Though unusual for someone like Kerry who was bubbly by nature, her attitude was not put on at all. She replaced his napkin with a fresh one and placed his mixed drink on it. He passed her a folded bill, and she thanked him respectfully. Her face had a serene quality to it.
“I’ll bet you that was a one hundred dollar tip,” Eli said. “I heard one of the waitresses say he always tips well if they give good service. But he seems to prefer for her to wait on him.”
“My goodness. What does he do for a living?”
“Ethan told me he owns a club in Morehead.”
“Oh, a nightclub, like this one?”
“Um, no. He caters to an exclusive clientele. You have to be a member or be invited by a member.”
“Like a country club?” she asked, feeling like she was missing something.
“He is a Dom, angel,” Eli said softly. “His club caters to the BDSM community in this part of Texas. But his club is exclusive. All members are carefully screened.”
“Oh!” Rachel felt like a dimwit. She recalled Grace telling her Ethan had a friend who was a Dom. This must be him.
Rachel decided to not say anything. Grace had mentioned that was a private part of her relationship with Ethan only. Rachel wondered to herself how Grace would react if she were introduced to him. She glanced over at him once more and found him watching her again.
This was different from the time when Ace Webster had watched her on the dance floor with avid interest. He’d made no secret that he was interested in getting closer acquainted. This man seemed to merely observe, almost as if he were assessing her. She found it interesting that Eli was not throwing territorial vibes like he had with Ace. She wondered why and exactly how well acquainted with this stranger he was.
He never approached them, and Eli made no move to introduce her to him, but the man did nod to Eli at one point. Interesting. Ethan and he talked for at least an hour. During that time, when she could do it without being obvious, Rachel observed Kerry as she continued to wait on the intriguing customer. She wondered how Kerry knew him outside the club. Her behavior was out of the ordinary for her bubbly personality, but by no means strange, and she made no production of the way she served him. Rachel might never have noticed the subtle difference if Eli had not pointed it out.
Her mind began to wander, imagining the kinds of things that happened behind the guarded doors of this stranger’s exclusive club. Thoughts of whips, chains, and ball gags did nothing for her, but she did ponder what it would be like to be tied up and spanked and then fucked to a screaming orgasm while strangers observed. The thought produced a startlingly palpable reaction as her nipples hardened and a warm ache began deep in her pussy. Need coursed through her, and her clit pulsed at the vivid fantasies floating through her mind.
Rachel imagined Eli, chest bare and glistening with sweat, restraining her aching body and teasing her, requiring her to withhold her orgasm until he commanded it. She might have been sexually inexperienced prior to knowing Eli, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t read about this subject in her erotic romance collection, before it had been reduced to ash, that is. She had a basic, if possibly patchy and glamorized, knowledge of that lifestyle.
The thought of serving Eli submissively, in a setting like that, with observers, affected her much more strongly than she might have thought it would.
Observers? Really?
She recalled their late-night detour the night of his proposal and how exciting sex on a deserted—but very public—street had been. In conversation, she’d confessed a willingness to be tied up, spanked and fucked. The incredible erotic spanking he’d given her came to mind, and her pussy clenched a little and she was unable to stop the gasp that escaped her lips. Eli looked down at her from his seat next to her.
“Everything all right, angel?” He smiled at her softly, and she knew he had to see her deep blush as it spread down her throat to her chest.
He didn’t say anything else after she nodded breathlessly at him and felt more moisture gather at her entrance as the fantasies continued to dance in her mind. If she hadn’t let that little gasp out, she might have come right there in her seat, thinking about him doing it to her again. Gosh, talk about being suggestible.
“You’re flushed. Are you feeling okay?” When she nodded mutely and looked into his eyes, he smiled and leaned down to her. There was a compassionate, knowing gleam in his eyes. “I’ll bet I can guess what you’re thinking about.”
The heat in her cheeks increased, and she leaned into him a little. “I’m that easy to read?”
“No, angel. I looked in your beautiful blue eyes, saw the need there, and I put two and two together. You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet since I mentioned the customer at Ethan’s table to you. You and I both enjoyed the hell out of the hot spanking I gave you last month, and we’ve talked about other fun activities we’d like to try. You’ve been watching Kerry off and on all night, and I think her behavior is becoming more and more intriguing to you. It turns you on, doesn’t it?”
“Your instincts are pretty good, Eli. You nailed it right on the head. Do you know him personally?”
“Ethan introduced me to him tonight when he arrived. Since I’d asked Ethan for some advice about spanking and other stuff, he thought I might like to meet him. I talked to him for a little while before you came in. His name is Joseph Hazelle.”
“You had already met him? That’s why you weren’t throwing alpha male caveman vibes in his direction like you did with Ace?” she said, smirking at him.
“Something like that. I wondered if you were interested in learning more about…”
“Dominant/submissive relationships?”
“Yes, angel, and I thought I’d share a little information with you and let you determine if this was something you wanted to pursue later.”
“Later?”
“Yes, I mentioned your accident. He suggested waiting a few months and using this time to explore reliable sources of information and determine what it is about that lifestyle that is striking a chord with you. He gave me his website address. I’m willing to look into it together, with one understanding.”
“What’s that, Eli?”
“I won’t share you, nor do I care to be shared. Beyond that, I’m willing to explore and am more or less a blank slate. There might be something there that we like, or we may find that the occasional spanking is all we’re interested in. Either way, I wanted you to know you have the freedom to explore it with me if you want.”
“Will you be disappointed if that’s all I want? Or if it’s all that I can handle?”
“No, not if I still have your love.”
“You’re all I want, all I need.” She reached to hug his neck as he wrapped his arms around her. He stroked her torso through the shirt again. “I can’t wait to see what you have on under this. My curiosity is getting to me in a big way.”
“Just a little something I threw on.” She giggled. “I promise to show you as soon as we’re alone.”
Not a single female customer had approached Eli with more than the occasional friendly greeting all evening, and she decided to test the waters to see if there were any sharks lurking, waiting for an opportunity. Ethan had made it official the weekend before by announcing their engagement to the entire club from the DJ’s booth. She decided she also needed a few minutes alone to process all this other information.
“Eli, I’m going to visit the ladies’ room. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She reached for her purse.
“Would you like me to walk you?” Normally, she’d say no, but there was a particularly rowdy group of men at a table near the doorway that led to the ladies’ room. She thought an escort wasn’t a bad idea.
“If you wouldn’t mind. But you don’t have to wait for me. I know you’re working.”
“I understand if you need a break. Take your time, and I’ll keep an eye out for you,” he said as she slipped her hand into his and followed him through the crowd.
As the
y passed near the tables at the edge of the dance floor, Mr. Hazelle and Ethan looked up and smiled at them. Rachel smiled back as Eli escorted her past them to the restrooms. The ladies’ room was empty, and she took a seat in the chair in the corner.
Was this something she wanted to pursue? She shook her head and asked herself the most fundamental question. What was her core telling her to do? In her heart, she acknowledged there was a natural dominant and submissive component in her relationship with Eli. It warred with her need to be independent, which stemmed from her desire to please her parents, especially her father. Rachel was undeniably curious, and she’d never know if she didn’t look into it.
She acknowledged the pleasure it gave her to turn control over to Eli, both in their relationship and in bed. She loved it when he took charge. She remembered making love sitting in his lap while they both watched in the mirror. He’d told her she belonged to him, and she’d gloried in that moment. She’d felt completely his, without reservation or question. It had nothing to do with him being in control of her but had everything to do with her exchanging that control for his protective, loving, and sometimes territorial care of her. Even the territorial part of him gave her great pleasure when he showed that side of his nature. The caveman, he called him. Rachel really did love that guy.
She did not have the in-depth knowledge needed to make an informed choice, but something resonated inside her at the thought of learning more. She was grateful for the open timeframe Eli had given her as she continued her recovery but secretly hoped maybe the opportunity to play again would come soon. First thing she needed to do was get released by her doctor, get the damned cast off her arm, and build the strength back up in it. Rachel plucked at her curls, fixed her lip liner and lipstick, then washed her hands and exited the ladies’ room.
Rachel stepped from the bathroom and immediately heard a commotion outside the hallway. She stepped to the opening leading back out to the club, trying to determine the best path around whatever was going on. She stepped out and saw a fight in the process of being broken up. Rather than being caught up in the flux of people moving forward to watch and people moving back trying to get out of the way, she stepped back near the door and waited for the crowd to disperse.
She watched as Eli frog-walked a large, angry roughneck toward the dimly lit hallway where she stood. Not only did it lead to the restrooms but also to the back offices, a storeroom, kitchen, and the rear emergency exit, which they were evidently about to make use of. Eli’s large hands grasped the drunken man by his shirt collar and the belt in his blue jeans, and the guy did not look happy about it. He struggled, and Eli’s muscular arms and shoulders bunched and rippled as he maintained his hold easily. Entranced, she watched as Eli and his unfortunate cargo were followed by Mike and Rogelio with similarly cursing, drunken, sweaty, pissed-off friends in tow. A big, strong arm surrounded her waist and gently extricated her from the opening to the hallway as the troublemaker began to fight free from Eli.
Looking up, Rachel realized it was Ethan trying to remove her from the drunken fool’s path before he trampled her. Eli muttered a soft curse and moved to obtain a stronger hold on the guy as his fists started swinging.
Three things happened all at once. Eli’s attention was briefly diverted as he saw her in their path. The guy lost his balance and pitched forward, arms and fists flailing. Eli reached for him and caught him again, but not before the man’s arms swung out in a wide arc, and one of his balled up, meaty fists barely missed striking Rachel in the face. If Ethan hadn’t been there to pull her out of the way, she’d have been on the floor. Except for the loud music, which continued thumping, all movement and sound ceased in the immediate vicinity of the doorway.
“Are you all right, angel?” Eli asked quickly, gaining a viciously hard grasp of the drunk by the shirt collar and his long hair. By this point, he’d given up fighting to break free of Eli but continued to curse incoherently, unaware he’d nearly struck a woman in the face with his flailing fists.
Rachel nodded and found her voice. “I’m all right, Eli.”
Eli looked closely at her as if assessing her for injuries. He looked up at Ethan, who stood behind her and, after a moment, nodded. She had not looked back at Ethan, so she didn’t know what communication had passed between them.
“Come on, Rachel. Eli will be back in a few minutes. I want you to sit with us until he does. Are you sure you’re okay?” Ethan asked as he escorted her away from the men but not before she heard a meaty thud and a groan.
“I’m a little shaky, but otherwise I’m fine. Wow, that was close, I think.”
“I saw it happen. You have no idea how close you came to getting clocked by that dumbass drunk’s fist. It’s a good thing I saw you standing in the doorway and pulled you out. Otherwise, we might still be picking you up.”
“Thank you, Ethan, for looking out for me,” she said as he led her to his table.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine. This is Joseph Hazelle. Joseph, this is a close friend of ours, Rachel Lopez. Rachel is newly engaged to Eli Wolf, whom you met earlier.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rachel. I’m sorry that unpleasantness precipitated our meeting but glad to meet you all the same,” Joseph said as he shook her hand. His hands were firm and strong. Not as rough as Eli’s but not soft by any means, either.
“The feeling is mutual, Mr. Hazelle, believe me. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Rachel attributed her bravado to the adrenaline rush and nerves because she was now completely at ease speaking with Mr. Hazelle, where before she had felt only intimidated by him. She smiled and thanked Ethan when he quickly returned with a Coke from the bar for her. She sat in the chair Ethan offered her and sipped her drink, gazing over to the hallway Eli had disappeared down a few moments before.
“Eli will be back in a minute, I’m sure. It was bad enough that bozo started a fight and needed to be removed, but he nearly injured you on top of that. I’m sure Eli is having a talk with him about that right now.”
“A talk?” She grinned. “Kind of like that talk you all had with Jim and Roy? Your fists and their faces?”
Ethan nodded seriously and replied, “If it had been Grace standing there, I know what I’d be doing right now. I imagine he’s doing the same. That guy came in here looking for trouble, picked a fight and he’s earned whatever he’s getting.”
Joseph nodded in agreement.
“What caused the fight in the first place?”
“What’s behind most of the fights that happen here?” Ethan asked, discreetly gesturing at a rather dejected looking woman as she gathered her coat and purse and was led from the club by a tall, handsome cowboy.
“A woman?”
“There are few other things worth fighting over,” Joseph said quietly. Rachel wasn’t quite sure what to make of his statement.
Speaking to Joseph, Ethan said, “Grace and Rachel are close friends. They’ve been busy planning Rachel’s wedding, which is next month.”
“That’s good. Eli sounds like a happy man,” Joseph replied.
They conversed for a few minutes, and during that time, neither Joseph nor Ethan mentioned Joseph’s line of work, and Rachel didn’t, either
“I got a text from Jack earlier that Grace tried on her dress and modeled it for him and Adam,” Ethan said with a grin. “From the sound of things, you all must have had a good time this afternoon.”
Rachel laughed. “We did. Your wife loves to shop.”
Eli and the others returned from the hallway, looking cool and unruffled. At least that’s how it appeared until she saw the feral gleam in Eli’s eyes. Before she could rise from her chair, he was beside her.
“Are you all right?” His eyes were fierce as he gently checked every inch of her face, making sure for himself.
“Yes. Ethan got me out of the way in time. Let me see your hands.” She turned them palm down so she could see his knuckles, which were
red and a bit swollen. “Thank you, Eli. Sorry my reflexes weren’t better. Then I wouldn’t have been anywhere near him. I was a little awestruck, watching you.”
He enveloped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Were ya?”
She nodded. “You’re very powerful. Very good at your job. Scary good.” She snuggled up to him. Mike and Rogelio had already returned to the front.
“Did I scare you?”
She leaned into him and whispered softly, “You turn me on when you’re like that.”
He grinned knowingly but tried to control his expression.
Turning to his boss, who was already caught up in conversation with Joseph again, he said, “Unless you need anything else, Ethan, we’ll head back up to the front.”
“Will one of you check the parking lot? I want to make sure Heather and Sam were able to leave without being harassed. Jeremy was here with several guys, not just the two who got kicked out with him.”
“Sure thing. Thanks for watching out for Rachel for me.”
“It was our pleasure. I’m just glad she didn’t get hurt.” Ethan hugged Rachel back as she reached for him. “We’ve got to watch out for our girls, right?”
“You do a fine job, too,” Rachel replied as Eli tucked her against him and they started to make their way back to the front. She turned back for a moment, “It was nice to meet you, Joseph.”
“Likewise, Rachel. Likewise,” Joseph said with a smile and a nod.
* * * *
Rachel watched with enjoyment as Eli lifted baby Matthew into his embrace for one last kiss on the cheek. Matthew squealed and grinned, showing his toothless gums. “Later, little buddy. Be good for Mommy.” He nuzzled the thick black hair on top of Matthew’s head and kissed his crown.
The way Eli was with Matthew made Rachel yearn to have kids with him. She wanted a few years to play with Eli, like she’d said before, but she looked forward to watching him with his own children. He was confident as he handled the baby and so openly affectionate. He was not the kind of man to maintain a tough guy image. On the contrary, he acted like a clown and talked baby talk with Matthew, which Kelly hated. She’d gotten on him several times about it.
Rainier, Heather - Her Gentle Giant: Remember to Dance [Divine Creek Ranch 2] (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting) Page 5