Embracing My Submission (10 page)

Drake’s body shook with rage and a turbulent heat radiated off him in blistering waves. Without a word, he ran up the stairs and burst through a door. Nodding to a security employee, the man held open a large, intricately scrolled wooden door. After entering the room, the door closed behind us.

Raising my head, I blinked in amazement. We were in an office, but it was unlike any I’d seen. Monitors lined an entire wall. I could see, all too clearly, inside Drake’s private room. The image was such high resolution, it was as if I were still standing there with Jordon, James, Tony, and Sir Drool.

My dream Dom appeared to be engaged in an extremely heated, one-sided conversation with Jordon, who was busily putting on his clothes. The owner yanked something from the floor and shook it in Jordon’s face. I could see a volcanic rage in the owner’s eyes, as well as the ragged control he tried to maintain.

“Come on, baby. Lay down here on your belly.” Drake turned me away from the monitors, and my eyes widened in surprise. The entire dungeon lay out before me beyond a bank of tall, heavy glass windows.

“Two-way mirrors,” I whispered in surprise as Drake carefully laid me upon a long burgundy leather couch.

“Yes. And I need not remind you that you know nothing of where you are or what you’re seeing. Do you understand me?” Drake asked with a tone of warning.

“That man. The owner of the club?”

“Yes. His name is Mika LaBrache. You didn’t see him either.”

“Yes I did. I’ve been seeing him for years,” I whispered half to myself. “No, I didn’t see anything.” I quickly amended, nodding in understanding. Drake eased the bloody sheet from beneath my body and draped it over me.

“Seeing him where?”

“Never mind.” I shook my head, unwilling to explain my bizarre, clairvoyant visions. “Why did he show himself like that?”

Drake sighed and shrugged. “I can’t tell you why he came down, baby. Wearing that T-shirt, the members will just assume he’s upstairs security. Only a few of us know who he is, like Sammie and the security staff. Come on, let me see what that motherfucker did to you.” Drake carefully lifted the sheet to peek beneath it. “I’ll try not to hurt you.”

“I know you’ll be gentle. I’ll be okay.”

“I’m so sorry, Julianna. I never thought in a million years...if I’d have even suspected...”

“I’m Emerald here, Moses.” I halfway smiled using Drake’s real name as he had mine. I looked into his guilt-ridden eyes and raised a hand, placing it against his worried face. “It’s not your fault. How were you to know? How was I to know? He’d been thoroughly vetted, right?”

“Yes. And I guarantee we’ll be going back through his application with a fine-toothed comb.” It was a vow. I could hear it in his voice. “Jesus, Julianna!” Drake’s voice quivered as he peeled the sheet from my bottom.

“How bad Moses?” I whispered in a tiny voice filled with fear. Using his real name again, I needed to feel connected with him, not as a submissive but as a trusted friend. “Do I need to go to the hospital?”

“Probably. Shit! I don’t know. Fuck! No. We’ll need to get you cleaned up, first. There won’t be any hospitals. Mika will make a call and a doctor friend will come here if we need him. I’m going to cover you back up, sweetheart. Just lay here and try to relax until Mika comes up.”

Drake carefully lowered the sheet back over my burning ass. He sat down on the floor next to the couch and gently traced his finger over my aching cheek. I tensed and sucked in a hissing breath.

“I’m so sorry. He played me. Played
me
! Fucking bastard!” Drake’s anger was overshadowed by his expression of absolute remorse. I’d never seen him so out of control before. It was frightening. “Honey, if I’d have thought for one second that he was capable...and after what you went through before, I...Oh God, Julianna. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Moses. Stop. This isn’t your fault. I survived that, and I’m going to survive this. Neither one of us are newbies. We know there are monsters out there using our community to fulfill their own distorted view of the lifestyle. Maybe he thinks he acted within reason. Who the hell knows? I’m fine. I’m alive. I’ve got a boo-boo on my butt. Wanna kiss it? It might make you feel better.” I giggled.

“How can you laugh at a time like this?”

“Because you’re going to break down into tears any second, and damn it, Moses, I don’t think I can take that.” I held his warm cheek in my hand, and his chin started to quiver as tears filled his eyes.

“No...no. Please.” I pleaded as I wrapped my arms around him and buried my head against his thick neck. His massive body shuddered as we held each other.

“Can you forgive me, Julianna?” His voice cracked as he said the words.

“There’s nothing to forgive, Moses.” I raised my head and wiped his glistening cheeks. “I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

The door opened, and Mika stepped inside. My breath caught in my throat as I stared, amazed and trying to comprehend that my dream Dom was real. He tossed something heavy onto his desk and exhaled with a loud sigh. Closing his eyes, he stood as still as a statue. Every muscle in his body looked strained like he was trying to center a raging storm. I lay there, drinking in his every nuance. He finally opened his eyes.

“Julianna, are you going to be okay?” he asked with concern and compassion flowing beneath his shimmering amber pools.

“Yes, Sir. I’m going to be just fine.” A weak smile curled on my lips. The man was walking, breathing eroticism. Every inch of him oozed Dominance. Control. Sex. But above all else, he was
real
.

A part of me wanted to confess my dreams to him. A much larger part knew I needed to keep that secret to myself. I longed to reach out and touch him just to make sure I wasn’t having some shock-induced hallucination. My entire body pulsed with hunger, and I longed to touch him, to feel his rugged, sculpted body against mine.

I was seriously fucked up. I’d just had my ass opened up by a stranger impersonating a Dominant and I was all but drooling and undressing Mika in my mind. Another stranger.

Yeah, I was one fucked-up puppy. And like the train wreck I was, I couldn’t look away.

Mouthwatering muscles undulated as he crossed his arms over his sculpted chest. I wondered what size spot I was leaving on his leather couch as my pussy ached and wept. No doubt about it, I was a certifiable head case.

“Somehow I imagine you’re going to weather this much better than Moses and I will.” He blinked and clenched his jaw as he peeked beneath the sheet.

Mika knelt alongside Drake and looked into my eyes. He tenderly threaded his long, dark fingers through my hair. A shuddering quake of lust rippled down my spine.

A look of realization flashed over his face as if he knew the effect toying with my hair was having on me. “I’m sorry,” he apologized and pulled back his hand. “We need to have you looked at. Will you allow a doctor friend of mine to come here to the club and take a look at you? Or would you rather we take you to a hospital?”

“No hospitals.” I adamantly shook my head. “I have nothing to fear by outing myself. I mean the worst that could happen is I might lose a few clients. But I don’t have any family to protect from my insidious desires.” I smiled wryly, trying to lighten the moods of the two brooding Doms. “But please, Sir, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to call your friend. I’d rather not have to explain my lifestyle choices to a room full of doctors and nurses who may not understand.”

Mika smiled and nodded his head. “Okay. He’ll come promptly. Let me make a quick call. Is there anything you need?”

“May I please have some water, Sir?” I asked softly.

“I’ll get you some, love.” Drake nodded and retrieved a bottle of water from a small refrigerator near Mika’s enormous desk. I tried to take the bottle from him, but with a stern shake of his head, he tipped the bottle to my lips.

I took a long pull of the cold, refreshing liquid then smirked. “There’s something inherently wrong with this. You know that, don’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m the sub. You, my studly macho man, are the Dom, yet here you are pampering me.” I laughed and winked at Drake.

“You’re such a smartass. Once your butt is healed, I’m going to take great pleasure in firing it up if you’re not careful!”

“Like that’s a threat?” I teased.

“Sluts...I swear!” Drake smiled and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

Mika ended his call, smiling at our banter. God, his smile was as glorious as a sunrise and as sensual as a sunset. The man positively glowed. With a sudden somber expression, he knelt down next to Drake once again.

“Julianna, if you decide to press charges or sue the club, would you let me know prior to pursing those avenues?”

I frowned, shocked that Mika would even imagine such a thing. “I wouldn’t think of it.”

“Well, legally you have every right to. I just wanted to be prepared if that was a direction you wanted to go.”

“Ah. No Sir, it’s not, And no Sir, I won’t,” I snapped with an indignant huff.

“Julianna?” Drake warned as he raised his brows.

“I’m sorry.” I could feel my face flush.

“I’ll pass it off as trauma. The shock to your system must have induced your mouth to project that Dominant tone.” Mika winked as he broke out in a broad smile.

“Hmm. I think you two have been comparing notes on how...um...never mind.” No matter the circumstances, I knew better than to sass either of the two Doms.

“Good girl!” Mika’s eyes held a hint of mischief. I watched his smile fade as he looked at me with concern. “When was your last tetanus shot, Julianna?”

“I don’t have a clue. It’s been a long time, why?”

“I think you’re going to need one. I’m going to ask the doctor to also run a test for STDs.”

I frowned and my stomach rolled. “But, he didn’t...he never...y’all got there before...” I stumbled, embarrassed by the position I was in when they stormed the room.

“I know but the implement he used on you...” Mika shook his head and cursed under his breath.

“What was it? I’ve never felt anything so horrific and painful in my life.”

Mika walked to his desk and returned holding a strange metal flogger-looking instrument in his hand.

“Motherfucker! Where is he? I’m going to kill him!” Drake cursed as he stood and inspected the odd-looking item. “No wonder her ass looks like hamburger.”

“Looks like what?” I screeched, nearly jumping off the couch. “Let me see my ass! Get me a mirror.”

“Let the doctor fix it up first, Julianna. Trust me. You don’t want to see it right now,” Drake soothed as he wrapped his broad hand around my shoulder.

“Fine. At least let me see the thing that Jordon used then?” I asked, unsure what to even call the instrument of torture.

I was at a loss for words when I saw the object up close. It was a short leather-wrapped stick with shards of razor blades welded into the ends of numerous long metal falls. The razor blades were rusty and ugly. No wonder Mika wanted me to get a tetanus shot.

“Who uses something like this?” I asked in disbelief.

“A fucking sadist. That cocksucker was only supposed to talk to you,” Drake spat. “He only had permission to get to know your limits, your likes, your dislikes. Never once did I even hint that he could take any liberties with you whatsoever. I would never set you up like that, Julianna.”

“I know that, Sir.”

“Julianna,” Mika interrupted in a deep but quiet timbre. “Here and now, you don’t need to bother with honorifics. We’re friends without the titles. Okay?”

“Yes, Sir.” I closed my eyes and shook my head then opened them and nodded. “I’m sorry. Yes, Mika.”

“Some subs can’t ever get instructions right, have you noticed that?” Drake teased.

“Oh, hush! I’m synonymous for screwing up and you damn well know it,” I huffed.

“You’ve just not met the right one yet girl.” Mika’s rich erotic voice spread over me like hot melted butter.

“You think?” I asked Mika, raising a brow and curling my lip in a condescending sneer.

“Put my name down on the list to fire up her ass once it’s healed, would you Drake?”

“What?” My eyes flew open wide. “You’re not serious, are you?”

“Oh, but I am!” Mika smiled mischievously.

I instantly melted at his breathtaking smile, hypnotized by that full, thick bottom lip. If only I could do what I’d always longed to. I’d slip it between my lips, capture it with my teeth, and slowly glide my tongue over every plump inch.
Hold your hormones, girl. That kind of thinking got you into this fucked-up situation in the first place.

Drake laughed softly and assured Mika he would indeed add his name to the list.

“I need to run down and check on Trevor. I’m sure he’s scared half to death and probably pestering the boots off Sammie. Will you be okay for a few minutes, baby?” Drake tucked an errant curl behind my ear.

“I’m good. Please give him a big fat kiss and tell him I’m doing fine. I know he’s worried. I would be, too, if I were in his shoes.” I smiled and nuzzled my cheek against his warm, thick palm.