by Sophie Stern
“You’re beautiful,” he said, and he meant it. He didn’t usually come at the same time as his subs. He’d only ever done that with his wife, and that had been a long time ago.
“You make me feel beautiful.”
Dean climbed off her and went into the bathroom. He got a damp washcloth and came back, then he started to clean her.
“I can do that,” she said. “Really, it’s okay.”
“Hush, sub,” he winked at her. “Let me take care of you.”
She was still tied up, so she couldn’t do much. All she could do was relax as he cleaned her body. He ran the cloth over her breasts and skin, wiping up the sweat that glistened on her skin from their lovemaking. He cleaned between her legs and her upper thighs, then he tossed the washcloth in the laundry hamper.
Finally, he untied Renee and rubbed her wrists, making sure they weren’t too tender or sore.
“You’re a sweet Dom,” she commented, watching him take care of her.
“Is that right?”
“Most are a little more harsh, I think. More demanding.”
“Is that what you want from a partner, Renee? Do you want me to demand you get on your knees and clean my cock with your tongue?”
She cocked her head, looking at him. She looked like she was trying to decide whether that was something she wanted or not. Finally, she spoke.
“Sometimes,” she said. “Sometimes I like to be bossed. Sometimes I don’t. Tonight was perfect, I think. A little more vanilla than I’m used to, but it was…I don’t know. Tender. It was sweet.”
“I thought tonight was sweet, too.”
“Not too ordinary for you?”
“It was just right, princess.”
He kissed her again. They lay side-by-side in the bed and made out for a little while. It reminded him of being a teenager, of fooling around with his high school girlfriends. They weren’t ready for sex, so they’d just kiss and kiss and kiss.
Renee made him feel innocent again, made him feel young and bright. For a little while, he forgot about the past, about the problems he’d had with life in general, about the problems he’d had in his relationships.
He played with her breasts and her hair, and she ran her tiny hands over his broad chest.
“You’re lovely,” he murmured, and she nuzzled against his chest. Eventually, they fell asleep together, and Dean had good dreams, happy dreams. For the first time in a very long time, he felt satisfied.
7
When she woke up, Renee climbed out of bed and managed to find her way to the bathroom without tripping over anything. She used the toilet and took a shower, then looked at herself in the mirror for a long time.
Last night had been a surprise, but a good one. She stared at her reflection and she liked what she saw. She looked good. She looked satisfied, almost happy.
How long had it been since she felt that way?
A long time.
Maybe forever.
She shouldn’t feel this happy after a one night stand. That’s all it had been, after all: one night. It had been one night of fun, and it had been a lot of fun, but she’d gone into the evening with no expectations.
She’d only just met Dean. She didn’t know anything about him, really. He was going to work with Anthony. He was going to teach classes on the island. Good for him. He’d enjoy that. Life on Dragon Isle was different from life on the mainland. Things were simpler and more relaxing, she thought. Oh, dragons still had stress and personal problems and issues, but life was slower paced.
She liked the island.
She hoped Dean would, too.
Renee wasn’t sure it was a good thing to be thinking, but she kind of hoped he’d stay a good long while. She kind of hoped he’d be around for a long time to come. Why was that? Why was she even thinking that? What was it about him?
Renee was her own woman. She had been single for a long time and she’d almost always been the top in her relationships, but Dean made her feel safe in a way she didn’t often feel. She liked giving him control. It scared her a little bit just how comfortable she’d been with him tying her up. She trusted him the way her subs always trusted her. She couldn’t do that with just anyone: give up control. She wouldn’t.
Sometimes, Renee needed to be in charge. She enjoyed the way a sub looked kneeling at her feet, enjoyed the way they trusted Renee to make them come and to carry them to the point where they felt like they were flying. She liked bringing her submissives pleasure. She loved it.
But last night, Dean had been the one in charge.
He’d been the one in control of her pleasure, and it had been fantastic. It had been wonderful. He’d made her come, then he’d fucked her until she couldn’t think straight, then he’d made her come again.
And then they’d made out like a couple of teenagers in love.
She hadn’t done that in ages.
A knock sounded at the door, then Dean appeared.
“Hey,” he said, smiling when he saw her. Oh, her heart melted when she saw that damn smile. “Can I interest you in breakfast?”
“I’d love breakfast,” she said. “Sadly, I need to go, though. I have to run home and get dressed for work.”
“Where do you work?”
“The daycare.”
“Is that so?”
“It is,” she smiled, walking toward him. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a soft kiss. “I’m the director.”
“Never would have guessed.”
“No?”
“I would have pegged you for the corporate type.”
“Is that right?”
“Apparently, you can be quite bossy. Then again, maybe a daycare director really is the perfect job for you.”
“What about you, Mr. Dom? What was your job before you came to work for Anthony?”
“I was a banker.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“How did you like that?”
“Enough that when Anthony offered me a job, I didn’t think twice about turning in my notice.”
“That bad, huh?”
“That bad.”
He looked a little sad, and she wanted to cheer him up. She was going to be late for work if she didn’t get moving, but suddenly this was more important.
“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked. She was the director. She could be a little late if she needed to be. It was just one morning, right?
“I would love to, but I’d hate for my sub to be late for work on my account.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “If you need me, I’m here.”
“Why don’t you come for dinner?” He asked.
“After work?”
“After work.”
“Okay,” she blushed. “What can I bring?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just bring your sweet self and be ready for more fun.”
“I’ll be here,” she said, and she kissed him goodbye. Then Renee headed out of Dean’s little house and up the road, naked as a jaybird, and went to her own home to get dressed for work.
***
“She’s teething,” Penelope said, handing her baby to Renee. The little dragon baby sucked on her pacifier with tears in her eyes. “So it’s been a really, really long morning.”
Penelope was the personal assistant to Emerson, the dragon clan leader. She worked part-time since having baby Amanda and during her work hours, Amanda came to daycare.
Renee managed most of the behind-the-scenes stuff at work. She dealt with paperwork and health checks and parental issues and concerns, but sometimes she stopped into the classrooms to help out with the kids, and Amanda was one of her favorites.
“Don’t you worry about a thing, mama,” Renee said, taking Amanda out of Penelope’s arms. Amanda immediately started screaming. Her binky fell to the floor and Penelope turned bright red.
“Oh no,” she said, reaching for it. She handed it to Renee.
“I’ll sanitize it and get it taken care of,�
�� Renee assured her. “You can go ahead and go. Everything will be fine as soon as you leave.”
“I know, but I hate to leave her like this,” Penelope fretted. Penelope was a badass. She was wild and fun and sexy as hell, but she was also a new mom who wasn’t used to leaving her child.
“She’ll be fine as soon as you leave,” Renee said. “I promise. Trust me. This happens all the time. She’s upset because she knows you’re leaving, but once you’re on your way to work, we’ll find something fun for her to do and she’ll forget all about being sad.”
“Can you text me when I’m gone?” Penelope asked. “I’m sorry. I know that’s asking a lot.”
“It’s fine,” Renee placed her hand on Penelope’s “It’s going to be okay. Now get to work.”
Penelope nodded and turned to leave. She went out the door and as soon as she was out of sight, baby Amanda stopped crying.
“That’s what I thought,” Renee said. She offered a finger and the baby wrapped her tiny hand around it. Renee bounced her and carried her back to the infant room where she’d get to spend the day with the other little dragon-shifters who were under a year old. The room was split into two sides: one for crawlers and one for littles who hadn’t quite learned how to move around yet.
She sat in a rocking chair and rocked Amanda and while she did, Renee let her thoughts drift to the day before and the night ahead. She was going to see Dean again. She didn’t think he had only invited her for dinner. No, she bet he wanted to play again, and that made her happier than it should have. Her belly was full of butterflies and her heart felt full.
She felt glad.
Happy.
Sated.
This dragonman had captured her attention and if she wasn’t careful, he was going to capture her heart, too. Renee wasn’t sure if she was ready for that, for any of it, but she was going to find out.
Dean had the power to crush her soul or make her fly and she wasn’t sure which it was going to be.
8
“The class starts at 8:30,” Anthony said. “There are four couples signed up. Three of them already know their roles and are comfortable them.”
“And the last couple?”
“Wants your advice on who should top.”
“Is that right?” Dean asked. Usually, it was fairly obvious who the Dom or Domme was in a relationship, but every so often, a couple simply wasn’t sure. They might be curious about BDSM or kink, but not know exactly how to integrate it into their life. That’s what this class was all about. It was a one-time introduction to kink class that Anthony designed to help new couples figure out their place in the lifestyle.
In addition to this class, Dean was going to be designing and teaching several other classes, including one on bondage, one on submission, and one on how to properly top someone. Each class would focus on a different aspect of kink, but all of them would include information on how to play safely and how to make sure your partner was having fun.
He was looking forward to the job. Anthony paid well and Dean would get to play in the club as often as he liked on nights it was open. Plus, being on Dragon Isle was nice. It was just lovely, really. He hadn’t expected to like it nearly as much as he did. When he’d left his job and packed up everything he owned to move, he thought he would stay for a few months and move on to something else, but now he wasn’t so sure.
Now he thought he might want to stay a long time.
Forever, maybe.
At least a few years.
Renee had caught his attention faster and stronger than he thought possible. She’d been delightful when he touched her, played with her. She’d been just perfect.
“Yes,” Anthony told him. “I assured them you would help them figure out how to best fit the lifestyle with their relationship. Each couple filled out a questionnaire,” he handed Dean a stack of papers. “And they’ve each read the information packets I sent them.”
“What do the information packets include?”
“Basic information on BDSM, what the club is like, what they can expect in the class, dress codes, and so on. Nothing too extreme, but enough to fill them in. They should all know what they’re getting into.”
“You know,” Dean said thoughtfully. “You originally asked me to teach one class as a favor to an old friend. I’m not sure how I got roped into working for you full-time.”
“I can be very persuasive.”
“So I’ve heard,” Dean said. “I may have come here only expecting to teach for a night, but I have to admit, the place has grown on me.”
“There really isn’t anywhere like it,” Anthony agreed.
Dragon Isle was perfect, beautiful. The greenery was lush and the mountains and jungle that covered the island left plenty of room to explore. Outside of the main village, dragons had created mansions and houses in different places around the island. They’d created a safe haven for dragon shifters who wanted to live among their own kind. They’d created a world their children could be safe in.
They’d created a place they could be proud of.
Everything on the island was perfectly catered to dragons. There was space to fly and shift and roam. There were mountain caverns and forest caves. There were lakes and waterfalls and there was freedom.
Dean had rarely felt out of his element in the human world, but once he arrived on Dragon Isle, he realized just how alone he had actually been. Even when he’d been around shifters, it hadn’t been like this. There hadn’t been this comfortable camaraderie. There hadn’t been this feeling of safety, of friendship.
Among the dragons, Dean felt like he fit in, like he knew exactly what his place was. Now that he’d be teaching at The Dungeon, he was looking forward to getting to know the dragons on the island even more. From what Anthony had said, there were dragons of all ages who came to play. Some of them lived the lifestyle 24/7, while others simply wanted to spice up their relationships. Many of the dragons had been in monogamous relationships for decades and were ready to try something new, were ready to bring their relationship to a new level.
“Anything else I should know?” It all seemed straightforward. He had a good feel for the space he’d be using the next night and he had a list of everything he planned to teach. After the class, he’d answer questions, and hopefully the couples would have some new ideas they could integrate into the bedroom at home.
Dean liked knowing he would be helping people. It might seem strange, the idea that a BDSM coach was helping people have better lives, but it was the reality. A lot of couples found themselves growing bored or disinterested with their relationship after a few years. Sometimes a little spanking or handcuffs could go a long way in helping them spice things up. When people got bored in a relationship, they tended to make poor choices. It was always better to try to improve things with your partner by your side, rather than simply giving up on the relationship and walking away.
“Your partner for the night is Jasmine. She’s an experienced sub who won’t give you any problems.”
“Not a bratty one?”
“No,” chuckled Anthony. “Though she’s gotten into plenty of trouble, including with my wife.”
Dean chuckled at that. He thought of Renee and how she’d teased him the night before, how she’d behaved in a way that made him lose control. He really loved that about her. He liked that she played the brat so well, that she was so sensuous and seductive. What would it be like to experience that every day? What would it be like to be around her every day?
“How are things going with you and sweet little Audrey?”
Anthony grinned. He shared a submissive with his best friend and partner, Gabriel. The two of them lived off-site with Audrey. They’d grown up together and while she’d left the island for a few years, she’d returned and the three of them had formed a lovely ménage. They seemed happy, judging by the smile on Anthony’s face when he thought of his wife.
“I have no complaints, my friend. She’s perfect.”
“Glad t
o hear it. You deserve to be happy.”
“As do you,” Anthony said. He headed over to the bar and grabbed a couple of glasses. He poured them each a drink, then returned to where Dean was standing. “And what about you, dragon? Is there a special submissive in your life?”
He thought of Renee.
He shouldn’t have.
He shouldn’t be thinking of her as his.
It was a dangerous road to go down: one he had no business wandering. He had spent one night with Renee. Just a night. He’d made love to her and he’d enjoyed every moment of it. She’d practically come unglued beneath him, and he loved that. He loved the way she had moaned for him, the way she had come for him. He loved the way she had moved beneath his body. He loved how he felt like they were one.
They had been in unison, and it had been perfect.
“No,” Dean said to Anthony. “There’s no one.”
“Wow,” Anthony sipped his drink. “That was quite a long wait for such a stupid lie.”
“Excuse me?”
“You waited a full two minutes to answer my question. I’m just curious what you were thinking about during that time.”
“I wasn’t-” Dean began, but Anthony held up his hand.
“It’s fine. I won’t press. It’s not my business. I just hope you’re happy with whoever she is and that you find joy. I hope you find peace. Holy tigers, buddy. We all know you deserve it.”
“You mean Barbara.”
“She fucked with your head, Dean.”
It wasn’t a lie. Anthony had come to see him after his divorce, had held him while he sobbed like a fucking child for his failed marriage. He’d stayed with him during the darkest hour of his life and he hadn’t asked for anything in return.
Anthony had cared for him.
He’d been a true friend when no one else was.
And he’d seen Dean become dark.
“She wasn’t wrong. Not about everything.”
He still remembered the way she screamed at him when she left.