Club Wonderland (7 page)

“I didn’t realize you’d noticed. I didn’t want you to think I was trying to make a play for you.”

“Weren’t you?”

“No!” Alice huffed and turned her face away. “I know some of the girls think I’m working there because I’m trying to land a lawyer husband, but I’m not. It’s not like that.”

She held still as well as she could, but Gael could feel the tremors running through her body. Encouraged by her reactions, he stood directly behind her, his hand still on her neck, and pulled the second strap down her arm.

“I never once thought you were after me for my money or my position.”

“Oh.”

“You wanted something more than I’m able to give.”

“But I—”

He squeezed the back of her neck once more, cutting off further argument from her. “Quiet now.”

Another tremble rolled through her before she pressed her mouth closed.

“You sit outside my office, smiling and laughing. It would have been easier to ignore you if you were a bitch, or trying to land a lawyer husband like those fools said. But you’re too fucking sweet to everyone. You look after your friends, help your colleagues, make sure we all have everything we need to do our job. And not once have I heard you ask for anything in return. You’re selfless, and that drives me absolutely mad.”

The top of her sundress clung to her bare breasts with determination, refusing to slide lower so he could finally see how beautiful she was beneath the surface of her stylish clothing. Stubborn and determined, as much as Alice herself was.

“I don’t let others tell me what to do.”
Except when I have no other choice.
He fanned his fingers into her hair to better cup her head. “I need to be in charge. It’s not a fad or a phase. I won’t change over time. The women in my life need to accept this because this is who I am.”

Leaning over her, Gael slid his hand down her chest, beneath the front of her dress. That simple nudge was all that was necessary to push the stubborn fabric down. He cupped her now-exposed breast in his hand as he pressed his mouth to her ear.

“I’m not a kind man. I’m not gentle in the bedroom. I like to fuck, not make love.”

Alice was breathing heavily through her mouth. He could feel the racing of her heartbeat beneath his hand as he squeezed her breast. Sliding his hand around to the front of her neck, he gently squeezed her throat. It wasn’t enough to choke her. Hell, it wasn’t enough to do anything. But there was no way she’d mistake his intentions. She swallowed and the bob of her throat shifted beneath his touch.

“Do you want me to show you how I like to fuck, Alice?” He kept his voice soft, but increased the pressure on her breast. “You’ve followed me this far, but do you want to go all the way?”

God, she smelled so good—the floral scent of her shampoo, mixed with the unmistakable hint of arousal—it was enough to drive Gael insane. He was expecting her to back away, to say her safeword and get the hell out of here before things went much further. A part of him hoped she would end this madness that they were both descending into, save them both from the inevitable crash and burn they’d both be faced with in the cold light of day.

Her body relaxed against his and the side of her ear brushed his mouth. There would be no saving either of them.

“Please, Gael, I don’t know what I’m doing here. But I need...I think I need this. With you.”

He had to close his eyes to keep from flying apart at the seams. “Call me
Sir
. I won’t tell you again.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I don’t think you understand what you’re asking for.”

Alice turned her face, so her lips were only a few tantalizing inches from his. “Then show me, Sir. Show me.”

Chapter Seven

Alice was fairly certain that she had lost her mind. When Gael’s slid his hand around her throat, she panicked and wanted to pull away. But as soon as he tightened his grip on her and told her that he wanted to fuck her, a small part of her was ready to roll onto her back and let him take her anyway he wanted.

She wasn’t a pushover. She wasn’t one to let her bed partners treat her like crap, push her around, or anything else. With the exception of dealing with her mother, she normally had no issues telling people exactly what she wanted from them, albeit with a softer edge than what Gael was currently using on her.

So what was it about giving up control to Gael that made her pussy wet and her heart race? Why would she do this for him, give him anything he asked for, knowing she couldn’t stop him?

Except that she could.

The power of that tiny word, a single syllable, reassured her that only the things she wanted to happen would actually occur. There was always the chance that he wouldn’t listen to her, that she’d say
red
and that wouldn’t matter to him. Except she knew it would. Gael was many things, but a liar wasn’t one of them. If he said he’d stop, she had no doubt that he would.

Gael nipped at her earlobe, sending a sharp bite of pain through her. “I want you naked. I don’t want to have even an inch of your skin hidden from me. I want to be able to stare at the body that you’ve been hiding beneath all that perfect clothing.”

Holy shit.
Could she do that? Get naked in a public place where anyone and everyone could see her? More important, was she ready to lay herself bare to him?

“Stand up.”

Whatever hesitation she had evaporated as soon as he stepped away from her. How was it possible to crave someone’s touch so quickly? Her skin tingled where he’d held her breast and gripped her throat. She needed more from him, and there was only one way to get it.

It was her choice, her decision to take this next step. Strangely, it was easier than it should have been. All she had to do was follow his directions, do what he told her, when he told her to. As long as she didn’t think too much about her actions, she’d be just fine.

Yup, no problems, just give up her control to a guy who’d already said he wasn’t interested in a relationship with her.
No problem!

Not certain if she was allowed to unclasp her hands or not, Alice fought against her own body to make her way up to her feet without releasing them. The material of her dress slipped lower as she moved, pooling around her hips and waist. There was no way to hide herself from his gaze, or from anyone who happened to walk past. Although she’d spent years on the runway, modeling dresses, bathing suits and anything else her mother happened to put her in, this was different.

Back then she was playing the part of child model. Now she was unable to be anyone other than herself.

Gael’s gaze didn’t leave her face, even as she was now half-naked before him. She wasn’t sure if he was being polite—doubtful—or if he was gauging her reaction to see if things were too much for her to handle. Maybe he’d had someone freak out on him in the past when she’d gotten to this stage?

He really didn’t know her well if he thought this would be enough to make her want to stop.

With effort, she managed to get to her feet without releasing her hands. She couldn’t help but step on the edge of the fabric, tugging it lower still. Alice wanted to speak, ask him what she should do next, if he was happy with her so far, but Gael wouldn’t appreciate that. She had to be quiet—which was harder than it should have been—and wait for him to tell her what to do next.

Instead, she waited while he came closer once more. “You’re too slow. Next time you’ll stand faster or else there’ll be a punishment.”

Shit. Though strange as it was, Alice didn’t seem to mind the idea of him doing something to
punish
her. “I’m sorry, Sir.”

“You have no idea what it means to be sorry, girl.”

Alice closed her eyes and fought against the mix of lust and fear that swirled inside. When she opened them once more, she saw that they’d gained a bit of an audience. A group of three men stood in the entrance watching Gael. One of them had his pants pulled open and his cock out. He was staring at Alice’s breasts as he stroked his cock.

Large hands on her shoulders spun her around so she was now facing the back of the small bay they were in. Gael stepped behind her, pressing her back fully to his front. “They’re going to watch us. They’re going to see you naked and everything that I do to you. There will be no hiding from them. I might even ask them to do something to you. It’s up to me. Not you. This is my time to be in charge.”

Oh God. She hadn’t thought there was a possibility that he’d hand her over to someone else.

“Red!” Alice spun around and pressed her face into the crook of his shoulder. “Please Gael, Sir. I don’t want them to touch me. I—I only want you. Just you. Please...”

As quickly as her fears erupted, the feeling of his arms wrapped around her were enough to calm them. “Shh, it’s fine. Now I know. You were such a good girl. You told me what you didn’t want. You knew to use your safeword when you thought things were too much.”

Gael slid his hand into her hair and gently pulled her head back. Alice was shocked to see that the hard expression he’d originally worn was still there. He wasn’t soft, and wouldn’t change—he’d been honest when he’d told her that. Still, when he brought his mouth to hers, his lips close but still not touching, Alice forgot how to breathe.

“You need to understand something. In this world, the most important thing between a Dom and his sub is trust. I need to trust that you will tell me when things are too much for you. But you need to trust me that I won’t do anything that you won’t enjoy. This is only our first time together, so I know you don’t trust me yet. But I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you.”

Gael brushed his mouth against her lips. It wasn’t a kiss as much as a meeting—skin on skin—of them. It was in that moment that Alice understood. She needed to
know
, to understand the type of man he was and the person she could become. He was trusting her with this part of his life, something so personal she couldn’t imagine how people at the office would react if they found out. But more so, he was presenting her with an opportunity to learn about herself. Previously undiscovered, slightly terrifying things that she’d never thought herself capable of.

Alice tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. She cleared her throat and tried once more, knowing she only had one chance to get this right.

“Please, Sir. I think I’m starting to understand. I’d like to continue. I’d like to...learn from you. For tonight, just one night. I think you can give me what I need.” She wouldn’t fool herself into thinking it would be more than that between them. Hell, Alice wasn’t certain if this was something she’d want beyond tonight. But she owed it to herself to explore...whatever the hell this was turning out to be, before she gave up on things completely. If that meant giving up some of her control for him, then that’s what she’d do.

Alice had refused to put herself so completely into another person’s hands like this for a long time. It had taken ages to break out from under her mother’s thumb, her needs and desires, Alice wouldn’t survive emotionally if she found herself in that situation once more. So, what was it about Gael and his need to control this night that felt so right to her? Maybe she hadn’t grown as much beyond her childhood self as she’d like to think.

She could tell he was second-guessing everything from the way he looked into her eyes. She’d already stopped things once when he simply suggested the idea of another person being involved with them. What would she do if he made her do something she didn’t want to? Alice didn’t know herself, so she could only imagine what was going through his mind.

Gael was right in that she didn’t trust him yet—not unwaveringly. How could she, given she’d only known him professionally for a few months? Sure, she had this oddly magnetic attraction to him on a level she couldn’t rationally describe, and she’d watched him time and time again help his clients, but there was more about the man still concealed to her than exposed.

And yet...

If she wanted things to progress, she needed to prove to them both that she was serious about this. It would take an act of courage to show him she was serious, one Alice wasn’t certain she could pull off.

Stepping away from him, she took several deep, calming breaths. Gael didn’t move, his gaze locked on her. She had no doubt he was cataloging her every twitch, trying to decipher what her next move would be. She didn’t know what to do about this, so she fell back on the limited things she’d seen as she’d come into the club with Mistress Red.

Alice gathered the fabric still clinging to her waist, and tugged the material down. Now naked except for her lace panties, she picked up her dress, folded it neatly and set it on the nearest chair. She wasn’t sure she could take her panties off with the other men still watching, so she left them on and went down on her knees by his feet. If that wasn’t a clear enough sign that she was ready to give this a try, then she didn’t know what else would work.

Now all she had to do was to keep her brain from over-thinking this and everything would be fine.

And good luck with that!

With her gaze on the floor, she couldn’t see Gael’s reaction. Time ticked on in her head, the
click
,
click
,
click
of the imaginary second hand thudding in her brain loud enough she swore Gael could hear. After several minutes of nothing, she felt the brush of his fingers in her hair. Not a possessive grab, like he’d had on her throat and neck, but rather a tentative caress. Maybe he was scared she’d fly into a panic again? Alice wasn’t certain she wouldn’t do exactly that if things got too heavy too quickly, but she had to try. She’d regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t.

Then again, she might regret it regardless.

“Boys, get out. Private time for my girl.”

The muscles in Alice’s back and shoulders instantly relaxed. Sure, she’d had fantasies about being with more than one man during a night of wild sex, but she wasn’t ready for that tonight. Thankfully, Gael must have understood where she was mentally. There were no protests from the men. Alice watched their feet turn and within moments, the men were gone.

“I’ll keep you to myself for tonight. That will be my one concession to you. But understand this, if you use your safeword again, that ends the night. I’ll pull you up, get you dressed and put you in a cab. It’s your way out, so it’s not to be used lightly. Think long and hard before you say it again.”

“But what if I just want to...slow down?”

“Then you say
Yellow
and I’ll back down, give you a chance to catch your breath.”

That made sense. “Yes, Sir.”

Gael’s hand tightened in her hair and tugged her head backward, forcing her to look into his eyes once more. There were depths in those brown eyes that she’d never perceived before, something that had been hidden, now plain as day. This was a side of Gael she’d never seen in the office, that humming undercurrent she’d always felt in his presence.

The unconscious awareness of his dominant self.

He flexed his fingers in her hair. “You’re mine tonight. I will do whatever I want for as long as I want. You can beg and plead, but I won’t care. I won’t be the man you see every day, but something else. Tonight isn’t about romance or love. This is about sex. Do you understand?”

Alice had to try twice to get the words to come out. “Yes, Sir.”

Gael released her hair, bent down and started to adjust her stance. “Whenever we are stopped, this is how I want you to be. Thighs apart, sitting on your feet. Put your hands behind your back. That’s it. You’re not to talk unless I ask you a question. You may watch what goes on around us, but you are not to comment. You still have my permission to ask questions. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.” Shit, this wasn’t what she’d been expecting. She’d figured they’d have a bit of kinky sex and then never talk about this again. It seemed the type of thing Gael would do. But this sounded like he was about to take her around the club.

She didn’t know anything about BDSM beyond the normal preconceptions of what it entailed. In a way, this would be good. She’d be able to see things without feeling as if she had to participate. Maybe this was Gael’s way of being kind to her. Of explaining who he was without the embarrassment of trying to find the correct words. Not that he ever seemed to stumble or struggle. But it seemed he understood her well enough to know actions held more power over her than words. Though how he’d figured that out, she wasn’t sure.

He was looking at her intently once more. She thought he was going to give her another lecture, more rules, anything except what he did. Instead, he reached down, grabbed the side of her panties and tore them. They came free with ease, exposing her. Alice couldn’t stop her surprised gasp, nor could she tear her gaze away from the reddened skin where the fabric had pulled against her.

The move was barbaric on his part and if someone had even suggested he might do that to her, Alice would have been angry. So why she was ready to come on the spot, she wasn’t certain.

“Sir?” She hated that she sounded so desperate and confused all at once.

“I don’t like my playthings to be hidden from me.” He ripped the other side and pulled the destroyed fabric away. Rather than toss it aside, Gael tucked the lace into his pocket. “Come with me. Walk one pace behind me. Every time I stop you get into this position.”

Alice scrambled to get to her feet and follow when Gael marched from the room. Her body shook as she made her way through the crowd wearing only her shoes. It should have been awkward being naked in a group full of strangers. Might have been if she’d been the only one. Men and women alike were in various stages of undress. Some completely bare as she was. Others wearing only the flimsiest of clothing. She had no doubt they too would be naked as soon as it suited their Doms.