by Julia Sykes
Shay’s eyes snapped up, but she almost dropped them again at the sight of his wolfish grin, at the intensity of the lust in his eyes.
“Oh?” She asked, suddenly wanting to play coy. “Where are we going?”
Lucas’ grip tightened on her arm. “I think you know very well what I mean, sub. Don’t play dumb. It doesn’t suit you.”
Despite his disapproving look, Shay couldn’t help the pleasurable glow that filled her at his words; he really did respect her intelligence, then. He had said it before, but it was nice that he could acknowledge it even here, amongst the devices that he might use to reduce her to a quivering, needy mess.
“Thanks,” she said quietly.
Lucas’ eyes softened, and he bent down to plant a swift, sweet kiss on her lips. “Come on,” he said. “I think we’ve seen enough for now. Do you still want to see the astronomical clock?”
Minutes later, they were seated outside a café in Old Town Square with a perfect view of the impressive blue and gold clock. But as beautiful as it was, Shay had something else on her mind. Lucas had helped her understand why she felt the need to submit. It was the most amazing release from her high-pressure, perfectionist lifestyle.
She bit her lip, unsure of how to begin. Would he be angry if she questioned him? Would he take it as a challenge to his dominance?
“What is it, Shay?” Lucas’ deep voice cut through her consternated thoughts, prompting her to open up about what she was wrestling with.
“I was wondering…” She began hesitantly. “Why are you a Dom? How did that start? I mean…” She blushed, fumbling. “You know everything about me being a submissive. I just… I want to know more about you.” She peeked up at him, praying he wouldn’t look angry. Or worse: cold and closed-off.
Instead, he was considering her, his brows slightly drawn. But not in anger. It was as though he was gathering his thoughts, deciding how to best answer her question. She waited, holding her breath, until he finally spoke.
“I wasn’t always like this, you know,” he said, a small smile quirking up the corners of his lips. “In fact, I used to be quite the nerd.”
Shay’s brows rose in surprise. She couldn’t imagine anyone ever calling Lucas a nerd.
He laughed softly at her expression. “Boys who spend all of their time tinkering with electronics and avoiding girls aren’t usually the most popular types at school. I suppose it was that – the disregard that others showed me – that first made me crave control. As I got older, I found that my… needs naturally manifested when I started having sex. I wanted that control, to be the one in charge.” A cloud suddenly passed over his eyes. “And then I met Sandra. She was a natural submissive, like you. She knew what she wanted, and she guided me into BDSM, helping me understand my needs. As I learned control in the bedroom, I became more assertive in everyday life.
“I know Jonathan thinks he’s responsible for getting Augustan Technologies to where it is today, but I owe just as much to Sandra for making me the person that I am now, for giving me the confidence that I needed to take control.”
Angry lines appeared around his mouth at the mention of Jonathan’s name, mingling with the residual pain in his eyes as he thought of Sandra.
Shay reached out and covered his hand with hers, comforting him.
He blinked and looked up at her, jolted from his dark thoughts by her gentle touch. His fingers closed around hers, and he gave her hand a little squeeze.
“I was so alone after I lost her. For so long. I never thought I would meet anyone…” His voice caught in his throat, and his eyes turned over-bright.
Tears formed in her own eyes. She was overwhelmed by his show of emotion, by the fact that he had trusted her enough to finally show this level of vulnerability.
“Thank you,” she whispered, squeezing his hand in return.
He blinked rapidly, shaking off his painful thoughts. His easy smile returned. He was obviously ready to change the subject.
“Speaking of BDSM, don’t you want to know where we’re going this evening?”
Shay suppressed a frown at his sudden caginess. She was saddened that he felt he couldn’t share his pain with her, but they seemed to be progressing to that point.
Baby steps, she told herself. She couldn’t expect Lucas to pour his heart out to her all in one go after years of keeping it hardened. It was amazing that he had even shared that much of himself with her, considering how long he had practiced keeping himself closed off.
So she shook off her mild disappointment and answered his question. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I already know,” she said with a smirk.
Shay’s suspicions were confirmed when Lucas led her into the underground fetish club that evening. She was glad of the warm weather, because she was wearing very little under her trench coat. Lucas seemed to have a thing for making her walk around in next-to-nothing in public. And, she admitted to herself, she didn’t exactly hate playing along.
Even now, the panties that he had ordered her to wear were becoming wet as anticipation built. He had given her a matching lingerie set to wear tonight. It was sweet and frilly, not at all what she had expected for a fet club.
The black bra and panties were made of sheer lace, but the naughtiest parts of them were the slits at the nipples that were tied closed by small, delicate bows. Although the ensemble was decidedly wicked, it wasn’t the usual corset or leather affair that she had seen others wearing at Tempest.
It was with some trepidation that she allowed Lucas to help her out of her coat when they got to the club entrance at the bottom of the stairs.
He seemed to sense her discomfiture, and he bent to whisper in her ear. “You look beautiful, sub.”
Shay glowed at the compliment, leaning into him. Even on her highest heels, she still had to wait for him to bend down to her to take her lips. She was grateful when he did, kissing her firmly, reassuringly.
He always seemed to know just what she needed.
When he pulled away from her, his eyes were heated, full of dark promises waiting to be fulfilled. Promises that were a mystery to Shay.
Adrenaline shot through her alongside her nervousness, making her giddy, and she found herself grinning up at him like a fool. His returned smile was a bit smug, but no less pleased. Giving her hand a little tug, he pulled her through the entrance and into the club with him.
The first thing that struck Shay was the sheer number of people and the wall of noise that they were making. They filled the space before them, although it was the size of a ballroom. Across the sea of cheering people, there was a raised stage where four women were having what looked like a hoola-hoop competition. Only, the hoola-hoops had little balls of fire spinning around the edges.
Shay gasped, delighted. She had never seen a fire show before. As she watched with rapt attention, Lucas situated himself behind her, pressing his hard body against her back. She watched the lithe women dance with the fire, a sight that was both beautiful and erotic at the same time. She felt as though the heat of the flames licked across her own skin as she watched, transfixed.
Lucas’ fingers were at her breasts, gently teasing her nipples through the lace of her bra. She let out a small, pleasurable sigh and arched into him. He drew his hands away slightly, denying her the contact she craved. Instead, he grasped the ends of the bows that held the bra closed and pulled. The sheer material parted, and cool air brushed over her already hard nipples.
Lucas’ clever fingers were back on her, teasing her, rolling her hardened peaks between them. Suddenly, he pinched her nipples, hard. Her audible gasp was swallowed by the buzz of the crowd around them, but she could hear Lucas’ low, slightly evil chuckle at her ear. Her sex flared to life at the small pain, and she had to lean back against him for support as her knees suddenly went weak.
But the pinch didn’t abate, and the pain remained. Shay looked down to see that it was no longer Lucas’ fingers grasping her nipples, but two shiny silver clamps. A chain draped down between
them, connecting them. Lucas dropped it, and the sudden added weight sent another spike of pain through her.
Shay winced, struggling to absorb it, to overcome it. This was riding the line of what she could tolerate.
But then Lucas grasped her shoulders, turning her into him. She looked up into his bright green gaze and was caught up in the possessive intensity that she saw there. He lifted up something metallic that glinted dully in the dim light, and her gaze was riveted on it: a leash.
She watched with bated breath as Lucas slowly lowered it, clipping it to the chain between her breasts. It connected with a small click, the small sound seeming to echo in Shay’s ears as she became completely entranced by the control that Lucas was exerting over her.
She immediately felt a shadow of that heady rush she had experienced the night before: the feeling of complete release as all responsibility was given over to him. The corners of his lips curled upward, and he gave the leash a little tug.
A strangled moan escaped her as the clamps pinched tight, pulling at her nipples harshly. She was forced to take a step towards him to alleviate the pressure. As the pain seared through her, her pussy throbbed in need, the submissive in her answering his dominance of her body with pleasure even as he tormented her.
He turned on his heel, putting his back to her.
“Come,” he said simply, giving the leash another tug to ensure that she complied.
She followed quickly, struggling to walk straight on her unsteady legs. Her whole world became focused on placing one foot in front of the other, following where Lucas led. She didn’t even know where he was taking her, nor could she pay attention to her surroundings. There was only his control, the pain, and the growing wetness between her thighs. She was jarred when they came to a halt, almost bumping into Lucas’ back when he stopped.
When he turned to her, his eyes were sharply focused on her, as though she had become the center of his world, just as he had become hers. It was as though they were completely alone, far removed from the crowd of people around them. She was dimly aware of cries of pain and delight, but they were just a muted buzz as she stared into Lucas’ eyes.
Never breaking his gaze from hers, he reached out to grip the clamps. “Take a deep breath,” he ordered.
That was her only warning. She let out a sharp cry as he pinched the clamps open, releasing her. As he did, all of the blood rushed back to her nipples, causing them to sting, to burn. Lucas bent and lowered his lips to one, gently swirling his tongue around the sensitive peak, mitigating the pain.
Shay took several shaky breaths as he did the same with the other, turning the pain to sweetest pleasure as he suckled the ache away. That intoxicating sense of release shot up through her again, lifting her higher as the bliss swirled in her head. She felt herself being lowered onto a cool, cushioned surface, and she lay back on it compliantly as Lucas pressed her shoulders down, leaving her legs hanging off the end of the padded, leather-covered table.
“Hands behind your head,” he ordered. She immediately obeyed, lacing her fingers together at the back of her neck. “Now don’t move.”
“Yes, Sir,” she whispered softly, fighting back the urge to arch her hips up towards him, to silently beg for contact with her sex.
Mercifully, he granted her wish, placing two fingers on either side of her clit, tracing the edges of her hardened bud. Shay wanted to thrash, to allow her pleasure to physically manifest itself. It was all she could do to suppress the urge, and she couldn’t stop her legs from trembling of their own accord as her body screamed for release even at his light touch.
His fingers dipped lower, swirling in the wetness between her thighs before delving into her already quivering pussy. He curled his fingers inside her, brushing against her g-spot.
She was vaguely aware of him giving permission for her to come, but it would have been impossible to hold back her orgasm anyway. Her entire consciousness was focused on the sensations pervading her, the crackling electricity that sparked from her pussy to lance through her entire body. The punch of it caused her back to arch up off the table as she cried out in ecstasy. Bolts of lightning exploded like fireworks, sizzling across her skin, arcing outwards before finally burning out.
She lay there, panting, Lucas gently stroking her hair as she came down from her high.
When she opened her eyes, she blinked up at him sleepily, a dreamy smile on her face. “Thank you, Sir,” she said quietly.
He flashed her a small, affectionate smile, all the hard, forbidding edges gone from his expression. “You’re welcome, sub.”
Shay stretched contentedly, loosening up her muscles that had been coiled so tightly. Suddenly exhausted, she couldn’t hold back a small yawn. Her body wanted nothing more than to fall into a coma after her intense orgasm. Lucas chuckled down at her.
“Come on, little one,” he said, cradling her in his arms and lifting her up. “Let’s go home.”
She wanted to protest that she could walk just fine on her own, but it felt so nice in his arms. So she snuggled into him, closing her eyes and sighing happily. She could feel him drape her coat over her, and then they were out in the cool night air.
She barely had time to register the loud bang before Lucas grunted in pain, nearly dropping her as he fell to one knee. Her eyes flew open, terror rousing her from her stupor as effectively as being doused by cold water. Was that the sound of a gunshot?
Chapter 4
Shay could feel Lucas fighting his way to his feet, and she wanted him to release her. It was clearly a struggle to carry her. But he held her to him tightly, hunching over her protectively.
He began to run, his gait uneven beneath her. They were almost to the car, almost to safety. There was another loud bang, followed by the sound of a window shattering as the bullet missed them.
Reality came crashing down on Shay: someone was shooting at them.
Lucas flung the car door open, throwing her into the backseat before climbing in behind her.
“Drive!” He shouted at the chauffer.
The whites of the man’s eyes were starkly visible in the rearview mirror, and he complied immediately. The tires squealed as they spun against the asphalt, and the back of the car fishtailed momentarily before they shot forward. More bullets fired after them, but they were speeding away, and the bangs faded into the distance.
Shay’s entire body trembled with residual fear and adrenaline as what had just happened came down on her. Someone – or several someones – had just tried to kill them, to kill Lucas.
She looked over at him, wide-eyed.
Concern bordering on panic filled his eyes. “Are you hurt?” He asked anxiously, moving towards her and patting his hands against her body, checking for injury.
He winced as he moved, and Shay took her own inventory of him. She gasped as she saw the tear in his trousers. There was an ugly red gash across his thigh, and it was weeping blood.
“Oh my god!” She cried, panicking. “You’re hurt!” The words seemed stupid, insufficient to express the horror of what she was seeing.
“I’m okay,” he said. But he had to grate the words out, and his eyes were tight with pain.
“Get us to the hospital!” She shouted at the driver.
“No!” Lucas said sharply. “Take us to the airport. Now.”
“But-” Shay began.
“Don’t argue with me, Shay,” he barked. “We have to leave. We have to get as far away as possible.”
She swallowed hard, seeing that he wasn’t going to back down on this. Maybe that was for the best. If whoever was after Lucas knew that he was in Prague, they would be able to find them. The hospital would be the first place they would look.
She nodded in assent, but at the same time she reached for Lucas’ shirt, tugging it up over his chest.
He stared at her in shock. “Shay, this is hardly the time-”
“Shut up!” She ordered sharply, pulling the black t-shirt over his head with more force than she would
have thought she possessed. She was no nurse, but she knew she had to slow the bleeding.
She pressed the cloth hard against the wound, ignoring Lucas’ hiss of pain.
There. That would have to do. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes; she couldn’t bear to see Lucas hurt.
The car screeched to a halt. “We’re here,” Lucas said, throwing open the car door. Shay moved to get out, ready to run for the waiting jet that she could see through the broken window.
“No!” He said sharply, grabbing her arm to stop her short. “I’m going first.”
Without waiting for her to argue, he stepped out of the car, pulling her alongside him. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to shield her with his large body as he jogged unevenly towards the jet. She could hear him breathing hard as he climbed the stairs with effort, but they were soon inside, safe for the moment. Shay looked around in panic.
“But there’s no pilot!” She exclaimed.
“Relax,” Lucas ordered. “I’m going to fly.”
“You know how to fly?” She asked, momentarily dumbfounded.
“I own the world’s leading tech corporation, Shay. I’m fascinated by all things technological. Of course I learned how to pilot a plane.”
“But your leg-” She began.
“I’m fine,” he snapped. “I need to get you out of here, and this is the only way I know how.”
She nodded shakily, trusting him despite her nervousness. He led her into the cockpit with him.
“Now buckle up,” he ordered.
She watched in shocked silence as he fiddled with the buttons on the dashboard – if that’s even what you called it. She was utterly bewildered by what was going on, and it was all she could do to swallow back the panic that was threatening to choke off her air.
Lucas looked over at her, his hard expression suddenly softening. “Breathe, Shay,” he said reassuringly. “We’ll be fine.”