RockYourSoul (4 page)

The smell of freshly cut hay surrounded her as she buried
her nose in the fragrant autumn crocuses the vendor had sold her. She’d always
loved the dangerous beauty of the flower, with the vibrant purple coloring
hiding the toxic nature of the plant.

Thanks, Gran, for that useless bit of knowledge.

A fast-paced rock song blasted from the earbuds dangling
around her neck, causing her to tap her fingers against the bundle in time to
the music. She was so engrossed in the heavily drum-laden song, and looking at
the choices in front of her, she jumped when a firm body pressed against hers.

“Can I buy you a drink?

The deep bass notes in his voice washed over her.
God,
his voice really might cause me to spontaneously come.
She allowed herself
to experience a few seconds of rapture before she turned to face Ryan.
Something intimate and raw passed between their bodies as she stared up into
the eyes of one very breathtaking alpha male.

Fighting off the twinge between her legs, she gave him a
bright smile. “I don’t drink coffee.”

“Yet you’re in a coffeehouse?” Light danced in his eyes,
softening his smile. The slight upturn of his lips immediately drew her eyes
down. How it would feel to have him using those lips to tease and torment her
as she lay open for him?
Get a grip on yourself. He’s asking about the
coffee, for Pete’s sake. Not asking you to offer yourself up like some kind of
sacrifice.

“The taste is horrendous. The smell, though, is divine.”

“I can see how that could be problematic. How are the
knees?”

His concern rocked her off kilter. She wasn’t used to
someone checking on her after the fact. Ethan couldn’t have cared less about
how she felt the next morning. He’d only cared she was ready for him at a
moment’s notice regardless if she’d recovered from their previous play. Ryan’s
concern warmed her bones. A nice sensation after feeling so cold for so long.

“Fine. Thank you. They ached a little this morning, but the
walk over here loosened up my muscles. Nothing I can’t handle. Which, if I’m
right, was your intent.” In the short time she’d dealt with him, she already
knew he was someone she desperately wanted to work with. She wanted to get on
with her life and her gut told her Ryan was the one to help her do just that.

“Hey, Ryan, you left before I could give you your coffee.” A
tiny woman with blonde hair tipped in blazing-red color handed Ryan a large
paper cup. He bent to brush a kiss against her forehead as she wrapped her arm
around his waist and pulled him close.

Beth recognized her as the barista behind the counter. Their
ease with one other was enough to signal to Beth these two held a special
connection that seemed to be well above the level of friendship. Well crap, she
hadn’t even thought about the fact he may have a girlfriend. He certainly
dominated her like he didn’t have one.

Not as if that would stop some Doms.

“Sorry I ran out. Had something on my mind.” The woman gave
Ryan a puzzled look, but he pushed on. “Allison Stuart, this is Beth Lawson.
Gatlin Falls’ newest radio personality. Evidently, she’s also in the market for
a boat.”

Nice to hear someone paid attention given her previous
relationship.

“And has excellent taste in tee-shirts.”

Beth glanced down, unsure of what shirt she’d grabbed from
the pile in her suitcase this morning. She-Ra. “Ah yeah, my affinity for
eighties cartoons rears its ugly head apparently.”

“Hey, Masters of the Universe was one of my favorites on
Saturday mornings. I even own the series on DVD. By the way, don’t let him
overcharge you.” The warm and friendly smile aimed Beth’s way made her decide
she instantly liked this woman, whatever place she held in Ryan’s life. And who
the hell wouldn’t like someone who owned one of her favorite cartoons? “Though
I’d dare say his impeccable work is worth every penny.”

“Flattery may just get you a new piece for your room if you
keep this up. How are the lovebirds?”

“Fantastic.” She thrust out a hip and set her hand on it as
she pulled Ryan closer. Her voice dropped a little as she spoke. “Listen, I
need to talk to you about the set-up. Patrick’s birthday—”

He held up a hand to stop her. “Say no more, what do you
need me to do?”

Allison glanced over her shoulder. “Maybe just clear
everything out by next weekend?” Ryan nodded. “Can I get you something to
drink, Beth? Patrick looks bored now that he’s taken care of the line of
customers.”

Beth looked over Allison’s shoulder to the handsome man now
standing behind the counter, wearing an apron with the café’s logo splashed
across the chest. He lifted a hand for a casual wave as he bussed the counter.

“A tea would be nice.”

“Do you like milk in it? He makes a mean chai.”

“That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

Allison slid behind the counter, pressing a tender kiss to
the man’s cheek. His hand settled on her waist as she assembled Beth’s tea and
they spoke in low tones with each other as she worked. She amended her earlier
conclusion. These two were obviously very much in love.

“Long way to come just for a cup of coffee.”

Ryan gestured with the cup in his hand. “Perfect Shot’s
house coffee is worth every penny. The guys blend it up themselves, and what
can I say? I’m hooked. But I also had a few friends to meet.” She looked over
his shoulder where he pointed to a small cluster of chairs and a narrow couch
to find Elena deep in conversation with another man. Whatever they were talking
about, she didn’t look happy. She made a mental note to call her friend later
to see if she needed to talk. “What about you?”

She replaced the logo coffee mug on the shelf. “I have to
talk to a man about a boat, find out if I actually have the job I got all
dressed up for and see if I have a new Dom in my life.”

A sexy grin curved up the edges of lips framed by his
mustache and beard. “Well then. That man, and Dom, has a few errands to
accomplish before he can talk any kind of business about boats. Want to meet
for lunch at The Southern Ridge Grille later?”

Embarrassment for interrupting his day caused her cheeks to
heat. She had unexpectedly dumped herself on his doorstep and with her
interview over, her enthusiasm to take on this new chapter of her life had
apparently gotten the better of her. Plowing headfirst into a situation had
already gotten her into trouble more than once and she was out to change the
course of her life, not repeat her mistakes.

“I can wait.”

His arm slipped around her shoulders. “You could. But you
know what, why don’t you just join me instead? I could use some company.”

She blew out a breath, glad she hadn’t botched this up
entirely. “Actually, that would be great. You could give me the local’s view of
the town. Give me a scoop on who to avoid in order to stay out of the way of
the town gossips. I can already imagine I’m going to make some waves if I get
the job.”

“Perfect. I’ll get your tea and we’ll head out.”

A few hours later, armed with what was billed as the best
hot fudge sundae in town, Beth sat at a petite café table outside Licks with
Ryan. The tiny ice cream parlor with green striped awning was just the kind of
small-town touch she’d missed while living in Nashville.

Conversation with Ryan was easy and flowed freely. He had a
personality, which made her want to tell him anything because he gave the sense
she could completely trust him.

“So, how did you find yourself interested in the lifestyle?
It’s not something someone just wakes up one day and decides ‘Hey, I’m going to
let someone tie me up and order me around’. Not exactly a great conversation
starter outside of a club either.”

She chuckled, agreeing with his statement. No, that wasn’t
how it worked and unfortunately, too many people thought it was the case. She
herself had learned that lesson the first time she’d stepped into a bondage
club near campus.

“I had a boyfriend take me to a club once when I was still
in college. He was showing off. Didn’t know anything, but it wasn’t as if I
knew any better at the time. Boyfriend didn’t last. My membership to the club
did. I met Ethan a few years later at Impact, the last place I had a
membership. My choice in Doms hasn’t been the greatest, as you heard and why I
find myself talking to you.”

He nodded, a lock of his blond hair shifting so it fell
across his brow. “Since you started in this lifestyle in such a way, it’s more
than likely the reason you keep running into the problems you do. Not having a
good base in which to build off of, I mean.”

Ouch.

But Ryan had a point. Her enthusiasm to learn meant Ethan
had taken advantage of her willingness. Now she had scars on her back to remind
her if she ever forgot. Thankfully she couldn’t see them unless she
purposefully looked in the mirror, but the knowledge those marks were there was
enough some days.

“At first I thought I wasn’t cut out for the exchange of
power dynamic that comes with this lifestyle. Then I ran into Elena again and
heard about the job here. She convinced me I was denying something evidently in
my base desires and I was miserable because I kept trying to talk myself out of
it. Maybe I’ll go back to a club eventually once I get everything in order.
Right now, I just want to get a handle on what I really want before I jump in
with both feet again.”

Ryan studied her before speaking. “Something tells me that’s
not really your scene. A club.”

“You know, I wondered the very same thing.” She’d never had
a problem playing at the club when things had been on an even keel early on,
but it had seemed as if something was missing. Something she couldn’t put a
name to. Then Ethan had come along and she wasn’t given a lot of leeway to ask
what
it
was. Ethan preferred a club, so that’s where they went. “I’m
still undecided. About a lot of things, really. I kind of feel as if I’m just
floating around without a clear direction.”

“There’s a club not far from here you could look into
instead of looking to me for guidance. Not as though I mind, but there are lots
of different flavors at Element Twenty-Six. You could find something to suit
your needs instead of fighting what your natural instincts are. Maybe switch
things up, try your hand at Topping?”

“I don’t think so.”

He laughed, tapping the back of her hand with gentle
fingers. “Try not to look so offended next time when I make a suggestion. Some
of the best Doms start out as submissives. So it’s not as farfetched as you
think.”

“Well that’s just silly,” she said in easy dismissal as she
gathered up the last of the butter brickle ice cream in her dish.

“Is it?” Ryan continued to stare. She shifted in her chair,
uncomfortable with the intensity emanating from his gaze. “Think about what I’m
saying. How can you get inside the mind of someone kneeling before you if you
can’t understand how it feels to be on your knees yourself?”

“Wait, what? So, you’ve—” The spoon dropped to the empty
dish with a clatter. Surely he couldn’t mean he’d done such a thing. She
couldn’t imagine a man Ryan’s size and personality kneeling before someone with
his head lowered in submission, ready to listen, and follow, their every
command.

In fact, the idea seemed utterly absurd.

Not this handsome, muscular man in front of her.

The startling idea wasn’t even remotely possible. Nothing
about Ryan was submissive in any way since command seemed to ooze from his
pores.

“A long time ago, but yes.” A sly smile formed as he set his
dish to the side, resting his arms along the back of the bench. “I will not do
anything to you I haven’t done myself. Including kneeling on rocks. A very
effective punishment without a lot of effort. Though I should make it clear I
like making the effort during a sub’s punishment, should one be given. It helps
the connection between us. But really, how else would I know how long I could
safely leave you there?”

Beth blinked slowly, much as she had when he’d first ordered
her to her knees. How had she not known that kind of thing? “So in order to
learn to dominate someone, you had to submit?” There was no way in hell Ethan
had ever been on his knees for a Dom. Obviously he didn’t share Ryan’s opinion.
This kind of difference showcased just how very opposite the two men were.

“Exactly. Finished with your dessert?” He pointed to her
empty dish. He swept the empty containers away, depositing them on the far side
of the counter. The cheerful employee waved in thanks as Ryan came back to
collect Beth.

Main Street was quiet as they took in all the last-minute
hustle and bustle of the town preparing for the apple festival. She made a
mental note to come back and stroll through the homemade crafts being set up on
the other side of the street near Perfect Shot. Maybe she could find something
for her grandparents to send for Christmas. Something reflective of the town
she’d gone to live and work in. They’d both been so caring after everything
she’d been through. Sending them a token would be a small price in her effort
to repay them for the all the love and support they’d given her as she’d sought
her place in this great big world.

She was so absorbed in thinking about her family, she didn’t
notice Ryan had guided her to The Quilted Cow. The cozy bed-and-breakfast was
serving as her home until she could find a suitable place to live. “Guess this
is my stop. It was nice spending the day with you today, Ryan. Thank you.”

“Night doesn’t have to end here. Unless you have to work.”
The look of expectation on his eyes, the question in his voice, made her smile.
He was so damn charming without even trying. What woman wouldn’t get caught up
in that? The fact she did told her she would need to tread carefully.

She was here to learn, not to fall in love.

“Not that I know of. Joe said he’d contact me at the end of
the weekend when I called earlier. Seems as if there’s a lot going on in town.
I’m surprised he was able to fit in the interview like he did.”

“I’m sure there’s nothing for you to worry about.” He leaned
forward, set his hand at her elbow and brushed his lips over her cheek. While
it was a friendly kiss, she felt his body change. When he spoke again, she
heard his tone alter as well. “Since we both seem to be free for the night, why
don’t we start your second lesson?”

A thrill of pleasure shot through her at the dark resonance
of the words. She closed her eyes, allowing her body to become absorbed in the
tension. It was the kind of thing she’d missed completely when it came to D/s.
To be with a Dom who was so consuming, she couldn’t help but follow his
instructions. She’d always followed previous Dom’s orders because she thought
she
had to
.

With Ryan, it was the first time she
wanted to
.

She was so fascinated, when his words finally registered,
she jerked in reaction. “Second? When was the first?”

“The moment you went to your knees for me.”

* * * * *

The chilly breeze bit through Ryan’s coat, burning away the
rest of his residual excitement. It was probably for the best. He didn’t want
to cloud the air between them with anything other than what this was supposed
to be about.

Teaching. Guiding. Showing her the ropes.

Damn
.

As they approached the large, unmarked brick warehouse, Ryan
slid his hand around her waist, gently pulling her toward him. The key slid
into the lock and he pushed the door open to stand aside. His gut clenched at
the thought of sharing what lay beyond the doorway with her.

Why the hell was he unsettled? He’d never felt this way with
anyone else before when he’d brought them here. Nothing in the room was
anything to be ashamed of. Nothing was out of the ordinary for someone who knew
exactly what this lifestyle entailed.

So why the jitters, Flynn?

Light filled the space as he flipped the switch. He followed
her gaze as she took it all in. The walls were bare but had been painted a
friendly shade of pale yellow he’d always found soothing. He’d purposefully
kept this space free of the comforts of home, choosing instead to fill the room
with items indicative of his tastes in BDSM.

A Berkley horse, a modified bench used to bend submissives
over for a spanking, sat in the opposite corner. He’d built the piece with his
own two hands when he’d been between boat jobs and always thought of it as a
shining example of fine craftsmanship. A row of various whips and floggers hung
from elegant sweeps of highly polished nickel on the wall behind the horse.

A sleek, shiny metal chair stood in another corner, its
horizontal seat upholstered with vivid blue material. The seat had been
fashioned with a cutout so the two pieces formed a vee to hold a sub’s legs
wide open.

Next to the chair was a long, narrow table padded with the
same material as the fabric on the chair. Several wrought iron rings had been
screwed into the legs and in a horizontal row down the table. Perfect for a sub
to lie on to make herself completely available to him.

Beth walked to the center of the room. As she slowly turned
in a circle, he leaned a hip against an ominous-looking cage. He tapped the
button for the sound system set back into the wall behind him. When he turned
around, her smile had vanished. Her eyes had gone wide in shock, her face a
shade of sickly pale that alarmed him. Fear punched him in the gut, turning his
blood to ice water.

He stood, crossing to her with quick strides.

“Beth, look at me.” When she continued to stare at the metal
implement he’d just moved away from he shifted to block her view. Her body
visibly shook as her eyes glazed over, her hands trembling as she pushed her
long hair away from her face. Worried about the state she’d slipped into, he
passed his hand lightly over her cheek. Her skin felt so cold and clammy.

He controlled the rage for her former master, pushing it
down and away to his very foundation. She didn’t need to deal with his anger at
what the bastard had done to her.

“Elisbeth,” he said with more force.

She snapped out of her stupor as her gaze met his. “Sorry.
Ethan used to lock me in a cage when he wasn’t happy with how I performed for
him and his entourage.”

Shit. He should have known something in this room would set
her off.

She shook her head. “It’s all right, it just startled me. I
didn’t expect—”

“I would have a cage?” Like most other Doms he knew, he’d
explored the various aspects of BDSM, searching for things he was drawn to. He
also had taken advantage of every opportunity to expand his knowledge base,
priding himself on knowing more about what his submissive needed better than
she did.

“As I said when we first met, you just haven’t had the right
teacher. Give me a moment.” He pressed a light kiss to her forehead even as he
cursed himself. While he was very interested in introducing her to things she
may have otherwise dismissed because of her past experiences, he wasn’t
interested in tossing her in feet first. At least, not like this. He would make
sure she faced her fear of the cage some other time.

He extracted a deep-red square of fabric from the small
cabinet next to the door. Normally, he used the oversized blanket to wrap a sub
during aftercare, but this was more important. He shook the fabric out, tossing
it over the rigid bars of the cage to mask its presence. The blanket wouldn’t
negate the fact the cage was there in the first place, but at least it would
conceal the large object for the moment and allow her to focus only on him.

He purposefully crossed to her again, keeping his body
between the obscured cage and her. “As you can tell by the doors we saw on the
way in, I don’t use this huge warehouse just by myself. The others use it as
their place of refuge as well. We each make the space whatever we need it to
be.” He kept things purposefully vague because the somber atmosphere of the
room was heavy enough without adding to it.

She forced a smile, wiggling her eyebrows. “Oh really? Do
tell.” When he frowned, her hand pressed against the center of his chest. “I
want to be here with you. I was just caught off guard for a moment. I’m a big
girl, Ryan.”

“Yes, you are.” The memory of how she felt in his hands and
the kinds of things she’d made him think since yesterday hit him full force.
She wanted his help, comforting her was part of the offer. “Elena likes all the
walls taken down. An open floor plan for her open life.”

“How open?”

“I would have thought you’d know more than me given the fact
you two went to college together.” Elena could be somewhat quiet about this
aspect of her life, but it wasn’t as if she went out of her way to hide it. At
least as far as Ryan knew.

“One thing you and I both know about Elena is that while she
doesn’t make any kind of apology for what she likes, she won’t just offer the
information on a silver platter. I never knew she was a Domme until she
mentioned something in Nashville.”