“I’ll think about it, Mouse.”
“And also how-to classes. You know intermediate and advanced level. It’s important for new Dominants and submissives to find mentors, and we could facilitate that.”
He opened his mouth to tell her no when Drago smiled at her.
“Miss Mouse is very astute, Tor. I’ve suggested you offer classes in the past, if you’ll remember.”
Tor clenched his teeth in an approximation of a smile while he fought to stay in control. “I’ll consider it. The problem will be finding someone to do the scheduling. It takes a person with knowledge of the lifestyle and the ability to twist arms.”
“I can do it,” Mouse said.
He glared at her. “It takes someone with a strong will to bring something like this off.”
“You don’t think I can handle the job?”
“Let’s just say, I have concerns.” Tor felt like a bastard when her eyes grew moist with unshed tears.
“I’ll volunteer to be your first sacrificial lamb, Miss Mouse. I’d be happy to teach a class.”
Tor winced when Drago turned his dark eyes toward him. The censure in Drago’s gaze hit Tor in the gut. The two men had been friends for years, so disapproval and disappointment from his friend struck Tor hard. He cleared his throat, opening his mouth to speak, but Mouse got in first.
“That would be awesome,” Mouse enthused, setting her hand on Drago’s muscular forearm. Tor clenched his fists at his side.
“And are you going to be his bottom for this class?” Tor didn’t recognize his own voice as jealousy ripped through his gut like a poisoned arrow.
She blinked and looked up at Drago, a little afraid. The two of them had made peace when Mouse had apologized after almost interrupting his scene, but Tor knew the big man still scared her a little. Mouse swallowed hard.
“I guess so,” she squeaked. Her eyes flashed up to Drago. Tor came damn close to shouting no at the top of his lungs, but he didn’t. “Unless Master Drago would rather work with someone else, and I’d understand completely.” Mouse finished rapidly, color staining her cheeks.
Drago studied him for a minute or two, and he gave Tor a grim smile before turning back to Mouse. “Miss Mouse, I’d be honored to be the first Dom to lead you through a public scene if you trust me enough.”
She smiled shyly at Drago. “I do. Thanks.”
Mouse turned a triumphant smile on Tor, and he wanted to kill them both. He’d never learned to share what belonged to him, and Mouse was his. Damn it—she was his. The idea of Drago training her in any way, shape or form was impossible, but he didn’t have a choice. He’d all but dared her to do this and now that he’d made his bed he’d have to fucking lie in it—even if it was filled with glass.
* * * * *
“It’s time, Miss Mouse,” one of the staff called through her office door.
She shivered—torn between terror and determination. Drago had been great helping her to plan this class, but he still intimidated her. He was just so big…six foot four and ripped muscles from top to bottom. Of course he wasn’t all bulked up like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but he still felt massive to her. Maybe it was just his presence that filled the space wherever he was. Maybe it was the dark hair and unfathomable dark eyes. Whatever it was, she didn’t quite trust him. Didn’t quite feel safe. Yet she knew he would never hurt her. Knew it gut-deep. So what the hell was her problem? Her problem was that she’d rather have Tor. She sighed.
Not only that, but she was scared. Scared of Drago. Scared of putting herself out in public. But Tor had thrown down the challenge and she was damned if she wouldn’t face him down. She straightened and marched to the door as if she were headed for her own firing squad. Scared or not, she would do this.
* * * * *
Tor tensed when Mouse appeared. He’d been hoping…praying that she would cancel. He didn’t want to watch her with Drago, but he had no intention of leaving. He wasn’t completely certain that she could handle the stern man, and Masters rarely let their submissive play with someone without supervising, at least this one didn’t. Although he hadn’t admitted it to her, Tor felt as if he were Mouse’s Master.
She strode forward to stand beside Drago. Gingerly, she knelt on the pillow he’d placed by his feet and bowed her head. The big man caressed her hair, which hung loose and wild, then he met Tor’s gaze. When Tor just matched his stare, Drago nodded once and began the class.
“Good evening, everyone, and welcome. Tonight’s class will cover introducing a novice to the BDSM lifestyle and public scenes. I am Master Drago and my submissive this evening is Mouse.” He eyed the audience. “She is new to this lifestyle and newbie submissives need to be protected by those of us with experience. Teaching you about that will be one of the goals of this class.”
As Drago continued to outline the goals of the class, the females in the audience—and a few males—sighed as he spoke. If Mouse weren’t involved, Tor would grin at the way his friend could sway his audience using only his deep voice. But Tor’s concern right now was Mouse and she looked tense.
His gut tightened when she looked up once to meet his gaze before quickly looking back at Drago’s feet. Fear. He saw fear in her eyes. It tore him up because this whole damn thing was his fault, but unless she safe worded, he couldn’t intervene. God damn it.
Tor barely heard Drago’s words as he watched the scene unfold because his attention was devoted entirely to Mouse. When her ass was shown off to the crowd so Drago could explain where it was appropriate to deliver blows and where it wasn’t, Mouse went a brilliant red.
He loved her ass, but he knew she had some body image issues, so this had to be torture for her. Tor was torn between admiration for her strong spirit and a desire to cover her until she was truly ready for this kind of play. Drago assisted her onto a spanking bench and bound her then set his hand on the small of her back. She flinched. Her buttocks clenched in anticipation of blows soon to be delivered as the Dominant described proper spanking technique before delivering blows to her ass. She jumped with every blow but remained silent.
Shit, this wasn’t right. With him, she’d relaxed into the spanking and eventually lifted her ass for more. With Drago, nothing. She just knelt on the padded bench…waiting. Why the hell didn’t she safe word? When the master picked up a large leather paddle, Tor’s gut tightened. She couldn’t handle that. Not now. Her endorphins hadn’t kicked in and she wasn’t enjoying this at all. Fuck.
As Drago drew back, the world seemed to flow into slow motion. He saw the paddle swing forward to connect with Mouse’s quivering buttocks, and for the first time since this started, she made a noise.
“Oh God,” she squeaked.
Tor closed his eyes briefly, opening them when Drago asked, “Are you all right, Mouse?” She nodded vigorously. “Are you ready to continue?” Again she nodded.
Another blow fell. Another gasping squeak. Again Drago checked on her and had her consent to continue. Tor grabbed the chair he leaned against, but holding onto it wasn’t enough truly to anchor him because he desperately wanted to stop this. But it was her choice. Submissives gave their trust and consent to a top, and Mouse indicated she wanted to continue. Another blow. This time he heard a sob. Shit.
Safe word, Mouse. Please, honey. It’s okay. He wished he had the right—the privilege—to protect her. Wished he hadn’t been such a fucking asshole two months ago. She lifted her head and her hair fell away from her red, tear-streaked face. Her eyes destroyed him. Accused him. She glared at him as if to say See? I can do this! I’m worthy, you son of a bitch.
Clarity struck him straight in the chest. She was doing this solely to prove him wrong, and that was a bullshit lousy reason to let someone beat her ass. Not when she wasn’t into it. Another blow fell against her ass and she continued to glare at him as the tears streaked her face and she bit her lip to endure the pain.
Tor knew that nothing would induce her to stop now. She wouldn’t safe word even if Drago
took a whip to her. He might not have the right as her Master to stop this, but as a dungeon monitor he fucking did and this was done. Right now.
As the next blow fell, he stepped in front of it, taking it in the gut. Drago raised his brows and straightened.
“Would you care to explain why you disrupted a scene between a Dominant and a submissive? You know that’s against the rules.”
Tor took a deep breath. He set his hand gently at the base of her spine and she relaxed for the first time since she’d marched out here. “This submissive is refusing to safe word and it’s my fault.”
“You think she’d safe word if you weren’t here?”
“Yes. She’s not into this at all. You can see the tension in every line of her body.”
“Are you suggesting I’m abusing her without her consent?”
“No. You have her consent, but she doesn’t know what she’s doing right now.”
“She’s not in subspace, so she’s completely cognizant of her surroundings.”
“I agree that she’s not in subspace, but her reasoning is gone because she’s out to prove she can endure this.”
“Prove it to whom?”
“Me. ’Cause I’ve been a fucking asshole. I’m stopping this now.”
“By what authority?”
“First as dungeon monitor…” He paused and looked at Mouse’s red ass. He brought her skirt down to cover her butt. “And second as her Master. If she’ll have me.”
Drago’s brows rose, but he smiled slightly. “I recognize your authority…in both roles. Let’s cut her loose.”
The crowd began to murmur, moving around as if to break up. Drago stood, glaring at them all and they froze. “This class is not finished. Remain seated while we take care of Miss Mouse.”
Tor released her hands while Drago took care of her feet. Tor helped her stand and she almost fell, leaning heavily on him. He pulled her close as Drago wrapped a soft blanket around her then Tor led her away.
Mouse leaned against Tor and sighed as he helped her walk away from the public play area.
“I could have done it,” she whispered.
“You did it, Mouse,” he murmured in her ear. “And you don’t have to prove anything to me. I’m sorry I made you think you did.”
She glanced up at him as he helped her into his office and shut the door. He looked grim. Had she pissed him off…again? He tugged her gently toward a low, white leather couch that ran the length of one wall of his office. He eased her down onto the sofa, but the minute her butt hit the leather she whimpered and struggled to her feet. He frowned.
“What?” he asked. She grimaced and he nodded, his expression lightening somewhat. “It hurts too much to sit?” She nodded, rubbing her sore ass. “C’mon over here.” He waved her over to his desk. He reached into his drawer.
“No more paddling please.”
“None planned.” He pulled out a tube of something. “This should take some of the sting out. Bend over, honey.”
Mouse bent over and put her hands on his desk for balance. He walked behind her and flipped up her skirt. She stood, whipping her skirt back down. Tor raised his brows.
“Honey, your gorgeous ass was just on display to nearly all our members and I was there. Remember? I’ve seen your ass before.” He leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose. “Hell, I spanked it not that long ago.”
Her face heated. “I know, but…”
“Let me take care of you.” He cupped her face in his big hands. “Please, Mouse.”
She took a deep breath, reading his expression. The entreaty in his eyes made her blink back tears and she nodded.
“Turn around and bend over again then I’ll rub some of this on you. It should help ease the pain.”
She obeyed, wincing when he lifted her skirt. He gently slathered ointment on her butt cheeks. First it was cool, and then the sting started to numb out. She sighed with relief.
“Why didn’t you safe word?”
She frowned and remained silent while he continued gently to massage the ointment over her ass. Damn, even with the numbing effect of the lotion, her pussy began to respond to his touch. Shit. Why did it always happen anytime they were in proximity? It wasn’t fair.
“Mouse…”
“I don’t owe you any explanations.”
“That’s open to debate. But rather than declaring war on one another, I’m asking and I’d really like an answer.”
She sighed and stood up, turning to face him. Mouse lifted her chin to glare up at him. “Because I wanted you to know I could do it. Okay?”
“It’s not okay because I never want you to feel like you have to prove anything to me. I believe in you. Even when you piss me the hell off.”
“You do?” She turned her gaze back to his.
“Yes, I do.”
He closed the distance between them, pulling her into his arms, a warm and tender expression on his face. Mouse had caught the expression a couple of times during Regine’s last days. When he wasn’t on guard. When he thought no one was looking. The look was love. He couldn’t be looking at her like that.
“I’ve spent the last two months behaving like a bastard.”
“Yes, you have.”
He laughed at her quick agreement then grew serious again. “Did you ever wonder why?”
She shrugged. “I challenged you about how to run this club.”
“Nope. None of that mattered to me, honey. Well,” he paused, “at first it did. But not later. I acted like an ass because you hurt me and I refused to tell you.”
“Hurt you? How did I do that?”
“Because if I hadn’t guessed that we’d been lovers, you never would have told me.”
“I figured you’d prefer it that way.”
“Well, you were wrong.”
He dipped his head and gently took her mouth with his. Her arms snaked up along his shoulders and her fingers curled into his thick ginger hair. Their tongues twined together. Learning each other as they hadn’t done two months ago. She loved the way he delved into her as if he owned her. As if he never wanted to let her go. When he lifted his head, she clung to him and Tor smiled.
“I like that.”
“What?”
“That you don’t want to let me go because I feel the same way.” He traced his fingertips across her brow and over her cheek.
“You do?” She closed her eyes when her voice came out in a squeak.
“Yes. And, damn, I love that little squeak.” She chuckled, dropping her gaze from his. “Would you come home with me tonight, Mouse?”
“You mean like…sleeping over?”
“No, not sleeping over because we won’t be making popcorn and watching movies.”
“I know that.” She slapped his shoulder, laughing.
“Well?”
She nodded.
“I need to hear it.”
“You mean you need my verbal consent?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “Yes, Torin Stuart, I’ll spend the night with you.”
Chapter Six
When Tor drove through the automatic gates and up the curving drive in front of Regine’s Georgetown mansion overlooking the Potomac River, Mouse felt as if she was coming home. She’d always loved this place.
“Are you living here now?” she asked as he parked.
“Yeah, I moved back because I couldn’t imagine selling it. I grew up here. I’ve made a few changes, but it’ll still look familiar.
Mouse stayed in the warm car while Tor came around to open her door. He held out his hand to help her out of the low-slung vehicle, and she laughed as he tugged her into his arms for a kiss. His arms enveloped her and she relaxed into his embrace. This felt like coming home too.
Reluctantly, he released her. “Let’s go inside where it’s warm.” He held her hand and led her to the front door, which opened as soon as they reached it.
“Good evening, Mister Torin.”
T
or shook his head. “Didn’t I give you the evening off, Simon?”
“I was in the kitchen when the gate opened.” The butler shrugged then smiled at Mouse. “Good evening, Miss Mozelle. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Thanks.” Mouse blushed as she saw the approval in Simon’s eyes.
“You can go to your apartment, Simon. We’ll be fine on our own.”
The older man’s eyes went from Mouse to Tor and back again then he smiled. “Very well. Have a pleasant evening.”
Once the butler was out of sight, Tor signaled for her to turn around. “I’ll take your coat.”
She let him ease the coat off and hang it in the coat closet near the door.
“You look stunning, honey.” Her face heated as his eyes surveyed her, noting her bare shoulders and short skirt. “I love your curves.” She shrugged and he moved in close, tipping up her chin so she was forced to meet his gaze. “I think you’re gorgeous just the way you are. Beautiful and sexy.”
“If you say so…”
“I do.” He took her hand again. “C’mon, let’s go up to my suite.”
The space was huge, with large, east-facing windows. In the distance, the Capitol building glowed, dominating the city.
“Wow. What a view.”
“Yes, it is,” he murmured, coming up behind to nibble on her neck.
Mouse shivered but leaned back against him, tilting her head so he could reach her more easily. His warm hands curled around her shoulders while his breath tickled her and his lips sent chills up her spine.
“Oh Tor…”
“What, honey?” He nipped her earlobe and Mouse sighed.
“That feels good.”
He chuckled. “That’s the plan. I want you to feel very good.”
Tor gently turned her around to face him. “How does your ass feel?”
She laughed. “Much better, thanks.”
“Still sore?”
“A little.”
“So no spanking—tonight—but that still leaves us a lot of play possibilities if you’re up for it.”
“I’d like that.”
He dipped his head to take her mouth in a kiss. Mouse wrapped her arms around his lean waist, opening for his kiss. Their tongues tasting and twining. This was what she’d wanted from the moment they’d met.
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