by KB Alan
“Yes, Sir.”
She snapped her legs together the second he stepped free of them, and used his offered hand to hop down from the stool. Her ankle booties were higher than she normally wore, so he tucked her hand into his arm and made sure she was steady before walking across the room.
His friend Eric was on monitoring duties, so he headed there first. Eric was keeping an eye on the whole play area on this side of the stage, but clearly had most of his attention focused on the two ladies working in the giant web. The Domme had her submissive wrapped up in the straps and was teasing her with a whip.
Eric didn’t take his eyes off the scene when he greeted Noah, until he introduced Natalie.
“Great to meet you, Natalie. Let me know if you have any questions about any of this. I’m here to help.” He gave her a genuine smile, then returned his gaze to the ladies. “Are you two going to play today?”
“No, just giving Nat a feel for the place. They look like they’re having a good time.”
“Yeah, Penny asked me to keep an eye out since it’s her first time using the web, but she’s got it all under control. I don’t think Ayla has any complaints.” The bound woman was screaming in pleasure.
Natalie chuckled next to him. “We’ll leave you to it,” Noah said, and maneuvered Natalie to a seat where she could watch a couple of scenes at the same time. He’d recognized a Daddy Dom and his little girl exploring the play areas, and kept an eye on them, but they settled in a spot too far away for Natalie to hear them over the music.
Noah brought Natalie into his lap in the wide chair and wrapped his arms around her. “See those three?” He indicated the trio in front of them. “The one holding the flogger is Grant. The one chained to the frame is Jesse. And the blonde with the green streak in her hair, kneeling at Grant’s feet…and oh, unzipping his pants…is Stephanie. They’re friends of mine, so we’ll probably chat with them if they don’t leave after they’re done.”
She watched as Stephanie drew Grant’s cock into her mouth, his hand firm in her hair, directing her. The cat o’ nine tails he was holding swished at his side, then gently caressed Stephanie’s ass, before he suddenly flicked it across Jesse’s thighs.
“Are they just playing together, or are they partners?” Natalie asked, after jumping slightly in his arms.
“They’re all together.”
“That must be a lot of work for Grant,” she mused.
“That’s what I said.” He grinned in appreciation as Grant continued to flog Jesse while Stephanie worked him. After a few minutes, Grant gave Stephanie a command and she tucked him back into his pants and went to Jesse. She latched onto his nipples as Grant stalked behind Jesse’s back.
The scene continued, and Grant directed Stephanie and flogged Jesse until both of the submissives were squirming and begging. Grant smashed Stephanie between his body and Jesse’s and worked them both in ways the audience couldn’t quite see, until they cried out in release.
“Wow,” Natalie whispered. “That was really hot.”
“Are you imagining yourself up there, with two men?”
She ducked her head. “No, Sir, just with one person.”
“Is it Jesse?” he teased.
Her laughter was sweet music. “No, Sir, Stephanie.”
“She is pretty hot, but I don’t think she can give you what you need.”
Her fingers wrapped themselves up into his shirt. “Only you, Sir.”
“Good girl. Are you wet, imagining yourself up there with me?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Maybe next time I’ll strap a butterfly vibe to your clit when we come. Of course, if I’ve got you strapped up, I might as well put a plug in your ass, too. So you can feel me from the inside. How would that be?”
“I—I—if that’s what you want, Sir.”
He smiled at her dilated eyes. “I don’t think you could come from that alone, but I wonder if I sat you in my lap like this and we watched some of the scenes, if that would do it. What do you think?”
“Probably, Sir. Especially if you talked to me the whole time.”
While they’d been chatting, the trio had cleaned up the area and moved away for aftercare. A new couple was getting set up to use the frame. He looked around to see what else she might find interesting, but spotted a sub he recognized with their sights set on him.
The lithe subbie had short, spiky hair, lots of eyeliner and an infectious laugh that never failed to make Noah smile. They knelt at the side of the chair he was sitting in and waited to be addressed.
“Natalie, this is Faryn. They’ve been a member here for several years and would most likely be happy to answer any questions you have when I’m not around, or it’s not my opinion you’re looking for. Faryn, this is my Natalie, she has some experience in the scene, but not a lot.”
“Thank you, Mister Noah, that’s a great compliment. It’s nice to meet you, Natalie.”
Natalie squirmed around in his arms so she’d have a better angle to talk with Faryn. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Your top is amazing, I love it so much. Your whole outfit, really, but the top especially.”
Faryn grinned at her, but turned their attention to Noah. “Mister Noah, I’m sorry to interrupt. Mister Shawn asked me to see if you had a few minutes to show him that hold you were telling him about last week. He understands if now’s not a good time.”
Noah looked around to find Shawn in the direction Faryn indicated. The top was on the far side of the stage, fairly close to where the Daddy and his little were playing. He looked down to Natalie. “I’d rather you didn’t go over there right now. If you don’t mind staying right here, it should only take about fifteen minutes. But if you’re not comfortable with that, I’ll stay here and work with Shawn another time.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Natalie reassured Noah that she was fine and he should go help his friend. She grabbed his finger to reassure him that she was good with it. He kissed her—a soul-deep kiss that left her wide-eyed and breathless when he stood—turned to deposit her back into the chair, and strode away.
“Wow,” Faryn said.
“Right? Whew.” Natalie fanned her face, then dragged her attention from watching Noah to the person still kneeling at her feet. “Don’t feel like you have to stay and keep me company, but if you want to, then you have to tell me where you got that top.”
Faryn laughed and got up, dragged a nearby chair closer and sprawled into it like a teenager. “I made it.” The top appeared to be black pleather, a simple band that went around the back and tied in the front with a big bow. “But I bought the boy shorts.”
“I don’t think I could hold something like that up, but it looks fantastic on you.”
“Well, you’re working that dress just fine. How are you liking things here? Is it as you expected?”
Natalie nodded. “Yes and no. It’s been years since I’ve been to a club like this, and this is nicer than where I’d gone. But the energy, the atmosphere, it’s great. I was so young and nervous when I went before, I found it kind of scary.” A loud scream rent the air in perfect timing, and she and Faryn grinned at each other.
“It’s been ages since I’ve seen Mister Noah with someone, it’s awesome to see him happy.”
“He’s amazing. I’ve known him for a while, but only from a distance. And I didn’t know about this.” She waved her hand at the club in general. “I’m not sure how long it will take me to be comfortable playing in public like the screamer, there, but it’s certainly fun to get some ideas.” She gestured to the group that had formed nearby. They seemed to be doing yoga poses. Naked yoga poses. With a lot of inserting of body parts into other body parts. “Not that Noah lacks in ideas.”
“The exhibitionism can be fun for the right people, but there’s also the theme rooms in back. Plus, you don’t have to worry about your neighbors calling the cops when you scream.”
“That is a definite benefit. He took me to a cabin out in the woods where the ne
ighbors were far away, but we still had to be careful of people wandering by on the lake.”
“Ooh, a weekend in the woods, sounds like you passed the test.” Faryn’s grin was mischievous as they waggled their eyebrows at her.
Natalie had the oddest sensation of feeling her lips go numb. She sort of froze and waited for the feeling to go away as her brain kept hearing Faryn’s voice saying “test” over and over.
“Test?” she managed to squeak out.
“Too see if you’re into a 24/7 relationship, right? It’s not for everyone, having your Dom be in charge of things outside the bedroom.” Faryn’s grin faded away into a look of distress. “Oh. I’ve said something wrong, I’m so sorry. Don’t listen to me, I was just making assumptions. I shouldn’t have done that, it wasn’t on purpose. I barely knew Mister Noah or his slave Janey when they were together, I don’t know what I’m talking about. I was trying to make you feel comfortable, and I’ve screwed it up and I’m babbling and I’ll shut up, I’m so sorry, I’ll go get him.”
“No! No, it’s fine, sit down, you’re fine. I’m fine. I just…I—well, that’s not really where we are with things, so it just threw me off.” Noah wasn’t testing her, that wasn’t what the weekend had been about. She knew that. But was he hoping to lead her into a 24/7 dynamic? It didn’t feel like that. They’d talked about where they were and had agreed on the level of play, and he’d seemed to be on the same page with her. Was he grooming her to want more and more time in the collar? Was that something she could live with?
“Please let me help you,” Faryn said with earnest eyes. “I screwed up, let me help. What’s wrong?”
Natalie pulled her focus back to the other sub and took a deep breath. “It’s okay, it really is. I guess you could say test is a trigger word for me. I had an asshole Dom who screwed me up years ago. But I know, one hundred percent, that Noah wasn’t testing me, and I know you didn’t really mean it like a real test, anyway.”
“I didn’t. It was a stupid way to be excited that you got to spend a whole weekend locked away with him, and then he brought you here. You should tell him about this. And tell him that if I deserve a punishment, I’ll absolutely own up to it.”
Natalie glared at them. “You did nothing wrong, and if you keep thinking you did, I’ll have to paddle your ass myself.”
“Well, I leave for fifteen minutes and come back to my sub threatening to beat you. Well done, Faryn.” Noah rounded the chair and scooped Natalie up and resumed his seat.
Natalie burst out laughing, which finally seemed to do the trick of reassuring Faryn that they hadn’t screwed up.
“If you’re actively trying to earn a spanking, you’re going to have to set your sights elsewhere,” Natalie told them.
Faryn pretended to pout, despite the twinkle in their eye. “A person has to work so hard to get spanked around here.”
A big bear of a man had been walking past them and he stopped to palm the back of Faryn’s neck. “Is that right, little Faryn?”
Natalie tensed, but Noah put a calming hand on her thigh. Faryn’s eyes went wide, but not with distress, as far as Natalie could tell. They twisted their head to meet the Dom’s gaze. Something unspoken passed between them, and then Faryn twisted around and put their feet down, sitting primly in the chair, hands on their knees.
“Hello, Master Owen, it’s nice to see you again.”
Owen walked around to the front of the chair and squatted down in front of the sub. Natalie felt like she was watching an intimate moment, and Noah must have agreed. Without saying anything to the other two, he stood and walked several steps before lowering her legs.
Natalie rested her head against Noah’s shoulder, suddenly exhausted. They’d only been at the club a couple of hours, but the music, the visuals, the nerves, the stress, the excitement, the emotions…it was all adding up to a lot, and she kind of wanted to be home. She looked up to tell Noah, but he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. She gave herself to it, willing her body and mind to rally for whatever he wanted of her.
When he broke the kiss, he watched her face for several seconds. “Let’s go home.”
She smiled and nodded.
On the drive home, she considered how she wanted to tell him about the conversation with Faryn. There was no question that she should tell him. But now that she was out of the club, she was trying to analyze her upset.
The idea that Noah would test her like that was absurd, it had just taken her brain a minute to get past its initial freak-out over the word. Had the mention of Noah’s ex-girlfriend been part of the problem, as well? She wanted to ask him, would ask him, if it had been a Master/slave relationship, as Faryn had indicated.
But what would it mean, for her? He’d never indicated he might be interested in that, for them. And it had been clear to her, after the weekend of experimentation, that she wasn’t interested in it.
Maybe he’d planned to negotiate more control over her daily life? It wouldn’t suck to have someone, say…decide what she was going to wear every day. But that was just because she wasn’t a morning person, yet never remembered to pick her outfits out before bed. Besides, she had no idea if he had good taste in women’s clothing. Regardless, the idea didn’t sit well with her. Not at all.
And…this was all a ridiculous train of thought. They’d discuss it later. Mm, maybe over pie.
They pulled up in front of his house, and she couldn’t believe they were already home. He distracted her from her disjointed thoughts by pulling her into the house, undressing her, tying her to his headboard and proceeding to torment her with long kisses all over her body and slow movements designed to make her insane. He ordered her to come whenever she wanted, as long as she said his name first. And then he drove her to peak after peak, whispering her name as he worshiped her body. A tiny voice at the back of her head whispered to her that maybe this was worth giving herself to him—in all ways—if that’s what he wanted. She pushed the thought away, concentrated on his amber eyes as they seemed to stare into her very soul. He was already giving her this, and all she’d needed to do was give him her heart.
They lay in a sweaty heap for several minutes before he pulled her into his lap. “I love you, Natalie.”
Her heart nearly burst, pulling her out of the exhausted stupor. She flung her arms around him and hugged him tight. Tears were leaking from her eyes, but she couldn’t stop smiling. “I love you too, Noah.”
He removed her collar and they went into the bathroom to clean up. When they’d finished and she was ready to collapse into a coma, he turned her toward the bathroom mirror. “Close your eyes.”
She did, startled to feel something light touch her throat.
“Open them.”
Her reflection showed a delicate rose, in full bloom, nestled in the hollow of her throat. It was dark orange, two delicate leaves flanking either side. From the rose, a double row of pewter chains wrapped around her neck. Tiny triangular thorns were spaced every few inches along the chains. Her eyes were huge in the mirror as he leaned down and kissed the little thorn closest to him.
Her brain stuttered to a stop. A choker. A collar. A day collar? Isn’t that what this was? A collar to be worn 24/7, to show she was owned by him? He’d told her he loved her, and she’d done the same, so maybe, in his mind, this was what followed?
She clamped down on her frantic thoughts. That didn’t make sense. It wasn’t what they’d discussed. She just needed to talk to him. Ask him what it meant.
“Is it—does it lock?” she managed.
“It does.” He gave her a wicked grin and held up a little tool. “It c—”
Something shot through her and she didn’t even know what the hell it was. Not fear. Not panic, exactly. Maybe? But it was heavy and hot and real and she couldn’t think, not with Noah’s warm body behind her and his grinning face reflected in the mirror in front of her. She should have talked him into pie before sex, so they could talk when her brain wasn’t…whatever the hell
it was right now, because all she could think was wrong, this was wrong, this wasn’t what they’d talked about, wasn’t what they’d agreed on.
She knew what to do when a scene went past what she’d agreed to. What she could handle.
“Four. Five. No, four. I don’t know. Can you please take it off?”
His hands had frozen on her shoulders when she’d interrupted him, and he just stared at her in the mirror for several seconds.
Her heart was beating out of her throat and she knew she was panicking and it was crazy, this was all crazy, this was Noah, he wouldn’t hurt her, he wouldn’t push her into something she didn’t want, but it was Noah and she wanted to give him whatever made him happy, but she couldn’t—
“Natalie,” he barked, and her eyes flew open.
He’d unhooked the collar and was holding it out toward the mirror to show her.
“I have to go.” She pulled in a shuddering breath and turned to the door, pulling away from him.
“Natalie, no, we need to talk about whatever this is.” He reached out for her and she jerked back.
They did need to talk, but she couldn’t, not right now. Not until she could stop her brain from spinning in a hundred different directions. And not where he surrounded her, where just being touched by him made her body want to surrender to him, completely.
“I can’t. I need to go.” Tomorrow, they could talk tomorrow. Pull out the fucking pie. She forced back a sob. Right now, while it felt like everything was falling apart, wasn’t the right time to talk. Which wasn’t fair to him. She wasn’t being fair to him. Maybe she wasn’t right for him, she wasn’t right for any of this, she just didn’t understand how it all worked, obviously. She kept fucking it up, misconstruing what was happening and turning it all around in her head until she thought she understood…
She shook her head and threw on her clothes.
“Natalie. This isn’t okay. You can’t just run off like this. Regardless of anything else, it’s not safe to drive.”
She was so tired, so numb.