by Marie Tuhart
“We can but think about how much more fun we can have.” Damon turned on his side and ran his hand over her denim-clad leg. Nerves came alive under his touch. “And it’s not really training. With brand new members, we have the class you went through the other night for the background checks, questionnaire, etc. Class two is going over rules and protocols. Class three is introduction to the club and answering questions. And class four is a night to play, depending on experience level.”
“Talk to me about that. How do you determine experience levels?” She was interested in their concept.
“The questionnaire helps. We can usually tell right away when someone is very new to the lifestyle, wants to explore more, or has been in the lifestyle.” His fingers trailed up her leg to her knee. “When rules and protocols come into play, novices need a lot of explanation, whereas others don’t.”
“But rules and protocols are not the same in each club?”
“You are correct.” His finger traced circles on her kneecap. “Ours are pretty basic and detailed in the documentation. You did read what you were given, right?”
“I did.” She had read the rules, which were pretty straightforward. The protocols were fairly simple as well. “Tell me more about the wristbands.”
“Those were my idea.” He scooted closer to her. “I’d noticed a lot of time was being wasted on negotiation, not that it isn’t important. It is. But some Doms and subs were spending hours talking and had no time to see if they played well together.” He walked his fingers up to her thigh.
“So how do the wristbands work?” Tessa tried to ignore Damon’s touch, but it was hard.
“We read over the questionnaire of the sub, and we go with a color system. White is for a new subs.”
“But, technically, I’m not new.”
“You’re not.”
“Okay, go on.”
“Pink and white is a medium experience sub. Green and white, experienced. Red and white for a masochist. Lastly purple and white for a taken sub.”
“What about the Doms?”
“Masters/Doms are black, DM is yellow, Red is for sadist.”
“Isn’t that a little confusing that Masters and Dom are both black wristbands?”
Damon’s eyes widened. “We hadn’t thought about that, but now that you mention it, it could be. I’ll have to bring that up with Max and Jordan.”
“I noticed they were an elastic band with fabric over it. Don’t they get caught on things?”
“Observant, aren’t you.” He ran his finger over her cheek.
Heat flooded Tessa’s face. Damon’s touch was so soft, so sensual.
“They do sometimes. We’re working on a new band that will be less likely to catch,” he said.
“It’s good because it allows the Doms to see if a sub fits their criteria before they even talk to them. More places should use that.”
Damon smiled. “So talk to me more. What would you like to do in the club?”
He shifted even closer to her, and his body heat called to her.
Tessa shifted. “I need to move; my legs are falling asleep.”
Damon sat up. “Here.” He helped her into a better position. “Now lay back.”
Tessa did as he said. “Oh.” He positioned her so when she laid back, her head was on his stomach.
“Better?” he asked.
“Yes.” This was intimate, but not too intimate. Or was it? Her head rested on him. Tessa shrugged away her concerns. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment about his question about what she would like to do in the club. “I like different things.”
“What have you done before? From the way you reacted to the restraints, I’m thinking you’ve done bondage before.”
“No. Bondage wasn’t something I was interested in. Until you.” Her hand fluttered to her chest when she realized what she said.
Damon laughed. “Thank you for being honest with me. What else?”
“Let’s see. Mainly massage, a spanking horse without bondage, and general light play.”
“What kind of implements on the spanking horse?”
“Hand, a paddle, and a light flogger.”
“No crop or cane?” He noticed she’d specified ‘maybe’ rather than listing that as a hard or soft limit.
“I haven’t tried them. I’m not sure I’d like them. I’m not into pain.”
“I don’t enjoy inflicting pain, only pleasure.” He ran his fingers over her hair. “Tell me what you mean by light play.”
Tessa closed her eyes as he caressed her hair. His touch was comforting. “Nudity and touching. Watching scenes together. That’s really it outside of the massage or impact play.”
“Sex?”
Her tummy tightened. “Damon, I didn’t have a romantic relationship with my Dom. He was my mentor, nothing more.” She took a deep breath. “We never had sex.”
“So you kept your personal life and club life separate.”
“I tried.” And she’d tried hard until her idiot ex-fiancé. Why she ever thought Jack would enjoy a little spice in their love life was beyond her. At the time, she thought it would be nice. “I was foolish to think the two could mix together.”
Damon frowned. “Our friends are making it work.”
“Yes, but…” Her friends didn’t have the background she did. If anyone unearthed who her father was and sold her out to the press… She shuddered.
“We can start with club play and see how things go. Can you do that?”
She nodded.
“Good.” He fell silent.
Tessa laid there feeling a sense of peace flow over her. How long had it been since she’d relaxed and taken in life? A while. Her lashes drifted shut as Damon gently stroked her hair.
* * * *
Damon grinned when Tessa’s breathing settled into a deep, contented pattern. She’d fallen asleep. He wasn’t sure how he felt about keeping club life separate from everyday life, but he would do it for now. Especially since she didn’t know what he did for a living.
He relaxed and began to plan out how Thursday night would go and the nights after that. He was going to have fun playing with Tessa. A romantic relationship would either come naturally or not at all. Though he hoped the former came true.
They weren’t off to a bad start. She’d had dinner with him Friday night and the picnic today. And she’d been open and honest. Damon’s grin widened. He was ready to deal with Tessa and whatever she threw at him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Damon made his way to his workshop Monday morning, his mind still filled with Tessa. He’d taken her home yesterday, telling her he’d see her Thursday night, and gave her a kiss that left his dick begging for relief.
He flipped on the lights and shivered. He must have forgotten to leave the furnace turned up so the place would be warm. Once his equipment started running, it would get warm enough. Moving over to his work desk, he looked at what orders he had.
A couple of his specialized vibrators, nipple clamps, and one of his harnesses. He checked his supplies. He had everything. First, he’d work on the vibrators.
Making adult toys wasn’t the plan when he went to MIT, but one summer, he was at loose ends and applied for a job with a film company, not knowing it was an adult film company. He learned a lot that summer about the industry but also heard complaints about toys, how they broke often, and sometimes the production needed something different.
He’d started playing with ideas on paper, then was able to find a place where he could experiment. It took him a while, but he began to improve the toys. Vibrators, for example. Some had one speed, others had multiple, but one of his biggest sellers was one that had not only multiple speeds, but also rotated.
How would Tessa take to his toys? There were a few people in the club who knew about his toy making, but most of his orders came over the internet. Sitting down at his workbench, Damon began to construct the first vibrator. Maybe he’d take one to the club on Thursday and see how Tessa rea
cted.
His lips tilted up. Oh yes, and maybe it was time to experiment with some other things he was thinking of making. Tessa would be the best test subject…if she agreed.
* * * *
Tessa stared at her closet. What to wear tonight? Damon had texted her earlier, asking if she needed his help with an outfit, and she told him no. They’d exchanged numbers Sunday when he brought her home.
Let’s see what I can find. Ten minutes later, she had a black skirt and her black flats, but top-wise, she was lost. She dug around and found a red lace cami that would work with the skirt. After finding a small bag, she put all the items into it.
Since the club had a nice place to change and secure lockers for personal items, she’d change there. She was glad for that. Her favorite raincoat was currently drying out since it was raining today. Better than snow, but it was going to make for a rough drive out to the club.
She’d planned on driving herself, but Damon vetoed the idea, telling her he didn’t want her driving after they spent time in the club. Tessa wanted to argue with him, but she heard the firmness in his voice and decided they could discuss it as he drove tonight.
Now, the idea of a discussion about control while he drove in this weather might not be such a good idea. Tessa grabbed one of her hooded sweatshirts, pulled it on over her street clothes, then put her wallet and cell in the bag with her clothes. The doorbell rang, and she opened the door to Damon.
“Oh goodness.” She jogged to the bathroom and came back with a towel. Damon was soaked. “I take it the weather is still stormy.”
“To say the least.” Damon rubbed the towel over his face and hair.
“Get in here.” Tessa pulled him into her apartment. “Why don’t you go in the guest bathroom, get out of those wet clothes, and take a hot shower.”
“Trying to get me out of my clothes.” His eyes twinkled.
“Trying to keep you from catching a cold.” She pushed him toward the bathroom. “I can put your clothes in the dryer while you’re in the shower and find you something to put on while they dry.”
“Or I could run around naked.”
Tessa shook her head, and he laughed and made his way down the hall. Tessa dug around in the back of her closet for an old pair of her brother’s sweats. They should fit. She heard the shower come on, then she opened the bathroom door an inch.
“Are you in the shower?”
“Yes. Planning to join me?”
“You wish.” His teasing was becoming second nature. She set the sweats down and picked up his wet clothing. “Sweats on the counter.”
After throwing his clothes in the washer, she looked out her balcony window. Yep, there was a storm all right, complete with wind. Tessa grabbed her cell and called the club. “Wicked Sanctuary, this is Max.”
“Hey, Max, Tessa here.”
“What’s up, lovely lady?”
“I don’t think Damon and I are going to make it with the storm that’s brewing.”
“There’s a storm?” She could hear movement on the other end before Max came back on the phone. “Holy crap. Stay home. I looked out. I had no idea.”
“Yeah, I didn’t either. Be safe and tell Sierra I’m fine.”
“I’m sure you are.” The line went dead.
Tessa looked at her phone. It flashed no service. That was odd. Then the lights flickered. Crap. She quickly opened her cabinets and got out her lanterns. A roll of thunder sounded, and the lights flickered again.
“Damon, you better hurry. We might lose power.” Tessa opened the freezer and grabbed a jug of frozen water and stuck it in the fridge. She always kept a couple frozen—just in case.
The bathroom door opened as the lights went out. Tessa turned on one of the battery-powered lanterns.
“Sounds like the storm has intensified,” he said, walking toward her with towels in his hands.
“Yeah. Drop those on the washer. It looks like it will be a while before you’ll have dry clothes.” She glanced over at him; the sweats were a little tight. Where her brother was skinny, Damon was muscled. “Sorry those don’t fit better.”
“They’re okay, but I’m wondering why you have men’s sweats. These would not fit you.”
Tessa laughed. “They’re my brother’s. I accidently packed them when I moved here.”
“He doesn’t miss them?”
“No.” Allen didn’t have time to miss them. He was too busy trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, so three-piece suits were more the norm. “I called Max and told him we wouldn’t be at the club tonight.”
Damon walked over to her balcony doors. “Is it okay if I open them?”
“Sure.”
He opened one door, and the wind whipped into her apartment. Damon shut the door. “What a wind. The way it looks out there, I doubt anyone makes it to the club, not with this kind of storm.”
“Not the night we had planned.” Tessa wondered what they could do. If she was alone, she’d curl up in bed. She could do that with Damon. Her muscles froze. Too soon to think about them in bed together.
“No, but I have an idea.” He moved her small table and chairs away from the balcony windows, then grabbed the cushions and pillows from the sofa and arranged them on the floor. “Now we can watch the storm.”
A quiver slipped up Tessa’s spine.
“What is it?”
Trust him to see something even though the only light they had was from the lantern. “I’m not very fond of storms.” She jumped as thunder rolled.
“Come here.” Damon pulled her to him. He took the lantern from her hand and placed it on the table before leading her over to the cushions. “Sit down.” He helped her down to the floor, but stayed standing.
When she was seated, he slid behind her before lowering his body to the floor, his legs on either side of her body. He grabbed a cushion and put it behind his back before grabbing a pillow.
“Come on.” With his hand on her shoulder, he urged her to lie back until her back met his chest. He placed the small pillow under her head.
“Better?” he asked. His arms looped around her waist, his hands resting on her abs.
“This is nice,” she whispered. It was. His chest was warm even though he had no shirt on. Being held close to him helped her feel safe and secure.
Lightning flashed, and she flinched.
“Easy. I’m right here. It can’t hurt you.”
“Sorry.” Tessa ducked her head.
“Hey.” Warm fingers caressed her chin. “What made you afraid of storms?”
A tremor worked its way through her body. “It was a long time ago, but I’ve never been able to shake it.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“It seems kind of silly.”
“If it’s still affecting you, it’s not silly.”
Tessa tilted her head so she could see his face. Sincerity was written there. He believed the words he said. She slouched against him. “I was about eight years old. We were out in the country, visiting my aunt. A storm came up.”
“Was this back when you lived in DC?”
“Yep. Thunder and lightning, the whole nine yards. I’d been outside with my brother. I didn’t care about getting wet. We were kids.” She took a breath. “Anyway, lightning flashed, and a bolt came right down and hit a tree not far from where I was standing.”
“It could have hit you.” His voice was soft.
“Scared me to death. I started running and screaming. My brother laughed at me.”
“If I ever meet him, remind me to punch him for that.”
Tessa’s lips turned up. “We were both quite young. Since then, storms bother me. My father told me to get over it; I wouldn’t be hurt by a storm. But I couldn’t shake what happened. I was born and raised in DC, but I’d never been outside during a bad storm.”
His arms tightened around her. “We don’t get storms like this too often, but we do have them. How did you get through them?”
“Most of t
he time, they’re at night, so I can curl up in my bed or distract myself with the TV, but with the electricity out…”
“Well then, let me distract you.” He lowered his head and captured her lips.
Tessa didn’t hesitate. She opened her mouth to Damon’s. His tongue swept in. She twisted within his hold so they were face to face. The feel of his hands stroking her back set her blood on fire.
Her hands wandered to his hair-roughened chest. So strong and manly. She shifted so she could stroke farther south.
“Tessa.” Damon pulled his lips from hers.
“What? Can’t I play?” Where were the words coming from? She usually wasn’t this flirty or forward. It wasn’t how she’d acted with her mentor. Hell, with any man.
“Maybe.” He nuzzled her cheek then pulled back, putting some distance between them. “I don’t want you to feel rushed or pressured. We can lie here all night together and watch the storm.”
“Are you saying this is up to me?” This was different. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Tessa expected him to take command.
“Yes.”
“But what if you don’t want to play?” She’d never been with a man so open, so willing to listen to her wants and needs. She refused to take advantage of him.
“Then I would tell you. This isn’t a one way street.” His finger brushed over her cheek. “I will be open and honest with you. I expect the same.”
“This is very unexpected.” How open and honest did she need to be with Damon? Yes, tonight they’d planned to go to the club but more as trainer and trainee. Nevertheless, her body was ready to play with him. Thunder rumbled, and she flinched.
“Relax.” Damon tugged her down until she lay on his chest. “It’s just the two of us. We don’t have to do anything.”
“But—” She bit her lip and sighed as she felt the tension and anxiety slowly drain from her body. He’d keep her safe, and she let her worries slip away.
* * * *
Damon grinned as Tessa relaxed against him. He wanted nothing more than to scoop her up into his arms and carry her into the bedroom, but he’d wait until she was ready.
She might say she was ready, but this was more than needing to scratch an itch for him, and he suspected it was that way for her as well. Her fingers made circles on his chest. His blood heated at her touch.