Club Shadowlands

Chapter Five

The troll guarding the door glanced up as they entered. Sir kissed Jessica’s fingertips, nipped one sharply enough to send heat into her fingers and even deeper, and left without speaking.

“Got yourself kicked out?” Ben set down his pen and pushed his papers to one side.

“I didn’t want to be in there anymore.” Jessica settled onto the floor in the corner farthest from the door and shifted uncomfortably. Hardwood floor, sore butt…bad combination.

He’d hit her with a paddle.

The memory of the pain entwined with the memory of Master Z’s hands stroking over her bare bottom, how his fingers had touched her breasts so gently. Her hands closed into fists. What kind of person was she to be aroused by that?

“Do you do that sort of stuff?” she asked Ben, jerking her head toward the door. Not that she really wanted to talk, but her mind kept shifting to uncomfortable places, much as her butt was doing. Trying to take her mind off both, she started finger combing through the tangles in her hair.

“Nope. I’m straight vanilla sex, as they call it. Z prefers that for his guards. We don’t get diverted.” He fumbled in his pocket, tossed her a comb.

“Thanks.” She grabbed a lock of hair to work on. “It doesn’t bother you what they do in there?”

He shrugged. “World’s full of variety, why not sex? Everything in there is – what’s the phrase? – safe, sane, and consensual. Yeah. If they like a little more kink to get their rocks off, it’s no business of mine.” He grinned, rubbed his jaw. “My brother-in-law is from New Orleans. Doesn’t like bland food. If it doesn’t bite back, he’ll dump pepper sauce on it. Nice guy; just has different taste buds than me.”

As he turned back to his paperwork, she stared down at her hands. Different tastes. Did she have different tastes? Surely not.

Those people on the dance floor – the ones who had excited her – had been the two couples where the men were obviously in charge. Sir had used a word for that, but she couldn’t remember what he’d said.

“What are the terms for a guy in charge and a woman obeying?” she blurted out, and reddened when his eyebrows lifted.

“You’re thinking of a Dominant/submissive relationship? Dom/sub. If the dominant is a man, he’ll usually be referred to as Master or Sir or anything else he chooses.” Ben’s lips curled up. “His sub sure isn’t going to contradict him, right?”

The smack of the paddle rang in her ears. “Uh, no. Where does slave come into it?”

“More often that’s a person in a life relationship, where the Dom/sub stuff isn’t confined to the bedroom. There’s some couples here like that, but for lots of people it’s only for sex or playtime.”

“So every night this place is filled with…”

“BDSMers? Nah. Saturdays only. Fridays are for the swinging crowd, Thursdays are leatherboys. Sometimes he’ll rent the room out for private parties.”

“Busy place.” Master Z, they called him. So he was a dominant, and he treated her like a submissive. Submitting to a man. Even as she rejected the whole idea, her body thrilled at the thought. Dammit, he’d hit her with a paddle until she’d been crying all over the place. Then he had held her as tenderly as a child and let her cry on him.

She shifted again, trying to find some position where her butt didn’t hurt. Like that would happen. So would she prefer sex to have a bite? Should she be analyzing this like she would some client’s books?

Why shouldn’t she take the time to study it?

Okay, then, admit it… Watching the Dom/sub couples had made her hot. Hotter than she’d felt even watching porn on TV with Matt, her last boyfriend. He’d been trying to get her more interested in sex, but the porn had been not only boring, but a turn-off.

Watching that Dom kiss his sub – no, take a kiss, allowing no refusal – had been far more erotic than watching a penis pumping into a woman on film. And the way Master Z kissed… Her insides melted at the memory. She shook her head. Thinking about his demanding mouth, those firm lips, would turn her brain to mush. Think, Jessica.

But this BDSM stuff was way over the top, wasn’t it? She didn’t need something kinky to get off. Sex for her was pleasant enough, really it was. Once she got started. And she got off at least half the time. Her orgasms were nice.

She bit her lip. Why did she get the feeling that if she went to bed with Master Z, nice@ wouldn’t be the operative word? Because he’d take her, not have sex with her. And she figured she wouldn’t have any choice in how it would happen or what he’d do.

And just the thought of that sent moisture trickling between her legs. Oh, God.

Still drawing the comb through her hair, she realized the strands were free of knots, flowing down to the middle of her back. Now what was she going to do to keep herself diverted? She could hear the people inside the club laughing, talking. The music thrummed with a compelling beat.

She wanted to go back in there. Find out what she was missing. And she was too scared to do it. He’d spanked her, dammit.

A part of her brain pointed out that she’d broken the rules, and he hadn’t been happy at all about having to enforce the rules.

Nonetheless, what if she went back and he did something horrible to her?

She didn’t even know him.

“Is he a good boss?” she asked, her voice barely over a whisper.

Ben shook his head. “Oh, you’ve got it bad, don’t you? Okay, here’s the rundown on Master Z. Been here for years. The club is his hobby. Nothing unlawful, no drugs allowed. Pays his employees on time. Expects his people to be professional. Divorced once, two grown children, not serious with anyone now. Women fall all over him, and in his world, he’s known as the best master around. And that’s according to the subs, who would definitely know.” He gave her a challenging grin. “That what you wanted to hear?”

She flushed and nodded, looking down at her hands.

“Oh, and he doesn’t go for the hard-core S/M stuff, whips and beatings and hot wax stuff. If you’re hankering after that, he’s not your man.”

“But -” The paddle.

“Not to say if a sub stepped out of line, she wouldn’t get punished,” he added. “But there’s a difference between a spanking kind of thing and getting whipped. Or so I’ve been told.”

“Oh.”

Sir was interested in her. She’d seen that, felt his erection pushing against her. He’d be willing to take her to bed. Show her…things. The thought made her insides quiver and her core throb.

If she stayed here in the entryway and left in the morning, this Dom/sub stuff would be an itch at the edge of her mind, be whispering to her every time she went to bed with someone. She’d be comparing a what might have been with normal sex and never know if reality would have lived up to her imagination. After all, maybe sex with a master would be just another fizzle like so much of her sex life had been.

Could she stand not knowing?

Before she’d really decided – had she decided? – she was on her feet.

“Going back in?”

She set the comb down on his desk. “Don’t tell me. I’m dumber than I look, right?”

He grinned. “Braver at least.”

Zachary felt her before he saw her, a compelling mix of desire, fear, and determination, and his own emotions flared up with pleasure. Although he’d hoped, he hadn’t really expected her to return, not after such a harsh introduction to the lifestyle. He’d considered joining her in the entry, talking more with her, but had refrained. She should make her decisions without his influence.

Wasn’t it ironic that he’d discover an intriguing woman, one where the chemistry between them was like pouring gasoline on fire, and she wouldn’t be part of the scene?

But here she was now, resolve and courage uppermost in her emotional fields. She might be innocent as far as alternative sex, but she had an admirable ability to honestly acknowledge her own needs. And the guts to go after what she wanted.

Pity her bravery had brought her to this scene, he thought, trying not to smile as she walked up beside him and froze. A pretty sub with bright red hair was tied to a spanking horse. The angle had been tilted so her ass was high in the air, much like Jessica’s had been, Zachary remembered with enjoyment.

He glanced down, seeing Jessica’s eyes widen, feeling her shock at seeing the tied sub. And then her imagination was putting her there in the sub’s place, with him behind her. Her memory of the paddle was submerged in the arousal searing through her veins at the idea.

The Dom in the scene squirted some lube onto his fingers and now slid two fingers into his sub’s perky little asshole. She wailed and squirmed – more from arousal than pain, Zachary knew. But Jessica tightened against his side, so he leaned down.

“These two have a long relationship,” he whispered. “He has taken her this way over and over, and she comes screaming every time. They’re both enjoying the show they’re putting on, Jessica.”

She was stiff until his words sank in, then relaxed, gazed up at him. “You’re sure?”

“As sure about them as I’m sure that you’re not ready to have my fingers sliding into anything except your pussy.”

Her sharp inhalation, followed by a shock wave of heat, hardened him like a rock. Yes, the attraction was definitely there. Would the trust that was needed follow?

So when she pushed herself into feeling angry at his blunt words, turned her face up to scold him, he simply took her lips, those soft pink lips he’d been craving since the last time. His arm around her foiled her attempt to step back. He set his other hand along her jaw, keeping her tilted at the right angle to toy with her mouth, to nibble on her succulent lips, run his tongue across the velvety skin and tease until she opened for him, letting him in deeper to discover the secrets inside. When he sucked on her tongue, he could feel her melt.

Her lips seemed to burn under his as he tantalized them both until she flattened her curvy body against him in an effort to get closer. Pleasure indeed.

Reluctantly, he pulled back, taking her arms and setting her away from him. As she blinked, returned to her surroundings, the tied-down sub in front of them received her master’s cock with a shriek of delight and then spasmed into a loud and happy orgasm.

Jessica turned a dark red, choked a little. “Ah. Guess you were right about them, huh?”

Grinning, Zachary put an arm around her, steering her away.

They weren’t returning to the bar; he was taking her toward the front of the room. Jessica dragged her feet. “Where are we -”

“You’ve had a long day and probably missed supper,” Sir said. “You must be starving by now.”

Food? That seemed so…mundane in this exotic place, but the thought set her stomach to growling. “I guess I am a little hungry.”

She hadn’t noticed before, since it had been on the other side of the bar, but the front corner opposite the dance floor held long tables filled with finger foods. Sir handed her a small plate, and she moved down the table, picking up tiny meat pastries, stuffed mushroom caps, crab canapés. He didn’t take anything to eat, just poured them each some iced tea.

“Aren’t you hungry?” she asked.

“I ate earlier.”

In an unoccupied sitting area, she sat on the couch, and he took a chair. He rarely wasn’t touching her, she realized, looking over the coffee table at him and feeling more than physical distance growing between them. She set the plate on the coffee table, increasingly self-conscious.

“So,” she said. She was back to feeling awkward in a man’s presence; wasn’t that weird? “How did you come to own a club like this?”

He leaned back in the chair, obviously at ease, his legs stretched out in front of him. One lean hand held his glass of tea as he contemplated her for a moment. “The lifestyle can be a lonely one, and people turn to the clubs for company. I didn’t like some of the abuse taking place in them and wanted to see if I could do better.”

She started to pick up a pastry and stopped. How could she eat in front of him? He probably thought she was way too big as it was. When she looked down, her hips and thighs seemed like they were bulging beneath the skimpy skirt. She folded her hands in her lap.

Conversation. They were having a conversation. “Abuse?”

“As with any alternate lifestyle, BDSM can attract unstable personalities. Here, at least, I try to ensure that consensual is more than a catchphrase. But even our screening and training procedures… We still have some problems.” His narrowed gaze flickered from the plate to her hands. With a frown, he set his tea down on the table. “Are you no longer hungry?”

She shrugged, feeling gawky and inept. Why couldn’t she be all slim and everything, and why did it never bother her unless she was attracted to a man?

He shook his head and smoothly changed seats, joining her on the couch. “Come here, pet.” With an unyielding grip, he slid her over until her thighs and shoulders were rubbing against his.

Could he feel the way her hips squished?

“Jessica, I like your body, in case you haven’t noticed.” He turned to face her, pushing her against the back of the couch. Slowly he trailed his fingers down her neck, across her breasts, her stomach, and heat flowed into her like a current. She moved uncomfortably when his hand settled on her pudgy hip.

“I like round,” he said, holding her gaze with his own as his hand stroked her hip. “I like abundance.” His hand moved to cup her breast, and he smiled as the weight settled into his palm. And then he slid her skirt up, and his fingers wrapped around her thigh, moving upward until she squeaked and closed her legs against him.

He bit her earlobe, a tiny jolt of pain, and whispered, “I fully intend to bury myself – very, very deep – in all your softness until you’re squirming under me. Until you’re panting for release.”

God, she was panting now. And the whole world seemed to have caught fire.

Ever so slowly, his hand stroked back down her leg, and then he sat back, leaving her feeling flushed and needy. He didn’t put her skirt back, she noticed.

Picking up a mushroom cap, he held it to her lips. “Eat, Jessica,” he said. “You are going to need your strength for later.”

And when her mouth dropped open at the tantalizing threat, he popped the morsel into her mouth. One warm arm around her shoulders, he continued to feed her, bite by bite, talking in his deep voice about the different people in the club. Cullen, who was a Dom as she’d thought and who went through the subs like wildfire, never took one for more than a couple of nights. Daniel, who’d lost his wife three years past, hadn’t been really happy since. How Daniel also liked curvy women. Adrienne, a sub, who’d be disobedient just to get a whipping. Cody wanted to be a twenty-four/seven slave, and Joey was searching for a mistress.

When the food was gone, he smiled down at her. “Feeling better?”

She was, amazingly enough. “Yes. Thank you,” she said, meaning more than just the food. She felt comfortable and settled.

“Good. Now tell me why you think your body is unattractive?”

And just like that, she was off base again. Huffing out a breath, she pretended to watch two people walking past. “I don’t know where you got that -”

He cupped a hand on her cheek and forced her to meet his gaze. “Don’t evade the question, pet. Was it your parents? Men?”

Why did she feel even more naked than when he’d dried her off in the bathroom? She didn’t need to talk about this with him – with him of all people.

He waited. Damn him.

“Mom, at times. And there were some men who liked their women to be thin.” She shrugged, tried to look away. His hand didn’t move. As his thumb stroked her lower lip, he could probably feel it quiver, dammit.

“Well-meaning parents can mess up a person’s head, true. And men like that? They should pick skinny women and leave the soft, round ones for men who can appreciate them.” He shook his head in disgust. “Sometimes I think our country is filled with idiots.”

He really did like her body. The thought was heady, freeing. “You’re a nice man,” she said.

“Of course I am.” His eyes crinkled, and she saw the glimmer of a smile that reminded her of who had fondled her bare butt, had swung a paddle against that same bare butt. His smile widened.

“Ah, right.” She rose to her feet, relieved when he didn’t stop her. “How about you point me toward the facilities.”

When he stood, looking down at her, she felt like that kitten he kept calling her. Like a kitten next to a wolf that wasn’t hungry…right this minute. But the danger was there, glinting in those dark gray eyes. She watched him warily when he set his hand low on her back then deliberately stroked the curves of her butt.

She frowned at him.

Before she could even react, he yanked her up against his chest. His hand behind her back held her pinned as his other hand roamed over her bottom – her still tender bottom – so intimately she was embarrassed and aroused all at once.

“First lesson, little sub,” he said very softly. “Frowning at your Dom can be risky.” One finger traced the crack between her buttocks through the silky skirt material, and she quivered under his touch.

“You’re not my -” The carnal look in his eyes froze her tongue. “Um. Right. A lesson. Thanks.”

He chuckled and released her, the lack of his warm body against hers like a sudden chill. Shaking her head, she headed for the bathroom, striving for dignity but moving a little too fast to accomplish the effect. She glanced back before going through the door. A man was talking to Sir, but Sir’s gaze was on her, a faint smile on his lips.

The sensual flush ran through her right down to her toes.