by Anya Summers
She took her time going to him, delivering drinks to another couple first before she ambled to his couch.
“What can I get you?”
“Your ass positioned over my thighs,” he said, without rancor.
“Can’t. I’m busy. Some of us aren’t here to play but to work. So if all you’re going to do is be a problem, please go sit in another waitress’s section and leave me be.”
His hand shot out and grasped her wrist. “Rayna, you intentionally rebuked a reasonable request.”
“And you pulled a rather dick move, Sir. To me, that’s bad behavior which I will not reward. You want respect, then you’re going to have to earn it. That little stunt was cruel and uncalled for. Now, do you want something to drink or not?”
A muscle flexed in his jaw, his gaze unreadable. “Blue Moon on tap.”
She withdrew her wrist from his clasp. “Coming right up, Sir.”
Then she hurried away, gulping in a deep breath. At the bar, she said, “I need a Blue Moon on tap when you have a minute, Matt.”
He nodded her way as he poured drinks for a couple at the bar. Matt brought the draft over and placed it on her tray. “Is there a problem with Jack you need me to handle? It looked pretty intense from here.”
“No. It’s fine. I have it covered.”
Matt gave her a sly grin. “A lover’s quarrel, eh?”
She almost dropped her tray. Some of the beer sloshed over the rim. And Matt, sadistic bastard that he was, laughed at her predicament.
“Well, let me know if you need a hand, love.” Matt winked and then walked away to help a pair of Doms who had just sat down at the bar.
Rayna rebalanced the tray in her hand, then began her walk of doom back to Jack’s side. Why did he have to get her so tangled up? Why couldn’t he leave their relationship at a purely physical level?
She placed his beer on the table beside his couch. “What are you doing here, Jack?”
“Hello to you too. Do you talk to all your customers that way?” He lifted the beer up to his mouth.
She watched his neck muscles move as he took a long drink, and shivered. The man was potent, undiluted alpha. It was one of the major attractions for her; it was also one of the reasons she had left the way she had. “Why are you here? Really? And it can’t be because you’re bored.”
“Maybe I am. Isn’t it obvious? I want to do a scene with you once your shift is finished.” The stare he shot her over the rim of his glass caused her belly to quiver and even deeper down, her pussy clenched, not in disgust or fear, but anticipation. Maybe it was because she was around so much stimuli, with couples screwing in her section and scenes occurring at the stations along the wall. Maybe it was because he’d left her on the edge of climaxing and walked away, that the thought of being fucked brainless made the heat rise in her cheeks.
She sputtered, “No way. You’re crazy,” even as her nipples hardened and a throb started between her vee. What would it be like to toss all her responsibilities, her cares and worries aside, and give herself into Jack’s capable hands?
But she had already done that at home. This, here at the club? The level of trust she would be extending toward him would be huge. There was no way she was ready for something like that, she thought, even as her body stirred and called her a hundred times a liar.
Before she could run away, Jack stopped her, tugging her onto his lap. She yelped and nearly beaned him in the head with her tray. It would’ve served him right if she had, but his reflexes were faster.
“Jack. Let me go.”
He cupped her chin so that she couldn’t look away. “You’re interested. Did I whet your appetite for naughty, wicked deeds?” At her expression, he chuckled. “I did, didn’t I? You’re curious.”
“Not tonight,” she said with a huff because, dammit, he was correct. And with all the lies she had to tell him, this was the one area where she didn’t want to lie. It would be a safer bet for her yet she couldn’t do it. Jack was the one person in the last ten years whom she’d known she didn’t want to lie to, whom she felt guilty for lying to. How messed up was that?
And it wasn’t like she was lying just for the hell of it. This was about her survival—and theirs too.
A Cheshire cat grin slid over Jack’s face. “But some other night. Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Maybe. Don’t press your luck.” Then she added, “Sir.”
Jack barked a laugh. “As for the rest, I’m willing to compromise. But you need to remember I am a Dom first and foremost. The punishment is for your benefit.”
She snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“So you don’t think there should be consequences for your actions?”
“You’re such a cop. Yes, but I don’t think I should be treated like a child.”
“Babe, my fingers were in your pussy. You are not a child in any way, shape or form. But I can see that the manner of discipline was not to your taste. We’re still learning each other here. Perhaps I need to keep it strictly punishment based with spankings and the paddle.”
Paddle? He wanted to use a paddle on her. Her jaw dropped open.
He took that moment to invade her space even further; he tipped her head back and claimed her mouth. The banked embers she had gotten under control raged once more. She clung to him, unmindful of where they were at or that she was working. He dominated her world and proved that she was a fool for even thinking she could distance herself from him.
Jack lifted his mouth from hers. She whimpered and opened her eyes. His smoldering gaze singed the fabric of her being.
“Jack, hands off my girls while they’re working.”
Rayna winced. Matt had caught the spectacle. He had not only caught it but had left the bar and was now standing over them like a disapproving father.
“Sorry, Sir. It won’t happen again.” She tried to squirm off Jack’s lap but he wasn’t having it.
“Matt, I appreciate you looking out for Rayna but I will touch the sub I’m dating whenever and wherever I would like,” Jack replied.
Rayna didn’t know who was more surprised—her or Matt at Jack’s rather loud announcement that they were dating. She could feel the people nearest them being riveted by the spectacle. It made her want to crawl into a hole in embarrassment.
Matt looked surprised, like he’d been smacked upside the head with a two by four. “I was kidding about the comment I made to Rayna earlier. Is this true, Rayna? Are you and Jack together?”
Rayna looked at Jack. Really looked at him. He quirked a brow and waited for her to reply, to see what she would say and if she would rebuff him. When the truth was— her eyes widened at the revelation—they were. She thought back over the last few days. She was dating Jack. She hadn’t meant to get this deeply involved, but intentions versus the actual actions didn’t mean a whole lot.
Holy smokes!
“Rayna?” Matt asked.
Jack’s hands on her tightened. The casual observer wouldn’t see the death grip he had on her thigh. He thought she was going to toss him to the wolves—aka Matt, who had been known to throw out a Dom for an infraction. Although if it came to a fight, her money was on Jack.
“Yes, we are. I should have said something. Sorry, Sir. I’ll get back to work,” Rayna said, not able to meet Matt’s gaze for fear of the censure she would find. She peeked at Jack and caught the approval glowing in his eyes.
“Next time, tell me you’re dating one of these lugs, okay?” Matt said. “And as for you, she still has a job to do. If you want to play with her, do it in her free time.”
Jack begrudgingly set her on her feet, running his hands all over her. When she would have batted them away, he glared at her and she stilled. Then it dawned on her. This was some type of Dominant ritual, a claiming of his property in front of all the other Doms without sex or a scene. Like he was showing them he was allowed to touch her everywhere, but no one else had better lay a finger on her or else he would rain hellfire upon them.
/> Her insides quivered. She had to admit, dominance in small doses was super sexy. After a smack on her bottom, she went back to work. If anyone else had done that in front of the entire club, she would have scratched their eyes out. But not Jack. His touch made her burn. Throughout the rest of her shift, she was fully aware of Jack on the couch.
When Rayna finally finished her shift that evening, Jack was there to walk her to her car. It was his headlights in her rearview mirror on the way home. And when he pulled into his driveway next to hers, she waited for him.
Her resistance to forming any sort of bond with him had melted away. Rayna knew better than anyone how fleeting life and the people in them could be.
When he stepped out of his truck, she asked, “Would you like to come in?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” He took her hand in his and threaded his long fingers through hers. They walked together to her front door.
Tonight had changed things; altered them. And maybe, just maybe, if her past ever did pay her a visit, Jack would be strong enough to withstand the storm.
Chapter 17
Jack let Rayna take the lead, for now, and followed her upstairs to her bedroom. He shut and locked the door behind them. He was going to show her a bit more about what it meant to be a sub. He didn’t have any of his supplies with him, but he was all for improvising.
“Strip. Then I will show you a kneeling position for submissives.”
Rayna stilled near her bed and glanced at him.
“Problem?”
“No.” Her reply was a breathy whisper. She was submissive even if she didn’t realize it. Her body, her responses to his command, proved that. And he had never been so turned on in his life. It was part of her appeal. She didn’t even realize how much pleasure could be wrung from her body, how far it could be pushed.
“When I give you an order, I expect it to be followed.”
“Or you’ll what?” She stood her ground defiantly.
He narrowed his gaze and stalked over to where she stood. He towered over her and looked down. It was there in her eyes, an inherent challenge for dominance. “Are you asking for another punishment? You saw how well the first one went over.”
“Why the hell do you think I drove myself? I was pissed that you left me that way.”
“That’s what you don’t seem to get, babe. When it comes to a Dom and sub relationship, it’s the Dom who’s in charge. Last I checked, that was me.”
“Can we agree that it’s only with the sex stuff and not the rest of my life? I won’t be ordered about like a little soldier. I’ve been fine on my own for too long to ever want another to tell me what to do.” And there it was in her eyes, the flicker of loneliness and bluster. She went toe to toe with him, even though he noticed the way she trembled, her fear.
That was part of her lure. Her bravery. Jack pulled her into his arms. She fit him. She felt right there, as if he was the only one meant to hold her close. The normal, knee-jerk reaction of fear of permanence, of commitment, of venturing deeper than a few nights of ecstasy, was suspiciously absent. “I will agree to keep it in the bedroom as much as possible. But I need you to remember, I am a Dom and at times, if I think you are doing something that will bring you harm, I will do what I need to in order to protect you.”
She opened her mouth—to argue, judging from the scowl on her brow.
“That’s not an excuse. It’s a part of who I am, babe. Take me or leave me. And if that’s something that doesn’t work for you, I can leave now and we’ll end it.” When had she come to matter.
Jack would have bet money that Rayna would turn him away. After the club and now this, he was prepared for her to tell him to pack his proverbial bags and get the hell out. Instead, her hands slid up and cupped his face. Her touch lanced through him like a brand. And his eyes slid closed for a moment at the swath of indescribable pleasure rolling over him. She was choosing him.
He opened them when she brushed her lips against his. On a guttural groan, he crushed her mouth, cupped her nape, and drank deeply from her lips. She tasted of wine and woman. His woman.
He wanted to devour her; make her come screaming his name again and again until it eradicated any man who had come before him. Jack kissed her with all the pent-up need and frustration in his body. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth, curling around her tongue, making her whimper in her need.
With her every simpering cry and breathy moan, she was upending his world. Jack had never wanted a relationship with any woman, any sub. He had worked hard to avoid them in his life. His friends were one thing, but when it came to relationships of the romantic variety, he preferred to fuck at the club and go home alone.
Until Rayna.
His upbringing had been a shitstorm, with his father routinely beating the crap out of his mom while she did nothing. She never fought back. When Jack was old enough, he’d tried standing in the way and protecting her. But somehow that always made it worse.
And he’d vowed on the day the both of them were lowered into the ground, side-by-side, just like they had been in life, for better or worse, that he would never allow himself to have an emotional entanglement deeper than a few good orgasms.
And yet Rayna shattered through his pretenses of control.
He kissed her hard, almost punishing her with his mouth for altering his world. He would die for this woman. Just not tonight. Tonight he would imprint himself on her, show her with his body that she was his, even if she didn’t admit it to herself yet.
When he finally lifted his mouth, his body vibrated with need—the need to toss aside years of discipline, to throw her on the bed and forego what made him a Dominant. Her lips were swollen from his kiss.
But he wanted her not just for the evening or even a few nights. He wanted her to be there when he got home from work every day. She made him laugh and brought color into his rather dull, ordered existence with a simple smile.
His hands caressed down the length of her back to cup her bottom. “Disrobe for me.”
A simple, sweet nod showing her surrender was more profound coming from this firebrand than all the moaning orgasms from club subs. Jack stepped back and gave her room to disrobe. He took his shirt off, then undid his waist holster.
Rayna stopped, her hands at the buttons on her shorts. “Why do you have that?”
“I’m a cop.” Jack hated that he was side-stepping the issue and feeding her a line. He already felt enough guilt over the fact that he couldn’t tell her about Travino and that he was protecting her from him.
“But you weren’t on duty. When did you start wearing your gun and badge to the club?”
“Going without it is something I won’t do. I’ve been a cop for fourteen years, it’s ingrained in me.”
She scowled. “That still doesn’t answer my question. I thought we were supposed to be honest with each other. That it was all part of a Dom and sub relationship, or was that a line you fed me?”
She had him there. He couldn’t give her the unvarnished truth. But perhaps he could give her a little bit of it. “I’ve been wearing it ever since you saw the man in the alley. I won’t let anything happen to you. You know that, right?”
“You’re wearing it for me?” Her eyes widened into huge pools of emotion.
“I’m wearing it for all the subs at the club. If there is someone targeting the club or is out in the alleys to cause mischief, then I want to make sure that you and everyone else is safe.”
She studied him a moment and the tension eased out of her. “Thank you. It actually makes me feel better knowing you took what I told you seriously.”
“That’s what cops are supposed to do, babe.”
“But not all of them do.”
He studied her, thinking over her file and the reports she’d made the first time Travino had found her. “No. Not all of them,” he agreed. “I’m going to stow this in your top drawer, if that’s all right with you.” He gestured to her dresser.
“Yeah,” she
replied.
He opened the drawer and his jaw dropped open. Well, well. His little miss was quite the surprise. He laid the gun belt inside and withdrew two items; the vibrator and a tube of lubricant.
He turned, carrying them to the bed, and Rayna blushed beet red. The blush spread across her naked breasts.
“You weren’t supposed to see those,” she said.
“What? See that you have needs? That even though you might not have been with a man in four years, you took care of your own needs? It doesn’t bother me. In fact, at one point I would like to watch you use it.” He finished removing his clothing until he stood before her in nothing but his skin. His erection bobbed.
She blushed an even darker shade of red and shook her head no.
“Not tonight, though. You will, eventually.” He laid the two items on the bed, then said, “All right, I want you to kneel before me with your legs spread and rest your hands, palms up, on your thighs.”
She lowered herself to the floor, adjusting her body until she knelt in the position. She didn’t lower her face though. Not his firebrand.
“Beautiful. This is one of my favorite positions for a sub. It displays a willingness to submit to your Dom, an openness and trust.”
He circled her, taking in the full picture until he stood before her. His dick jutted out from his pelvis. Her gaze dropped to his shaft. When she licked her lips, he made up his mind where he wanted to begin. He gripped his dick in one hand and her head with another.
“Suck it.” He positioned the head in front of her mouth.
With her gaze on his, Rayna opened her mouth. Her pink tongue darted out and swiped at the crown. He hissed. Oh, fuck! His stomach clenched as she circled the ridge of his crown with her tongue. And one of her hands moved his out of the way so she could grasp his shaft. The feel of her small hands on his dick was beyond anything he could have imagined. He actually trembled. When had that ever happened with a sub? Would he be able to control himself?
Jack watched her mouth envelop the head and take him inside. His dick slid between her lips and he almost lost his load then and there. Rayna moved her head, sucking his length down as far as it would go in her mouth, before retreating until only the head remained. When she started playing with his balls, rolling them between her fingers, he groaned and his hips bucked.