Dance for Me

by Kay Elle Parker

  As he walked across the parking lot, he heard her whisper, “Wheeeee!”

  The night sky was dark with the odd spot of cloud blocking out an otherwise perfect blanket of scattered stars. The air was so still he could hear the low bass of whatever Liam had playing in the bar.

  She weighed nothing, but when he let her slide down to the ground outside Avalon’s main doors, Braun discovered he missed her already. No matter how he touched her, the connection was quick and intense. Lasting. Her skin on his was a brand, searing deep and leaving marks.

  “You tell me when you’ve had enough,” he ordered, infusing the words with dominance. Her eyes widened, silently acknowledging the command without backchat or sass. “I don’t care if everyone begs us to stay just ten minutes more, you will let me know when you’re ready to go home. And I’ll know, Boadicea.”

  Her face carried serious lines when she peeked up at him, her eyes somber but not cowed. Good, she was learning she could behave as he expected and still be herself. “Yes, Sir. I will.”

  “Good girl.” Braun walked ahead of her, checking for anything she could tangle herself up in. They’d realized quickly that things they hardly noticed in day-to-day living became killer obstacles when crutches got involved.

  When he held his hand out to her, she propelled herself after him, beaming at Loki manning the sign-in desk. The joker grinned back, shoving out of his chair to round the desk for a better look.

  “Well, now, ain’t that a pretty sight? Finally got your feet back under you and the knack of those dangerous things. Permission to hug the long-lost subbie?” Loki asked Braun, wiggling his eyebrows.

  Braun rolled his eyes. “Hands above her waist, boy. And don’t take the piss—any longer than five seconds and we’ll be having words outside.”

  “Damn, you’re strict.” Loki stepped forward and hugged Bodie quickly, fiercely. “Missed your smiling face, Boadicea.” He chucked her under the chin, giving her a wink, before he hastily stepped back and took cover behind his desk. “Summer crowd’s coming in fast tonight, Braun. Starting early.”

  “People want to get naked when it’s hot and sunny.”

  “I’d like to get naked,” Bodie muttered, then mimed zipping her lips shut as Loki laughed. “Sorry, Master Braun. Wouldn’t want to add any more spankings to my tally.”

  Christ, he was tempted to shock her. Turn her face down on the desk and make her look Loki in the eyes as he yanked the sweatpants down her thighs and lit her ass up with his palm. It wasn’t hard to bring the sting of flesh on firm flesh to mind, and his hand tingled with anticipation. “Come on, troublemaker, before you end up sitting with your nose pressed in the corner all night.”

  He didn’t miss the sassy little wave she gave Loki as Braun escorted her into the social area. Nor did he miss her jolt of shock as everyone present cheered as she hopped into the room, hollering and cheering with exuberant fervor. Several long whistles split the air.

  Speechless, she swallowed hard, blinking quickly. “You did this for me?”

  His arm curled around her back, his mouth pressing against the shell of her ear. Feeling her shake, he whispered, “No, little one. They did this for you. Everyone’s missed you. Avalon just hasn’t been the same without you.”

  Her breath shuddered out. “Am I supposed to say something?”

  “Only if you want to. I have a feeling you’ll be kept busy talking most of the night.” He led her forward, letting her bump along on her magic sticks, ready to catch her if she nosedived. A distinct possibility considering how she gaped at all the people around her.

  They were keeping their distance—not crowding her, which pleased him. Reading her body language, he felt her trying to cope with the overwhelming sensations bombarding her as they crossed the room to the seating pit.

  The Masters, save Loki, were waiting for them.

  Atticus leaned back, arms spread across the edge. “Little miss, nice to see you almost back to normal. Has your Dom been mean and kept you locked up?”

  Bodie recovered, her lips twitching. “Oh, you don’t know the half of it, Master Atticus. The meanie refuses to spank me!”

  “The horror! Someone should take him to task for neglecting a perfectly willing little subbie like yourself.” Atticus stared at Braun. “What have you got to say for yourself, Fitzpatrick?”

  Enjoying the banter, Braun pressed his hand to his chest. “There is no defense strong enough to refute the allegations, my friend. I have indeed neglected this poor, guileless woman. Feeding her, bathing her, kissing her boo-boos,” he said dramatically, his lips curving as Bodie’s mouth dropped open. “You have no idea what torment I’ve put this innocent creature through.”

  Jasper coughed behind his hand. “Barbaric practices. I say take him outside and kick his ass. I can take care of the poppet if she’s desperate for her bottom warming up.”

  “Best sit down before you can’t,” Braun told her when she gulped. He didn’t need to repeat himself; he’d never seen her move so quickly with her crutches in play. He settled beside her, tucking her into his side. “Don’t mess with the Masters, Bodie. It’s rare we don’t follow through with a threat.”

  “Yeah, I might have forgotten that,” she mumbled, laying the crutches on the floor. Then she perked up, glancing around. “Is Connie here?”

  Braun caught the eyes of his friends, subtly shook his head.

  “Not tonight, I’m afraid, poppet. She had to work late, and I think Alicia’s been having nightmares again. She’ll be sorry she missed you; I know she feels guilty about not being able to catch up with you as much as she’d like at the moment.”

  Bodie deflated. “No, it’s fine. It’s a relief to know someone’s been taking care of Alicia while I’ve been...” She shrugged, shifted her healing leg. “Well, you know. I hope Alicia understands why I haven’t let her come to visit.”

  Braun rubbed her arm firmly.

  More than one argument had focused around Alicia, and Bodie’s point-blank refusal to see her sister. His subbie got incredibly defensive when pushed to talk about it, and in this instance, Braun had dug his heels in and damn near dragged the truth out of her before she could squirrel it away into the unknown vault where she kept her emotional baggage stashed.

  Doubts and insecurities were the main reason.

  Bodie hadn’t seen her baby sister since she was sixteen, and Alicia just twelve. Believing Alicia blamed her for the accident which left her paralyzed from the waist down, hated her as fiercely as their parents, Bodie hadn’t made contact with her after she left home.

  Finding out eleven years later that Alicia didn’t hate her had almost drowned Bodie in guilt. Especially in the weeks when lying in bed was all she could do, and her brain hashed out all the things she could—should—have done differently.

  Hindsight was such a bitch.

  Alicia had made several requests via Connie to visit, but Bodie hadn’t wanted her baby sister to see her battered and broken, not when the last memory Alicia had of her was of a fit and healthy sixteen-year-old.

  Bodie wanted Alicia to see her that way again.

  Atticus inclined his head. “She understands, Boadicea. She doesn’t like it, but she gets it. She’s scared you won’t like the person she’s become since you last saw her. Living with that kind of evil can change people—trust me, I know—but Alicia is a sweet, funny girl with the world at her feet, just like her big sister. Not quite as mouthy though.”

  “Thank God for that,” Braun muttered.

  “Amen,” Jasper seconded. “There’s only one Bodie.”

  The conversation died off as people started to gather, coming to pay their dues to Bodie. They came alone and in pairs, taking a few minutes of their time to wish her a speedy recovery. It didn’t take long for the attention to unnerve her and, although she plastered on a brave face, Braun felt her start to unravel.

  “Want to go, darlin’?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. There’s just a lot
of people, more than I thought. Everyone wants me to get better, and I’ve never had that. Never had anyone apart from Liam, and then all of you who thought I was worth caring about.” Shoulders lifting in a shrug, she blushed. “It’s overwhelming, that’s all.”

  Don’t do it. She’s not ready for a scene.

  Braun sighed, met Jasper’s eyes, then the wise green gaze of Atticus. Jasper smiled slowly, interpreting Braun’s intentions, then wagged his fingers in a go on with you gesture. Atticus just nodded, obviously approving.

  Pressing a kiss to the top of her forehead, Braun sat her up and got to his feet. At her puzzled look, he offered his hand. “Come with me, little one. I can help with overwhelmed.”

  She brightened. “Are we...”

  “Against my better judgement, yes. Nothing strenuous, just something to take the edge off.” Adrenaline crawled into his blood, stirring his Dominant instincts into life. His voice dropped an octave, eliciting a shiver of delight from his eager subbie. “Better hurry up, Boadicea; I might change my mind.”

  She wiggled, accepting his support and all but bouncing on her good toes as soon as he pulled her to her feet. Judging by the fresh fire in her eyes, burning away the doubts and insecurity he’d seen, this was the right decision.

  She was more animated than she’d been in weeks.

  “Am I allowed to ask what we’re doing?”

  If she squealed like a little girl, it wouldn’t surprise him. The energy bubbling inside her was infectious, her excitement palpable. It soothed something within him he hadn’t realized was raw.

  Finally, he could wrest back control over something in his life. For too long, his life and Bodie’s had been captured in the curve of someone else’s hands. Keeping Bodie safe, fixing her hurts and repairing catastrophic injuries had fallen to the doctors. Their experience, their dedication, their unwavering care had pulled Bodie back from the brink of death—and he’d been pushed to the side, surplus to requirements, with nothing to do but hold her hand and watch from the sidelines.

  For a Dom, it was the worst kind of punishment.

  His mission in life was tending his submissive, and he’d been denied that.

  No more. I’m taking care of what’s mine, he thought darkly, bending and scooping Bodie off her feet. The darkness he hadn’t seen shrouding him for the last few months lightened a shade, lifting with her panicked gasp and girlish squeak of alarm. “Naughty girls don’t get to ask questions, little one.”

  “Crap, what have I done now?”

  “Would you like me to list your infractions over the past six months, Bodie?” Braun carried her out of the pit and past the bar where Anarchy efficiently served members with competent ease. “Snotty attitude, rudeness, swearing at Savannah—and at me.”

  “Oh boy,” she whispered.

  “Indeed.”

  “Okay, can I ask a different question, Sir?”

  He strode through the walkway, his mind already sorting through scenes he could make work for them. “One.”

  “Where’s Liam? That was Anarchy serving behind the bar, wasn’t it?”

  “That’s two questions, Bodie.” Damn it, she’d noticed the boy’s absence; Braun really hoped she hadn’t been that much attention. “It’s Liam’s night off, so Anarchy kindly stepped in to cover for him. He’s been invaluable, so I can’t begrudge his time spent away from here.”

  “Oh.” She was disappointed, that was evident, but took his answer without further comment. She stayed quiet, curling into him as best she could as he walked through the doors into the second barn.

  He swore he saw her ears prick at the sound of impact play and sex. His certainly did. Dominance dropped onto his shoulders, a heavy cloak of anticipation and responsibility. Fuck, he’d missed it—hadn’t grasped the fact he mourned the loss of security and routine.

  The rigging area was free. Braun considered his options and smiled wickedly. It would take some improvisation to make her comfortable, but he had a feeling his trembling subbie would enjoy the scene he was quickly finalizing in his head.

  He set her on her feet, steadied her, and let the play area sink in. It was a simple scaffold of metal bars, similar to a jungle gym, and offered a multitude of possibilities for play. It took a few seconds for it to dawn on her just how he intended for them to scene tonight.

  “You’re going to tie me up,” she mumbled, gazing up at the system of bars above her head. It didn’t escape his notice that she slipped her hands behind her back. “From up there?”

  “I am. You’re going to trust me to tie you up, Bodie, and take you flying. Once we begin, I will never be out of sight. You’ll be able to see me, hear me, smell me.” When she wobbled, he braced her. “I want you to wait here for me while I get a few things. Take the time to think about what scares you about being restrained. When I come back, we’ll talk about it, and go from there.”

  Braun’s pride swelled when she nodded, hesitant but willing. Taking her hands, he curled them around the nearest upright bar. “If you need to sit down, shout for the DM. Otherwise, stand right here and just breathe, Bodie.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Leaving her was harder than he thought. Part of him felt as though he’d just tied a puppy to a streetlight and walked away while another assured him this was part of her growing curve. Aside from that blessed week with her—the calm between storms—they hadn’t spent much time playing.

  When it came to sex, to dominance and submission, their trust in each other was a fledgling bird, delicate and in need of nurturing. And, every now and then, it required a push from the nest.

  Braun hurried to his office. Everything he required was there, which made life easier. With the essentials in hand, he strode back to Bodie, relieved she was not only still standing where he’d left her, but standing strong. He took a moment to watch her without her knowledge, and his pride stepped up a level.

  Her grip on the pole was loose, and she was using it more for physical support than she was clinging to it through fear of what was coming. Her face, beautiful in its serenity, held a relaxed expression. Eyes closed, thinking her thoughts, his subbie was finding her headspace and embracing it.

  Reluctant to break the spell binding her to peace, Braun moved slowly. Easing his presence into existence rather than bursting in and disrupting her internal process. Silently, he walked behind her, skimming his open palm over her back, alerting her to his return with nothing more than the brush of hand over cloth.

  She arched into his touch. “Master Braun.”

  “My good girl,” he purred. “Stay there, Boadicea. Just like that.”

  He crossed to the solid wooden utility bench tucked against the back wall beyond the rigging, setting out his tools. Bodie’s leather wrist cuffs, two sets of rope, and his elk hide flogger. Three things to lift his sub from the chaos of her life and let her soar for a while.

  With the cuffs in his hand, the leather soft and familiar, Braun returned to her, standing in front of her. “Give me your right hand, Bodie. Did you think about what scares you?”

  She obeyed, eyes still closed. His fingers undid the button on the cuff of her shirt, pushing it out of his way, then replaced it with leather. As he buckled it snugly around her wrist and checked the popper, she murmured, “My mother tied me to a fence. Left me there, naked, for the workmen to find me.”

  “I know, little one. It was cruel. Unnecessary.”

  “It was so cold, and I was all alone. Anyone could have come by and...and...” Her breath hitched, her eyes popping open. “I’d have been at their mercy.”

  He’d have found a way to go back in time and murder anyone who’d dare touch her, take advantage of her in that situation. Braun lifted her hand to his mouth, kissed the cuff where her pulse rested beneath. “You’ll be at my mercy now, little one. Because you choose to be, not by force.” Releasing her, he waggled his fingers. “Other hand.”

  Bodie gave it to him and he repeated his actions down to the kiss on the cuff. She licke
d her lips nervously, edging from her quiet place as he swiftly unfastened the buttons running down the middle of her shirt, then peeled it off and tossed it aside.

  His heartbeat turned into a tribal war drum, his gaze drinking in the sight of her breasts contained in the simple web of purple lace. That drum intensified when he stripped her of the bra and bared her breasts to his hungry eyes. When she shifted her hands to cover her stomach, Braun scowled. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I...” Her attention wasn’t on him, but on the people around them. “They shouldn’t have to see...”

  Twin strands of annoyance and sympathy intertwined. “The scars of a woman who’s been through hell and back?” Braun sank to his knees in front of her, gripping her hips. “My woman, who’s fought a war no one can imagine and come out alive? They’ll see what they want to see, Boadicea, and if it’s anything less than what I see in you, then shame on them.”

  He kissed between her breasts, working his way down the center of her. Touching his mouth to every inch of the pink scar, feeling her stomach muscles flutter beneath the scrape of his stubble, the heat of his lips. With a nip at her belly button, he rose and cupped her face. “There’s no one, no woman, more perfect than the one I love.”

  Her breath shuddered out. “Me?”

  “Absolutely you, little one.” He stroked his thumbs over her cheekbones, no trace of her injury in sight. “I’m going to bind you, Bodie. Decorate this sinful little body with rope and put you on display so everyone can see you the way I do—beautiful, perfect, and mine.”

  “I...I think I’d like that, Master Braun.”

  “You will,” he promised, stepping back. He assessed her carefully, but she’d regained some confidence in herself. “How’s the leg holding up?”

  “Aching a bit, Sir.”

  “One minute longer, little one.” Braun moved behind her and deftly twisted her hair into a braid. With it tied up and out of the way, he collected his ropes from the bench. When he turned around, Jasper leaned against the wall, arms folded as he patiently waited. “J, could you fetch me a short stool from the bar and a cushion?”