Defensive Zone (The Dartmouth Cobras #2)

by Bianca Sommerland

  "That remains to be seen." Dean muttered before he squared his shoulder and glanced over at Asher. "You may stay if you'd like. But I warn you, don't come here again playing the Dom if you won't follow through."

  Asher nodded slowly. "Well, you see, things aren't really that way between Silver and I. If I decide to get involved in things with Cedric here, it will be different."

  Wow. Thanks for completely abandoning me. Silver let out a strained, but light, laugh. "Glad you made that clear, Asher."

  "Silver—"

  "You can go. I'll be fine."

  Apparently, that was exactly what he'd wanted to hear. Because he left without looking back, Cedric following demurely on his heel. Which should have bothered her, but it didn't. Not at all. She didn't need anyone holding her hand.

  "Give me your wrists." Dean slid his hands down her arms and forced her to focus on him as he undid a pair of cuffs from his belt. "I don't give safewords for punishments, but I won't push you any further than what you can take."

  Oh, that's reassuring. She ground her teeth and let him secure the cuffs. "You sure asshole doesn't want to watch?"

  "You will refer to him as Master Sloan in the club, pet. Preferably when he returns for his apology."

  "Like hell I will!"

  "If you don't, your punishment will be even more severe." Dean's tone softened. "And you don't want that."

  I really don't. But then she caught sight of the whip, lying like a dead black snake at the feet of the men in the front row, and her pride snapped back into place. Sloan, the fucktard, had used that whip hurt her sister. Dean couldn't beat an apology out of her no matter how hard he tried.

  She folded her arms over her chest and sneered. "What will it be, ten lashes? Twenty? Bring it on. I'm not apologizing to that sorry excuse for a man."

  "You're going to wish you didn't say that, pet." Dean sighed and took hold of her upper arm, towing her with him out to the main room. "Ten is a good number."

  "I'm glad you agree."

  He drew her in front of a large, throne like chair and folded his arms over his chest. "Now strip."

  "Strip?" She rubbed her arms and nodded. Fine, there was a crowd, but she had nothing to hide. All those women giggling and pointing could eat their fucking hearts out. She peeled off her top and shorts and faced Dean before letting out a flippant. "So what are you going to use?"

  "My hand."

  Aw fuck.

  * * * *

  Dean struggled to keep his eyes on the mouthy little sub's face. Not that the pink number had left much to the imagination, but somehow she hid more in the swatch of cloth than most women could in a muumuu. Even naked, her posture and icy smile disguised the vulnerable woman he'd gotten a glimpse of earlier.

  Why did the woman in pink have to be Silver Delgado? Why couldn't she have been someone a little easier to handle? Like . . . that Paris Hilton chick.

  Not that high maintenance women ever appealed to him, but hell, maybe Silver wasn't what she pretended to be.

  He pulled off his suit jacket, draped it over the high back of the large, oak throne. Then he pushed the padded, velvet arms out of the way. The piece was custom made, used most often for spankings because it was damn comfortable, but the seat split down the middle to spread a bound subs thighs wide for a good fucking. He glanced down at the seat and shook his head.

  Not this time, Richter. She needs something else from you tonight.

  Settling himself into the chair, Dean patted his thigh. "Come on, Silver. Let's get this over with."

  She looked over her shoulder at the small gathering and inched closer. "Can't we do this somewhere a little more private?"

  "No." He reached out and caught the short chain between her cuffs to pull her to him. "You had no problem disrespecting Master Sloan in front of an audience."

  "He fucking deserved it."

  Tired of arguing with her, he hooked an arm around her waist and dropped her over his left knee. As expected, she immediately kicked and tried to roll off his lap. So he pushed her knees down and held them in place with his right leg, all the while firmly gripping the nape of her neck to restrain her. "No. But you deserve this."

  Without a breath of warning, he hauled back and laid a solid smack on her tight little ass. His hand was big enough to cover both cheeks and a bright red mark blossomed over her pale flesh. She let out a screech which he cut off with two quick slaps.

  "Damn you!" She bucked her hips and screamed when he responded with a resounding smack on her upper thigh. "You're hurting me!"

  "That's the point, my dear." One more crack! and he decided to give her a little break. He petted her colorful bottom, speaking in a low, soothing tone. "There are rules here. You will learn to obey them."

  "You think this will turn me into a good little sub?" She tossed her hair away from her face and glared at him. "Are you really that stupid, shithead?"

  He had to clench his jaw to keep from laughing. Shithead? I think you're ready for more.

  "You." Smack! "Will not." Crack! "Swear." Slap! "At me or any other member of this club."

  "Fuck you!" She choked on a sob as his hand connected with the soft undercurve of her ass. "Stop! Stop!."

  "One more if you promise to behave," he said.

  "I promise!"

  Finally. For a minute there, he'd wondered if she'd ever back down. He really didn't want to have to prolong her punishment, being that this was obviously the first time she'd ever been disciplined. Much as he enjoyed having her laid out, naked and available, she needed to know that accepting that she'd been in the wrong came with its own reward. He had a feeling a 'good girl' would go a long way with her.

  "Brace yourself, pet." He felt her tense up and waited. A bit of a head-game, but he couldn't help pushing her, just a little, to see how she'd react.

  A few shaky inhales and she let her body go slack.

  He gave her a solid whack! and set his hand on the small of her back as she absorbed the impact with a quiet dignity he admired. Gently stroking he tender bottom, he let his approval deepen his tone. "You did very well, Silver. I'm proud of you."

  She went perfectly still. Abruptly her whole body stiffened up and he had to tighten his grip to keep her from tossing herself to the floor. "As if I care? That's some ego you've got, Richter."

  Well . . . he had to admit, that wasn't at all what he'd expected from her. He gave a curt nod and patted her butt. "In any case, your punishment is served. After you apologize to Sloan—"

  Her laugh cut through his dwindling sympathy. "You've got to be kidding me. Did you miss the 'I'd rather take twenty lashes?"

  Stubborn didn't cover it. She had to be hurting! What was up with the continued defiance? "Silver—"

  "Let me up." She hissed, squirming. "You got your kink on. I'm done."

  "You're done when I say so."

  "As if! You know, I could use you as a blueprint to build an idiot."

  "Is that so?" He fisted his hand in her hair. "You've just earned yourself ten more. Sad thing is, I'd originally intended five because of your lack of experience."

  "Oh yeah?" She wrenched her hair free and turned her head to curl her lips at him. "Well experience this, asshole."

  Bending down, she sank her teeth into his thigh.

  The leather was thin enough for her to latch onto a nice chunk of skin. But the pain didn't reach the part of his mind that had locked on to the task at hand. He couldn't be angry at her, not when she was practically begging for more.

  "Twenty it is."

  * * * *

  Landon took another sip of his beer and shook his head. Unlike most of the club's patrons, he didn't feel the need to get a front row seat for the woman's punishment, but still, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Despite her outrageous behavior, there was no denying she was submissive. Most women would have told Richter to take his club and shove it by now. Granted, she didn't have a safeword, but she didn't have to stay. No one would force her to go on with this so somewh
ere, deep inside her, she wasn't ready for it to end.

  But how long will she let this go on before she gives in?

  He pushed away from the bar and moved closer to get a better look at her poor, abused bottom. Bruises had already formed, some purple around the edges, and Richter wasn't holding back. After another five he spoke softly to her, and some of the fight seemed to leave her as she hung her head and nodded.

  The crowd had thinned. Whatever perverse pleasure they'd hoped to gain by watching Silver break had been denied. This could go on all night without her giving in completely. Most Doms would have shown her the door, figuring there was no way to get through that thick shell, but Richter was in another class and Landon had to give him props for not giving up on her.

  I wouldn't either.

  He finished his beer and sighed. Those kinds of thoughts would get him nowhere. He was positioned perfectly to see the effect the punishment had on Silver. The dim light caught the slick juices coating her thighs. Whether or not she was ready to admit it, Richter was getting to her. And he obviously thought she was worth the time and effort . . .

  The play isn't over, Bower.

  But with one last Crack! the spanking was. He figured Richter would need a moment to bring her down from the twisted place between pain and pleasure, but circling around to where he could see clarity slash through the glaze of her eyes told him otherwise. He strode back to the bar and asked for a bottle of water. Then he asked a Domme by the bar where the sub blankets were.

  Things were about to get nasty.

  "I won't say it!"

  Landon approached the throne, careful to avoid notice. Richter had Silver on her feet, his arm around her waist all that was keeping her at his side. Sloan Callahan had returned and was staring at her in a cold, detached way that seemed to steel her resolve.

  "Pet, all this will be for nothing if you won't say you're sorry." Richter rubbed his forehead, as though trying to massage patience into his skull. "Whether you like it or not, Master Sloan is one of the men your sister has chosen. Your personal history with him is irrelevant. Can't you move beyond that? For her?"

  Silver dropped to her knees with a hard thunk. She stared at the floor as she spoke. "I'm sorry if anything I did ruined tonight for Oriana."

  Richter dropped his head back and muttered something to the ceiling before looking at Callahan. "Are you satisfied?"

  "Yeah." Callahan shook his head. "I didn't come back for an apology anyway. Oriana asked me to tell Silver she was fine. And I needed to—damn it, Silver, I would never hurt her. I love your sister and—"

  Head bowed, slender shoulder's stiff, Silver muttered. "You did hurt her. And I'm sure you will again."

  "I'm sorry you feel that way." Callahan scowled. "I've wasted more than enough time on this. She's your problem now, Richter. I'm going to take off and enjoy Max's honeymoon."

  Every word out of Callahan's mouth seemed to have more impact that anything Richter had done. Landon saw the glisten of tears on her cheeks and had to fight the urge to go after Callahan. Not that the man was in the wrong, but damn it, she had her pride! What more did he want from her?

  "Up we go, pet," Richter said.

  Silver's eyes flashed as she shot to her feet. "Don't touch me!"

  "It's over, sweetheart." Richter stroked her side, his jaw working when she jerked away from him and braced her hands on the throne. "Come sit with me for a bit. I know it was hard, but you did very well."

  "I didn't have a choice, did I?"

  "You didn't have to stay." Richter reached for her again, his hands hovering over her as she evaded him yet again. "You're a very strong woman, Silver. Come on, there's a good girl."

  She let him touch her, let him pull her into his arms, surrendering for less than a heartbeat before she twisted away and lashed out. "No! I mean it, Dean! You've had your fun now leave me alone!"

  Her lunge forward came as a surprise, but Landon still caught her before she fell. Tucking her against his side, he wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and whispered "Whoa there. Give yourself a second to get your bearings, mignonne. We get it. You're tough. That was still a rough scene and your body needs some time to recover."

  Richter's hard gaze locked with Landon's as Silver sobbed and pressed against him. He obviously didn't want to let her go, but the Dom in Richter understood he couldn't help her, not now when she still blamed him for whatever chaotic emotions tore through her.

  Her bottom lip trembled. "I don't know you."

  "Sure you do. You just signed off on a pretty decent contract for me to play for the Dartmouth Cobras as a starting goaltender." He drew her to a dark corner of the club, away from the lingering crowd, to a little nook behind a wood partition with a comfy sofa that offered some privacy. "Let's say I owe you."

  "Sure." She sat up straight and eyed him as she took the uncapped bottle he offered. "But I don't get it. Are you a Dom?"

  "Yes." He smoothed her sweat-slicked hair away from her face. "Why? Is that a bad thing?"

  She frowned. "No. It's just . . . I was bad. Don't you guys look for the girls that want to lick your feet?"

  "Right now—no offense—I'm not looking for submission from you." He grinned and leaned close as though they were sharing a secret. "Aftercare is part of my job. I've helped plenty of clueless husbands with it after a scene. He says or does the wrong thing and the wife is ready to walk out, but if I play with a woman, even if it's not sexual, I won't risk her dropping after and feeling bad about whatever happened."

  "You had nothing to do with this . . . scene."

  "Yes, but you plan to come back here, right?" He waited for her nod and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Good. So do I. And I'd hate to think that what happened tonight scared you away."

  "I don't scare that easy." She shifted, wincing as her hip pressed against his. But she relaxed against him, not resisting as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Such a tiny thing, quivering, smelling sweet as the little flowers decorating the place, with the voice of an angel spitting venom. "So what is it? You figure if you're nice I'll let you fuck me?"

  Christ. Just holding her had him hard as fucking stone, but those words caused all the blood to retreat from his dick and rise up to pound in his skull. She really didn't see anyone wanting her for anything else, did she?

  Much as he hated lying, he couldn't stop himself from reassuring her. It wasn't really a lie if it was partially true, right? "I try to do a good deed a day. Would it hurt your feelings if I tell you I have no intention of sleeping with you?"

  Her muscles hardened under his arm. Then went slack. She laid her head on his shoulder and let out a heavy sigh before taking a sip of water. "Oddly enough, no. It's not insulting. You really do this with women you don't have sex with?"

  "Yes." He pressed his eyes shut and rested his cheek on her soft, tussled hair. "You ever snuggled with a straight man that didn't want to fuck you?"

  "Honestly? No." She snuggled a little closer. "So you're saying you don't want to fuck me?"

  This time he could answer with the truth. "I don't want to fuck you."

  "Good." And with that she let herself go. "That's a nice change."

  Those words wouldn't have left her mouth if she wasn't feeling so raw, so exposed, but he'd take it. He made sure she drank the full bottle and held her arms when she tried to stand. Her legs shook and she let out a weary laugh.

  "It still hurts."

  "It will—for awhile." He licked his bottom lip and forced an easy smile. "The question is, what do you want now? Should I call you a cab?"

  "You probably should. But . . . ."

  "But?"

  She kept herself pressed against his side, thankfully nowhere near the stiff erection that saluted her between his thighs. Her focus was on Richter, at the bar tipping back a shot. His eyes hadn't left them once. The man hadn't liked Landon taking over aftercare, but, as a Dom should, he put the sub's needs before his own.

  "As a . . . friend—not th
at I should be telling you this at all—"

  "Tell me." He watched Richter stand and approach the bartender before heading to a small corridor that led to the private rooms upstairs. The ones he'd been told right away were for Richter alone. "That way I'll know I haven't lost my touch."

  "I don't want it to be over. Not now." She burrowed her face under his arm. "Not like this."

  "You want him."

  Lie to me, babe. I don't usually allow it, but I will now.

  But he'd gained her confidence, so she replied with complete honesty as she stood. "I do. And I take what I want."

  "As you should. They say life is short." He kept his eyes on her. Legs steady. Fully aware of her surroundings. She knew what she was doing. "Go for it."

  "I think I will." She spared him a carefree smile. "Thank you for this. I was feeling . . . a little weak. You made the ground solid again. I don't have the words to say it better."

  "You've said it just fine, pet." He wanted to use a more personal endearment, but he had a feeling she needed nothing more. From him anyway. "I'm glad I could help."

  "You did." Her brow furrowed as she looked around. "Damn, where's my purse? I want to leave you my number. I don't usually, but I want to hang out some time. For coffee or something."

  "You left your purse with your clothes." He pretended not to notice her blush. She'd forgotten that she was wearing nothing but a blanket. "Tell me your number. I won't forget."

  She told him, then laughed. "This is stupid. After the way I acted, he'll tell me where to go."

  "I doubt that." I wouldn't "You'll never know if you don't put yourself out there."

  "True" She squared her shoulders "Maybe if I show him how good I can be—"

  "Be you." Landon pushed his own feelings aside and gave her the best advice her could, all the while wishing he was in Richter's place. "He won't say no."

  "I hope you're right."

  "I am."

  "Okay." She took a step, then paused. "See you . . . soon?"

  "Of course." He forced a smile. "I'll give you a shout tomorrow."

  "That would be great. I need a friend here."