Pressure: A Diamond Doms Novel

by Ivy Nelson

  Marissa whistled and shook her head. "You people lead very colorful lives."

  "You have no idea," Lance said dryly.

  "Anyway, we're going forward with the parties this weekend but on Sunday we need to make a decision on whether or not to shut down through next weekend. This is getting out of hand."

  The door opened again, and Holly Barrett stepped in.

  "Good afternoon, folks. I'm here to talk PR and media control. Is Isabelle around?"

  Garrett grimaced. "She's upstairs taking a nap."

  Holly waved her hand. "Don't worry. We can always go over it later, after the party or in the morning but it can't wait much longer than that if we're going to stay ahead of this."

  Garrett agreed and stood. "Let's go talk in your husband's office. We'll leave these two to do their computer magic."

  Holly smiled at Marissa. "I feel like we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Holly Barrett, Elijah's wife."

  "And the Vice President of the Barrett Corporation. I know who you are. I appreciate the work you do in Africa."

  Marissa flashed the woman a genuine smile. She may not always get along with other women, but she knew a bad ass when she saw one and Holly Barrett was a definite bad ass.

  When Garrett and Holly were gone, Lance gave her a lopsided smile. "I think you might be on to something with Isabelle's application. I want to look at every application that came in between when she applied and when it was speculated in New York that Austin was a member of the club. The media never verified anything, so we figured that was just reporters speculating because of her connection to Hunter. Now I'm wondering if it was some kind of warning shot."

  "On it. That's about a four-month window, right?"

  Lance clicked a few keys. "Looks like fourteen weeks to be exact."

  "Remember that time we broke into the Cook County health and human services website to get that group of homeless people into low-income housing?"

  Lance winced. "I try not to think about the horribly illegal things I did when we were young."

  "Hey, I don't care for the implication that I'm not young anymore."

  Lance smirked. "Yes. I remember. What's the point?"

  "First of all, we always had the hottest sex after we did something like that. Second of all, think about how we did that. We basically planted an auto-bot into their application code and had all of the people we were trying to help fill out their applications."

  "OK. I'm still not following."

  "I'm just saying, someone could have done something similar with your application code but with more nefarious purposes at heart. Looking for a RAT is one thing, but I can't find one. You know I'm the best at sniffing out RATS."

  "Rats?" Marissa and Lance turned to find Isabelle standing in the door.

  "Remote Access Tool," Lance said.

  "How are you doing, sweetie?"

  She smiled. "I'm better now that Master is here. Thank you for rescuing me."

  Marissa watched Lance as he talked to the girl. There were definitely no romantic feelings between them, but Lance cared for her as he might a sister. It was sweet.

  "I'll always be there for you. Try not to worry too much. We're going to do our best to figure this out and you know everyone around here loves you and we'll keep you and your family safe."

  Isabelle came fully into the room to stand next to Lance's chair where she bent and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Master Lance. Do you want me to set up a cabin for our guest or will you put her in your suite?"

  Marissa knew she was the guest Isabelle referred to.

  "Please don't go to too much trouble for me. I'm capable of crashing just about anywhere."

  Isabelle smiled. "It's no trouble. We've got the space."

  "Put her in my suite for now. I'll crash in a cabin or I'll stay at the Glenview."

  Isabelle nodded and went in search of Garrett and Holly.

  "Speaking of this weekend," Lance said when she was gone. Marissa watched as he closed the laptop and shoved it to the side—a sign he was about to get serious.

  "I'm listening," Marissa said.

  "We don't want to tell the general membership what you're doing here so tonight, you'll be here as my guest."

  Marissa nodded. She already knew that.

  He cleared his throat. "What is it?" she prompted.

  "I need you to pretend to be my sub or at least be interested in being my sub."

  Marissa felt her pulse quicken. Could she play that role again? It had been so long.

  "Why?" she whispered.

  Lance looked away and back again. One of his nervous ticks. "I kind of have a reputation here. I don't bring a girl to the club if I'm not her Dom. People will talk if you're just here and not at all following the protocols people know I have for my subs. I'm part of the house sub and House Dom program, I usually always have someone wearing my bracelet. Another reason I need you to pretend is that we’ve just had a membership freeze. The only reason you would get in is if we were already in a relationship of some kind or you had started the vetting process before the freeze."

  Marissa just stared at him. "You're serious? This isn't just some kind of ploy to get me into your bed again?"

  Lance glared. "I'm insulted by the insinuation. We may have had a nasty breakup, but you know I've never been the type to lure women into my bed."

  She sighed. He was right.

  "OK."

  "OK?"

  Marissa nodded. "I said OK. Can we get back to work now?"

  8

  Lance watched Marissa as she went back to her computer. He’d been dreading this conversation and hadn’t expected her to respond so positively.

  “Marissa,” he said in a low voice.

  Her head stayed down as she reached blindly into her bag, pulling out headphones.

  It was her favorite tactic when she didn’t want to talk about something.

  He sighed. Maybe the conversation hadn’t gone as well as he thought. And they hadn’t even talked about Jodie yet. He winced as he remembered the newer house sub who currently wore his bracelet.

  “Can we talk about this?” he asked before she could turn her music on.

  She jerked the headphones off and looked at him.

  “I don’t know what there is to talk about, Lance. I’m willing to go along with the plan but if you think I’m actually going to be submissive to you again, you’re out of your mind. I’ll pretend, but if you cross a line I’ll just go upstairs and hide until the party is over. I would rather not do that, though. I want to meet these people and get a read on them. You know I’m good at reading people.”

  He stood and rounded the table to drop into the chair next to her.

  “I have no intention of crossing any lines or trying to sleep with you. But it needs to look real and I want to make sure we know how to do that without getting too deep into each other’s heads. Kink is heady for both of us and we’re not known for taking things slow. You may deny it all you want but we still have chemistry and I want to respect you and your boundaries by not ramping you up.”

  He searched her face as he spoke, looking for any sign that she was going to back out.

  Her cheeks turned a rosy pink and she seemed uncomfortable under his gaze.

  “You’re right,” she said after a long moment of silence passed between them. “I appreciate the concern you’re showing. I’m sure we can get through a weekend without killing each other or jumping into bed together.”

  He would go to bed with Marissa in a heartbeat, but he was making a promise here and now that even though they were stuck together for the next few days, he wouldn’t give in to that desire and attempt to seduce her.

  “The party is in a few hours. Do we need a code word for if we need to slip away and talk or you need to just disappear for a while?”

  Marissa smiled. “How about Firewall.”

  Lance chuckled. “Sounds good. Do you need something to wear? New house subs wear all black and I’ll give you a bracel
et to wear that signifies you’re my trainee.”

  “I’ve got something. I’ll need to go back to the hotel.”

  “I’ll stay here and keep digging into Isabelle’s application. Before you go, though, there’s one more thing.”

  “That sounds ominous.”

  He cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I um. I technically already have a house sub and you’ll likely have to interact with her tonight. She’s only been part of the program for a few weeks but she’s not new to the club.”

  Marissa groaned. “Seriously? You want me to be all buddy-buddy with another sub wearing your bracelet?”

  “No. I’m just asking you not to be rude to her and I didn’t want to just spring her on you.”

  “Do you sleep with her?”

  “Why? You jealous?”

  Marissa huffed. “Of course not. I’m just wondering if I’m going to have to watch you suck face with her all night.”

  “Suck face? Who even says that anymore?”

  She slammed her mouse against the table repeatedly. “Clearly I do.”

  “Hey, don’t take it out on the mouse. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’m fine. I’ll just get to the hotel and get changed. Can you change the batteries in my mouse?”

  He leaned over and took it from her. “Sure.”

  As she stood to leave, he flipped it over and switched it on, shaking his head as he watched her leave.

  “I’m not sleeping with her,” he called.

  ♦♦♦♦

  Marissa sucked in a deep breath as she adjusted the hem of her mid-thigh-length black dress one more time. She’d stopped at a shopping center and picked up a pair of slim black boots with a four-inch heel since none of the shoes in her suitcase were suitable for a BDSM party.

  She shook her wrist again and looked at the silver bracelet Lance had handed her before she left. The small green diamonds sparkled, and her lips quirked up in a tiny smile. The diamonds had been made in a lab, something David Eastman, the club founder and owner, was passionate about.

  Now, she sat in her car outside the club trying to talk herself into going inside. It had been years since she stepped foot inside a BDSM party, let alone an exclusive BDSM club. Her last kinky encounter had resulted from a mobile dating app and a single meeting in a dark bar that led to going home with a cute submissive guy. Dominating him had been fun, and they’d seen each other a few times but since he wasn’t a switch and had zero interest in being a Dom, it hadn’t lasted. At least that’s what she told herself.

  A knock on the window startled her out of her thoughts and she jerked her head to see Lance standing there. Her throat went dry. He’d changed from his worn jeans and t-shirt and now wore a dark green button down and crisp dark jeans. It was a look she’d always loved on him. The growing sense of need between her legs was a stark reminder of that. Was he wearing her favorite leather boots too? With one more inhale, she opened her door and gave him a tight smile.

  He offered her his hand and she accepted it, noticing her own hand was trembling.

  With their fingers threaded together, he squeezed. “Just FYI, the story we’ve come up with is that you applied and were in the middle of the application process just prior to our decision to close our applications and stop taking new members. You’ve been accepted into the house sub program as my trainee.”

  She gave a curt nod, words still stuck in her throat. Being in this position with him was affecting her so much more than she thought it would. She took a step toward the door, but he stopped her.

  “One more thing. If you’re in front of other members, you need to call me, and the other house Doms Master followed by our first names. So, I’m Master Lance, Elijah is Master Eli, etcetera. Other than that, just be yourself and stick close to me. Ask all the questions you want about members, just don’t try to persuade anyone to give you personal information if they don’t seem open to talking. You’re not here to interrogate anyone, understood?”

  She swallowed and gave another terse nod.

  He lifted his gaze to the sky and sighed as he pulled his hand free of hers. His fingers tangled in her hair and she shuddered as he gave a sharp tug. “I’m gonna need you to find your voice and talk to me, Marissa.” His mouth was close to her ear as he spoke, and she couldn’t help the gasp that escaped.

  “Sorry,” she whispered. “This is weirder for me than I thought it would be. I hear what you’re saying.”

  He hummed and gave her hair one more short tug before letting it fall from his grasp. Picking up her hand again, he led her up the stairs and opened the door to Solitaire.

  The vibe was vastly different from her previous visits over the last two days. The lobby was buzzing with energy as people milled about talking. The doors had only opened a few minutes prior to her arrival so people were still checking in.

  Lance led her to the reception desk where Isabelle greeted her with a smile and asked for her ID. Her hands still shook as she tugged it out of her wallet.

  “Thanks. Welcome to Solitaire. Jodie called to say she was running late, Master Lance. The third parlor room is still set up for you,” she said as she tapped keys on the computer.

  “I get the feeling you work a lot, Isabelle,” Marissa observed.

  The pretty girl giggled. “I do. I enjoy giving back to this place, but I’m also learning that I’m a work-aholic. Garrett is constantly scolding me for spreading myself too thin, but he’s learned to live with it for the most part.”

  Beside her, Lance leaned across the desk and ruffled the girls long dark hair. “Thanks, Isabelle. You’re the best.”

  When her ID was back in her purse and she’d signed the waivers, Lance took her hand again.

  “You don’t have to hold my hand. I promise I’m not going to run away from you,” Marissa whispered as they stepped through a set of double doors.

  They were in a bar now, and the conversation was louder than it had been in the lobby. Many guests wore fetish clothing that ranged from corsets to body-stockings to school-girl costumes. One man with a ball gag stood drooling next to a woman who appeared to be his mistress. She was scolding him while clutching a martini glass at the stem.

  “Would you like a drink?” Lance asked, still gripping her hand.

  “Yes, please.”

  At the bar, Austin was slinging drinks, something that surprised her.

  “Aren’t you a bajillionaire?” Marissa asked as she settled onto a barstool.

  Austin laughed. “I guess technically now that I’m married to Patrick. But all the board members put in hours. Before I joined the board, I was a house sub. I enjoy being behind the bar and Mitch, our lead bartender, deserves time off. What can I get you two?”

  “I’ll have a Sam Adams, Austin. And let’s see if I still remember what Marissa likes. Old fashioned?” He questioned with a grin.

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Very impressive. That is still my drink of choice.”

  Austin looked between them and Marissa couldn’t help but notice the smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

  “Have a preference for whiskey?”

  Lance gave a staccato laugh. “The first time I bought this girl an old fashioned she told the bartender to use well whiskey. It took me a while to convince her that the good stuff didn’t just cost more because it comes in a fancy bottle.”

  Marissa punched him on the arm. “No preference,” she said to Austin with a grin.

  As Austin set Lance’s beer bottle in front of him and began making her cocktail, Lance draped an arm over her shoulder and leaned in close. “You’re lucky nobody was around just then, Kitten. Hitting a house Dom is a big no-no. Would be a shame for me to have to punish you.”

  She glared at him as she reached for the glass Austin handed her. “I thought you weren’t going to try and ramp me up.”

  He smirked. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  After a pause, he squeezed her shoulder and lifted his beer to her. “To a
n interesting weekend.”

  She clinked her glass against the dark brown bottle. “To old memories and new adventures.”

  A couple she didn’t recognize approached them and Lance kissed the girl on the cheek. Was this Jodie?

  “Hey Cassie. How are you and Will tonight?”

  “I’m good, Master Lance. I heard you had a new sub. I thought I would come introduce myself and share all the dirt on you.” She winked and Marissa realized she must be looking at one of his former subs. That wasn’t awkward at all.

  The girl stuck her hand out to Marissa. “I’m Cassie. I was one of Master Lance’s trainees in the house sub program before I met Will.”

  Hmm, so maybe not an ex. She accepted Cassie’s hand and raised her glass in the girl’s direction. “Nice to meet you, Cassie. I’ll take any juicy secrets you have about La… Master Lance.”

  Lance scowled at her over Cassie’s head, but Marissa ignored it as Cassie grinned at her. “If he lets you out of his sight, come find me later. We’ll talk.”

  Will, the man who’d approached with Cassie, gave her a sharp swat on the ass. She yelped and grabbed her butt.

  “I’m just trying to be helpful, Sir,” Cassie said, turning to bat her eyelashes at him.

  He narrowed his eyes at her, but Marissa didn’t miss the twinkle in them.

  “We should stop bothering them now, Cassie. I have plans for you in the dungeon.”

  Cassie clapped her hands with a grin. “Goodie.”

  They waved and Marissa watched as they disappeared into what she presumed was the primary play space.

  “This is a pretty nice place you’ve built here,” she said when they were alone again.

  “I had little to do with it. I was just lucky enough to know the right people and get an invitation to the table.”

  Marissa patted him on the shoulder. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. I can tell you feel a lot of pressure to keep this place and these people safe. You clearly care about them.”

  He gave her a pained smile and tipped his beer back. “Thanks, Kitten.”