Penance (Long Slow Tease, #2)

by Mayburn, Ann

  Taking her hand in his, he brought her fingertips to his mouth and kissed each one. “Promise me if it gets to be too much we’ll leave.”

  “I don’t want to deprive you of the experience of Petrov’s club.”

  The mention of her old mentor sent a bolt of jealousy straight to Wyatt’s heart. “I want to meet this Petrov.”

  She snorted then moved so no one could see her cup his balls and give them a gentle squeeze. “You aren’t going to try to kick his ass over my training with him, are you?”

  With his cock rapidly hardening he shifted uncomfortably beneath her knowing touch. “I just don’t understand how any man could be with you and not want to keep you to himself forever.”

  Her gaze softened and so did her touch, now a teasing caress over his stiff length. “Petrov is a happily married man who has trained dozens of submissives and Dominants. He is well-respected in the community, and while we were sexually intimate, we weren’t emotionally intimate. He is a valued and cherished friend, nothing more. It’s not like I have a giant tattoo on my back that I got for him.”

  He gently pulled her hand from his now straining erection. “You’re never going to let me live that one down, are you?”

  She took a step back and watched with amused eyes as he tried to cover his hard cock with his tuxedo jacket. “Nope. Now come on. Let’s go eat and make nice so we can get out of here and have some real fun.”

  Chapter 5

  Wyatt looked at the black leather harness and back up at James, shaking his head. “I can’t wear that.”

  With a low laugh James began to shed his tux in the men’s locker room at The Velvet Fist. “You want to piss Yuki off, be my guest. I’d just like to remind you that she’s going to have you trussed up and hanging from the rafters tonight so you might not want to make her angry.”

  “And you’re sure Michelle is going to like this?”

  “Trust me, she’s going to love it.” James shed his clothes as he talked and put his own black leather and steel harness on. “She’s always been a sucker for a man in a harness and loves it when Yuki does suspension play. Besides, I haven’t been practicing this scene with you for the past week only to have you pussy out now.”

  “Fuck off,” Wyatt said with a small smile even though he was nervous.

  It was one thing to do this with Yuki and James in the privacy of her barn, but a whole ‘nother ball of wax to do it in public. He’d told Michelle he was over there posing for Yuki’s sculpture, but in reality they’d been figuring out the logistics of how to suspend both himself and James. True to form, Yuki had actually done most of the planning while he and James just followed her directions. Sometimes it was nice having a dominant woman in charge. He didn’t have to worry about doing the wrong thing because Yuki would lay into him in a second if he pissed her off.

  He also didn’t have to worry about Yuki copping a feel while she was winding rope around him because although she admired his body, it was more like being admired like he was an animal, or a piece of art. When she was doing her sculpting and her shibari play she was focused on him as form and function rather than as a man. He could only hope that their performance would help distract Michelle from her anxiety and help her find her footing.

  When they’d entered the club and branched off into the men’s and women’s locker rooms he hadn’t missed her unsteady breathing or the faint tremble in her hands.

  Eager to return to her side, to be her support and her guardian, he shed his tux and threw the harness on, adjusting the straps so they laid just right. It looped over his upper shoulders and crossed his chest in a X where it connected to a strap that went all the way around his torso and joined in the back. A large silver ring decorated where the straps came together over his chest and he had to admit that he looked good. Before James could catch him admiring himself in the mirror like a girl with a pretty new dress, he put his tux back on and was slipping back into his shoes by the time James had finished putting their bags into a locker.

  Other men filled the room from the wedding and James was clearly popular by the number of guys who came over to talk to him. For Wyatt, it was a little weird to be talking to men in fetish gear, but he tried to keep his discomfort to himself, especially when he’d been propositioned by an older submissive who’d mistaken him for a Dominant.

  To his relief James led them out into the club and Wyatt found himself gaping like a kid fresh off the farm. A massive bar that wouldn’t be out of place in any dance club took up the far wall, but the plethora of bondage equipment instantly caught his attention. Yes, the scenes being conducted on some of the pieces were sexually riveting, but as he watched he could only imagine what Michelle would do to him on a St. Andrew’s Cross, or all the wicked ways she’d tease him to a ruthless orgasm while he was trapped in a stockade.

  James sighed. “It’ll take a bit for Michelle and Yuki to get ready. Want to walk around? I’ll show you the club.”

  “Sure.”

  As they made their way around the room Wyatt was getting an uncomfortable hard-on from all the female bodies displayed before him. There seemed to be a greater number of male Dominants than female Dominants, and far more submissives than Dominants of either sex. He wondered why that was, but wasn’t going to interrupt a scene to ask. James pointed out different groups of people, telling Wyatt who they were and if they were friends with Michelle.

  The club was actually three stories, and this room opened up to a second level above with a walkway all around so people could look down at the floor below. Ropes and chains hung from the ceiling far above a roped off area and Wyatt took a deep breath. The third level was where Petrov and his wife lived.

  Wyatt nodded to the open area with the walk way. “Is that where we’re doing our thing?”

  James nodded, obviously distracted. “I should go double check that they have everything set up right. If they don’t, Yuki is liable to throw a fit of epic proportions.”

  “Go ahead, I’ll wander around.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He grinned, warmed by the obvious concern in the other man’s voice. Over the past few weeks they’d become good friends and Wyatt not only respected James, but liked him as well. And, as with all men’s friendships, the more guys got along the more they gave each other shit.

  “I think I’ll be fine, Mom. You can pop your titty out of my mouth now.”

  James flipped him off. “Michelle and Yuki should be out soon. Try to not drool on yourself when you see them.”

  Wyatt waved him off and made his way through the lower level of the club, stopping to look at a particularly well made table that had some kind of pump attached to it. He was trying to figure out what it was when a male voice said, “Excuse me.”

  He stepped back and a man a few years younger than Wyatt with light blond hair wearing only a pair of leather pants set a black bag on the table. He was covered from neck to where his torso disappeared into his pants in an elaborate and amazing tattoo of dragons mixed with all manner of stylized Celtic symbols, merging together to create a masterpiece.

  Wyatt came to himself when he realized he’d been silently staring. “Sorry, ‘bout that.”

  The other man grinned and held out his hand. “No problem. My name’s Collin.”

  “Wyatt, nice to meet you.”

  The men shook hands and Collin gave him a once over. “You’re Mistress Michelle’s submissive, right?”

  He flushed, not used to a stranger knowing about his sexual activities. “Yeah.”

  “I saw you at the wedding with her.” He took out a tube of lubricant and set it on a shelf beneath the table. “I wasn’t sure if she’d bring you here or not. Michelle tends to be uber possessive of her men. But then again so is my Mistress. Hell, she tattooed her name on my ass.”

  “What?”

  With a laugh Collin turned and pulled down his leather pants enough so Wyatt could see the name ‘Daniella’ done in cursive script right above the crack of the oth
er man’s ass.

  “Your Mistress did that?”

  “Yep, she’s done all of my tattoos.”

  “Does she do any cover-up work?”

  “Sure. Why, you got some rainbows and unicorns you want to get rid of?”

  “Try a tattoo that I got for an ex-girlfriend when I was nineteen. It’s all fucked up but Michelle found out why I got it and I have a feeling she’d scrub it off with sandpaper herself if I let her.”

  Collin grinned and turned back to the bag he was unpacking. “I hear ya. I always liked her even if she and my Mistress don’t get along.”

  Interested in this glimpse into Michelle’s past Wyatt watched as Collin took out a series of different colored candles. “Why don’t they get along?”

  He hesitated. “Well, before Michelle collared Owen my Mistress trained him.”

  “So before Owen was with Michelle he belonged to your Mistress?”

  “That’s right,” a sultry female voice said from behind Wyatt. “I trained him, but I never loved him the way I love Collin.”

  Wyatt turned to find a lovely middle-age woman in a black latex dress that hugged her body from her large breasts down to her red stiletto-clad feet. She also had tattoos, but not a full body suit like her submissive did. With dark hair and dark eyes she reminded Wyatt of a classic femme fatale from the old detective movies he used to watch as a kid. Although she barely came up to his chin, she projected the same aura of control that Michelle did, but slightly different, more earthy somehow.

  Collin came over and dropped to his knees before her, bending to kiss her foot with a reverence that Wyatt could understand. After all, he felt the same way about Michelle. She was the beginning and end for him, and he had to admit he was curious about the Domme who had trained Owen.

  “Hi,” Wyatt said then cleared his throat. “Uh, I’m not sure what the proper manners are in this situation.”

  “My name is Daniella, but you can call me Mistress Daniella.”

  “Wyatt Callahan, nice to meet you.” They briefly shook hands and Wyatt struggled against the urge to shift beneath her gaze. “So, Collin was telling me you do tattoos?”

  She smiled and went from scary Domme to appealing woman in the blink of an eye. “Indeed I do. Why, are you in the need of some new ink? If you and Michelle are going to be in town for a few days I’d love to have you both over to my studio.”

  He looked at Collin then back to Mistress Daniella. “Um, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea if you and Michelle don’t get along.”

  Mistress Daniella snorted. “We used to fight like two territorial bitches, but that was years ago. I’ve grown up since then and I’m sure she has as well.”

  Before he could respond Yuki’s familiar voice reached his ears. “Hello, Daniella.”

  “Yuki, it’s so nice to see you.”

  The women exchanged a brief hug and Yuki turned to look at him, the concern in her gaze obvious. “Wyatt, Michelle is waiting for you at the bar.”

  Mistress Daniella let out a soft sigh. “She’s pissed, isn’t she? I can see it from here.”

  Wyatt went to turn, but Yuki stopped him. “Yes, she is. She’s waiting for you, but I’ll need you in a few minutes to start our performance.”

  He nodded and turned to leave their small group, but Yuki stopped him and whispered in his ear, “She’s had a couple drinks so she may not be as rational as she usually is. This means no playtime for you together. Understood? It’s the rules of the club and while Michelle knows that, she’s not in the right mindset for any kind of play.”

  “Are you sure our performance is a good idea?”

  Mistress Daniella and Collin moved to the far side of the table, discussing the candles and obviously trying to give them some privacy. “Yes, no, hell I don’t know. If we give her a good enough show and can drag her out of the funk she’s in it should help. She’s feeling very vulnerable at the moment and seeing you with Mistress Daniella sent her straight to the bar.”

  “Why? All I’m doing is talking with Mistress Daniella and Collin.” Irritation spiked along his nerves and he looked for Michelle, but couldn’t see her through the growing crowd. “Does she really believe I’d cheat on her?”

  “No, that’s not it. Well that’s kind of it, but not really. Look, just go talk to her, soothe her, and I’ll send James over for you when it’s time. She loves you, Wyatt, don’t ever forget that, but she’s in her ice queen mode right now so try not to let her freeze your balls off.”

  Making his way quickly through the crowd, his gaze centered on his Domina and he only vaguely noticed she was wearing a pink latex dress that molded to her every curve before flaring out at her hips with a silver chainmail corset around her waist. What captured his attention was the way she was slamming down two shot glasses of a clear liquid, one right after the other. After she slammed the glasses on the bar top her head momentarily sagged and her shoulders rounded in, a brief crack in her physical armor that was alarming on every level. Michelle never, ever let her emotions show in a public situation, and to see her this obviously distressed sent up warning flags.

  He needed to get her out of here.

  Right the fuck now.

  She noticed him approaching and sat up straight, trying to affect her normal cool Domina expression. Only her fingers were twisting in her lap, a sure sign that she was either drunk, or close to losing it, or both. The bartender caught Wyatt’s eye and made the universal gesture of a finger across the throat to indicate that Michelle was cut off. Wyatt nodded and as soon as he was close enough to touch her, knelt next to her bar stool.

  “You look beautiful, Domina.”

  Anger and pain waged a battle in her slightly glassy gaze before she said, “Do you want to fuck her?”

  “What?”

  Michelle jerked her chin in Mistress Daniella’s direction. “Do you want to fuck her?”

  He rose until he could put his lips to her ear. She tried to jerk away but he easily captured her with an arm around her waist. “Better stay still, sweetheart, because you need to understand something right now, before we go a step further. You’re the woman I love. You and only you. There is no one I could ever want more than I want you. Don’t you understand? You’re my beginning and end.”

  She sagged in his grip and let out a hitched breath. “I’m...I’m sorry, Wyatt. You don’t deserve my jealousy.”

  “It only tells me that you care, but I won’t put up with you doubting me.”

  Some of her steel returned to her spine, but her cheeks were rosy from drinking. “I never doubt you.”

  “Then you have no need to be concerned about me talking to another woman – even the one who trained Owen.”

  Terrible pain flashed through her gaze, followed by hard guilt. “Don’t, please. I can’t talk about him right now.”

  He could practically see the emotion seething beneath her skin and wondered how long they had before she totally lost it. While part of him wanted to pick the scab off her emotional wound, this wasn’t the place to deal with the fallout, not when there were so many people watching them, some with pity and others with a smugness that made him want to bash their faces in. Protective instincts flared within him and he gathered Michelle into his arms.

  “I’ve got you, sugar. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”

  She nestled against him and let out a long sigh. “Distract me, Wyatt. Keep me in the present. I’m so damn tired of letting my past destroy my future.”

  “You know we can’t play here tonight. Not after drinking.”

  “I’m sorry about that. Especially with your issues with alcohol. It was very selfish and cruel of me. Please forgive me for ruining your night.”

  “Come on now, no need to nail yourself to the cross. Booze and misery go hand in hand. I should know, but it doesn’t take the pain away, does it?”

  She let out an almost haunted sigh. “No, it doesn’t.”

  Yuki moved into his line of sight next to the bar. “Wyatt?
”

  He looked down at Michelle and gave her a small smile. “I have a surprise for you.”

  She looked between him and Yuki. “You both know I can’t play tonight.”

  “That is true,” a deep male voice said from across the bar.

  Yuki smiled and actually squealed like a pre-teen meeting her favorite band when she said, “Petrov!”

  Wyatt was watching Michelle as she turned and beamed at a man with a full head of silver hair and piercing blue eyes. He was probably in his late sixties, built like a brick house, and radiated control. Dressed in a pair of black leather pants and a black leather vest covered in patches, he smiled at Michelle with obvious affection.

  “Welcome back, baby girl,” he said in a voice that held a thick trace of an Eastern European accent.

  The man’s sweet talk didn’t sit well with Wyatt, but what pissed him off even more was the instant relief he felt coursing through Michelle. She turned as much as she could in Wyatt’s arms and reached out across the bar, gripping the other man’s hand in hers. “It is so good to see you.”

  He looked up at Wyatt and raised a brow. “So, who is this Alpha male you’ve managed to seduce into submission?”

  Michelle didn’t release Petrov’s hand or even turn to look at Wyatt. “This is Wyatt Callahan.”

  Petrov gently pulled his hand from beneath Michelle’s and extended it to Wyatt. “It is truly my pleasure to meet you. And don’t worry, I don’t have any nefarious intentions towards your Domina.”