Appreciated (Club Indigo Book 3)

by Karen Nappa

  "Congratulations," the big man rumbled.

  Paula blinked in confusion. She exchanged a startled look with Jim and he nodded her way. Encouraged by Jim's silent support, Paula pulled herself together and she met Det. Tolbert's gaze.

  To her surprise, he gave her a little smile. "I'm sorry, Paula," he started, "I shouldn't have been so hostile in the beginning."

  "Why were you?" she asked.

  He rubbed his hand over his military short hair. "I was worried about Jim. He's my partner, and you know that's a special thing. I wanted him to be happy and you were a bolt out of the blue. I didn't know what to make of you. Especially with your reputation."

  Paula stiffened. "What about my reputation?"

  "She doesn't pull her punches, does she?" Tolbert asked Jim.

  Jim chuckled. "No, Will, she doesn't. That's one of the things I love about her."

  "I can see that now," Will answered, before turning back to Paula. "Actually, that's only part of my attitude. We were under the impression you weren't a very nice person."

  "What? Why?" Paula exclaimed. "I've been a reliable colleague and a good sergeant."

  "It had nothing to do with you as a cop but everything to do with you as a woman."

  "Say what?" Her voice dropped an octave as cold rage started to build inside her. Jim placed his hand on her shoulder. She figured it was either to lend her support or to hold her back from hitting the bastard—it might be both.

  Now Tolbert looked ashamed. "Look, Paula," he stopped and addressed Jim instead, "Can't you—"

  Jim cut his question off with a look of determination. "Oh, no. You dug this hole all by yourself."

  Will sighed and focused his attention back on her. "The guys, I…we…" He stopped and cursed under his breath. He dipped his head to look Paula directly in the eye, sincerity and something else Paula couldn't decipher showing. "Okay, it's like this. The guys who hit on you told everyone how cold you were."

  Paula frowned. She wasn't, was she? "It left you with kind of a reputation."

  "So, basically, you're telling me people were calling me an ice queen?" she summarized.

  "Er." The big guy blushed. "It's Haagen-Dazs, actually."

  Paula looked like she was about to explode for a moment and then she laughed instead. "I'd rather be ice cream than an ice queen any day. I'm glad you didn't go with Ben and Jerry's, though, because I really am Jim's."

  Will's mouth fell open and then he started laughing, setting Paula off as well. She laughed so hard, she had to lean against Jim to keep her balance. A couple of times, she tried to continue their conversation, but Will's laughter kept sending her into a tailspin.

  Finally, she calmed down enough to say, "Apology accepted, Will."

  Jim pulled her tightly against him and kissed the top of her head. "Let's go try that cake. It looks like Suzie outdid herself for us."

  Epilogue

  Loud cheers erupted when Jim walked into the main room of Club Indigo with Paula tucked under his arm. She looked radiant in the little black dress she had thought was too young for her. He looked around in wonder—the entire room was decorated with tropical garlands and the lounge had been transformed into a Tiki bar. His friends had gone all out. As Julie and Laura came up to Paula, he let go of her reluctantly, but he watched with a smile on his face as she showed off her wedding band. The light from one of the mirror balls hanging from the ceiling reflected on the locket around her neck. He'd deliberated on buying a new collar, but Paula's love for the history of this necklace had sealed the deal. Although people in the lifestyle might not recognize it as a collar, it was one to Paula and him and that was enough.

  "Congratulations, man, you've married a gem of a woman." Jim accepted the bottle of beer Derek handed him.

  "Yes, I have. It took some convincing, but she's mine." Jim's face felt like it would split in two so wide was his smile. "I'm glad you decided to join the club."

  Derek nodded. "I split up with my baby girl a while back so it's good to meet new people. I'm surprised you caught on to my lifestyle experience, though."

  Jim chuckled. "It takes one to know one, I guess."

  Before Derek could answer, GT strode up to them.

  "Jimmy-boy, I'm happy to see you standing on two legs again." GT was being his loud, sarcastic self, but Jim knew it was just a façade.

  "Hey, GT, great you could join us. Have you met Derek Kiriakis?"

  "What are you gawking at?" Laura inquired.

  Paula gestured toward Jim. "That's Derek and Jim's surgeon over there. What are they doing here?"

  Laura followed her gaze. She smiled knowingly. "Our favorite social worker is a Dom, as you might have noticed when the two of you showed up on our doorstep."

  Paula nodded as she remembered the horrible day when they'd had to tell Josh about his mother's death. "Hmm, I guess you're right. I did wonder about his actions and how you responded."

  Laura grinned. "Yep, you can't mistake that man for a submissive. How about the other one?"

  Paula narrowed her eyes as she thought back on her interaction with GT. She wasn't overly fond of the cocky surgeon but he'd done a good job fixing Jim's leg, so she was willing to cut him some slack.

  "I think he's a Dom as well." She formulated her words carefully. "He rubbed me the wrong way the few times we spoke, but he said something about lifestyle experience and most certainly not as a bottom."

  Their attention was pulled to the entrance as yet another person walked into the main room. Paula was delighted to recognize Molly Evans. The small, assertive woman looked very different wearing high heels and a leather miniskirt. A black silk see-through blouse covered her upper body with a unique bustier on top. The garment only had one side. Her left breast was supported, but on her right, there was nothing. Barely visible through the blouse was a tattoo of some kind of bird amid a nest of flames.

  The woman beamed a smile as she noticed Paula in the crowd and walked up to them with confident strides.

  "Congratulations, Paula. I see that handsome fellow of yours didn't waste any time taking advantage of the situation."

  Paula chuckled. "He threw me an impromptu wedding in return for his surprise at our engagement. I must say I didn't expect to see you here."

  Molly winked. "I overheard GT and Jim talking about the club and I grilled GT later. I didn't know we even had a club like this in KC."

  Paula appraised the woman's outfit and stance. It screamed control and dominance to Paula and it didn't surprise her one bit. You couldn't always tell from someone's professional persona, but dominance often showed in real life. She suddenly realized she had friends standing around her and she made quick work of introducing Molly to the others.

  Laura complimented Molly on her outfit. "I've never seen a bustier like that before. Is that a phoenix on your chest? It's hard to see clearly through the fabric."

  "Got it in one, Laura. I had the tat done as soon as I finished radiation five years ago. It was finished before my hair was back to more than stubble."

  "It's a great look," Julie said. "I've read about women getting tattooed after a mastectomy, but I've never seen it in person."

  The group around Jim widened as more of his friends came to meet the newcomers. Of course, James already knew Derek, but GT was new to all of them. He was happy to see how the two fit in and excused himself to go talk with Bob, who had taken his usual post behind the bar.

  He declined the beer the other man held up and nodded when Bob repeated the gesture with a bottle of sparkling water.

  "Going to play tonight?" Bob asked.

  Jim shrugged. "I don't know, but I want to have a clear head for my wedding night."

  Bob leaned his elbows on the bar. "I'm happy it all worked out between you and Paula."

  Jim smiled and nodded. "Me, too. We had a rough road, but in the end, it all worked out."

  "So, we have another committed Master/slave couple and married as well," Bob said with a wicked grin.

 
; "Actually, Paula and I had a long talk about that a couple of weeks ago," Jim answered. "We've decided to go with a lighter version of D/s. Paula isn't built to be controlled all the time. She needs guidance in some aspects of her life but not 24/7."

  Bob nodded, and like the true therapist, he asked, "Is that going to be enough for you?"

  Jim shrugged his shoulders. "When I was discharged from the military, my entire world was out of control. Having a full-time slave suited my needs. I don't need to be in control all the time to feel content now. As long as I'm positive my girl is safe and happy, life is good."

  "Well done, Jim. That's true self-discovery." Bob nodded before moving to the other end of the bar to take care of other orders.

  Jim settled on a barstool from where he could keep a close eye on his wife, lover, and submissive. Although Paula wasn't a true slave, she was truly his. His relationship with her might not be the Total Power Exchange relationship he'd envisioned, but he appreciated the balance they'd found in establishing their marriage.

  You've reached the end of Appreciated, but the adventures of the Club Indigo members will continue. If you're not ready to leave, we have some special 'aftercare.' Hang out at Club Indigo for a while longer with the prologue for Adored (Club Indigo, book four.)

  Sonja Madden felt like a wallflower sitting alone on the side of the scening area as the celebration at Club Indigo continued. As the place where the local BDSM community gathered to play, it was her favorite hangout, but tonight, she wasn’t feeling it. She wasn’t a shrinking violet, but it was disconcerting how people around her kept falling in love. She longed for a soulmate, someone to share her life with and somebody who cared about how her day went. Sonja studied the proud and possessive way Jim was watching Paula, his new wife and submissive. She had never thought she needed a partner, but after seeing them together, Sonja wanted someone who couldn’t take his eyes off her, too. She noticed Paula becoming aware of Jim’s focus on her and Sonja loved how the newlyweds seemed to have an entire conversation with just a look that spoke of love, devotion, and promise. At that moment, nothing existed for the two of them except their connection.

  Exactly, that's what I long for!

  Sonja sighed and wondered if she should go home. It would be cold and empty, since her dear Snuggles was at the vet. He had been losing weight lately and the doctor had found an abscess beneath a tooth. Her black sweetheart had been operated on that morning and, because of his age, was being kept for observation. Going home held no appeal, but somehow staying didn’t, either. For someone as goal orientated as she was, it was strange to feel this indecisive.

  Movement from the bar had her looking over. Chris rose from his barstool. Sonja had once lusted after the playful and handsome dominant, but it had never sizzled between the two of them and she had crossed him off her list of potential partners. Now, he led Yvonne to the St. Andrew's cross in the main room. Yvonne had been helping out at The Sweet and Savory Table, the cafe Sonja owned with fellow club members Suzie and Connor, so Sonja naturally felt protective of her. Her mind drifted to her absent business partners and their relationship. After a couple of punishments at the club, Sonja had avoided the Scottish sadist. However, he was a great accountant and an unexpected bonus when she'd partnered up with Suzie. Suzie was the most skilled baker Sonja had ever met, and their business was doing better than ever.

  The sounds of a flogger hitting flesh drew Sonja’s attention to the scene before her. She watched with rapt attention as Chris worked over the bound woman before him. He had taken off his shirt and his well-developed muscles flexed and tensed as he wielded his tools. The man had worked construction all his life and there was nothing artificial about his physique. Sonja watched as Chris pressed his body against Yvonne’s back and snaked his arm to her front.

  Was he fondling her breasts or stroking her pussy?

  She couldn’t see from her position, but both thoughts made her hot. Knowing the blond hunk of a man, he was probably whispering something wicked in Yvonne’s ear that would heighten her arousal.

  Chris stepped to his gym bag and retrieved a cane. Sonja winced; she didn’t like canes. A flogger was fine, a crop she could handle, but whips and canes? No way.

  As Chris started to land measured strokes across Yvonne’s buttocks and upper legs, Sonja looked away from the scene. It didn’t matter that subs had a safeword at the club and the Dominants here—even the sadists—would never break the skin, she’d rather not receive or watch a caning or whipping. Sonja was more into erotic play and D/s and didn’t like pain. She allowed her gaze to wander over the crowd. The festivities had not only brought Yvonne to the club but three other newcomers—a small woman whose outfit screamed Domme and two men—tall men, one dark and the other red-haired. From their dark slacks and dress-shirts, she suspected they were Dominants as well. Ordinarily, she would be among the first to introduce herself, but she didn't have the energy tonight.

  When was the last time she didn’t want to meet new people?

  A keening cry followed by a commotion had her turning back to the scene as Kate, the dungeon monitor for the evening, rushed past her to assist Chris. Sonja went from mild interest to deeply worried as Kate helped Chris lower a now limp Yvonne to the ground and turn her on her side. Her stomach dropped as she recognized the recovery position from her high school first aid classes. The position would make breathing easier for Yvonne and monitoring would still be possible.

  What the hell is wrong? Should I call 911?

  It was a stupid thought since she didn’t have her cell phone on her—they were forbidden inside the club. She had to do something, though. Sonja surged to her feet, intent on helping. Before she managed to take more than three steps, she was halted by a strong hand on her shoulder. Sonja turned around to give the man, whoever he was, her patented death glare and came face to face with one of the new guys. Serious hazel eyes and a strong, unyielding jawline confirmed her earlier suspicion; at least one of the latest additions to Club Indigo was as dominant as they got.

  The End

  Karen Nappa

  What does someone do when she’s waiting at the laundromat? She sends random text messages to a friend. “Trapped at the laundromat. Now wouldn’t that make an interesting title for a BDSM romance?” Since her friend is just as big a biblioholic and also active in the lifestyle, she reacted enthusiastically and we started from there.

  We are Karen Nappa, a bi-continental writing team. We create stories about ordinary people with kinky preferences – just like ourselves. So don’t expect billionaires, werewolves or vampires from us, nor perfect, beautiful people. Some of the events in our stories are true to life, others are figments of the imagination.

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  Or contact us by email (we love to hear from readers): authorkarennappa@gmail.com

  Don’t miss these exciting titles by Karen Nappa and Blushing Books!

  Club Indigo Series:

  Trapped - Book 1

  Trusted - Book 2

  Appreciated - Book 3

  Blushing Books

  Blushing Books is one of the oldest eBook publishers on the web. We've been running websites that publish spanking and BDSM related romance and erotica since 1999, and we have been selling eBooks since 2003. We hope you'll check out our hundreds of offerings at http://www.blushingbooks.com .

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