How could he have cheated on his fiancée like that? Suddenly, she saw Daniel in a whole new light. How had she been so wrong? Never would she have pegged him as a two-faced cheating bastard.
When she finished eating, Daniel still hadn’t returned and she escaped to her room. According to the rules she could do as she pleased between noon and four so she could ignore him. And besides, this whole ridiculous charade was over anyway. She grabbed a random section of the newspaper and bolted up the stairs, locking the door behind her.
The sound of tires pealing out of the driveway caught her attention. She ran to the window to see a white Porsche Carrera roaring away, gravel and dust spewing behind it. Daniel stood in the driveway and raked his fingers through his hair, then bent over, landing his hands on his knees, as if he’d just completed an arduous run. Slowly rising, he clasped his hands behind his head and pressed his elbows against his ears. He winced, then dropped his arms to his sides. He lumbered toward the house. Alyx quickly scooted across the room and jumped back onto the bed.
Then came a loud knock. “Alyx, open the door,” Daniel yelled. He knocked again, more pounding. She didn’t move. “Alyx, I know you’re in there.”
“This is my time. Mine! I want to be left alone. Go away!”
“Alyx,” Daniel lowered his voice, making it sound ominous. “Jesus fucking Christ, Alyx, open this fucking door or I’ll break the goddamn thing down myself.”
“That’ll be the last mistake you make.”
The sound of the door splintering under the force of Daniel’s body made her shriek. The door gave way and he entered.
“Shit.” He rubbed his shoulder. “That hurt. It looks easier on television.” A flicker of a smile crossed his lips.
Alyx was afraid to laugh, she couldn’t gauge his anger. Their eyes locked together.
“I’m sorry,” he said, walking toward the bed. “I should have told you, I was trying to. Waiting for the perfect moment.” He sat on the edge of the bed and faced her. Alyx moved back and leaned against the silky, green European pillow shams decorating the headboard and drew her knees into her chest. Daniel on a bed was dangerous and she didn’t trust herself to stay away from him. Now that she knew he had a girlfriend, everything was different. Well, not even a girlfriend, a friggin’ fiancée.
“Babysitting me? Really Daniel? What woman would be stupid enough to accept that lame excuse? Not to mention you made me feel like a twelve-year-old. Which, by the way, according the penal code, would make you a pedophile.”
Daniel yanked on his hair again. “I know, that was a stupid, stupid thing to say. I panicked and I didn’t want to tell her why you were really here.”
“Somehow, I don’t think the truth would make this much better in Lacey’s eyes.”
“I will say this. Lacey is more concerned about taking my name and moving in here as my wife than she is about our relationship.”
“That’s fucked up, Daniel. You’re marrying someone who is more concerned with your status than with you?”
Daniel inched closer to Alyx. He reached over and removed her hands from her knees, lacing his fingers through hers. “Look, this week didn’t go the way I thought it would. Not at all. I—”
Alyx decided she didn’t want to hear what might come out of his mouth next. “Daniel, the week is over and you’ve been great, really, you have. I was nervous but you were a pro and now we’re done and I’ll be out of your hair in a few hours.”
“What if I don’t want you out of my hair?” His smoldering dark eyes set her blood rushing into all the wrong places. If she didn’t get him out of this room in the next thirty seconds she’d be sorry. Hell, they’d both be.
She thought carefully about what she needed to say. “You’re not thinking clearly. I don’t want to be in a relationship with you. You’re too controlling and we come from totally different worlds. We have nothing in common.”
She pulled free from his grasp and jumped off the bed. “Now, please leave me alone so I can get ready. Rob will be here soon and I haven’t showered yet.” Alyx marched into the bathroom and shut and locked the door. She leaned her back against it and buried her face in her hands. As much as she wanted his arms around her, she knew she had no business wishing for something like that. He had a fiancée who he’d patch things up with and she’d get to work and accomplish the task she’d set out to. Then she’d go back to her apartment and put her life back in order. Perhaps she’d go on a vacation first. The Bureau damn well better give her some time off after such a grueling assignment. Plus, after the horrible scene with Jason, she wasn’t so sure she’d ever be comfortable in that apartment again anyway. Maybe she should move, ask for a transfer to another state. Start over?
Right now, however, she needed to get into the zone, prepare for the club. She cranked up the hot water in the shower.
* * *
Alyx managed to avoid Daniel all afternoon. She’d heard his car pull out of the driveway shortly after she’d escaped to the bathroom. A shopping bag waited outside her door, something to wear at the club tonight. A short, inappropriately short, mini-dress made of black latex, and sans underwear as per club rules. The low-cut bodice squished her boobs so tightly, if she hiccupped her nipples would pop out. She’d used the curling iron on her hair until it fell around her shoulders in a waterfall of chestnut ringlets. Her makeup was heavier than normal and would appear garish in the daylight, but she had to admit, for a harlot, she looked pretty good. But then the reality of what lay ahead hit her and she inhaled deeply, hoping against hope for some semblance of calm. She’d have to perform sexual acts with Steve and perhaps one other Dom tonight and she needed to gear herself up for it.
Rob arrived a little late and blamed it on the traffic.
“Great,” Alyx muttered. “I’ll be late on the first night and they’ll probably trap me in the middle of a circle-jerk.”
Rob smirked. “Now, that would be unfortunate.”
Alyx rolled her eyes at him.
Daniel hadn’t returned and so she said her goodbyes to Lydia and Mason, thanking them for their exceptional hospitality. Lydia surprised her by pulling her into a motherly hug and then drew back, holding onto her upper arms. “I’m sad to see you leave, Ms. Cameron. I like who Dr. Taylor is when you’re around. We’ll miss you. I think Dr. Taylor will too.”
Alyx beamed at Lydia’s kind words, then followed Rob out.
“Ready?” he said as they buckled their seatbelts.
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Good girl,” he said, but Alyx heard Daniel’s voice. Her stomach sank, her mind spinning.
“What did you just say?”
“I said, ‘good.’”
“No, no, no. You said ‘good girl.’ Seriously? You’re one of them? A Dom?” It felt like she’d stumbled upon a coven of vampires. Were these Doms everywhere?
Heading east on Montauk Highway, Rob smiled, a little too smugly. “How do you think I know Jack? We were in the Marines together, but I really know him because we played at the same club when we were both stationed in Tampa.”
“Are you kidding me, you’re really a Dom? Shit. Do you have a submissive chained at home?”
“I do have a submissive and actually you’ve met her. She’s an ADA in Manhattan. But I don’t have her chained at home. It’s not like that. Didn’t Daniel explain the relationship to you?”
Alyx couldn’t find any words to express what she felt. Geez, how could she not have seen this coming? She reflected back to the night she met Daniel. Jack and Rob had sat there implacably while she and Daniel role-played Dom and submissive. How could she have been so blind?
Rob changed the subject. “Matt’s bringing your car out tonight. It will be parked in the lot at the club, he’ll leave the keys at the front desk.”
“Finally, some good news.”
“We’ve rented you a small cottage two blocks from Gull Road. The directions and the keys will be in the visor above the driver’s seat. We’ll have su
rveillance on you in two shifts. Matt’s taking the first shift. Paul will be the follow-up. You have Paul’s number, right?”
“Yes, we worked that investment fraud scheme together.”
“Good. Matt’s got your tracking device, he’ll get it to you before you leave.”
“Got it,” Alyx said, peering out the side window at the moonless night. She shivered.
“You all right?” Rob said with concern.
“Yeah. The anticipation is the worst part.”
“I hear you.”
Zach welcomed her back with his big puppy-dog smile, one that softened his scary, pockmarked face. “Sign in, please,” he instructed, pointing to the clipboard atop his desk. “You look mighty fine this evening, Miss Cameron.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“I’m not a Dom, Miss Cameron, you needn’t address me as such.”
“I didn’t realize.”
“Nah, not my thing. I only work here part time. I work security at a bank during the day.”
“Oh, I see.” She wondered what Zach thought about the goings-on inside, but decided against engaging him in additional conversation. She’d cut it close and being late would get her in trouble with Master Steve, and it didn’t seem to matter whether she was a fake submissive or not. She fully expected that Steve would have no problem treating her like a real submissive and probably thoroughly enjoy swatting her ass with his giant, meaty paw.
“Have fun,” Zach shouted to her back as she ventured toward the inner sanctum of carnal pain. She tried to slow her breathing. Unsuccessfully.
Heading toward the bar, Steve was talking to Colin, Colin’s hand wrapped around a bottle of beer. Steve’s eyes brightened as she approached.
“Good evening, Master Steve,” she said, hoping her voice sounded more confident than she felt. “And you too, Master Colin.”
“Good evening, little subbie,” Steve said. “You cut it a bit close, don’t you think? I don’t tolerate lateness.”
“Sorry, Sir. It won’t happen again.”
Colin cracked a sly grin. “Glad to see you came back for more, pet.”
Oh, God. How would she ever get through this night?
Steve extended his hand. “I’ll lock up your purse behind the bar. Lisa will show you the locker room and get you a lock. In the future, you can keep your personal stuff there.”
Alyx handed over her purse and Steve came out from behind the bar. “Give me your wrists, little one.” She offered them willingly. Steve grimaced. “What’s going on here? Did Daniel do this to you?”
Alyx assessed the abrasions on her wrists. The thought that Steve assumed Daniel had hurt her punched a hole in her chest. “No! Daniel would never hurt me.” She thrust her hands behind her back.
Steve’s concerned expression unsettled her. She didn’t even know this guy. He said, “Are you gonna tell me what happened?”
“I’d rather not, it wasn’t Daniel. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“Alyx, trust is paramount in the lifestyle. I need to know if you’re in trouble or I won’t be comfortable working with you.” He placed his large hands on her shoulders, his eyes probing hers.
“Okay, okay. I had a run-in with an old boyfriend, but I handled it. He’s in jail.”
His coal-black eyes unsettled her. “It’s taken care of then?”
“Yes. Promise. I’m fine.”
It didn’t seem like he believed her, even as he added, “All right. Wrists please.” Slipping on the soft leather handcuffs with the appropriate charms, he pivoted her away from him, securing her hands behind her with a quick snap. She gasped. Was he starting already? What about the tour with Lisa? Her heart jumped into her throat.
He gripped both her shoulders so she had to turn and face him. Putting a finger under her chin, he forced her eyes upward. He studied her from head to toe with those black laser-focus eyes. She stared into his massive chest that strained the limits of his black polo. Everything about him seemed tight, his muscles, his posture, glossy dark hair tied in a small ponytail.
“Breathe, darling,” he whispered near her ear. “It’s not going to be as bad as you’re imagining.”
“Yes, Sir,” she managed to utter. Although somehow, she didn’t believe him.
“I like what you’re wearing.” He slid his big hand under the hem of her short skirt and let his fingers travel up the side of her thigh, nearly to her hip. Her jaw clenched in anticipation of his probing fingers finding their way between her legs. “Good girl, no underwear. For now, you may leave everything on. I may remove your clothing once you’re a bit more relaxed.”
God. She didn’t want to be walking around the club half naked. Or fully nude either. Now that she thought about it, she wore only one piece of clothing, which severely limited the options. But she couldn’t say no. He was the boss of her for the foreseeable future and… Oh Lord, she must not get distracted. Concentrate. She could do this.
“Breathe, little subbie,” Steve chided her. Again. “I don’t need you passing out on me before we even start.” He gazed intently at her and ran the back of his hand over her cheek. “I’ll treat you well, you’ll leave here a smiling woman. I promise.”
“Yes, Sir,” she managed.
Jack came out of his office and walked toward her, then Alyx noticed Rob at his side and Lisa trailing behind him. Thankfully, Lisa. A momentary escape.
“Welcome back, little one,” Jack said, placing his hand on the side of her arm.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Master Steve, how are things progressing?”
“She’s doing fine. Arrived in the nick of time. Almost earned a punishment in the first minute.”
“Now that would have been most unfortunate, Master Steve.” Jack smirked and she thought Rob might be enjoying this a tad too much.
“For her,” Steve added. “I would have thoroughly enjoyed it.” He flashed Alyx a wicked smile and her belly clenched in that weird-good way. This couldn’t be turning her on. Just couldn’t.
Steve faced Jack again. “Colin has agreed to provide an assist when I bring Alyx upstairs to get acquainted and practice our scene.”
Alyx inhaled sharply, her eyes wide and she knew everyone heard her.
“Two of you?” she rasped. “Sirs.”
They ignored her, talking as if she weren’t standing right in the middle of three, no, four scary Doms, counting Rob’s affiliation with the lifestyle.
Steve continued, “He’ll evaluate the scene to make sure it’s convincing and to test how she performs in front of others.”
“Good. That’s wise,” Jack said. “If she’s not ready to scene in public then I want her kept on the side. She can serve drinks like Darrin and Carol until you think she’s ready.” Alyx tried to regulate her breathing for about the tenth time since she’d arrived. In and out, she coached herself, slowly, oh-so-slowly. “Lisa, please familiarize Alyx with the facility and introduce her to as many subs as you can. Then park her in the submissives’ pen.”
“Yes, Master.”
Steve reached behind Alyx and unhooked her wrists. He rubbed her arms up and down briskly, bringing the blood to the surface and her skin instantly warmed and tingled. Oh, boy. She was working herself into a frenzy at the thought of being intimate with Steve while Colin observed. Two men. Ugh, she’d never done anything like that before and she wondered what Daniel would think. She had to stop thinking about him. Their time together had ended. He was probably having make-up sex with Lacey at this very moment. Hell, they were probably both laughing at her.
“You all right, little subbie?” Steve said. He still held her upper arms firmly. Alyx gazed into his dark eyes. Unexpectedly, they seemed warm, not what she’d been expecting at all.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Give me a color.”
She had the sudden urge to say red, or maybe yellow and make a run for it. “Green, Sir. Definitely green.”
Steve smiled warmly. “Good girl.” He released he
r upper arms and positioned her toward the dance floor. “Now, go with Lisa and I’ll come for you in about a half-hour and we’ll get started.”
Colin reached over and rubbed her ass with his hand. It felt like a hot iron. He leaned in, close to her ear. “Don’t worry, little pet. We’ll take excellent care of you. That’s what we do.” He pinched her butt and a tiny yelp escaped her. “Damn, she’s gonna be a whole lot of fun,” he said to the tiny posse of enormous Doms.
“That she is,” Steve said.
Lisa led her deeper into the mass of twirling naked and half-naked bodies and Alyx’s pulse slowed, free of the testosterone flood that had stolen her breath.
“They’re pretty intense,” Lisa said. “You’ll get used to it.”
“I don’t have any other choice.”
“Come on, we’ll start at the back. There’s a huge powder room near the emergency exit. It’s where we hide out for a minute if we need to. Then I’ll show you where you can stow your stuff and I’ll introduce you to some of the girls. They’re great. Except for Stacy, she’s a real bitch and don’t trust anything she says.”
Lisa opened the gold-painted door and they entered a large room covered in the same black-and-white striped wallpaper as the foyer. The onyx marble sinks with gilded faucets were sunk into a pink sandstone vanity. In the ornately framed mirror, the reflections of three women stared back at them. Lisa introduced her to Lily, Meghan, and Abigail, each adorned with the requisite subbie handcuffs. They seemed nice enough, like normal people, and Alyx thought about Rob’s admission that his submissive was an assistant in the Manhattan DA’s office.
She was beginning to see this whole lifestyle thing in a new light.
The three girls left and Alyx and Lisa stood alone in front of the mirrored wall above the gleaming ebony sinks. They checked their hair and makeup, when unexpectedly the door flew open and two huge men in dark suits grabbed them, placing a cloth with a sickening sweet scent over their mouths and noses.
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