Strictly Business: Hooded Pleasures, Book 1

by Sheryl Nantus

  And the club was definitely his.

  “This”—Veronica gestured at Kate—“is trying to muscle in on my sub.” She reached out and took hold of Alex’s wrist. “I don’t know if it’s jealousy or she’s still freaking out from losing her own man, but—”

  A panicked look crossed Alex’s face. He sucked in his breath, stuttering as her nails pressed into his flesh.

  “Hold on.” Matthew’s hand landed on Veronica’s forearm, his grip tightening. “You don’t touch unless asked. You know that. Basic rule. Did you ask permission?”

  Veronica said nothing.

  Matthew turned to Alex. “Did she?” The low voice demanded an answer.

  Alex shook his head. He didn’t twist out of Veronica’s grip, her fingers tight on his wrist. The fire-red nails glittered against his skin.

  He stayed still, waiting to see what was going to happen.

  Kate resisted the urge to interrupt, to tell Alex what to do.

  Good boy. Let Matthew take care of it.

  Veronica pouted. “Oh, come on. He wants it. He might be a newbie, but he wants it. That’s what he’s here for tonight, right?” She drew herself up, stretching to match Matthew’s height. “I can read cues as well as anyone else. Just because he hasn’t said yes doesn’t mean he’s not interested.”

  “Interested isn’t the same as giving permission.” Matthew increased the pressure on Veronica’s arm. “Especially where new members are involved.” He looked at Alex and nodded as Veronica’s grip lessened.

  Alex pulled his wrist free and massaged it. There was no doubting the fear in his eyes.

  This wasn’t what he wanted.

  “You know what night this is. You know the rules. You should know the fuck better than to pull a stunt like this.” Matthew’s lips curled into a snarl as he glared at her. “My office. Now.” He released Veronica’s arm and strode toward a door in the corner of the room.

  Veronica put her hands on her hips, looked after him and stuck out her tongue. She turned back and glared at Kate. “Bitch.”

  “Hey, this is all on you. I didn’t do anything.” Kate crossed her arms in front of her. “But he might if you don’t get your ass in there pronto. If you’re lucky, you’ll go on probation.” She couldn’t hold back the anger in her voice. “Even if it weren’t new members’ night, you should know better.”

  “What?” The snarky reply had Kate seeing red. “What are you babbling about? And what would you know about it?” Veronica snorted. “Couldn’t even keep her own man.”

  Kate couldn’t hold back anymore, her voice rising with anger. “You don’t know the first thing about what it takes to be a submissive. What it takes for them to be who they are, what a gift they are to women and men like us.” Kate swept a hand toward Alex. “They give themselves with the expectation we’ll be alert, receptive to their needs, know what they want even if they don’t, and respect the boundaries.” She felt a dozen sets of eyes watching her. “We take care of them first, put them ahead of ourselves. And in exchange, they show us how strong they are, how much they love us to take what we give them. We won’t do anything that’s not consensual, sane and safe.” She glared at Veronica. “Or did you forget that while you were busy getting off on hurting someone?”

  Veronica’s face reddened. “Fuck you,” she snarled as she spun on one heel and strode away toward Matthew’s office.

  The door opened as she approached and slammed shut behind her, signaling Matthew had been watching everything.

  The curious spectators returned to whatever they’d been doing before the confrontation. It was entertaining, but not what they’d come to see or do.

  Kate turned to Alex. “Are you okay?”

  He continued to rub his wrist, avoiding her gaze. Finally, he pulled his eyes up to lock with hers.

  “What the fuck was that?”

  Alex wasn’t sure whether he was more embarrassed or excited.

  He did know he was angry. Angry at the way this entire visit had turned out, angry at his body for reacting so strongly to seeing Kate and angry at himself for getting into the situation with Veronica.

  His carefully laid plan was in tatters, and he had no idea what to do.

  “What?” Kate answered.

  “You—” He drew a deep breath, trying to channel his emotions into words. “You had no right to make up my mind for me.”

  She stared at him.

  “It’s my decision, my choice.” he snapped. “I didn’t need your help.”

  “Did you want to go with her?” Kate’s disbelief was clear in her voice. “You wanted to be hurt?”

  “No,” Alex snarled. “I was going to sit here all night, hard as steel with my balls aching for you, watching everyone else get what they wanted and going home alone and horny as hell to jerk off to dreams about you.” He ignored the audience gathering again for a second round of entertainment at the bar. “If she had forced me to go with her, I’d have regretted that decision, of that I’m sure. But it was mine to make. I could have safe-worded out, walked away at any time. But instead, you intervened. You took that choice from me.”

  “I did,” she answered. “Because I know what you want. I know what you need.”

  The words that should have soothed his soul instead felt like live brands on his skin.

  “Then why didn’t you say something? You sat here; you sat right here beside me and said nothing, said nothing even when she approached me. After all we’ve done, after all I’ve tried to do to prove myself worthy to be yours—”

  Kate lifted her hand.

  He fell silent.

  She looked at William. “What’s the nearest open room?”

  The bartender glanced down at something under the bar. “Room eight. Clean and ready to go.”

  “Good.” She pointed down the hall to the left. “I’m not going to have this discussion out here in front of everyone. If you want to talk to me, then come down to the room. If not, then go home.”

  Without waiting for an answer, she stomped away from him.

  Alex sat back down on the stool.

  “What the hell,” he said to no one specifically.

  Around him, the crowd dispersed, leaving him to his own thoughts. They wandered back to their booths and immersed themselves in one another.

  Alex slumped against the bar as he gathered himself. The encounter with Veronica had shocked him out of the calmness he’d mustered to stay here waiting for Kate.

  Katherine.

  He needed a moment, a moment to get his act together. A moment before he went down there and—

  A water bottle slid against his arm, the cold, wet plastic startling him back to full awareness.

  William wasn’t smiling. “You’ll need this. Talking tends to dry a throat out.”

  “You know I’m going?” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice.

  “I know nothing.” He shrugged. “But I do know Kate’s a damned fine woman. She deserved better than what happened to her.”

  “Her sub left her?” Alex had picked up that much from Veronica’s ranting.

  William paused for a second and cast a glance down the hall where Kate had gone.

  “That’s for her to tell you. Not my place. But—” He shook his head. “She hasn’t stepped in here for a year. Imagine what it’s like to be here, freeing your mind and body to do what you want without anyone judging you, criticizing you for your choices. Now imagine denying yourself that pleasure because you’re afraid of what people are going to think about you, whisper about you behind your back.” He jabbed a thumb in the room’s direction. “She came here tonight for you. That should at least earn her an audience.”

  Alex took the bottle and walked down the hall, stepping over the yellow line with ease.

  He’s not coming.

  Kate leaned aga
inst the spanking bench, holding back tears. The confrontation with Veronica had stirred up old memories, none of which she wanted to revisit.

  At least this wasn’t their favorite room.

  They hadn’t had one, to be honest.

  Carl had enjoyed public scenes, especially the St. Andrew’s cross in the lounge. In retrospect, that bitch Lily had to have been watching, waiting for a chance to make her move on him.

  Not that Carl was innocent in the entire affair. She hated those movies and books where the woman stole someone’s man away and he stayed lily-white with his hands up in the air looking totally innocent while the catfight between the two women took center stage.

  No one cheats alone. There were two in that tangle.

  He was as guilty as Lily was.

  Kate sniffed the air, taking in the laundry-fresh scent pumped in via the vents. Even though each room was thoroughly cleaned between customers, there was a constant need to keep the rooms smelling clean.

  There was nothing funkier than sweaty leather.

  Kate resisted the urge to look at her watch. She didn’t want to walk out of the room alone, but she’d have no choice.

  Another public embarrassment.

  Stumble back to the locker room to get her coat and slink out, get the boys in front to call her a taxi.

  What were you thinking, coming here?

  Kate drew a ragged sigh and readied herself for a walk of shame.

  The door opened.

  Alex walked in and closed it behind him. He placed the bottle of water on the floor.

  He stuck his hands in his pockets and sighed.

  “I—” Alex started and then stopped. “No. You first.”

  Take the bull by the horns…

  “I’m sorry for lying to you about being sick.” She leaned back against the leather, feeling the supple material under her hands. “I was wrong.”

  “Yes, you were.”

  Startled at the anger in his voice, Kate stuttered. “I… I—”

  He didn’t let her finish.

  “Do you know how I felt when I saw you at the charity event?” Alex growled. “I felt like a fool. A complete and utter fool. I opened my heart, my soul to you. I let you—” He clenched his fists. “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on? What you were going through, what you were thinking?” He lowered his voice. “Tell me about him.”

  She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

  “No. No, it’s not. It’s part of what you are, what drove you to Hooded Pleasures. What brought you to me,” Alex said. “Tell me.”

  His tone left no room for compromise.

  She wanted to touch him but held back. Instead, she hugged herself. “His name was Carl. We met a few years ago, when we were both regulars here, both playing the field. A different sub every night for me, a different Mistress for him. At least that’s how it started. We found ourselves together more times than apart. We met outside the club and found more interests than just the leather. He ran an electronics store, and I was just getting into online gaming. He liked my art, and I liked his ability to build computers.”

  Alex nodded slowly, urging her on.

  “He moved in with me not long after that. We came here as a couple and played in private, played in public.”

  The ache started in her chest again, the memories stealing her breath. It took all her energy to keep talking.

  “I was working at an art gallery, helping a friend set up an exhibit. Carl was working late at his store. I didn’t want to go home to an empty condo.” She rocked back and forth on her heels. “I came in to see William, have a drink or two. Relax among people I knew and who knew me.”

  It was getting easier to talk around the pain.

  “Some sub was up on the St. Andrew’s Cross. I didn’t pay much attention to him at first because I was there for a drink, a drink—” She gasped for air.

  Suddenly, Alex was in front of her. He didn’t touch her, didn’t put his arm around her. He twisted the cap off the water bottle in his hand and held it out, waiting for her to take it.

  She did and sipped it, grateful for the chance to catch her breath.

  “It was Carl.” Alex finished her sentence.

  Kate nodded. “Everyone stopped looking at him and looked at me. They thought I’d given my permission to Lily or Carl, worked out some sort of arrangement with them.” She shook her head. “From my expression, it was obvious I had done nothing of the sort. The pair kept on—they didn’t look at or talk to me, even though they knew I was there watching them. It was as if I didn’t exist.”

  “He two-timed you here. He dumped you here.” Alex shook his head. “He humiliated you here.”

  Kate closed her eyes. “I cut and ran. Carl came home, packed his things and left. A few days later, Wendy called me. We’d chatted before, and I knew she ran Hooded Pleasures. She offered me a chance to keep doing what I loved and stay away from the club for as long as I needed to recover. I decided to take her up on her offer. I’ve never been back here until tonight.”

  “You came here for me. To get me,” he corrected himself. “Who told you I was here?”

  “Wendy called. She’s here somewhere. I couldn’t leave you to—” She waggled her hands. “It wasn’t right.”

  “Wasn’t right because…” He paused. “Because…”

  “Because I care for you,” Kate blurted out, too weary to censor her thoughts. She put the water bottle down. “Because I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t—” She drew a deep breath. “I can’t quit you. I thought I could by taking a break, letting you experience another Domme. Thought you’d change your mind and move on to a woman who deserves you, deserves a good man like you. But you’re here, and you’re waiting for me, and I can’t stop wanting you. I just can’t.”

  “Why would you want to?” The pain in his voice startled her.

  “You don’t know anything about me,” she wailed. “Except that I’m a lousy Domme who lost her man.”

  His chuckle startled her.

  “Do you fall in love with all your customers?”

  “No.” Kate sniffled.

  “I know you got turned on during our sessions,” he whispered, his voice a low warm caress. “I could smell it. I could practically taste it. When you went home, did you ever touch yourself, think of me?”

  She felt her cheeks burn.

  “Because I sure as hell thought of you. Every time you left, I’d grab myself and see your face, smell your scent, imagine touching you, stroking your soft skin. So tell me— did you ever think of me when you were in the shower after our sessions or clutching your vibrator in bed?”

  Kate nodded, eyes shut tight.

  “And now you’re here. With me.”

  She felt his breath brush over her lips. Her cheek. Her ear as he moved in to whisper to her.

  “This isn’t my home. This isn’t an appointment. I’m here with you of my own free will, and no one’s paying you to be with me. What are you going to do about it?” He paused. “I know more about you than you think. I know who you are.”

  She froze.

  He nipped her earlobe with his teeth and felt her shiver.

  “I know who you are,” Alex repeated. “Katherine Dubois.”

  The trembling under his lips told him he’d hit home.

  “Katherine Dubois. Talented artist and one hell of a Domme. A gamer who hates the trap doors I put in Dungeon Dive Dweller Four. A dedicated woman who believes in game balance and will defend other gamers from online bullies.”

  She didn’t say anything.

  Alex felt the tension coming off her in waves, her muscles stretched so tight he was afraid she would shatter if he touched her.

  “I got an email not long before coming out tonight. A friend of mine showing off his commissioned artwork.”

>   Her eyes went wide.

  “He showed me the picture. All I had to do was compare your work to what I had on hand and read the signature at the bottom.” Alex paused, relishing the control he had of the situation. “The napkin you left behind at the charity event. The elf.”

  Kate frowned for a second before her face lit up with recognition. “I didn’t sign it.” The whispered reply made him smile.

  “No, you didn’t. But I knew you drew it. Even that rough sketch had enough to let me know who you were.”

  Kate smiled. “Wow.” She shook her head. “What are the odds of that?”

  “Probably astronomical. Or next to nothing, given we moved in similar circles even before I heard of Hooded Pleasures. The point here is I know who you are,” he repeated. “And you know who I am. But I don’t need to know you by any other name than Katherine. And Mistress.” He drew back and studied her. “The question is what you want to do with me now.” Alex dropped his gaze. “Mistress.”

  He stared at the floor, forcing himself to stay silent.

  The seconds ticked by.

  “Strip. Use the bench by the door to stack your clothing.” The tone threw him back to his living room, to the first time they’d met.

  He swallowed hard, pulse pounding in his ears as he did so. He went to the wall and began working on his shirt buttons with trembling fingers.

  It took a few minutes for him to fold it and place it on the wooden bench, the shelf underneath perfect for his shoes and the rest of his clothing. He folded his pants and underwear as carefully as he had the first time they’d met.

  He put his hands behind him and faced the pile of clothing.

  “Turn around.”

  Alex spun.

  His breath caught in his throat.

  She was naked too, her clothing in a neat pile on the floor. The gold bracelet glittered under the track lighting.

  “This,” Kate gestured at herself, “this is me. This is what I am.”

  He nodded, bereft of words.

  “When Carl left, I wondered what I had done wrong, what I’d screwed up to push him away.” She drew in a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about that for a long time. But that changed when you came to the office. You thought you were going to interview me, but it was the other way around.”