Saving My Submission BN (3 page)

“Thanks,” I grumbled sarcastically. “You make me sound
like a bed-hopping bimbo.”

“I didn’t mean it like that and you know it,” Savannah
scolded before her tone turned gentle. “I’m sorry, I’m just hyper emotional
these days for some weird reason.

“Don’t sweat it,” I reassured. “So tell me what’s
really
bothering you?”

“I don’t know,” she mumbled. “I have everything a girl
could want. My life is beyond perfect. I just miss you and want to spend some
quality time with my
bestie
.”
  

“Well.” I paused. “What are you doing this Tuesday at
three fifty-five in the afternoon?”

“Nothing, why?”

“I could use a ride from the airport, oh, and a place
to crash—if you think Dylan and Nick won’t mind.”

“Here?
In Chicago?”
She
gasped.

“Yes,” I giggled. “There’s a private art showing
Thursday night. I’m going for a client.”

Savannah let out a scream so loud I had to yank the
phone away from my ear. Not just one
scream
, but a
whole bunch of them. Suddenly, I heard the thundering voices of Dylan and Nick
demanding to know what was wrong. It took my excited sister several long
seconds to explain why she was coming unglued.

“Mellie?”
Nick’s deep
authoritative voice sent a shiver up my spine. He wasn’t my Dominant, but he
wielded the type of power that scraped the submissive in me.

“Yes?” I replied in an unusually timid tone.

“Next time you decide to come for a visit, would you
please warn me or Dylan first? Savannah’s screams scared ten years off our
lives.”

I laughed. “I’m sorry, Nick.”

“It’s okay. I’m just messing with you,” he chuckled.
“So, when are you coming?”

Relaying my flight info, I blocked out his assertive
mien and shoved the silly submissive sentiments from my head.

“Excellent. We’ll be there to pick you up,” he assured
before passing the phone back to Savannah.

Chatting about my visit, anticipation and excitement
grew contagious. Soon we were laughing more than talking. I realized how much I
missed my sister and the special bond we shared. It had been a long time since
I’d seen Sanna…far too long.

“Oh my god, I almost forgot,” she gasped. “
Leagh
and Tony… you remember
Leagh
,
right?” she asked, pausing long enough for me to issue an affirmative grunt.
“They’re getting married on Saturday. You’ve got to come to the wedding with
us. It’s going to be a huge lavish affair and the reception they’ve planned is
over the top.”

I bit back a groan. Ugh.
Weddings.
Monogamy.
Happy ever
afters
.
Commitment.
It all
made my skin crawl. Why anyone would want to tie themselves down to another
person for their entire life was beyond me.

“Sanna…”

“You’re going.” She ordered. “I’m not leaving you to
sit here all day so don’t try to weasel your way out. Oh, and then after the
reception Tony’s going to formally collar her at the club. I really,
reallyyyy
want you to come with us. Please. Say you’ll go?”

The
BDSM club; Genesis
.
On some of my past visits I’d accompanied
Savannah and her Masters to the club. Exposing
myself
to the power exchange stung and left me feeling a bit like a third wheel. While
their friends were always warm and welcoming, I had to focus on making small
talk to keep from getting drawn into the BDSM acts playing out around me.
Genesis was the only lifestyle venue I’d set foot in after burying my
submissive yearnings and walking away from my former club in Kansas City. For
the most part I’d succeeded, but every time I stepped inside Genesis, my
desires ignited with a vengeance. My conflicted emotions consumed me so deeply
I felt as if I was fighting a forest fire—one teaspoon of water at a time.

A ripple of apprehension crawled up my spine. Did I
honestly want to subject myself to that level of turmoil again?

“I don’t know Sanna. I’m not sure I’m up for all that
gooey, sticky love crap. Besides, I don’t know how long I can stay.”

I’d actually planned to remain in Chicago for a couple
of weeks. I hated lying to my sister; she deserved better from me. But I didn’t
want to confess my aversion to the BDSM club, not when she derived so much
pleasure from it. I certainly didn’t want to own up to my spineless decisions
after the horrific break up from my former Master. Sharing the level of
devastation after he’d removed my collar—in front of the entire dungeon—then
whipped it around the neck of a brand new sub was totally out of the question.
There was no way in hell I’d admit my cowardice to Sanna. She’d be crushed if
she ever found out that I’d left her, the dungeon, the lifestyle, and my home
out of shame. I wouldn’t do that to her.

“Oh,
pleeeeease
,
Mel.
Please. It’s going to be a blast. Don’t be a party pooper. Say
you’ll go with us.
Pleeeeease
!”

“Christ Almighty. Stop begging or I’ll text your
Masters and tell them to spank your ass.”

“Promise?” she giggled.

“You’re incorrigible,” I laughed. “Okay. Okay.
Don’t
start screaming again but I’ll go to the
wedding and I’ll go to the damn collaring ceremony.”

Ignoring my warning, Sanna let out another cry just as
piercing as the first.

“Dammit, kitten. Stop doing that or we’ll get out the
rice.” Dylan’s voice echoed out in warning, that time.

“I’m sorry, Master, but… I can’t help it.”

“
We’ll
be more
than happy to help you, precious,” Nick threatened.
“With a
big red ball gag.”

#

Four days later, they met me at the airport, as
promised. Savannah rushed to my arms with a smile so wide I thought her face
would split. I held her tight as we both swiped at our tears of joy. Emotions
flooded through me. There was nothing more comforting than the unconditional
love of my sister. We’d relied on each other for years after surviving the
tragic death of our parents. It had been a heart-breaking time in our lives,
but we drew strength from one another and grew to be more than sisters—we
became best friends.

Guilt swamped me in an ugly veil as I held her in my
arms. If I had been a stronger person, I wouldn’t have left her and moved… err,
rather, ran away to Phoenix. Tangled in my own turmoil, I’d convinced myself
that she was an adult capable of living independently after she’d graduated
high school and enrolled in college. When in reality, staying in Kansas City,
dodging
phone calls from worried friends while trying to
remain invisible to various
lifestylers
on the
streets wore me down and ate at my self-confidence. My former hometown held too
many memoires—each one a slap in the face—reminding me that I’d been a fool to
believe the lies of
a
wanna
-be
Dom and control freak.

It was pointless to wallow in guilt. I couldn’t go
back and erase Davis Walker—master manipulator—from my past, even if I’d wanted
to. But oh, how I wanted to.

Pushing the depressing thoughts from my mind, I kissed
Savannah on the cheek. After giving Dylan and Nick each a big hug we retrieved
my luggage then headed to their house on the shores of Lake Michigan.

“Come on, let’s grab some drinks and sit out on the
deck,” Savannah suggested after I’d unpacked my suitcases. “We can catch up on
some gossip. Maybe I can sweet talk the guys into fixing us dinner.”

“Sounds great.”
I nodded.
“You know they’re spoiling you rotten, right?”

“Yeah,” she giggled. “But I spoil them right
back.”
 

Dylan and Nick possessed mad culinary skills. The men
had no business being in construction. The two could make an even bigger
fortune if they tossed off their hard hats for chef’s hats and opened a five
star restaurant. They were that amazing.

As Savannah and I wound our way into the kitchen, I
stopped and stared, like I always did. For a woman who could barely boil water,
the extravagant room—with every top of the line appliance imaginable—simply
overwhelmed.

“Every time I walk in here, I imagine myself having a
nervous breakdown trying to heat up a can of soup.”

Savannah laughed, then reached into the fridge and
grabbed a couple of diet sodas. I followed her out to the deck. The summer sun
warmed my skin, and a gentle breeze blew through my hair, as we caught up on
the latest gossip in our lives.

“And to think, you gave up living alone in that
cramped, over-priced, two bedroom apartment for all this,” I teased.

“I know, right. What was I thinking?” she laughed then
reached out and clasped my hand. “Oh, Mel, it’s so good to have you here. I’ve
missed you so much.” Her eyes filled with tears and I felt my brows draw
together tightly.

“Sanna, what’s wrong? Tell me…”

“I don’t know!” She threw up her hands and released a
nervous chuckle before wiping her eyes. “I think I’ve got a wicked case of PMS
going on.”

“
Ahh
, okay.
That
I understand.”

I sat up and leaned over, wrapping her in a tight hug.
Boy was that the wrong thing to do. She didn’t find comfort in my soothing
actions; she simply broke down in a fit of gut-wrenching sobs.

Dylan and Nick stepped onto the porch. Their
expressions of concern were identical.

“Kitten?”
Dylan softy
whispered, as he knelt down next to her chair.

“Hormones,” I whispered to him with a knowing wink.

“Aww, princess,” Nick purred as he bent in close,
easing Savannah from my arms.

“I’m sorry for being such a hot mess, Masters,” she
sniffed.

A mischievous smile curled over Nick’s lips. “We like
it when you’re a hot mess. We like it even more when we’re the ones making you
that way. Look at me.”

Savannah raised her head and gazed up at him. The love
that reflected in her red-rimmed eyes was blinding, and my heart nearly burst
with happiness for her.

“We love you, precious.
Raging
hormones and all.”
Nick smiled as he brushed away her tears with the
pads of his thumbs. “We want you to be happy, and if you’re not… then you need
to tell us and we’ll fix it.”

“I
am
happy,
Master. I love you both so much,” Savannah sighed as she flashed a look over
her shoulder toward Dylan and me. “You make me feel like a princess.”

“You
are
our
princess, and we love you. So put a smile on, kitten,” Dylan urged, dancing his
fingers up and down her arm. “Your sister’s finally here. It’s time for
happiness instead of tears.”

Savannah gave a resolute nod and forced a watery grin.

“Good girl,” Nick praised before kissing her softly.

Good girl.
A
shiver slithered up my spine at his Dominant words. Being surrounded in an
atmosphere of BDSM always played havoc with my head, and shoving my submissive
longings down wasn’t going to be a picnic. I’d find a way to cope. A few weeks
of having the lifestyle slapping me in the face wouldn’t kill me. Besides,
spending time with my baby sister would be well worth it.

When Savannah finally settled down, Dylan and Nick
grabbed a couple of beers and joined us on the deck. We sat and talked, laughed
and teased. Dylan was as smart-assed as ever with his quick comebacks and
taunting jabs, while Nick, the quieter one, enjoyed baiting his friend simply
to rile him up. Both made it blatantly obvious that they loved Savannah with
every cell in their bodies. The maternal concern I’d harbored in regard to her
relationship with the two men had been put to rest on my first visit. It was
reassuring to see the three were still blissfully happy.

As the sun ebbed below the horizon we drove to a
quaint Italian restaurant for dinner called Maurizio’s. I was surprised to see
several familiar members from Club Genesis dining there as well. Shoving down
the niggling urges within, I painted on a self-assured smile, inwardly drawing
my armor tightly around me as Savannah re-introduced me to their friends.

Glancing toward the bar, I spied a hunk of a man—built
like a lumberjack—smiling as he swaggered towards us. He zeroed in on me like a
hawk circling a field mouse before extending his hand to me. Placing my fingers
in his broad palm an electric sizzle raced up my arm.

“Hello there, gorgeous. I’m Scotty. What’s your name?”

“Mellie Carson,” I replied, flashing him a daring
smile. Never one to walk away from a challenge, I met his carnal stare with one
of my own.

“Really?” he replied with a confident, wolfish grin.

Before I could counter with a sultry comeback, Nick
whisked me toward the other side of the restaurant to a table where a smiling
couple sat eating.

Nick introduced Tony and
Leagh
,
the pending bride and groom who were to marry in a few short days. The man
looked vaguely familiar as my mind flashed back to him sporting a tight black
security T-shirt at the club. I recognized
Leagh
immediately. The first time I’d met her, she’d gone by the name Dahlia, and had
been with a much older Master named George. When Savannah phoned to tell me
George had died, I remembered how heartbroken I’d been for poor
Leagh
. But watching her with her new Dom, I realized that
not only had her heart healed, but she’d gone through a huge transformation. No
longer sassy and brash, she projected a self-assured poise and serenity about
her, all but glowing beneath Tony’s tangible adoration.

A flicker of hope whizzed through me.
Leagh
had been given a second chance at happiness and
submission. Could I, too, be that lucky?