Chapter Two
Arianna sat in her car parked outside of The Iron Cuff and looked at herself in the mirror, mentally scolding herself for even being there. Myles
D’Kent was a Dom
. Not HER Dom, just a Dom. That was the way he wanted it,
and she’d agreed the night they met that he would never be more
than just a Dom because she was foolish and desperate and a horny, hormonal mess who needed to orgasm as badly as she needed her next breath. It w
ouldn’t have been so bad if that breath hadn’t been the same one he’d stolen the moment she laid eyes on him
.
When she’d first moved to
town, leaving everything she knew behind, the lifestyle was all she had. Finding a club with a fantastic reputation in a new place had been her lifeline.
It’d helped that the owner had a reputation for being one of the
best
—
most honest Doms in the scene, and rumor had it, he was gorgeous too.
Tall, dark,
and handsome didn’t begin to describe Myles
. He stood about six foot two and was covered in layers of thick, well-tanned and toned muscle. His dark black hair was short, always perfectly faded and trimmed, and his dark brown eyes were like deep pools a girl could get lost in for hours. A perfectly groomed goatee made him look incredibly refined, and
the curve of the thick erection she’d seen through the thin slacks he wore that night hadn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated either
. But something else about that man had reached out and grabbed her,
and she’d have agreed to
anything to have just one night with him. One night
—
who was she kidding? She would never be satisfied with one night with that man.
Six months later she had been with him almost every night, and she could still remembe
r exactly how he’d made her body and soul soar that first
time.
The way he’d played and plied her body to wring every ounce of body
rocking, earth shattering pleasure out of her. Mere memories of that night made her skin tingle and burn with desire and anticipation again.
She’d been
foolish to think it was just the sex that brought her back here night after night
—
even
more so to believe he’d ever feel about her the way she did
about him. G
iven her current situation, it wasn’t just foolish to be here rig
ht now, it was downright stupid. Things were different now, though. Everything
about Arianna’s world
had changed, and she could never tell Myles. The last thing she needed was to be here, feeding this impossible affection she had for him, but the idea of missing just one moment with him
hurt more than anything she’d ever felt before
. In her heart, she knew she would have to just quit him cold turkey, but every morning she woke up telling herself it was time to say goodbye, and every night she wound up back in this parking lot, trying to convince herself that one more night in his
capable arms couldn’t hurt
.
“Last time, Annie, make it count.”
Another kick in the gut that made her heart hurt. Nobody else had ever called her Annie but Myles, and she adored the nickname.
Arianna had been her musician father’s choice, and he’d called her Aria for short
. She liked Annie much better; whether it was because it was less high-brow than Aria or because of the way it sounded on
Myles’ lips, she wasn’t sure
. But she loved it and would treasure the times she heard him say it. Checking her makeup one more time in the mirror, she grabbed her bag and adjusted the seam on the back of her tights. Her coat pulled tightly around what there was of her outfit, she stepped out into the cold and quickly into The Iron Cuff for one more
—
one last night with the
man she’d fallen in love with but could never tell and could never see again
.
Arianna was earlier than usual, but if tonight had to be her last night with him, she wanted it to last as long as possible. Massive, ornately engraved double doors opened before her as she stepped inside The Iron Cuff. The sound of her heels clicking against the perfectly polished marble flooring was drowned out by the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears. Every detail was given the utmost attention; so much so, it was easy to see Myles in each part of the club: the soft flickering glow of candlelight instead of the artificial ultraviolet lighting of bulbs, low instrumental music
backed by the steady pounding of tribal drums akin to one’s
heartbeat, black-textured wall paper balanced with the smooth flooring
—
not a single detail left to chance. Some people may have felt threatened by the intensity of the club, but not Arianna. Intimidation was the last thing she felt. Usually, when the doors closed behind her, it was like being enveloped in peace
—
calming, secure, and stable. The club was one of the only places she felt grounded. Tonight, though, that grounded feeling was tinged with anxiety and a hint of sadness. Nodding to the unbelievably large security guard as he closed the door behind her, she walked further into the depth of the club, leaving reality locked behind her. Walking over to the bar, she smiled and tried to push the growing lump of sorrow back down so she could enjoy what time she had left with the man she loved.
“Hey Molly, is Myles in his office?”
The bouncy brunette had a smile that beamed like a beacon, and she was stunningly beautiful and sweet as could be. She liked Molly; they had become friends over the last several months. She would miss her too when she left that night.
“No, he stepped into the conference room to meet with some
potential new members. He should be done soon though, then we have our meeting over the numbers and the budget, but if you want to wait in his
office, I doubt he’d mind.”
She went back to scribbling notes on her inventory checklist, and Arianna laughed at the near OCD intensity she poured into counting and recounting each item. Turning from the bar, she took a deep breath before heading away from the large main room that housed the bar and lounge toward the hallway at the back of the club. Private rooms lined the walls of the main room. She ran her fingers over the banister of a long winding staircase that led to the second floor. The rooms on the upper floor had no privacy, just large picture windows that faced the main room.
More than once she’d found herself
lost in the scenes that played out between master and sub in those windows; the exchange of power nearly tangible. Shaking her head, she continued to the back of the club and down the long hall. Tiptoeing past the conference room, she pushed open the heavy door that led into Myles
’ office at the very end of the hall.
Hanging her coat neatly on the rack, she moved behind his desk and knelt at the right side of his chair. Her red ringlets were pulled into a high bumped ponytail and tied with a leather strap. A tight, cupless, black leather corset with red lace inserts and a deep red ribbon for lacings cinched in at the waist. No panties; just the way he preferred. Garters stretched from the bottom of the corset and snapped to her thigh-high tights. On her knees, she rested back on black and red stilettos that matched her corset and lowered her head. She was already desperately wet in expectation, and her nipples ached to be kneaded and clamped. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and focused on that night.
She’d have the rest of her life to mourn what
could have been; that night she would savor. That night was for making memories that would carry her through a lifetime. In her heart, she knew it would never be enough, but it would have to be.
Chapter Three
“Ungrateful little whoremongering thieves
!
It’s not even original,
stealing booze and cash from the register. Steal something unique like a St. A
ndrew’s or something for fuck’s sake.”
Mumbling loudly to anyone or anything that would sit still long enough to listen, Myles made his way back to his office after meeting with Molly and the rest of the staff over the
month’s numbers, business
, and inventory.
He’d expected the numbers to be
down a bit after being c
losed for renovations, but he hadn’t expected to find
that someone had been dipping into the till and stealing his liquor. He liked to think he took pretty damn good care of his employees. So, for someone to be stealing from him was a kick in the shorts, not just in the wallet.
All of those concerns, however, disappeared when he opened the double doors to his office and found the familiar deep red hair of his Arianna kneeling behind his desk at the right hand of his chair. Eyes closed, head down, her body curved beautifully, almost serpent like, and his own body responded without hesitation.
Early, but definitely a good surprise, it wasn’t
until he walked around his desk and could see her fully that his cock stiffened and strained painfully against the zip of his slacks. Her breasts rested, exposed, atop a stunning corset. Deep, dusty rose-colored nipples stood out against her pale skin, swollen and desperately begging to be clamped and then soothed. Slightly parted knees gave him a glimpse of her bare mound;, glistening, and wet, and the scent of her arousal permeated the air around him.
“You’re early, Annie.”
His voice was steady, despite the way every muscle of his body was tensing at the sight of her.
“My apologies, Sir
. I can leave and come back later, if you prefer.
”
Her head never lifted, though he could see her gauging his features from behind lowered lashes, and her voice was softer than usual, bearing a hint of sadness, which was both very unlike her and excruciatingly painful for him to hear.
“No, Annie
. You may stay. Your being here early is a welcome
surprise, thank you.” He reached out toward her as he sat down and stroked
his forefinger down her temple, brushing a few stray hairs back and down her jaw line. Not content to just feel the softness of her skin, he leaned forward just a bit and ran his finger down over her collarbone, off her shoulder, and over the heaving swell of her breast. Circling her nipple, he flicked at it, enjoying the little hitch in her breathing before he wrapped his thumb and forefinger around the deep pink pebble, rolling it tightly. Heavy lids drifted closed, and her lips parted on a nearly silent sigh. Myles sat back in his chair and looked down at her. Such a well trained submissi
ve, it’d be a
shame to watch her walk away and share her gift with another. It would hurt
like hell, but he’d do it
. He had to. Losing himself in her was too great a risk.
Shoving everything to the back of his mind and biting back the confession that threatened to claw its way out, he held his hand out to her
and watched as without an instant’s trepidation, she placed her much softer,
more delicate hand into his then waited for him to give her a command.
“Come
, sit
here in front of me, Annie.” His chair pushed back from
the desk, he made room for her to sit between his knees. She resumed her position there on the floor, inches away from his throbbing erection. The sight of her swollen, red pout so close to his cock had wicked thoughts churning while his cock practically tore through his pants to get to her. The warmth of her breath so close seeped through the fabric of his slacks and warmed his skin, wreaking havoc on his self-restraint. A creak broke the symphony of heavy breathing as he slid open a desk drawer full of toys.
*****
Arianna’s eyes drifted closed when he settled her between his thighs.
Memories of the feel of his cock thrusting deep into the back of her velvet throat, of the subtle, salty taste of him as he came in her mouth, as she sucked and swallowed every drop, filled her. Pleasing the man who took such care in fulfilling her every need and desire played out in the darkness of
her mind’s eye
, and she hungered desperately for one last taste of him. He had no way of knowing that tonight would be their last night together, and she was determined to keep it that way. After tonight, she would just vanish from his life altogether; be nothing more than a very good memory for him. In the distance, muffled by her thoughts, she heard the drawer slide open and knew what was inside. Between the temptation of his cock a mere breath away and the knowledge of what he could do with the toys in that drawer,
she couldn’t stop the whispered, breathy plea that fell from her lips, dripping
with desire.
“Please?”
The second the word left her mouth, she wanted to take it back.
She’d never once asked him for anything
.
She’d
always just trusted him to give her what she needed when she needed it,
and he’d always done
just that. Maybe knowing how much she wanted this night to last so long
and be so perfect, she’d gotten ahead of herself, but she wanted to taste
everything, feel everything, have everything one more time.