by Maggie Ryan
“Well, then, where are you staying?”
“I’m staying with Laurie,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee, her soft moan of pleasure lengthening his cock further before his brain processed her answer.
“Laurie?”
“Yes, Brody thought it would be a good idea, since I’d save time traveling back and forth and money for a hotel, and Laurie isn’t left alone.” She bit into another beignet and he watched her eyes widen. When she’d swallowed, she said, “Oh, I guess she’s not alone now, is she? I mean, don’t you live there, too?”
“In the same house, yes,” Quentin said, “not in the same suite of rooms… apartment really, as we converted the second floor into just the two apartments.”
“Oh, that’s good… shit!”
“Watch the language,” he said without thinking.
“Sorry, it’s just that I realized Laurie didn’t give me the keys.”
“No problem, as you said, I live there as well.”
“Um…”
“Relax, I mean I’ve got spare keys to their place.”
“I-um, okay,” she said, her face flushing a bit. “That will keep me from having to go to the hospital and bother them to get Laurie’s.” Instead of meeting his eyes, she concentrated on finishing her third beignet and then sat back with a small moan. “God, I can’t believe you let me eat every one of those!”
Quentin couldn’t believe she’d managed to do so. Picking up a napkin, he dunked a corner of it into his glass of ice water and leaned forward. Cupping her chin, he proceeded to wash her face, ignoring the desire to simply bend and lick off the last bit of powdered sugar from the corner of her mouth. Meeting her eyes, he found himself wondering if she might not have been averse to his more intimate grooming. Forcing himself to sit back, he said, “How well do you know Laurie?”
He watched her cheeks pinken and saw her shift a bit on the seat of the wrought iron chair. “Well enough to know that if I did have to go get the keys, Laurie would most likely be sleeping on her tummy tonight. It seems Brody isn’t all that happy when she forgets things, and doesn’t hesitate to let her know it.” She smiled and looked out towards the street where they’d left the motorcycle. “She might be a little less willing to straddle your bike if her ass is as red as that sexy dress she ran off to show him.”
Her casual comment had him wondering exactly how she’d feel over his knees, learning how to be a tad more tactful. Tossing the soggy napkin down, he stood and held out his hand. “Ready?”
Chapter Four
Grace hadn’t missed the darkening of his eyes. It was almost as if shutters had slammed down, the light she’d seen as he leaned forward to wash her face gone. She stood and hadn’t intended to take his hand, yet it seemed to slip into his of its own accord. “Yes.” Her heart was pounding as he nodded and led her in a zigzag path through the cluster of tables until they reached the street. God, what was he thinking? She’d just basically stated that she knew Laurie was spanked by her fiancé. In fact, she’d blurted it out in the middle of a crowded restaurant and hadn’t even bothered to lower her voice. She knew that while she and Laurie were close, Brody and Quentin had grown up together and Quentin had most likely taken offense at her comments. Surely he had to think she was the rudest person he’d ever met.
She tried to take the helmet from him but he brushed her hands aside and once again made sure it was properly secured. For a moment, she seriously considered stating she’d take a cab but before she could, he’d lifted her off her feet and she had no choice but to spread her legs to straddle the motorcycle. He mounted and looked over his shoulder. “Hang on.”
Obeying, she wrapped her arms around his middle and prayed he couldn’t feel her trembling. She was grateful conversation was impossible as he wove through the cars and took back streets through the city. She caught glimpses of people strolling along Bourbon Street as it passed by in a blur, and wished she’d chosen a Hurricane from Pat O’Brien’s instead of the sweet pastry that was threatening to turn into a sodden wad of dough in her stomach. When he hopped off the bike, she scrambled off as quickly as she could. His look showed his disapproval as he unlocked the gate and mounted the bike again. She walked through the gate after him and closed it when he looked back and nodded before driving off towards the towards the garage. Only the fact that she needed to return his helmet had her following him.
“Thanks for the ride,” she said, shoving the helmet towards him. Turning, she managed only a few steps before his voice stopped her.
“You forgot, I’ve got the keys.”
Crap, she had forgotten. Now she couldn’t run and hide until he unlocked Laurie’s door. When he joined her, he led her not outside the gate but to a door she’d not seen before. She watched as he pressed his ring and his thumb against sensors, and gave a little yelp when she heard locks being disengaged.
“Ohhh, this is like some sort of secret society,” she said, “what’s the password? Open Sesame?” At his look, she wished she’d kept her mouth shut, her attempt at levity falling flat. “Sorry.”
He just took her arm and led her towards an elevator. Once again using his ring and thumbprint, he had the door opened and pressed the button for the second floor. Exiting, she looked down the hall to where his apartment must be before turning towards Laurie’s. After he did his magic trick to unlock the door, she reached out and put a hand on his arm before he could open it.
“Look, I’m sorry. I know that was incredibly rude. I really wasn’t trying to be flippant.” She took a deep breath and continued. “I know that Brody is a good man and that Laurie loves him with her entire heart and soul.” She took it as a sign he was listening when he didn’t open the door and shove her inside. “I know that even though he spanks her… it isn’t any sort of abuse. I’m sorry if I gave that impression. I-I know they are in a D/s relationship and that Laurie accepts both his punishment and his forgiveness when they make love afterwards. Surely you understand that I didn’t mean to make light of their commitment…”
“What you need to understand is that while you’ve got Brody pegged, there is a big difference between us.”
“I wasn’t talking about you or… or what you might do in a… well, whenever…”
“Instead of you and Laurie concocting some sort of scheme to throw us together, what Laurie should have shared is that I don’t make love. I fuck. I’m not interested in a relationship. So, Grace, if you have an itch, we can go upstairs and I’m sure someone would be happy to scratch it for you.”
Jerking her hand free, she wasn’t sure who was more shocked, her or Quentin when she slapped him.
“I’ll take that to mean you’re not interested,” he said, pushing the door open.
She knew she should apologize but just couldn’t. Instead, she ducked under his arm, entered the apartment and then turned and slammed the door, slightly disappointed when it didn’t close in his face as he’d already turned away. Leaning against it, she wondered how the night could have gone so very wrong. It had been a stressful day and yet, the moment he’d appeared with Laurie, she’d felt a sense of calm that actually allowed her to enjoy a few brief moments of her show.
Pushing away from the door, she entered the guestroom. She didn’t bother turning on the lights or brushing her teeth. She peeled out of her clothes and climbed into bed. How in the world was she going to tell Laurie that she’d managed to so anger Brody’s friend? Turning onto her stomach, she admitted that if anyone needed a good hard spanking to remind them what happened when unable to first engage their brain before opening their mouth, it was she.
Just before exhaustion finally pulled her under, she heard the faint pinging of the elevator and wondered where Quentin was going.
***
Quentin gave Ellen a nod but didn’t speak as he entered the club. Though it was late, the place was even more crowded than it had been the night before. He gave a nod to Adam, who again had his beer ready by the time he reached the bar.
“How’s it going?” Adam asked.
“Just keep them coming,” Quentin answered, not caring that Adam’s eyebrow rose but noticing that he did nod, indicating he understood. It took him halfway through the second beer before he began to feel some of his anger slipping away. “Sorry,” he said when Adam approached after serving a couple at the other end of the bar.
“Nothing to be sorry about, boss.”
“Anything happening I should know about?”
“Just a regular Saturday night. Though you and Brody might consider interviewing a few more floaters. Seems the male to female ratio is only growing further apart.”
At his words, Quentin turned to give the crowd a closer look. He could see that Adam was correct. There were several men who didn’t appear to be involved in any scene other than as observers. The three women who worked to keep the equipment clean and the bowls filled were all involved with someone. He noticed that Molly was draped across the horse and that her bottom was well striped from the flogger a Dominant was wielding. Quentin was glad to see that the man obviously knew what he was doing, the falls of the leather implement landing with precision across the fleshy mounds of Molly’s ass, her shoulders, and upper back. Debbie was presently on her knees, her head bobbing up and down on another Dominant’s cock, the halter top of her dress unfastened and hanging at her waist, ample breasts bouncing as she pleasured the man. Though it took a bit longer, he finally noticed that Sarah was being released from the St. Andrew’s Cross that took up a far corner of the room. He frowned when the Dominant simply tossed aside the paddle he’d been using and walked away, leaving the woman swaying on wobbly legs.
Pushing off his stool, Quentin strode towards her, and she gave him a smile when he reached out and took her arms. “Take your time,” he said, allowing her to regain her balance as the endorphins caused by the scene flooded through her system. “He should know better.”
“He’s new,” Sarah said. “Maybe he didn’t like my performance…”
“I’m sure that’s not it,” Quentin said, looking down to see that her nipples were tight buds and that her skin had broken out in goose bumps. The glaze of her eyes told of her arousal, as did the distinct glistening he could see on her inner thighs. He led her towards a sofa and sat, pulling her between his legs. She instantly crossed her arms behind her back, shifted her feet apart, and lowered her eyes. Yes, she was definitely aroused, and he knew he ought to find the Dominant and reprimand him for leaving her unfulfilled.
“May I offer myself, sir?” she asked, her eyes briefly lifting to his, hers bright with anticipation.
Quentin hesitated for a moment and then pulled her down. He was a bit shocked when he realized he wasn’t guiding her to her knees but onto his lap. His erection was evident against the front of his pants and yet he didn’t move to release it. Instead, he pushed her head to his chest and stroked her arm as she relaxed against him. Moving to cup her breast, he enjoyed her soft gasp as his thumb flicked over her nipple, and she arched to offer him more.
“Relax, let me pleasure you,” he said softly, his fingers playing with her nipples until she was squirming. Sliding his hand down, he felt her opening her thighs to allow him better access and then heard her soft moan as he cupped her sex. She was dripping wet, her arousal easily allowing him to slip two fingers deep inside.
“Oh, please,” she whispered, “harder…”
He increased the speed of his thrusts, knowing he’d hit her g-spot when she arched again and groaned. He was aware that they’d drawn some onlookers but ignored them as he concentrated on rewarding Sarah for a job well done. Continuing his thrusts, he moved to slide his thumb and index finger over her clit, enjoying her small yelp as he gave it a pinch.
“That’s it, come for me.” He continued to finger fuck her and rub and pinch at her clitoris until he could feel her pussy walls tighten around his fingers. “Good girl, come… come now.” With his order, he pinched the small sensitive bundle of nerves hard and she came apart, her body jerking on his lap, her juices streaming down to wet his trousers. He continued to hold her and stroke her until he was sure she was sated. Once she sighed, he slowly removed his hand from her sex and bent to kiss the top of her head. “Good girl.”
“Thank you, Master Quentin,” she said.
“If a Dominant isn’t man enough to make sure you are satisfied after your play, then don’t play with him again.” Quentin looked up, pleased to see that the Dominant who’d paddled her had the grace to flush.
“I was only getting her a drink…”
“She didn’t need a drink, she needed you to make sure she was okay.”
“I realize that now and I apologize. Sarah, I’m really sorry.”
“That’s all right,” she said, accepting his hand as he helped her rise off Quentin’s lap. “If you still want, I’d like a drink now.”
“Certainly.”
Quentin watched with approval as the man took the time to help her back into the black dress the floaters wore as their uniform, carefully pulling it up over her bottom and then gently moving her hair to lie over her shoulder so that he could tie the ends of her halter top at the nape of her neck before leading her towards the bar. He smiled as she thanked him, her reddened cheeks peeking out beneath the very short hem of the dress. Standing, Quentin made use of the bottle of hand sanitizer and dropped the thick paper napkin into the trash before returning to the bar to finish his beer.
“You’re right,” he said, lifting the bottle. “We need more floaters.”
“Better watch it, boss,” Adam said with a grin. “If word gets out that you are willing to personally step in without really asking for service, you might find a bunch of their friends applying for the job.”
Quentin knew it was a joke but also knew it was highly unusual for a Master to forego his own needs. Still, the moment he had considered having Sarah open her mouth to take his cock inside, all he’d seen was the heart-shaped face of another woman, her eyes showing her shock at his words. He didn’t deny he’d earned the slap Grace had given him but was also unable to deny that she had needed to hear what he had to say. Laurie was a great girl but he’d forgotten she tended to play matchmaker.
Slipping a tip under his napkin, he said goodnight and returned to his apartment. Stripping out of his clothes, he tossed his pants into the dry-cleaning pile and looking towards his bed, knew his own words had just come back to haunt him. Sure, he didn’t make love, and it seemed he didn’t fuck, either. He stepped under the hot spray of the shower and took his erection into his fist. No, instead, he jacked off like some horny teenager. Squeezing and releasing as he moved his hand up and down his shaft, he closed his eyes, groaning as the woman only feet down the hall once again appeared in his mind. In the privacy of his rooms, he allowed his fantasy to imagine the little artist falling to her knees, her tongue and lips replacing his fist. Picturing her curly auburn hair becoming a darker red from the falling water and her green eyes lifted to his as she pleasured him, he groaned as the first jet of his seed splashed against the tile.
He pushed the erotic picture from his mind and finished his shower, trying not to notice that his cock was already semi-hard again. Damn it, he was not interested! Pulling on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, he grabbed a beer from his fridge and the stack of reports that he and Conner had started going over that afternoon. It would be far better for him to immerse himself in his work instead of a fantasy that he had absolutely no intention of pursuing. He’d shirked his responsibilities long enough. The very least he could do was make sure that by the time Brody returned to the club, it would have the proper amount of staff, and a newly graduated class of submissives just waiting to find their perfect dominant partner, ensuring the club continued to be both a safe place for those who enjoyed kinkier play, and a profitable business for the man whom he’d called a friend for as long as he could remember. He made a mental note to again remind Conner that he wanted to see the individual applications of the women who had si
gned up for class, wondering how many would actually remain to the very end.
He didn’t stop working until he heard the ping of the elevator and knew that Laurie had returned home safely. He’d speak to her tomorrow about her little scheme. Then again, he’d be willing to bet that while Brody might have enjoyed her late night visit, he would wonder exactly what had her thinking he’d approve of her ditching the escort he’d provided in order to do so. With a grin, he wondered if the little nurse did indeed have a red ass or if she had simply been instructed to add the transgression in her journal to be atoned for at a later date. Quentin flipped the file folder closed and stood to go to bed. Before he could, he heard a soft knock on his door.
Looking through the peephole, he realized he’d be getting his answer sooner than expected. He grinned seeing Laurie give a small shrug as she turned away, obviously intending to be able to truthfully state that she’d knocked but he hadn’t answered. He waited until she was halfway down the hall before he pulled the door open, causing her to give a short shriek.
“Going somewhere?” he asked.
“Um, I thought you might be asleep. I didn’t want to bother you…”
“No bother at all. You know I’m always available to you. What can I help you with?” He paused a moment and then said, “Oh wait, don’t tell me. You’ve got another friend who just happens to be without transportation? Or perhaps you’ve got someone else who needs a place to crash?”
She gave him a look that told of her guilt. “I’m so sorry, Quentin. It’s just that well, you seemed to like her, and I love her, and I thought…”
“Do you have any idea how your little game played out?” he asked, sternly.
“From the way your arms are crossed and your tone, I’m guessing not so well?”
“That’s an understatement. I not only felt manipulated, I was mad, and rude to a woman who didn’t do anything to earn it.”
“Oh, God, I’m so sorry, Quentin. Really, Grace had no idea. I just thought that if I was out of the picture, you two might…” She stopped speaking and walked towards him. “I know it was a shitty thing to do. It seems Brody agrees and, well, he sent me to ask that you take care of it for him.”