Not Quite Juliet: A Club Imperial Novel (Silver Soul Book 1) (16 page)

“You fucking need to learn how.” It was an angry growl; I was surprised I wasn’t screaming. “Because of him, I had to drag Nick Fucking D to Imperial to save your ass. You don’t take the hot guy you’re shagging to a bondage club when you know it’s not his thing! He saw more in that hour than I was ready to talk about with him. I’m
not
in the lifestyle, and now he’s thinking he’s going to have to truss me up to get me off.” I slumped against the wall. “Do you see why you need to talk to someone about this? It’s not just affecting you, Li-li. It affects everyone in your life. You’re one of my best friends and I can’t stand that you won’t woman-up about what you really deserve.”

“I’m so sorry.” Her tears rolled down her face.

“You have to promise me. No more Hardbody. Ever. Stay away from him. If you feel the urge or the temptation, you call someone. Me. Tessa. Nadine. Someone. Anyone.” She nodded silently in the water. But who knew if this was really going to get through to her. “And. You have to go talk to a therapist. There’s something keeping you from standing up for even the most basic respect, and either we have to find it or you have to learn how through someone else who’s going to be objective.”

“Yes, of course.” She looked at me. “Do you think Tessa’s doc has an opening?”

I laughed. “Just because she’s in a relationship doesn’t mean she’s given up therapy, Li.”

“I just want someone to take care of me,” she said.

“And you have to find someone who’s worth that.”

She studied me. “Why aren’t you a domme?”

“Oh, fuck no, no,” I said. “I don’t have the drive for that. I don’t want someone’s submission. I want someone who’s going to be an equal partner so I can be on top and enjoy the bottom when I’m down. I’ll admit to liking some of the play aspects of it, but I can’t live the lifestyle. Dabbling is all I’ll ever do.”

“Did you really dabble in the car with Nick D?”

I scratched my nose. “His idea.”

“He’s so sweet on you.” Lisa put her head back on the edge of the tub.

“Let’s say there’s a lot of mutual interest.”

She quirked an eyebrow up. “I’d think so. It’s Nick D.”

“He’s not just Nick D,” I said. “He’s an incredibly smart man who just happens to be sex on a stick.”

“Sex in a stick.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Fantastic back seat fucking in a stick, if we’re going there.”

She chuckled lightly. “I didn’t interrupt?”

“Only dinner.”

“Whew.”

I watched her drift off with her head on the back of the tub. I just sat in the room, making sure she didn’t slide down and under. She shivered a few times more but seemed to settle quietly to a light sleep. We were all going to have to keep an eye on her for about a week or so until we knew her sub drop was just physical and not mental as well. I was rip-roaring pissed Dominic had done this and then threatened us with that damn note.

I pulled out my phone. I had to catch Franz soon.

MorganaLeFey
:
Franz. I need a chat with you.

He took a few minutes to ping back. I suspected he was playing house with his boyfriend.

FD
:
About what, luv?

MorganaLeFey
:
We have to get Luscious into therapy.

MorganaLeFey
: And Dominic needs to be banned. Not just canceled.

FD
:
What happened?

MorganaLeFey
:
Dusty and I had to cut her down tonight.

MorganaLeFey
:
Dominic tied her up and left her inverted, and left us a nasty note.

FD
:
Is she OK?

MorganaLeFey
:
She fell into sub drop, and I’ve got her at my hotel room in a whirlpool.

FD
: ...
Hotel room?

MorganaLeFey
:
Ok, Suzie Homemaker, you’re one to talk.

FD
:
I’ll have Tessa take care of everything in the morning. Keeping an eye on her?

MorganaLeFey
:
She’s asleep right now.

FD
:
Everything will be taken care of. Sorry your hotel soiree got busted.

MorganaLeFey
:
I just hope he comes back.

FD
:
He’d be a fool to walk away from something as good as you.

I smiled. Franz really was the best boss on the planet. I also owed Nadine a text or a dozen, but I was in no shape to deal with her questions when I didn’t even know if the whole subject of discussion was even going to come back.

Shit. I’d wanted to show him the club, but not like that. Not rushing in and having to cut my roommate out of her own stupidity. Certainly not standing there turning my business suit into naughty teacher so I didn’t risk getting noticed. Which I was still wearing the damn thing, I realized looking down. Pantyhose-less, shirt open and tied and skirt hiked way the hell up. Christ, what had started as an awesome day had turned to shit in less than an hour.

The door opened in the room. I ran to the bathroom door and yanked it open to find Nick walking in with a bag of Olive Garden, and a shopping bag from Dress Barn.

“Hey, kitten.” He smiled.

I wanted to burst into tears. “You came back.”

“Of course I did.” He put everything down on the desk. “We missed dinner. Your crazy friend owes us.”

“You really came back.”

He walked over and wrapped his arms around me. “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

“I was terrified you wouldn’t.”

He smirked and tipped my chin up. “A little bondage never scared me off.”

I laughed and a fat tear escaped my eye. “I’m sorry, Nick.”

“Nothing to be sorry for. I brought back a feast for all of us, and I have housekeeping coming up with a rollaway bed for Ropes in there.”

I laughed at his choice of nickname, then paused. “What’s in the bags?”

“Well, we have a wonderful banquet of bread sticks, salad and 3 different kinds of pasta with tomato sauce, vodka sauce and alfredo. The other bag has some clothes for the two of you.” He walked over to the bag and started rooting around. “Since we won’t have a chance to use that delightful chemise, I picked out something more practical.” He pulled out a night shirt emblazoned with, ‘Sex Kitten’ on the front.

I laughed loud, and eventually snorted. “You really found that?”

“I’m just glad I got you to snort.”

“Because snorting is sexy.” I shook my head. “What else you got there, handsome?”

“Pajamas for Ropes.” He pulled out a wrapped set. “I got her a large. I know she’s probably a medium, but after being bound up, I thought something tight wouldn’t be the best for her mental health. I also grabbed a pair of shorts for me.” He put everything back in the bag. “I don’t mind sleeping in boxers, but you’re the only one I want to see me in them right now.”

“You still want to spend the night?”

“Yes, I do.” He kissed my forehead. “I owe you a wake up in my arms.”

Ah, Shit. I was falling hard.

––––––––

“D
ervish!”

The luckily adorable cat was nuzzling the crazy, skin-tight cords Nadine had somehow talked me into buying. She’d also talked me into a pair of knee high boots and a jacket over one of my club corsets. I shooed the cat away and wondered if I had a lint roller or if I was going to have to Macgyver this cat fur off me again.

“You look so damn good!” Nadine said from the doorway. “He’s not going to be able to keep his eyes off you.” I forced the smile out and hoped she believed it. I was a mess inside. I had been since Wednesday. I was experiencing my own little sub drop here.

I’d woken in Nick’s arms, lamenting the wonderful erection he had because I could hear Lisa snoring on the pull out. I’d never been able to perfect the art of the quiet orgasm, so there was no way we were sneaking a shag that morning. We all took turn showering and when I came out, there was a small breakfast feast laid out for us. Lisa ate and ran. She caught a taxi back to the club to get her car, and I caught a ride with Nick to the courthouse.

He had several obligations to take care of at work once the case was postponed, and he left me with a most magnificent kiss. We shared a little witty texting banter over the next few hours and I was happy to head home to pick a new outfit for the next day.

The most perverse message was on our answering machine when I got home. It was clearly someone fapping at the other end and grunting and swearing while they did so. I deleted it. When Lisa brought in the mail, there was another typed threat in the box. It was just as brief and ridiculous as the one in the room on Monday night.

The witty banter between Nick and I went from a torrent to a trickle and from a trickle to a dry stream bed by Friday night. When Lisa walked in the door that night, she handed me two envelopes. One was threat number six from The Perv, and one contained tickets to the Silver Soul show on Saturday night and a little note to join him backstage. I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, he hadn’t been freaked by the Imperial on Monday night.

“Should we be worried about these?” Lisa asked holding up the threat letters I’d put down on the table. “I mean, this is mail threat number three.”

“Franz said he’s going to talk to Dominic this weekend when he tries to come in.” I stared at the tickets in my hand. “He thinks they’re probably going to get worse before they get better when he hears he’s been banned. Just put them in the folder on the counter with the rest so we can prosecute when the time comes.”

“Lawyer,” she accused me. “Are you going?”

“Where?”

“The show, duh?” She nodded at my tickets.

“I... guess.” He’d sent the tickets and I was hoping he was consumed by the rehearsals.

Lisa took my shoulder and turned me to face her. “Listen up, Morgan. I saw how that man was looking at you. He wanted to make you scream his name all night long. I wish I’d been well enough to get out of there because the heat you two were putting off was
sick
. I wanted to yell at you for not jumping his bones in the morning but I get that he’s not into the lifestyle and isn’t comfortable with casual nudity. But woman, for the love of all that’s holy, when a man looks at you like he wants nothing more than to spread you like hot butter and lick you out like an ice cream cone, you go to the show he sent you tickets for.”

I huffed. “We should start a support club.”

Lisa laughed. “And call it what? The Thick-Headed Fuck-Ups from Club Imperial?”

“Well, if the shoe fits.”

“Do me one favor.” Lisa placed the threat letter in the folder. “Let Nadine pick out your outfit.”

“What? Why?”

“Because you either have too risqué or too business-y. Just trust me. Take Nadine.”

And now, Dervish had nuzzled his fur all over the corduroy. Nadine, who’d come over to help me dress, held out the lint roller I didn’t know we owned and shooed the cat out of the room. “That outfit does it for you.” I looked in the mirror and heaved a sigh, completely giving my nerves away. Nadine walked to stand between me and the mirror. “What’s wrong?”

“I... he hasn’t called. At all. He hasn’t texted me since Thursday. He wasn’t in court because the case adjourned until Monday. I looked for him in the courthouse, but I couldn’t find him. Even the text I just sent him hasn’t been read yet.”

“He sent you tickets.” Nadine put her hands on her hips. “You two couldn’t pry yourselves off each other last weekend. Seriously, Morgan. You ignored every text and call I sent you after ten a.m. on Monday. I’m shocked you even answered Lisa’s call.”

“We weren’t otherwise engaged at that moment,” I smirked.

“Hmph. See? This doesn’t happen to just anyone, Morg. You’ve caught the eye of the very man you’ve been pining over for two years. You don’t let this chance slip away. You said yourself, he’s got a very serious full time job–which by the way, is pissing me off because you won’t tell me—and he’s in a successful band. He’s going to get busy. Relax.”

“Not that easy.”

She put her hands on my shoulders. “You are gorgeous. You are smart, funny, loyal, caring and the best friend I could hope for. Whatever those assholes did to you in Edgar, Wisconsin, it was six very long years ago. You got up, you got the fuck out. You’re here now, and you’re better than anything that town could have offered. So stop moping, don’t doubt yourself, and don’t think you aren’t worth this. And if he breaks your heart, we’ll break his ass.”

I laughed. “Please don’t, I like his ass.”

“Well, then, come on. Let’s go. The show starts at eleven, and Stat will be waiting for me. Us.”

“You.” I smirked at her. “Speaking of not keeping hands off.”

“Shush.”

The Friday and Saturday night set up at Downbound was different from every other day of the week. Tickets were required for entrance and the pit tickets always sold out first. Everyone else got seats around the pit and stage. There were two balconies, as well, and those were prime for people who weren’t into the mosh pit or crowd surfing. They usually sold out next, and I held three of those in my hot little hand.

Stat was waiting just inside the door for the three of us. Nadine plastered herself all over him as soon as she saw him, and I just smiled. I ignored the knot in my stomach.

Lisa was utterly giddy. “I haven’t been to a vanilla club in years!”

I raised my eyebrows. “You need to not advertise that, Li. Lesson one, there are guys out here who will hear the words BDSM and think you’re easy and that getting beat up is a turn-on for you. They don’t understand the lifestyle. So, don’t use words like vanilla, okay?”

She nodded. “I’m going to have to go out with you all more often. I don’t remember any of this anymore.”

I rolled my eyes and steered us up the stairs to the front of the first balcony. I’d sat here before, but usually I got stuck downstairs at the back of the floor seats. Stat stopped and talked to the bartender there and pointed us out. He walked over and smile at us. “Drinks, compliments of the house. All night.”