Taking a deep breath, I prepared for the inevitable, then pivoted around with my hand on Jamie’s back, guiding her to do the same.
“Cav,” I greeted, my voice stern, ensuring he knew I wasn’t in the mood for his games tonight.
“Edge.” He shook my hand as his gaze slid to Jamie, then back to me.
“Jamie Lautner,” I said—stressing her last name—“I’d like you to meet Chris Cavanaugh. Here he’s referred to as Master Cav.”
“Or simply Cav,” he noted.
Jamie’s smile lit up the entire fucking room and I could tell Cav was instantly taken by her. Not that I blamed the guy. She seemed to have that effect on people. Including me. In the few minutes I’d spent with her, I was almost certain I could feel her beneath my skin, burrowing deep, threatening my hard-won control.
To be clear, it was a foreign sensation, one that took me off guard. Almost as much as seeing Cav tonight.
“It’s nice to meet you, Master Cav,” she said sweetly.
“The pleasure’s all mine,” he replied, tipping his hat like a perfect gentleman.
The fucker.
Jamie’s dark eyes glittered as her attention bounced back and forth between me and Cav, clearly waiting for me to say something.
A million memories flashed through my mind, faceless women he and I had shared before. None of them holding a candle to the woman standing by my side. I had to fight back the urge to imagine how perfectly she would fit against us, how incredible it would feel to have her pinned between us, to taste those sweet lips—
For fuck’s sake. Undress her already.
Stupid voice.
Knowing I had to shut this down now, I glared at Cav. I doubted Jamie understood the silent conversation currently taking place between me and the cowboy plenty of submissives hoped would allow them to saddle up and ride. It went something like this:
Me: Don’t even think about it.
Cav: Too late for that. I’m thinking of nothing else.
Me: Too bad. She’s off-limits.
Cav: I think that decision should be up to her, no?
Me: No. It definitely should not.
It was as simple as that. Initially, my goal had been to keep my hands off the sweet woman who was a guest at this club. Now, my only objective was to keep both of us away from this one. There was nothing good that could come of a night with the three of us together. Certainly not here at the club.
Eh. Let it happen. See where it goes, you big, bad Dom. How bad could it be?
Bad. Really, really bad, I mentally scolded that annoying inner voice.
But it’s Cav. And you know how fucking good it’ll be.
Good, probably. Temporary, most definitely. I hadn’t seen Cav in three months, and I knew how the man operated. He would come back to town, spend a few nights sowing his wild oats until he hit the road again.
Hence the reason it couldn’t happen.
However, the one good thing about Cav showing up was that it made it easier for me to dispel that stupid voice in my head. I needed that tonight. I needed to remember I had a job to do and the absolute last thing I wanted was to piss off Zeke. The man trusted me with his kid sister, expected me to give her the dime tour of the club, let her get a feel for what went on here. The least I could do was follow his instructions.
Easy, right?
Sadly, no.
Truth was, I’d never been attracted to easy even if that was the way I lived my life. Uncomplicated was my preference, my objective, my overall end goal.
“I hear Edge is givin’ you a tour, Miss Lautner.”
I glared at Cav, willing him to shut up.
“He is.” Jamie peered up at me and I fought the urge to growl. This was not how I envisioned this night going.
“What have you seen so far?” Cav asked.
Jamie motioned around her. “This is our first stop.”
“Thoughts?” Cav probed.
She cocked her head to the side. “While spanking is a clear indication of authority, it was rather tame for what I expected at a club of this caliber.”
I stared at her, baffled by the clinical interpretation. That wasn’t generally the response I received. I watched her for a moment, wondering if she had a hidden agenda for this visit.
“So, what’s next on the menu?” Cav asked, his light blue eyes glittering with far too much interest for his own good.
If you’re smart, you’ll say she is.
No. No fucking way.
“We,” I stated firmly, ignoring the voice, “are going to take a tour of the club, then Jamie will be leaving. You are going to … go elsewhere.”
Jamie laughed. “You don’t have to send him off on my account.”
“Yeah,” Cav said quickly, grinning. “I don’t mind stickin’ around for a bit.”
I wanted to argue, but I knew it was futile. Cav was one of the few people who had the ability to push me to my limits and tonight I needed to keep a tight rein on myself.
“Perhaps Miss Lautner can lead the way.” Cav sounded far too excited to be part of this.
Jamie’s soft hand touched my forearm and my gaze shot down to it at the same time heat slammed into me. I forced my gaze back to Cav’s and somehow managed to ignore her soft, smooth fingers on my skin. “I was taking her back upstairs. To talk for a bit.”
The look in Cav’s eyes said he knew I was lying, but he didn’t call me on it. That surprised me.
“Would you mind if I joined you, Miss Lautner?”
Before I could respond, Jamie said, “That would be nice.”
Then another silent conversation took place between me and Cav:
Cav: See, she’s game. Let her lead the way.
Me: You will pay for this later. I promise.
Cav: I’m looking forward to it.
Son of a bitch.
At what point had the submissive taken control of this situation? That wasn’t the way things worked in my club. Certainly not a submissive I was in charge of.
Ah. So, she’s a submissive now? Tasty.
No. Definitely not. Jamie Lautner wasn’t a submissive. She was merely curious. And we weren’t playing.
So what’s the harm in having a simple conversation?
For the first time tonight, the voice had a point. Talking would allow me time to clarify to Cav that this woman was off-limits.
Overstepping in a big way, Cav took complete control of the situation. He linked his arm with Jamie’s, then turned toward the stairs. I had no choice but to follow, all the while running through the reprimand I would be giving him later.
“So, what brings you to the club, Miss Lautner?” Cav asked as we made our way up to the main floor. His voice was deep and as commanding as it was rich.
“Curiosity, mostly. My brother thought it would be amusing to get me banned from the other clubs in the area.”
Cav’s gaze shot to mine and I nodded, confirming her story. Back when Jamie first approached Zeke about checking out a kink club, her brother had lost his shit, threatening to do bodily harm to any club owner who allowed his sister entry into their club.
“Yet he didn’t have a problem with you comin’ here?” Cav asked, a mixture of intrigue and disbelief wrinkling his brow
Jamie grinned. “I wouldn’t say that. But he finally caved, so here I am.”
She had a nice smile. Pretty white teeth, perfectly plump lips.
Ready to undress her yet?
I mentally rolled my eyes, followed them.
Cav urged two single submissives to find another place to go and took the barstools they vacated, offering one to Jamie. Rather than sit on the other, Cav casually leaned against the bar, facing Jamie, completely engaged.
“What’s your pleasure, sugar?”
Sweet-talking bastard. Careful or he’s gonna steal the girl right out from under you.
First of all, Jamie wasn’t a girl. And two, she wasn’t under me.
Yet. Night’s not finished.
Fuck
.
“Sprite, please.”
“A Sprite and two waters,” Cav told the submissive working the bar, then turned back to Jamie.
“Would you mind me asking where you’re from?” she questioned.
That shit-eating grin lit up Cav’s face. “Born and raised in Texas. Houston, to be exact.”
Jamie smiled. “That would’ve been my first guess.”
“Yeah?”
She giggled sweetly, tapping a spot just above her temple. “The hat kinda gives it away.”
His eyes twinkled and I fought the urge to punch him.
“Not to mention the drawl,” she tacked on.
For whatever reason, Cav seemed pleased by her acknowledgements. But that was Cav. Laid-back, casual. What you saw was what you got with him. Sure, he played a role in the club, but his sincerity and charm weren’t a facade.
“So what has you curious about a kink club?”
Jamie peered over at me, her eyes perusing my face momentarily before she turned her attention back to Cav. “I’ve read quite a bit about the lifestyle, and I wanted to get a feel for it, see what goes on firsthand.”
“Now that you’re here, what do you find most appealing?”
Jamie shrugged, her eyes darting over to me when I moved to stand on her other side. “I’m not entirely sure.”
“What exactly are you reading?” I asked, interested to know what her underlying reason for being here was. I got the feeling she was hiding something.
“Books. Romance, specifically.”
“Romance?” Interesting.
Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “Erotic romance books.”
Cav laughed, a throaty sound that drew attention from the submissives standing around us. “You’re a dirty girl, are ya?”
I narrowed my eyes at Cav, but it didn’t do any good. He probably figured he was in deep already, so what the hell.
“I’ll admit I’m rather drawn to BDSM. It’s my mission in life to … experience it for myself.”
My thoughts drifted back to her mention of being a virgin earlier. “Really?”
She nodded but didn’t elaborate.
“And you thought you’d lose your virginity here in my club?” I managed to hide my smile when Cav choked on his water.
“You’re a virgin?” he asked as he cleared the obstruction.
Jamie’s eyes shot up to mine, hardened. “I said I was a kink club virgin.”
I held her gaze, implored her. I knew she wasn’t telling me everything.
“So, you’re not a virgin virgin?” Cav clarified.
When she didn’t answer, I knew I hadn’t imagined her Freudian slip from earlier. She was a virgin.
I should’ve turned her toward the door, sent her home right then. Instead, my cock twitched, and a deep, dark need burned hot and fast through my veins. Something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was a need to possess, to control, to protect. Although I managed one of the most popular BDSM clubs in the country, I hadn’t felt that need in a long damn time. It was quite surprising in its intensity.
“You are a virgin,” Cav muttered, his voice much lower than before, his baby blue eyes lit like a gas flame.
I peered over at him and shook my head. This wasn’t a conversation we’d be having right now.
But you’ll have it later? When you address the fact you’ve never fucked a virgin before?
Son of a bitch. My subconscious was starting to piss me off.
Cav held my gaze momentarily, then nodded and took another drink before launching a different question. “So, what is it you do for a livin’?”
“I’m still in school.”
His eyes widened and I fought the urge to laugh. “A student?”
“What?” I asked with a smirk. “Did you think she was in high school?”
He glared at me.
This time, I couldn’t help but laugh. Sure, she was young, but not that young.
“Definitely not high school,” Jamie said. “I’m working on my doctorate.” Her eyes dropped to her glass. “In psychology.”
I knew that. I did. But for some stupid fucking reason, I’d forgotten. And then it all seemed to click in place.
“Ahh.” Cav seemed relieved. “Is that why you’re here? To dig into the psyche of a Dom?”
Very good question. I crossed my arms, waited for her to answer.
“I … uh…” She couldn’t seem to hold either of our gazes. “It might’ve been part of what prompted me in the beginning, but no. Tonight…” Jamie blushed. “I’m here for selfish reasons.”
Selfish, huh? That means she’s interested in that spanking she witnessed earlier.
No. Damn it. That wasn’t what it meant.
Even if my brain was in denial, my damn dick liked the sound of that, and it twitched in response.
“What interests you?” Cav set down his water, leaned casually on the bar. “Bondage? Spanking? Water sports? Master/slave? Daddy/baby girl?”
Color infused her cheeks, but Jamie didn’t hesitate when she said, “I honestly don’t know.”
A sweet smile tilted the corners of her lips as she looked between the two of us.
“Okay, let’s look at it from another angle,” Cav prompted. “When you read, what tropes do you tend to go for? BDSM specifically.”
“Um…”
I saw the moment the steel infused her spine.
“I tend to enjoy the Teacher/student aspect, to be honest.”
Hear that? You can be her teacher.
Her comment stirred a memory. During one of my previous training sessions, one of the submissives thought it would be appropriate to call me Professor Edge. I’d nixed it immediately, but now, as I stared at Jamie, I imagined her calling me Professor, a sweet little pout on her lips when she promised to do everything I told her to.
Yes! Keep that train of thought.
“So you’ve never been tied up?” Cav asked, clearly unaware of the fantasy playing out in my head. “Had that pretty little ass turned a nice rosy red?”
While nothing that came out of Cav’s mouth surprised me—he was not known for discretion or subtlety—I had a hard time hearing him speak to Jamie that way. She wasn’t a club submissive. She wasn’t a plaything we’d be tying up or crushing between us at some point in the evening. She was Zeke Lautner’s sister, for fuck’s sake.
But Professor Edge has a nice ring to it. Especially coming from her.
She most certainly would not be calling me Professor.
“I have not,” she answered, her voice even. “But I’m definitely interested in seeing if those are things I enjoy.”
Cav’s eyes shot to mine. I shook my head, warning him that this was going in a direction I wasn’t comfortable with.
“Well, sugar, I have to admit, I’m curious to see how things play out for you tonight.”
“No,” I stated firmly. “No, you’re not.”
The silent conversation ensued:
Me: And do not call her sugar. That’s your pet name for club submissives. She is not on the menu.
Cav: Whatever.
Jamie chuckled. “I take it the two of you aren’t into sharing.”
My eyes shot to Jamie’s face. Sharing? What the hell was she talking about? When had we gotten on this topic?
Mmm. She’d look damn good pinned between you and Cav. You know it.
She smiled, a mixture of seduction and sweetness rolled into one. “I just figured…”
I wanted to tell her that wasn’t going to happen. None of this was going to happen. Tonight she would be walking around, completely clothed throughout the entire evening. And when she exited my club, she would be going home alone.
Or … you could see how this plays out, you big bad Dom.
No.
Absolutely not.
Yet I didn’t say anything.
Not a single fucking word.
Jamie
WHILE I WAITED FOR EDGE TO ANSWER me, I watched the battle br
ewing in his head. From what it looked like, he was hanging by a thread, but I wasn’t sure if it was me or Cav who was sending him into a tailspin. Ever since Cav had arrived on scene, there’d been a noticeable shift in Edge’s demeanor. As though he had to protect me from the sexy Dominant.
Granted, the second I mentioned my thoughts on the whole Teacher/student thing, something had darkened in his eyes. Was he turned on by the idea of me calling him Professor? Was that a sign of a power shift between Dominant and submissive? Was this a thread I should tug on, see which direction it headed? Perhaps it would be a way of proving my theory.
I would have to think on that a little more later. Right now, I was trying to figure out who actually held the winning hand. Although I hadn’t interacted with Edge much before Cav showed up, there was undoubtedly some sort of silent communication going on between them. These two men had a history together, that much was clear.
It was easy to peg them both as Dominants. No question there. However, there was a playful undertone to Cav that Edge didn’t seem to have. No, Edge was on guard, his body hard, unyielding, as though he was expecting a confrontation. Was there a reason for that? Something in their past that had him on the defensive? Or was it me specifically?
Quite frankly, I enjoyed watching the interaction between the two of them.
And it wasn’t until Cav appeared that I realized exactly what Edge’s intentions had been for me. I’d pegged him correctly earlier. He had intended to keep this completely clinical, giving me a tour of the space, but not actually allowing me to experience anything. While it didn’t surprise me since I knew about his relationship with my brother, it pissed me off a little.
No. Not a little. It pissed me off a lot. I didn’t come here tonight for Edge to treat me like Zeke’s little sister. I’d come with the hopes of getting the full experience of a place of this caliber. I was hoping to interact with other submissives and Dominants, get a feel for their relationships, their expectations. And perhaps on some level I’d considered getting a glimpse myself, having a more intimate interaction of my own. With Edge.
Their Naughty Student (Office Intrigue, 6) Page 3