by Lexi Blake
Flynn knew well enough that a woman wasn’t always as she seemed. “All I know is in the last year, Slaten has come after us and hard, so I find it interesting that a woman who, according to rumors, hates me and my company would end up as my training partner. Oh, but she’s not using her real name and she doesn’t know I know what she looks like. Does she know I’m your brother?”
“I don’t think it’s been brought up,” Mitch replied. “She only recently moved here and she hasn’t done much socializing. Laurel met her briefly at her wedding, but I don’t believe they’ve talked since. Laurel isn’t particularly close to Bridget, though they’re friendly. We see her at holidays. I assume we’ll see Amy with her this year. We’ll certainly invite her, but I doubt she’s been told anything about you by Laurel.”
But Amy knew something. It was the only explanation. “I think this is all one big plan by Slaten. They haven’t gotten what they want and now they’re sending in the big guns.”
“You think they want the code you’ve been working on?”
Of course they did. “I think they’ve figured out that I’m working on it remotely so their hackers can’t touch it. I’ve got it on a system with no Internet connection.”
He couldn’t be too safe. He kept two hard backups, but otherwise he had the only copy of his work.
“As your brother, I’m going to advise you to step back.” Mitch walked up and put a hand on his shoulder. “No matter why she’s doing it, this isn’t business. You can’t go into this training relationship without honesty.”
That seemed unfair. “I’m not the one who hasn’t been honest.”
“But you make the choices and decisions when it comes to who you are and what you do to other people. You joined this group to find yourself. Don’t turn this into something ugly. Go to the club tonight and explain the situation to Wade. He’ll get you into another class and you’ll have done the right thing. You can find the relationship you really want. You do the training right and put your heart and soul into it, and I can assure you you’ll enjoy yourself. You’ll take your time and find the right sub for you. I meant what I said, Flynn. You’ll find a lot of peace in the lifestyle if you let it work for you. Laurel and I have.”
Yes, Laurel was so submissive. Laurel had actually softened his brother and turned him from a hard-core, full-time Dom into an indulgent husband. He wasn’t so sure he was looking for that. The whole marriage ship might have sailed for him. He couldn’t trust a woman enough to make that kind of commitment to her, but a contract might do. A well thought out and executed contract with rules and guidelines might bring him some peace.
Was he willing to risk that so he could bring Slaten Industries to…what exactly was his end game with them? They shouldn’t compete for clients. Slaten was big, but his firm was gargantuan.
“I’ll talk to Wade tonight.” He ran his hand over his nephew’s back and sighed. Something about a baby…
Maybe it was all about the future. He wanted one. He couldn’t have one if he kept getting swept up in the past.
“And I’ll set up a meeting with Amy Slaten next week and we’ll sit down and hash this out. Like adults. I can go into the next training class and start looking for a sub,” Flynn said. “I don’t want to play around too much, Mitch. I want something settled.”
He wanted a woman who suited him and some peace. That was all. He had his family. It was time to find some happiness and that meant putting the past behind him.
Mitch smiled his way. “I’m so glad to hear you say that.”
“Say what?” Laurel walked in the door, followed by Chase.
“Probably something silly.” His younger brother was carrying his backpack and some groceries. “Or about code. Flynn loves to talk about code.”
Laurel beamed as she kissed Mitch and then turned to her other man. She picked up her son and cuddled him. “Hey, baby boy.”
“Flynn was talking sense for once,” Mitch said with a smile. “Now I have a lasagna from Top in the fridge. Who wants dinner?”
“I thought you were having quiet time with Laurel.” Lasagna sounded ridiculously good and hey, it wasn’t like he was going to have a fun night. He got to go into Sanctum and give up his spot and wait another two months for another one.
Two months before his life could start.
He kind of hated Amy Slaten in that moment.
“That’s for later,” Laurel said with a wink. “Let’s have a nice family dinner.”
That sounded perfect to Flynn.
Chapter Two
“You’re not in leathers, Flynn. Is there a problem? You know I don’t teach you how to put them on, right?”
Flynn looked at Wade Rycroft. Sanctum’s new Dom in residence was a big man. He probably topped out at six and a half feet.
Flynn liked Wade. He had that ex-military vibe all the McKay-Taggart guys had and for good reason. Wade was a recent refugee from the Green Berets. From what Flynn knew about him, he’d been born in Texas and had come home after he’d been discharged due to injuries sustained in battle.
He was big and scarred and had a ridiculously dark wit.
“I need to talk to you about something.” Traffic had made him later than he’d planned. The class was set to start in fifteen minutes.
Wade was dressed in his leathers. Because this was a night class, he wore traditional leathers—pants and vest with boots. No shirt. He looked big and broad. From what Flynn understood, he’d been a cowboy in a past life. He still sent money back to his father’s ranch. It was run by his brothers. He wasn’t sure how many of them there were, but they were all probably as big as Wade.
Flynn wasn’t exactly tiny. When he wasn’t working on code, he liked to hit the gym. He could walk into any place and feel comfortable in his own skin. He was a little bitter he wasn’t walking into the dungeon tonight. He could be starting that part of his life.
But no. Someone wanted to play games. Again, he kind of hated her. If she hadn’t brought their war to the dungeon, he might be meeting a pretty sub this very evening.
Wade held up a hand. “Can you wait a second? I need to make sure I’m properly set up for tonight’s class. It’s my first training class without a Taggart breathing down my neck. Don’t want to disappoint. I’ll be right back.”
He stepped away and Flynn was left in the hallway that connected the locker rooms to the lounge and bar. They would have to go upstairs to reach the dungeon.
Sanctum was the Cadillac of dungeons. Three stories of pure luxury kink that he would have to wait to indulge in.
The door to the women’s locker room came open and he heard feminine laughter. It was light and airy and made him realize it had been far too long since his last date. He’d pulled away from so much in the last few years. Between his doomed engagement and his father’s death, he’d gotten so fucking serious. He’d had to be a father to Chase and keep the company running. He’d felt so damn old the last couple of years. He wanted to feel like he was in his prime. Which according to the media and other sources, he was.
He didn’t feel that way.
Three women stepped out, each lovely in her own way. They were all dressed in fet wear of some kind, two in corsets and miniskirts and one in a tight tank and leather boy shorts. No bra and he could see the outline of her nipples.
Normally he would glance away, but Sanctum was different from the outside world.
He gave them a tip of his head. “Ladies, you are all looking lovely tonight.”
“Thank you, Sir,” one said.
Her friend shook her head. “How do you know he’s a Sir? He could be a sub, too. Men can be subs.”
The third one grinned as if this was all one big adventure for her. “He looks like a Dom to me.”
But he wasn’t yet and it looked like it would be another few months before he could take the class. It was a shame because he’d already been through the Dom training portion. The classes were segregated in the beginning. Doms learned how to behave from D
oms and subs had a class of their own. This was the last step to gaining access to club membership.
“Enjoy your class, ladies.” He winked their way and then sighed as they strode up the stairs, perfectly confident in themselves. “I know Wade will take care of you.”
One of those lovely women might have been his training sub if Amy Slaten hadn’t wrecked everything.
“Hi, I know this is probably not a request you get a lot, but is there any way you could help me finish zipping this sucker up?”
He turned and there was a woman poking her head from behind the wall that led back to the women’s locker room. She gave him a heart-stopping grin.
“There’s a hug in it for you at the end,” she promised. “Or a hearty fist bump. Really, it’s whichever makes you more comfortable. I’d offer you candy, but then I would be the creepy chick who walks around offering strange Doms candy. And that would be bad. And I am talking too much. It’s this thing I do when I get nervous. I talk a lot. Like now.”
He couldn’t help but smile. She was standing in the shadows, but he could see her broad smile and it did something for him.
Damn, but he liked a funny girl. He’d always liked the weird ones, the slightly nerdy awkward goddess ones did him in time and time again.
“I would never refuse a damsel in distress.” He stepped up and stopped.
Now he could plainly see her. Pretty blue eyes, a ridiculous amount of shiny black hair, and lips that looked like they’d been made to kiss. Those lips were plump and bountiful. She was tall and had a slender grace that reminded him of a doe.
Ah, the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Amy Slaten was standing right there, already trying to pull him in.
“Thank you so much,” she said with a sigh. She turned around, presenting her back to him. Her corset had a zipper in the back, unlike the lace-up ones most subs used. She’d managed to get it about halfway up. “I thought I could get one of the other women to help me with it, but I took a shower when I got here so I would smell nice and apparently I took too long and all the other women were gone. You know it’s a little weird in there when no one else is around. I might have watched one too many horror movies. The chick who takes the shower always gets murdered. You would think they have something against cleanliness.”
For a slender girl, she had a lovely backside. It was round and perfect and looked amazing in boy shorts, where he could see the under curves of her ass.
She held her hair, piling it high on her head. It had grown out since the last time he’d seen her. The bob she’d had it in was now long and would likely brush her shoulder blades. So much hair. He would be able to twist his hand in it and command her.
“If it bothers you, I can find someone else.” She suddenly didn’t sound as sure as she had before.
He stepped up and reached for the zipper. “Not at all. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I don’t want to offend anyone. At first I was thinking you were probably staring at my ass because that is totally on display, but then you were so quiet that I was worried maybe you were offended by my ass being on display, and that was when I realized you’re not in leathers and you could be the repair guy here to plug in a few light bulbs, and crazy pants with her ass hanging out is suddenly asking for you to zip her up.”
He did exactly that, but it was a tight fit, molding to her every curve, and he had to put a hand on her waist to balance it and get the zipper up. The curve of her hip fit perfectly in his hand and he could smell the citrus of her shampoo. “I was absolutely looking at your ass and no, it did not offend me. It’s quite lovely, as is the rest of you. I’m not the repairman.”
Her head turned slightly and he was captivated by the line of her jaw, the way her lips curled up. “I’m glad to hear that. So you’re in the class? Or are you teaching the class?”
This was the point in time that he explained he wasn’t taking the class because he wasn’t going to allow her to drag out some years old feud between their families. This was the moment when he explained to her who he was and that her game wasn’t going to work on him and better luck next time, baby. Try again. Yes, this was when he turned her around and faced her and said thanks but no thanks. I’m an adult and I don’t play games.
“I’m in training, too.”
She turned and he got a good look at the front of her. Unfortunately, it was just as hot as the back. Her breasts fit into the corset like a dream. They weren’t large, but they looked perfect for her. For him. They would likely fit right in the palm of his hand.
She winked at him, her hair tumbling around her shoulders. “You should probably change then. I’ve heard the punishment for Doms who are late can only be applied with the proper amount of lube.”
He frowned. “Are you serious?”
He’d already been through that part. He didn’t want to do that again. Not to himself. To her though…
Her eyes lit with mirth. “Oh, I hope I get you. You would be so much fun to tease, Sir.”
“And you would be a lot of fun to spank, sub,” he said, his voice deepening because she was pushing all the right buttons to bring out the Dom in him. The one who wanted to play. He actually didn’t mind her teasing him. He didn’t want a sub who never spoke unless she was spoken to or one who obeyed him mindlessly.
Fuck, he should have known he would want the brat.
Her eyes went down submissively, but he caught the smile on her face. “Yes, Sir. I look forward to it. Thank you so much for the help. I appreciate it. So fist bump or hug?”
“I would rather have a kiss.” Who the hell was talking? He was pretty sure it was his dick. The damn thing seemed to have taken firm control of the body and it was not letting the brain in. Why should it? The brain couldn’t function when all the available blood supply had gone straight to his cock.
Her eyes widened and he felt a thrill go through his system. She thought she had the upper hand? He wouldn’t touch her without her permission, but in a club like this it was totally acceptable to ask as long as he did it politely. He could ask her if she’d like to go upstairs to one of the privacy rooms with him so he could fuck her long and hard. All she had to do was say no.
Communication was the key. Saying what he wanted and what he was and wasn’t willing to give.
Honesty is pretty important, too, asshole. Communication means nothing without honesty.
His brain was still functioning on some level. Maybe if she turned him down flat he could still get out of this.
And then she stepped up. The heels she was wearing gave her a few inches, but she had to look up at him, her eyes softening as she got close. She went up on her toes and put her hands on either side of his face. She stared at him for a moment, but it wasn’t odd or uncomfortable. He got the feeling she was memorizing him or being truly in the moment. For a second he forgot about everything that was happening and looked at her, studying the angles and planes of her lovely face. Her lips had taken him, but now he was utterly fascinated by the freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose and the tiny scar on her left cheek.
Then she moved up, pressing her lips to his. It was only a moment, but heat flashed through his system and he was more alive in that second than he’d felt in years.
She moved down again, her hands coming to her sides and her lips curling up slightly. “Thank you, Sir. I’ll see you upstairs.”
His hands fisted. He wanted to touch her, to drag her back and show her how to properly kiss her Master.
He was a fucking fool and he would never learn.
“I didn’t get your name,” he heard himself saying.
Please tell me the truth. Give me your name. Your real name. Let me believe this was all a crazy coincidence and you’re not playing me.
She turned back slightly as she moved toward the stairs. “It’s Amy. Amy Lyndon. How about you, Sir?”
Something inside him went cold. Unfortunately, it was not his dick. “Flynn.”
“Is that your first name or last name
?”
Two could play at her game. She knew damn well what his name was. “It’s John Flynn, but I prefer Flynn.”
No lies there. Merely a set of truths withheld, but then she’d done the same to him.
“It was nice to meet you. I hope…well, I hope you enjoy the class.” She walked up the stairs.
“Damn, you work fast, Flynn.” Wade stepped down the stairs after he nodded to Amy. “I think Kai was right on with that pick. Sorry, it was supposed to be a surprise. She’s your training sub. Sweet lady. I already like her. She’s funny, and I would bet she’ll give you plenty of excuses to smack that pretty ass. She’s in this for the adventure of it. Those are my favorites.”
She’d worked fast. She’d turned him upside down and inside out with nothing more than a few words and an undone zipper.
And there was absolutely no way he was walking out now.
“Good. I think that should make the class very interesting,” Flynn said, his eyes still on her. He kept watching her until she disappeared.
“You wanted to talk to me about something?” Wade asked.
Flynn shook his head. “Nah, it was nothing. I’ll go change.”
“You better hurry,” Wade said with a frown. “You know what happens to Doms who are late to my class.”
It didn’t involve lube but it wasn’t pretty. “I’ll be on time.”
He wasn’t about to miss it. It was the start of their game.
He intended to win.
* * * *
What the hell had she done? Amy managed to walk sedately up the stairs. She was pretty sure he was still watching her.
Him. Flynn.
God, she was blushing at the very thought of him. He was some kind of actor or model. He had to be because that man was flipping gorgeous. He was tall and broad and she’d kissed him.
I would rather have a kiss.
Her heart had threatened to flatline then and there. He’d said it in a low growl that had gone straight past her ears to her female parts, and she’d found herself doing something crazy. She’d gone up on her toes and kissed him but not before she’d really looked at him. There was something about the man, something in his eyes. Something that called to her.
