by Becca Van
Warm, slightly callused fingers caressed the skin near her hips, and then she heard material tear. Her breathing hitched in her throat and she once again lifted her head and glared over her shoulder. Master Mike’s gaze connected with hers and he gave her a hard glower.
“What the hell did you do that for?” Aurora knew as soon as she’d finished speaking she was in trouble. The scowl on Master Mike’s face turned to a mask of granite and his eyes iced over. Oh fuck!
“Are subs supposed to talk to Doms the way you just did me? That’s two.”
“What? You can’t…”
“Enough!” Master Nate snapped. “You can finish this after I’ve examined my patient.”
Aurora flopped back down onto the pillow and whimpered as her throbbing face hit the material. She also had a hell of a headache. Gloved hands pushed against the top of her ass crack and slowly but gently worked their way down to the end of her coccyx. She flinched when he hit a very tender spot.
“Okay. You have a bruised coccyx bone but it’s not broken. You may have trouble sitting for long periods of time so make sure you stand or walk around regularly until the pain subsides.”
“Thank you, but I told you I was fine.” Aurora went to get off the bed, but Master Nate placed a hand between her shoulder blades and pushed her back down.
“You need to ice your ass, sweetheart. I’ll leave you in the hands of these two capable Doms. I’m meeting someone out in the club and I don’t want to be late.” Master Nate rose to his feet and headed for the door. Just before he left he looked over to Master Mac. “Don’t hesitate to call me if you need to.”
Master Mac nodded his thanks and then shook Master Nate’s hand before closing the door. Aurora once more buried her face in the pillow but this time with more care so she wouldn’t hurt her face.
“It’s not that bad.” Aurora huffed and once more tried to move.
“Don’t you dare get off that bed,” Master Mac said in a hard voice. Then she heard muffled footsteps and knew he was coming closer. “You will do as the doctor tells you. Turner, have you got any more ice?”
“Yeah, just a sec,” Master Turner replied and opened the door, then shouted for his wife. “Charlie, can you get another ice pack, baby?”
Aurora didn’t want to be fussed over. All she wanted was to go home, shower, and crawl into bed, but it would be futile to argue with so many Doms. The headache was really beginning to pound, and from previous experience she knew the only thing that would get rid of it was sleep. If she didn’t, it would only get worse, and then she would be in real trouble. There was no way she could drive home if she couldn’t see properly.
“Are you all right, Aurora?” Charlie asked as she entered the room and brought the ice pack over.
Aurora squinted when she lifted her head from the pillow. “Yes, I’m fine. Thanks, Charlie.”
“Okay. Just yell if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
Aurora flinched when the ice pack landed on her ass but then settled back down to wait. The more acquiescent she appeared, the sooner everyone would leave her alone. Then maybe she could go home and sleep.
Chapter Two
Mike felt sick to his stomach seeing the bruises already forming on Aurora’s face and neck. He wanted to hunt down Andrew Mitchell and beat the shit out of him. He hated to see the pint-sized sub in so much pain. Even though she was a brave little thing and tried to hide it, he could tell she was hurting more than she let on. Mac looked just as angry as he felt, and he knew they were both in trouble.
He had kept his distance from Aurora because he knew she was too good for the likes of him. She was such a sweet, slight thing, almost elfin in appearance, but she was always quick with a smile and she seemed to make friends very easily. His self-imposed rule of never touching a small woman had been really hard to adhere to, but the fear he had of hurting someone so small had helped him to stay away from her. It had been one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do.
Mike thought back to the day he’d first seen her. She had greeted him and Mac with a sunny smile, and although he’d barely glanced her way, the sight of her had been like a punch to the gut.
There she’d been standing behind the reception counter with Master Tank all decked out in her sub wear of a short, hot-pink miniskirt and a black bustier. Her long, wavy blonde hair had been like a halo draped over her shoulders and flowing down her back. Her green eyes sparkled from her pixie-like features, framed in a white-blonde crown of glorious tresses. It had taken everything in him, all the control he had, not to give away the effect she had on him. If he hadn’t been such a hard, arrogant bastard, he would have been down on his knees worshipping at her feet. When he glanced toward Mac he’d seen the same punch-drunk shock in his brother’s eyes.
Now seeing her beautiful, delicate face all battered and bruised cut him to the quick, and he wanted to scoop her up off that bed and cradle her in his arms, but not just to offer her comfort. He glanced at Mac and saw the same ire and concern on his brother’s face at seeing her that way.
Mike hated the way she had her face buried in the pillow as if she was trying to hide from them. His muscles were pumped up with blood and adrenaline, and he wanted to put his fist through a wall, or maybe Mitchell’s face. Yeah, that would be better. He looked at Turner as he placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Control that anger, my friend. You don’t want to scare her away.”
Mike glanced at Aurora, thankful she hadn’t heard Turner’s whispered statement. Inside he cringed because he thought no one had known how he felt about the little sub. He should have known better. All Doms were trained to watch for body language and to see what wouldn’t normally be seen. He spun away from his friend.
“When are you going to put yourself out of your misery?” Turner asked in a low voice.
“Fuck! You don’t know what you’re asking,” Mike whispered through clenched teeth.
“You think I don’t? Do you really think you are going to be able to handle seeing her with another Dom? Don’t think that she will be single forever. She’s had more offers to scene from Doms in this club than any other sub I know.”
“She hasn’t taken them up on their offers. I’ve only seen her scene with two Doms the whole time she’s worked here.”
“Yes, and why do you think that is?”
“How the fuck should I know?”
“Oh, so you have tunnel vision?”
“Why don’t you just give it to me straight instead of all the innuendos?”
“Aurora is as innocent as the day she was born. That in itself is appealing to a Dom, but you, my friend, need to open your eyes. I’m going to give her to Garth and Derrick to do a scene with next weekend and you and Mac are going to be the monitors. Instead of trying to ignore her, use your fucking skills and see how much she enjoys being a sub.”
Mike didn’t get to respond because Turner walked out of the room. Mac stood a couple of feet away, but from the look on his face he hadn’t heard a word of their whispered conversation. His brother would have steam coming out his ears if he had. Now they were alone with the woman they had spent the last twelve months trying to avoid.
He looked over at the bed. She looked so fucking small and helpless. Aurora was only an itty bit of a woman. The top of her head didn’t reach his shoulders even when she was wearing her fuck-me shoes. She would be lucky to top five two in her bare feet. Her sexy body looked so damn petite and fragile. He was scared to even touch her with his large, paw-like hands, let alone fuck her. Mike was six foot five and built like a brick shithouse. The thought of putting his hands on her and accidentally hurting her with his strength scared the shit out of him. That was why he and Mac always went for taller women who had plenty of padding on their bodies. He didn’t have to worry about being too rough or hurting them.
He’d cursed his dominant proclivities from the day he had realized his kink. Being such a big, muscular man and wanting to control women just
so he could get off wasn’t something he’d ever expected. But when he and Mac had talked about their need to dominate, they had made damn sure to steer clear of any woman they could hurt.
Now, seeing Aurora in such pain, he vowed that he would never scene with her, but the thought of her being with Garth and Derrick and getting off was nearly more than he could stand. His guts churned and his chest ached at having to watch what Turner was setting up.
A slight whimper drew him from his introspection. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge just as Mac did the same on the other side. Mike brushed Aurora’s hair away from her face, being careful not to touch her bruises. Her face was so damn pale, making the marks on her face stand out in stark contrast. She moaned as if she was in pain, and her brow furrowed. When he stroked her head her eyelids lifted.
“Oh God.” Her voice was more husky than normal. She was obviously having trouble with her throat after that fucker had tried to crush it. “What are you still doing here?”
“We wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine. You can leave.”
“I don’t think so,” Mac said firmly.
“Please? Just go so I can sleep.”
Mike frowned. She had sounded almost desperate. He let his Dom out and looked at her closely. Aurora frowned and her eyes were glazed over as if she were in a great deal of pain. Her mouth pulled tight, and small white lines deepened around her lips. Perspiration graced her upper lip and forehead. She wasn’t fine at all.
All of a sudden she pushed up to her hands and knees and tried to push him aside. He moved, unsure what was going on. She stumbled from the bed and rushed into the adjoining bathroom, slamming the door behind her. He heard her retching through the door.
“Shit. Get Nate back here,” Mike ordered and hurried to the bathroom.
Mike crouched behind her, gathered her hair into his hand, and held her forehead while she emptied her stomach. He’d felt her stiffen the moment he touched her, and she would probably have been cursing up a blue streak if she had been able to, but he wasn’t about to leave her when she was sick. Her whole body shook and shuddered as she heaved until finally there was nothing left to come up. When he was sure she was done, he flushed the toilet and helped her to her feet. Aurora swayed a little and clutched her head. He picked her up and placed her on the countertop. A little squeal escaped her mouth when her bare ass connected with the cold granite. Then he remembered her sore ass.
“Shit, baby, are you okay? Did I hurt your ass?”
“No, you didn’t hurt me, but this counter is damn cold on my naked skin.”
He nearly smiled at her answer, relieved that he hadn’t hurt her after all, but managed to hide his amusement now that his worry was over. The last thing she needed right at that moment was to see him smirking and to think he didn’t care about her welfare.
After rummaging around under the sink he found a clean cloth, a toothbrush still in its packaging, and some toothpaste. He wet the cloth with warm water, wrung it out, and gently washed her face, being careful of her bruising. She sighed and leaned into his hand. Then he opened the toothbrush and placed some paste on the bristles.
“Here you go. Brush your teeth, baby.”
Once she was done he carefully lifted her and put her back in bed. Just as he and Mac pulled the covers up, Nate walked in.
“What’s the problem?”
“She’s sick.”
Nate moved to the bed and sat down. “Aurora, what’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Mike tensed at the endearment from Nate. He glared at the other man and clenched his fists. He wanted to knock his teeth down his throat and warn him away from his woman.
“Migraine.”
“Okay, let me give you a shot of painkillers.” Nate reached into his bag and pulled out a syringe and a vial of medicine. “Are you allergic to anything?”
“No.”
“Do you get migraines often?”
“Not really.” Aurora winced when Nate gave her the shot. “Just when I get too stressed.”
“Well, considering what you’ve been through in the last hour, it’s understandable that you’d be stressed right now. The medicine should start working in a couple of minutes. I want you to rest and try and sleep. And don’t even think about getting in your car and driving home.”
“Thank you, Master Nate.” Aurora’s eyes drifted closed and she was already slurring her words, but Mike was worried. He had seen the gleam in her eyes when Nate had told her not to drive. She was an independent little thing and he wouldn’t put it past her to sleep for a bit and then drive home. There was no way in hell she was doing that. Not on his watch.
Nate must have seen that bit of fire, too. He nodded his head toward the door and then went out into the hallway. “One of you needs to stay with her. She’s going to try and leave as soon as she feels capable enough.”
“We’ll keep an eye on her.”
Nate looked from him to Mac and back again and then grinned. “You know, if you two didn’t have a previous claim on her you would have a fight on your hands.”
“We don’t have any claim on her,” Mike snapped.
“You don’t? Hmm, then maybe things are looking up for Nixon and I after all,” Nate said in an even voice.
Mac moved in close to Nate, until the toes of their boots were touching. He gripped the man’s T-shirt in a fist. “Don’t you dare fucking touch her.”
Nate held a hand up palm out and smiled wide. When Mac released him and stepped back, he said, “I’ll leave you to take care of your woman. Don’t hesitate to send for me if you need to.” With that Nate walked down the hall and out into the great room, closing the door behind him.
“How the hell does everyone know we want her?” Mac bit out with a scowl on his face.
Mike stared at him without bothering to answer, knowing his brother wouldn’t take long to figure things out. The wait was shorter than he thought.
“Fucking Dominant bastards! Do you think she has any idea?”
“Not a clue.”
“Turner was right, you know.” Mac scrubbed a hand over his face, sighed, and looked through the open door to the bed on the far side of the room. “If we don’t claim her someone else will.”
“What are you saying?” Mike asked even though he already knew the answer. Mac obviously thought his question was rhetorical. “So let me get this straight. After nearly twelve fucking months of avoiding her, you want to finally make a move?”
“Yep.” Mac held his stare and Mike could see the determination in his eyes. And once his brother made up his mind, there was no way he would be swayed from the course he was set on, regardless of the consequences.
Mike lifted his hands and looked down at them. They were just so fucking big. What if he hurt her without meaning to?
Mac gripped his shoulder. “Look at me, damn it.”
Mike met Mac’s eyes.
“I know that Karen said we hurt her and she was crying, but she was the one who wanted us to dominate her. It was her idea in the first place. If we had known then what we do now we would never have even tried to play with her. What we did had nothing to do with how small she was. That little girl had some serious issues and wanted to be the center of your attention, even to the detriment of her own health. I’ve already told you God knows how many times that it wasn’t just our fault, but hers as well. We stopped as soon as she started crying and yelled stop and then untied her and tried to help her.
“If either of us had known she wasn’t into any type of pain we would never have done a scene with her. We were still learning about being Doms and were bound to make mistakes. You weren’t the only one to blame for Karen’s tears, Mike. She was just as responsible as we were. You have no idea how much I wish we could go back in time and refuse her but she was so insistent that she could take whatever we dished out.
“Fuck, Mike, you didn’t even spank her that hard. Yes, her ass was red, but you didn’t leave your handprin
ts in her skin. I was probably harder on her than you were. There wasn’t a submissive bone in that woman’s body. The only reason she wanted to try was because she had the hots for you. I think her tears were more shock than to do with the spanking we gave her. I think she felt defeated because she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold your interest if she couldn’t play with us. We are fully trained Doms now, damn it. We have learned to read a sub and watch out for every signal a sub gives off.
“Dominating a sub has nothing to do with their size. You have dominated other women here and never had a complaint and not once have any of those subs used their safe word. Just because a woman is taller or has a little more padding doesn’t mean that their pain is any less than someone smaller. You of all people should know that everyone’s pain threshold is different. When are you going to start trusting yourself, Mike?
“When are you going to start believing me? Shit.” Mac threw his hands in the air. “I give up. You just go on the way you are, but I’m not going to stand by and watch some other fucking Dom claim our woman. She’s ours and there is no way in hell I’m letting her slip through our fingers. I’m done, Mike. I’m done waiting for you to get your head out of your ass and open your eyes to see what’s right in front of your face. You’re either in or you’re out, but either way Aurora is going to be my sub.”
Mike watched as his brother sat in a chair beside the bed and sighed. He couldn’t imagine having to see Aurora every day and not being able to touch her, hold her, and love her now that he’d had her in his arms and inhaled her sweet scent. It would be pure torture. Never in his life had he felt so torn. His heart ached and he rubbed between his pecs, trying to relieve the pain.
What am I going to do? Is Mac right? Had he taken too much onto his own shoulders where Karen was concerned? Was she equally to blame for her tears? Had her tears been because she realized that she would never really be able to connect with him? Because she had discovered she wasn’t submissive and into erotic pain after all? He tried to remember what had gone down that day.