’t thrive as a Domme. She could do it. That was never in doubt, but it didn’t bring her to her knees and make her feel whole like submitting did.
No matter what happened between her and Rowen in the next few days, Faith would have to admit her true submission to herself. Unfortunately, that fierce revelation was wrought with problems.
If the shit hit the fan—as it surely would—between her and Rowen, she would be left without a club and without a Dom. The hardest part to swallow about that would be that she couldn’t envision putting herself out there for another Dom.
It was bad enough coming to terms with how good Rowen made her feel and how much she was willing to sacrifice for him. She had sworn off men to guard her heart, and she’d meant it. But Rowen had snuck up on her and burrowed under her skin before she could stop the advance.
Submitting to him later tonight would cost her dearly. She knew it, but she couldn’t stop it. Her heart was in jeopardy of betraying her completely when soon afterward her world would crumble, leaving her without a Dom and with a new chink in her armor that would cause her to bury herself even deeper from future possible hurt.
She never should have let things go this far. She’d known all week she was falling harder for Rowen with each passing day. She’d even found peace with losing Victor and allowed herself to open up again. However, she’d known with equal certainty that Rowen would never survive her parents.
The two warring issues lived in separate compartments in her mind. She’d allowed herself to feel, to submit thoroughly, to love again. Meanwhile, the sane half of her head knew it couldn’t last, and she would inevitably get hurt.
The loss already weighed heavily on her shoulders.
She closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath, and forced herself to concentrate on Brooke. Faith’s ponytail fell over her shoulder, reminding her she was only playing the role of Domme for the next thirty minutes. Rowen had put her hair in that band, and he was ultimately in charge of her.
She stepped around the spider web holding a paddle, a flogger, and a whip in her hands. “Look at me, Brooke.”
The skittish redhead lifted her gaze. “Ma’am.”
“You said you didn’t want me to hold back tonight.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“I’m going to let you choose which item you’d like me to strike you with, but there’s a catch.”
Brooke’s eyes widened. “A catch?”
“Yes. I’m going to expect you to open up to me. Talk to me. Answer my questions while I top you.”
Brooke swallowed, her pale cheeks pinkening. “Why…Ma’am?”
“Because you’r
e using me to escape and hide from yourself. If you don’t let some of that out, you’re never going to make any headway.”
Brooke held Faith’s gaze for so long Faith worried she might turn down the offer. Finally, she nodded. “The whip please, Ma’am.”
Faith wasn’t surprised. The sting from the whip was usually more piercing and quick than any other implement. If the goal of a submissive was pain, he or she would get the most bang for their buck with the whip.
Faith didn’t have the luxury of striking Brooke’s bare skin. For one thing, Rowen had forbidden it. For another thing, Brooke had never indicated she craved the exposure. So, Faith would make do with knowing whatever pink lines landed on Brooke’s skin would be seen later only by Brooke. Faith was professional enough to know how hard to strike to avoid blood. And she would be extra cautious tonight without being able to see the results.
Stepping out of Brooke’s line of sight, Faith took a position behind Brooke, set a hand on her shoulder, and spoke into her ear. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I want to push myself tonight.”
Faith had spoken to Brooke for a while before they stepped into the main room. It was a big deal for Brooke to open up in public like this. A huge step.
“Safeword?”
“Red, Ma’am.”
Deep breath. “I’m going to start now. Easy at first and then harder.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Faith slid into the zone she’d trained herself to assume and stepped back to strike Brooke’s small rounded butt, watching the redhead clench her cheeks together with every swoosh of the whip.
She set up a pattern, landing her strikes down the backs of Brooke’s thighs and then back up until she reached her shoulders. Every so often she increased the force, watching every flinch to gauge Brooke’s reactions.
When Brooke stopped fighting against herself and relaxed into the scene, moaning softly, Faith paused to rub her hand along the welts and leaned in toward Brooke’s ear. “Do you get aroused when I whip you, Brooke?” She knew the answer to that question, but she wanted to hear Brooke say it aloud.
“No, Ma’am.”
“That’s a girl.” She continued to soothe Brooke’s back with her palm. “There’s no right or wrong answer, you know.”
“Okay, Ma’am.” Her voice was soft.
“Did someone in your past hurt you, Brooke?” Faith was treading into difficult territory, knowing she was taking a gamble.
“Yes, Ma’am,” she whispered.
“A past lover?” Faith held her breath. The answer to that question held the key to unraveling Brooke.
Chapter 24
Faith was mentally exhausted when she was finally finished with Brooke. She had pulled so much information out of the smaller woman that there had been a seismic shift in the universe that left the air around them thick.
Between every round of strikes with the whip, Faith had spoken quietly to Brooke, helping her release her past. The woman had a long way to go, but hopefully what they had accomplished had been a start that would help launch Brooke into a healing path.
After they finished the scene, Faith helped Brooke over to a sofa and sat next to her, holding her hand as she drank a bottle of water. It took a while for Brooke to come out of her daze and meet Faith’s gaze with seeing eyes. “Thank you.”
Faith smiled. “You’re welcome. My pleasure.”
“I said a lot of things.”
“I know.” Faith squeezed her hand. “That’s good. You need to get that stuff off your chest. You need to release it.”
Brooke nodded, tipping her head down toward her lap. “It would be different if I let a man top me, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes.” Finally, a breakthrough. The segue Faith needed. “Can I make a recommendation?”
Brooke flinched, not having expected Faith to push the issue further so fast.
Faith continued. “I’d like to ask one of the owners to work with you. He’s a very gentle Dom. And he knows what he’s doing. He’s safe. I think you would benefit from letting him help you.”
“You’re not going to top me again, are you?” Brooke asked.
Faith shook her head. “No, sweetie, I’m not. For many reasons.”
Brooke nodded. “Which owner?”
“Carter Ellis. He and Rowen have been watching you closely. They’re keeping an eye on us even now. Will you let me step away so he can talk to you?”
She hesitated for a long time and then tipped her head to one side. “The blond?”
“Yes.”
“He’s so…big.”
Faith smiled. “You aren’t lying. But he’s a gentle giant.” Faith didn’t need Rowen to tell her that. She’d seen him in action many times herself. “Trust me?”
“Okay.”
Faith lifted her gaze toward the men hovering just out of hearing distance and nodded. Two seconds later, Rowen had his hands on Faith’s shoulders, guiding her away from Brooke while Carter took her spot on the sofa.
Damn but she hoped she had made the right decision.
Rowen said nothing until they were out of the main room and he had guided her upstairs into his office. He shut the door and faced her again, his hands cupping her cheeks. “I know we discussed using a private room here tonight, but I’d rather take you to my place if you don’t mind.”
She smiled. “I’d like that, Sir.” The extra time it would take to get to his apartment would help her recover from her experience with Brooke. Besides, with every passing moment she felt more certain tonight would be their last night together, so she wanted to make the most of it. She preferred submitting to him someplace where she didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing her, where she could let down her inhibitions in private, where she could have amazing sex on a bed with a sexy man who worshipped her.
Yeah, she wanted to go home with Rowen.
“Wait here.” He left her by the door and headed across the room to shut down his computer and grab a few things off his desk. “You okay walking out of the club with me? We can leave separately again if you’d prefer.”
“No, Sir. It’s fine.” She grinned. “I’m pretty sure most people who have seen us think you secretly submit to me in private.”
He narrowed his gaze at her, clasping one of her ass cheeks with his hand and hauling her to his front. “You think you’re funny?” His voice was serious, but his expression gave him away. He couldn’t hide the mirth dancing in his eyes.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Sassy girl.” He backed her up until she was flattened against the door, lifted both her hands over her head, and clasped her wrists with one of his hands. His free hand was on her breast in less than a second.
She gasped, sobering.
He pinched her nipple through the fabric of her dress.
Her pussy flooded as she rose onto her toes.
Two seconds later he released her breast and yanked her dress up over her hips. “Spread your legs.”
She did so without hesitation, adrenaline pumping through her body. A minute ago she had felt the need to rest and regroup. Now she was on full alert. Deep ragged breaths.
He grabbed her leg and hitched it up high on his thigh. “How wet are you, Faith?”
She swallowed, blinking. Befuddled. “Very wet, Sir,” she whispered, hating how her body betrayed her without warning.
He cupped her ass with his enormous hand and swiped his fingers through her folds.
She moaned loudly, instantly needing release.
His hand came up between them, two fingers wet with her come. He wiped it on her mouth. “Taste yourself.”
She licked her lips.
His fingers slid into her mouth next. “Suck.”
She did as he instructed, surprised to find her flavor sweeter than expected.
When he pulled his fingers out of her mouth, he lowered his hand back to her pussy and thrust those fingers up inside her.
“Rowen…” A louder moan she
could not stop.
He thrust again, harder, practically lifting her off the floor. His thumb landed on her clit and pressed while he fucked her pussy, adding a third finger.
Her eyes rolled back into her head as she leaned against the door. Her breasts felt full and tight behind the confines of her dress. And Rowen relentlessly fucked her with his fingers until she couldn’t think.
“Do you need to come, Faith?”
“Yes, Sir,” she panted.
“Ask for permission.”
“Please… Sir… Please let me come.” It was a wonder she was able to speak the words.
His thumb against her clit disappeared and one finger slid into her tight rear hole so that every thrust included both holes now. It took seconds for her to fall apart, exploding around his palm.
She gasped for every breath as his hand disappeared. Too soon. Before the pulsing stopped. Before she was fully satisfied. He released her hands and her leg and tugged her skirt over her butt.
Her vision was still blurry and her brain confused when he grabbed her chin and looked her in the eye. “Who’s in charge of your body?”
“You are, Sir.” There was no doubt.
“If I wanted to march you down to the club right now, cuff you to that spider web, and make you scream for release, would you do it?”
“Yes, Sir,” she responded on a deflated breath. She would. She wasn’t kidding. She would do anything he asked. He had that much control over her.
“That’s what I thought.” He released her chin, grabbed their constant companion—the black bag of surprises—and took her hand. “Now you have something else to recover from while you’re in the car. And I suggest you take the time to think about what it means to submit to me, because when we get to the apartment, I’m going to remind you a few more times.”
As Rowen let them into his apartment, he wondered if he’d pushed her too far.
When she pulled out her sassy card, he couldn’t resist the urge to ensure she understood who was in charge. Even though she’d just finished topping Brooke, she was still his submissive, and she’d clearly needed the reminder.
Obeying Rowen Page 22
