Safeword Interrupted (The Cattail Club Book 1)

by Trace, Dakota

  He shrugged. “She was a clingy, whiney bitch who only wanted to date me to get back at her ex. I didn’t need that kinda of drama in my life.”

  She arched a brow at him. “And the fact that she wanted you to tie her up and spank her had nothing to do with it?”

  “Maybe.” He rolled his shoulders. “You know me too well. Ropes and floggers are great – as long as they are being used on me. Marking up my woman is medieval.”

  “Anyone ever tell you you’re a bit of a snob?” Tim growled.

  “All the time – but I love what I love.” Chet lifted the ice pack off his nose. “Damn, your man has a killer right hook. But it was worth the five grand to find out his intentions.”

  “What do you mean five grand?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Good going, genius.” Tim groaned. “I’m pretty sure Deacon didn’t want her to find out…”

  “What? That he got into a big enough fight with me that his uncle fined both of our asses?”

  Her mind whirled. The only way LeRoy would fine the men was if… “Don’t tell me you got into a knock down - drag out brawl at the club.”

  He grinned. “Yep, and I got the grass stains to prove it.”

  “Idiot!” She smacked him upside the head despite the bruises. “What the hell were you thinking!”

  “I wanted answers.” He rolled his shoulders, then fell silent.

  Bethany waited impatiently for him to continue, but as the silence dragged on, she grew irritated. “And?”

  “That man loves you – and the babe you carry.”

  She placed a hand over her stomach. “Do you know he thinks he’s not capable of being a dad, because his own father walked out on him?”

  Chet shook his head. “No, but that would explain part of the reason he wants the baby badly enough to risk losing his membership at the club.”

  She looked at him blankly. “What do you mean?”

  “You know I don’t talk much about Elaine, right?” Chet shifted on the barstool.

  “Your last mistress? The one who died in the car accident.” Bethany remembered hearing about the freak accident that had killed Chet’s lover. A semi driver on the Eisenhower had fallen asleep at the wheel and slammed head on into Elaine’s car, killing her instantly.

  He nodded. “Yeah.” He set the ice pack on the bar. “But what no one knows is that we’d just found out that she was pregnant. She was talking to me on her Bluetooth when it happened. She’d been to the doctor, and even though she’d thought she’d never have kids because of a medical issue, she was nervous but happy. She said it was because she was carrying a piece of me inside her.” He took a deep breath. “I heard the same thing in Deacon’s voice today. He might not have planned on this, but he wants both you and the child you made together.”

  “He has a helluva a way of showing it.” She couldn’t keep the whiny tone out of her voice.

  “So he can be an asshole at times – he’s a typical man.” Chet shrugged. “But knowing you – you love him all the more for it.”

  She sobered. It was true. When other people saw nothing but the asshole façade he showed the world, she remembered the man who had given her a job when she was still reeling from her breakup with Ryan. When others saw him as a dominating prick, she saw a man who knew exactly how to trip her trigger. But more importantly, when others were pissed off because of his possessive attitude, she felt loved – knowing that if he truly didn’t care, he’d have let her do anything she wanted. “I do. He may not be every woman’s dream man…”

  “But he’s yours.” Chet propped his elbow on the bar. “So the question is…what are you gonna do about it?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Letting himself into the bar early Monday morning, Deacon sighed as he made his way toward his office. It had been a long and lonely weekend. But he’d taken his uncle’s advice – and had made a decision on what was more important to him – his role a Dom or his future relationship with Bethany and their unborn child. In the end, there was no real choice. If pushed, he could live without his weekly visits to the club, without using his toys on Bethany’s sweetly submissive flesh – but he couldn’t live without her presence in his life. And if I don’t get my head out of my ass – she’s gonna leave.

  Their weekend apart drove home that fact. He’d been lonely. He couldn’t believe how much he had missed his little sub. It hadn’t taken him long to realize that it wasn’t just because of the release she gave him so effortlessly. No, what he found himself longing for more than the thrill of feeling her give over to him, was the warm weight against his side as she snuggled closer. The press of her nose against his chest as she tried to crawl on top of him while still asleep. Even the way she bit her lower lip when she tried to balance out the mess he’d made of the books. He flat out loved the woman – and it scared him shitless.

  To the point I’ll rein in my darker lusts to be the man she wants to raise our child.

  Making his way down the hall to toward his office, he only prayed his control didn’t falter once he laid his eyes on Bethany. “I’ll just have to remember that she’s carrying my child. Only a true sadist would inflict pain on a pregnant woman.” He opened the door to his office and froze.

  “Bethany?” His dick hardened in a rush, as her head came up and she met his gaze.

  “I was waiting for you, Sir.”

  Completely naked, other than his collar, Bethany knelt next to his desk with her legs splayed wide enough to show him her pussy. Her hands rested palms up on her thighs, and her back was straight. Between her knees lay his favorite crop as if she’d anticipated him needing it. At that particular moment, she was the epitome of everything he wanted in a submissive. His newfound resolve wavered. He’d expected Bethany to test him – to push but not this soon. Not the very second he laid eyes on her. He drew a deep steadying breath. He could do this.

  “The cold floor is no place for my pregnant submissive, little one.”

  She licked her lips. “It is if the submissive in question needs to make amends for her prior bad behavior.”

  Anticipation coiled in his stomach, his dick hardening at the idea of punishing his Bethany. Her ass always looked sexy as hell when striped from his flogger. Something Bethany seemed to love as well – if the number of times she acted out were any indication.

  Just like now.

  To avoid temptation, he rounded his desk on the other side. “And what bad acts are you thinking you need punished for, Bethany?”

  “I…I argued with you. I threw my pills at you. Didn’t tell you right away that I was pregnant, and…” she drew a deep breath. “I never told you about Amanda’s married lover.”

  “Hmmm. That’s quite a list.” He sank into the chair behind his desk and beckoned her closer. When she crawled over to him, on her hands and knees, his cock thumped inside his jeans. Damn, did she realize how hot that was? To see those beautiful tits of her swaying with each sensuous, seductive move?

  When she reached his side, she dropped her gaze. A rough sound escaped him, and he threaded his fingers through her high ponytail and tugged her head back. Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears. His Bethany crying? This wouldn’t do. “I should punish you, if not for keeping Amanda’s affair a secret, then for the fact that you struck your Dom. You know that, right?” He couldn’t keep the lust to do just those acts out of his tone.

  “Yes, Sir.” Her eyes lowered. “I was a very bad sub.”

  “Yes, you were. However, I’ve been told by my mother that I may have had it coming.” A rueful smile crossed his lips. His talk on Sunday with his mom had been quite enlightening. Evidently “Yes, dear” would go a long way in keeping his head attached to his shoulders during Bethany’s pregnancy.

  She seemed taken back by the smile on his face. Her straight teeth worried her lower lip as she gazed up at him uneasily. “Maybe. But I still shouldn’t have done it.” She took a deep breath. “Which is why I’m asking to be punished. Wou
ld you like me to get your crop, Sir?”

  He growled at her softly worded request. “No. Not yet.” He had no intentions of lighting her ass up with his favorite toy. She was carrying precious cargo. But she didn’t need to know that. “I’m in the mood for something entirely different today.”

  Her breathing became raspy. “You are, Sir?”

  “Yes, after we deal with this punishment you requested.” He released her hair, then carefully slid back, making room between the desk and his chair. “Over my knees.”

  “But…” Her eyes widened when he patted his thigh.

  “I won’t ask again, Bethany.” He let just a bit of his inner Dom bleed into his tone. His sweet little subbie loved it when he went cold on her. She’d once admitted to him that it stroked her lusts even higher to think her submission wasn’t affecting him.

  “Yes, Sir.” She scrambled to her feet and gingerly draped herself across his legs.

  “Hands on the floor, but don’t lock your elbows.” He lightly scrapped his nails over her hipbone, before pulling her ass up a bit higher into the perfect angle for maximum exposure. He lightly rubbed one ass cheek while she shifted her weight forward. Once she had both hands firmly planted, he drew one finger down the closed seam of her pussy. Moisture teased his fingertip.

  Already wet – beautiful little sub.

  He wanted to close his eyes against the temptation she presented, but she chose that moment to open her mouth.

  “I’m ready, Sir.”

  He forced down the growl that wanted to escape his chest, then thrust two of his fingers inside her sheath and rocking her forward on her hands. “I’ll say when you’re ready, sub.”

  Her sharp inhalation, followed by a moan soothed him. This is what he wanted – his sweet little Bethany moaning his name as he pleasured her.

  But that damned punishment.

  He’d never struggled so hard in his life to deal out a punishment. He was aching to bury his cock inside her snug pussy. He gathered his flagging self control around him, and withdrew his fingers. On his lap her hips twisted as if to recapture his fingers. He lightly cracked the side of her ass. “Be still.”

  She groaned, but obeyed, her hips ceasing all movement. “Very good. Now, why do you think you need to be punished, sub?”

  “I…kept Amanda’s married lover a secret. I made her break up with you.”

  Surprise filtered through him at her response. Of all the things she could’ve listed – the angry words she’d spoken during their fight, the pill bottle she’d thrown at him, even kicking him out – he’d have never expected her to touch on Amanda’s affair.

  Perhaps she’s trying to tell me something?

  “And why did you do that?”

  She was silent for a long time – almost until he thought he would have to force the issue, then she answered. “Because I didn’t want to hurt you, by telling you that she had another lover.”

  He forced his anger at her reply down. Now wasn’t the time to get angry. “And letting me think that I was lacking as a Dom would be less painful?”

  “I…” Her voice came out choked. “I didn’t know you were in the lifestyle, Sir. I just knew I couldn’t be the one to hurt you – and if I let Amanda continue with the wedding plans and you got married, when you found out – you’d have been the laughing stock of town. I just couldn’t bear the idea of it.”

  His anger died a swift death. This was the Bethany he knew. The soft-hearted spitfire who always put everyone else first. The woman who ran his bar better than he ever could’ve, but still couldn’t stand to kill even a bug. The friend who would blackmail his fiancé to protect Deacon from the fallout of Amanda’s infidelity.

  “In the end, it doesn’t matter. I don’t see why I should punish you when Amanda is no longer part of my life – and I now have a sexy submissive that I love draped across my knees.”

  “You do?” She tried to lift herself up high enough to look at him. “Still love me, that is?”

  He chuckled and shifted her so she was sitting upright and straddling his legs while facing him. “Of course, I do.” He cupped her cheek. “Every couple fights, little one. But those who truly love one another don’t give up. I will make this work. Which is why, it may take awhile, but I’ll do the best I can to be the husband to you and the father our child needs.”

  * * * *

  Tears stung her eyes as Bethany met Deacon’s gaze. Blame it on pregnancy hormones or her sleepless nights over the weekend, but his words set off a cascade of emotions she didn’t know how to handle. At first her brain went, ‘huh, this wasn’t her Sir.’, then fear crawled through her system. Who the hell was this was a stranger wearing her Sir’s face, and how did she get her rough kick-ass Dominant back? She wanted his forgiveness, so they could move forward. But having to deal with a man spouting off relationship advice he’d probably gotten out some damned magazine had her completely off balance. Was this his way of inferring he didn’t want to be her dominant anymore?

  “Sir? Are you taking my collar back?”

  Irritation flashed across his face. “Of course not.” A hint of her Dom shown through, as he traced the silver chain gracing the hollow of her neck. “You’re my submissive. I’m your Dom. I’m just hoping that one day…before the baby is born, you’ll allow me to make an honest woman out of you.” He placed a fingertip over her lips, when she opened her mouth to protest. “And it has nothing to do with my mother or your pregnancy. I wanted to marry you before I even knew about the baby.”

  “You did?” Her words were muffled by his finger.

  He nodded and gave her a sexy grin. “I even showed my uncle the ring before I came over on Friday. I want the entire world to know your mine – just not the BDSM community.”

  Bethany’s breath caught in her throat at the love in his gaze. “If you’re sure that’s what you want…”

  He squeezed her ass and pulled her closer to him. “If this weekend has proven anything, little one, it’s that I don’t like going to bed without you. I miss holding you all night, even when you rub that tempting ass all over my dick in your sleep.”

  A giggle escaped her. “I do not!”

  “How do you know?” He arched a brow at her and thumbed one nipple. “You’re sleeping.”

  Sensation lashed at her, then coursed from her nipple to her clit, reminding her that she was sitting naked on the lap of ‘her’ dominant. A dominant who hadn’t given her an orgasm in nearly three days. She was horny, damnit!

  “So about that punishment, Sir?” she reminded him.

  “What about it?” He leaned in to lick at one tip of her breast, while squeezing the other between his thumb and forefinger with just enough pressure to have her squirming against him.

  “Can we get on with it?” She panted. “I’m desperate here. You haven’t touched me since Friday morning.”

  A wicked grin tugged at his lips. “Aw, does my submissive need to come?”

  She flushed and nodded.

  His gaze darkened. “Then give me the words.” His free hand slid down her slightly rounded belly to delve between her thighs. “Ask me to make my little pussy come.”

  “Sir!” She arched against his palm as it grazed her clit when he tested her wetness.

  “The words, Bethany.” His jaw clenched. “Or I’ll keep you on edge for the rest of the morning.”

  “No!” Fear mixed with relief. Fear that he’d do as he promised, and relief that it was now her Dom who held her. “Please rub my clit and make me come, Sir. I need it so bad!”

  He growled lightly, as agile fingers circled the swollen nub. His strokes came fast and light, but not hard enough to bring her off. “Whose clit is this?”

  “Yours,” she sobbed, her fingers tightening on the front of his shirt.

  He rubbed faster, and just a bit harder. “That’s right. You gave me this pussy…” his fingers teased the opening of her sex, gathering her cream, only to return to her aching clit. “and this clit. It was made f
or my fingers, my lips, my tongue….was it not?”

  “Yes, Sir!” Her hips rocked in time with his stroking fingers as she rode the edge of release.

  “Then give me my orgasm…” He squeezed her clit between his thumb and forefinger, sending her flying over the edge. “Come for me, Bethany.”

  She screamed as pleasure exploded through her pelvis, while she writhed against the solid erection under her ass. So lost in her own pleasure, she wasn’t aware of him opening his jeans until she felt the blunt head of his erection pushing into her sex.

  “Fuck.” She clamped down on him, her pussy on fire for more. She lifted up, needing to ride him in tune with the wildfire burning through her, but he caught her hips in his palms.

  “No. My way. I want to make love to this beautiful little body. To show you with my body how much I love you. I need to take my time - to savor every moment of your tight little pussy milking my cock.”

  She groaned as he forced his will upon her. “You’re going to kill me, Sir.”

  He gave her a wicked smile at the same time he gave a lazy roll of hips. She jerked as another wave of pleasure burst along her nerve endings. “Never, but you’ll be too sated to complain. In fact, I’m going to take you so thoroughly you won’t be able to do anything other than cling to me, by the time I’m done.”

  Her head dropped against his shoulder and she whimpered as he continued to push her higher. There was no doubt in her mind that her master would be true to his word. He spent the long morning hours, tenderly, repeatedly fucking her until she fell asleep in his arms.

  .

  Chapter Nineteen

  Three Weeks Later

  "Sir?" Bethany yawned around the word as she rolled off Deacon's couch. It'd been nearly two months since they'd found out that she was pregnant, and while they hadn't completely moved in together, Bethany found herself spending more and more time at Deacon's old farmhouse rather than her quaint ranch-style house.

  "In here." Deacon's voice echoed down the hallway from his den - or man cave as she liked to call it. The only thing missing was a pool table - and that was actually in the renovated barn about a hundred feet from the house.