“A pair of Lauren Bacall’s sunglasses, and a Hermes scarf. A few smaller items too, but those were the main things.”
“One of my girls? You’re sure?”
“Unless Julia wrote down the room number incorrectly. But she charged it to Room 4713, and Julia is very scrupulous. It would be unlike her to make a mistake of that magnitude.”
Joanna was still talking, but Pax had stopped listening. 4713 was Diamond’s room number. “Do you have a copy machine in the back, Joanna? Can you make a copy of this for me really quick? I’m going to get it sorted out immediately, and I’d like to have solid proof in my hands to lessen any confusion, but I don’t want to mess up your day’s records.”
“Certainly,” she plucked it out of his hands and headed towards a room in the back of the shop, presumably the same one she had been in when the gaffe was made.
She was gone for only a minute, thrusting the copied receipt into his hands, and returning the original to the cash register. “Thank you Paxxy, darling. I hope I didn’t scare you. I just wasn’t sure what to do. I never would have allowed one of your girls to charge such a large amount without running it by you first. I would have recognized the room block, and given you a call. You can’t blame Julia though. She just hasn’t been here long enough to know better yet.”
Pax smiled, hiding the fact that his heart was beating a million miles a minute, and he was working hard not to let his temper simmer its way to a slow rage. “Don’t worry about it, Joanna. Julia’s not to blame here. I know who is, and believe me, I plan on getting to the bottom of it as soon as possible.” Probably by way of her bottom, he thought angrily, but he didn’t dare say it out loud.
He allowed Joanna to bid him goodbye with another air kiss, and strode out of the shop, checking his watch. Twelve thirty. They may have to cancel lunch, or order room service.
He didn’t run, but his long legs combined with his rising temper carried him across the casino as fast as one could possibly go. Of all his girls, Diamond was the most likely to be able to afford such a bill—so why charge it to him, knowing that it was breaking one of his rules? Was she trying to get his goat? Did she want to be punished? That stopped him short in the middle of the busy casino floor as he examined the likelihood. Some girls did that, especially in the beginning, so it was only natural. However, they usually tiptoed a lot closer to the line. This could be considered barreling across it with abandon. And unlike his other girls when they had been new, to his limited knowledge at least, Diamond was getting punished on a regular basis. Almost daily. She didn’t need to act out in a way that would postpone her punishment until Tuesday. Unless of course, she had exhibitionist tendencies? Maybe she secretly liked the humiliation of a public spanking? He thought of her shy reaction up on stage and refusal to look at the audience. That couldn’t be it. The possibilities played out in his mind on an endless looping reel until he reached her room.
He knocked impatiently, three short raps on the hard wood door, and was relieved to hear the sliding of the chain lock before the door fell open, and Diamond greeting him by jumping into his arms. He entered with her legs still wrapped around his waist, and the scene before him stopped his heart cold.
There was a large suitcase open on the bed, and clothes piled everywhere, both in and out of the suitcase. Sitting on top of it all, was the bright pink bag from Jo’s. Dropping her legs so that she slid to the floor standing, he set Diamond down and crossed to the bed, plucking the pink bag out of the mess, and retrieving the receipt from his pocket, he handed it to her.
“Care to explain what this is about?”
Diamond took the receipt and frowned in confusion. “I bought my little sister some presents for her graduation.” She motioned impatiently to the open suitcase. “That’s what I was going to talk to you about over lunch. I need to go home. I had taken the time off from Aubergine, but…” she trailed off. “I promised, and then in the craziness of everything that happened this past week I forgot.”
Pax’s eyebrows wrinkled in consternation. It was a fathomable explanation for the mess, but it didn’t explain why she had run rampant all over his rules. “Okay, we can talk about this little trip in a minute. In the meantime, do you care to explain to me, why you charged over two grand downstairs?”
She stared at him blankly. “I needed to buy my sister a graduation gift. I just told you that.”
“Who spends that much on a graduation gift, if they can’t afford it?”
Her eyes blazed, as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Who says I can’t afford it? Do you know who I am? Do you know who my parents are? Of course I can afford it. The real question here is how you know about it already, and why the fuck you care how much I spent on my sister’s graduation gift. I get that you’re my dom, or whatever the correct terminology is here, but you need to get the fuck over yourself and quickly. My money is my money, and what I do with it is my business.”
He saw the exact moment she realized she had crossed a line. Pax grabbed her by the elbow, and all but dragged her across the room to the corner, swatting her bottom as they went. When she was in there in the required position, he reached around her, and unbuttoned her jeans, guiding them down her hips and into a pile on the floor. “Naughty disrespectful subs stand in the corner bare-bottomed,” he told her, leaning in close to whisper in her ear. “It appears we may have gotten our wires crossed somewhere, but that is no excuse for you to speak to me the way you just did. So you are going to stand here, quietly, and think about what you want to say, and what would be a more appropriate way to say it, while I do the same. Capiche?”
“Yes, sir.” Having her bottom bared apparently had the desired effect. Already Diamond appeared much calmer than she had been previously.
While she festered in the corner, Pax crossed to the bed and idly examined the contents of the suitcase, reminding himself to breathe, and not act in anger. Shoving the suitcase out of the way, he sat on the edge of the bed, and called her over to him, smiling as she trudged over slowly, the jeans pooled at her ankles impeding her progress.
When she was standing before him, he took her hands in his. “I think I understand what happened, and I think I owe you an apology and an explanation. Anything you charge to your room, gets billed straight to me, and that may not have been clear. If you overspend your allotted allowance on my dime, it is grounds for punishment as you know. But what you might not have realized is the way I track that is by room charges. If it is your intent to spend your own money, for the sake of simplicity, you need to pay for it right away, and not charge it to the room. Do you understand?”
“Oh. That makes sense. Yes, sir, I understand. But it was an honest mistake. Do I have to be in trouble?”
Pax frowned. This was exactly why he didn’t like to blur the lines between work and pleasure. It did seem like an honest misunderstanding, but his other girls wouldn’t have gotten a chance to give an explanation. It would have gone on their weekly roster, and that would have been the end of it. He didn’t want to appear to play favorites. That was a can of worms he didn’t need busting open, but at this point, nobody knew about the gaffe besides Diamond, himself and Joann.
“Am I to understand that you are able to pay the amount outright—you just chose not to?”
“Yes, sir. I went up there straight after my workout. I didn’t take my purse with me. I just had a twenty stuffed in my sock in case I needed a water or something.”
“If you can go up there after lunch and pay it with your own money, I will ignore it, this time. In the future, if you don’t intend for me to pay for something, you need to pay for it out of your pocket immediately, understand?”
“Yes. I understand. I’m sorry for the confusion.”
“I’m sorry too. I jumped to conclusions, but it doesn’t excuse the way you spoke to me.”
She blushed, casting her eyes to the floor. She knew where this was going. It was written all over her face.
Pax turned her around, gently
guiding her with his hands on her hips, and tapped her bottom with his index finger. “Okay, naughty girl. Assume the position. This is going to be short and sweet, but with the condition your bottom is already in, that will be enough.”
* * *
“Okay, tell me about this trip. Maybe the fire I just lit on your backside will help you remember how to speak to me.”
She had to agree that it most likely would. Her bottom wasn’t on fire, but it was all numb and tingly, and she certainly didn’t feel like she was going to be inclined to tell him to get the fuck over himself or anything of the sort anytime soon.
She was standing in front of Pax, pants still around her ankles as she stood between his knees. One large hand cupped her bottom as an ever present reminder of what would happen if she failed to heed his warning.
“My littlest sister, Emmy, is graduating from college tomorrow. I promised I would be there, and I have been planning it for months. I had the time off at Aubergine. I had put in for it months in advance.”
“Why is this the first time I’m hearing about it, less than twenty-four hours before the trip?”
“I forgot. Honestly. Until the calendar reminder popped up on my phone this morning. In all the chaos of the week, I just totally spaced it. But my family is expecting me, and Em will be heartbroken if I don’t come. I hardly ever go home anymore.” She didn’t add that the only way she had stopped her father from racing up there on her birthday when the details leaked was by promising that she would come home this weekend. Bringing up the disaster that had been her twenty-fifth birthday didn’t seem like a great tactic for getting what she wanted.
“Home?” His face was fraught with concern. “Home to LA.? To your dad’s house? Where I’m guessing the paparazzi have been camped out since the news broke?”
She didn’t bother denying his assumptions. Dealing with the paparazzi was a necessary annoyance in her life.
“Pax.” She turned towards him. “Yes, the paparazzi will probably be around. But they are harmless. They will snap a few pictures of me as I walk in the door, and snap a few pictures of us as we leave for graduation. It’s really not a big deal.”
She could see that he wasn’t going to be easily convinced. “I’m going with you,” he stated stubbornly, in a voice that bode no argument. She argued anyway.
“Um, how about no? We’ve been together for less than a week. My family isn’t even aware of the fact that I’ve switched jobs, and I thought we were trying to keep our relationship on the down low for a while. You running off to LA with me, and straight into view of the paparazzi is not conducive to preserving our privacy as a couple.”
“If you want the time off, I’m going with you. I don’t like the idea of you going out there alone with everything that has happened lately. The photographers are going to be like leeches right now, more persistent than ever, especially where you are concerned. Besides that, I could use the break. I haven’t taken time off since,” he stopped short, pursing his lips together as he tried to remember. “It’s been at least three years.”
“Pax, no offense, but if you need a break, take a real vacation. A college graduation a few hours away with people you don’t even know does not a vacation make.”
“Di, I’m coming with you. It’s not up for discussion. Remember that talk we had last night about my role as your dominant and what my most important job was?”
It took everything in her not to roll her eyes before she responded. Ugh! Dominants could be so stubborn. “Yes. To keep me safe. But I’m not in danger. I’m talking about going home to be with my family. It is literally the least dangerous thing I could possibly do. Working downstairs is more dangerous.”
“It certainly is not. I have a highly trained security detail.”
“So do we!” She couldn’t help it. Her foot stomped on the floor in frustration. His eyebrows went up, but he ignored it.
“I’m going. Do whatever you need to do to arrange it. We will leave here at 6:00 am.” He patted her bottom in a way that told her there was no use arguing further. “Get dressed for lunch. I’m starving.”
Chapter Nine
At nine on the dot, Diamond entered the club, her jaw dropping as she took in a scene that was wildly different from the one on Tuesday night. It was like walking through the curtain into a BDSM circus. The lights were dimmed, and the stage was dark. The real entertainment wouldn’t begin until ten, and thankfully she wasn’t a part of it. Her job tonight, as Pax had explained it, was purely to be a hostess. She was dressed in a black and red leather mini dress and spiked suede stilettos, and a large choker bearing the Rojo symbol completed the getup. Pax had explained that it was to emulate the collars worn by many full-time submissive in the scene.
“Someday,” he had told her, as he had fastened it earlier that evening, “you will wear my collar.”
The simple edict had sent a shiver down her spine, and her pussy had throbbed with desire and anticipation. They weren’t ready. She wasn’t ready—but just the thought that someday she would wear something that’s sole purpose was to stake his claim on her and serve as an ever present reminder of her commitment to serve him was a heady one.
The club was packed with people, and just as Pax had predicted, many of the women, and a few of the men too, wore similar piece of jewelry. Tonight was a play night. All of the hardcore Vegas scene members were here. You could tell just from the look of them that they were pros. Large men dressed in black with bulging muscles, wielding floggers, and whips were scattered throughout the club. One looked directly at her, and winked, and she froze mid-step. It was intimidating to be surrounded by such an abundance of testosterone and sheer unbridled dominance.
“Keep walking—they’re like animals—they can smell your fear.”
Startled by the voice, Diamond looked to her right, relieved when she saw Crystal. “Really?”
Crystal shook her head, looking amused. “No, silly. They are just like-minded people, here to drink, play, and socialize with other like-minded people. Sure, they look a bit scary, but most of them are big old teddy bears—at least to us,” she added with a giggle. “I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be one of their subs though. These guys are pros, the best of the best. It is a bit scary until you get used to it. C’mon,” she said, grabbing Diamond by the elbow and guiding her straight towards a big group. “I’ll introduce you around.”
They stopped right in front of the biggest group. The men were all dressed in head to toe black, ripped with muscles. Upon closer inspection, she could see that each of them had at least one woman with them, and many had several. She hadn’t seen the women before because they were all kneeling on the floor. Several of them were in the position Pax had referred to as a standard high protocol position. Legs apart, hands upturned on their thighs, heads down. One was knelt over in a forward facing prayer position, her nose nearly touching the floor, and bound in ropes from head to toe. Another was on a leash, with the chain held by the largest dominant in the group. None of them spoke a word when she approached.
“Good evening, Crystal. Who’s your friend?” Diamond actually had to crane her neck up to look at the one who spoke. He was taller than Pax, with mocha colored skin, and short jet black hair that seemed to match his piercing eyes. She was speechless in awe at his presence, and it wasn’t until Crystal actually pinched her inner arm that she remembered her job—and her manners.
“Good evening. Welcome to Rojo. I’m Diamond.”
“Welcome yourself, Diamond. I’m Adrian. It’s nice to meet you. I’m sure we’ll be seeing lots of each other. I come here often. This naughty girl on the leash is Tabitha, my newest sub. That’s Tylea, and that’s Portia.” He pointed at a set of stunning redheads clad in black leather themselves, kneeling submissively at his feet.
“This,” he stated, jerking his thumb to the man on his left, “is my brother, Colton, and the lovely young lady with him is his wife, Petra.” He gestured to the prone, bound woman Diamond had noticed earlier.
“She’d say hello, but she’s a bit tied up the moment.” He deadpanned, just before breaking into a raucous belly laugh at his own joke.
The absurdity of the hugely intimidating man with the harem of submissives in a state of near hysteria at his own corny joke was enough to finally allow Diamond to relax.
She laughed with him, and when the laughter died, the men continued the introductions, moving around the circle.
Then the group wanted a picture with her. “To commemorate the beginning of a new friendship,” they explained. Posing for pictures was the one part of her job she understood, so Diamond was happy to comply.
After pictures, they asked for drinks, and Diamond paused, looking at Crystal for reassurance. She hadn’t understood waitress to be in her job description. Her friend nodded discreetly, and a small pink notepad materialized in her hand. “The regulars prefer us over the hostesses. It makes them feel more at ease. They consider us to be part of the scene, more than the hostesses and bartenders,” Crystal whispered in her ear. “Just take their order over to Ray at the bar, and he will take care of the rest. If you don’t look busy, he will signal you to deliver it, but if you’re occupied, he will just send one of the hostesses.”
Diamond nodded, wide-eyed, and took the large but simple order. Aged scotch on the rocks for each of the men, and bottled water for each of the submissives.
“Oh, and a bowl please, for Tabitha here,” Adrian added as an afterthought.
Diamond’s eyes bulged out of her head at the implication as she eyed the collared woman, who was now red with embarrassment.
Crystal had to physically force Diamond to turn away, pushing her towards the bar. “No judgment,” Crystal scolded softly as they walked away. “It’s rule number one, and it is part of why they trust us more than the hostesses. They see us as equals, because they know we are also spanked, so we can sympathize on some levels at least. Trust me, you do not want to lose their trust straight out of the gate.”
Collared (Vegas Nights Book 1) Page 9