Once he was certain he hadn’t forgotten anything, Neil pulled his car keys out of his pocket and rounded the bar. “Need anything before I go?”
Mike shook his head. “Nope. How’d you do tonight?”
“Damn good. I think it was the best Monday night I’ve had this month.”
The Irish pub was popular for both locals and tourists alike, and the tips for his employees were proof of that during the latter part of the work week and on the weekends, but Mondays tended to be the slowest of all the days. Tonight, however, had been much busier than usual. Even without Charlotte’s birthday party in the back room, the waitresses and bar staff had been scurrying around, servicing the customers who’d run up quite a few hefty tabs.
“Glad to hear it. See you Thursday.” The bartender had the next few nights off. “I’ll shut off the lights and the rest of the TVs, just lock the door on your way out. I’ll be here for another twenty minutes or so.”
“You got it.”
Moments later, the front door closed, and Mike heard the lock engage. The ESPN recap of the night’s baseball games was the only thing filling the air as he concentrated on logging everything into the books for his accountant. He wasn’t sure what had suddenly made him aware he wasn’t as alone as he’d thought—maybe it was the hair on the back of his neck standing up, or the scent of a light, sensual perfume over the usual bar odors—but whatever it was, it had him looking into the huge mirror behind the bar. His heart thumped faster in his chest as his gaze met Charlotte’s reflection. He’d been fantasizing about the woman for months now. Ever since he and Jake had gotten close, Mike had been getting to know his brother’s friends better. He’d even been invited to parties at the Trident Security compound, and it was there he’d found himself drawn to the petite, Asian-American woman. Unfortunately, she was in the BDSM lifestyle, as was Jake and many of his friends, and Mike had no clue what it was really about and why they claimed to need it as badly as their next breath.
Her piercing, brown-eyed gaze pinned him in place. He swallowed hard as his dick twitched in his jeans. Her straight, black hair hung down past her shoulders, the tips of several strands curling against her collarbones, while subtle makeup highlighted her eyes, lips, and cheeks. The black, knit shirt she wore had a deep V-neck that gave more than a hint of the inner swells of her breasts. Faded jeans that fit like a glove, a black belt, and black boots with four-inch-heels completed her outfit. She was mouth-watering, and, not for the first time since he’d met her, Mike wondered what it would be like to kiss her.
Charlotte took several sultry steps forward. “Your staff should be more diligent about checking the party room before turning out the lights.”
“I’m sorry.” Mike cleared his suddenly dry throat as it made his voice raspy and harsh. “I didn’t realize you were still here, Charlotte.”
Stopping behind him, she grabbed hold of the back of the bar stool he was sitting in and spun it around until he was facing her. Even with her heels, he still had to look down at her. Never breaking eye contact, she used a single finger to make slow circles on his denim-covered thigh, just above his knee, and, damn, if that didn’t have his cock twitching some more. Her eyes bored into his again, and this time his gaze dropped. Since there was very little room between them, he was now focused on the skin exposed by her shirt’s deep V. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Michael. I stayed behind on purpose, wanting a few moments alone with you, to see if I was right.”
His brow narrowed as he tried to ignore her still swirling finger, even though he wanted to move it higher on his leg until she was touching his groin. His gaze met hers again. “Right about what?”
“About your submissive nature when it comes to a dominant woman.”
Annoyed at her presumption, Mike snorted. “I’m not some wimp who wants to be whipped by you, Charlotte.” He stood, forcing her to take a step backward, then moved to the side to put some more distance between them. It was the only way to get his throbbing cock under control. Having her stand so close that he could smell her enticing perfume was a recipe for disaster.
Crossing her arms, her eyes seemed to see straight into his soul, and he fought the urge to swallow hard under her scrutiny. “I never thought you were a wimp, Michael. Is that what you think Nick is to Jake?”
Considering his soon-to-be brother-in-law had just retired from the Navy SEALs and joined his brothers’ security company, the last thing he’d call Nick was a wimp. So why had Mike automatically thought that’s what Charlotte saw in him? “No, I don’t.”
She stepped toward him, and Mike managed to stand his ground when what he really wanted to do was retreat. What was it about this woman that made his knees shake and his cock stand up and take notice? Well, he knew the answer to the second part of that question—she was fucking gorgeous. It hadn’t escaped his notice that every time she walked into the pub, practically every heterosexual male in the place eyed her up and down with lust-filled eyes. But anytime one of them approached her, they were shot down—nicely, for the most part. The only times he’d ever seen her annoyed was when any of them touched her without her consent—which is, apparently, what had happened earlier with the drunken idiots.
She stood less than a foot away from him, but didn’t touch him. “Here’s the deal, Michael. You know who I am . . . what I am. I’m a Domme who takes charge of her relationships, whether or not they involve sex. Most of them don’t.” She shrugged unapologetically. “I’m selective when it comes to sex. That doesn’t mean I can’t offer submissives the domination they crave. However, if there’s a man I’m interested in—one who’s sexually submissive—I have no qualms about approaching him. I’ve always thought you were attractive, but until earlier tonight, I thought you were off limits to me—I wasn’t aware of your submissiveness.” When he opened his mouth to contradict her, she held up a hand to silence him. “Don’t deny it. When I assert myself, you immediately drop your gaze to the floor. I can see right now you’re doing your best not to put more distance between us, and it’s not because you’re not attracted to me. That bulge in your jeans tells me otherwise.
“Now, I know this has caught you off guard. You’ll need time to think about it, and that’s fine. But just to make myself clear and so there’s no confusion on your part, I’m offering you a chance to explore your submissiveness, preferably with sex involved, and to learn all about the power exchange the BDSM lifestyle is based on.” She reached over and grabbed a bar napkin and the pen he’d been using. “Safety is very important to me, and this is not something to jump into without properly researching it—in fact, it’s imperative. This will be unlike any relationship you’ve ever had before, and, I can almost guarantee, it will be the best one you’ve ever had. These are two websites I want you to go to and research the lifestyle. Go to the chat rooms and ask questions. Then when you’re ready to give me your answer, here’s my cell phone number. Call me next Monday, no sooner, no later, and let me know your decision.”
Handing him the napkin with the information on it, she smiled provocatively. “I hope the answer is yes. Have a good night, Michael.”
Mike’s jaw almost hit the floor when the seductress turned and strode to the front door, unlocked it, and left without a backward glance. He swallowed the lump that had been in his throat as she’d told him what she wanted from him. His cock pulsated, and it took every ounce of self-control to not run after her and ask what it would take to end up in her bed tonight.
Silence filled the air as seconds ticked by. Running a hand down his face, Mike shifted his hips. “Holy shit.”
3
A s he poured a glass of draft beer for one of his mid-day regulars, Mike glanced up when the front door to Donovan’s swung open. His gut churned, and he tried to act as if nothing was wrong as Nick strode into the bar, drawing many appreciative looks from the women around the room, young and old. The youngest Sawyer brother was six foot and about two-hundred pounds of pure muscle. Like his siblings, his hair
was jet black, which offset his startling, blue eyes. Even though Mike was straight, it was easy to see how Jake had fallen for the good-looking guy.
Since Mike had called Nick and asked him to stop by for a chat—without Jake—it wasn’t a surprise he was here. But as he took a stool at the bar, Mike was starting to regret calling him in the first place. He tried to act natural as he gave old-man Jeffers his beer. “Hey, Nick. What’ll you have?”
“Bud Light is fine. What’s on the specials today? I’m starved.”
Mike snorted as he grabbed a beer bottle from the cooler and a daily menu—the guy knew the regular menu by heart. “What? Doesn’t Jake feed you? You’re always starving when you come in here.”
“Actually, he had to fly up to D.C. with Ian yesterday for some meeting about one of TS West’s contracts.” Jake had spent a year and a half out in California getting the West Coast team set up while Nick had been finishing up his last tour with the Navy before retiring and joining his brothers in Tampa. From what Mike had figured out from conversations he’d heard when visiting the Trident compound, that meeting was, most likely, someplace inside the Pentagon. “They won’t be back until tomorrow, so I’m on my own.”
Scanning the menu, he chose the daily burger special, then took a swig of his beer as Mike entered the order into the computer behind the bar. When he turned back around, Nick eyed him curiously. “So . . . what did you need to talk about—without Jake?”
Mike glanced up and down the bar. “Um . . . not here.” He raised his voice. “Hey, Missy, I’ll be in the party room if you need me.” The daytime bartender waved at him as she took an order from one of the waitresses. Grabbing a beer for himself from the cooler, he cocked his head toward the room on the other side of the restaurant, and said to Nick, “Let’s go in there.”
The younger man followed then took a seat across from him at a table at the back of the party room. Throughout the week, it didn’t get much use, but during lunch and dinner on the weekends the overflow from the dining room ended up in there unless there was a scheduled event. Unsure of how to start the conversation, Mike asked, “So . . . how are you doing?”
Nick arched an eyebrow at him. “That’s what you wanted to talk about? Let’s skip the bullshit—what’s bugging you?”
Taking a deep breath, Mike let it out slowly. He couldn’t look Nick in the eye, instead his gaze was on the beer bottle label he was picking at with his fingernail. “How . . . How did . . .” He swallowed hard. “How did you know you were . . . um . . .”
“Spit it out, Mike. How did I know I was gay?”
He shook his head. “No . . . not that . . . um . . . how did you know you were a submissive?”
Silence filled the air. Seconds passed by until Mike finally couldn’t take the suspense anymore and raised his chin. He didn’t expect to see Nick’s mouth opening and closing while surprise and bewilderment filled his eyes.
Finally, Nick gave his head a shake and ran a hand through his short hair. “Sorry, Mike. That’s got to be the last question I ever expected to hear from you. Give me a minute to switch gears here.” He took a swig of his beer. “Okay, how did I know? Um, I didn’t . . . not until Jake and I hooked up after Dev and Kristen’s wedding. Jake did his Dom thing and, I don’t know, it just felt right. Trust me, I was confused as all hell. I’d never been in a relationship like that before—or even had a one-night stand like that. It was definitely different, but like I said, it felt right. Why are you asking?”
He should have known that question was coming, but it still took him a moment before he could admit to Nick and to himself what had been going through his mind for the past three days. “I . . . ah . . . shit, how do I say this? Charlotte was here the other night . . . after closing . . . and . . . uh . . . she came onto me . . . I guess—”
“Wait—what do you mean she came onto you? Charlotte doesn’t date outside the lifestyle, as far as I know.”
“She offered to introduce me to it . . . she wants me to submit to her.”
“Charlotte?” Nick’s eyebrows were almost up to his hairline. “Mistress China made an appearance and offered to . . . um . . . okay . . . wow. Okay, so I guess my next question is . . . how do you feel about that? Obviously, you’ve given it some thought since we’re sitting here discussing it.”
Mike shrugged. “Yeah, I’m attracted to her—I’d have to be dead or gay not to be—but I . . . I don’t know about this getting on my knees shit—”
His words were cut off when Nick threw his head back and barked out a laugh. “Ha! Oh, shit . . . this is too funny . . . wait . . . give . . . give me a minute here.”
Nick’s cheeks turned red as his shoulders shook. It took a few moments for him to get himself under control. At first, Mike was annoyed, but then he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “All right, jackass . . . knock it off and help a guy out—I’m out of my element here.”
“Oh, shit . . .” He wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay . . . okay, sorry. Um . . . all right. I’ve gotten to know Charlotte over the past few months—despite being a bit of a sadist, she’s really cool. I know you’ve figured out that the lifestyle isn’t a bad thing, but I get the impression you still don’t realize it’s a good thing for many people.”
When Mike nodded, Nick continued. “Jake and I were at a munch at the club we belonged to in San Diego—a munch is a get-together for newbies or people interested in the lifestyle to meet and talk to experienced subs and Doms. There’s no play, just question and answers. One of the male subs there gave a great explanation of the lifestyle. He compared it to the military—which, being in San Diego, helped a lot of people get it. In the military, there are two types of people—officers and the rank and file. Officers, obviously, issue the commands—they’re the leaders, or Dominants. Rank and file are the followers, aka submissives. One without the other means nothing works—the dynamics of the squad won’t work unless both parties perform their roles and duties. No matter what, there are those who won’t be able to function without that leader—they know how to follow orders, but when it comes to planning a mission, they’re lost. For the leaders, if there’s no one to follow their orders, then they’ll lose the battle. Can’t lead if no one follows.
“The same goes for a D/s relationship—it won’t work unless the Dom and sub have mutually agreed upon roles that they stick to. Doms take the lead, ensuring their subs are taken care of and do everything they can to make sure their subs are protected. In return, the subs agree to hand over the responsibility of play and other aspects of their lives to their Doms. For those not in the lifestyle, it might seem that the Doms have all the control, but in reality, it’s the subs who have the ultimate power, through their limit lists and safewords, and those need to be respected at all costs. Same goes for the military—if there’s no respect and trust, the subordinates aren’t going to follow the leaders. They’ll do the minimum required to avoid being put on report or court marshaled, but the moment the shit hits the fan, they’re going to turn tail and run. It’s not cowardice, but self-preservation. Most rank and file will never be leaders. Most subs will never be Doms. They can try, but I guarantee, once they can put their lives in someone else’s hands again—someone they trust—they’re relieved.”
Nick paused and took another sip of his beer as the daytime waitress brought his lunch in. “Need anything else, Nick?” she asked, placing the plate, piled high with the burger special and fries, and a bottle of ketchup in front of him.
“Nope. Thanks, Joanie.” When she left the room again, Nick picked up a french fry, popped it into his mouth, and grabbed the ketchup bottle. “Does any of that make sense to you, or did I make you more confused?”
Mike let everything his future brother-in-law said sink into his brain, before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “No, I think you gave me another way of looking at it.” He snorted. “I was so caught off guard I told Charlotte I didn’t want to be her wimp.”
Pausing with his burger an inch or two from his mouth, Nick’s eyes went wide. “Damn, I wish I’d been a fly on the bar for that. What’d she say?”
“She asked if I thought you were a wimp for submitting to Jake.” He quickly held up a hand, not wanting the younger man to think he was putting him down. “I don’t—that’s the last word I’d ever use to describe you or Jake. But it’s different with you and him.”
Nick chewed the bite he’d taken, then swallowed. “What, because we’re both men, and Charlotte’s a woman and you don’t think men should submit to women?”
“Yeah . . . no . . . I don’t know.” He ran a hand down his face. The frustration was killing him. He hadn’t dated in a while, but there’d been a few one-night stands—a perk, of sorts, of owning a bar. But those were getting fewer and further apart. He was at the point in his life where quick hookups with nameless women weren’t doing much for him anymore. Yeah, the release with someone was better than what he got with his hand, but meaningless sex was starting to grate on him. His buddies had all settled down over the past ten years—it had worked for some but not all of them so there were a few divorcees. Mike didn’t want to marry someone just for the sake of getting married. He wanted what his brother and Jake’s coworkers and friends had all found. Someone to grow old with—someone they’d found the other half of their heart and soul in.
He wished his soulmate would just walk through the door of the pub one day and announce she was the one he’d been looking for. But that shit only happened in fairy tales. So that meant he had to start dating again . . . getting himself out there, meeting women he was attracted to . . . women like Charlotte . . . no, not Charlotte. Well, why not?
“Why not, what?”
Nick’s question brought Mike back to the here and now, not realizing he’d spoken aloud. “Should I . . . should I try this Dominant/submissive thing with her? I mean, I am attracted to her . . . big time. I just never thought she was interested in me. We’ve had some casual conversations before, and everything was fine. But, honestly, now, I’m a little intimidated. It’s like suddenly she’s set her sights on me and my knees are shaking. And don’t even get me started on the whole whip thing. I know you and Jake have both done that, but there’s no way I could stand there and take someone whipping me.”
Entertaining Distraction: Doms of The Covenant Book Two Page 3