Chrissie shrugged. “There’s a reason for that, but it’s not my place to tell you. Adam
will
tell you, Rachel, but she’s being particularly difficult right now so it’s best not to ask too many questions.”
Rachel frowned and ran her fingers idly along the bar. “She hates me, Chrissie.”
“Sweetie, forget her. It doesn’t matter what she thinks of you, you’re the one Adam wants. Trust me, nothing that woman can do or say will ever make Adam want to go near her again.”
“Again?” Rachel felt her stomach plummet and the blood drain from her face.
Chrissie now looked extremely uncomfortable and took Rachel’s hand. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I can’t say any more, you really need to talk to Adam.”
Rachel pulled her hand away and scowled at Chrissie. “Oh don’t you worry, I fully intend to do just that.”
“Do what?” Dominique’s sickly voice sounded from the other end of the bar and, without looking, Rachel knew she was coming toward them. Her heels echoed in the silent room and the closer she got, the more suffocating her perfume became.
Before Rachel could answer, Chrissie asked coldly, “Did Adam find you?”
Dominique’s glossy red lips curled into a devious smile and she ran her tongue slowly over them before purring, “Yes, he did. He’s just recovering now.” She winked at Rachel before narrowing her eyes at her. “You and I will have a chat later.”
“I’ve got nothing to say to you,” snapped Rachel, unexplained feelings of anger burning deep inside her. Who the hell did this woman think she was?
“Oh, but I’ve got plenty to say to you.” Dominique scanned Rachel’s skimpily-clad body and smirked. “I see Adam’s taste has been impaired. You’re such a scrawny little scrap, aren’t you?”
The anger simmering in Rachel’s belly suddenly reached boiling point and she raised a clenched fist ready to hit the evil bitch and knock that smug smile right off her face. But a strong masculine hand grabbed her arm, and she heard Chrissie’s deep male voice. “Leave it, Rachel. She’s not worth it. She’s winding you up on purpose, but you’ll be the one in trouble if you retaliate.”
The two women stood glowering at each other like lionesses staking their claim on the male lion in their pride. Just one move from either of them and all hell would break loose. Rachel was not going to back down—she was only too well aware that if she showed any weakness now, Dominique would grab the opportunity to bring her down. Chrissie was eyeing them cautiously, waiting to step in if necessary, and the tension between the three of them was palpable. Eventually, Dominique’s lip curled back and, not taking her eyes off Rachel, she growled, “I’ll see you later.”
Rachel, not breaking the stare, snarled back, “Don’t underestimate me, Dominique. I may be
Adam’s
submissive, but I’m anything but a pushover if anyone provokes me.” She couldn’t resist bringing Adam’s name into it and she felt a glow of satisfaction when Dominique flinched upon hearing it.
When Dominique finally walked off, Rachel released the breath she’d been holding. “What the hell have I done to her?” she asked Chrissie, who looked just as relieved as she felt.
“You’ve got Adam.” Chrissie winked at her and turned to carry on polishing the glasses.
A couple of minutes later, Adam returned.
“Everything all right?” He flashed a big smile at her and she melted instantly. She might not be a pushover for someone like Dominique, but she was completely hopeless when it came to him.
Adam had no idea about her altercation with Dominique, and she wasn’t about to spoil his evening, so she smiled back and said, “Fine.”
He took her hand and walked her over to the stairs leading up to the playrooms. He stopped momentarily at the top of the stairs to the dungeons and smiled. “I’m going to take you down there next weekend. I’ve got a nice little scene in mind that will leave you screaming for mercy.”
The light fluttering in her stomach crashed and turned to liquid at his words. What would he do to her down there? Her body shuddered as he nudged her toward the stairs to the playrooms.
“You go first. I want to look at your arse as you go upstairs,” he said, and lightly tapped her bottom to get her moving.
Rachel made sure she wriggled her arse extra sensuously with each step up and, by the time she reached the top, she knew Adam would be hard. Sure enough, on the top step, he grabbed her hand and pulled her over to a spanking bench. “Get on,” he said, his voice deep and throaty. “Lie face down.”
“Yes, Sir,” she said, her voice breathless with excitement.
“This isn’t a punishment, Rachel. I’m going to spank you now because I want you nicely warmed up for later tonight. Oh, and I want to hear the sound of your bare flesh echo in the rare silence of this room. It’s not very often we get the place to ourselves.”
Adam quickly clipped her wrist and ankle restraints to the bench then stepped back to look at her, exposed and helpless, waiting for his hand.
She closed her eyes in anticipation and sighed when he gently rubbed her buttocks. They were still slightly tender from last night’s paddling and the homemade flogger that afternoon, but it wasn’t unpleasant. He traced a finger along the length of her arse crack and stopped when he reached her hole. With his finger lingering on the sensitive opening, he whispered, “I’m going to insert a plug here soon.”
She immediately tensed up and clenched her buttocks.
“Relax, sweet thing. It’ll be tiny, but I want you to experience the sensation of having your arse filled. It’ll please me to see you stretched for me.” It sounded so sexy coming from him.
“Okay. I think.” She swallowed nervously and completely forgot about her impending spanking until his hand made contact with her arse. “Oh,” she exclaimed.
He gently rubbed over the area he’d hit then slapped it again. Hmm, that felt so good, she wanted more. She got her wish as his hand came down several times, alternating each cheek with hard slaps, the sound bouncing off the walls and echoing in the stillness.
His hand reached down and stroked her between her legs and her body shivered with joy at the special attention it was getting. His finger pushed past her labia, spreading her open so she could feel the cool air on her exposed and damp pussy and when he slid his finger farther in, it glided effortlessly through her wet arousal.
This was so unlike her punishment yesterday. There had been no tender probing to check if she had been enjoying it and no gentle rubbing between swats to ease away the sting. His hand resumed the spanking and Rachel relaxed into the exquisite pain.
Oddly enough, it didn’t hurt anywhere near as much as it had the first time, and she was shocked to find that she missed the sharp sting that had brought tears to her eyes before. Maybe she was getting used to the pain, she mused silently, before shutting down her brain and thinking only about Adam and the spanking he was giving her.
Then he paused for a second and she felt an overpowering sense of loss. “More. Please, Adam, more.”
“Who?”
“I mean, Sir. Please, don’t stop. Oh yes,” she cried, as his hand came down on her arse again, harder than before. The harder he hit, the stronger the pleasure she felt. How on earth could a sensation as strong as pain turn into something so delicious and erotic?
Then his finger probed her again and this time he brought her juices to her clit and rubbed her wet heat over it. Something shuddered deep inside her and before she knew what was happening, her body tensed as the pleasure started building deep inside her core.
Christ,, she was going to come and he had barely touched her yet. She knew there was something she needed to do, but her mind had switched off and she couldn’t quite remember what it was until she heard Adam’s voice, “Is there something you wanted to ask me, Rachel?”
Oh yes, of course.
“Please, Sir. May I come?” She only just managed to get the words out and it almost finished her trying to hold on, but she needed to hear his voice give her the permission she so badly needed.
“Yes, sweet thing. Come now.”
The orgasm wasn’t as hard or as strong as some she’d had, but it was so very, very beautiful. Waves of satin and silk stroked her body, inside and out and, although she didn’t scream this time, her cry of release sang through the empty room.
Finally, her body came back down again and Adam undid her restraints. Carrying her across to a sofa, he whispered in her ear, “That was just the first of many tonight.”
At that moment, Rachel genuinely wondered if life could get any better.
Chapter Twelve
Half an hour later, the heavy, melodic sounds of The 69 Eyes blasted through the sound system and the members started arriving as the club opened its doors.
Rachel was sitting on a bar stool chatting to Chrissie, watching as people entered the large room. A few faces were becoming familiar now and she smiled at one couple who gave her a little wave. She turned back to Chrissie and was about to say something when a hand touched her on her shoulder and a sexy male voice spoke in her ear, “Well, hello, beautiful.”
She turned around to find Luke smiling warmly at her. She hadn’t seen him since that first night and any anger she’d felt as a result of his deception was long gone. He was every bit as dominant and masculine as Adam—only not quite as good-looking, of course. Her cheeks flushed yet again when she remembered ‘that’ taxi ride, but she smiled back at him, pleased to see him.
“I hear your friend has gone and seduced my baby sister.” There was no accusation in his voice, just friendliness.
Rachel laughed. “Hey, I think it’s the other way around. Your sister has been corrupting my friend.”
He laughed, a good-natured, hearty sound. “They should be here soon,” he said, sitting down on the stool next to hers. “Dawn said she’ll text me when they get here.”
“Great. So, are you okay with your sister following in your footsteps?” She took a sip of her cola and giggled when he rolled his eyes.
“I’ll admit I wasn’t too happy when I bumped into her here for the first time. She was naked and being led on a leash by some guy I didn’t know. I wanted to punch his lights out.” He nodded his thanks to Chrissie as she handed him a drink. “She had me over a barrel, though. I couldn’t very well judge her kink when I was carrying a submissive in my arms, deep in subspace from the whipping I’d just given her.” He chuckled and winked at Rachel.
“No, I can see that. Didn’t you have any idea that she was a submissive?”
Luke laughed. “Are you kidding? Dawn is the most headstrong, independent and feisty woman I’ve ever met. Now, if you’d told me she was a Domme, then I might have been less surprised. How about Mandy, did you know about her?”
“Well, I didn’t, but looking back, there were clues that I didn’t get at the time. Like the fact that she knew about the BDSM social sites like the one where I met you. Oh, and the fact that she’s so damned bossy. I was more surprised when she told me she was dating a girl.” Rachel thought back to Mandy’s nervousness when she’d ‘come out’, and smiled.
“Were you shocked?”
She shook her head. “No, not shocked, just surprised.”
Luke looked at his watch. “Where’s Adam?”
The smile vanished from Rachel’s face and she tried her best not to sound too hateful when she spat her words out. “He’s with that… He’s with
Dominique,
sorting out something to do with the club apparently.”
Luke didn’t look too pleased either. “Shit. The sooner he’s rid of her the better.”
Rachel seized her opportunity. “Luke, what’s the score with Dominique? What’s going on?”
He opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when his phone bleeped. “Hey, that’s them, they’re in reception. You coming?”
Rachel shook her head. “Adam told me to wait for him here.” She felt a sudden prickle of annoyance as she heard herself say the words. What the hell was wrong with her? If she wanted to go and meet her friends in reception she bloody well would. “Actually, yes, I’m coming.”
Luke stopped and gave her a stern Dom look. “Rachel, I wouldn’t recommend disobeying Adam.”
But she’d already slipped off the bar stool and stood facing Luke with her hands on her hips. “I’ll bloody well do what I want,” she snapped.
“Will you, now?”
Adam’s deep voice behind her made her jump and her heart sank when he swung her roughly round to face him. He took hold of her chin and held her face firmly up so she was looking right into his face. “Don’t piss me off, Rachel.” His voice was deep and angry. “I’ve had enough of bratty women for one night. When I give you an order, you will obey. Do. You. Understand?”
She was shocked at the anger in his voice, but somehow she knew the anger wasn’t because of her, although she probably hadn’t helped. “Yes, Sir,” she whispered. She couldn’t look away from him and the longer he held her, the more she felt his control. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the anger visibly drained away from him and he let go of her.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice thankfully returning to normal. “I shouldn’t take it out on you. I’ll explain what’s going on later, I promise. Come on, let’s go meet your friends.”
Adam took her hand and they made their way to the reception to meet Mandy and Dawn. The minute Rachel laid eyes on Dawn, she liked her. Petite, dark and extremely pretty, she held out her hand with a shy smile and shook Rachel’s hand firmly. Her eyes were a gorgeous deep brown and there was no doubting the family resemblance to Luke. “It’s so good to meet you,” said Dawn, her smile warm and friendly.
Rachel looked at Mandy and grinned. It was a long time since she’d seen her friend look so happy. And comfortable in her role, she realized. Mandy was wearing a tight, black leather dress with high-heeled, glossy black thigh-high boots and looked every bit the Domme. When Adam ushered them through the door leading into the bar, Rachel noticed Dawn glance briefly up at Mandy before following. Mandy nodded her approval and took hold of her hand, making it clear she was the one in control.
Adam led them to their usual reserved table and gestured for everyone to sit down. Within seconds, Chrissie was taking their drink orders and sharing a private joke with Luke about the redhead who worked on reception.