by Livia Grant
His single-word command, “Stay,” felt more like an instruction for a puppy than his wife, but she froze nonetheless. For a few minutes, they just watched as the Dom closed down the scene, untying the spaced-out sub, wrapping her in an oversized towel he pulled from his duffle bag, and then carrying her down the steps to lay her on the closest couch. He produced a bottle of water and knelt next to her for a few minutes to make sure she didn’t go into sub-drop.
Once the sub got up, she kissed the Dom on the cheek and then wandered off towards the ladies’ locker room. Tiff assumed they’d move on, but instead, Lukus brought them closer to the stage, stopping at the foot of the stairs after the Dom returned to the platform to wipe down the soiled equipment.
Lukus’s next one-word command was “Kneel.” Somewhat confused, she slipped gracefully to her knees, wishing Black Light had a more padded floor than the industrial type carpeting that would get uncomfortable if she stayed down there too long.
She tried to hold her submissive pose, but snuck peeks through her eyelashes watching the Dom putting all of his toys back in his bag. It was when he stood at the top of the steps with them blocking the exit from the platform that her anxiety spiked. Both men had crossed their arms over their chest in a defensive move, silently sizing each other up.
The dark-haired Dom spoke first. “You waiting for the platform?”
Lukus shot out a short, “No.”
“Okay… then can you move so I can let someone else take the space?”
Tiffany started to move, but her husband’s hand clamped down on her shoulder, holding her on her knees.
What the hell are you up to, Lukus? Is this about the guy winking at me?
Surely a simple wink wouldn’t cause the Master’s Master to lose his temper?
“I don’t know what the hell your problem is,” the guy said as he moved away from the platform’s steps and jumped the few feet to the floor.
She hoped he would just walk away, but like the man gripping her shoulder, the Dom in front of her seemed like he was ready for a confrontation. By the time he stopped advancing on them, the guy’s zippered groin was only a few inches in front of her own face as she knelt between the two dominant men.
She may not have been able to see their faces, but she had a front-row seat to hear what was said between them.
The Dom clearly had a death wish as he taunted her husband. “What’s your problem, asshole?”
“I got no problem, but you might,” Lukus rumbled.
Tiff was shocked to hear a short burst of laughter from the man inches in front of her. “Hell yes, I do have a few problems, but you’re not one of them. Not unless you’re looking for a fight. They don’t take kindly to boxing at Black Light.”
A few long seconds passed before Lukus answered. “I’m not looking for a fight, no. More like a… challenge.”
“What kind of challenge?” She heard skepticism in the guy’s deep voice.
Her mind raced, trying to read between the lines in the cryptic conversation.
“Let’s just say, I’m used to being the one center stage at my club. I enjoyed your scene, but I’m thinking you getting your sub off was just a fluke. I find myself wondering if you could get another sub off with just punishment alone. And to up the ante, I’d play too, and we can see who gets our sub across the finish line first. Unless you’re a one-sub guy and your girl is done for the night?”
“Oh no, I don’t even know that chick’s real name. I just know her as The Masochist and she’s been waiting to play with me.”
“So, what’s the problem? You shoot your whole wad for the night already?” Lukus was taunting the guy. She heard it in his voice.
“You some kinda whacko who has some kind of competition kink? I mean, I’m not one to kink-shame, but that’s pretty fucked up.”
Once again, she heard Lukus chuckle above her. “You have some set of balls on you, I grant you that. No. No competition kink. But, yeah, I guess the second you winked at my wife, we were bound to butt heads.”
The guy in front of her burst out laughing at Lukus. Tiffany panicked. She tried to push up to her feet, but Lukus pressed her shoulders harder, holding her down as the guy in front of her continued provoking her husband.
“Since when is winking at a sub across the room a crime at Black Light? You can’t handle a little flirting when I notice a smoking hot submissive, maybe you should just stay home. You bring a juicy specimen like blondie here out in public and you need to expect some admiring looks. She’s collared. Hell, leashed. I’m not a moron. I didn’t touch her.”
“You’d better not.”
Several long seconds went buy. Tiffany wished she could see the men’s faces, but she couldn’t from her vantage point.
“You know, I never would have pegged you for the insecure type,” the new Dom finally goaded.
Lukus took a deep breath and changed his tone. “Let’s start over. I’m Lukus Mitchell. This is my wife and sub, Tiffany. I thought it would be fun to put on a little show for the club together.”
“Ah, so you’re having some problems satisfying her and need my help? I hear that happens to old men.”
Lukus leaned forward, banging into Tiffany’s back and almost causing her to go headfirst into the other guy’s crotch.
“Old? You think I’m old?” he said, raising his voice.
“Well, not grandpa old. I guess not even dad old. I am picking up a bit of a creepy uncle vibe though,” the younger Dom said with a touch of glee in his voice.
To her utter surprise, Lukus broke out in a robust laugh above her. Without being able to see his face, she’d been having trouble dissecting how upset he really was. She couldn’t figure out what he was really up to by confronting the guy, but she was starting to get a tiny clue.
“You have some set of balls on you, I’ll give you that.”
“Well, your lady’s only a few inches away. She’s more than welcome to check them out, but I should warn you. If you’re looking for a third, I don’t bat your way. I’ll be happy to service this little subby at our feet for you, though if you need some help.”
“Touch her and die. Clear enough for you?”
“Crystal. So, this has been fun…” The guy paused and Tiffany took a chance and looked up at the men above her. She was just in time to see him getting distracted looking at someone walking behind her. She saw him wink just like he had at her in the bar.
Lukus saw it too. “Looks like you’re a popular guy around here.”
“Naw, I’m just the new guy. Everyone’s still trying to figure me out. At least I know what the subs want from me. You, I confess, have me a bit confused.”
“Humor me. I’m just looking to have some fun while reminding my wife here that she’s gotten a bit lax on some of our rules. The crowd seems to like a show. I thought we could have a dual scene and make it fun for everyone.”
Tiffany scoffed to herself. Since when was getting her ass paddled fun? Even as she asked herself the question, her brain shouted “Liar.” It may have still scared her, but she loved everything her husband did to her body, even when she may not have liked it in the moment.
“Okay, say I go along with this. What do you have in mind?”
Lukus laid it out. “You pick any sub you’d like. We tie our women down on spanking benches on the same platform and then see which one of us can make our sub come from nothing but punishment devices touching their bodies. No cocks. No fucking. Not even fingers.”
“No fucking? That doesn’t sound like any fun. What the hell is in this for me?” the guy challenged.
“A hot scene. You can fuck her after. And let’s just see how it goes. There might be a bit of a surprise at the end.”
“Interesting, but how will this be even close to fair? I’m playing with someone I’ve never met before. You have your own sub. You have a huge advantage by knowing what pushes her buttons.”
“Maybe on a regular night, but we’re on our honeymoon. She’s had dozen
s of orgasms in the last few days. Trust me. We’ve been fucking like rabbits. I’m the one with the handicap here. I’ve seen the women around here waiting to catch your attention. You’ll have a huge head start over me.”
Tiffany could feel the blood rushing to her face, grateful no one could really see her blushing as her husband bragged about their sexcapades.
“I don’t know.”
She couldn’t see it, but Lukus had clearly taken his wallet out. “Fine. I’ll throw in a hundred if I lose.”
“I’m not for hire. But…” The guy paused, before adding. “But sure, I’ll be happy to take the money off your hands. This place is fucking expensive. Just know I’m not forking over a damn dime if I lose.”
“No worries. I don’t want your money,” Lukus chuckled above her.
“That’s what I’m afraid of. I haven’t figured out your angle yet.”
“Hold that thought. We’ll talk after the scene. In the meantime, you mind sharing at least your name?”
The guy waited way longer than Tiffany would have thought for such a simple question.
“Maxim.” He paused, like he might add a last name, but stopped. “Just Maxim. Most people call me Max.”
“Got it. You some celebrity with one name? Like Prince? Elvis?”
“No celebrity. Just a guy who likes his privacy.”
“I can respect that,” Lukus said before adding, “Pick your sub. I see the bigger stage is open now. I’ll meet you over there in a few minutes.”
Only after Maxim walked away did Lukus pull Tiffany up to her feet again. She had started to suspect what he was up to halfway through the strange interaction, but one look into her husband’s green eyes and she knew her hunch was spot on.
“You want to hire him to run the shows.” It was a statement, not a question. She crossed her arms, displaying the proper amount of her trademark sass.
Lukus grinned. “Oh, don’t even try to tell me you don’t approve. I felt you trembling as you watched him in that last scene. I just need to figure out if it was a fluke or if he’s the real deal.”
“And you think he’s just going to drop everything and move to Chicago? Lukus, we don’t know anything about him. What if he has a job here? Family? Hell, he could be an axe murderer.”
Lukus yanked her into his arms, holding her tight. “First, talk is cheap. The worst thing that’ll happen is we have some fun playing at Black Light and have a good story to tell later if it doesn’t work out. But second, and more importantly, I think I gave you strict instructions to call me Sir for the rest of the night. You are clearly still in sassy-Tiff mode. So, sure, the other thing I hope to accomplish is paddling that sass right out of you, baby.”
“Oh shit.”
“And that’s forty-eight cuss words. You’ll be sleeping on your tummy tonight.”
Fuck.
At least she kept her big mouth shut as she let the last curse word fly in her head.
Chapter Eight
Lukus
He was trying not to get his hopes up, but it was hard. He’d interviewed dozens of men to take the Master Dom position at The Pit. He’d hired, and fired, several of them and given a half-dozen more the chance to lead one show as a kind of on-the-job-interview. So many had bombed out that he’d begun to wonder if there just wasn’t anyone out there who could handle it.
This guy—Maxim—was the first Dom he’d met who he just knew in his gut would do an excellent job center stage five nights a week at The Pit. The problem was, he just had to figure out how to navigate through the awkward conversations with a man who clearly had no clue who Lukus Mitchell was, had never heard of The Punishment Pit, and unfortunately lived on the other side of the country.
Lukus parked Tiffany on her knees at the back of the stage while he went to track Tyler down. He found the DM in the Red Light District helping another Dom get a sub situated into the glory hole.
As soon as he’d finished, Tyler greeted him. “Hey there, Lukus. How’d the interviews go? You gonna steal any of my co-workers?”
He decided to hedge his answer. No sense telling Tyler something he hadn’t even told Elijah yet—that none of the DMs were a good fit.
“I’m still reviewing my notes and I’ll let them know. In the meantime, I’m setting up a scene on the main stage out there and could use another spanking bench brought up. You know where I can find one?”
“I’m done here. Let me track one down and we’ll bring it to you. Meet you there.”
True to his word, a few minutes later Tyler and Santiago came carrying the bulky wood piece of kink furniture from the back hallway, schlepping it up the steps to the main stage.
“Hey, I was pretty sure there was already one here,” Tyler added after putting the heavy piece down and nodding in the direction of the already waiting bench.
“Yeah, but we need two. We’re gonna be doing a scene with another couple.” As he finished his sentence, he thought to ask. “In fact, what can you tell me about the Dom named Maxim? He seems to draw a crowd when he plays.”
Tyler grinned. “Yeah, he’s definitely one of our more popular Doms for a few good reasons. He’s single and likes to play with a whole range of single subs, which is always popular with the ladies. And he’s still pretty new and keeps a low profile when he’s not playing so no one’s really figured him out yet.”
Shit, Lukus had hoped the DM would have more info. “Anything else you know about him?”
Tyler opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shook his head. “I’m sorry, but we have super strict privacy rules about talking about members. Maybe you can ask him directly if you need to know more. I see he’s headed this way with Fyre.”
“Fyre?” Lukus questioned. He glanced in the direction of the social bar to see Maxim leading a curvy sub their direction.
“Yeah, she’s a fiery redhead who doesn’t have a submissive bone in her body,” Tyler laughed.
“Damn, that means she’s in it for the pain,” Lukus said to himself as much as anything.
“Bingo. She’s a real pain slut. She doesn’t come in often. One hard night here seems to hold off her demons for a few weeks.”
His first thought was this wasn’t going to tell him shit since pretty much any Dom worth his salt could get a pain slut to come without touching her pussy. It was just how they were wired. But, the more he thought about it, the more Lukus liked Maxim’s choice of subs. He’d already seen firsthand the guy wasn’t a push over. He’d laid some heavy shit on the blonde on the rack and her tears hadn’t made him balk like so many lighter-weight Doms.
This time, he’d get to see if Max could moderate himself to make sure he’d keep the redhead safe, even when she herself may be too far gone to notice she was reaching her limit. His best friend, Markus, was now an expert at handling his pain slut wife, Brianna. The question was, would Maxim know how to handle his next sub?
The men worked together to get the scene set up the way they wanted it. Lukus left the spanking bench ready in the most common configuration that Tiffany was used to—leaving her ass open and available to him. He kept tabs on Maxim out of the corner of his eye as the Dom locked the front half of the bench in a more upright position that would give him access to not only the redhead’s ass and back, but her breasts as well.
Lukus went to Tiffany at the back of the stage. To the growing crowd starting to gather for the main-stage event, his wife made the perfect picture of submission—kneeling in a presentation pose, his collar proudly displayed marking her as his. But knowing her as he did, he recognized the tells of how nervous she was; her fingers anxiously playing with the hem of her super tiny negligee; her chest going up and down rapidly with short puffs of breath; the spark of fear in her eyes as she glanced up at him. She was still such a newbie to the lifestyle in many ways, yet no matter how hard he’d tugged her towards his hard-core end of the BDSM lifestyle, she always found a way to hold onto her boundaries.
His heart physically constricted with a
dmiration for the love of his life. He adored every single complicated part of Tiffany. She was so much more than just his submissive.
She’s my everything.
Squatting down so he could be more at her height, Lukus used his index finger to lift her chin. Her ocean-blue eyes fluttered up, spilling out her soul to him. Christ, he loved the excitement laced with a tiny pinch of fear staring back at him. More than anything, he loved the trust he saw in her eyes. He would make it his life’s mission to never give her a reason to doubt that trust.
“You ready, baby?”
If possible, the rose in her cheeks got a shade darker. His wife was a voyeur… not an exhibitionist, which was why tonight was special. Not only would he get to show her gorgeous body off to the club members, but he would hopefully take her a step closer to being comfortable playing on the main floor at The Pit when they returned back home.
She still hadn’t answered him. Instead, she was biting her bottom lip nervously.
While he would be donning his true Master Lukus persona when he stood back up, he decided to remind her of something important she tended to forget about the lifestyle. Cupping her face gently, he asked, “What is your safeword tonight, baby?”
The spark of recognition registered in her eyes.
“You forgot how much control you have, didn’t you?”
The sly smile that turned the corners of her lips up brought a new lightness to her gaze.
“Yes, Sir,” she replied perfectly submissively.
“Cuss words or not, this isn’t a real punishment, baby. Not really. Not like if you’d put yourself in danger or broken one of our sacred rules. You’ve learned those rules have no safeword when it comes to punishment, but that’s not now. Tonight, we’re just gonna have some fun. Can you turn yourself over to me and let me help you fly high?”
