Her heart beat loud in her chest, drowning out the cheers of the audience to a dull roar as she made her way to the stage on legs that felt like jello. Her sister was smiling, and waving to her, and Jase was right beside her. Even though everything in her brain told her to turn around and run the other way, she kept going, one step at a time until she stood beside Diamond on the stage, peering into the crowd.
The audience was bigger than she had realized when she was a part of it. Before she had blended in, just another female face in the crowd. Now she stared into a sea of riveted faces and gulped. All eyes were on her as they, like she, wondered what would come next.
Blocking them out, she turned her body to face her sister.
“Happy birthday,” Diamond spoke into the microphone. It didn’t settle Ruby’s nerves to see that she looked as nervous as Ruby felt.
“Thank you,” Ruby tripped over the pat response. Every word spoken felt like a weight around her neck. What was going on?
“I thought it was time we start a new Rojo tradition, or at least new to Rojo.” Di’s smile was mischievous. “You’ve all heard of a birthday spanking, right?”
The audience exploded in raucous laughter and cheers. Ruby froze in place.
“Birthday spankings were never a practice in our home growing up. But it’s never too late to try something new.”
Ruby held her breath as she listened. She wasn’t sure if she was terrified or titillated. She still wasn’t one hundred percent sure what was happening. All she could do at this point was wait and see what came next.
Diamond could work a crowd. She quickly had them eating out of the palm of her hand. Ruby would have been more than a little proud if all the laughter wasn’t coming at her expense.
“My little sister is twenty-five today, and Sir Jase here has agreed to do the honors of administering her very first, but hopefully not her last, birthday spanking.”
That was enough to whirl Ruby out of her trance as she whirled around to stare at Jase, whom she had assumed had followed her for moral support. Jase, the deviant, just winked at her, and stalked across the stage to take the mic from Diamond.
“Twenty-five is a nice number for a spanking.” He took the chair and walked it to the center of the stage, turning it so that the high back faced the crowd.
“Ruby, could you come here, please?” She somehow made it from point A to point B with no actual knowledge of her brain telling her feet to move. When Jase was around, there was no thinking involved, only obedience.
She stood beside him, facing him, and waited. Was she really going to go along with this? As she looked into his calm and reassuring gaze, she knew that she would. She also knew that she would kill her sister later.
Jase said nothing, stepping closer to fill the empty space between them. He lowered the microphone, hiding it behind his back, while he whispered in her ear, words for just the two of them.
“Remember your safe word?”
She nodded. Trust. Experience. Enjoy.
He took her hand, and guided her to stand behind the chair, facing the audience. She squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t look. Not yet.
One hand wrapped around her waist, and one rested on her upper back, and just like that she was bent over, hands on the chair, ass out.
“This dress has absolutely no give,” she heard him mutter. “Damn latex.”
The audience tittered, understanding his dilemma. There was no way to lift the back of the dress without also lifting the front, and the chair was high, but it was also slatted. Ruby took a deep breath and prayed he would not choose to expose her to the crowded club, regardless of the fact that many were much more exposed than she would be.
“I think you’re lucky that this is a birthday spanking, and not a punishment spanking, and that this latex isn’t thick enough to detract from my mission to turn that pretty little behind a nice shade of red.” He spoke into the microphone, and as she expected, her entire body flushed at his words. Honestly, she was surprised it had taken this long.
“Answer me, birthday girl. When a Dom addresses you, you answer quickly and appropriately.”
She didn’t bother pointing out that he had spoken into the microphone, therefore addressing them more than he was her. She might not be an experienced sub, but she wasn’t born yesterday.
“Yes, Sir. Thank you.”
He hummed in response. “Let’s see now, what kind of implement gives a good birthday spanking?”
“Wood!” “Lexan!” “Leather!”
“The crop!” “The cane!” The hairbrush!”
The audience was full of suggestions, and Jase paused, seeming to consider each one. Then he turned to Diamond. “A leather paddle please. Not too big, but something with a little sting to it. She does get to keep her dress on, after all.”
Ruby could barely breathe as she waited for her sister to return with the chosen implement. Luckily, there was a case towards the back of the stage, and she didn’t have to wait long. She heard the slap of the leather as Jase tested it against his leg, and the sound of Diamond’s heels clicking on the stage as she walked away.
“How old are you again? Thirty, did you say?” Jase teased as she squirmed waiting for him to begin.
“Twenty-five, Sir.”
“Twenty-five, and one to grow on. Even numbers are always best.”
“Whatever you say.” Her answer was muttered through gritted teeth, and she waited for his response. Now that she knew he wasn’t going to be using the dreaded naughty girl paddle, she was feeling a bit more brave, at least where her backside was concerned. The rest of her, not so much.
Jase ignored her sass, tsking lightly.
“I think I will let the crowd keep track. That way, you and I can focus on more important things. Are you ready?”
“Yes, Sir.”
The leather slapped against her left cheek with surprising force and she raised up on her tippy toes. She wasn’t sure if it was the shock or the audience, but she had not been expecting to react so strongly so early on. The sting faded quickly just as the cry of “One” floated through the club.
Jase’s hand pushed against the small of her back until her feet were once again planted flat against the stage. “Stay in position. You don’t want me to have to get the naughty girl paddle out instead do you?”
It hadn’t occurred to her, but she knew he would do it, and it was all the incentive she needed. Someday, she would taste the paddle for real, and she wanted it to actually be for real naughtiness, not contrived circumstances.
She allowed her thoughts to wander, once again shocked as the paddle fell again, just as hard, the leather thudding against the latex of her skirt as the crowd cried, “Two!”
Trust. Experience. Enjoy.
Jase sped up, working the leather across her backside in no particular pattern as the crowd cried out the count each time the paddle met its target. Three, four, five, six. Twenty to go, and she was surprised how sore she was already feeling. Jase was not holding back.
When the crowd yelled, “Eight,” she forced her eyes open, and bit her lip as she stared out at the sea of onlookers. Some of the subs were staring at the floor rather than her, and she wondered what it felt like to watch someone get spanked.
At ten, Jase stopped, squeezing her cheek as he pressed his midsection against her displayed bottom. She gasped in shock as his erection became evident. “Such a naughty little birthday girl,” he murmured thickly, leaning down so that only she could hear him.
Knowing he was turned on by spanking her made her smile, and she pushed out her bottom to meet him, earning her a hard slap across the exposed crease of her thigh. “Naughty.” He stepped away, and she heard him clear his throat, as if reminding himself where he was and what he was doing. “Sixteen to go, Red. You ready?”
Jase had given a lot of spankings in his life. He had even given quite a few onstage, both at Rojo, and even once at Aubergine. He had never been affected by it quite like this. He couldn’t
even see her ass with the dress covering it, and yet all he could think about was plunging his cock deep inside of it, and claiming her as his. Which was a really bad idea. Pax aside, he still knew it was a really bad idea.
He should run far away from this redheaded temptress, quickly and as soon as possible. Jase took a deep breath, and willed himself to focus on the task at hand, and quash the urge to flee that was threatening to overwhelm him. He had been in some fucked up scenes before, but he had never felt the need to end abruptly in the middle. Not like this.
He couldn’t run. He had a job to do. The audience was watching him with puzzled looks on their faces and Ruby was starting to squirm. Sixteen to go. He could do this. He didn’t have a choice. He promised Pax and Pax had promised Diamond.
Jase looked out at the crowd and smiled, focusing on them rather than the beautiful prone redhead before him. Put on a show he reminded himself. That’s all you have to do. Lifting the leather paddle once more, he took aim, and brought it down with the crack that echoed through the room, startling even him. Damn. He hadn’t meant to hit that hard. He had to give Ruby credit. She gasped loudly but never broke position. Fifteen more to go. More than ever before he just wanted to get this over with. Time to pick up the pace.
The audience was watching him closely, they seemed to sense the change in his demeanor. Looking to the left of the stage, he saw Pax watching him with narrowed eyes and crossed arms. Apparently he wasn’t doing as good of a job at hiding his emotion as he had thought. He sucked in a breath and looked away from his friend’s steely gaze. Time to fake it till you make it, Jase, he muttered to himself.
Jase paced behind her changing position slightly. This time, he lifted the paddle only to waist level, cracking against her backside with a flick of his wrist and smiled when she danced in place. It was all in the wrist. He moved from her left side to her right and repeated the action, before moving back to the right side, doing it again. The repetitive pattern and motions soothed him, pushing the panic down to a place deep within him.
The crowd was getting into it now, seeming to enjoy the predictable rhythm as they chanted along counting aloud. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-One, Twenty-Two. When it was over, he was going back to Aubergine as fast as his legs could carry him. Never mind the opening. Never mind Pax. He had to get away, to gather his thoughts and calm his brain before he did something stupid—like fall for Diamond’s sister. Whenever she was around, he found himself thinking about the future. Making plans. Doing all the things he swore he would never do. And even if he were to change his mind sometime in the distant future, it couldn’t be with her. A Barret of all things. He couldn’t let it happen, yet he knew if he spent any length of time around her, he was in grave danger of falling hard and fast. And when he did, she would be the one who ended up getting hurt. Because she was a Barret and he was just the son of an alcoholic who had somehow managed to have a tiny bit of luck in the hotel/casino business. They were not a match made in heaven, and even if they were, she was relationship material and Jase didn’t do relationships. Only when the twenty-third swat fell fast and hard across the tight latex fabric that hugged every curve, did he begin to feel a sense of loss and regret. Ruby was a fun play partner. But a play partner was all she wanted, and all he should want. But he knew instinctively that it wasn’t enough. Not this time.
He was almost done, stuck between wanting to slow it down and draw out these last few moments, and wanting to get it over with and get the fuck out of Dodge as quickly as possible. Why was he so affected by the redheaded vixen—the one woman he couldn’t have?
The last three swats he doled out evenly across her luscious heart-shaped latex clad backside, relishing each hard meeting of her ass and his hand, ditching the paddle just so he could touch her one last time. As the last swat fell, he saw Pax waiting offstage ready to take over the show. Fine with him. He could make a quick exit.
His hand lingered across her backside and the crowd erupted into raucous cheers, crying happy birthday as they laughed, clapped and stomped their feet. Ruby stood and turned to face him just as Pax join them on the stage holding the mic. Her curls wildly framed her flushed face, giving her that ‘in bed freshly fucked’ look that had his cock springing to attention, as he pictured all the things that he would like to do to her, just to see that satiated look in her eyes over and over again.
Jesus. He wasn’t sure if it was the lights, the crowd, or the picture in his mind of Ruby on her knees with his cock between her lips, but he had to get out of here. The club swam before him as he stared at the exit. With a quick nod at Pax, he tossed the noncommittal happy birthday over his shoulder and ran off the stage not stopping to look back because he had the feeling that if he did, his life would never be the same.
Chapter 9
As the spanking onstage ended, Diamond noticed three things. Her husband had obviously caught onto the fact that Ruby had not agreed to the plan beforehand and would probably kill her once he got her alone. She’d be lucky if he even bothered to wait that long, but despite his penchant for BDSM clubs and onstage spankings, her husband wasn’t an exhibitionist, so her ass was probably safe for now. Mostly, anyways. The second, and more important thing was that her sister looked genuinely happy and free and not at all mad at her over the secret birthday shenanigans. The look on her face was one Diamond recognized well. It was the one she saw in the mirror nearly every day. It was the look she knew could only be achieved through true submission and trust. The look on Ruby’s face should have brought joy to to this sister’s heart, and it would have if the person who put it there didn’t have the look of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi-truck. Curious. Jase had been all for the plan when she talked to him only a few hours ago. He had seemed fine as he escorted Ruby onto the stage earlier. Now he looked green around the gills and ready to bolt.
She watched the scene before her unfold. Pax, holding the mic, approached her sister, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her in close before addressing the crowd.
“It’s come to my attention that Ruby knew nothing about this little display beforehand, so I’d like to thank her for being such a good sport and I hope y’all join me in wishing her the happiest of birthdays.”
Diamond smiled as the crowd began to sing, but as she joined them, her song was cut short as she watched Jase bolt off the stage and run towards the far exit—the one she knew would take him out of the club and straight home to Aubergine. Her eyes met her husband’s in question, and he shrugged, seeming unconcerned. But of course he would be, he knew nothing of the events that had transpired the night before between her sister and his best friend. Seeing no help there, her gaze cut to her sister’s. Ruby was not so unaffected as she too observed Jase’s hasty exit. Her smile dimmed, and the peace in her eyes faded, but not so much that anyone else would notice. When the birthday song ended, she thanked Pax, gave the crowd a dazzling fake smile and took a hasty bow before hiding her face behind her hair and hurrying off the stage, making a beeline for her sister.
When Ruby joined her, Diamond took her hands and pulled her away from the swarming crowd, into the VIP section Ruby and Jase had occupied earlier. There were two reasons for that—the first and most obvious one was privacy, and the other was because she knew it would take Pax forever to reach them. That was the downside to being a club owner on opening night, especially in a crowd like this one. Pax would be stopped by literally everyone and wouldn’t be able to take three steps in their direction without being cut off by someone offering congrats or well wishes. Diamond was taking full advantage.
When they reached the upstairs, Ruby took the lead, taking a seat at an unoccupied table near the back of the room. Diamond watched as her sister picked up the full shot glass that sat there and quickly downed it, before slamming her glass down on the table and grabbing Diamond into a hug.
“That was so fun!” she squealed, giving a little hop as she spoke. “I mean it was scary, and embarrassing, and while I was up
there I fully intended to kill you when it was over. I was really going to let you have it.” She pulled back, and searched Diamond’s face with her eyes. “Lucky for you I changed my mind.”
Diamond giggled. “Well, I’m glad you did. Pax is going to be harder to convince. I was supposed to tell you ahead of time. And make you sign a contract. But, I really wanted you to have the full authentic experience. Anyway, I’m glad you enjoyed it. That will make it worth it later when Pax is whaling on my ass with the paddle.”
Ruby laughed. “If it will help I will sign whatever he wants.”
“That’s good. I’m sure he’s going to ask. But I’m not sure it’s going to help. My fate is sealed. But if you’re happy, it was totally worth it.”
“I’m happy. Promise.” Ruby crossed to the edge of the VIP area, and looked down. “Where did Jase go, though? He took off like a bat out of hell. We had plans later, I thought.”
Diamond frowned, hesitating before she answered. She had seen the change in Jase about halfway through the performance, and although she wasn’t sure what had started it, she had a pretty good idea where it would end up. “I’m not sure where he went. Maybe back to Aubergine? Maybe he had an emergency and had to run?”
Ruby squinted at her. “How would he have had a work emergency in that time? Before we went up on stage we made plans for later, and then literally as soon as he finished, he ran off. There wasn’t even time for him to take a call or anything, so even, on the off chance there was a work emergency, how would he know?”
Claimed (Vegas Nights Book 2) Page 10
