Sweet Vibrations

by Melinda Barron

  “Somebody’s being a bad girl,” Eric said.

  “Get your hands away from your pussy, Lucy. You’ll come when we get to Tygers. Not before. I’m the Master, remember? You’re the subbie.”

  She continued to rub, watching Lake as he moved his glance back and forth between her thighs and the road.

  “Lucy, I’m warning you; don’t disobey me on this.”

  For an answer, Lucy pressed the ball into her clit, gently rubbed it back and forth over her hard nub, and came. She moaned loudly as she rode out the waves of pleasure that ran through her body. She bucked her hips against her fingers and cried out Lake’s name.

  “Son of a bitch,” Lake said. “Lucy, you’re asking for a punishment. Dammit. I mean it, Lucy. Move. Your. Hands. Now.”

  Lucy continued to rub. Her second orgasm hit as quickly as the first. She put her left hand on Lake’s crotch and squeezed.

  “That’s it. Eric, please move her hands away from objects that have to do with sex.”

  “Sure.” Eric took her hands in his and placed them on his thigh. Lucy pulled her right hand free and licked her fingers.

  “Crap,” Eric said. “She is a vixen. I’m so hard right now I could hammer nails.”

  “Why are you doing this, Lucy?” Lake’s voice was full of anger.

  “I told you, I wanted an orgasm.”

  “I thought we had an agreement, you and I. It’s still a work in progress, true, but you’re the one who repeated the rules to me. What are the rules, Lucy?”

  “You’re in control, Master.”

  “Was I in control when you disobeyed me just now?”

  “No.”

  “How should I punish you for disobeying me?”

  “Take me home?”

  “Oh no. We’re still going to Tygers. Eric and I will think of something to overcome this little bout of disobedience.”

  Lucy bit her lip. Shit. It hadn’t worked. She’d hoped that Lake would be so angry with her that he’d drop her at her house and tell her that he’d see her tomorrow. She mentally kicked herself in the butt for even thinking that he would do that. For one, her little outburst would have to be punished, quickly. And two, Lake would never leave her alone after the break-in last night.

  That meant just one thing, and Lucy knew that it could not only get her into trouble with Lake, but with the law. Right now, though, she didn’t care. Each minute that she stayed away from Chama was more of a chance for Craig’s killer to get away. She had to put this new part of her plan into effect as soon as they got to Tygers.

  * * * * *

  It was almost one a.m. by the time they arrived at Tygers. Lucy had insisted that they stop at Lake’s house so she could check on her cats. Lake had agreed, giving her time to go upstairs and make sure the animals were settled and hadn’t torn anything up.

  Now, he was ready to get things rolling.

  “Room four.” Lake snatched the key from the sub manning the desk, then grabbed Lucy’s wrist and led her toward the stairs.

  He was still angry, but he’d calmed down somewhat. He wasn’t sure what Lucy was up to, but he knew that whatever it was, he wasn’t going to like it. He figured it could be several things that had prompted her little outburst in the car.

  First, she truly did want an orgasm and just didn’t want to wait. He pushed that idea aside quickly. He figured it had more to do with the emotions that were running through her as a result of finding Craig’s note, and the attack. But that didn’t mean that she could just flat out disobey him and get away with it.

  Their relationship was tenuous enough. If he ignored it; that would probably be the breaking point.

  They entered the room, Lake stopping long enough to empty his pockets before they went into the main room.

  “Maybe I should let you handle this alone,” Eric said.

  Lake exhaled heavily and ignored his friend.

  “Lucy, I’m going to spank you. Not an erotic spanking, but a punishment spanking. A good old-fashioned butt burning spanking. I can’t believe…I just… Shit.”

  He shook his head and looked at her.

  “Tell me why you did that.”

  “I told you. I just wanted an orgasm.”

  “You could have asked. I might have said yes.”

  “Let’s just get it over with.” She walked to the table, lifted her skirt over her hips, and bent over.

  Lake’s anger flared back up. He undid his belt, taking it slowly from the loops. He made sure he was in Lucy’s line of vision as he doubled it over.

  Then, suddenly, he shook his head. Shit. The little vixen was topping from below, controlling the situation to her advantage. He took a step back and started to loop his belt back through his jeans.

  “No. We’ll do this on my terms. You will stay here, bent over like that with your bare behind in the air. I want you to think about why you decided you were in charge. Eric and I are going downstairs to get a drink. When I come back, I expect an explanation. A damn good one.”

  * * * * *

  Lucy waited for a few minutes after the door slammed before standing up and pushing her skirt back into place. For a moment, she’d been afraid that it wouldn’t work, that Lake would spank her and be done with it.

  She’d seen the look on his face the minute he’d realized what she was doing, and the minute he decided to take control again.

  After straightening her clothes, she put her ear against the door. When she was sure he was gone, she went into the anteroom and picked up the keys to his truck. They were lying next to his wallet, right where he’d left them.

  “I’m sorry, Lake,” she whispered to herself. “Please forgive me.”

  Then she opened the door, and made her way toward the exit.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Every time I think things are getting better, she does something that lets me know she’s never going to let me inside her.”

  “She will. You just have to give her a chance.” Eric held up two fingers and the bartender nodded and opened two longnecks.

  Lake reached back and shook his head. “Shit. My wallet’s upstairs.”

  “So is mine,” Eric replied. He winked at the petite bartender. “Put it on a tab, little subbie.”

  Lake signed the paper the bartender gave him, then took a pull on his beer.

  “A chance? Eric, no matter how many chances I give her, she’s never going to open up. If I could find that ex-husband of hers, I’d beat the living daylights out of him.”

  “She’s been through a lot this week. She’s gotten a new Dom. She was attacked by a burglar looking for evidence that could probably prove he’d killed her uncle. Her uncle knew about criminal activity and tried to hide it. Her dog almost died. The list goes on and on.”

  “Are you saying I’m overreacting?”

  “No, because she definitely needs punishing. But I’m saying the two of you are still getting a feel for each other. I think you expected a bond to form too quickly. Give it time.”

  Lake took another drink. “You’re right. I just knew I had to get out of there earlier, or I would have done something I’d regret.”

  “True.” Eric looked over Lake’s shoulder and frowned.

  “What?” Lake turned toward the crowded room.

  “It’s Ty, and he’s got Chess in tow. They both look a little stressed, so something must be up.”

  Lake’s anxiety grew as Ty Kessler, part-owner of Tygers, moved toward them, elbowing aside people who got in the way.

  “I’ve been looking for you for the last ten minutes,” he said to Lake. He pulled Chess closer.

  “Tell them.”

  “Master, I…”

  “Tell. Them.”

  “Lucy took the truck.” The big man lowered his head.

  “What!” Lake pushed away from the crowd and ran toward the parking lot. He could hear Eric running behind him. When he pushed open the door into the cool night air, he stopped in his tracks.

  The fantastic parking
space they’d found near the front door was empty.

  “Fuck!”

  Eric joined him, with Ty and Chess coming outside seconds later.

  “Tell me everything,” Lake said to Chess. “When did she leave?”

  “She went outside about fifteen minutes ago. She told me she had to get something out of the truck. Another couple came in and I was talking to them. I saw her back out and leave. Master Lake, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know…”

  Lake held up his hand.

  “It took Chess a while to find me, and for me to find you,” Ty said.

  “Which means she’s got a good fifteen to twenty minute head start,” Eric said. “You know where she’s going.”

  “Fuck, yes!” Lake ran his fingers through his hair and paced the area. “She knew exactly where that cabin was, the lying little… She set me up. The whole friggin’ afternoon, she was setting me up.”

  “What can we do to help?” Ty crossed his arms over his chest.

  “I need a ride to the house,” Lake said.

  “We need a ride,” Eric replied. “Listen, if she’s headed to Chama, she’ll have to take the main road through Santa Fe because of the truck. If we’re on the bikes, we can take the back roads and make up some ground. Less traffic. More speeding space. I can have someone wake the county clerk there and get the location of the cabin before we arrive.”

  “Chess will take you anywhere you need to go,” Ty replied. He stepped toward his sub, who was several inches taller. “And then, you will come back here so we can discuss this matter. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, Master,” Chess replied, bowing his head.

  “Don’t blame him,” Lake said. “Lucy can be very convincing. Don’t punish him for what she did.”

  “Chess knows the rules. No unaccompanied female leaves the building without an escort to her car. No exceptions. That’s what he’ll be punished for.”

  “Forgive me, Master,” Chess replied.

  “Take them to Lake’s house, and get right back here.” Ty turned to Lake. “Do you want me to report the car stolen?”

  “No,” Lake said. “We’ll take care of it.”

  Ty nodded and yelled for another sub to bring down Lake and Eric’s personal effects from room four. While they waited, he pulled Chess aside to talk.

  When Lake and Eric had their wallets, they entered the car Chess had pulled around and took off. Lake gave Chess his address and the big man made record time to the other side of town. He dropped them off and left just as quickly.

  “I’d say Chess is fixing to get his ass whipped,” Eric said as Lake opened the garage door and sorted through helmets.

  “I’d say you’re right.” He handed Lake a helmet. “Here. I’ll even let you drive the Indian. But you wreck it, you buy me a new one.”

  “On my salary? You’re the doctor. I’ve only got one bike, remember? I’m an underpaid public servant.”

  “I’m a physical therapist who had to cancel all his appointments yesterday, and now today. I hope I’m not looking for a new job when this is all over.”

  Lake went into the house, packed a bag with a few of his and Lucy’s clothing, then strapped it on the back of the bike.

  “I packed enough for you,” he said to Eric. “We’re about the same size.”

  They mounted the bikes and hit I-25. Lake was thankful that it was almost three in the morning, and there was hardly any traffic. They could make better time that way. He also knew Lucy would not encounter traffic, either. Hopefully, their little shortcut, even if some of the roads were unimproved, would get them there at about the same time as she did.

  At Rio Rancho, they turned onto Highway 527 and kicked up the speed.

  They’d been silent so far, so when Eric’s voice sounded in his helmet, Lake uttered an expletive.

  “You know,” Eric said. “You’re going to have two choices here. You’re either going to have to give up on her, or punish her severely for stealing your truck and lying to you. I hope you’re thinking about that.”

  Lake adjusted his microphone. “I am. I’m not giving up on her.”

  “And the punishment will be…?”

  “I haven’t decided yet.”

  * * * * *

  Lucy pulled into the cabin’s driveway and put the truck into park. It was almost six in the morning, and the cabin lay in darkness. No cars were parked in front of her, and from the looks of things, there was no one there.

  She debated about calling Patrick and telling him she was in Chama, asking if she could go into the cabin. But she and Patrick had parted on less than civil terms and she was sure her request would be met with a resounding, “Hell, no.”

  Even after her earlier confidence, it had taken her a bit to find the cabin, so she was later than she’d wanted to be.

  She laid her head on the steering wheel and thought about Lake. The idea of him brought tears to her eyes. She had been looking forward to a decent relationship, and she’d ruined it. There was no way he would want to continue with her after this. He would dump her like yesterday’s garbage. She wanted to rewind the clock, go back to when they’d discovered the note, and tell him the truth.

  Lucy put her head in her hands and sobbed. She’s ruined everything, she knew that now. She should have trusted Lake, told him about the cabin, trusted him to help her discover what happened to Craig.

  Instead, she’d shut him out, pushed him away, and then run from him. Not only had she run from him, she’d stolen his truck. She’d worried the whole way up that a cop would stop her and arrest her for grand theft. She’d passed several, but not one of them had looked twice at her.

  That meant that either Lake hadn’t reported the truck stolen, or he intended to do so in the morning. If he did it today, then when she drove back to Albuquerque later this morning, she would be stopped and arrested.

  She would lose her job, she would lose her house, but worst of all, she would lose Lake. Of course, she was sure that loss had already occurred.

  Once she was outside the truck, she sniffled and willed her tears to stop. Then, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

  “Talk to me, Craig. Where did you leave it? What do you want me to find?”

  No disembodied voice sounded in her mind, and no ghostly forms appeared in the dark.

  “Craig, help me!” Good lord, I sound like a moron!

  She walked toward the cabin and remembered the time they’d spent here, happily hiking, swimming in the pond, collecting firewood, and roasting marshmallows. The vacation was burned into her brain. Her mother and Patrick had kicked them out of the house a few times. Lucy didn’t know why at the time, although she did now. They would have sex while she and Craig played in the woods, and near the creek.

  What had Craig told her? She sat down on the porch steps and closed her eyes, just for a few minutes’ rest.

  Memories of the trip grew stronger. Then, Craig’s voice sounded loud and clear, as if he were standing right next to her. She opened her eyes. He wasn’t standing next to her, but the memory of him was inside her.

  “Lucy, when I was a kid, we used to come here. My parents would fight like cats and dogs, and Patrick and I would go into the cliffs near here. There are some caves that we used to play in, pretend that we were Indians that lived in this area. We used to have such a great time.”

  Sounds from the highway drifted by. The cabin was only three miles off the road, and in the early morning quiet, car sounds had always drifted up. Lucy knew that the world was coming to life again. People who lived near here would be going to work soon, would be getting on with their lives.

  She closed her eyes and concentrated on remembering Craig’s words from her childhood. The cliffs, the caves. If Craig had left something for her here, it would be hidden in one of those caves. There were only three of them, as Lucy remembered. Searching for Craig’s package shouldn’t be too hard.

  “Lucy.” The voice was soft, yet full of urgency.

  “I hear you
, Craig. I’ll go there.”

  “Lucy!”

  She popped her eyes open and stared. Lake stood before her, his hands on his hips, his muscular thighs encased in motorcycle chaps, and fire in his eyes.

  “You, young lady, are in a hell of a lot of trouble.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Lake, I…” Lucy stood, then stopped when Lake held up his hands.

  “Don’t, Lucy. Don’t try to come up with an excuse, or make this any less than what it really is.”

  “I’m sorry.” Her heart lodged in her throat.

  “So am I.”

  “I had to do this, for Craig.”

  “No, Lucy. You did this because you chose to do it. You did this because deep down, you didn’t trust me. You look at me and see Brandon. That’s why you did this.”

  She bit her lip to keep from crying.

  “Have you found anything?”

  “I haven’t looked. How did you get here so quick?”

  “Chess told us you were gone. He’s in trouble, by the way. Just so you know that your actions affect more than you, me, and Eric.”

  Lucy gasped.

  “Master Ty wouldn’t…”

  “He would. Chess broke the rules by letting an unaccompanied female leave the building alone. Chess belongs to Master Ty and will be punished accordingly. I wanted you to know that.”

  Lucy nodded, guilt washing over her body. The idea of sweet Chess being punished made her stomach roll. She knew that to protest about it would do no good. From the look on Lake’s face, things were pretty much done between the two of them.

  The silence stretched on. Finally, Lake cleared his throat.

  “You have somewhere you want to search?”

  “Yes. There are some caves near here. I think that would be a good place to start.”

  Lake nodded, then turned to wave Eric over to them. Lucy felt bad that she hadn’t even noticed that the burly blond stood near the motorcycles, letting her and Lake have time alone.

  “I’m sorry I’ve ruined everything. I seem to be pretty good at that.”

  “You’ve put a huge dent in it; that’s for sure,” Lake replied. “But I’m sure I can think of a proper punishment. Or two. Or three. Or more.”