Second Base (7 page)

‘Broken?’

‘Smashed to bits. He
really
hit you.’

He tried to recall, but the memory remained blurred. ‘I didn’t see it coming. One second I was standing, the next—’ he groaned. ‘This really hurts.’

‘I’ll get some ice.’ Karen vanished, leaving him to watch the shadows from the trees outside play across the ceiling. She returned and pressed a rustling pack to the side of his face.

‘Peas,’ she said. ‘The ice is all gone.’

‘Thanks.’ He held it in place with one hand while she pulled off his sopping wet shirt. Then trousers. She left his boxers and snuggled up beside him, resting her head on his chest.

‘What a shitty night,’ she murmured.

‘Tell me about it.’

Karen woke suddenly without knowing why. Sunlight speared her eyes and she groaned, rolling left to bury her face in Dan’s chest. Her cheek struck empty sheets.

In an instant she was fully awake, bolt upright and searching the room. ‘Dan?’ Memory of the night before returned in snatches. The party. Her mother’s terrible news. Pete. Her father. Dan.

She tumbled out of bed in a sprawl of duvet, kicking her way free and rushing to the door. ‘Dan!’ Just before she hurried down the stairs, the toilet flushed. Whirling round, she ran for the bathroom, blundering through the door without knocking.

Dan stood at the sink, hands dripping water. Aside from a bemused expression he wore nothing else.

She threw herself at him, wrapped both arms around his neck and squeezed while tears slipped down her cheeks. The panic of moments ago eased. ‘Where did you go? You scared me.’

He stroked her hair. ‘I needed a whizz. It
is
morning.’

‘You were hurt. I thought you might be lying somewhere all unconscious and concussed.’

‘A bit irrational, wouldn’t you say?’

Perhaps, but Dan didn’t know Robert like she did. He couldn’t know what the big man was capable of. She settled for a sullen, ‘Screw you.’

Dan kissed her on the cheek. ‘I’m fine.’ He dried his hands.

For the first time she saw his face. The left side of his jaw blossomed black and blue, mottled like the back of a whale. His cheek swelled until the lower lid of his left eye squeezed almost shut and a faint trail of bruising marched up the side of his face.

‘Jesus.’

‘I know.’ He turned to the mirror for another look. ‘He only hit me once. What is he, a wrestler?’

Karen shook her head. ‘Boxer.’

‘Really?’

‘For years before I was born. He switched to training when Mama was pregnant. He won awards, but when I arrived it all stopped. I don’t think he ever really forgave me for messing up his career.’ She visualised her father as he once looked. Narrow in the waist and broad across the shoulders, his ears and nose misshapen from several maulings. He stood in the study, what he liked to call the ‘Trophy Room’ staring at newspaper clippings, medals and trophies.

‘It’s not your fault, Kaz.’

‘You’ve said that a lot recently.’

‘Well it’s not.’

‘Tell him that, would you?’ Satisfied that Dan was alive, conscious and speaking, she put the seat down on the toilet so she could sit. ‘Julian said Robert thought you hit me. That’s why he punched you. Idiot.’

‘He was protecting you.’

‘His time to do that is long gone. He’s just an arsehole.’

Dan fumbled his toothbrush from the pot on the edge of the sink. ‘What I can’t figure out is where he got the idea in the first place. He was fine before that, grinding against my mum like a randy pit-bull. Next time I see him, I beat my girlfriend. I mean, what?’

Karen gazed at the floor. She bunched her fists on her knees and tried to think of a way to explain that wouldn’t lead to more punching, shouting and general casualties. ‘Pete let slip that we’re kinky.’

‘Excuse me?’ The words came out garbled and wet. Dan faced her with a mouth full of foam, toothbrush hanging from the side of his mouth.

‘We were in the garden, he gave me a housewarming present and he—’

I can’t tell him about the kiss.

She cleared her throat. ‘We were talking about . . . the house and—and stuff. Robert overheard a bunch of stuff he shouldn’t have and when I told him we’d talk about it, he stormed off. I didn’t know he’d go straight for you.’

‘Wow.’ More bubbles frothed from Dan’s mouth.

‘But Pete . . . we were talking about subbing and the library and . . .’

‘What?’ Dan’s words were clear, the toothpaste gone. Swallowed. ‘No wonder your dad went crazy. It sounds awful to someone who doesn’t know the facts. Jesus. Pete is an idiot sometimes.’

‘He didn’t mean to. It slipped out.’ Karen had no idea why she defended Pete. She just knew that she couldn’t bear the thought of Dan knowing the truth.  ‘He was angry and jealous.’

Dan shook his head and wandered back into the bedroom. He pulled a pair of boxers from the drawers. ‘Jealous, though? You see it too. I didn’t think you paid that much attention to him.’

Karen frowned. ‘Well . . . he was pretty plain about it.’

‘He’s giving you an earful too? If he’s so bothered about us having a good time maybe he should join Kink4Life. I’ll bet he could find a great Domme to look after him.’

‘What?’

‘You know about his latent submissive tendencies, right? He hides it well, but all that fuss about Pizza Express . . . what else could it be? I wish he’d admit it. He’d be happier if he did.’

Karen thought about correcting him, but the thought of Pete’s hands all over her body cut her short.

He doesn’t need to know all that.

She decided to link the subject to their talk of the evening before. ‘You could suggest a Domme for him. Or I could find him one. I know lots of female dominants through Kink4Life.’

He grinned as he wriggled into the boxers. ‘Getting tips, are you?’

‘Sure. I’ll need them one day.’

‘Yes, Hannah told me what you did last time you had her alone. I think she likes where this is going. Wherever that is.’

‘She told me there are male subs looking for a new Domme. Nothing big or high maintenance, just an
every now and then
sort of deal.’

‘Do you know anyone?’

She watched his face. ‘I was thinking
I
could help them out.’

He paused. ‘How?’

‘By being their temporary Domme.’

‘But you’re a sub.’

‘I can be both. Ever heard of a Switch?’

‘Sure, but you’re not a Switch. You’re my delicious, tasty, obedient, sexy sub who—’ a loud alarm from his phone cut him short.

She frowned. ‘What’s that?’

‘A reminder. We’re going to be late for the munch.’

Karen turned aside. ‘I don’t think I want to go any more.’

‘Of course you do. If I say so . . .’

No. Jesus, Dan, don’t do that. Don’t play the Dom card now. We were nearly there.

‘I’d rather talk some more,’ she murmured. ‘I think there’s a lot we should discuss.’

‘Come on now . . .’ Dan stalked closer, running his fingers around the waistband of his boxers as he advanced. Karen experienced a brief stab of satisfaction as she realised that instead of turning her on, the sight only irritated her. She backed off, hands raised.

‘I need to clean my teeth.’ She fled the bedroom to lock herself in the bathroom. As she spun the tap she hoped the sound of splashing water would block the roar of her pulse in her ears.

An hour later Karen sat in the front seat of Dan’s grubby car, wearing tight black jeans and a purple vest. Her matching collar with the silver bell jangled every time the car took a speed bump. The tingle of the little instrument served as a constant audio cue.

She glanced right. ‘I’ve never done one of these before. What’s it like?’

Dan frowned at the road. ‘Mostly a bunch of people eating homemade cakes and drinking cider. I doubt this group will be any different.’

‘Any play?’

‘No, it’s in a pub, remember? You’re wearing the collar because it’s a quick and easy way of giving over the gist of our relationship. And also to let folk know you’re taken.’

Taken. Like a seat at the cinema. Or a book off a shelf.

‘Dan, I think we need—’

‘We’re here!’ His excited voice cut across hers.

She looked up in time to see the car swing into a parking bay beside a beat up old Prius. ‘Looks normal.’

‘It
is
normal. Just a pub, remember?’ He got out and waited for her to do the same before locking the doors. Then he set off, his hand trailing behind him, fingers twitching.

Karen caught up and grabbed his hand. ‘Dan, wait. Can we talk for a second?’

‘What?’ He wasn’t even looking, all ready waving at a small, sandy haired man in a rugby shirt. She recognised the face as one from Kink4Life. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘I need you to stop so we can talk. We need to talk about subs. And you. And me.’

‘Can’t we do that inside? It’s cold.’

‘But—’ she broke off with a yelp as two hands closed over her eyes, cutting out the car park and plunging her into darkness.

‘Guess who?’ a voice hissed in her ear.

To one side, she heard Dan laughing, followed by another giggle she knew very well. ‘Denise?’

‘There’s my little kitten!’ The hands vanished.

Karen whirled round. There stood Denise, a tall, broad figure with long, blond hair. He smiled, but then his gaze slid passed her to Dan. His eyes widened. ‘What the hell happened to you?’

Despite their joined efforts with concealer, Dan’s bruise was very much visible. He touched the area with the tip of his fingers. ‘Long story.’

‘Isn’t this where you say ‘you should see the other guy’?’

‘Not this guy. Trust me, long,
long
story.’

Though Denise seemed unconvinced, he looked away from Dan and returned his attention to Karen. ‘Kaz . . . come on, sweetheart, lay it on me.’

She looked again. Took in the simple blue skirt, just low enough on the hips to show a flash of flesh. Above it, a wrap-around blouse with short sleeves matched the floral pattern on a pair of two-inch heels.

‘I didn’t think you Dressed outside clubs.’

Denise waved a perfectly manicured hand. ‘This munch is a safe, comfortable place. No one is going to judge me here. Besides, don’t I look pretty in heels?’

Karen laughed. ‘Business suits do nothing for you.’

‘Exactly. Hug me, all ready.’

‘It’s good to see you,’ said Karen, leaning in to kiss his powdered cheek.

He snorted and pulled her close, wrapping both arms around her in a big, strong hug. ‘There. You okay, sweetheart?’

She gazed into his face, then at Dan who kept glancing towards the pub. ‘I’m fine,’ she murmured.

‘Another ‘long story’?’

She nodded, hoping her smile appeared more positive than she felt.

The conversation with Dan would have to wait.

‘Fine. I’ll leave it for now.’ Denise threaded his arm through hers and towed her along. ‘So, I hear you’re meeting a new sub for the Library?’

‘Maybe. If she shows up.’

‘Don’t be disappointed if she doesn’t. It’s daunting, meeting potential play partners for the first time.’

Arm in arm, they followed Dan into the pub. When he paused, searching the room, Denise tapped his shoulder.

‘We’re upstairs, sweetheart. I only came down to get my phone from the car. Henrietta’s up there saving me a seat. Should be plenty of room for you two.’

‘Thanks.’ Dan darted up the stairs.

‘Keen isn’t he?’ Denise bit his lip.

You have no idea.

Upstairs greatly resembled the lower portion of the pub except for a few minor differences. The presence of fellow kinksters was obvious. Men and women wearing collars. Tattoos of the triskelion or the kajira. Subtle, but there for those who knew how to look.

Some of those gathered spared her only a glance before looking away again. Others paused long enough to give her a once-over, their gaze usually coming to rest on her collar. One look lasted longer than the others, an appreciative sweep from her head to her toes and back again. It ended on her face.

He was tall, with skin darker than her own, big kind eyes and a full head of dreadlocks.

For a horrible, heart-stopping moment she thought Robert had come to find her, but the stranger’s ready smile made clear it was no one she knew.

He nodded and raised his glass to her, pushing a pair of narrow, wire-framed glasses up his nose and closer to his eyes.

Definitely not Robert. Wow.

She allowed herself a small smile in return.

Then Henrietta cut across her view, his usual brunet wig swapped for a vibrant red bob with an under flick.

‘Good to see you, Karen.’ As ever, he spoke in a near whisper, but Karen knew what to do by now. She pulled him close for a hug.

‘Hey, that DVD you loaned us was
amazing
!’

When he pulled back, Henrietta wore a look she’d never seen before. Rather than timid and shy, he actually looked
playful
. ‘That’s just one of the collection. Wait until you see what I’ve brought with me.’

Grinning, Karen put out her hand and allowed him to tow her towards the bar.