As he scanned Pet’s body, her abnormally rounded, and obviously enhanced, breasts made him long for Eminence’s natural curves. Tank rubbed the pads of his fingers over his thumb as he thought about touching Eminence’s soft skin again. The brief touch they’d shared when he handed her license to her sparked enough interest for him to continue to think about her. Did she even think about him?
Tank had to push Eminence out of his mind. He had a bottom here waiting to be teased and tortured. He hoped playing with her would help him not think about Eminence. He should have never come back home.
Tank reached into a wooden chest he kept in the back corner of the room. He retrieved a brown deer hide flogger that he had made for him. He grabbed a chair and dragged it across the hardwood floor to the center of the room. The scraping sound echoed off the walls with only the quiet hiss of the air conditioning unit whispering in the background.
“Grab the back of the chair.” He moved behind Pet and waited as she did as instructed.
In her high heels, she still didn’t match his height. As he stared at her, he noticed her slight hourglass figure. Her wide shoulders tapered down to a slim waist and flared out nicely with her full hips.
“I’m using the standard dungeon safe words.” Tank swung his arm back and forth. “Say ‘green’ if I ask you for a response and you like it. Say ‘yellow’ if it’s getting to be too intense. And say ‘red’ if you want the action to stop. Understand?”
“Yes, Sir.” Pet complemented her verbal response with a nod.
“Good. Let’s get started.” Tank swung his hand and brushed her back with the falls. Pet reacted as expected. She arched her back to receive more of his punishment while gripping the chair back.
The sound of the soft leather connecting to her smooth back cracked in the room. Tank knew to keep it easy on her. He had to warm her up before he could go into the hard play.
He had hoped with the first hit that he would have felt something since seeing her didn’t do anything for him. The statuesque beauty could turn hundreds of heads on the streets when she walked down them. For him, he could only compare her to Eminence, the one who plagued his thoughts over the years.
Tank blinked and paid attention to the submissive in front of him. He had to keep his focus. Pet dropped whatever plans she’d had to be here with him, which brought her head and shoulders above Eminence. When she first left, he’d tried reaching her and she had ignored all forms of contact.
Tank brought his attention back to Pet’s body. Even with her darker skin tone, he noticed the uneven slash marks marring her back and rounded ass cheeks. He stopped flogging her for a moment to touch her skin.
Pet sucked air in between her teeth and arched her back. Tank could tell she gripped the chair even harder. He heard the wood backing squeaking under her manipulation. He smoothed his hand down her back to her ass where he patted it.
As his hand roamed down Pet’s back, she curved it like a cat anticipating the next touch. Tank dropped his flogger and moved in behind her. He reached around her thin body and pinched her nipples, careful to work around her nipple rings, although he liked flicking them under his thumbs. Actually, he liked her reaction when he flicked them.
Pet released a light cry as she curved her back into him. With each brush, she twitched. Her breath caught. Her now warmed up flesh radiated heat through his shirt. Tank couldn’t tell if she needed more stimulation or if she thought he wanted the touch, but Pet rubbed her backside against his crotch.
Even though she had the ass most women envied, and the touch felt pleasing, Tank couldn’t get aroused from the connection, not when he kept thinking about Eminence. Pet continued rubbing against Tank’s body until he pinched her nipples harder. Then her body froze.
“Breathe.” Tank whispered in her ear when he noticed how stiff her body had gotten.
Pet nodded but it didn’t seem like she listened. She stood like a statue, stationary in her spot. Tank had to get her going again.
He released one nipple, moved off to the side, reared his hand back, and placed a solid smack on her ass. Like a newborn baby, Pet gasped and released a small cry. At least he’d gotten her to breathe.
“Good girl.” For good measure, Tank smacked her other ass cheek while still maintaining his grip on her nipple.
“Yellow,” Pet said on her exhale.
Tank released her nipple and padded back to his chest of tricks. He pulled out a couple of canes. “Turn around.”
Pet took a deep breath before she turned around. She panted as she kept her stare on Tank.
“Reach behind and hold onto the chair again.” Tank stood in front of her and waited for her to do as instructed.
Pet reached behind herself and held onto the chair like she had done before.
“Spread your feet apart. I want to see all of you.” With the tip of one cane, he waved it back and forth to signal for her open her legs.
Pet took a determined step to one side. As Tank suspected, he saw a silver ring hanging from the skin above her clitoris. The light in the den glinted off the metal piece.
Tank approached her with his canes raised. He drummed them over her shoulders and arms first, lightly at first just to get her attention and warm up her skin on this part of her body.
Pet closed her eyes and turned her head in the direction of his hits. She’d been a good bottom, truly responsive to his commands and play. Tank should have been happy. He couldn’t have asked for more from his friend who’d done him a solid favor by sending over this submissive.
Ordinarily during play, Tank would have felt something. His body temperature would have been rising by now. His pulse would have been racing. During this session, he felt nothing. No, he felt hollow, even worse. Tank just went through the motions, giving this submissive bottom a play session so she didn’t feel like she’d wasted her time making this trip here.
Tank wanted to blame the feeling on his temporary yet inconvenient cold. He knew better. Seeing and touching Eminence, even briefly, messed with his head. The only way he would get her out of his head, purge her from his system, would be to leave town again. Once he completed Jordie’s job, he would do just that.
After another hour with Pet, and with Pet now dripping with sweat and her juices running down her legs, Tank ended the session by wrapping her in a blanket and coddling her on the couch. Normally he liked talking to his submissives after play. This time he allowed the silence of the room to fill the space. He simply rubbed his thumb over her covered arm and brushed the hair from her face.
Pet kept her eyes closed. Then Tank heard her heavy, even breathing, signaling that she had felt comfortable enough with him to fall asleep in his arms. He wanted Eminence to feel that comfortable with him. She’d done that once. As always, Tank wanted more.
After an hour, Tank roused Pet. “Pet? Come on. Wake up.” He rubbed her arm with a bit more pressure than the soothing stroking he’d done earlier.
Before opening her eyes, she wriggled on his lap. The motion of it finally awakened his dormant cock.
Bad timing, dude.
Tank helped her sit up a bit more. Once he did that, she finally opened her eyes.
“Oh my God, Sir. I’m so sorry.” Pet sat up even more, allowing the blanket around her body to fall to the floor. “I’ve never—”
Tank held up his hand. “It’s okay. I understand.” He coughed. “Rough session.” He moved her off his lap, then stood. “Let me show you to the shower so you can get cleaned up.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Tank walked to the spare bedroom downstairs that held an en suite bathroom with a shower stall inside. After handing Pet a towel, washcloth, and soap, he left her alone. Once he heard the shower starting, he went upstairs to his bedroom and went to his bathroom. He ripped open a box containing the medicine he’d purchased earlier that night. He poured a capful of a florescent orange liquid into a small, plastic cap.
Just like when his mother used to take care of him as a child
, Tank pinched his nose before downing the medicine. He could whip a submissive for hours, inflict hard punishment without blinking, but drinking medicine ranked up there with getting a root canal. The bitter taste always sent a shiver through his body.
Hopefully the medicine would help him sleep, help him forget. He padded back downstairs and sat on the couch in the living room as he waited for Pet to finish her shower. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
“Sir?”
A soft voice infiltrated his dreams. Tank shifted on the couch, but kept his eyes closed.
“Sir? Are you awake?”
Tank opened his eyes this time and spotted Pet looming over him. He hadn’t realized that with the combination of the medicine, the comfort of the couch, and the rigorous play that he had fallen asleep.
Pet had slipped on her coat but left it open, exposing her nude body to him again. She’d even removed what he didn’t know had been a wig from her head, showing off her closely cropped haircut.
Tank sat up taller, which made Pet take a step back. “You’re done?”
She nodded. “Yes, thank you for allowing me to use your shower. Most Doms don’t.” She smiled, showing off an impressive set of straight, white teeth.
Tank stood. “You’re welcome.” Just as he started to take a step toward the door to usher Pet out, she took a step in front of him.
“Where is your regular slave or submissive?” Pet smiled as she continued her stare.
“I don’t have one.” Tank stood his ground. “I’ll get back into the scene when I go back home to D.C.”
Pet nodded again. “And your girlfriend or wife isn’t into the Lifestyle?”
Tank felt the hairs starting to stiffen at the back of his neck. He knew where this fishing expedition headed. “I don’t have either.” He moved around her to head to the door. “Not looking for one right now either.”
“I don’t have anyone either. I kind of like being a free agent.” She raised her hands in the air and twirled around like she stood in a meadow full of flowers. “Being free allows me to experience other people’s styles and see what I like and what I don’t like.”
Before Tank could open the door, she sauntered up to him, still with her coat open.
“If you’re looking for someone, I’m sure you’ll find him...or her. Whatever your taste is.” Tank rested his hand on the doorknob as he waited for her to close her coat and prepare to leave.
“I’m sure I will.” She smiled wider. “Is there anything else you would like before I go? Sounds like we’re both unattached. I don’t know about you, but I felt a little something back there when you—”
Tank had to cut her off before Pet could continue. “Thank you, again, for coming out here on such short notice. I appreciate you allowing me to work some things out. But I have a short night and an even longer day ahead of me tomorrow.” He pointed to her coat. “Close up your coat.”
Pet’s smile softened. She nodded as she closed up her coat and tied her belt. “Yes, Sir.”
Tank opened his door. “Have a great evening.”
Pet stopped in front of him before she walked out the door. She touched his shoulder and raised herself up on her toes as she kissed his cheek. “Thanks again for the great session.”
Tank nodded. He had to keep his life simple. Work and play. Anything else complicating that plan wouldn’t work.
Chapter Four
Eminence found herself twirling her fork around the salad she’d made for herself for dinner. She stared at the strawberries mixed with chunks of blue cheese, and it made her wonder why the combination worked, which automatically brought her back to her and Keys.
She wondered how long he’d been in town, and why he hadn’t bothered to look her up before the two ran into each other at the store. Then again, why hadn’t she bothered to contact him? She shouldn’t have let so much time pass between them. From the way he reacted to her and his short answers, it looked like her giving him the brush-off so many years ago still remained fresh on his mind.
What the hell did she have to feel guilty about? She’d caught her best friend in the arms of her man when Eminence needed them both. Now that she thought about it, maybe his abrupt behavior the other night had more to do with his actions than hers.
Eminence took a deep breath at that idea. It would at least help her sleep at night.
Just as she took a stab at a lettuce-cherry tomato-blue cheese combo, her cell phone rang. Some nights she minded the intrusion. Tonight, she welcomed the unseen dinner companion, as long as it helped her to keep her mind off Keys.
Eminence looked at her Caller I.D. screen and smiled. “Hi, Mom.”
“You sound happy.”
Eminence could almost see her mother smiling through the phone.
“Something good happen?” her mother asked.
Eminence took a breath before she continued talking. “Not really. Work is still going the same.”
“Okay. You know what they say. No news is good news, right?”
Eminence nodded as though her mother could see her. Back in the day, Eminence did think Caryl Dutton had eyes in the back of her head. The woman knew every step Eminence made. It surprised her that the one time Eminence snuck out of the house to go to a club that her mother didn’t call her on that.
“Any special plans this weekend? There’s a wine festival in Norfolk that I thought you and I could go to.”
Eminence’s felt a strange tickle over her stomach. She started experiencing that odd sensation recently each time she talked to her mother.
When her parents split up, her mother chose to stay in Virginia Beach in a condo at the Oceanfront. Her father kept the family home in another section of Virginia Beach. From what Eminence saw as the demise of her parents’ marriage, it always surprised her that her father kept the house. Eminence’s mother should have kept the house, the cars, and every damn thing she wanted.
The only good thing that came out of this divorce had been how close Eminence and her mother had become. They had always been close before. Between her mother’s dissolution of her marriage and Eminence’s breakup with Keys, the two found solace in consoling one another.
“When is the festival?” Eminence asked. Just in case Les had plans for her, she wanted to be sure to keep herself open.
“Friday and Saturday. From what I read online, looks like a lot of out-of-town vendors will be there. Even some wineries from Mexico and Canda. Can you believe that?”
“Why is that so hard to believe?” Eminence took a bite of her salad and tried to keep the chewing sounds away from the mouthpiece.
“Those other countries coming here. It’s just Tidewater. It’s not like we’re New York or Philadelphia.”
Eminence cocked her head. “Mom, it’s just business. Of course they’re going to come here. They’re trying to find customers. Plus it’s probably nice for them to get out and about. Maybe you should think about taking a trip. Go to the vineyards in California. I hear they’re amazing.”
Caryl released a nervous giggle. “Me? Leave Virginia? No.”
Eminence imagined her mother shaking her head vigorous, whipping her long hair back and forth. The woman hadn’t cut her hair in years, and let it gain gray streaks throughout it.
“Come on. When was the last time you took a trip?”
Her mother cleared her throat. “Sixteen years ago when your father and I went to New York to see Niagara Falls.” She laughed again. “Hey, maybe we can go somewhere together, just the two of us.”
The uneasy, tickling feeling returned to Eminence’s belly. She rubbed her hand over her stomach before gulping down some water.
“How is that nice man you’re seeing?” Caryl punctuated her question with a slight hum.
“Les? He’s—” Boring, predictable, unromantic. “—good. He had a library event last weekend. I’m trying to convince him to go to an event with me this Friday night.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
Eminence hea
rd a commotion on her mother’s end of the phone. She suspected the woman probably tucked her long strands behind her ear to hear what Eminence had to say.
“You remember Jordie Hampton?”
Silence. In the silence, Eminence ran through different scenarios in her head. She remembered the long conversations she and her mother had had about Jordie and what Eminence had seen that one, fateful day. Eminence had cried on her mother’s shoulder too many times to count. Conversely, so had her mother.
“Did something happen to her?” Caryl asked.
“Yes, apparently she has enough money—” and nerve “—to open up her own nightclub. She found me and sent me and invitation to her opening.”
“Is that what she told Keys Tanksley, that she wanted to invite him to her ‘opening’?” Bitterness and contempt dripped from every word. “I can’t believe after what she put you through that she would invite you to anything related to her. Why would she think you would even support her?”
Eminence swallowed and turned away from her meal. “I don’t know. Maybe she wants to finally bury the hatchet, make amends for the past.”
“She can get salvation from church. You don’t owe her anything, just like I don’t owe your father and his mistress anything either.” Caryl damn-near grunted after she made her statement.
“People do change. I’ve changed.” Eminence hoped.
“Not enough for you to forget the past. That’s why I’m here. I had an opportunity to leave.”
Eminence blinked. “You did? When?”
“Right when everything was happening between me and your father. My job had offered me a promotion that would have put me in Charlotte, North Carolina.”
Eminence’s posture straightened. “I didn’t know that. Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Why should I? I knew I needed to be home here with you. I couldn’t just pull up stakes and go. That’s what I love about you, Eminence. You’re just like me.”
The uneasy sensation now changed to a nauseous feeling. Eminence had to stand just in case she needed to make a mad dash to the bathroom.
Scandalous Heroes Box Set Page 125