by Marlee Wray
“No, of course not,” she said with a gasp. “I just wanted to get the days over so you’d be back.”
“Have you ever been hospitalized for an overdose?”
“No.”
“Ever been hospitalized for depression? Or drug abuse?”
“No! Of course not!”
“Lower your voice.”
A black SUV pulled up, and Rory put her in the backseat. He talked to the man in the black suit for a moment then got in beside her.
“I need to know, Kate, if you were trying to hurt yourself,” he said.
“I wasn’t. I swear!”
“Okay, we’ll talk more about it at home,” he said as the driver got in. He took her hand. She tried to pull it back, but he tightened his grip until she stopped resisting. It immediately made her feel better.
When they arrived at Rory’s, he had to bring in his own bags, too, which is when she realized he hadn’t even been home yet from his trip.
Inside, she gathered the mail and stacked it neatly on the counter, then started to take her bag to the room.
“Leave all that where it is,” he said.
She returned to the kitchen. “Do we have to talk about it? I just made a mistake. I deserve a bad punishment, so you can forgive me and we can get back to normal.”
“Sit,” he said, nodding at a chair. “I’m not gonna punish you for what happened, Kate.”
She sat. “Why not?”
He hadn’t called her kitten. Not once. It was making her feel ill.
Rory folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the counter. “Punishment’s not the answer.” He watched her so closely and for so long that she started to fidget.
“What? Please! I’ll do anything. What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing. I just want my eyes on you while I think.”
“Can I come there to you?”
He shook his head. “It’ll affect my judgment.”
She cocked her head. What was he trying to decide? Her pulse quickened. She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a hand to stop her.
“Was the fact that I was gone the worst part of the past few days?” he asked. “You said that you were trying to get through the days until I got back. Did you take the pills so you could sleep through the time I was gone?”
Her heart thumped. This seemed like a dangerous question. Would he think she was too unstable to be a good pet? Would he keep his distance or send her away? “It won’t happen again.”
“Answer the question I asked.”
“Please,” she said, her lower lip trembling.
“Tell me the truth. Communication is key. Without it…” He shook his head, and the implication was clear.
It felt like she’d swallowed a gallon of adrenaline. Her hands shook as she clasped them in her lap. “Yes. You were gone, and it was the worst thing.”
“In my car, I made you promise you would call and tell me if you were in trouble. Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t think you meant for something like this. What was I supposed to say? I miss you so much that I can’t cope. Please cancel your very important business meetings and fly all the way back from Europe so I won’t be lonely? I didn’t want to mess up your trip. I’d be such a bad pet to do that.”
“If that’s what you think, we’ve got work to do. This is on me. I pulled you from your training when it wasn’t finished.”
“You’re training me. And it’s better than—”
“Quiet, kitten. You’re not telling me. I’m telling you. There’s a thing called sub drop. Have you heard of it?”
“I think so. When a sub is cold and dizzy after an intense scene?”
“Yeah, among other things. Physically it happens right after the scene. Emotionally it can happen even days later. I’m starting to think that all this,” he said, swirling his finger, “what I’ve been doing with you here has felt like one long never-ending scene. So that when I left and broke the connection, you had a bad reaction.”
“Please don’t think that it’s your fault! I’m the one who did something stupid. It’s my fault. Please don’t—I couldn’t stand it if you—”
“Kate, stop. It’s not about blame.”
She bit her lip, her eyes filling.
He sighed. “Come,” he said, holding out a hand.
She jumped up and flew across the room.
He held her tight. “I felt it too, when I was gone. When I wasn’t working, I was restless. The time in the hotel sucked. I wanted you there. I know it was harder for you. It always is for subs.” He shook his head. “I saw the way you cried when I told you about the trip. I knew it would be tough. I thought I could handle it by staying in close contact by phone. Long distance works for some masters and pets, so I figured… But you’re inexperienced. You didn’t put yourself in my hands when you needed to. And I was overconfident. It wasn’t a conscious thing. I just didn’t think it through. We’ve been winging things here in the house, and when we’re about to go down in flames, I’ve been able to pull us back up before we really crash. This time we almost didn’t make it.”
“Please don’t change anything,” she said, still crying. “This works. Us here alone together is better than anything else in the world.”
“You want us to be hermits?”
“Yes.”
He laughed, then turned serious again. “You could’ve died. For a few seconds when I forced that door and the room was so quiet and still… fuck.”
“I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”
“I forgive you. But things are gonna to be different for a while.”
“But, Rory—”
He smacked her ass hard. She swallowed and stared up at him.
“I’m not asking what you think. I’m telling you how things are. You can have any kind of meltdown you want when I’m around to take control. But that won’t fly when I’m on another continent unless there are people around that I trust to keep an eye on you. It’s time to get back to the club.”
Chapter Twenty
When they entered the Marquis Club, Kate felt both excited and nervous. Master Rory had been over the basics of club etiquette with her again and a bunch of the rules, but she wasn’t sure she’d remember everything. She’d resolved to just stay quiet and follow his lead when she wasn’t sure.
Nikki was at the desk. This time Nikki was in fetish wear that was a collection of studded leather straps crisscrossing her body, but covering nothing that was normally covered.
Next to her stood a beautiful boy who could’ve been her brother. He wore very short vinyl shorts.
Nikki smiled brightly when she saw Kate and Rory. “You’re here! So cool. Master Rory, you were missed. Kate, welcome back. This is Tyler.”
“Hello, Sir,” Tyler said, his gaze fixed on Rory. He actually blushed.
If he had been a girl, Kate might have been jealous.
“Blade, I take it?” Master Rory said.
Nikki’s smile widened. “Tyler is an equal opportunity submissive. Mistress Marianne and Master Blade are alternating training him. But tonight, we hear that for the first time in club history the two of them are going to take turns during the same scene. I cannot wait.”
“Are you nervous?” Kate asked Tyler softly.
Tyler stole a glance at her and nodded.
Kate bit her lip, then said, “It’ll be great. I’m sure of it. Nikki said they’re both amazing.”
“You’re new too, huh?” he asked.
Kate nodded.
“Well,” Nikki said. “That’s probably enough chatting. I bet Master Rory wants to get inside.”
“Actually, Nikki, I want to leave Kate with you for a few minutes.”
“Of course.”
“Oh, I didn’t—” Kate began.
“Stay here, kitten,” he said and then disappeared behind the curtain.
“He’s…” Tyler stared after him.
Gorgeous? Strong? Amazing? she thought. “Yes, he is,” Kate wh
ispered.
Why had he left her at the front door?
* * *
Rory found the door to D’s office open and him sitting inside. Rory tapped on the frame. D smiled and stood up.
“Rory, good to see you,” he said, extending a hand.
Rory stepped inside and shook it.
“Is Kate with you?”
“Yeah. She’s talking to Nikki and the new kid.”
“Tyler,” D said with a nod, sitting. “He’s been put through his paces this week. Ridden a little harder than usual since he’s got a pair of trainers.”
“Looks all right. Holding up okay, you think?”
“Seems to be.”
“Blade’s not used to sharing the spotlight. Mari, either. Think some one-upmanship’s starting to play out?
“A little. But the boy had a rough daddy before, so he’s not wholly inexperienced. Blade and Marianne together, though.”
“Yeah,” Rory said, thinking that combination would be a lot even for a really experienced sub to handle. “You’ve got your eye on the things.” Rory sat. “It won’t get out of hand.”
D nodded. “What’s on your mind, Rory?”
“A favor.”
D waited.
“I want you to talk to Kate alone. See how you think she’s doing.”
“Happy to. Any reason?”
“Yeah.” After a beat, Rory stood. “Appreciate it.”
D chuckled. “My taciturn friend.”
“Mostly. Not always.”
“Oh?”
“Been on a roll lately with her. I think Hamlet made shorter speeches.”
D threw back his head and laughed. “That’s hard to imagine.”
“I know.” He walked to the door. “Okay for Kate to come to your office after she changes?”
D nodded.
* * *
Rory collected Kate from the desk and dropped her off in the dressing room. He had one last thing to do before he could get on with his night. He found Marianne in the lounge, drinking Red Bull and discussing the finer points of floggers. She was five ten and had arms to rival a lot of men’s. She also had bleached blonde hair, feathery eyebrows, and a pair of breasts to rival a Playboy playmate’s. He found it a weird combination, but subs seemed to love it. He’d always been on good terms with her, but they weren’t friends, so he wasn’t sure if she’d do him a favor, especially on a night when she had a big scene with Blade.
“Rory, glad to see you. Heard rumors you almost managed to start a fight in D’s office while he was there. Throwing down with the peacekeeper sitting at his desk?” she said with a laugh. “That would’ve been one for the books.”
“Shoulda thrown that first punch. Coulda been a legend.”
She laughed. “Can’t believe you were gonna go there with J. Outside his scenes, the guy’s so mellow.”
Rory shrugged. The near fight in D’s office was old news that he didn’t care to talk about. “I actually came to ask a favor. The timing sucks, so no pressure.”
Marianne leaned forward. “What do you need?”
“Fifteen lashes with the cat.”
“On who? One of the pretty boy subs needs a lesson you don’t want to do yourself?”
“No, it’s my back I want you to stripe.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Not in the club for show. Courtyard. Dark corner.”
She was speechless.
“It’s gotta be legit. I know you’ve got the scene tonight. If you wanna pass to save yourself for that, it’s cool.”
“I’m surprised you asked me.”
Rory waited.
“Gonna tell me why?”
“No.”
She chuckled. “A man of mystery. All right, whatever. I’m in.”
* * *
Kate glanced at herself in the mirror. The baby doll top was made of sheer peach netting material so her breasts were clearly visible underneath and so were the sheer matching panties. It wasn’t typical BDSM gear and that somehow made her more self-conscious. Her nipples looked big and dark under the light fabric.
When she’d toured the club, she’d been surprised by the variety of things worn by the subs. Everything from latex to nothing, with plenty of sexy lingerie in between. She got the impression that it was because it was such an exclusive club, it was almost more like a clubhouse, with many members coming night after night so that they got to know each other well.
There were plenty of dungeon areas where the filmy pastel outfit would look out of place. Maybe Rory intended for her first scene to be in one of the less industrial scene rooms. She hoped it wouldn’t be a roleplay. When it came to stage productions, she was strictly behind the scenes. She’d helped with computerized set design for a couple of school productions, but if she had to act she would totally embarrass herself.
She took a breath and checked her ponytail. She’d worn her hair up to show off her collar. The gold would’ve matched the baby doll better, but the black was classic and seemed better for her first official night in the club as Rory’s pet.
She wondered what Master D wanted to talk to her about and how long it would take for Master Rory to retrieve her from Master D’s office. She was anxious to have her first real night with him in the club. She also hoped to see Tyler’s scene. And any that Nikki did. Nikki had told her that while most of the emotional support during and after a scene was from a submissive’s dom, there was a general supportiveness from the whole community, especially amongst the subs. Kate loved that. She never felt like she could get particularly close with girls from school because she always had her larger than life secrets. The Marquis Club was like a dream come true in many ways.
She went straight to Master D’s office. He was drinking ginger ale, and she again thought that he reminded her of some of her professors. She accepted a soda, but paused with it halfway to her mouth when he closed the door.
What was going on? Even when they’d had a soft-spoken chat about her history with Brandon the door had been ajar. She’d thought it must always stay open.
“We’re really glad to have you back at the club, Kate.”
“Thank you for having me. I know we broke some rules.”
“There seemed to be extenuating circumstances… an instantaneous connection?”
She nodded. It really had been.
“Master Rory certainly acted out of character. He’s usually in complete control of himself, but with you, he gave in to impulse. That’s generally not a good thing, especially when there is a young, inexperienced submissive involved.”
She pursed her lips. She wanted to defend Rory, but didn’t want to be disrespectful to Master D who’d founded the club and who’d allowed them to come back.
“How are things going?” Master D said.
“Really great.”
“What’s not going great?”
“Nothing. Everything’s good. He’s wonderful.”
“If your transition into this lifestyle has been perfect and smooth, I’d be very surprised. You had a dramatic first few days. That alone must have been unsettling.”
“It wasn’t. You have to understand I had been dreaming of finding a club as great as this one. I know I don’t have very much experience yet, but I do know exactly what I want. It’s this. I swear. I want it more than anything.”
“As long as he’s your master?”
“Well, yes, now that I’ve met him.”
“Is it a romantic, as well as a master and pet, relationship?”
“I—Master D, I think maybe Master Rory should be here.”
“It was his idea not to be.”
She blinked and sat back. “Did he say why?” she whispered.
“No. I’m hoping to learn that from talking with you.”
“May I just sit here quietly until he comes?”
“Of course. But I’d advise against it. He wanted us to talk. It would be disrespectful to him for either of us to opt out of the conversation. I won’t. As his su
bmissive, you certainly shouldn’t either.”
“It’s just that he didn’t warn me or advise me on what to say.”
“Then you should assume you’re to use your own judgment and be honest.”
“Well, my judgment is to keep what’s happened between us private.”
“Who are you protecting? Him? Or yourself?”
“Both. I mean neither. We don’t need protection from the club. We haven’t done anything wrong in the club.”
“What about outside the club? What are you afraid to tell me?”
* * *
The water at Rory’s feet was tinged pink. He’d chosen a cat that would scrape his skin, which he guessed had surprised Marianne, but she hadn’t held back.
He walked out of the shower and toweled off. He would wear a shirt tonight, which some people would undoubtedly notice since he really never did a scene with a shirt on. Between the lights, the workout, and the vibe of the club, being shirtless made more sense to him than wearing one.
The locker room was empty because the scenes had begun, but Shay was a late arrival. He walked in just after Rory had zipped his jeans. He hadn’t put a shirt on yet. He’d wanted to give his back a chance to dry so the shirt wouldn’t stick to his wounds. Rory shifted to face Shay so his back wouldn’t be on display, but he’d forgotten the row of mirrors behind him.
Shay raised his brows. Of course, he’d noticed. The guy missed nothing.
“You let Kate try her hand with a whip?” he asked.
Rory laughed. “Kate worries about my ears when I play my headphones too loud.”
“She’s a sweet little sub, huh?” Shay said.
“They don’t come sweeter. So no, she’s not up to putting stripes across my back. She’s submissive through and through.” He pulled the shirt on. No need to prolong the display. It looked worse than it was. Though it had hurt pretty damn bad at the time.
“So then?” Shay asked.
“Penance.”
“For?”
“Misjudged a situation.”
“Lost your temper?”
Rory sobered. “No, there’s no sub alive who could push me into letting that beast pop his chains.”
“Quite a metaphor. I didn’t think you were an English major.”