Reformat_of_Art_of_Submission_5-16-14-3

by Michelle

  “It’s going to take us about twenty minutes to get to the restaurant, so why don’t you start on your list of questions.”

  “What is it that makes a man want to beat a woman?”

  The car in front of him slowed and Mark slammed on the brakes instead of slowing.

  “Maybe we’ll wait and do the questions at the restaurant,” he said. Where in the fuck did she get these questions? She’d been in his club once and he’d made sure she didn’t see much. Certainly not anything rough. The only other club in town was known to be a little tougher than his, but from what Dena said, Kellie hadn’t been anywhere else.

  Curiosity got the better of him and he had to ask. “Kellie, where did you get these questions?”

  “I’ve done some research and I’m looking for answers that I couldn’t find on the Internet.”

  “Please tell me you did more than an Internet search. Most of the information about BDSM online is pure crap.”

  “Oh, no. I have other sources.”

  “Have you been to any other clubs?”

  “No. I know there’s one in Dallas, but when I mentioned it to Dena, she—well, that’s when she told me about her membership at Private Delights.”

  Kellie’s eyes were on the road and she hadn’t glanced at him since they got in the car. The little lady wanted to ask tough questions but wasn’t willing to give much information in return. Shrewd negotiator or randomly fishing for information? Time would tell.

  “Well, when we get to the restaurant, I’m going to clear a few things up about your research. You have many things to learn.”

  Traffic eased as they left the city, and once they got to his neighborhood, they made good time. The family-owned eatery was his favorite hideout. Mama Rose’s eclectic menu made it easy to vary his meals—a mandate from the owner—and the family atmosphere relaxed him like nothing else could.

  He parked in the small lot and walked around to help her out of his low-slung Mustang, keeping her hand in his until they got to his table.

  To her credit, she acted the independent woman and tried to pull her hand free. He shut her down with a shush and kept moving. If she wanted to play in his world, she’d need to live in it a little. And that meant she’d allow his hands on her whenever he wanted and not pull away from him.

  Mark liked to sit in the back at a small corner table with a little privacy. The family kept the spot free whenever they could on the off chance he’d show up. And he usually did.

  The perks of being his own boss were legend in his circle of friends and if he kept Kellie around for long enough, she’d get used to his ways.

  Or he’d move on to the next pretty submissive.

  “Do you have any preferences or particular foods you don’t eat?” he asked Kellie.

  “I don’t eat meat.”

  No hesitation at all, but something in her voice was different. He rolled with the comment and let her have her say.

  “Vegetarian or vegan?”

  Her lips rolled in like she was holding in words or a secret, the sparkle in her eyes a second tell. She liked to play games. Not a problem. He played mind games with women all the time. But he didn’t know her well enough to know the truth.

  He gave he a quick, flirtatious smile, just enough to catch her interest, and started over.

  “Let me rephrase. Are you allergic to anything?”

  She let out a quick breath and answered in the negative.

  “Don’t play games with me right now, Miss Windsor. I expect the truth from you when I ask a direct question.”

  “I’m not a vegetarian.”

  “Acknowledged. I’ll order for you.” When she started to object he interrupted. “If you truly want to learn about my lifestyle, you’ll give me a chance to show you what it’s like. Let me make the decisions tonight. If you disagree about anything, tell me and we’ll talk about it.”

  He could see the apprehension in her eyes, but she relented and when the waiter arrived, he ordered for both of them.

  ”Now, about those questions. Why do you think men like to beat women?”

  Her full attention was now his, those amazing greyish blue eyes he’d glimpsed a few times the other night reminding him of the ocean outside his beach house. She’d left her hair down and it fell past her shoulders in thick waves of gold and brown. “No one I know beats women.”

  “Isn’t it common practice to discipline submissives with paddles, canes and whips?” she asked, those innocent eyes at cross purpose to her words.

  The dichotomy enchanted him.

  Nothing quite as exciting as a lady in public and a hellcat in bed.

  “Ah, I see where you’re mistaken. Beating and discipline are two very different things in my world. A sub is disciplined by his or her Dom when she needs to learn a lesson, much as you would train a child to follow the rules or teach a puppy not to chew on the furniture. It’s a tool to modify behavior. Beating anyone is cruelty and isn’t allowed in respectable BDSM organizations.”

  “They’re one and the same.”

  Now defensive, she’d stop listening altogether if he let her, so Mark modified his tone. Far from a first time Dom, he reached into his persuasion arsenal and let his tone drop.

  “No. Discipline is teaching. Would you deny that a small child needs to be taught not to touch a hot stove? Parents use negative reinforcement—a slap on the hand—to remind the child of the danger.”

  “Grown women don’t need to be spanked to learn lessons.”

  “I can assure you that women in my club are not harmed. If they are disciplined by their Dom, it’s consensual.”

  Their food arrived and she stopped arguing while she tasted what he’d ordered.

  “This is delicious, thank you,” she said, still sounding cool and aloof.

  Mark lifted a lock of hair away from Kellie’s face and positioned it behind her ear, then stroked her cheek, her eyes on his from the minute he touched her. “I’m glad you like it.”

  They ate in silence for a few minutes and he watched her eyes move and her mouth purse and chew while she considered his caress. He hadn’t planned to move so fast, but he couldn’t seem to stop wanting her. She was a petite enigma, with too many questions and too many hidden agendas, and he needed to know everything about her.

  What’s more, he had the strangest desire to feed her, to take care of her every need. It was an urge he hadn’t felt in years.

  “Do you have more questions on your list, or was that the only one?” he asked.

  “Why would a woman choose to participate in your lifestyle?”

  A question he could answer, but chose not to. “A very good question and I have a great answer. Actually, I have a suggestion.”

  Kellie’s hand lay on the table, one finger rubbing back and forth as it traced the arc of her water goblet’s base. A picture formed in his mind, a scene with Kellie using that lovely digit to caress his body while he mapped hers with his palms. He jerked his head back into the here and now before she succeeded in driving him crazy.

  Instead, he’d push her over the edge of desperation with pleasure.

  All in good time.

  For now, he reached out and covered her hand with his. “Come to the club tomorrow and talk to some of the subs. They’ll share their stories with you.”

  “You don’t want to tell me yourself?” she asked.

  “No. I’ll discuss it with you after you’ve had a chance to talk to some of the other members, but if I tell you what I think, you won’t believe me tonight.”

  Her hand slid out from under his. “You’re going to tell them what to say, aren’t you?”

  “There’s no need for me to coach them and I wouldn’t do so, Kellie.” His fingers bounced around on the tabletop. A bad habit, but better than cigarettes or booze. “You have your phone?”

  Kellie pulled it out of her tiny bag and set it on the table next to her plate.

  “Do you have Dena’s number? Call her right now and ask her.” />
  “How well do you know Dena?” she asked while scrolling through her contacts.

  Definitely more than Kellie needed to know about his working knowledge of her friend, and Mark refused to shock the little lady so early in their little game.

  “She’s dating my best friend. Call her.”

  Her eyes bored into him, and while he appreciated the view, he easily figured out what she thought about his suggestion. “I had no prior knowledge of your questions, so I had no way of prompting her answer. Call her.”

  While he ate, she dialed. She asked her question and turned several shades of red while she listened to the answer. “Thank you, Dena. I never knew you were so deeply involved. No, I don’t need to—um, hello. Yes, I will. Yes, thank you. Bye.”

  “Well?”

  “I suppose I should have asked Dena when I found out she was a member.” Kellie picked up her fork. “This is a delicious meal. Thank you so much for everything.”

  “What did she tell you?” He refused to let her hide from him.

  “Pretty much what I’d expect you to say. And Steve asked me to relay a message.”

  He raised a brow and waited as her face went pink.

  “He said to tell you to play nice.”

  Chapter 5

  The buzz of her backup alarm screeched at her from across the room and Kellie still didn’t want to get out of bed. They’d stayed at the restaurant for hours, eating desert she didn’t need and talking about all kinds of things she didn’t care much about. Listening to Mark talk was a joy. He was passionate about a variety of issues and involved with a couple of charities she supported through volunteer work.

  She found herself liking him more than she wanted to. He was too charismatic for her, too over the top good looking, and too sexy for her sheltered way of living. But something called her back to him every time she tried to separate herself, and it annoyed the hell out of her. Self-control was important to her and she had no desire to lose her mind over Mark Harrison.

  Blocking her thoughts and the sound of the alarm clock with a pillow didn’t work so she forced her body to move. When the screeching ended she gave serious thought to climbing back under the covers, but it couldn’t happen.

  Work awaited. Real work at a real job so she could pay the bills and pretend to be a researcher.

  She had an appointment at six thirty to meet with a few of the women at Mark’s club and she hoped they’d be more giving of information she could use than Dena was. She was a good friend, but her involvement with a major player like Steven Gladston colored her declarations.

  The concierge greeted her by name when she arrived at Private Delights, and while she waited at the counter, the conservatively dressed lady called for her escort. Kellie was surprised by the young woman who offered her hand a few minutes later. Much like Kellie, she was dressed in a skirt and top and wore low heels.

  “Hi, Kellie. I’m Joanne. I’m one of the staff submissives here. Master Mark said you had some questions?”

  Kellie’s thoughts faltered. A paid submissive? Did she get paid to let men spank her? The idea swiveled around her head at the suggestion and the reality of her position here as a guest-researcher. “Yes, I do have a few questions.”

  “If you’ll come with me, we can talk for a while. There are some other women here tonight that might be able to help, too.”

  Joanne led her through the same main room Mark had shown her and turned left when they reached the back of the building. “These are private rooms,” she said, pointing to the closed doors on either side of the hall. “Members lease them for an hour, a day or longer. A few of our members have a room reserved for their exclusive use year-round. Master Mark suggested we use this one tonight.” Joanne stopped before a door and swiped a keycard.

  The man continued to astound her.

  Joanne opened the door to a well-appointed space reminiscent of a high-end hotel room in an upscale part of town. A lush sofa sat along one wall and a full bed on the opposite wall had an enclosed cabinet next to it. An open door across the room gave her a glimpse of a full bath. No kitchen, but a wet bar with a mini fridge and microwave gave the inhabitants plenty of options. Right down to the assortment of handcuffs on the shelf and the jumbo bottle of lubricant on the counter.

  “Master Mark wants me to assure you that all surveillance equipment tied to this room has been turned off.” Joanne settled on the sofa like they’d been friends for years, the picture of relaxed and comfortable. “What questions do you have?”

  Time to work. Kellie got out her steno pad and sat next to the woman, hoping to get some real answers Flipping the pad open, her brain stumbled over the woman’s comment.

  “Surveillance equipment?”

  “Oh, yes. Most areas of the club are monitored by cameras, the recordings stored in a database. It’s a safety issue. Knowing that what you do might be recorded keeps everyone in line with the rules of the club.”

  “Really?”

  Joanne nodded. “Doms know they are expected to follow the rules set out by the club and to recognize the consent or refusal of their sub.”

  “And if that doesn’t happen?” Kellie asked, fascinated by this new information.

  “The Board of Directors authorizes a conflict resolution panel to hear grievances. Master Mark can give you more information about that than I can.”

  “Have you ever been party to a conflict resolution panel?”

  “Oh, no. Sorry, but I haven’t had a need of one.”

  Kellie made a note to ask Mark about the panel and continued. “You’re a staff submissive? How does that work?”

  Joanne’s smile lit up the room. “I’m a salaried employee. I assist with social events, sometimes fill in for wait staff, and visit with unaccompanied members who are in need of companionship.”

  “You have sex with them?”

  Joanne wrinkled her nose. “Sometimes, but usually they want to dominate me more than have sex. Most of the time, the men I entertain want someone to listen to them, follow their directions, and pamper them.”

  “Have you ever been hurt, beaten, or whipped?”

  The long, thoughtful stare Joanne fixed on her set Kellie aback. She didn’t want to invade anyone’s privacy but the facts were important to her. The woman’s answer, when it came, floored her.

  “Hurt? No. Whipped? A few times. I remember each one like it was yesterday. They were the most fulfilling moments of my life.”

  A knock on the door filled the silence after her answer and the door opened immediately.

  “Miss Kellie? I’m Cindy. I understand you have some questions?”

  Joanne offered to answer questions whenever she needed and left while Cindy made herself comfortable on the couch. The process repeated several times and the answers were just variations on a theme.

  All of the women Kellie spoke to had nothing bad to say about the club or the men in it, and she wondered how much Mark had coached them. The sixth time the door opened, this time without a knock, Mark waltzed in and looked around.

  “Finished yet?”

  The woman Kellie had been speaking with slipped onto the floor and lowered her eyes. Mark stepped closer and placed a hand on her head.

  “Thank you, Liz. You honor me.” He stroked her head. “If Kellie is finished with her questions, you should go find someone to play with. I saw some of your favorite friends in the common room on my way back here.”

  “Thank you, Master.”

  The girl’s bright smile sent a shard of resentment burrowing into Kellie’s chest. The young woman clearly adored him. Was every woman in the building in love with this man? Kellie leaned over her notepad to conceal her expression and reorganize her thoughts. How Mark ran his life, and how other women interacted with him, was none of her business. She was here to get information. The end. Mark’s social life, or sex life as it were, didn’t figure into her plans.

  “Kellie?”

  His voice pulled her out of her head and she lifted h
er eyes to his.

  “I’m hungry. Come eat with me.”

  She rose and immediately went to him, despite the voice in her head shouting that compliance wasn’t a good idea. His hand on the back of her neck, Mark walked her through the club and into the restaurant. The wide room featured a wall of windows facing what used to be a golf course and the best booth in the house, the one with a gorgeous view of the lake, was reserved for the club’s owner.

  He led her to the banquette and sat beside her. Kellie scooted farther into the curve of the booth and he followed. She adjusted her derriere until it was on the other side of the curve and he moved again. When their knees touched and their shoulders were less than a foot apart, Mark put his hand on her thigh.

  “Stop moving, Kellie. I’m going to touch you and you don’t need to be afraid to let me.”

  “I’m not afraid.”

  Her palm itched to slap the grin off his face and she leaned back. Where had that come from? Violence never solved anything and now emotions were leaking past her resolve. This was about information, nothing more. A relationship with Mark Harrison wasn’t part of the plan.

  A waitress arrived with ice tea for both of them, making it impossible for Kellie to argue with him, and she left without leaving menus. He was Dom-ing her again, putting her in a position of submission to his will.

  “Come here.”

  She met his gaze, gathering what little inner fortitude she had to hold her own against the pull of his considerable charm.

  “Stop Dom-ing me.”

  “It’s called topping,” he said with a chuckle. “Come here.”

  Mark tipped her head back and leaned close. “I’ve waited long enough.”

  Their lips met in a slow melding of warm flesh and wet tongues as he devoured her. Time and space were lost to her and any thought of resistance shriveled and died during his possession of her mouth. Lost in the moment, she gave up any chance of withholding her submission, and he knew it. He plundered and ransacked her will until all she knew was the feel of him holding her while he took her to a sensual world of pleasure.

  She gulped air when they separated, her chest screaming and her lips begging for more while they moved apart.