“Sorry. Years in the FBI have a tendency to do that to you.” He leveled his stare at Brayden. “What happened to her?”
Brayden sighed. “Rape, but don’t—”
Delacroix waved his hand in dismissal. “I won’t say anything. Have you ever worked with a rape survivor?”
“Yes,” Brayden replied. “You?”
“One.” He remained silent for a few seconds, his brow creased as though deep in thought. “Can you and Karina meet me for a late breakfast tomorrow?”
Brayden frowned. “I suppose, but I thought you wanted to meet for lunch one day next week.”
Delacroix’s ever observant gaze scanned the crowd. “I decided to move it up.”
“Want to explain why?” Brayden asked, wondering why Delacroix suddenly looked so concerned.
He turned his gaze back to Brayden. “What you said about Karina gave me an idea. Tomorrow at eleven. Here.”
Delacroix left, leaving Brayden scowling after him. He liked Delacroix, but sometimes there was something about him that put Brayden on edge. It was like Delacroix knew something no one else did and only released that information in small tidbits.
Chapter Thirteen
Karina laughed at something one of the male submissives, a man by the name of Gary, said about new Doms.
“Come on, Gary,” Karina chided. “They have to learn somehow, right?”
“Please,” he grumbled and smoothed his hand over his swollen balls, before wincing. “How about they find someone else to practice on besides me? I swear from now on, I’m asking for a reference and proof they’ve been doing it more than a few months. It’s a shame Delacroix doesn’t swing my way,” he added, grumbling.
Karina giggled. “What is it with everyone in this place and Delacroix?”
She knew every club had one—the Dom that could make every heart in the room flutter, male and female alike. At Club Fetish, that just happened to be Delacroix.
“The man has a sixth sense that goes way beyond a Dom’s sense. When you play with him or have sex with him, it’s like he’s tuned in to you. I swear, I think he’s psychic,” Janie said. “It’s weird and incredibly arousing all at the same time.”
One side of Karina’s lips twisted. “I suppose.”
“And speaking of sexy Doms,” Gary drawled as he leveled his eyes on someone behind her.
Karina turned and spotted Brayden walking toward her. Her stomach did a little turn, making the butterflies spin and sputter around.
“Down, Gary,” Janie said. “That’s Karina’s Master.”
“No shit?” Gary said. “Lucky girl.”
Karina didn’t know how lucky she felt, not when his heated stare made her feel so off kilter. He came up beside her and put his hand at the small of her back. His fingers eased through the fringe, gently rubbing across her flesh and making her heart beat faster. Just that little touch sent her senses flying.
“We’re not leaving already, are we?” she asked.
He lowered his hand and brushed his fingers over her ass. Brayden was definitely an ass man.
“Would you like to play again, kitten?” he asked softly.
Karina felt the heat of a blush move over her face. Brayden brushed the back of his fingers over her burning cheek, his ever watchful gaze keeping close tabs on her reactions. Karina did it too, as a Domme, but it was a bit disconcerting to be on the receiving end.
She leaned forward and whispered close to his ear. “That’s not what I had in mind.”
“That’s what I’ve had in mind ever since earlier.”
She pulled away and looked at him. He smiled devilishly. Karina giggled just a little and shook her head. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, moving her body so her breasts pressed against his chest. The pressure on her sensitive nipples made her legs tingle.
“If I didn’t know you so well, I’d swear you had a one track mind,” she murmured as she traced his lips with her finger.
She liked teasing Brayden. Flirting with him. Making him squirm. Unfortunately, Brayden had an uncanny way of turning the tables.
Brayden’s eyebrow quirked. He turned his head and caught her finger in his teeth, biting down just hard enough to catch her by surprise. Then he wrapped his lips around her finger and sucked gently, swiping his tongue over where he’d bitten.
The move wasn’t overtly sexual, but wow, it sent her body into a hormonal tailspin. His blue eyes narrowed into hot slits of desire. The look made her shiver from head to toe, and all she could think about was what his lips would feel like, how that stubble on his cheeks would feel against the inside of her thighs.
A sudden gasp of pain and a young woman screaming “red” caught everyone’s attention. They all turned to the center of the room, where a younger Dom was trying to mimic what Delacroix had done earlier. Unfortunately, his skill with a whip left much to be desired. The massive slash across the sub’s back bled profusely and her body shook with pain. Brayden and Karina both rushed forward, since they were the closest, and began loosening her bindings.
“I’m so sorry, Claire,” the Dom whispered as he tried to help, as well.
“It’s okay, Sir,” Claire said through her tears, but Karina doubted Claire would go anywhere near the young Dom again.
Delacroix rushed over, an angry look on his face. “What the hell happened?”
“I…” Jim sighed. “I thought I could do this. Apparently, I need more practice.”
With a scowl, Delacroix reached out and took the whip from Jim. “You will see me next week, and I’ll show you how to properly use a whip.”
“Yes, Sir,” Jim replied.
“Claire,” Delacroix said as he handed the whip to another Dom standing close by.
Delacroix cupped the young submissive’s cheeks, who now sagged between Karina and Brayden as each held an arm to keep her upright. He wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumbs. “He’s new, sweetheart. He didn’t mean it.”
“I know, Sir. Thank you, Sir.”
“Let me see,” he commanded softly.
With Karina’s help, Claire turned so he could see her back. Delacroix winced and compassion filled his eyes.
“Come with me, sweetheart. Let’s get this taken care of. All right?”
He held his hand out, waiting patiently for Claire to take it. He didn’t force her. He let it be her decision. She placed her hand in his without hesitation. Delacroix pulled her close, then bent and lifted the young woman in his arms, careful to keep his arm below the slash across her back. Claire wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face. Karina could hear her sobs, as Delacroix carried her out of the room, crooning softly, “It’s okay, sweetheart. You go ahead and cry.”
Karina was impressed. The subs trusted him.
Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself as the crowd began to disperse. Seeing that bloody slash made her want to vomit and run to Brayden so he could carry her from the room. God, what was wrong with her? Why did she suddenly have this desire to be coddled, to flee the scene? It’s not like she hadn’t seen that stuff in her job or even the club she frequented. New Doms often made mistakes. But this case had brought her past to the forefront and left her feeling incredibly unstable.
She was a strong woman…an independent woman. She didn’t want a man telling her what she needed. Making her admit things she didn’t even want to admit to herself. She was a Domme and a damned good one.
But being a Domme didn’t satisfy her. It didn’t make her happy. Even her orgasms were…quite frankly, lately, they sucked. The best one she’d had in a long time had been by Brayden’s hands while he had her restrained just by the damn tone of his voice.
She became angry again. Angry with herself. Angry with her confusion. Angry with her fears. She didn’t want to be afraid anymore, but she was, and she didn’t know how to fix it.
“Hey,” Brayden said, as he walked over and rubbed his hand down her arm in a soothing motion.
Feeling emotio
nally drained, Karina stepped back.
“Karina. Look at me,” Brayden said firmly in that Dom tone that no one in their right mind would ignore.
Even her.
She brought her gaze to his. He took one look and frowned. “Damn,” he murmured. “Come on, Kay. Let’s get out of here and get some air.”
She nodded and walked with him across the room. Just as they reached the door, one of the tuxedoed playroom guards stepped in their path. They were scattered about the room, there to watch over, keep people in line, and if necessary, break up fights.
“Master Delacroix said to give you this for your sub. It’s a little cold tonight in the garden.”
Karina and Brayden both gaped in surprise as the man handed a large black coat to Brayden. “How did…?” Brayden said.
The man smiled slightly. “I gave up trying to figure out how he did it a long time ago.” He nodded toward a door positioned behind the reception desk. “If you go through that door, then out the door at the end of the hall, it will lead you to a more private garden. Or you may use the public one out the patio doors of the playroom.”
“Thank you,” Brayden said.
The man nodded, then left.
“Wow,” Karina said. “Delacroix is scary as hell.”
“Well,” Brayden drawled. “Didn’t you say something about vampires earlier?”
Karina snickered softly.
“Public or private, Kay?” he asked softly.
“Public,” she said, then changed her mind twice more. “No…no…public.”
Brayden gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Make a decision, Kay, or I will.”
What was wrong with her? This was Brayden. She was safe with him. Her body anyway, her heart, maybe not so much. “Private,” she whispered.
Brayden nodded and wrapped the jacket around her shoulders as he led her behind the reception desk and down the winding hallway toward the private garden.
They stepped out the door into a walled Eden. Karina smiled at the fountain and various plants still green despite the cold weather. Winter plants, she realized, as she walked forward to touch one of the green leaves, feeling the softness beneath her fingers.
Brayden grasped her hand and led her to a small wicker couch nestled in the corner. He sat down and tried to pull her onto his lap, but she fought him, trying to jerk her hand back. He gazed up at her with that firm, don’t-you-dare-deny-me look, and she actually froze. What was it about him that could do this to her? Why did she allow it?
She shook her head. “We’re not in the club, Brayden.”
“I don’t care. Sit down. On my lap. Now.”
“God, you’re bossy,” she grumbled, but did as he’d demanded, because he certainly hadn’t requested it.
She settled on his legs. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close, despite her stiffness. Maybe she should’ve chosen the public one.
“I need you to talk to me, Karina,” he spoke firmly.
The use of her full name let her know he wasn’t very happy with her right now.
“Brayden—”
“This is non-negotiable. Talk.”
She remained silent, unsure what to say. Or how to say it.
“If we’re going to get through this case, Kay, you have to open up to me. Otherwise, this is going to send you into a relapse you may never get back out of. What happened in there?”
She drew in a shaky breath. “I thought I was doing okay, but when I saw her back and all that blood… I’ve seen blood before. I’m not sure why it…”
“I know why. This isn’t just about pain-play anymore or dominance. When you look at that stuff, now you see those girls, and you remember what happened to you. Right?”
She nodded again.
“And deep inside, you worry that it could possibly happen again,” he said in a much softer voice.
Karina bit her lip and nodded.
He laid his cheek against her hair and slowly drew his fingers up and down her thigh. It wasn’t a touch to seduce, but it still made her insides quiver.
“Maybe you should call it quits, kitten.”
“No,” she said firmly, but didn’t move. She didn’t want him to stop rubbing her leg. “If I do, I’m letting Shandra down, and I won’t do that. I need to do this, Brayden. I need to really move past what happened to me, not hide behind the guise of a Dom. If I run now, I’ll be running the rest of my life.”
Brayden sighed as he rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. Karina snuggled closer. She knew Brayden was worried about her, but she also knew that he understood. He would let her keep doing this, so long as she could keep from slipping backward in her mind. She could do this. She had to. For Shandra and for herself.
“When you feel like you’re going to panic or feel like you did tonight, I want you to come to me if we’re not together. Understand?”
“And do what?”
He put his finger under her chin and tilted her face up to his. “This,” he said. “We’ll talk about it. We’ll work it out.” He studied her intently. “Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Good.” He grinned wickedly. “And maybe, if you’re a really, really, good girl, I can think of something that will take your mind off of it.”
She should’ve come up with something smart to say, but words failed her as he gazed down at her with those dark, heavenly eyes. He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, and she wondered what his mouth would feel like against hers.
This wasn’t her. She should be the one in charge, the one comforting a sub. Why was she sitting on his lap, craving the comfort he could give her? Why was she doing this? Why was she melting beneath his heated stare like so many of the other submissives she’d seen him with?
Thinking of another woman on his lap made her chest tighten. Always before, she’d enjoyed watching Brayden with the subs, fantasized even, that it was her on the table…especially lately. Now, thinking of him with others just made her stomach clench. She didn’t like it. What had changed?
“You must really be freaked out if you’ve nothing sarcastic to say,” Brayden murmured.
Chapter Fourteen
“No, I’m…” She emphatically shook her head. “I think I’m just not all there. We should probably head back inside.”
Brayden frowned at her sudden evasion. Something was going on with her that she wasn’t saying. It wasn’t the incident with Claire. It was something else. Unfortunately, Brayden had a feeling getting it out of her would be a challenge.
He allowed Karina to stand. She glanced up at the clear sky and wrapped the coat tighter around her shoulders. Should he push her to do another scene, or would it be too much for her right now? His father always told him if you fall off a horse, get right back on it. Would that work in this case?
They remained silent as they strolled back into the house. Brayden was sure Karina was trying to get back into the investigator mindset, but was that the right thing for her at the moment?
As they walked down the hall toward the front desk, Brayden put his hand at the small of her back. Nothing sexual or threatening, just a light touch to let her know he was there, that he hadn’t abandoned her.
She handed the coat back to the man who’d given it to them earlier. “Thank you,” Karina said softly.
The man inclined his head. “My pleasure.”
“How’s Claire?” Brayden asked. “Have you heard anything?”
“After looking her over, Master Delacroix decided she needed stitches. He accompanied her to the hospital.”
“That was nice of him,” Karina murmured.
“Master Delacroix always accompanies the submissives who don’t have a Dom. He’ll see that Claire is taken care of, and that she makes it home safely. He’ll stay with her until a family member can arrive. I believe Claire has a sister that occasionally frequents the club.”
“That’s good,” Brayden said as he pushed Karina past the reception desk and back into the playroom. �
��Thank you…”
“John,” he replied, then dipped his head in a slight bow.
Brayden smiled at John as he pushed Karina through the door. He felt a slight hesitation to her step and looked down to study her face. She looked tense.
“Let’s get a drink, Kay,” he whispered and headed them both in the direction of the bar.
Karina nodded and headed toward the closest one. She slid onto the stool and sighed tiredly.
“What can I get you, my dear?” Trey asked.
“Rum and coke?” she asked.
Trey nodded, then turned to Brayden, as he took the stool next to Karina. “I’ll take the same,” Brayden murmured.
He spun on the stool so he could face Karina, but her attention was elsewhere across the room. He followed her stare to a couple doing wax play on the other side of the bar. The Dom had the submissive tied down across the top of the bar, occasionally dripping wax over her breasts and torso. Every time the hot wax hit her skin, the submissive would hiss and moan, her body jerking against the restraints.
Brayden turned his gaze back to Karina and ran the back of his fingers over her cheek. She turned to face him and gave him a small smile that, unfortunately, didn’t reach her eyes. He gripped her chin and lifted her face up.
“Do you know what you need?” he asked softly.
“A vacation?” she teased.
He grinned. “If you went on vacation, where would you go?”
“Fiji.”
His eyebrow quirked in amusement. “That was fast. Didn’t need to think about it?”
“Nope,” she replied.
He feathered the back of his fingers down her arm, watching the goose bumps that raised along her skin follow his touch. “And what would you do while in Fiji?” he murmured.
“Enjoy the sunshine and the water.”
He heard the breathy quality to her voice and raised his gaze to meet hers. There was a slight hint of longing in her eyes. “If you could do anything in Fiji, anything you wanted, what would it be?” he asked softly.
“To be with a man with no one else around. To not feel afraid anymore.”
Trey set their drinks before them, which broke the sudden tension that had developed. It was a different kind of tension than what usually hung there. Karina was fighting something deep inside her, a need that Brayden believed was mirrored in his own soul. What was it about her that had him so tied in knots? That made him wish for things he’d never allowed himself to wish for?
Topping the Domme (Crime and Punishment) Page 9
