"Yes, Ma'am. It was the first thing on the list."
"Thank you. You've done an excellent job, Kade. I appreciate all of your hard work."
Jessica stared at the tone change between them. A few minutes earlier this same woman had almost berated Kade in front of the entire club, and now she gave him soft adoring praises. Alexandra's gaze turned toward her, and she stiffened.
"I also hear I am in your debt, Detective."
"Doing my job," she said.
For a long moment, Alexandra simply watched her. Under her scrutiny, Jessica shifted her weight.
"How did you enjoy my club?"
"It is beautiful," Jessica replied.
"Yet you are uncomfortable."
Her gaze moved between Kade and Alexandra.
"Thomas, could you give us a few minutes?" Alexandra asked without looking over at Kade.
Jessica watched Kade walk toward her and place a light kiss on her forehead.
"Good luck," he murmured as he walked out the office door.
When they were alone, Alexandra motioned to the seat in front of her desk.
"Please join me, Detective. I don't bite unless it is requested."
Jessica walked wearily over to the chair and sat, her back straight and body tense.
"Kade seems to have taken quite a liking to you," Alexandra stated.
"The feeling is mutual. I enjoy Mr. Kinkaid's company."
Alexandra leaned back, and Jessica felt like she was under a microscope.
"Let's see if I get my guess right," she started, steepling her fingers. "Someone or several of them have hurt you. Men have taken advantage of your size. The media tells you to be strong, and you think you are, but then you walk into this world and the practicum is harder than the theory."
Jessica nodded, stunned at the accuracy of Alexandra's words.
"And then you ran smack dab into Kade. This combination of self-assured and in need of center."
"He's... different."
"There's an understatement. Kade has been through hell on a couple different levels. From the looks of it, you both have your own unsteady ground. According to Samantha, you've struggled to settle into your dominant side."
Jessica scowled.
"It was a long plane ride back and I don't walk into unknown situations when the information is easy to gather," Alexandra said by way of explanation.
A smile tugged at the edges of Jessica's mouth.
"You aren't at all what I expected."
"I'm not surprised. The staff thinks I'm a bitch on wheels who doesn't tolerate excuses. My friends wonder at my sanity. To the outside world I'm the type of person who never hears 'no.'"
"Accurate."
"And you are a woman who's worked so hard to prove herself she doesn't know how to allow someone else to get the pickles off the top shelf rather than getting a step ladder."
Everything in Jessica wanted to argue, but the accuracy of the statement hit her with a solid resound.
"Everyone thinks intimacy is about the physical. All around my club people chase it. But it's really about truth. Being able to open and tell someone your truth. To know you are both safe together. It's part of a power exchange. The hardest part. To know as a Dominant you are as vulnerable as the submissive you lead."
"How?" The question stuck in Jessica's throat.
"Practice. Failure. Rinse. Repeat."
"I adore him."
"That much is obvious. Now quit second-guessing yourself because you're trying to live up to some ideal. I've not seen Kade light up like he does for you in far too long."
"Kade," she said as she entered his office.
He rose from behind his own desk and nodded to her. "Yes, Ma'am?"
"I want to know one thing. Is this what you want or was it all part of the fantasy this club exudes?"
Kade walked around his desk until he stood in front of her. He cupped her face between his large hands and forced her to look up at him.
"You are who I follow."
"Even when I stumble in the dark not knowing the next steps to take? When the world questions my authority because of my size or gender?”
"Especially then. An exchange means we are both in it. The weight is not only on you or only on me... it's on us. There's no specific way for any of this to go but how we choose it."
Jessica looked into his eyes for a long minute, finding her own strength in his.
"Kneel," she commanded, her tone soft and warm.
He smiled, released her face, and fell to his knees in a kneel up position. Here, they were closest they ever could be to a similar height.
"You know, I still owe you for biting me without permission. And then there was the quip about fucking me in the ass," she said, schooling the emotions on her face.
"Yes, Ma'am," Kade said with enthusiasm.
Jessica laughed. "I want to be everything you want in a Dominant."
"There's no list. It's about mutual benefit and pleasure, besides you may find my cock buried deep in your ass is exactly what you want."
A mischievous grin played across his face as he moved his hands to grip her ass and pulled her closer.
"Did I give you permission to grab my ass?"
Kade tried to look contrite, but failed.
"No, Ma'am, but it is such a beautiful ass, how am I supposed to resist?"
She bent slightly and ran a thumb across his lips. Her fingers slid into his mouth as he teased them with his tongue.
"You know, this tongue of yours will get you into trouble," she said, pinching it between her fingers then releasing it when he groaned.
"It's also been known to be a source of great pleasure and satisfaction, as I recall."
Jessica gave a breathy moan at the memory of his tongue working over her clit. She knew her power over him was equal to his over her and relaxed in their banter. He was more experienced in the lifestyle, and yet he let her take the lead. There was so much to learn, and in this moment she knew they would both enjoy every minute.
"Maybe we should put it to the test. A repeat performance. As I recall, you weren't allowed to come after our encounter. It will take several days for the bite mark to heal. In return, you can pleasure me several times a day over that same time period but won't be allowed a release. I think it will be enough to make up for my 'pain and suffering' while reminding you to ask next time," she said.
Kade's head dropped at her pronouncement, and when he looked up, there was a glint in his eyes.
"If I understand you, then it will be a requirement to pleasure you several times a day, but I may not release. Is this correct?"
Jessica nodded.
"Lesson one-a Dominant should always be specific. I think it's time you learn this game goes both ways," he said, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
His fingers reached up to work the button of her pants.
"What are you doing?"
"Pleasuring you, for the first of several times today. You weren't specific, and I thought we'd get started."
When her pants and panties hit the floor, he nuzzled the inside of her thigh as he explored her with his lips, teasing her slit as he worked his tongue into her folds.
"What if someone walks in?"
Kade paused and looked up at her with a smile. "Then they walk in. Next time you should lock the door, Mistress."
There was no time for her to form a reply as a bold swipe of his tongue sent her spinning into a soft swirl of pleasure.
Epilogue
"Good afternoon, everyone." Alexandra addressed the group from behind her desk, looking around the room to the people who'd saved her life.
Ian and Jillian stood near the door while Jessica and Kade sat in the chairs in front of the large desk. Over to the right, Samantha sat in the office chair they'd pulled from Katie's desk. Every person watched her from their positions in the room.
"First, thank you. I owe every one of you a great debt. It is one I can never repay. Faced with my poor decisio
ns, you rallied to not only save my life, but also this club. Based on everything we know, I think we are better equipped to end this game once and for all. Once we locate Dominick, we can concentrate all of our focus on the situation at hand," she said. "We need to get everything back on track, so we can get back to business."
Alexandra shifted in her seat.
"I hear you've been looking for me," Dominick said, his deep voice resonating around the office.
Every person in the room turned and gawked at him.
"Where the hell have you been?" Alexandra demanded as she rose from behind the desk.
Dominick held up his hand, and she immediately went silent.
"Working. There are other things in play here."
He stepped into the office, and bodies moved out of his way as he stepped in front of Alexandra's desk.
"I am glad you are safe. I was worried," Alexandra said. She glanced toward the floor and immediately brought her gaze back to his.
"I understand you've been through quite the ordeal yourself. My sources tell me Reece should make a full recovery, though it will be a long one."
"Your sources?" Kade asked from behind him.
"Yes, Thomas. There's an advantage to knowing everything. A power in it, you might say."
"The question is why do you need power?" Jessica asked.
Dominick turned toward her.
"I don't think I've had the pleasure of your acquaintance."
"No, Mr. Dawes, you have not," she said without further elaboration.
Dominick chuckled. "I like you, Detective," he said, turning back to Alexandra.
"How did you know..."
"Patience, Detective. All things in good time. Now, I understand Cassandra is being confined on the grounds. Since I'm the one who put her here, I would like to see her."
A scowl crossed Alexandra's face.
"What do you mean you put her here?"
Dominick sighed. "I don't think it is hard to understand. You know she had an anonymous source. I am that source. I gave her the job which put her in your club, and I would like to see her now."
The tension in the room was palpable as Dominick and Alexandra both stood their ground.
Ian cleared his throat from near the door. "Mr. Dawes, if you will follow me to the cell block, I'll take you to Cassandra."
A smile formed across Dominick's stern face.
"You placed her in the cell block?" he asked.
"Yes. Based on the information we received in our ongoing investigation, we thought it was the best place to keep her... safe," Jessica replied.
Dominic turned and faced Jessica.
"Aren't you full of surprises? Maybe all of this will work after all," he said with a nod. "Now, please take me to Cassandra."
They all watched as Dominick walked to the door as he followed Ian out toward the club.
Plea from the Author
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Play with Me- Chapter 1
Empyrean Club- The Atlas Collection Book 5
There is an eery calm. Emotions recede. A deep breath comes. My voice is but a whisper. The cool crisp of logic infuses itself into every pore. Details I would let go mere minutes ago are now important. Each one better be perfect. For greater men than you have beat the emotions out of me until all I knew was perfection through annihilation.
Emotion is illogical. It takes much to get me to the place where I am open and they flow freely. I must work to be open, no matter how much I desire to do so. It is a labor.
The fastest way usually comes when I have failed, for they use emotions to beat me into submission. The crashing waves of all the things I've missed all of my failure and realization of my worst fears. Under it, my knees buckle and I release.
I want there to be another way, but too many situations, too many people use it against me. Release is sometimes such a wonderful thing. Other times it stokes a different fire. It is all in the path to get there and the safety I find.
But now... now is not the path of positive positions. Now is the path past anger. Filled with protection. Focused from the words beginning to whisper through my thoughts. "Emotions make you weak." "Keep this up and you will prove the failure I already know you are." "No one wants to be with an emotional woman!" "So men are better, they are stoic and strong." "Women are less because they use emotions to manipulate situations." "Men are always more successful because they logical and can think in a crisis."
I've heard them all and then some. There were times I hit my knees and did not think I would get up as the emotions swirls through me. Then I learned the cold, cruel calculation of logical thought. It does not care about you nor does it attach any emotion to your situation. Through its lens, you are an object who threatens to harm my world. Every fuzzy detail becomes clear. Question more pointed. My entire world is a deep breath of calm. My patience is thin and observation is even higher than normal. Here, I will take mass casualties to ensure damage because yours will match mine. It is a game of chicken, chess and go. Each one with a different aim and strategy.
My voice is now but a whisper, as a smile slides across my face. Harm to one I love now ends my level of patience, anger and sleepless nights it cost me to get here again. Every lesson I've learned now trains every skill on one goal. Your move. Greed got you here. Emotions can't save you. And I've got lots of time- do you?
I'll send your regards to the men who taught me those lessons before you.
Emotions are weakness and I am not.
The knock at the door draws my attention, but I do not look up.
“Enter,” I command, my pen finishing the last strokes with a flourish.
Katie enters the room and sets a cup of coffee on my desk, then picks up the cold one.
“My apologies for the interruption, ma’am. Mr. Kinkaid is here to see you.”
“Tell him I will find him later.”
“She’ll tell me no such thing,” Kade says, his voice booming in an echo around the room. “You’ve scurried between three locations at all hours for the last month. We’ve all give you time and space, but enough is enough, Ma’am.”
I lift my eyes. He stands in a perfect parade rest. His eyes forward in respect. Tension ripples through his muscles.
“I’ve got businesses to run, Thomas. He put my life, and the lives of others, in danger and on hold with his games. It left everything in shambles. Now, I must catch up before it all falls apart,” I reply with an icy tone as I place the fountain pen on top of the journal entry I was writing.
“With all due respect, you are surrounded with a capable team.”
“You are all capable, but it is my responsibility. It stops on my desk. Every detail, every decision comes from me. No matter if I make them or not. Both as a dominant and as a business owner,” I say and push my chair back from the desk. The space is suddenly confining.
“If you’d continued to build your team, this situation would be easier,” Dominick replies as he walks through the door. “I always thought Thomas would make a fine Major Domo and from the looks of this place, he was doing an excellent job at running your House while you were… indisposed.”
“Dominick,” I acknowledge.
I watch his eyebrow raise in a question but he does not verbalize it.
“This isn’t your concern,” I continue. “Mr. Kinkaid ran the club, and some of
its major events, with efficiency, but it is my understanding he struggled under the stress and the weight of them. It is unfair, as the head of this House- or club as it is in actuality, to unduly place such weight on the staff.”
Kade does not move as Dominick walks behind him.
“I don't disagree that you failed. If you’d continued the correct course of training, provided the necessary skills to Mr. Kinkaid and the other staff members, the burden would not be as heavy. However, you chose this direction by your own actions. Now, you must train others to take control and while you learn to release it in the most dire times. A troublesome situation without doubt,” Dominick says as he lowers himself into the chair to my right in front of the desk.
I pull my shoulders back and straighten. This is a battle of wills, and Dominick has a clear advantage of position and history.
“It’s not your call,” I state. “Mr. Kinkaid is capable. You are correct that I should expand his training in this job when the timing is better. For the moment, I am more than able to right this ship, so to speak.”
“Pardon my disagreement,” Ian says from the doorway.
I take a deep breath and sigh.
“As a fiscal investor in this enterprise,” he says as his arms motion to the room and club, “I am in agreement with these two gentlemen.”
“You are a thirty percent investor,” I remind him.
“Fifty-two. Your absence caused a need for an influx of funds in several divisions of your enterprise and I stepped in to help,” Ian replies as he takes the seat beside Dominick.
Kade cringes.
“I’ll discuss this with you later, Kade,” I say through clenched teeth.
I take a deep breath to calm the swirl of emotions and reach for the next logical step.
“Gentlemen,” I address them, “I appreciate your concern. Mr. Breckenridge, I will be glad to discuss our current business arrangements enacted in my absence. Mr. Dawes, your personal insertion into this matter has caused quite enough issues. Mr. Kinkaid, you and I will discuss your decisions at length. Now, if you all will excuse me, there is a mountain of work which requires my attention.”
Submit to Me Page 20