Arranged: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

by Lexi Blake

  Kori sighed and sank down to the bench. “Yes, it was all couples the last few nights. I think Big Tag was trying to make you more comfortable. He admires you as a top. Apparently some dude in France likes you, and Tag likes that dude, so there’s a mathematical equation in Tag’s mind that adds up to you being one of the good ones.”

  “I’m well known at The Velvet Collar. I believe Mr. Taggart is good friends with Rene, the man who owns the club. He’s also a friend of mine.” And one she should have listened to. “I was trained by Rene. One of the things he taught me was that I can’t change a submissive who doesn’t want to change. I should have listened to him.”

  A leopard didn’t change his spots, and Kashmir Kamdar would never be faithful. Certainly not to her. He was probably keeping her quiet and focused until the moment that he could break ties with her. He would know a compliant wife was better than one actively fighting him. Hence his decision to stop haranguing her. He’d made his decision and now he was surviving as best he could until he could spring whatever plan he’d come up with on her.

  Until then, if he could quietly have his fun, he would do it.

  “Please excuse me.” She started to turn to go.

  “Arguing with him won’t solve the problem,” Kori said suddenly.

  Day turned, arching a brow and then realizing what she was doing. They weren’t playing. They were in a club, but the roles weren’t rigid here. She was tense and upset and slipping into the one role where she felt in control. It wouldn’t help her. It would only serve to cause her more trouble. “I wasn’t planning on arguing. I was going to talk to him. You’re right. We do need to get our stories straight.”

  “But it will end up in an argument, you know. Look, I’m not trying to overstep… Okay, I am, but it’s totally what I do. Overstepping is kind of a hobby of mine. If you go find Kash, you’ll get into an argument, and that won’t solve anything. He’s too stubborn to give in and you gave him an out. Is it so surprising that he took it? Kash has been fooling himself for years.”

  “An out?” Now she was confused.

  Kori shifted on the bench, gesturing for Day to join her. “Kash talks when he drinks. He wasn’t playing so Tag gave him a free pass to the bar. He came down to the club last night and after a couple of shots, he started talking to my husband. Oh, in the beginning it was all about how Kai should cut his man bun. Don’t you underestimate the power of the man bun. Anyway, after another few shots, he told Kai that you lied to him and tricked him into a D/s relationship.”

  She couldn’t help but roll her eyes in perfect disdain. “That’s ridiculous. I didn’t trick him into anything.”

  “So you outlined what you wanted from him?”

  There it was, that creeping, completely unfounded guilt that seemed ready to overwhelm her at any given moment. This was why she hated all the time she’d spent “thinking.” “I gave clear instructions and they led us both to incredible encounters.”

  “So you didn’t work up a contract with him?”

  And the wave was cresting. “It wasn’t like that. I knew we wouldn’t have that kind of a relationship.”

  “But you wanted one.” Kori leaned in. “Mistress Day, you don’t have to talk about this, but I know you’re not talking about it with Kash and I don’t think you have made friends here. You’ve been through something stressful and I understand pulling back. But talking can help. It’s helping Kash.”

  He did seem happier. He’d had breakfast with her this morning and spoken more than a few words. They’d had a lively discussion about an article he’d read in a scientific digest. It had almost made her feel normal.

  What would it hurt to talk to Kori? From what she’d heard from Kash, this woman and her husband were in some ways the mom and pop of the club. Big Tag and his wife were the king and queen, but Kori and Kai were the ones many of the members talked to when they had a problem.

  “If I had sat him down and explained that I was a Mistress and wanted him to submit to me sexually, he would have run as fast as he could. Kash thinks submitting means he’s weak. He can say he understands the lifestyle all he likes. He doesn’t.”

  “I don’t know about that. I think he does understand much of it. The thing he doesn’t understand is himself, and tricking him into something he’s not ready for wasn’t the best plan.”

  “I wasn’t tricking him.”

  “I understand that, but that’s how he’ll see it. Why didn’t you tell him you had experience?”

  How much had Kash talked? Little hypocrite. He’d told her they should show a united front and then turned around and given up their every secret. “I didn’t hide it. I simply didn’t talk about it. I didn’t want to hear about Kash’s conquests.”

  “But you knew about them.”

  She couldn’t avoid it. “Everyone knows about them. His escapades are legendary.”

  “While yours were private. You knew much more about him than he knew about you. Doesn’t that put him at a disadvantage?”

  She caught hold of her anger. There was nothing in Kori’s demeanor that indicated she was being judgmental. She was the wife of a therapist, and Day would be surprised if she hadn’t picked up a few of her husband’s techniques. It was a bit like a science experiment. She’d put forth a theory—that Kashmir had been “tricked.” Now it was up to Day to prove or disprove the theory. Kash believed it. By examining her own actions with Kori, she could find a way to change his mind.

  Or she would decide she owed her husband an apology.

  “I don’t view relationships as a game. I don’t seek to have an advantage over him. I wasn’t trying to trick him. I was trying to form a connection with him and it worked. When we were alone together, he responded to everything I asked of him. He enjoyed it.”

  “Until?” Kori asked.

  “Until the moment he figured out someone knew about my background as a Domme. We were perfectly fine until he realized it was possible someone could find out.”

  “Interesting and not unsurprising. I did hear that Ian and some of the others were working to ensure your privacy,” Kori explained. “I’m fairly certain after they’re done, you won’t have to worry about the press finding out.”

  “That’s the real problem. I never worried. I didn’t care. I’m not ashamed of myself. I take pride in who I am and what I can do. I’ve helped many submissives learn about discipline and to find their inner strength. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

  “No, but it is seen as abnormal by many in society.”

  “And it always will be if we all hide.”

  Kori shook her head. “It can’t be you. You gave up that right when you chose to take the crown, Your Majesty. You get to stand up for people who don’t have a voice. You get to do amazing things for the needy people of both your country and the world, but you don’t get this. The minute you decided to become Loa Mali’s queen, you ceased being able to take that part of yourself public. I’m not saying there’s anything shameful, but you have other fights to fight. Bigger fights. You can be whoever you want behind closed doors, but you belong to the people otherwise. That’s what Kash has to deal with.”

  It hit her forcibly. Somehow she’d known it in an intellectual way, but she hadn’t fully grasped what it all meant. Kash’s life had changed that day fifteen years before. He’d gone from coddled spare son with all the choices of his life open to him to a man whose path was laid out before him with no exit ramps.

  She was now trapped with him and Kori was right. She had to be realistic. There were many ways she could help the people of her country, but she couldn’t do anything at all if she was so controversial a figure that no one would listen. She wasn’t a pop star who could say whatever was on her mind and still expect to collect a paycheck at the end of the day. She wasn’t even a politician. She represented the people of Loa Mali.

  Kash had been submissive for fifteen years. Submissive to his crown, to his people. His sexuality was one way he could have some form of cont
rol. Still, even he couldn’t walk into a BDSM club without causing a scandal. They had to keep that part of their lives private.

  It wasn’t going to work. Sadness replaced her anger with him. Anger would solve nothing. She’d been naïve to think she could show him how good it would be to submit to her, that he needed to submit.

  “He isn’t capable of giving himself what he needs,” she said softly. “He won’t ever give in. Not fully. That’s why he was going to travel after our honeymoon. He needed distance.”

  “If it helps at all, I think you’re right. I believe he would find great joy in having a place to submit to a strong top. It would help him realize he doesn’t always have to be the king, but I fear he’s spent too long with a crown on his head to be able to change his mindset. It’s one thing for him to be known as a manwhore, something different for him to be seen as sexually submissive.”

  He wouldn’t be able to do it. She could see that now. He’d indulged himself, but even right before their wedding, she’d felt him pulling away. He’d always intended to pull away. He’d been trying to stave off that moment when he would have to tell her he could never be that way again.

  Had he dreaded it? Had Tasha showing up that night actually been some form of a relief for him?

  “I should let it be.” Talking to him wouldn’t change a thing.

  Kori frowned. “Oh, I didn’t say that.”

  “You were right. Arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere. I understand his position. I was wrong to try to be sneaky. I should have been upfront with him. It would have saved us both a lot of time and heartache and potential lawyers’ fees. No, I’m going to give him the space he needs. I’ll try to talk to him about what we need to do, let him know I won’t fight him. I think that’s what he’s afraid of. He’s afraid I’ll cause trouble, but that’s not my intention at all. I want to make this easy on him, and definitely easy on the queen mother.”

  She wasn’t sure what made her sadder, the idea of losing Kash or that for a moment it had felt like she’d had a family again. For a few weeks, she’d felt like she belonged.

  “I agree you should go easy on his mom, but you should totally give him hell. It’s the only way they ever learn. Look, you’re the Mistress. I get that, and you all have rules and shit, but sometimes a bit of bratty behavior goes a long way.” The smile that lit up Kori’s face let her know she played the brat a lot. All the more fun for her Master. “Sometimes you’ve got to change the game on a man to get him to see things in a different light.”

  That sub was probably so much trouble, but then again, she also seemed smart as hell. Day wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but maybe it was time to change the game. After all, the rules had been stacked against Kash since the day he’d been born.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “You know what they say, Mistress. What’s good for the goose…”

  Was good for the gander. Ah, she understood. Perhaps it was time to start over, but with no secrets between them. He would likely still reject her, but if there was any chance at all, she would take it.

  “I’m going to need some help.”

  * * * *

  Kash stepped into the lounge with an uneasy sense of guilt. He’d told Day that he was going down to the conference room to play some video games. He’d then changed as quickly as he could and left via the back door of their suite, praying she wouldn’t see him. He was dressed in the leathers the group had been kind enough to supply. He wore leather pants and boots, a thin leather vest, and a mask. With his hair pulled back in a tight queue and the mask covering half his face, he was certain no one who didn’t know he was here would recognize him.

  Would Day recognize him like this? Would she respect him like this?

  He’d lied to her. Damn, why had he done that?

  The lights had been turned on and heavy industrial music thudded through the club. It looked like Taggart had gone all out since there was a heavy layer of smoke running across the dungeon floor. It gave the space a hypnotic, other-worldly feel.

  This was what he needed. To be out of his own head for a while, outside the world and the places where all the responsibility weighed him down, where he could be someone other than the king.

  But wasn’t that exactly what Day had been trying to offer him?

  He shook off the question and jogged down the stairs, moving quickly toward the lounge section of the club. Guilt followed him. It kept pace with his movements, giving him not a moment’s rest.

  She was trying to be his friend and he was plotting against her. She thought he was going to give her some happy-ass divorce, but he couldn’t. He fucking couldn’t, and that pissed him off, too.

  He needed this evening. That was what he told himself. He needed a night to prove to himself that the thing with Day had been an outlier—an experience that varied from the norm. He wasn’t the man who sighed and kissed his woman’s feet. He was the top.

  There would be no sex tonight. He couldn’t. He…he was married to Day, and he felt that deep in his soul. But perhaps if he found a sub to top, the world would shift back into place.

  Then he would be able to sit down with her. He might be able to deal with the situation rationally. When he really thought about it, he was doing this for the two of them.

  If he could figure his own shit out, perhaps she would understand. Perhaps she would fall in line and he could be strong enough for the two of them.

  Kash made it to the lounge area, where most of the group would start their evening. Some people were already out in the playroom area and some had scenes going in the dungeon, but he needed to find a partner.

  To top. Because he was the top. He was the Dom. That was how it had to be.

  “Are you serious? Dude, what is wrong with you? Is that a wig?” Taggart asked a man with long hair that very likely was a wig.

  Taggart sat on one of the lounge chairs, leaning back and looking like a king holding court. Well, if the king of Sanctum also happened to be a long-haired rocker with a red bandana around his forehead.

  Apparently the group had taken the whole masquerade theme seriously. Kash had thought they would all just wear masks, but some of the group were in full-on costume. Charlotte Taggart wore red thigh-high boots and a Wonder Woman costume that would certainly fall off her the minute she started taking out the bad guys. Although it could be effective. She had lovely breasts. She could distract her enemies with those.

  “I’m not going to apologize, Axl Rose. Khal Drogo is a badass,” the other man said.

  “He’s also about five feet taller than you,” Taggart returned.

  The other man shrugged. “I have about a billion dollars more than he has so I think I win. Also, my sun and moon is even prettier than the one on TV. Hey, gorgeous.”

  A lovely woman stepped into the lounge wearing a flowing white gown and a wig with platinum blonde locks. She looked at the man who would probably have made a better hobbit and sighed, her hand over her heart. “And you look amazing, my love. Don’t let the big bad wolf tear you down. I’ll set some dragons on him.”

  Taggart grinned. “I got Wonder Woman to shield me.”

  The man with the fake swords at his sides stepped up and put his hands on the woman’s hips. “I’ve got a billion dollars on Big Tag, too. Don’t you worry about my ego. I can handle it. You ready to handle me?”

  “You know I am, baby,” the woman replied and then her eyes took on a steely look. “How do you greet me?”

  To Kash’s surprise, the man fell to his knees, his hands on his thighs as he offered himself up to his Domme.

  The woman put a hand on his head and accepted the offer with a smile. “Come, my love. Let’s go play. It’s been a rough week. I think you need some serious discipline.”

  His face turned up and he was grinning. “Yes, after that last board meeting, I’m going to need a little something something, if you know what I mean.”

  She reached out a hand, helping him up, and then led him away
toward the play area.

  “That is one happy tech guru,” Charlotte said with a smile on her face.

  “I remember when he was all uptight and grumpy.” Serena Dean-Miles took a seat. She was dressed in a schoolgirl outfit complete with pigtails and Mary Janes. “Hey, Ka… I mean, hi, Sir. We’re calling him Sir tonight, right?”

  “He’s undercover, though I wouldn’t have agreed to any of this if I thought he was in real jeopardy,” Taggart explained, his hand on his wife’s knee. “Every single person in this club knows the rules. No one is going to talk to the press because they know they would have to deal with me. And Mitch. He’s a bloodsucking lawyer. He’s like a giant tick. Once he settles in, it’s really hard to get him out. Ask Laurel. One unplanned pregnancy and she’s saddled with the man for life.”

  Charlotte shook her head. “Don’t believe him. They’re incredibly happy. And now Serena and I are going to help the Mistress set up for her demo. I’ve heard Harrison nearly had a heart attack when he found out a Domme was going to be doing a ropes demo tonight. He had a rough case this week and he’s sure he can avoid the heart attack he sees coming his way if he can get in a good, long session.”

  “Harrison Keen? The attorney?” He’d met the man briefly when he’d been at Sanctum the year before. Keen had been on the board of a charity Kash funded. Harrison Keen was an all-American man who commanded attention when he walked in a room. “He’s going to help this Mistress with her demonstrations?”

  Taggart laughed, the sound booming through the lounge. “No. He’s going to beg the woman to tie him up and beat his ass red. Keen’s a big old bottom. Oh, don’t get me wrong. He’s the alpha male in the courtroom, but when he’s in the dungeon, that man is all about kissing some dainty Domme feet.”

  “We talking about Keen or Milo?” a new voice asked. Adam Miles strode up. He was dressed in a perfectly pressed suit, his hair slicked back and a briefcase in his hand.