All Aboard (Anchored Book 3)

by Sophie Stern

  “Do you want a drink first?” Tony whispers, and I nod. Now that we’re back inside, I suddenly feel a little nervous, and we stop by the bar. June comes over and looks questioningly at me.

  “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Vodka cranberry, please.”

  “Coming right up,” she says. “I assume this is going on your tab,” she looks at Tony, and he nods.

  “Thank you,” I kiss him softly on the cheek.

  “It’s the least I can do.”

  June brings my drink and I carry it as the four of us head toward a scene to the side of the main room. Jaxson Thorn and Lily are already there, watching with interest.

  “The sub is one of mine,” Jaxson whispers.

  “One of yours? Like, you guys dated?”

  Lily laughs. “No, she’s from one of his classes.”

  “One of my most nervous students,” Jaxson explains. “But she’s come a long way in a short time. Look at her now.”

  I watch the stage where she’s playing with her Dom, and I’m amazed at how beautiful she looks. It’s not that she’s particularly gorgeous. She’s pretty, to be sure, but what really makes her glow is the way she looks at her Dom. She stares at him like he’s the only thing she sees, like he’s the only thing that’s important to her right now.

  And she looks brave.

  Fierce.

  Confident.

  I want that kind of confidence. I want to be able to walk into a room full of people and be naked and not care. I want to know that I look good, and that even if my body isn’t perfect, that it’s still sexy and fantastic.

  That’s what this sub is doing.

  She reminds me of myself. She’s got a few stretch marks and a little bit of a belly, but she knows how damn sexy she looks right now. You don’t have to be a model to be beautiful. You don’t have to be a size zero to be gorgeous. You can be a size 2, or a size 12, or a size 22, and still be beautiful.

  I want that, I realize.

  Is this what the whole kink thing is about?

  I’m realizing that coming to Anchored is nothing like I expected. I sip my drink as I watch the scene. Tony stands behind me, openly touching me, but I’m not embarrassed or scared. Lily and Christina both wink at me, and a woman walking by sees me with Tony and gives me a thumbs-up, and I feel great.

  I feel like the world is my oyster.

  Maybe being kinky isn’t just about being wild or dirty or crazy. Maybe it’s just about believing in yourself enough to go after the things you want. If you want to be naked on a stage for all of the club to see, that’s okay. If you want to dress up and role play, that’s okay. If you want to try rope play, that’s okay.

  All of it’s okay.

  And I’m suddenly realizing that’s what it’s all about.

  The scene ends, and the crowd applauds. I watch as the Dom lifts his sub into his arms and carries her away.

  “Where are they going?” I ask Tony.

  “He’s going to give her aftercare,” he explains. “After an intense scene, a lot of subs experience an emotional drop. Aftercare could mean hugs and kisses and cuddles, but it also includes talking.”

  “And it’s very important,” Christina says. “Trust me. I speak from experience. If you aren’t getting aftercare, you’re going to have a hard time.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I say.

  “The club is closing,” Jaxson says. “So it’s time to head home. Are you ready?”

  No, my heart whispers. Not at all.

  “Give me a minute?”

  “Of course. Meet us by the doors.” Jaxson pats Thorn on the shoulder, and he heads to the front of the club with Lily, Christina, and Zack. I turn around and look at Tony. Then I place my hands on his shoulders.

  “Tonight has been wonderful,” I tell him.

  “For me, as well.” He kisses me softly, sweetly, and runs his hands through my hair. “Thank you for everything.”

  “It was fun.”

  “Did you enjoy being a little wild?”

  “I did,” I admit. “More than I should.”

  “I still owe you an orgasm,” he whispers.

  “Maybe we could…”

  “Maybe we could what?” He asks, looking at me. He doesn’t look unkind. He just looks patient, thoughtful. He doesn’t seem like he’s opposed to me asking him out, but he’s not going to make it easy for me, either.

  I take a deep breath.

  Think brave, Macie. Think brave.

  “Maybe we could get dinner sometime,” I say. “If you like.”

  “I would love that,” he says. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a business card. He presses it into my hand as he kisses me again. “I hope you’ll call me, Miss Macie.”

  “Yes,” I say. “I think I will.”

  Chapter 8

  Anthony

  Macie calls me the next day and we talk for an hour. We’re both busy with work all week, but we make plans to meet on Thursday night for dinner. In the meantime, we text and talk on the phone all week. Somehow, we’re unable to get enough of each other.

  I find out she grew up in the Midwest and moved to Westbrook to open her catering company. She comes from a big family with a conservative background, and that’s part of the reason she never really explored the kinky side of herself before. She always thought it was wrong and somehow bad.

  When I give her a list of books to read, she surprises me by admitting she already bought most of them on her Kindle.

  “I’ve been doing a lot of reading since Saturday,” she admits. “And it’s been really, really fun.” A vision of Macie touching herself to a dirty book flashes through my head, but I push it aside.

  Focus.

  I need to focus on work.

  I need to get through the week and on Thursday, when we meet for dinner, I can finally allow myself to relax. Somehow, Macie seems to calm me. She brings me a strange sense of peace. Whether we’re talking or texting, I love the way she helps me relax. Even though my job is very intense and there is a lot of pressure and anxiety that accompanies it, she makes me feel like everything is going to be okay.

  She makes me feel like I’m going to be all right.

  The week seems to move by slowly. As I deal with my clients and cases, I feel the weight of the world crushing my shoulders. Even Zack can tell that I’m becoming more and more unhappy. He doesn’t realize that if I didn’t have Macie to talk to this week, I’d probably be walking out of the office and never coming back.

  On Thursday morning, he steps into my office and closes the door behind him. Then he crosses his arms over his chest and just stares at me.

  “Don’t give me your Dom face. That doesn’t work on me.”

  “This face works on everyone.”

  “Not me. I taught you that face, remember?”

  “I remember,” Zack concedes. “I also remember when you used to love your job. You used to love working on divorce cases, so what happened?”

  “Life happened,” I admit with a sigh, pushing my chair back from my desk. I stand and go to the window. “You’re a real estate lawyer, Zack. A high stress day for you is helping someone sort out the taxes on their new property. It’s different for me.”

  “Talk to me about it. Tell me why. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “I know you’re Domming me right now.”

  “Humor me.”

  “All right,” I turn around and face him, mirroring his crossed arms. “I’m tired of dealing with the worst part of people’s lives. Everyone I face is going through the hardest experience of their existence. Wives are coming in after they find out their husband has had a secret mistress for the last five years. Husbands are coming in after discovering their wives have been stashing money away in secret accounts as they prepare to walk away from their relationship. I’m tired, Zack. I’m tired of everything being negative.”

  I sigh and run my hands through my hair. It’s always been bad, but somehow, it never seemed this b
ad until lately.

  I’m getting old, and soft, and I’m getting tired.

  “The worst part of my job is that even when my clients win, they also lose. Everyone loses in divorce. Yeah, I might get them alimony or a good custody arrangement, but they still lose. They lose the life they have now. Their kids lose a parent. Someone always gets the short end of the stick, and it’s usually the children. I’m tired of being a part of it.”

  Zack walks over to my desk and makes himself comfortable in one of the chairs.

  “Have you thought about leaving?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “What’s holding you back? You’ve paid off your student loans, man. You don’t have any debt. You don’t have anything keeping you here. Why don’t you get a different job? Have you considered it?”

  “I’m a lawyer by trade. I spent so much time in school, so much money. Walking away at this point seems like a waste.”

  “You could try a different kind of law.”

  “All law makes me tired. No offense to you. I know you love real estate, but the idea makes me yawn. I want something new. I want something that challenges me, but doesn’t make me feel like I’m the bad guy.”

  “There are a ton of things you can do, man. You aren’t trapped here.”

  “I feel like I am. I feel like walking away at this point essentially means the last decade of my life has been a waste.”

  “It hasn’t been,” Zack shakes his head. “Plenty of people make career changes, Tony. There’s nothing wrong with that. You’ve had a great run and you’ve helped a ton of people. You might not think you have, but you have. Hell, you helped me. Without you working on my case, I would have lost everything. You’re the only reason I made it through my divorce in one piece.”

  I nod because I know it’s true. I did my best to help Zack through his nightmare of a divorce. It was my first big case and I worked my ass off to help him. I would do anything for him. He’s like a brother to me. I couldn’t let him down in that way, not when it came to his future.

  “Just think about it,” Zack says. “You don’t have to decide anything now. Finish up your current cases, of course, but then consider moving on. Your stress isn’t worth your pride, brother. Walking away doesn’t mean you failed. It just means you’re choosing yourself. You’re choosing what’s best for you Sometimes that means making a hard choice. Sometimes it means making a change in a big way, and that’s all right.”

  Maybe he’s right.

  Maybe it’s time I picked myself instead of sticking with a plan I came up with as a teen.

  When I went to college, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to make money and make a difference in the world. I thought divorce was interesting, and it was definitely a good way to make money. I live simply and was able to pay off my loans sooner than most other attorneys I know. Being debt-free was a priority to me, and I focused on paying that down before I allowed myself to buy anything big or special. Hell, I still rent my house because it’s cheaper than buying right now. I don’t drive a flashy car or spend a ton on drinking. Aside from my Anchored membership, I don’t really treat myself.

  Maybe a career change is the treat I need.

  Maybe it’s time to do something different.

  Maybe it’s time to choose myself.

  Chapter 9

  Macie

  By the time Thursday night arrives, I’m exhausted from the week. I’ve had several major catering events this week and if my date wasn’t with Tony, I would definitely cancel. Although I’m excited about seeing him, what I really want is to crash on the couch and just sleep. Netflix and Chill is sounding pretty damn good to me, but my desire to see Tony overrides my exhaustion, and I manage to get dressed for our date with half an hour to spare.

  Of course, I spend this time fidgeting and questioning my own sanity. I’m going on a date with a guy I met at a sex club. Who does that? Oh yeah, my besties. I don’t think Lily and Christina are crazy at all for engaging in relationships that started at Anchored, but somehow, when it comes to me, I’m being totally hard on myself.

  A knock at the door draws me out of my thoughts.

  He’s here.

  Anthony Diamond is here.

  I take a deep breath, and then I open my front door.

  “Wow,” I say, taking him in. He’s wearing a suit that makes him look like a billionaire werewolf shifter. Yeah, I’ve been doing a lot of reading this week.

  “Wow yourself,” he smiles and looks me up and down. “You look incredible.” I’m wearing a pink sundress with sandals. It’s nothing terribly fancy, but it shows off my curves and it’s a little low-cut, so I have a fair amount of cleavage showing. I feel great in this dress, and the rush of confidence from his compliment isn’t something I’m going to forget anytime soon.

  “I do what I can.”

  “Shall we go to dinner?”

  “Actually,” I say, pressing my hands to his chest. “I was thinking we could eat here.”

  “Is that right?”

  “I cooked.”

  “Really?”

  “You seem surprised.”

  “No one’s ever cooked for me before.”

  “How is that possible?” I ask. “No offense, but you’re quite a catch. I would imagine all of your ex-girlfriends would be falling head over tail to try to cook for you.”

  “That is not the case.”

  “Well, why don’t you come inside? I made brisket.”

  “That is literally my favorite food,” he says, stepping into my house. I close the door and turn to him.

  “I know.”

  “How?”

  “Zack helped me out a little,” I admit. It’s probably a little weird, calling Tony’s BFF and asking for advice, but he’s smiling at me, and I suddenly feel like maybe it wasn’t a terrible decision.

  “Clever girl.” Tony takes his jacket off and hangs it over the back of a chair. “Cozy place you have,” he says, looking around. “I like it.”

  “I don’t mean to brag, but I got all of my furniture at thrift stores and garage sales,” I tell him.

  Tony laughs. “Did you now?”

  “I did. What can I say? I like to save money.”

  “Me too,” he says.

  “A thrifty lawyer? Oh, you are rare.”

  “Does that surprise you?”

  “A little,” I tell him, shrugging. “There’s definitely the stereotype that lawyers love to blow money.”

  “I’m afraid that’s not me. My colleagues think I’m a little crazy for that.”

  “Not at all,” I shake my head. “I like it. Maybe it’s because I grew up pretty poor, but I like to save money, too. I think there’s something to be said for living simply.”

  “There’s one thing we have in common.”

  “I think we have a lot in common. It’s been really fun texting this week,” I tell him, taking a seat on the couch. He sits next to me and our legs touch. I’m instantly transported back to Anchored. Each touch from Tony somehow felt magical.

  “I’ve enjoyed it, too,” he runs his hand over my thigh. With some guys, it would feel forward or aggressive, but not with Tony. Somehow, it feels right when he touches me this way. It feels like everything is as it should be.

  “It’s been a long week,” I admit. “And to be honest, I almost canceled tonight. I’m exhausted, and overwhelmed. I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this, except that I feel really comfortable with you.”

  “What happened?” He asks. “Is it work?”

  “One of my employees quit randomly and I’m having problems with my manager,” I shrug. “She’s been flaking on me, and it puts extra pressure on me. I prefer the cooking side of my business. It’s why I hired her. She handles the scheduling and getting new clients, and I get to have fun in the kitchen. This week, though,” I shake my head. “It’s been rough.”

  “I’m having a hard time with work, too,” he says.

  “What? Why? What’s wrong?” I reac
h for his face, suddenly worried. “That doesn’t sound like you. You haven’t said anything.” We’ve been talking so much this week that honestly, I feel like I’ve known Tony for years. I had no idea he was struggling with work, though.

  “Honestly? It’s not just one thing. It’s a whole lot of things that just seem to be wearing me down.”

  I want to comfort him. He looks so stressed, so anxious. He shouldn’t be feeling this way. I shouldn’t, either, but suddenly, I remember all of those books I’ve been reading. What’s one thing subs are really, really good at?

  Comforting our Doms when they need it.

  I just have to figure out how.

  I’ve already made his favorite meal and we’re going to share that soon, but in the meantime, I can do something else for Tony.

  “Master Tony?”

  “Sweetheart, you’ve been doing a lot of reading. You know that if you call me Master, it’s going to make me think you’re in the mood to play.”

  “Let me comfort you,” I tell him quietly, searching his eyes. “Let me help you forget. This week has been shitty for both of us. Let’s just forget, just for a little while.”

  “Macie, I like you a lot. A lot,” he says again. “Much more than I should for someone I’ve only known a short while. I think you’re sexy, and funny, and incredible, but there is no pressure for anything to happen between us tonight. There’s nothing wrong with taking things slow.”

  “You’re right,” I tell him. “There’s also nothing wrong with letting me take away your pain.”

  “I’m not in pain.”

  “You’re anxious,” I tell him, pressing my hands to his chest. “And you’re stressed. Please, Master. I know what I’m saying. Let me give this to you.”

  “Are you saying you want to submit to me?” Something flashes in his eyes, something sexy. This idea excites him, and that makes me feel like I’m the sexiest fucking woman in the world.

  I slide off the couch and kneel next to it, looking at him.

  “Take me,” I whisper. “I am yours.”

  Chapter 10

  Anthony

  Macie is full of surprises.