Secured Heart

by Measha Stone

  The clanking of her cuffs brought him back to the present. He slipped from her body and removed the condom, disposing of it before he tucked himself back in his pants and saw to her.

  She hung a bit limply from the restraints. Her eyes had a far off look in them, and her breathing was slow. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lips, bringing her attention back to him.

  “You did so good, baby,” he whispered. “I’m going to take you down now. Are your legs okay to stand on?” he asked.

  She nodded silently.

  He’d seen that look enough times to know she was struggling with herself. The feelings were bounding around her, and she was trying to process everything at once.

  “Take it slow. Just relax, baby.” He wrapped an arm around her torso as he reached up to unhook the restraints.

  He held onto her as her hands dropped down. He walked her to the chair against the wall, behind the rig, and sat her gingerly down on the towel he’d placed there for her. He twirled the thick fleece blanket around her, and she gripped the ends of it, snuggling into the softness.

  “I’m going to wipe down the rig, and then we can go to the lounge, okay?” He spoke softly.

  She smiled at him and gave him a nod.

  When he finished cleaning the equipment, Kelly asked if she could get her clothes on before settling in the lounge. Kendrick gave her the items and showed her where the dressing room was located.

  As he returned his bag to the large rack in the main hallway, he heard raised voices near the front desk. His men would undoubtedly take care of whatever nuisance was taking place, and Kendrick put his mind back on Kelly.

  Kelly joined him and ran her hand over his shoulder giving him a warm smile. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, resting his chin on her head.

  “How are you doing?” he asked as he led them to the lounge.

  “I’m good.” She took a seat on the purple loveseat and moved over for him to sit with her. She leaned against him, and he again wrapped his arms around her. “Tired. My legs feel so weak.” She chuckled. “I might need to start working out a bit harder if we keep this up.”

  “How’s your backside?”

  More raised voices distracted him from her answer, and he looked out the door toward the front desk, trying to see what the issue was. His crew was working, so he was sure it would be handled, but it was taking them longer than he would have liked.

  “Sore, but in a really good way, if that makes any sense.” She snuggled up to him. “Do you need to see to that?”

  She sat up straight when a loud bang resonated throughout the club.

  “Yeah. I better. Stay here, okay. Don’t leave this room.” He slid off the couch and headed to the front desk.

  George stood at the main door, his arms crossed and his expression looking deadly. Two of Kendrick’s men were holding another man against the door, his face was being smashed against the wood.

  A woman stood behind George, looking confused and scared. “What is going on?” she yelled over George’s shoulder. “Why can’t he come in?”

  Kendrick felt the muscles in his body tense. His jaw set, and his hands clenched at the sight of the man against the door.

  Fucking Ted!

  CHAPTER twenty-one

  Pleasantries Pheasantries

  Kelly sat against the couch cushions, taking in the room. Sheer fabric draped the walls behind each couch, giving it a dream of genie look. The leather couch she sat on was cozy, and she leaned back to rest her eyes for a moment and let the events of the evening settle in her mind.

  She hadn’t expected the spanking to bring her such arousal. A little horny, she figured, but not so damn hot that she ached for him. Feeling his arm around her while he paddled her gave her more than an erotic twinge; it comforted her, gave her security. She was able to focus on the feelings of the hard wood against her ass. The sting, burn, and thud of each stroke as he brought it down on her.

  The heat in her ass was only amplified by the rough texture of his jeans as he fucked her from behind. More than once, she was glad the restraints held her as he plowed into her. The strength of each thrust, coupled with her urge to meet each of his moves with her own, left her legs wobbly, and she’d relied on the rope to keep her upright. She had never before been able to orgasm without a touch to her clit, but as he took her, the images in her mind of what they looked like, the carnal power of them, acted as a vibrator, bringing her closer to orgasm until it took her over, not giving her time to request permission. She worried he would be upset with her over the small infraction once they had a few moments to relax.

  The noise from the front desk invaded the quiet room and caught her attention. She shoved off the couch and went in search of Kendrick.

  She found him standing near two of his security staff, hands fisted at his sides, jaw set in a fierce scowl, eyes dark with rage. She followed his glare and saw Ted standing against the door with his arms being twisted behind his back. A young woman stood near George demanding answers.

  “I don’t understand. I’m a member, and I have guest privileges.” She showed George her card.

  He shook his head and didn’t look at the ID. “Doesn’t matter. This guest is blacklisted from here. He knows it and shouldn’t have come.” George tilted his head in Ted’s direction.

  Kelly watched Kendrick; he was holding himself back but not by much. She moved to stand behind him, but didn’t touch him. She didn’t want him to know of her presence just yet.

  “Blacklisted?” The woman turned to look at Ted. “Why?” she asked, not taking her eyes off of him.

  The large muscular man turned a twisted smile on her. “Jealousy.” He sneered.

  Kelly wondered for a moment how she’d ever found him attractive. It must have been sheer desperation.

  “Your guest here likes to drug his bottoms. Gets a thrill out of beating them when they don’t know what’s going on and can’t safeword on him,” Kendrick interjected.

  Ted’s glare shot to him. His eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened.

  Kelly caught Ted’s attention, and their gazes connected for a split moment. It was enough to lighten Ted’s expression. His eyebrows rose and his deranged smile was back.

  “It’s okay. Okay. I’m leaving.” Ted pulled free of the security guards who let him loose. He looked over at his date and licked his lips. “If you feel like having a real Dom play with those tits and ass of yours, call me.” His gaze returned to Kendrick, and his smile widened. “We have a good thing, you and me. You train ‘em, and I tame ‘em.”

  He purposely leaned over to look behind Kendrick and gave Kelly a quick wink before turning on his heel and throwing the door open. He left it swinging open as his footsteps could be heard running down the stairs.

  Kelly froze behind Kendrick, not looking anywhere but at his back. She heard the front door shut.

  The girl who had brought Ted apologized to George, who promptly informed her it wasn’t her fault, and he hoped her evening wasn’t ruined.

  Kendrick’s back was still tense, his hands still fisted, and she thought she could hear him counting under his breath.

  For a brief moment, she thought about running back to the lounge. He hadn’t seen her yet, although she was sure he knew she was there after Ted’s little stage performance. Deciding it was better to face him head on, she stood her ground and waited for him to calm down. She wanted to tap him on the shoulder, to kiss his neck, to offer to rub away his frustration, but she was getting the vibe from him it would be better to hold off on touching him.

  “Sorry, man.” George came up to Kendrick and offered his hand.

  Kendrick shook it. “Not your fault. Not her fault. Just been seeing him everywhere lately, is all,” he explained in a solid voice.

  Kelly decided to back away and wait for him in the lounge, but as soon as she took one step, his hand snaked out behind him and snagged her arm. He didn’t say a word, only held her captive. She didn’t pu
ll away, but moved closer to him instead.

  His grip did not lessen. “You mind if I use that back office for a few minutes? Need some privacy.”

  “Sure, of course. No one will bother you, just lock the door.” George gave Kelly a small smile that suggested he felt for her, for what was to come, and then headed back into the main room.

  Kendrick did not release her arm, nor did he turn to look at her. He simply stalked off to the back of the bar, down a hallway, toward the offices—dragging her the entire way. Once in the room, he let go of her arm to close and lock the door. He pulled the shade down over the window on the door and remained silent.

  Her eyes remained on him. The fluttering in her stomach that had been a happy thrill when they had arrived at the club only a short time before was quickly turning into dark somersaults. She swallowed hard, and folded her arms over her stomach. “Kendrick—”

  His hand flew up in the air, stilling her. “Don’t.”

  She watched him with worry. Had she stepped too far over the line? Would he give up on her now? She’d disobeyed; she hadn’t remained where he’d told her to stay. Could it be that large of an infraction?

  Surely, he wouldn’t dump her over something so small. Would he? She could almost hear her heart pounding in her chest.

  Slowly, he turned around and their eyes met. The darkness had subsided to a soft muddy irritation. His jaw was no longer locked in anger, but his stare did not wash away her fear of being tossed out of his life. She’d only just found him! Only just found something that made her happy, made her feel like herself, and she was about to lose it all because she couldn’t simply sit on a damn couch like she was told!

  “I’m sorry!” she burst out before he could speak.

  He raised his left eyebrow and changed his stance. His muscles relaxed slightly, as he leaned against the door.

  “For what?” he demanded. His tone left little doubt about whether or not he was angry with her. He was pissed.

  She stared at him in silence for a moment and absorbed his anger. Her mouth dried as the moments passed, and her fingers began to rub together at her sides. For the first time in her life, she realized, she was not going to be able to wheedle her way out of the situation with a cute smile and remorseful plea. The idea didn’t strike her down with panic, but rather built her up, made her want to give him the answer he wanted. To take her lumps.

  She had disobeyed. It was that simple.

  “For not staying in the lounge when you told me to.” Her voice didn’t waver in fear, but instead remained smooth and strong. She was owning her error. His expression didn’t change. She hadn’t really expected it to.

  “I’m sorry,” she said again when he continued to look at her in silence.

  “Do you know why I wanted you to stay in the lounge?” His question caught her off guard. She had expected him to berate her. Tell her how wrong she’d been. Other than his tone being laced with irritation, he seemed intent on having a conversation.

  “To keep me safe?” she asked.

  “Yes, in part. But also, I needed to deal with the shit up front, and if I have to worry you might be in danger, it makes it harder for me to do that. I felt you behind me the second you were there, and all I could think about was getting you away from Ted.”

  “He’s not going to hurt me. I’m not his target,” she interjected and immediately regretted interrupting him.

  His gaze wandered over her for several long seconds. “Remove your clothing,” he ordered, but did not move from the door.

  Her fingers hovered over the buttons of her blouse, and she looked at him once more, wondering if a reprieve would be coming.

  He raised an eyebrow.

  There would be no backing down.

  Unsure of what punishment waited for her, she trembled inwardly as she worked the buttons of her shirt. The heat in her backside had subsided already from their play in the dungeon, but she wondered if she would be able to take another spanking. Would it be unbearable? Would she be able to stop her body from reacting to his touch?

  She folded her clothes and held them in her hands, looking to him for his next instruction.

  “Place them on the chair.” He nodded to the chairs behind her that faced the large desk in the room.

  She put them on the closest one and turned back to him. Her hands rested loosely at her sides. The cool airflow of the room whispered across her nipples, flicking them to life. She swallowed.

  His gaze never wandered below her eyes. Three long strides of his legs brought him to stand directly in front of her. “Lock your hands behind your neck. Elbows out,” he instructed just as he reached her. “No, don’t lower your eyes.”

  She brought her gaze back to his. His words acted as his hands, pulling her to where he wanted her.

  Shielding herself from his displeasure would have made it all much easier, but he didn’t seem willing to allow that. She found his gaze and took a steadying breath. The anger was gone; in its place was a soft determination. She knew she would not be able to wiggle her way out from beneath him, that he was holding her steady, and she used that knowledge to keep from trying to hide from him again.

  He reached out and grabbed hold of her nipples; the fiery burn of his grasp made her suck in her breath. Though she wanted to pull away, she didn’t.

  “Now. When I say ‘stay’ what are you supposed to do?” His voice did not wrap around her with the security she’d felt during their play, but rather hung between them, demanding an answer.

  “I’m supposed to stay.” She managed to answer the question without going further on with a defense. Typically, she would have plenty of reasons for her actions, excuses for what she’d done. Now, standing before him in the way she was, she didn’t even try.

  “But you didn’t, did you?” His eyes darkened; his grip intensified.

  She took a long drag of air and shook her head. He twisted his right hand enough to increase her discomfort.

  Words!

  “No, I didn’t,” she answered rushed and loudly. He released some pressure on the twist.

  “So, we need to work on that, your obedience.” His eyes never left hers, not even when she winced from the pain. “I’m going to say stay, and you will stay. When I tell you to come, you’ll come. When I tell you to heel, you will kneel back on your heels.”

  Her breath quickened, her heart jumped at his words. “Like a dog?” Her voice squeaked.

  “Well, you had your chance to obey the command like a lady, now you’ll obey the command in this manner.”

  “No spanking?” she asked, unable to stop the half smile from creeping onto her lips.

  He grinned and gave a low chuckle. “Did you enjoy the spanking I gave you?” His grin twisted, his tone flattened, sounding more like one of the professors down at the school, instead of the sexy dominant man she wanted to fuck her senseless.

  “Yes,” she answered honestly. Her nipples became accustomed to his grasp, but he continued to move his hands, adding new discomforts when he seemed to realize she was relaxing under his grip.

  “Then that wouldn’t be much of a lesson, would it?” He winked and pulled her breasts toward him.

  “Stay,” he demanded harshly and dragged her nipples toward him with his fingers.

  She wanted to lean toward him, to lessen the burn of her breasts, but she remained still. She curled her toes into the carpet and kept her eyes locked on his. She dug her teeth into her lip, but she didn’t move.

  He released her breasts, and they bounced back to her on fire. She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

  He nodded to her. “Good girl.” Before she could soak in the pleasure of his tone, he turned and walked back to the door. Was he going to allow everyone in the club to see her like this? Would he take this lesson out in public?

  Playing in a space where everyone else was there for the same reason hadn’t bothered her. In fact, the idea that she was a part of it, of the room, the electricity
of it all had excited her, aided her arousal. But they weren’t playing here. He wasn’t having fun with her; he was disciplining her.

  There would be no spanking, no fucking probably, but she was working to earn back what she’d thrown away when she disobeyed. She wanted his pleasure back, his pride. She wanted her pride back as well.

  “Drop your hands and kneel on all fours.” His instruction came in a casual manner, as though he were asking her to pass the potatoes.

  Her fingers loosened behind her neck, and she moved as gracefully as she could to the floor, raising her head to look at him. The position was definitely humbling. If there had been a sexual undertone in the room, it would have been hot enough to soak her panties, but in this scenario, she merely felt humbled.

  He patted his thigh with his right hand. When she continued to look at him, not sure what to do, he patted his thigh again with more force.

  “This means come, Kelly. Come,” he instructed.

  She blinked hard. Kneeling for him, moving at his direction was one thing, but crawling and being called like a dog—it left her stunned momentarily.

  Slowly, she began to move toward him. Thankful the carpet was soft and there was not as much discomfort physically as she could have had to endure, she set out to make the most of the moment. She worried she would feel humiliated at the movement, at being beckoned in such a way, but she didn’t. When she reached him, he squatted down to meet her gaze. He cupped her face with his hands, holding their gazes together.

  “Very good. Now heel.” The order came softly. He let her go as she leaned back and rested on her heels.

  Unsure of what to do with her hands, she rested them on her knees. He smiled approvingly at her.

  “Good girl. Follow.” He stepped around her and began walking toward the corner of the room. Again, she crawled across the carpet.

  She knew her ass was sticking up in the air as she moved, that it was a seductive wiggle. She also knew he wasn’t able to see it because he was walking in front of her. Again, the knowledge that a situation that could have been extremely fun had been turned into a discipline session because of her actions weighed on her.