Secrets Shared (9 page)

“True. I also suggested you let me paddle you. You didn’t say okay to that.”

“You didn’t,” Jess said.

David raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t I? I should have done. Will you let me?”

“Ha, in your dreams.”

“Oh, that’s where it was.” He played along with her good humor. “Come on then, food. Do you want to use the bathroom? And, ah, I seem to have mussed your hair up a bit.” He ran his fingers through it and tried to separate the tangles without much luck.

“Ouch.” Jess took hold of his hand and stopped his fingers moving.

David winced on Jess’s behalf. He’d gotten to one particularly vicious tangle and tugged harder than he’d meant to. “Sorry, love. Do you have a brush or comb? Let me play hairdresser.”

“In my bag on the table.”

He’d forgotten the tiny excuse for a bag she’d worn over one shoulder when he’d picked them up. Evidently the old story that a woman held onto her handbag come hell or high water was true. “Sit on the floor in front of the settee and I’ll sort it.”

“Do you think I’m thick?” She waggled her hand in front of his face. “There’s three things wrong with that scenario.” She ticked them off her fingers one by one. “One, you’re a man, and I want it brushed not tugged into order. Two, if you think I’m doing the look up to the man stuff, you’re wrong. And three? I’m blooming starving and I want to eat now not tomorrow. I’ve got this wee niggle that if we get cozy-cozy I’ll get food, but not the sort I need.”

That made him laugh. He loved her quirky sense of humor.

“It should be four things.”

She raised her eyebrow, in the sexy come-hither way he’d noticed before. “How come?”

“Secret passage.”

“Yeah, okay. After food, though.”

“I promise you’ll definitely get
all
the food you need,” he said gravely, and winced in a theatrical manner as she thumped his shoulder. “Salami? Frankfurter? Sausage and, er, kidneys?”

“In your dreams.” She’d picked up his innuendos. “Steak and chips will do.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And how do you like your steak?”

“As steak, plain and simple, no sauces and nothing else. And stop sniggering. Or your hot dog will be mince. Just saying.” Jess grinned, let the tip of her tongue show between her lips and winked.

There was no two ways about it. She definitely had a great way with innuendo and play on words, even if it seemed to be frequently at his expense. Never in a bad way, more he understood, to deflect his interest from something she didn’t want to talk about.

“Let’s go then.” He took her hand, and was pleased she curled her fingers with his. “And feed you before you get grouchy.”

Jess sniggered. She’d definitely found her sense of humor again. “Yeah, starve me and release the beast. And I tell ya, it wouldn’t be a pretty sight.”

“Damn, I have fantasies about releasing it and training it to play with me.” He stroked an imaginary mustache. Her snort of laughter was the best thing he could have heard. It showed genuine amusement, not horror, worry or annoyance. His fingers scraped his skin. If he did get a chance to play with Jess, he’d need to ditch the six o’clock stubble. It was at the scratchy, itchy and mark the skin stage, not the sexy stubble that stings in a sensual way one.

Play? Maybe I’d better not say that to her
. Somehow David got the impression that might not be an expression Jess would take kindly to.

“Ready?”

She glanced down at the shirt she still wore. “Am I okay in this?”

David looked to where she gestured. “Well, you can ditch it and go topless if you want?”

She blanched and shut her eyes. “Er, no thank you. Baby steps, not big grown up ones. I’ve already gone farther than I’d ever dreamt possible. In fact…” She moved her fingers toward the buttons. David halted her.

“Leave it.” There was enough command in his tone to register. She let her hands drop immediately.

“Good girl. It looks perfect on you just the way it is.” He ushered her out into the hallway and along another corridor.

She looked at him with puzzled eyes. “This is new. Where does it go to?”

“The offices. In the new part of the house. Where does your passage go?” He did his best to slip the question in casually. She looked up at him, and to his delight waggled a finger in his direction.

“Eh? Oh, nice one. I’ll tell you what. If you find the passage, you’ll see where it goes.”

It’d been worth a try. “True, I’ll let you know when I do. I love a challenge. Hold on, if we turn down here, we can go along to the dining room without walking through the main club. I’ll ease you in lightly. You know, like a light spanking, enjoy it and not be worried.”

“You reckon? I’m not so sure.” Jess stopped walking and turned to him. There were shadows in her eyes, and their vibrant green irises were almost gray. “I’m no fan of corporal punishment in any shape or form.”

That he had to take her up on. “Are you sure about that? That it’s corporal punishment? Can you look me in the eyes and tell me truthfully that when I tapped you, you didn’t feel turned on a little bit? Are you saying that if I’d’ve put my hand inside your jeans and touched your pussy, my fingers wouldn’t have been wet with your juice? Pull the other one. Remember, I’m not the plonker. Yeah, I’m human, and I’ve made mistakes, and I’m sure I’ll make plenty more. But if it were corporal punishment you’d have known it. Now be honest with me.”

She was silent for so long, David wondered if he’d pushed her too far too fast. It might seem like tiny steps to him, but who knew what it felt like to her? He might generally be intuitive, but not, it seemed, with Jess. She was a mass of contradictions. Just as he was going to change the subject, she spoke.

“Oh, okay, yes, I was turned on, but I hated the thought. If you must know, it scared me shitless to think you were hitting me and I got wet. The only way I’ve got like that before tonight was with Hector. My vibrator. What the hell does that make me? A sad, dried up biddy, old before her time?” The words burst out of Jess. She looked startled as if she’d had no idea she had been going to say them. “Sorry.”

David held her head in his hands. He realized with a jolt he’d done that a fair bit in the few hours he’d known her. “Never feel you have to apologize for being honest. Without honesty, there’s no point.” He didn’t elaborate and she didn’t ask him to. “Right, we’ll carry on. One word of warning, or advice if you prefer—once we leave my quarters, we’re on show. I’m not asking you to participate or comment unless you want to. You can ask me questions when we’re alone, and if you feel overwhelmed or unhappy tell me quietly. Red will be fine. What I am asking for is respect. For me and anyone else you see, whether you agree with their actions or not.”

“What if it’s something I reckon is wrong? Utterly and totally wrong. What then? Will you listen?”

Chapter Eleven

Gah, I sound like a stuck record, but I can’t bloody help it.
What if he said no? Jess had never felt so mixed up in her life. David had turned her ideas and impressions upside down, and all he’d done was swat her ass and hint at what he’d like to do.

“If you’re worried then pinch my wrist. Like this.” He gave her a quick, sharp, nip, which twisted the skin just above her palm. “I’ll get us somewhere you can tell me what worries you. Okay?”

She inclined her head. After all, she could hardly blurt out something looked off if no one else thought so. It wouldn’t help either her or David, and whatever happened, Jess knew she didn’t want to harm David’s reputation. “Thank you. It…well, it reassures me. Now I know deep down that Pete was not a Dom, and a full scale out and out arsehole, but then I didn’t. And it scares me how gullible I was. Not that logically I think you’d let anyone like him within a ten mile radius of the club or me, but logic sort of flies out of the window when I’m scared, excited and…” Her tummy rumbled. “Well, okay…and starving.”

“Then move your butt, and let’s feed you.”

David took hold of her hand and began to walk again. Jess considered the simple gesture was a perfect way to give her his strength and support and show their solidarity. For all she tried to be confident inside, she was a mass of nerves. Every creepy crawly known to man—or woman—had tried, and as far as Jess was concerned, succeeded, in taking up residence in her tummy. Not all of them were scary either. The butterflies were definitely of the ‘go on just have a go’ type.
Now if only I knew just what I wanted to have a go at, that might help.

She bumped into David, who had paused in front of a door.

“Oh, sorry, I was wool-gathering. Is this it?”

“Is it what?” Even his voice had changed. It was all Jess could do not to kneel and ask him to take her and show her everything.

“The way into”—
Shit, I almost said paradise. What is wrong with me?—
“the club.”

“Your club.” David reminded her with a smile. “Are you sure I can’t persuade you to change your clothes? Or at least ditch the jeans, I rather like my shirt on you. I don’t want you to feel out of place.”

“No, I’m fine.” Jess leaned into him, pleased when he held onto her hand and circled her with his other arm. “I think anyway. But If I’m going to get all flustered or embarrassed, I’d rather it be for being overdressed than cos my bits are on show. Seriously, I don’t do underdressed well.”

David smiled and lifted their linked hands to pull her head closer. His breath was warm on her cheek again, and he tugged her hair to lift her face upwards. “With me you will.”

He spoke with such certainty, that Jess believed him. Her channel was practicing the hokey-cokey. The muscles pulled in and out and definitely shook her all about.

“But not now,” he said, and opened the door.

The pale gray walls and classic sketches were more like what Jess thought she’d find in a very expensive hotel or private home. Not in a BDSM club.
Oh, you stereo-typer you. What did you expect? You’ve never set foot in one, so how can you judge?

“This is gorgeous,” Jess spoke sincerely.

“You expected all bordello pink and nude pictures? Whips and chains and naked women?”

“Ha, why not and naked men?”

“Oh we have those as well.” David spoke straight-faced. Only the twinkle in his eyes showed her he was teasing—she thought. “Ready to serve.”

“Oh good, then let’s hurry to the dining room”—Jess hoped her face was straight as well—“and get served.” She loved David’s teasing. She felt cherished and wanted. That was something she knew she’d never felt before except from her family. The notion that perhaps those feelings might grow into something different, made her choke and cough. Her nipples tingled and stiffened and the tips were sensitive against the lace of her bra. Jess risked a sneak peek down at them. As she’d surmised, there was no mistaking her arousal. They were doing their level best to poke a hole in David’s shirt. Such exquisite silk definitely should be treated better. She took a deep breath and coughed again.

“Careful, we’ll get you some water in a sec.” David patted her on the back. “If the thought of being served does that to you, I’ll always be here to serve you, Jess. Oh, and I’ll install a water fountain.”

She felt a hand stroke her spine. All of a sudden her bra seemed suspiciously loose. Jess looked up at him and he winked.

“But let’s get some air into your lungs eh? And, oh dear, your bra seems incredibly loose. Maybe you should take it off? It can’t be comfy like that.”

Jess spluttered, and bit her tongue. “Ouch. I bit my tongue,” she explained as he looked at her with a query in his expression.

“Right. So?”

It was obvious what happened next was up to Jess.
What difference does it make? I’m not stripping this shirt off for anyone, but my bra? Go on, be brave.
Before she had time to talk herself out of it, Jess pulled her bra straps down her arms and slipped them over her hands. Then in one swift tug she pulled it up and out of the neckline of the shirt and handed it to David. “You seem to want this, so maybe you could take care of it?”

He lifted it to his face and took a deep breath as he ran it around his mouth. “It has your scent on it.”

Ha, that could be taken two ways.
“Are you saying I smell?” she asked as straight faced as possible.

“We all do, each and every one of us has our own individual essence. Yours calls to me.” His eyes sparkled over the top of the scraps of lace and wire. “And thank you. I don’t want to lose all my Dom cred, do I?”

She hadn’t even thought of that properly. “Oh, Lord, David, will it harm your reputation to be with me like this?” She sketched a wave over her body.

He burst out laughing. “You have been reading too many iffy books, love. Wait until we go into the dining room. It’s as near vanilla as you’ll get. We’re all ordinary people from all walks of life. What we see and do within these walls stays within them. Which reminds me, we need to detour into my office first. For everyone’s sake, be you the co-owner or not, you need to sign your copy of acceptance of the rules. If you do feel up to going downstairs, you’ll need to be a member as well as an owner. Not just for your benefit, but so everyone realizes you accept what goes on. Yes, I know, unless you nip me. And before you go on to your next worry, whatever happens, I won’t leave you alone.”

She’d needed to hear that.

Jess followed David through yet another gray painted door, into a spacious room with a bank of angled windows down one wall. As he opened a tall, carved, wooden cabinet—no utilitarian gray metal here, Jess noted—she wandered across the thick carpet and gazed through the windows. Idly she wondered why they were at such an angle. She didn’t wonder for long. They showed the floor below. As she stared and did her best to ignore the gush of juice that filled her channel and coated her pussy, Jess gasped. She couldn’t stop the way her breathing speeded up. She stuffed her hand into her mouth as she watched a semi naked woman bend over a long wooden bench and let her ankles and arms be tied. The Dom crouched down and spoke to the sub. Even though Jess couldn’t hear the words, it was obviously the discussion that took place was important because both the woman and the man nodded several times, and the kiss they exchanged had Jess wriggling in shamed anticipation. Here was she saying she’d never do anything in public, then being little more than a peeping tom as she watched someone else.