She sat straighter and squared her shoulders. “Good.”
“And I think we’ll start with a little punishment for that demanding attitude of yours,” Josh drawled as he walked toward the door.
Her shoulders slumped slightly as a feeling of trepidation worked its way down her spine. Punishment? “I wasn’t demanding.”
Josh snorted. “I quote, ‘I’m not taking no for an answer.’ Sounds demanding to me.”
She could hear the amusement in his tone as he opened the doors to the entry hall and stepped through it.
Jennifer cringed. “Crap. What the hell have I gotten myself into?”
Chapter Thirty-One
Jennifer sat in the bedroom of the guesthouse, fidgeting on the stool as Connelly used a makeup brush to cover her face in foundation. She hadn’t seen Josh since earlier when he’d spouted off that ominous warning. Just thinking about it had her warm all over.
Unfortunately, now that the time had come, she felt more trepidation than excitement.
Should she have demanded one more night with Josh? Maybe she should’ve left well enough alone and let him keep his distance. Saying good-bye would be all the harder after another night of sex. She would already spend the rest of her life craving him, missing him. Why torture herself? Right?
Connelly used her finger to lift Jennifer’s chin. She studied her eyes as though trying to determine what to do with them. “What’s going on, hon? You’re what my assistant would call nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockers.”
Jennifer choked on a laugh. “Nervous as a what?”
“You’ve never heard that saying?”
Jennifer shook her head briefly before Connelly reached for another brush and began to put makeup on her eyelids. “Why would long-tailed cats be nervous of rockers?” she asked, mostly just trying to keep from talking about what was really bothering her.
“Because they get their tails caught under them,” Connelly replied. “Now stop stalling by asking silly questions and tell me what’s wrong.”
Jennifer let out a long sigh of resignation. “I think I’ve fallen in love with Josh.”
“You think?”
Jennifer’s lips twisted. “I know.”
“What’s so bad about that? Josh is a great guy.”
“Yeah, but he’s over ten years my senior, and he’s already told me he’s not the relationship type. He made that clear before we slept together.”
“Well, wasn’t that gallant of him?” Connelly replied drily.
Jennifer smiled slightly. “It was probably smart on his part. I knew what to expect going in, but I wanted him anyway. I was stupid to think that my wanting him or the type of man he was would change.”
“He has changed. He just hasn’t accepted it yet,” Nathan replied as he stepped through the bedroom door.
Nathan wore a pair of black slacks and a crisp white shirt opened partway down the front. His shoulders were so wide she and Connelly could probably stand side by side behind him and still not be seen. His dark hair and eyes complemented the tan tone of his skin and gave him an almost Mediterranean appearance, but Josh had said he’d been born and raised in New Orleans.
No doubt the man intimidated any patients he worked with into talking. She assumed he saw patients anyway. Josh had said he used to but couldn’t recall if he still did.
He stopped and stared at her face for a second before saying, “Don’t do too much. Josh doesn’t like trashy.”
Connelly clucked her tongue. “When have you ever known me to do trashy?”
Nathan’s grin was almost wicked. “I stand corrected.”
The intense way Nathan watched Jennifer made her grab the edges of her robe and pull it closer.
“I’m going to pay for that later, aren’t I?” Connelly murmured.
Nathan didn’t answer, just continued to grin. Jennifer wanted to feel bad for her, but she sensed Connelly didn’t mind that bit of fear Nathan seemed to enjoy inflicting.
“Do you have any ideas about what she should wear?” Connelly asked.
“Yes.” Nathan held up his hand, and Jennifer noticed the royal-blue piece of flimsy material balled in his fist. “It’s elegant and will bring out her eyes.”
Connelly smiled as Nathan walked over to place the shimmery satin on the bed. “Good.”
Jennifer’s stomach knotted at the limited amount of material. “I’m supposed to wear that in front of everyone?”
“Yes,” Nathan replied, matter-of-fact. “That and only that. No bra, no panties.”
Jennifer’s eyes went wide, despite the fact this wasn’t new to her. She knew she could end up naked. She knew she could end up having sex while on display. But now doubts began to creep in.
“You’ll be fine, Jennifer,” Nathan said in a calm voice as he walked toward her. “Remember. You are always the one who is truly in control. If it gets to be too much and you need him to slow down so you can breathe, say ‘yellow.’ If you want him to stop because it scares you or he hurts you, then say ‘red.’ Understand?”
She nodded and bit her lip.
“What do you say if you’re nervous?” he asked.
“Yellow,” she whispered.
“And if you want him to stop?”
“Red.”
“Louder, sweetheart. He needs to hear you and know you’re serious.”
“Red!” she yelled.
Nathan smiled. “Perfect. And don’t worry. Josh will come around.” He walked over to Connelly and lifted her chin so she looked up at him. “And as for you… “
“Yes, Master?”
“Wear my black shirt I have hanging on the back of the closet door. Nothing else.”
“Yes, Master,” Connelly murmured.
They were so adorable. The love between them was almost tangible. Despite Nathan’s intimidating countenance the love he had for Connelly was obvious when he looked at her.
She hated to interrupt but asked anyway. “Should I call Josh Master?”
“Yes,” Nathan and Connelly replied at the same time as Nathan dropped his hand, and they both turned to look at her.
“Okay.” She glanced at the floor, once again biting her lip. If she didn’t stop, she would draw blood soon.
“Go ahead and ask, Jennifer,” Nathan said softly.
Jennifer jerked her head up and narrowed her eyes at him. “How you do that is really unnerving.”
Nathan chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head toward Connelly. “Just imagine if you were her.”
“I feel for you, Connelly. I really do,” Jennifer said in sympathy.
Connelly gave a shrug. “I’m used to it now.”
“What’s your question, sweetheart?” Nathan asked.
“Did she hurt him so terribly? The girl who cheated on Josh?”
Nathan pursed his lips for a second and then shook his head. “No. Josh never blamed her. He blamed himself for that. He was too focused on work and was never there for her.”
Jennifer gave a nod.
“He’s had two fairly serious girlfriends, one very serious one. That was the one who cheated. With every one of them, Josh continued to put work first…partly because he’s a workaholic and partly because none of those women were the one. At least for him. I think he could’ve been happy with any of them, but deep down there was a piece of him that knew. Since he’s met you, I haven’t once felt his need to return to the agency. He doesn’t have that ants-in-his-pants feeling that usually hits him when he’s been on leave for a while. Despite the situation at hand, he feels content. I believe that’s because of you.”
“But he’s pulling away from me.”
“That’s because he believes he’ll just screw it up again. What Josh needs to do is realize that pull is gone and why it’s gone.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
Nathan smirked. “Then I’ll beat it into him, and we’ll all live happily ever after.”
Jennifer and Connelly both
laughed.
He gave her a sweet, very sexy smile. “That’s better. Now, Josh is taking care of some things at the moment—calls to the agency about the dead bodies at your house, and making arrangements for backup for tomorrow—so you’ll be entering the club with me and Connelly. If you’re on my arm, the other Doms will know to come to me before they approach you. That way I can let them know I already have someone in mind for you. Keeps you safer than being alone.”
She let out a slow breath. “Okay.”
She had a feeling tonight was going to be an interesting night in more ways than one.
* * * *
Jennifer held tight to Nathan’s arm as they walked through the double doors into the main playroom. The butterflies went crazy in her stomach, fluttering so wildly she felt nauseated.
Even with the dim lighting in the massive room, she wanted to cover herself, to shield her scantily clad body from the appreciative stares that came her way from men and women alike. The satin felt cold against her skin. Every step made it flutter around the tops of her thighs, tickling her breasts. Her breasts jiggled, and the soft material made her nipples harden into tiny pebbles. She wanted to sink to the floor in mortification, but Nathan held her upright by keeping her hand tightly pinned between his elbow and ribs.
Connelly was on the other side of Nathan, and Jennifer chanced a glance around his wide chest to see the pretty woman smile in encouragement at her. She smiled briefly back and then turned her awestruck gaze to the crowded room.
There had to be well over a hundred people here, if not more. Most of them wore slacks, although some of the more intense Doms wore leather. The subs were dressed similar to her, but some, she noticed, were completely naked except for collars around their necks.
Connelly had told her earlier the collars indicated a relationship. Connelly had one—a very dainty gold one encrusted with diamonds. She only wore it at the club, though, because Nathan wasn’t a lifestyle Dom. Just a club Dom.
God, there was so much to learn. So many things she still had questions about. Which type of Dom was Josh? She sighed inwardly, wondering why any of that even mattered. Tonight would be her last night with him.
They walked past a seating area, and Jennifer spotted a couple surrounded by three others. One of the men sat on the couch, slumped down as his sub gave him a blowjob. His fingers fisted in her hair as he watched her mouth work up and down his engorged length.
Jennifer came to a complete stop and stared. The other couples around them continued to talk as though nothing out of the ordinary was going on. She swallowed as she remembered how Josh’s cock had felt in her mouth and how his cum had tasted on her lips.
“There’ll be time for that later,” Nathan murmured in her ear as he tugged her with him and Connelly toward the bar.
She tried…really tried not to look back, but she couldn’t stop herself. She watched over her shoulder in fascination as the man grunted and came into the condom covering his shaft.
The Dom opened his eyes and stared down at the expectant submissive. He murmured something close to her ear, and she beamed at him as though she’d just been given a wonderful gift.
“She pleased him,” Nathan whispered, making Jennifer jump in guilt for having been caught watching. “A Dom should always give his submissive praise when she does well.”
She looked back at Nathan, her face heating with embarrassment. “Should the submissive praise the Dom as well?”
“No. The submissive’s explosive orgasm is usually praise enough.”
She studied his amber-colored eyes, noticed the teasing light in them, and wondered if he was pulling her chain. His lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing, making her think he could read more than just emotions.
How well could he read her? “How well can you read Josh?” she asked.
Nathan smiled at the bartender as they approached. The bartender nodded back before turning away to serve other patrons. As she waited for Nathan to answer, she gazed around at the various faces watching the three of them in mixtures of curiosity and jealousy. She supposed she could understand the latter. Nathan was gorgeous, after all, and Connelly looked incredibly good on his arm with her red curls dangling around her shoulders and her fair skin practically glowing against the black of Nathan’s shirt.
“My connection with Josh comes from years of working together,” Nathan replied softly. “Not all of it is psychic.”
Judging by his lowered voice, Jennifer got the impression he wanted this kept quiet. “The people here don’t know, do they?”
“No. And I would like to keep it that way.”
Jennifer nodded. “Believe me. I understand.”
She glanced around his shoulders to Connelly. “Does she know…about mine?”
“Yes. I tell Connelly everything.”
“And I have no choice but to tell him everything,” Connelly grumbled, but her eyes danced merrily.
“Something tells me you don’t really mind that,” Jennifer responded with a grin.
Connelly gave a dismissive shrug. “It has its moments.”
“Keep it up,” Nathan growled low in his throat, but despite the menace—or maybe because of it—Jennifer could see the desire simmering in Connelly’s gaze as she grinned up at her master.
“I’m already going to receive a punishment. The only question now is the severity. Besides, if I recall, you like mouthy submissives.”
“I did say that, didn’t I?” Nathan drawled.
Connelly glanced over at Jennifer. The wickedness in her stare made Jennifer bite her lip to keep from giggling. Apparently, Connelly liked being punished, and since Nathan enjoyed punishing, the two seemed to be a perfect match.
But what were she and Josh going to be? Two ships that passed in the night? What would he be like tonight? Would he be like he’d been at the house? Dominating? A little rough?
She liked that part—the rough handling, the snarling commands, the dark tone to his voice when he spoke. Just thinking about it now made her nipples harden even more. The material of her satin sheath brushed over them, and she shivered.
Where was he? Had he backed out?
“Master Delacroix?”
Jennifer spun at the sound of the deep voice behind her. She’d hoped it was Josh, but the tall blond man staring down at her wasn’t Josh. He was nice looking and had kind blue eyes, but…he wasn’t Josh.
“Master Kyle,” Nathan said. “Good to see you back.”
“It’s good to be back. I’ve missed the club and the beautiful submissives you always have.”
He was staring at her when he said it. Part of her wanted to smile at the compliment; another part just wanted to keep searching the club for Josh.
“Who’s this one?” Master Kyle asked.
“This is Jennifer, but—”
“She’s already taken,” Josh said from behind her in a soft, possessive voice.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ian Kyle glanced at Josh and gave a slight nod in his usual civilized but distant way. “Master Barnes. You’re a lucky man.”
“Yes, I am,” Josh said softly as he grabbed Jennifer’s elbow and tugged her from Nathan’s side.
Ian was a nice man, a good master, but Jennifer was his.
“How was your trip to Europe?” Josh asked, attempting to be sociable.
He liked Ian, but socializing was the last thing he really wanted to be doing…especially after seeing Jennifer in that satin piece of material that barely covered her curvy body, and that blonde hair of hers curling around her shoulders like a shawl of gold.
He’d thought about not coming. He really had. He’d even walked out to his truck but then decided against leaving. He knew Nathan wouldn’t let anything happen, but the thought of her appeasing her curiosity with someone else cut through him like a knife.
He could fight it all day long, but in the end, he knew he wanted her. He would just have to make tonight enough to last a lifetime.
“It was ver
y productive. It looks as though the merger is going to go through without a hitch,” Ian said.
“Excellent,” Nathan replied. “I knew you were worried about it.”
“Yes, I was.” Ian nodded with a smile. He glanced one final time at Josh and Jennifer. His smile faded somewhat. “Well, it looks as though I’m once again on the prowl for a submissive. It was good seeing you, Master Barnes.”
“You too,” Josh replied.
Nathan pointed toward a small group of young women sitting a few feet away at one of the many seating areas scattered about the club. “The brunette in the middle…”
Ian studied the young girl with the sweet smile. “Yes?”
“Her name is Sherry. I believe she would be a good match for you.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen her here before.”
“You haven’t. She’s a friend of Connelly’s, who just started.”
“Thank you,” Ian said with a grin. “I believe I’ll go introduce myself.”
“She would be good for him, I think,” Connelly murmured. “She will loosen up his stiffness.”
“He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a gold staff up his ass,” Josh said as he wrapped his arm around Jennifer’s lower back and pulled her against his side. “He’s a nice guy but definitely raised to be very proper.”
Jennifer snickered, and Josh tightened his arm around her.
“What that man needs,” Nathan added, “is an adventurous and sassy submissive from the wrong side of the tracks. Someone who will shake him up.”
“Kind of like you and Connie?” Josh asked, deliberately teasing Connelly.
“Excuse me?” Connelly asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Would you like for me to tie him to the poles, pet? So you can punish him?” Nathan asked.
“Now that I think I would like to see,” Jennifer said.
Josh slapped her hard on the ass. She yelped, and even though he didn’t look down at her, he could feel her angry gaze bore into him.
“Might want to behave yourself, sweetheart,” Nathan drawled as he put his hand at the back of Connelly’s neck. “Josh loves to punish almost as much as I do. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a saucy submissive who needs a little taming.”
Crime and Punishment 4: Burning Submission Page 18