by Lexi Blake
But if he went white hot on her, then there was still some passion left.
“I don’t think he’s going to like it if you play with another Dom,” Faith said.
“I’m not having sex with anyone. I’m not planning on doing anything at all but finding some stress relief,” Erin explained. “I’m not sure who to ask though. Brody is good with a whip, but I prefer a flogger with a nice sting. It’s faster. The trouble is Nick is best with the flogger, but Theo wouldn’t like it. Penny offered to share a scene with me. Damon can flog us both and then they can go at it in the privacy room. Mind doing my aftercare?”
Faith grinned. “I can certainly put some ointment on your butt. I am a doctor after all.”
“Just not an evil crazy one.” She would feel so much better after a nice long flogging. There wasn’t anything sexual about it. That was the crazy part. She’d discovered she was one of those people for whom pain brought relief.
Faith’s hand squeezed hers. “I’m so sorry, Erin. I wish I could change things. Do you think I should try to talk to her?”
“No.” The last thing she wanted was Faith in her sister’s clutches. Faith was smart and strong, but she had no real idea of how to deal with a woman like Hope. Faith would never be able to think like her sister so it would be difficult to read her moves and outmaneuver her.
That was Erin’s job and she needed time and information in order to do it.
The key would be in isolating her again, in taking away her resources and forcing her to run. If she panicked, she would make mistakes. If she made mistakes, Erin would capitalize on them.
“Not that I would know how to call her,” Faith said with a sigh. “You have to know that if I did, I would share the information with you. She might be related to me biologically, but you’re my real sister.”
Stupid emotions. She never used to blink back tears. “I never doubt, sister. Never.”
“Hello, subs,” a deep voice said. “How are you this evening?”
Erin looked up and there was a gorgeous man standing over her. Clive Weston. Ah, Simon’s brother was a lovely man and one of the few Damon trusted to be a member of his club. Each member outside the team was carefully vetted. She’d never met the man but knew him from pictures and the stories Simon told.
She’d also heard he’d recently lost both his long-time submissive and a close friend. Clive, like Adam and Jake, was heavily into ménage. It was a lifestyle for the man, but he’d had two partners instead of one. Now, according to gossip, he was playing solo and running through subs like they were candy and he needed a sugar fix.
She could understand the need for solace. “Good evening, Sir. My friend and I are doing well this evening, thank you.”
“A Yank? You’re new here. Can I buy you a drink? I see your friend is collared, but she’s welcome to chaperone us, if you like.”
Wasn’t that polite? It surprised her since she’d been told Clive was the resident manwhore Dom and didn’t spend time getting to know a woman. “Are you attempting to negotiate with me, Sir?”
Faith gasped at her side, sitting up as though she was going to put the Brit in his place. Erin held a hand out. She was intrigued. Not by the idea of playing with Weston. She wouldn’t do that since he was obviously looking for a lover, but she was interested in his state of mind. His brother was worried about him. If she could tell Simon anything at all, she would.
He put his hands on his muscular hips. “I think I’m attempting to get to know you, sub. We don’t have to play tonight. Unless you want to, but even then I think I would like to talk a bit first. I’m in a mood tonight, you see.”
Very interesting. “I would love to sit and talk to you if you don’t mind my friend joining us. I would appreciate a chaperone. Her Dom is a good friend of mine. I intended to play a bit tonight, but only with a married Dom, if you know what I mean.”
He nodded her way. “You’re cautious. I understand that. I find myself more cautious these days, too.”
“That’s not what I’ve heard.”
He winced a little. “So my reputation precedes me. You’ll have to forgive me, dear. You know me, but I don’t think we’ve met. You must work for Knight. I suspect that since you’re not wearing a collar and he allows so few people outside his business in.”
He was a smart man, but then his brother was one of the smartest she knew. “I actually work for Ian Taggart.”
That sensual smile on his face turned upside down. “Then you know my brother.”
And he didn’t like that. It told her he wanted to hide his real state from Simon. “We’re acquainted, but I work more with Liam O’Donnell than anyone else. I take it that means you’re going to change your mind. I can give you several other reasons to walk away. I have a baby upstairs. I’m involved with a man who might never remember how that baby was conceived, much less that he ever loved me. I’m in love with him and that won’t ever change so if you’re in the mood for sex, you should look somewhere else. I know your brother is worried about you. I know he loves you and so does Chelsea. So it’s all right if you want to run away and find someone easier to talk to. Or to not talk at all. You have no idea how much I wish I could.”
Clive’s jaw tightened as he looked down at her. “Life was easier before I loved someone. Before I needed others.” He looked away for a moment and she was sure he would walk. Instead, he turned back to her. “I think we might have a lot in common. You must be Erin.”
So he was in the know. She held out a hand. “Erin Argent. It’s nice to meet you, Clive.”
He grasped it and there was a certain softness in his eyes. “I don’t want to be alone tonight, but I also don’t think I want to fuck senselessly. How about we pass the time together? As friends? As people who’ve lost? Drink with me.”
There was something in his eyes, something dark and yet pleading that made her rethink her plans for the evening. “Of course. You know there’s a two drink max.”
“Only if we’re playing,” he replied. “We can drink as much as we like if we forgo the play. Tell me your sad story and I’ll tell you mine.”
That might not be such a bad idea. She’d thought to let her stress out by taking a Dom’s discipline, but maybe there was another way, too. It was inconceivable, but she missed the sessions with Kai. Once she’d given in and let herself go with it, she’d blown off some steam there. Having a person who listened was a beautiful thing. “You’ve got a deal.”
He gave her a sad smile, his hand coming out to reach for her. “I think you’re what I need tonight. I need to talk more than anything else.”
She placed her hand in his. He was big and warm and moved her not a bit because everything inside her called for Theo. It didn’t matter that he’d been the one to split them up. He didn’t seem to want her but that didn’t matter to her stupid heart.
She bet Clive wanted someone else, too. It was right there in his eyes. He was weary and heartsick. Perhaps they would be good for each other. She allowed him to help her up. Drinking with another sad sack might work. She started to stumble, but Clive put a hand on her hip, helping to steady her. It made it easy to reach up and put her hand on his leather vest, right over his chest.
“Uhm, Erin, I think you should probably stop touching Master Clive.” Faith’s suggestion came out a bit breathless.
Erin followed her line of sight and felt her eyes widen. Theo was standing there looking like the most decadent man candy she’d ever seen before. Well, except for the righteous anger in his eyes.
His lip curled up and he started toward her, long legs eating the distance between them. “Take your fucking hands off my sub.”
Clive took a step back, his hands coming up. Erin felt bad because the night wasn’t going to go the way she thought it might. She wouldn’t be helping Clive Weston find his calm. But she had her answer about Theo.
White-hot rage was right there in his expression. No doubt about it.
“She doesn’t have a collar,” Clive sa
id, his shoulders squaring. “You have no rights to tell me what I can or cannot do with her. It’s up to her.”
Theo stood right in front of the big Brit. “You want to tell me what I can or cannot do with my sub? You want to tell me a collar makes a fucking difference? That woman lives in my house and gave birth to my child. You step back before I decide to take the anger I feel right now out on you.”
She had to do something or the night would turn out very wrong. The last thing she wanted was Theo spending a night in a London jail.
Erin dropped to her knees in front of her love and hoped it was enough to calm her Master down.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Theo watched as Erin sank to her knees in front of him. She was stunning, so fucking stunning his heart nearly stopped. It made him take his eyes off the snake who’d been closing in on his woman.
His. Fucking his.
No matter where she went, what she did, she was his. He could forget his entire damn life, but he would know she belonged to him. Always. Forever.
That was the sweet sense inside him. She belonged to him. But there was another. The primal piece of him that wanted to savage the man who’d dared to fucking touch her. The dark-haired man stood back a bit as though giving the predator some room. Theo still wanted to wrap his hands around the other man’s throat and squeeze until he was blue and cold.
“Master, I was hoping to play tonight.” Her words came out so breathy and sweet.
Play. He wasn’t going to play. He meant business tonight. “You’re not supposed to be here, sub.”
“Theo, you need to stay calm,” the woman who’d been sitting with her said. “She meant no harm or disrespect. She was simply looking for solace.”
Solace? From his wounds? He stepped in front of Erin. She was well trained as she never once looked up, merely stared at his boots. Her head remained submissively down. He still wouldn’t let it pass. “Is that what you wanted? Solace from this fucker? You wanted him to take you to bed so you could forget me?”
He knew deep down that he wasn’t being fair, but it didn’t matter to him in that moment. All that mattered was the ache in his gut, the feeling that all was wrong in the world. She was his anchor and it didn’t matter that he kept pushing her away. All that mattered was she was drifting and he couldn’t stand it.
“I wasn’t planning on sleeping with anyone, Sir.” Her voice was calm, perfectly even. Her hands were on her thighs, flipped up in offering to her Dom. “I will admit I was looking for a scene in order to ease my stress level, but I’d already set up something with Master Damon. He was to flog both me and his wife. Faith was ready to handle my aftercare as Damon would be happily fucking Penelope. It’s her you should be jealous of. Faith, I believe my Master would like to challenge you to a Dom off.”
The brunette standing beside her grinned his way. “Swords or whips? I’m equally bad at both, Sir. Perhaps we should wait until my own Dom is here. He lives to defend my honor.”
Such fucking brats and he wasn’t putting up with any of it tonight. “I will have a word with your Dom. Who is he?”
Her chin came up. “Tennessee Smith, Master Theo.”
Fuck a duck. “You’re Ten’s wife.”
Her smile was brilliant, absolutely no fear of him in there at all. “It’s so good to see you again, Theo. You look wonderful. Seriously, Erin wasn’t planning on having sex. She was going to scene in a nonsexual fashion and then I was going to ensure that her butt didn’t scab over. It’s what subs do for each other.”
He didn’t care about what subs did for each other. He cared that his sub had blatantly disobeyed him. “I’ll have a long talk with your Master when he returns. Tell me something, Faith. Did he know my submissive would be here? Was he involved in the conspiracy to make me look like a complete fool?”
Faith’s smile faded. “You don’t look like a fool.”
A low chuckle came from behind him. Nick. Naturally. “Oh, I think he’s definitely the fool.”
“Hey, if you don’t want that pretty sub, I’ll take her,” Owen said. “If she needs to scene, I’ll relieve all her stress.”
“I can kill you, too.” It could be a nice night. He could bloody up everyone and then maybe he would feel slightly better.
She was here. She wasn’t in some random place where McDonald couldn’t find her. She was right here with him. There was zero chance that was a coincidence. She’d known exactly what she was doing, and that also meant Ian had known what she was doing.
So much betrayal.
And his dick didn’t care because she was right here.
Her head came up and there was a bit of fire in her eyes. “I don’t have a Dom so it doesn’t matter who I play with.”
She didn’t have a Dom? “Do you forget that we signed a contract?”
Yep, there was fire in that glare. “Do you forget you told me to go away?”
Ah, the beauty of a well-written contract. He silently thanked his brother for being such a tight ass when it came to a contract. “There was nothing in the contract that stated you were allowed out of the contract unless we sat down and signed off. I sent you away for good reasons. It’s my job to protect and shelter you and I held up my end. What was your job?”
“To serve you. To protect and shelter you. You didn’t allow me to do my job.”
Frustration threatened to boil over. “You have more than me to worry about.”
“And I can protect TJ while working with you.” She held a hand up, but not to him. She turned to Faith, who helped her stand. Her whole body went tense as she stared at him. “Not that you think I can. Look, it’s fine. I get it. You’re upset to see me. I’m sure you think I should be upstairs watching my son sleep because women with children shouldn’t have needs. I’ll play privately so I don’t offend you, Sir.”
“Is there a problem here?” Damon Knight stood looking over the scene with a dark expression on his face.
That was when Theo realized everything had shut down. The scene that had been playing out to the left of the bar area had stopped, the Dom glaring at them, his submissive clinging to his leg.
“Not at all.” He could still save this. Maybe. “We’ll keep it down.”
Owen’s face had lost its constant devil-may-care look and he suddenly seemed damn serious. “I’m sorry, Master Damon. Nick and I were going to take these two up to their rooms when young Taggart gave us the slip. We’ll leave the dungeon floor until we’re properly dressed.”
“Apologies, Master Damon.” Nick nodded to his boss and the woman at his side. “Penny. I’ll speak to the Doms who had scenes this evening and ensure them Owen and I will attempt to make it up to them.”
“It’s not the two of you I’m concerned with,” Knight said. “It seems to me Big Tag’s sent me all his drama. I don’t like drama. Perhaps I should reconsider your rights here since you obviously have no idea how to behave in a dungeon. Either that or your brother’s standards have fallen far.”
Shit. The last thing he needed was to start a war between Damon and Ian. He needed The Garden, needed Damon’s team, but he wasn’t about to hang his head. He did know his rights. “Your standards are in question, too. Since when did The Garden allow a contracted submissive to play without her Master’s permission. You intended to play with my sub tonight, from what I understand. Were you going to bother to mention it to me or do you not honor contracts here?”
Knight’s jaw tightened and he looked over at Erin. “She told me she didn’t have a Dom.”
“She’s not wearing a collar,” the dark-haired man insisted. “How was I supposed to know she’s taken? And I wasn’t intending to play with her. I asked her to sit and drink with me.”
Knight’s eyes rolled. “Certainly, my lord. You had perfect intentions. You wouldn’t at all have fallen into bed with her if you had the chance.”
“Not tonight I wouldn’t,” he shot back. “I’ll take my drinking binge elsewhere, Knight.”
The man turned an
d stalked out.
Penny glared up at her husband. “Damon, it’s been a year tonight. Do you know what it took for me to get him here? I have to catch him before he gets to the locker room. I’m not allowing him to be alone on tonight of all nights.”
Damon sighed as his wife ran after My Lord. My lord?
“Who the hell was that?”
Erin had lost her submissive posture and the bitch he loved was back. Her hands went to her hips and she shot him a stare that could have peeled paint off a wall. “That was Simon’s brother, the Duke of Norsley’s heir. He’s sixth in line for the throne or something, but at the end of the day he’s a man who lost one of his best friends and their shared sub in a car accident. He wanted someone to talk to.” She turned that stare to Knight. “As for your accusations, he broke our contract when he sent me away. Besides, our contract was specific. Our interactions were kept to Club Sanctum. He has no hold over me here so don’t look at me like I’m some kind of monster.”
“That’s not what the language of our contract meant, Erin.” She couldn’t be right about that.
Erin shook her head. “Nevertheless, I’m the problem here so I’ll leave. I’ll go back to my room and I won’t come back to the club since it offends Theo’s sensibilities. I assume I can still work in the offices?”
Knight ran a hand over his head, a weary gesture. “Of course, Erin. I’m sorry I got so angry.”
She held a hand up. “It’s your first night to play in a long time. I understand. You’ve had a kid recently and that shuts everything down. Believe me, I understand. I’ll remove myself so you can get back to your wife and your evening. Thank you for attempting to accommodate me, Master Damon. Please apologize to Clive for me. I’ll see you all at the morning conference.”
She turned and started to walk away. He reached out for her, gripping her arm. “Where do you think you’re going? We’re going to have a long talk, you and I, and then you’re going to pack your bags and you and TJ are going to do what we agreed on. You’re going into hiding, though I now see I’ll have to handle that as well since you’re not capable of following a few simple orders.”
