“Did you see Dan?” Matilda asked, waggling her eyebrows in a goofy suggestive manner that shattered the scary broad image entirely. Maisy failed to conceal her laugh and Matilda gave her a questioning stare that just made Maisy giggle even more.
“Oh, I really must know what’s amused you so much, little Maisy,” she grinned, poised to get the secret with her no doubt exceptional interrogation skills. Luckily, Claude interrupted.
“Wait! This is Maisy?” Claude clapped his hands together as if Maisy had just been introduced as a long-lost cousin, “Why did you not say so! How was it with Daniel?”
“I don’t know, I just-” Maisy stepped back, “He just sent me a message online, we don’t really know each other.”
“Getting ahead of yourself there, boss man.”
“Yes, thank you, Matilda.” Claude sighed, but his kind blue eyes held no real disappointment. “Forgive me, I have been hoping my friend would find someone for some time.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she smiled, thinking about the way her mother behaved every time Maisy mentioned a man’s name.
“So, should I get some membership forms?” Matilda batted her eyelashes, earning another giggle from Maisy. It wasn’t like she’d been expecting to wander into a vampire den, but she was still relieved that she could imagine being friends with these perfectly ordinary, nice people.
“Sure,” Maisy said, “Why not?”
JESUS CHRIST ON A SPANKING bench - that is why not. She’d managed to smile politely and say goodbye after receiving the forms, but all she could see was the annual fee flashing in neon type in her mind. Sure, the place gave off an exclusive and ritzy vibe, but wow. She could buy a car with that fee. A good car. She needed a lot of things more than she needed spankings or friends that understood her cravings or whatever it was she might get from Club Drift.
But if she didn’t go back she wouldn’t see Daniel again. She couldn’t exactly go back to the forum and awkwardly ask him out for a drink without revealing why she couldn’t return to Drift. How embarrassing would that be?
He was just being Mr. Welcoming Recruitment Drive anyway. Talking with him, kissing him, feeling herself respond to his mere presence with easy, calm submission - it’d all been amazing. But it didn’t, couldn’t, mean anything beyond that. He was, well, he seemed extraordinary, but he’d just been introducing her to the club. He’d given her an idea of what to look for. Just because it’d made her newbie stomach tie itself in knots doesn’t mean it’d been anything other than a brief lesson for him.
Why would he be interested in someone so naive anyway? He could have his pick of members there with his looks and obvious experience, why clueless little Maisy?
Maybe she’d send him a message and ask if there were any less astronomically expensive clubs in the area, however humiliating that could be. Or maybe she’d go back to books. After tonight she wasn’t sure she wanted to go out into the world and discover a bunch of Doms who weren’t even Mr. Darcy let alone Dan levels of sexy. Lightning doesn’t strike twice, after all.
Chapter 6
Perks
Dan was polishing glasses at the bar. Not because the glasses needed polishing, he just wanted something to do with his hands. Claude sat alone nearby, nursing a whiskey as he often did towards the end of an evening. He was watching people as they left, taking satisfaction from the happy faces. The owner tended to keep close tabs on what went on in his club. He treated the members as friends and some of them even as family. Claude was generous that way.
Dan kept polishing the glasses as he asked, “Did any of the newbies sign up tonight?”
Claude didn’t turn around, but Dan could almost hear the knowing smile in his voice, “Maisy took the forms away with her.”
“I didn’t say anything about Maisy.”
“You didn’t have to, my friend.”
“Your imagination gets better and better as you age, Claude.”
“Forgive an old man his fancies, hmm?”
Dan snorted, forty-something year old Claude was far from an old man and he was fitter than most of the younger men in the club. Still, ‘Old Man Claude’ was a running joke at Drift. He tended to act like a father figure to the house Masters and Mistresses, maybe it was the protective Dom in him or maybe he was just a bit of a control freak. Opinion varied depending on who you asked.
“Has William done any shifts this week?” Claude still didn’t look around.
“Nope,” Dan shook his head. William was one of the few other Drift Masters actually on the payroll, but recently he’d been AWOL more often than not.
“I’ll deal with it.” Claude turned his stool around, reached over the bar, and topped up his whiskey.
“Sure.” Dan knew he wouldn’t. William wasn’t Claude’s biological offspring, but for as long as he’d known them they’d acted like father and son. Whatever William’s problem was this time, it’d sort itself out before Claude got around to confronting him and everything would go back to normal for a while.
“Your Maisy -”
“Not my anything, Claude,” Dan threw the tea towel over his shoulder, listening attentively despite his protest.
“Your Maisy looked a little uncomfortable when Matilda gave her the forms.”
“The fee?”
“Oui, I believe so.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“You could always nominate her. You’ve not availed yourself of that perk for, oh, it must be five years now.”
“Four and eight months, yeah.”
“You’re not going to tell me how many hours?”
“Claude.”
Claude held his hands up in apology. “I am sorry. I should not mock you on this.”
Dan nodded, accepting the apology, and carried on polishing glasses, “I could nominate her, I suppose. Would you second?”
“No. As the one who decides if the nomination is valid I should not. Matilda might, though.”
“Right.” Dan had been polishing the same glass for a good two minutes now. The nomination perk had been designed to let dedicated Drift Masters and trainees get free membership for their partners, but it had been used charitably before.
He was pretty sure all of Matilda’s annual nominations had been used to help less financially able wannabe members get in. That woman had deep pockets and a heart as big as her stilettos. Shame she was Domme to the bone, she’d be a good match for Claude in another life.
“She is inexperienced though.” Claude said, in such a carefully measured tone that Dan immediately grew suspicious.
“So? She’s not the first newbie you’ve taken in.”
“Still, it would not be fair to give her the membership with no training or partner to guide her through.”
“For fuck’s sake, Claude.”
“What? I merely thought that-”
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
Dan put the glass down on the bar far too hard. “You,” he pointed at Claude, his anger spilling out in the gesture before he could rein it in. He started again, carefully, “You are trying to force me to spend time with someone because you’re an interfering bastard.”
“Did it ever occur to you that I’m trying to help?” Claude was infuriatingly calm, as usual, which made Dan feel like a small boy losing his temper with a teacher. He forced the anger down completely and lowered his voice.
“You always are.”
“I was merely suggesting that you take on Maisy as a trainee for the first six weeks of her membership should you chose to nominate her. She is, I believe, too timid and inexperienced for the trainee programme and she’d benefit from one-on-one lessons.”
Dan grunted, fighting the urge to shout several obscene variations of ‘meddling git.’
“And Daniel, I hate to put you in this position, but if you refuse these terms I will reject your nomination of Maisy when you make it.” Claude drained the last of his whisky and stood up to l
eave, paying no attention at all to Dan’s furious expression. “Please, give it some thought.” He said, and then he was gone.
“Interfering, bossy, domineering, nosey bastard wazzock,” Dan hissed, throwing the tea towel into the under-bar laundry bin with so much force it fell off its supports.
LATER, ALONE IN HIS sitting room, Daniel rifled through Maisy’s paperwork for the fifth time. Matilda had agreed to co-nominate her, all he had to do was phone and ask if she wanted the membership. Of course, he also had to broach Claude’s ridiculous conditions. However much he’d like to just gloss over that part, he knew Claude wouldn’t forget and it wasn’t fair to Maisy not to mention it.
Dan glanced at the half-read paperback he’d thrown on the coffee table earlier, a pulpy thriller full of bad guys and zingy one liners. He could just go back to reading that, maybe get an early night, consider calling Maisy tomorrow lunchtime.
No, he was too riled up about this whole thing now. He’d sleep better if he got it over with tonight. He hated that he’d lost his temper with Claude, especially at the club. Dan prided himself on being patient and calm with all things in his life, but although Claude was an old and dear friend he sometimes poked Daniel’s sore spots with a marksman’s practised accuracy.
Five years since he’d used the nomination perk, not since Alicia. Damn Claude for bringing it up.
With a gruff sigh he looked over the nomination form once more. It couldn’t hurt to help Maisy get a membership, he was old enough and wise enough to keep his distance and she was obviously a natural submissive. It’d be good for her. He glanced at his watch. Still a civilised enough hour to make a phone call. Just as it had been the last four times he looked and wouldn’t be if he left it much longer.
Claude was a sly bastard, he must’ve seen how easily they’d slipped into a comfortable dynamic earlier. It was obvious to anyone watching how willing and eager Maisy became once her wariness had faded. And obvious how Daniel had responded to that transparent need in her.
They were compatible for these kinds of games, maybe even for more. Or they could be if Daniel had any intention of ever dating again. He’d love to be the one to coax that submissive side out of Maisy. She had so much potential.
He remembered the way her eyes had widened when his fingers had tightened in her hair earlier, her surprise fading to submission and lust. Her emotions as legible on her face as her phone number on the form. Gorgeous. So sweet and open in her responses.
A good-hearted newbie like Maisy did not need his baggage dumped on her. He’d introduce her to the club and its members, maybe do some light play if she really wanted to, then he’d kiss her goodbye and give Claude a good talking to.
Chapter 7
How big?
“How big is his thingy?”
Maisy groaned as she slammed the front door.
Harry stood with her arms crossed in the narrow hallway of their home, her bright eyes scanning Maisy expectantly.
“Evening. Can I sit down?’ Maisy gave the petite blonde a breezy smile and dropped her bag by the hall cupboard.
Harry pursed her lips, turned sharply on her heels, and stalked through to the living area.
“Sit.”
I was sure I’d just left the Dom behind, thought Maisy, biting down on a chuckle.
“What? What’s funny? Was there sex? Was there funny sex?”
Maisy chucked a throw cushion at the pint-sized chatterbox’s head, “It wasn’t even a proper date, let alone a shag fest.”
Harry caught it and smirked, “Okay, at least a snog then?”
Maisy groaned again and slumped further into the sofa, but she didn’t bother hiding her grin.
“Finally! I was about to ask if you’d donate your tits to me seeing as you weren’t using them. For reals though, did you have a good night?” Harry dropped her interrogative stance, curled up besides Maisy, and unselfconsciously rested her head on her shoulder.
“Yeah, I really did. Went to this cool bar, maybe you’d like it.” Maisy spoke before she could consider what Harry might think of Drift’s weekend identity. “You need an expensive membership or a friend who has one though,” she added hastily.
Harry snorted, “Sod that.”
Thank goodness for cheap friends, Maisy thought.
“I thought you’d given up on men?”
‘I had!’ Maisy smiled down at the tufty golden head on her shoulder. Maisy and Harry had been friends since their first day at university. In fact, they’d lived together since university too. “But it was just a drink.”
Harry found dating easy. She was funny, effortlessly likable, pretty, and nigh-on fearless. She was never shy of dusting herself off after a break up and getting back out there. Harry also seemed to attract the most attractive and eligible singles in any bar without lifting a finger which, despite her chesty assets, Maisy had never achieved. Not that she minded, she couldn’t handle that kind of attention.
Anyway, nowadays she had some idea what she was really looking for in a man and it seemed less and less likely that she’d find it in any old bar.
Harry knew most of this as well, the only reason she teased Maisy about her persistent singledom was because she knew that it was more or less by choice. The teasing that ran through most of their conversations was a sign of long lived affection, as was the incessant nosiness. Harry still peered up at Maisy, waiting for any gossip that was as yet unshared.
“Okay. One, none of your business and I don’t know; two, there wasn’t any sex, sorry; and three...’ She paused, enjoying Harry’s interest, “Holy shit, he’s just about the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.”
“Well, in that case I’m jealous.” Harry stretched her leg out and yawned, “You’re seeing him again then?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Probably not.” As she said it she realised that she really did want to see him again. Shit. Maybe he’d want to go for a drink outside the club? Maybe she could brush any questions about membership under the rug.
Harry sat up, forehead crinkled, “Why the fuck wouldn’t you see the most handsome man in the world again?”
Before Maisy could think of an answer that didn’t involve saucy acronyms and pricey clandestine clubs, the theme tune of their favourite drama started playing.
“Later,” she said, knowing that Harry would abandon the investigation for the period drama. Maisy needed to figure out just what exactly she was going to tell Harry about Dan and Club Drift.
MUCH LATER, WHILE THEY were watching a rerun of Harry’s favourite soap and sipping decaf coffees, the phone rang. Maisy fished it out of the sofa. Unidentified caller. She held the screen up to show Harry who responded by saying, as she often had before, “Answer it, it could be a gorgeous prince proposing to one of us.”
Maisy rolled her eyes and pressed the answer symbol, “Hello?”
“Hello Maisy.”
Oh gosh, that voice. That deep, dark voice that tonight had commanded her to obey. She must have been gawping, because Harry, her own eyes wide, poked her knee, reminding her that she hadn’t spoken yet.
“Yes, sorry, yes this is Maisy.”
“It’s Dan,” she thought she could hear a knowing smile in his voice. Did he realise the effect he had on her even over the phone? How embarrassing.
“I know.” She said, pulling a disgusted face at her own stupid answer. Harry, smothering giggles, gestured for her to say something else. “How can I help you?”
At home, Dan grinned. He might not be able to see her, but he knew a flustered subbie when he heard one. Christ, he wished she was there in front of him, maybe kneeling on that patterned rug in front of the fireplace with those big, expressive eyes looking everywhere but at him. How would those eyes change when he ordered her to meet his gaze as she stripped?
He jeans grew uncomfortable at the mere thought of it.
“I just wanted to follow up on membership and see if you’d gotten home okay?”
The pause at the other end of the lin
e was slightly too long to be natural. Claude was probably right about the fee being a problem, he was right about most things, damn him. He interrupted Maisy’s silence to save her thinking of an excuse, “I just wanted to let you know that if you did enjoy tonight and if you were interested, you could have a year’s membership on the house.”
“Why? I mean, thank you, but why?”
Would she get the wrong end of the stick if he said he was nominating her? Maybe he should skirt the truth for now. “It was Claude’s idea. We have a limited number of free memberships every year and we thought you might appreciate one.”
There, close enough to fact.
“Okay, that’s... that’s really great. Thank you.”
“Is that a yes, little Maisy?”
“Yes, definitely.”
“Great. There’s one more thing, not a big deal, but it might affect your decision.”
Harry was distractingly mouthing the word ‘yes?’ at Maisy from the other end of the sofa.
“Okay, hit me.” Maisy held back a grin, did that count as an innuendo when discussing membership to a place where spanking was a regular occurrence?
“It’s a prerequisite of the sponsored membership that you are...” He paused, apparently searching for a word, “Supervised by one of the house masters for the first six weeks. I’m the only one available at the moment. Will that be a problem?”
Supervised? What did that mean? Would he just follow her around while she awkwardly chatted up Doms? Instruct her on the proper safety precautions for each piece of equipment like a kinky high-school sex education session? Maybe, just maybe, he’s show her more of what he’d hinted at tonight, more of how submission could feel with him in control.
She swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. “No, no problem.”
“Great.” What was that odd tone in his voice? Relief? Disappointment? She couldn’t place it at all.
“Are you around on Thursday evening? We could meet at the club to discuss it further. There’s nothing much going on Thursday, so it should be much like tonight. Very low key.”
Maisy's Keeper Page 4
