A Thousand Yesses (11 page)

“I
guess?” he said. “That’s how you answer a Dom?”

“No,
sir,” she said, and she wondered why she felt suddenly uneasy. Was she losing
her taste for the lifestyle?

“Good,”
he said with a grin. He put his arm around her and waved the bartender down,
ordering another drink. She frowned, and as she looked away, her heart stopped
as she heard a familiar laugh.

 
Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes
grazed the booth behind them. Maverick sat, with a gorgeous, petite Latino
woman sitting across from him. Celia spun back to the bar, eyes fixed straight
ahead. Had he seen her? Well, no, he was looking in the opposite direction,
facing away from her. But she’d know that laugh, that profile, hell, she’d know
the shape and shadow of his
fingers
, anywhere.

Celia
lifted her glass and finished what was in it, plunking it back down on the
counter. Lucas handed her the next glass, filled with liquid fire, with a
pleased expression on his face.

“Good
girl,” he crooned. “You’re ready for another.” She gratefully lifted it and
took a long swig. This seemed stronger, somehow. But as another laugh came from
the booth behind them, she welcomed the heady release as she took a long sip.

She
couldn’t take it, and needed something,
anything,
to pull her out of her
misery. It surprised her when she looked down and realized half her drink was
gone.

“Did
you know they installed new cuffs in the training room?” Lucas asked her, his
voice just above a whisper, tickling her ear. She felt her body rise to meet
his, as one of his hands traveled to the top of her thigh.

“No,”
she murmured, taking another sip. The room swam. Her chest heated, and she felt
the warmth in her cheeks and limbs. “I didn’t know that training room had
cuffs.”

His
breath warmed her neck and ear as he leaned in even closer. “They do. I know,
because I built them with my own hands.”

Phew,
that
was sexy.

The
laughter behind them surged again, but this time she was able to bat it away,
push it behind her, as she welcomed the seductive bubble of Lucas and her
drink, that protected her from her awareness of all things Maverick.

“You
do know I’m Dungeon Master here on occasion, don’t you?” he whispered again.

Dungeon
Master.
Shit, that
sounded hot and sexy. CTB was always careful in their selection of Dungeon
Masters. They typically hired dominants
who
were
heavily experienced in the BDSM lifestyle to monitor the club and enforce
safety rules for all scenes. His dark, seductive voice continued. “I like to
ensure the safety of all participants,” he said. “Though, I’ve been known to
take an errant submissive in hand.”

Celia
took another sip of her drink, the heat of the liquid coursing through her. She
longed to be released of what plagued her, free to feel loved by someone else,
and the thought of being taken over Lucas’s knee made her shiver.

“Do
you?” she whispered. Turning to him, she noticed her head felt funny, light and
fuzzy, but she was warm, and the heavy sadness that engulfed her seemed to be
lifting. She leaned closer to Lucas. “Do you spank them?” she whispered.

“Gladly,”
he whispered back. “Do you need a spanking, Celia?”

The
vision of Maverick, paddle in hand, beckoning her to him, flashed in front of
her. No. No, she couldn’t. Not now! Her heart pounded at the thought of a
spanking. God, she needed one. It had been weeks and weeks, and her need grew
by the day. She swallowed.

“I
do,” she whispered. “I’ve been very naughty.”

Lucas
grinned wickedly. “Then why don’t you come with me, and we’ll try out the new
cuffs?” he said. “What’s your pleasure, sweetheart? Leather? Wood? Sting or
thud?”

A spanking from a menu?
Giggling, Celia polished off the rest of her drink and
placed the glass, ice clinking and swirling on the counter. She was vaguely
aware of it hitting the edge of the counter and falling. There was a tinkle of
glass or something, but she couldn’t focus on what it was. All she knew was
that she was going to get a spanking, and she
needed
one. “I like
leather,” she said. “Who doesn’t? I have a high tolerance if I’m warmed up good
first. As to sting and thud, I like it mixed up.”

Lucas
was pulling her off the chair. “Naughty girls who are getting a spanking do as
they’re told,” he commanded. “Come with me.” She trotted behind him eagerly,
though she really had no choice, as he tugged her hand firmly. The noises in
the background faded, and she wanted to weep with relief. Her stomach churned
from the alcohol and nerves, but she ignored it, knowing that soon she’d be
floating,
drifting, and ready to welcome the release it
would bring her.

The
noise of the club died down as they made their way to the back room. Even in
her hazy state, she was aware that he was leading her to the furthest end of
the club, and a small warning bell echoed in the distance of her mind.
Don’t
go. It’s too far. If anything went wrong, no one would find you.

“Where
are we going?” she asked nervously. “I thought you said we were going to one of
the conference rooms?”

“Oh,
we are,” he said, “but it’s an exclusive one only Dungeon Masters and
professionals are allowed access to. Don’t you trust me?” he tossed over his
shoulder.

No.
No, she didn’t trust him, but what could she do now? Say no, and ask him to
bring her back to the club? She wanted a spanking, and she was eager to see his
new toy, and even if he
did
bring her back to the club, she’d have to go
back where
Maverick
was and shit, but she didn’t want that. She couldn’t
handle
that.

“What
if I said I was scared and asked you to go back?” she asked.

He
paused and turned to her. “I’d take you back, of course,” he said. He looked at
her with concern. “Do you need to go back?”

She
was being silly. He worked for the club, for crying out loud, and they checked
backgrounds religiously. He’d just
told
her he’d bring her back if she
wanted to. Smiling, she shook her head.

“No,
no, I’m okay,” she said. “And I really
have
been naughty.”

A
slow smile spread on his face. “I’m not going to let a naughty girl go
unpunished on my watch,” he said, his eyes narrowing. She felt a prickle of
welcome fear. This was part of the game, the excitement and anticipation,
nerves building as she prepared to be punished. She was overreacting to where
he was taking her. This was all part of the act. A little fear heightened the
experience.

When
they reached a doorway at the very end of the hall, he removed a set of keys
from his pocket, fumbled, and placed a large, silver key in the keyhole.
Pushing the door open, he gestured for her to go in. She entered, a slow gasp
escaping as she marveled at the beauty of the room. It looked like a swanky
hotel room, save for the spanking bench nestled in the recesses of the room. A
small cabinet housed implements – she detected a leather strap, a wooden
paddle, and a small riding crop, among other things. A large bed stood in the
middle of the room, adorned with an opulent, brocade cover, and an old-fashioned
matching sofa, with curved feet, flanked one wall. A crystal chandelier hung
from the ceiling. It was gorgeous.

“We
stage all sorts of scenes in here,” he murmured, as he moved to the cabinet and
removed a few things she couldn’t see. His voice dropped. “But for now, you’ll
remove your clothing and position yourself for your punishment.”

Removing
clothing wasn’t always part of a scene, though she’d done it many times. For
some reason, her hands shook as she began to unfasten the buttons of her top.
“What if I’d prefer to stay dressed?” she asked quietly.

He
raised an eyebrow, frowning. “You may, if you prefer,” he said, working
something in his hand that looked vicious. “I’m happy to remove your clothes
when we get to that point.”

Her
heart pounded, and she wasn’t sure if it was in a good way.

Lucas
stood next to the bench. “Let’s test out these new restraints,” he said. “Come
here, naughty girl.”

It
was part of her fantasy – a strong, sexy man commanding her to come and
accept her punishment. The anticipation built in her, though fear plagued her
as well. She moved slowly forward, and he gestured for her to lean over. She
eyed the bench. It looked like any of the other benches she’d seen before
– wooden, two padded kneelers for her knees, and two flat, padded planks
in the middle for her to lean against, the one closer to her a bit higher so
her bottom would be elevated and fully prepared for a spanking, the other,
lower, to support her torso. Kneeling obediently, she leaned over, feeling the
precariousness of her position. She’d seen and knelt upon many a spanking
bench, but never one with restraints. Closing her eyes, she wondered what it
would feel like if the man behind her were Maverick.

Would
Maverick have her kneel on a bench? He’d only spanked her twice, and both
times, he’d taken her over his knee. But her mind immediately came back to the
present, as she felt Lucas’s hand grasp hers. Cool leather engulfed her wrists,
and she felt him securing the restraints with a buckle, similar to that on a
belt. She opened her eyes, but he was behind her now.

“Do
I have a safeword?” she asked.

“You
need a safeword with me?” he chided.

Her
stomach twisted. Hell, yeah, she needed a safeword, straddling a spanking bench
in the dark recesses of a BDSM club.

“Please,”
she asked.

“Gumdrop,”
he replied.

“Gumdrop?”
She squealed as she felt the sting of leather strike her backside.

“Are
you questioning me?”

Gasping,
she managed to eek out a soft, “No, sir.”

“Good
girl,” he replied. “You’re over my bench because you’ve been a naughty girl,
haven’t you?”

“Yes,
sir,” she replied obediently. This was it, her fantasy coming to fruition, and
yet, why was she tensed up? Why couldn’t she enjoy herself?

“Tell
me what you’ve done wrong, wench.” The word took her out of the moment, out of
the scene. She was no wench, and she disliked being called one. But she knew
that questioning him at this stage was foolish, as he’d just spanked her for
questioning the safeword.

What
did she do wrong?

I
fell in love with my best friend.

She
swallowed.

“Went
to bed late. I got pulled over for speeding this week,” she lied. “And, I
lied.”

He
paused, and she could feel his warmth behind her, right behind her, pushed up
against her backside. She squirmed.

“Did
you touch yourself without permission?” he asked in a low, seductive voice.

“No,”
she said. To her surprise, she felt the sting of leather again.

“Forgetting
something?” he asked.

Forgetting?
Oh!

“No,
sir,
” she said.

He
stood behind her again, and she heard him lift something from the table behind
him. Without warning, a hard swat fell. She gasped, but held position. He said
nothing, as he spanked her, one heavy swat with the paddle after another.
Tensing up, she found she couldn’t relax. She’d been spanked much harder
before, but her instincts were on alert. Many dominants were hardcore sadists
and she realized, with her bottom in the air, her wrists helplessly bound in
front of her, that if Lucas ended up being one of those sadists, she could be in
for the spanking of her life.

Still,
he said nothing. Swat after swat fell, and she took it, one sting after
another, some falling in the same place. Squirming, she waited for him to be
done, but he wasn’t. Would he stop? One particularly hard swat had her
screaming out loud.

“You’ve
been warmed up now,” he said. “Time to remove your clothes.”

Warmed
up?

“No!”
she said, panic rising. “Gumdrop!”

“Fuck
gumdrop,” he said. “You don’t have any need to safeword yet.”

Cold
fear gripped her as she felt his hands on her skirt, drawing it down. “Leave me
alone!” she shouted. “I don’t want you to touch me! No more! I said
gumdrop!
”
she screamed. With everything she had, she kicked back instinctively, grateful
there were no foot restraints.

As
her foot connected with him, she heard him groan. Swearing, he rose to his feet
and she felt him pull her hair back so hard she screamed in pain.

“You’d
kick me while restrained, you little bitch?” he growled. “I’ll teach you to
obey me.”

“NO!”
she yelled, but it was too late. She felt the searing lash of his strap hit her
harder than she’d ever felt before. It wasn’t sexy, or sensual, or welcome in
any way, nothing but hot pain she felt in her whole body.

 
“Gumdrop! I said
gumdrop
! Oh my
God,
stop!”