What About Love (Club Decadence Book 6) (4 page)

Her face must have shown her trepidation because Dan cupped her cheek in his big bear-like paw, similar to the way she’d seen Cap do with Megan many a time, and Rick with Regan. Surprisingly, it calmed her.

“You can trust me, Angie,” Dan assured softly. “I’ll take care of you as if you were my own.”

Although she thought of him like a big brother—a badass, eat nails, spit tacks, ex-Marine kind of big brother—when he said things like that, possessive things that two years ago would have outraged her inner feminist, she didn’t mind. She’d been desensitized to it, she guessed, by being around it so often. First, from having two submissive cousins married to Club Decadence Masters, who weren’t the least bit shy about hiding their protective, dominant side. And second, from being around the D/s couples in the Decadence lounge when she’d gone to watch her friend Elena perform. It could also be from working for Tony Rossi and his team of war heroes, all strong, dynamic, honorable men with an innate need to lead, protect and defend. She never would have thought it possible, but she found the special care and consideration they gave their women endearing in an old-fashioned kind of way, not like the revulsion she experienced and had to stomach as a detective in the misogynistic cesspool of the San Antonio Police Department.

So, she’d gotten used to their ways and couldn’t discount the fact that hearing it now when she was anxious, and yes, she’d admit to being scared, that Dan’s words were welcome and made her feel warm and kind of melty inside. Further, his size and obvious strength made her feel safe and protected. It was easy to see how a woman could get used to the feeling and gave her a little insight into why the twins liked this dominance and submission dynamic so well.

As quickly as that thought came, she pushed it aside, admonishing herself not to get sucked in by the atmosphere. When the assignment was done, she’d go back to being plain vanilla Angie, who dated regular guys and had regular sex—meaning the style not the frequency—which for her could never be described as happening on any kind of recurring basis.

To Dan she affirmed, “I know I can trust you. It’s just that all of this is foreign to me.”

“Consider me your tour guide in this new adventure. I’ve been a member at Decadence for almost two years now. I’ve seen a host of posers and wannabe subs, but they can’t fool a true Dom. I can help you learn what you need to make it look real.”

“Thanks. I’ll try not to exasperate you too much and I really hope I don’t botch this like I did the simulator.”

He wrapped a companionable arm around her shoulders and started walking again. “Honey, shooting is one thing, but this… don’t you worry. I’ve got this covered. Besides, no aim is involved on your part and if your tongue gets on my nerves there are ball gags aplenty should I need one. Sounds like a win-win for both of us.”

Her mouth snapped shut as the image of a red rubber ball wedged between her teeth and firmly secured with black straps came to mind. Dan, for his part, took one look at her face and grinned. He then proceeded to haul her newbie ass into administration and the Master Dom’s office.

Chapter Three

Striding through the double doors at the main entrance, T stopped a few steps inside to take it all in. It was Monday, a slow night compared to Wednesday and the weekends when Elena pulled in a huge crowd. To the right, was the lounge where several couples danced to a slow ballad the house band was playing. The lead singer was good, although nowhere near the quality of Elena Lopez—check that, Elena Russell—she and Dex were married now.

To the left was the bar, run by their efficient manager, Ben Daniels. As usual, his subbie wife, Sadie, was at his side helping as she did most nights. As he scanned the crowd, he saw more new faces than regulars. Dex and Sean had been busy growing the membership while he’d been away. Single Doms and available subs he hoped, the latter being his primary interest at the moment.

Three months without a submissive was a long damn time.

He moved quickly to his left, toward the heavy oak and wrought iron doors that led to the main play area. They’d made them intentionally ominous to set the mood right off—it was a dungeon, after all—which made T grin as he thought of all the new subs who’d turned tail and run at the sight of them. Their Master or Dom chasing them down to reassure them and inevitably spending more time than they’d planned in the bar or the lounge before they’d inspired enough daring in the frightened newbie to venture inside.

As he strode through the bar, he offered a nod, a silent chin lift or the flick of his hand to the members he knew. That was all the greeting he planned to give them, however. He’d shoot the shit or share a beer with them later. First up was finding a soft, sweet, eager submissive to tie over a bench or spread eagle on a cross and fuck until her cries of pleasure announced that Master T had returned to Club Decadence.

Upon scanning his thumbprint, the doors unlatched, admitting him to the inner sanctum, the heart of their club where the recognizable scents of leather and sex inundated his senses. Standing still, he let the atmosphere surround him, absorbing the strident sounds of domination and submission. God, how he loved this place.

“T, my man!” a familiar voice called. Sean was approaching, his arm around Mara’s shoulders. The last time he’d seen them was at the hospital, the circumstances much more somber. T’s eyes swept over his friend’s submissive wife, his lips tilting up in a grin as he took in her bunny costume, complete with fuzzy ears and a cotton tail. A favorite of Sean’s evidently, as he’d seen her dressed in it a time or two before. His friend had a thing for costumes and as pretty as his sub appeared in hers tonight, T didn’t blame him. His gaze flicked to Sean and they shared an amused look over the head of the fuming sub who also had her hands bound behind her back and a bit gag in her mouth.

When T looked back at her, he noted Mara’s green eyes were aimed at Sean and ablaze with indignation. “Silly rabbit,” he teased, with a slow shake of his head. “Haven’t you learned yet that Doms don’t like to be glared at?”

Evidently not, because her laser sharp glare focused on him next.

“Sean, buddy, you clearly didn’t put enough oomph in your paddling because now she’s scowling at me.”

“I haven’t done it yet. Never doubt she’ll be like well-behaved putty in my hands by the time I’m done with her. Won’t you, Mara-mine?” As he posed the question that she was physically incapable of answering, he wiped her chin with a towel. His little bunny mumbled something indiscernible behind her gag. T had to laugh, though he couldn’t understand a single garbled word, he was one hundred percent certain it wasn’t complimentary.

“What are you waiting for?” He didn’t try to suppress his smile when Mara bristled as he knew she would. “You know,” he continued mostly for her benefit, “when it comes to punishment, there’s no time like the present.”

“I believe I’m the one who taught you that, puppy,” Sean quipped, good-naturedly. T allowed his slur about his youth to roll off his back, used to it following a decade of ribbing as the youngest in their unit. “I’m making the rounds for Dex,” Sean went on to explain. “He’s got a new member in his office.”

“You’ve been busy with that. I didn’t recognize half the people in the bar,” his gaze swept the cavernous room, “and I don’t know many more in here.”

“Thirty new members in three months. With all the crap last year, Dex and I were leery of admitting anyone new. With all that behind us, we’re all over the waiting list.”

“I’ll get to know them quickly enough. For tonight, I’ve got a taste for something sweet.”

Sean tilted his head toward a dais that hadn’t been there when he’d left. It was set back out of the way, allowing a view of the entire floor. A dozen or so lovely submissives graced the plush burgundy couches as they eagerly watched the play on the main floor.

“That’s new.”

“A sub-in-waiting area,” he said, giving his own sub’s shoulders a squeeze. “Mara’s idea after talking to some of the members. The subs felt they were lost in the crowd and the Doms had a hard time finding them. Now, those that want to play, can watch and wait from the couches for their Dom prince to come claim them—her charming words, not mine—but it has turned out to be very effective.”

“Excellent idea, Mara.” T grinned with approval. “Now my prey is corralled into one convenient location.” He could only imagine the wicked grin on his face when he saw Mara’s eyes flare wide. She didn’t understand how hungry a man got after a three month long menu with only three choices: dinner for one, a single flavor—sadly, vanilla—or self-denial. He spotted two pretty blondes, one he wouldn’t mind having a second taste of and one who was brand new. He clapped Sean on the shoulder. “You might have to put Mara on the payroll, you know. She devised the Sultan’s Chamber upstairs and now this.”

“Wait until you see the garden out back. In addition to the fountains she selected, there’s plenty of greenery for a private picnic if you choose and more open seating for those so inclined, but the best part is the new sand box she designed complete with adult playground equipment: swings, a merry-go-round and a see-saw. The wood is all sanded to a satin smooth finish so there’s no worry about splinters in tender places. Some toys are strategically padded and others have recessed compartments so that implements are readily at hand. There are also some cleverly placed slots for custom-made attachments, on the see saw most notably.

A picture of the see-saw formulated in his head—each seat with a cleverly designed phallic device deeply seated inside the submissive rider, heads thrown back in delight, lips parted as they cried out their pleasure, bobbing breasts quivering and bouncing as they teetered up and down—it had his cock twitching inside his leather pants. He shot Mara a wholly appreciative look for her wicked imagination.

Sean was watching her too, his mouth quirking with humor as her face flamed a brilliant red. “My girl has a naughty streak a mile wide, thank god! Once you check out the garden, you have to see the new jail cell upstairs, complete with metal bars, appropriate inmate and prison guard costumes and instead of the bars intersecting at right angles they are joined by circles for cuffs and shackles.”

“Nice.” Grinning, he glanced over at Mara. “Your idea, too, I’m guessing?”

Unable to speak, she shrugged, although her face was still pink, her eyes were bright with mischief.

“I think the girls are more corrupt than we are, T. My little bunny certainly has a very depraved mind.”

He hoped that Sean was right as he scanned the eager subs on the dais. Judging by the looks of them, he was in for a good night as several of them were eyeballing him openly like he was the last triple chocolate fudge brownie in the bakery case.

“That makes you a very lucky Dom, my friend. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find me a naughty sub—or two—in need of incarceration.”

With a wink to Mara, T took the short flight of steps in two bounds, casting his best bad boy smile at the row of pretty waiting submissives.

*****

The death grip Angie had on Dan’s hand was surely cutting off his circulation, yet he didn’t say a word about it. He did, however, stay right by her side as he promised.

“You’re here to observe and ask questions, tonight. I’ll answer any and all that you have. Tomorrow we’ll get here early to go over the equipment, implements and practice poses. Pay close attention to how the subs interact with the Doms. There’s a deferential manner you’ll need to imitate to be convincing. You’ll also need to learn the key rules of sub etiquette, which includes things like respectful address, asking for permission to speak, and the like.”

“Great,” she muttered, “sounds like a real blast for me.”

“And that right there is why we’ll do it. Your sass is going to get you spanked unless you learn to tone it down. Doms will consider it a challenge and you a brat. Not a good thing unless you enjoy a blistered butt.”

“Thanks for the tip, Sir.” Hearing her intuitive sarcasm, she blinked up at him, offering the most innocent air she could muster.

He simply shook his head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“I do have one thing to ask right off. What’s with all the kneeling?”

“Mm… kneeling means different things to different D/s couples. Moreover, what it means to the Dom is often different than its meaning to the submissive. For some, it’s used to get the Dom and sub in the right mindset for a scene, to others it can instill a feeling of subservience, helplessness and humility. I’ve seen subs kneel to show their devotion and, if they’ve done something wrong, as a way to offer his or her body in apology, for sex or punishment. Personally, I find kneeling the ultimate sign of submission, if given freely. I don’t demand it, although having been on the receiving end, I have found it a beautiful gift from a sub. Take that slave over there—”

She followed where he indicated. A beautiful blonde sat at her Master’s feet, her cheek resting against his thigh while he gently stroked her hair. Although he was involved in a conversation with other Doms and Dommes on one of the many viewing couches, it was obvious she had his attention.

“See how content she looks to simply be at his feet, savoring his touch and enjoying a quiet moment?”

Angie eyed the woman closely, her face was lovely in its tranquility. She took in the gold and diamond choker around her neck with interest.

“I expected a slave to wear a heavy leather collar or chains, spikes even.”

“Often that’s true, but some of the Masters, like Allen there, have taken to custom-made jeweled collars so that their slaves can wear them every day. Christy wears hers to PTA meetings and no one ever suspects that their president willingly kneels at her husband’s feet.”

“For real?” Her voice rose with surprise. These were people who lived ordinary lives when they cast of their leather and cuffs.

“For real,” Dan echoed back, amused. “Come on.” He grinned as he hooked an arm around her neck. “It’s time for shock and awe, newbie. Let’s tour the stations.”