by Rebel Rose
I enter the library and stop when I see the massive number of books on the shelves. Is Tristan Broussard an avid reader? Is that why this library is filled top to bottom with books? It’s hard for me to imagine the kinky-sex-addict casino owner sitting down in a quiet space, reading literature.
I quickly discover that the books are shelved by the author’s last name. There are tons of genres to choose from, but one book in particular catches my attention. The Thorn Birds. Something about that title feels familiar. Seems like maybe I’ve heard my grandmother talk about it. Nothing rings a bell when I read the inside of the jacket, but an Australian woman falling in love with an Irish priest sounds interesting enough to give a try.
I sit in one of the chairs in the library, intending to read a few pages, but the photograph on the table next to the chair catches my attention. A woman holding an infant. Looks like the photo was probably taken during the eighties based on the woman’s hair and clothing. I’m pretty sure that this is Tristan and his mother. If so, he was a real cutie. And still is.
Cute but kinky as fuck.
I drop the book off in my bedroom as I pass by and continue exploring the house. I stop at the staircase leading to the third floor. That’s where Tristan took me for my Dom-sub tutorial. I’m not sure why, but I’m drawn to return there.
I open the door and enter, stopping in the center of the room to admire its beauty. The room is so elegant. Fit for a king. It’s like being in here for the first time; I was so distracted by what was happening that I couldn’t have identified the color, the size, or anything else about my surroundings.
I still can’t believe that I was in here last night watching that good-looking man do all of those kinky things to that woman. A livesex show. And not vanilla sex. It was like watching live porn. How did Tristan pull that off? Everyday people, even in New Orleans, don’t go around doing that for other people to watch. At least not in my world. But Tristan Broussard does live in an entirely different world.
And now I’m living in that world.
“What are you doing in here?”
I jolt from the shock of hearing a woman’s voice and whirl around.
Holy shit. It’s the woman from last night’s live-porn show.
“Umm… I was exploring the house. I-I didn’t know that anyone was up here.” Why is she still in the house?
“Tristan won’t be happy that you came up here.” She calls him Tristan as though she’s on a first-name basis with him.
“He told me that I wasn’t confined to my bedroom. I took that as permission to explore the house. And Ray said that it was okay.”
I’m not sure what the smile on her face means, but it’s definitely not an indicator of happiness.
“Your bedroom,” she whispers. “That’s rich.”
I’m not sure what this woman’s problem is, but I know when a woman is being catty with me.
“Is there a problem?”
“Your room is my room. Or at least it was until you decided to show up and take my place.”
Take her place?
Holy shit. “You were his submissive?”
“I was until a few days ago.”
“What happened?”
“You happened.” She crosses her arms. “Listen and listen good. I’m the best submissive that Tristan’s ever had. I’m the best that he’ll ever have. You’ll never measure up to me. You’ll never please him the way I do, and I’m confident that you’ll be out on your ass in no time.”
Oh, fuck this.
“No, you listen here, sister. Don’t act like I swooped in on your Dom-sub relationship and stole your Master away from you. He’s the one who drugged and transported me across the state line. I’m not here by choice.”
Her eyes widen. “Tristan isn’t here. You can leave, and no one will stop you. Go now before he comes home.”
“I would if I could, but it isn’t that easy.”
“Leaving is easy. I’ll help you get out. I’ll call for a cab right now and pay the fare to anywhere that you want to go.”
“I appreciate your kind offer to help, but you don’t understand. I can’t leave him.”
“Why not?” The warmth and gentleness in her voice is gone as quickly as it appeared.
“That’s between Tristan and me.”
Her large doe-eyes have narrowed into slits. “Has he fucked you?”
“No.” Why am I answering this woman’s questions? “Not that it’s any of your business.”
The muscles relax in her face, and she smiles. It’s like watching a demon transform into an angel. “Have you ever been a submissive?”
“No.”
“I can tell.” I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or insult. “Tristan is a fierce Dom. He’ll be much harder on you than Easton was on me last night. You’re going to need help with knowing how to soften him so that he doesn’t hurt you so badly.”
Hurt me so badly? “He told me that we would begin slowly and ease into what he wants from me.”
Her heads tilts to the side, and she forces a smile. “Oh, sweetheart. He may say that now, but things will be very different after he has a flogger in his hand. He can’t control himself. The man loves to inflict pain.”
Shit. He could really hurt me.
“How do I soften him?”
“Don’t worry. I know all of the tricks, sweetie.” She holds out her hand. “I’m Claudia by the way.”
“I’m Emma Lia.”
“What a pretty name.”
“I’m named after my nana, Emma. My dad always loved the name Lia so he added it to distinguish between the two of us.”
“Then your name is extra special.”
I’m a gambler. I read people’s expressions and body language, and something about Claudia’s smile, her voice, her facial expressions… all of it feels off to me.
Maybe I’m reading into it too much. What harm could she possibly mean by telling me how to soften his harsh ways?
She’s Tristan’s ex-sub. Being replaced is probably painful for her and the reason her behavior feels off to me. “Are you sure that you want to help me? It won’t be awkward for you?”
“I want to help you… as long as you don’t tell Tristan that we spoke. New sub talking to the old one… he won’t like that. This will need to be our little secret.”
I don’t understand this lifestyle, but I can see why Tristan wouldn’t want his previous sub speaking to his new one. “It’ll be our secret.”
I’m eager to leave this place. The sooner that I begin pleasing him and repaying my debt, the sooner I’ll get out of here. “Tell me everything.”
11
Tristan Broussard
I was relieved when I came home and found that Emma Lia hadn’t flown the coop while I was at work, but discovering her in her bedroom, already showered for dinner and awaiting my instructions is a real prize. My new sub is a quick learner and eager to please. Maybe not inside the bedroom just yet but that part is coming. Soon.
It’s eight minutes until eight when we sit down to dinner. I’m the one who is tardy tonight, thanks to a fucking gambling addict who wanted to see me about extending his credit. Again.
Emma Lia is seated at the table to my right wearing the electric-blue dress that I chose. Her shoulders are bare except for the dress’s thin straps. She has styled her hair in a lose bun at the crown of her head just as I instructed. Absolutely breathtaking. And a welcome sight after the shit day that I’ve had.
She takes notice of my staring and touches the back of her head. “Do I look okay? Is my hair right?”
“Perfect and gorgeous. Exactly the way that I wanted you to look tonight.”
“I’m glad that you approve.”
“Your eyes are amazing next to that color of blue. Even better than I imagined. I think I’ll have Elizabeth buy more things in that shade for you.”
“Who is Elizabeth?”
“Your personal shopper.”
She giggles, and I’m reminde
d of her tender age and innocence. “I was unaware that I had a personal shopper.”
“Elizabeth knows exactly what I like. It’s easier to let her take care of my sub’s needs.”
I met Elizabeth in my early twenties when I was still learning what it meant to be a Dom. Despite being acquainted with her through the lifestyle all of these years, she and I have never done a scene together. She has always had a monogamous Dom: her husband. And he doesn’t share her with anyone.
“Elizabeth shops for all of your submissives?”
“The way you say that makes it sound as though I cycle through them often. I don’t. I was with my last submissive for more than a year.”
“A year is a long time.” She smiles. “You have a better track record than I do then. I’ve not dated anyone for more than a few months at best.”
Our relationship will outlast anything that she has ever shared with another man. She probably believes that she has experienced passion, but it will be nothing compared to what we will share together.
“There’s no reason you should have been with any man for more than a few months; you’re only twenty-two.”
“You sound like my dad.”
“You should listen to your dad. He’s a smart man.” Conrad Grant didn’t get to where he is today by making bad decisions.
“If I had listened to my dad, I wouldn’t be here having this conversation with you right now.”
And she wouldn’t be my new submissive. I don’t care for that thought at all.
“I haven’t told you, but I’m very glad that you’re here. I’m looking forward to the time we’ll be spending together.”
Ray comes into the dining room and places a plate in front of each of us. “Butternut squash ravioli with seared chicken and asparagus.”
“Looks delicious,” we say in unison, and she looks down at her plate as she smiles.
“Will you require anything else?”
“No, Ray. This looks great.”
Emma Lia is still smiling while Ray leaves the room. “Something amusing you?”
“Ray calls you sir, but I bet that you don’t spank him over the dining room table.”
I chuckle aloud. “No. I definitely do not.”
“Does he know about your lifestyle?” she asks.
“We’ve not discussed it, but I’m certain that he must at least suspect.”
“It would be hard for him to not hear the… activities.”
“I’m sure that he has heard plenty of activities.” And I’d be shocked if he hadn’t seen some sort of evidence lying around after I’ve had playtime with my sub. I’ve not gone to a lot of trouble to hide anything. All he’d need to do is open the chifforobe in my submissive’s bedroom, and the secret would be out.
Emma Lia takes a drink of wine and looks at me over her glass. I don’t know why, but it’s extremely sexy. Sexier than it should be. Probably because I’m so fucking horny. And damn, I have to wait until tomorrow night to have her.
“Why did the relationship with your previous submissive end?”
“I was bored with her. Our relationship was stale.”
“You were with her for a long time. Did you not love her?”
That’s an amusing question, and it proves just how little Emma Lia knows about this life.
“I don’t love anyone. But I do respect her. That’s more than most people get from me.”
Honestly, I’m not sure that I’m capable of love. And I don’t think that I want to be. Love is messy and complicated and unnecessary. I live every day just fine without it.
“You don’t love the woman in the photograph in the library?”
Sounds like Miss Grant has been exploring the house. Good. It pleases me to know that she’s making herself at home.
“I don’t know which photograph you mean.” Lie. I know exactly which photo she means.
“A woman is holding a baby. It’s on the table between the two chairs.”
“That woman is dead.”
“Was she your mother?”
“Yes.”
“You must have loved her?”
“I loved her very much.” I say the words because they make me sound like a normal human being capable of feeling love. But the words aren’t true. I never knew that woman.
“She looks young in that picture.”
“She was only seventeen when I was born. Five years younger than you are now and already a mother.” Pregnant at sixteen. I can’t imagine what that must have been like for her. A teen mother.
“Was your father that young?”
“I have no idea. She never revealed who my biological father was. My mother’s older brother adopted me after her death and raised me as his son.”
“That was a kind thing to do. What happened to your mother?”
“Car accident.”
“Do you have siblings?”
She’s a curious little thing. “None that I’m aware of. Is Adam your only sibling.”
“The only one that I’m aware of. My mother left before Adam and I were six months old. Haven’t heard from her since. I don’t even know if she’s dead or alive. And I don’t care.”
“Conrad raised you alone?” It’s hard for me to see a gambling cheat like him being Mr. Mom to two young children.
“My nana, his mother, helped him with us.”
“Does your nana know what the three of you do for money?”
She laughs. “Who do you think taught my dad how to cheat without getting caught?”
“His mother?”
She nods. “Forget being a cocktail waitress or showgirl. Nana was a blackjack dealer in Vegas.”
“Well, fuck. I wasn’t expecting to hear that about your nana.”
“Gambling is in my blood just like it’s in yours. But mine comes in a slightly different package.”
Emma Lia is the first submissive that I will have had who knows anything about the gaming industry. She understands my world. She understands what my daily life is like when I walk outside of this house and enter the workplace. I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.
“I have to step out and take care of some unfinished business after dinner. I won’t be back until late.”
I should have gone by the club before coming home from work, but I wanted to have dinner with Emma Lia at a decent hour.
“I took a book from the library. I’ll probably dive into it.”
I like that Emma Lia is choosing to read over watching television. One might assume that I’d want my submissive to be mindless. Maybe not have a brain to think for herself so I could better control her, but that isn’t the case. I don’t want a companion who can’t share an intelligent conversation.
“What book did you choose?”
“The Thorn Birds.”
“Very good choice.”
“Have you read it?”
“Yes.”
She stops eating and looks at me. “Are you sure? I think it’s a romance.”
“Actually, it’s quite the forbidden romance. And yes, I have read it.”
She giggles. “Men don’t typically read romance books. And I definitely wouldn’t expect a Dom to.”
I don’t feel love, but I am fascinated by those who do. I read about their experiences even if fictional because I find them intriguing. “You’ll likely discover a lot of unexpected things about me before this is over.”
“I look forward to that.”
I enter the dark club and dodge club attendees dressed in scrubs and lab coats as I make my way toward the bar at the back. It’s medical play night. Not my scene but I guess that it gets a lot of people off, based on the number of people present tonight.
Jacob twists on his barstool and offers his hand when I approach. “Tristan. Haven’t seen you around lately. Good to see you.”
I haven’t been frequenting the club much lately. I’ve been spending most of my extra time at the casino, either waiting for Emma Lia to show or watching her at the blackjack tables vi
a surveillance floor cams.
I take the stool beside Jacob, and the bartender wastes no time coming my way. Candi’s good that way, always providing prompt service. It’s been over a year but I recall that she’s also very good on her knees with a cock in her mouth.
“What will you be having tonight… Sir?” She lifts a brow when she addresses me. I know what that means but there will be no taking her up on that offer. I have a new sub, and she’s the only one I’m interested in.
“Scotch neat.”
“Coming right up, Sir.”
Jacob’s eyes are glued on Candi’s ass as she walks away. “I bet that one can take a dick in the ass.”
“Don’t know anything about that but she can sure take one in her mouth.” That one’s a talented woman.
Candi looks at me over her shoulder and smiles. But she shouldn’t be doing that. As far as she knows, I’m still Claudia’s Dom.
Has word gotten out about my letting Claudia go? I told Easton but I know that he’s kept that information to himself. The only way that could have happened would be if Claudia told someone. And I highly doubt that she did.
“I think that Candi would like to serve you something more than scotch tonight.”
Candi doesn’t even make my dick twitch. All that I can think about is what’s waiting at home for me. “Not interested; I have someone new.”
“What about Claudia?”
“She’s the reason that I called you. I heard that you were looking for a new sub.”
Jacob twists on his stool, no longer looking at Candi, and gives me his undivided attention. “I’m definitely looking for a new sub.”
“Claudia is available if you’re interested.”
“Really?” Jacob rubs his hand back and forth over the stubble on his chin. “I’ve always thought that she was beautiful.”
“She’s beautiful and highly obedient. The best sub I’ve ever had.” I can say nothing negative about Claudia except that she fucked up when she fell in love with me.
“Why are you letting her go?”
No reason to lie. I’ll be bringing Emma Lia to the club soon enough, and everyone is going to see why I let Claudia go. “There’s another woman, and I’m fucking obsessed with her.”
