“DO I look as stupid as I feel?”
Caera plucked at one of the layers weighing her down. On Saul’s orders, she’d ended up wearing six tops, a pair of pants, a skirt and a floor-length dress in a wonderful shade of blue. She had a matching bra and thong set on beneath it all, in the same shade of gold as her collar.
Beside her on the bench seat of the limo Mac had hired, Tess shifted uncomfortably, in much the same predicament. God knew what she’d been made to wear.
Across from them, the Three Domateers as Caera dubbed them, sat in varying poses of relaxation. The two men were in almost identical suits, with the exception of their cufflinks—sapphire blue for Mac, emerald green for Saul.
Deanna’s sleek body was sheathed in a dress the color of moorland heather from England. It showcased, well, everything. The firmness of her breasts, the curve of her torso and waist. Material hugged the slight swell of her hips before falling to her feet, leaving a narrow slit up one toned leg to mid-thigh.
Caera forced her attention away from the Domme. She didn’t find her sexually attractive, nu-uh, and she would come up with a way to make Saul cancel the playdate. Surely, he wouldn’t make her go through with it if she explained how sorry she was, how not ready she was to explore the other side of her sexuality. Bi-curious did not mean she was ready to embrace her curiosity.
“You both look fabulous,” Mac assured her, smiling gently.
Movement caught her eye; she watched Tess reach up and hook her fingers into the gorgeous platinum necklace at her throat, hold on tightly. She read the nerves, could feel them radiate from Tess into her.
“Why does Tess look as though she wants to be sick?” She met Mac’s eyes, then Dee’s, and finally Saul’s. “She knows something I don’t. Should I look like I want to throw up?”
“Tess’ nerves are getting the best of her. They’ll calm once we get there. She knows I won’t let anyone harm her. Neither of you need to worry, I assure you.” Mac’s voice was rough. “This is the first time for both of you, playing outside the House. More or less, the same rules apply here as they do at home. If you get separated from us for any reason, stick together and find us. Do not get split up. Do not remove your collars for any reason. You’re both expected to follow orders from all three of us.” He incorporated all three Dominants into the statement with a gesture. “Without hesitation.”
Caera swallowed hard. Without realizing it, her hand crept across the seat for Tess’, clung to her pitifully. “What are the chances of us being separated from you?”
“Not high.” Saul fielded her question smoothly. “But if it happens, you can ask one of the dungeon monitors to find one of us. Monitors will be dressed in black and they’ll have an emblem with DM written here,” he said as he patted his left pectoral. “We will all be required to wear wristbands. As taken submissives, you will wear white this evening. We’ve ended up with black and white, meaning we’re Dominants with submissives. Anyone with a black band is a Dom observing the event or on the hunt for a sub. Submissives without a Master have been given red bands tonight.”
Tess’ hand tightened around Caera’s and she squeezed back. Damp sweat slickened their palms. “So stay away from people with black bands.”
“Essentially. Speak only when spoken to unless you require help. But the pair of you will be stuck like glue to the three of us, so it’s not going to be an issue.” He crossed his legs, resting one shiny shoe on the top of his knee. “Please don’t look like we’re sacrificing you on some forsaken altar, girls. Tonight is meant to be fun, exciting, maybe even sexy once the nerves are gone.”
“Not exactly finding anything to relax about,” Caera mumbled. “All I’ve got in my head is a set of rules, some do’s and don’ts, and a constant mantra of don’t let the Doms down.”
Three pairs of eyes assessed her warmly. Aware she was breaking the cardinal rule by looking them in the eyes during a public scene, she averted her gaze and tried to pull her submissiveness around her like a cloak. Wound tight, that cloak kept slipping to reveal the hesitant, frightened woman she’d been and who still existed no matter what she did to erase her.
Deanna spoke first. “Both of you have been taught well. You have grown both as women and as subs. You dote on your Doms and they on you. I highly doubt there is anything either of you could do, would want to do, to damage their reputations.”
It wasn’t a question of want, Caera thought with a grimace. Nothing bad ever wanted to happen to her, it just did. Her track record spoke volumes, didn’t it? And now she was connected to a prominent figure, three prominent figures, who stood strong and proud in a community she didn’t fully understand yet.
If things went wrong now, it wasn’t only she who would pay the price.
“Besides, with this being a very public forum, I’m sure if you set a toe out of place tonight, Mac and Saul will have no choice but to reprimand you on the spot,” Dee added, pleasure humming through her words.
The sound of the limo changing gear, slowing down, and stopping prevented any more questions. The driver’s door opened and shut and then the door to Caera’s right swung open slowly.
Hands still joined, Caera shared a look with Tess that spoke volumes about uncertainty, bordering on fear, without needing to say a word.
Deanna moved first, sliding out from between the men and graciously accepting the hand that appeared in the doorway. She stepped from the limousine, a queen on lavender strappy heels prepared to meet her people.
Mac shifted in front of Tess, resting on one knee as he was far too tall to stand in the vehicle. With gentle fingers, he disentangled her from Caera and brought both her trembling hands to his lips. He murmured something Caera couldn’t catch and Tess nodded. They exited the car together, her hand clutching the fabric on his arm.
Saul sighed heavily. “Am I asking too much of you tonight, Caera?”
She didn’t have an answer. How could she, when she didn’t know the question? She offered him a tiny shrug and wriggled her toes inside her shoes.
He leaned forward, set his elbows on his knees, and touched steepled fingertips to his mouth. For a moment, his eyes were focused on her, so intense she could feel them burning into her mind. “Mac? We’ll catch up with you inside. I just need a moment.”
“Five minutes, Saul. You know we need to make the rounds before ten.” The door shut, locking them in the spacious car.
Saul checked his watch, tapped a fingertip on the glass. “I’d like you to answer the question, Caera. I need to know if I’m crossing hard limits here. I’d rather take you home than destroy the trust you have in me. So please, answer the question.”
“It’s not…it’s not a hard limit.” She managed to choke the words out.
“Good. Would you rather go home?”
Now she felt guilty. Dejection echoed in his voice. He’d planned a surprise for her, one he’d obviously been anticipating, and she was on the brink of ruining it through cowardice.
The man was Dominant, she reminded herself. The people in whatever place they’d arrived at were his people, part of his world. He had a new submissive, a collared submissive. He’d claimed her, marked her, all but tattooed Mine on her forehead.
Of course he’d want to show her off.
Not only was she hurting the man she loved, she was in the process of offending his Dominant side. Denying him the right to spotlight her in front of his peers. God, how much of an idiot could she be?
Tears in her eyes, she slipped to the carpet on her knees. Ashamed she’d allowed her fear of the unknown to ruin something he’d arranged for her to enjoy, she crawled to him and rested her forehead on his shoes.
His voice was choked when he said quietly, “Come here, baby.”
She went willingly onto his lap as he pulled her up, curled into him. She sniffled against his jacket, determined not to cry all over his gorgeous suit. “I’m sorry, Saul. I’m so sorry I’ve wrecked everything.”
“Shush. Nothing’s wrecked. I worry I push you too hard. Sometimes, I forget you’re just a baby in our lifestyle. Barely three months under your belt and you take so much in your stride with barely a flicker of hesitation. I take that for granted,” he admitted.
It pleased her to think she made him happy. If she did things without hesitation, it was only because doing so gave her satisfaction. Obeying him created tingles in the deepest part of her, and the pride in his voice when he praised her set them free. “I love being with you, Saul. In both capacities.”
He smiled. “As do I. My life was stuck in an endless rut before I met you, Caera. It’ll fall into an eternal pit if I lose you.”
“You won’t lose me.” She snuffled happily against him and then jolted when the car door opened and Mac’s head popped in.
“Sorted?”
Saul studied her face carefully. “It’s down to you, baby.”
One deep breath. Caera took his hand, nodded. Her role as submissive covered her smoothly, fitting neatly into place. The rough edges of doubt and nerves had been rasped away, and she was ready to follow him into their next adventure. “I’m sorry for disturbing the evening, Sir.” Her face turned toward Mac, eyes down. “Please forgive me, Sir, for delaying things.”
“Forgiven, little one. Saul, they’re waiting.”
Saul stood, hefting her in his arms even though it meant he had to bend to accommodate his height versus the roof of the car. He didn’t set her down until they were outside in the cool night air. “Let’s go see what’s in store for tonight, shall we?”
*
When his eyes met Mac’s, the message was conveyed silently. A hurdle had been cleared tonight. They’d both expected difficulties from their subs, although Tess had held up very well under the pressure of knowing what her duties were tonight.
He studied the seemingly abandoned warehouse in front of him and knew Caera did the same. It hadn’t changed in the handful of years since he’d last been here; if anything, it was more dilapidated and broken.
Cars pulled up around them, either parking up in the shadowed lot across the way or dropping off passengers before driving off. People gravitated toward the dark alley that ran into the heart of the dead building.
Mac and Dee linked arms with Tess, ensuring she couldn’t run. They set a steady pace, walking without rushing, but he could see from the way her back and shoulders went rigid, she fought them without making a scene.
“Come on, baby,” he said cheerfully, taking Caera’s chilled hand. “Better not get left behind else we’ll end up lost in some shadowy corner, doing who knows what.”
He heard the faintest giggle, and then she was with him, a step behind him with her fingers twined in his. “Maybe I should have a GPS tracker on me in case you lose me.”
“Like that will ever happen.” He made sure they were directly behind Mac as they approached the alleyway, merging into the stream of attendees going the same way. “Don’t let go of my hand, stay with me.”
The line moved forward, a chattering procession of peacocks and plain-Janes. Saul picked out several toned-down Dominants, spotted a few unattached subs who’d dressed quite inappropriately for the occasion, looking much like the frilly lures fisherman used for fly fishing.
In that way, he supposed, it could be seen as appropriate; obscenely decorated lures out for the big juicy fish. He gave fleeting thought to how many Doms would get reeled in throughout the evening and how many lures were tossed aside.
“Name.”
Saul turned his attention to the huge black bouncer guarding the gate. They’d made quick progress while he’d studied their company for the night. The guy was huge, another inch or two on top of Mac, and built like a PBR bull on steroids.
“Ian McAllister, plus two,” Mac said easily and then shifted and gestured to Saul with his free hand. “Saul Danvers with his plus one.”
“Only one plus one per guest on the list,” Bull told them gruffly. He put his tablet down on a table that had nothing but a bottle of water and a pack of cigarettes, and crossed his tree trunk arms over his tree trunk chest. “House rules.”
“Deanna Matthews,” Dee said flatly.
The bouncer looked her up and down before lowering his head in deference. “Mistress Dee. It’s been a long time. I didn’t recognize you.”
“Obviously, Jerry. Now are you going to hold the line up all night or let us in?”
Saul stifled a chuckle when the giant of a man ducked his head in embarrassment and waved them past. He wouldn’t have been surprised to see a flush glowing neon beneath his ebony skin.
And when Dee reached out and set her hand on his beefy arm, leaned in to whisper something near his ear, Saul saw the clear adoration written on the big guy’s face, along with the shy smile.
Deanna fell into step beside Saul as the five of them continued down the alley. “How’s Caera holding up?”
He matched her low tone. “She’s quiet. Nervous. Crushing the bones in my right hand,” he said with a pained smile. He was engulfed in the power of her unspoken emotions. “She’ll be fine.”
“Good. I’m not so sure about Tess.”
“Tess?” His gaze shot ahead of them to their friends. Tess’ resistance was getting stronger, more visible the closer they got to the club entrance. “Mac’s got her. She can do anything when she has him, and it helps that you’re here too.”
Dee sighed and rubbed a fingertip between her brows. “It’s a big ask.”
“If we’re going to doubt them before we even get in there, we may as well turn around and go straight home. These two”—he lifted the hand joined with Caera’s—“are capable of more than we give them credit for.”
“Sir?” Caera’s attention switched back to him.
“Yes, Caera.”
She edged closer to him so her body tucked against his. “Please don’t let go of my hand.”
He squeezed it in reassurance. “Not until it’s time, baby. You’ll have our eyes on you the whole time, I promise.”
“You were saying?” Dee muttered.
“They’re not infallible, Dee. They’re only human, and they rely on us. What’s wrong with you tonight?” They kept walking toward a dim blue light at the end of the alley.
“Just…I don’t know. Time to find a sub of my own, I think. Scening with Tess is wonderful, but it’s a constant reminder I don’t have a sub of my own to tend to when she goes back to Mac.” She gave a sad laugh. “Listen to the Domme whining about having to play with other people’s subs.”
“I was in that place not six months ago,” Saul reminded her. He knew what she was going on about; he was on intimate terms with the loneliness that came with being a Dominant with no one to dominate, to tend to and love. “Caera came out of the blue. Wasn’t looking for her, didn’t expect to find her when I walked into that cabin. But when those big green eyes met mine before she fainted…I knew. I fought it for a time, more because I was pissed as hell we’d been set up, but I knew she was mine. Yours will come, Dee, when you don’t expect it, when you’re not looking, and probably at the most inconvenient time you can think of.”
“You’re right. Sorry, I’m being a miserable bitch and ruining everyone’s evening.” She gave herself a good shake, and in the dim light, Saul thought he saw a spark of the normal Deanna return. “We’re going to have a good night, the girls are going to enjoy themselves, and all will be right with the world.”
Saul gave her a little shoulder bump. “Would it cheer you up further if I tell you your playdate with Caera is coming up?”
Interest brightened her features. She peered around him to look at Caera. “Really?”
“Hmmm. No limits, no help from me. Just poor little Caera at the big bad Domme’s mercy. Oh, that’s made you smile,” he added with a laugh.
“You don’t know how much,” she replied with a grin. “I can do what I want with her?”
“Within reason.”
Dee rubbed her hands together. “Oh, the things I have planned.”
“Promise me you’ll go easy on her the first time.” Saul eyed the young submissive beside the entrance to the building. The blue light above her head did strange things to her body.
A good foot shorter than the three Dominants in the group, she curtsied to each of them. “Master Dominov would like me to convey his most warm welcome to Masters McAllister and Danvers and to Mistress Matthews. He is very pleased you could make the time to attend his event this evening and has requested you sit with him throughout the event.”
“That’s very kind of him,” Mac said in a gentle tone.
“May I provide you with your bands for this evening?”
“Of course. Black and white for us and white for our subs, please.”
“Yes, Sir.” She was curvy, rounded in all the right places. Her Master obviously wasn’t using her in tonight’s activities, seeing as she wore only a pair of black lace panties, high cut at the thigh, and a pair of nipple clamps on her ample breasts. She presented Mac with a box, waited until he’d taken his band, and then offered it to both Saul and Dee. “Would you like me to put the wristbands on your submissives, Sirs?”
Saul exchanged a glance with Mac and then shrugged. “Caera, offer your right hand to the young woman.”
She looked at him before dropping her gaze to the floor and holding out her free arm. The submissive quickly wrapped a white strap around Caera’s wrist, tightening it until only a child’s finger could have slipped beneath it.
“Good girl,” he murmured and nodded his approval.
Tess was next, and the battle between Mac and her started. She shook her head at him, tucked her arm beneath her breasts. Mac leaned down, murmured something in her ear that made her shudder. After a fraught moment or six, she tentatively offered her arm.
“Thank you. Master Dominov will send someone to meet you at the bar before the curtains go up. Please enjoy your night.” The little sub curtsied again and stepped back, allowing them to pass through the door.
Darkness swallowed them. Saul’s senses struggled briefly to adjust to the dark. The low throb of music hummed through the air; voices chatted and laughter was abundant.
“To the left,” Dee said, heading that way. Saul instinctively followed her and saw the glowing fairy lights set into the floor. “Jesus, they renamed the club aptly after the revamp, didn’t they?”
“Where are we?” Caera asked, clinging to Saul.
“The Abyss.”
“Oh yes,” Caera muttered in an almost sarcastic tone. “Very apt indeed.”
“Mind your tone,” Saul warned her. “You’re in top-level company once we get down here, Caera. Remember what we said about having no choice but to punish you for infractions?”
“Sorry, Sir.”
They followed the lights and the music, and when they turned several corners, the narrow corridors opened into a cavern of a room. Saul estimated three hundred people were already present. His eyes traveled to the far end of the room where a massive stage had been erected.
Big red curtains were drawn across, shielding the stage itself from view. Six spotlights directed powerful beams down onto the curtains. Heat from the lights and the growing number of bodies within the room sent temperatures climbing.
Dozens of seats were lined, theater-style, in gentle arches in front of the performance area. More than a few seats had been claimed; some voyeurs were already seated, some chairs had various items of clothing dumped on them and others had Reserved signs posted.
“I don’t like this,” Caera murmured and seemed to shrink beside him.
“Relax, it will all be explained before long.” Saul broke one of his own rules for public scenes and, letting go of her hand, wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her against him. The nasty tremors running through her brought on a ridiculous sense of guilt. “Caera, you won’t be harmed. I promise.”
He didn’t know what to do when she turned her face into his side.
“Why don’t we all go get a drink?” Dee suggested when Tess buried her face into Mac’s chest. The woman’s quiet sobs were only just audible above the music. “Mac, take Tess and get a booth. We’ll be back in a moment.”
He nodded, stress lines etched around his mouth and eyes. Without a word, he gathered Tess against him and led her to a shadowed area near the bar where several booths were clustered.
“You all know what’s going on. Tess knows what’s going to happen. Am I the only one who doesn’t know anything?” Caera’s voice was muffled against Saul’s jacket.
Saul sighed and looked at Dee. “Can you manage the drinks?”
She gauged the situation, nodded. “Just tell her the damn truth, Saul. The surprise was a nice idea but not at the expense of giving her a nervous breakdown.”
“Come with me, sweetheart.” Saul pulled her through the throng of people toward a secluded corner bathed in shadow. He pressed her against the wall, caged her in with his hands beside her head. “Tonight is an annual event held by Ivan Dominov, the owner of The Abyss. It’s the night for Dominants to…parade, I guess is the best word, their subs in front of the community.”
“Parade?” Caera almost choked on the word. “What, like a breeding mare in front of potential stallions?”
He made a harrumphing noise and sniffed at her like a stallion would with a mare in heat. But his voice carried a growl, protective and fervent. “Not at all like that. The only male who gets to breed you is me.”
She visibly quivered and he caught the faint scent of her arousal on the air. Intoxicating, alluring, almost bringing him to his knees with the potency. She blinked quickly, obviously torn between meeting his gaze and keeping in line with the rules of submission in a public scene.
“Everyone here knows you’re mine. They can look and dream and wish, but not one of them can touch you without my permission.” He glanced over his shoulder, noticed they’d drawn the attention of more than one Dom, attached to a sub or not. “That guy over there, standing by the fire door with his sub on her knees, and the leash to her collar in his hand?”
Her green gaze flicked over, darkened when she spotted the couple. She nodded slowly, her eyes focused.
“He hasn’t stopped watching you since I put you up against the wall. What do you suppose is going on in that bald head? Does he think you’ve been a bad girl? Need a spanking right here in front of all these people?” He touched his mouth to her ear. “Do you think he’s waiting for me to get on my knees, pull up that dress and anything else that stands in my way, and fuck your wet pussy with my tongue?”
Trapped in his pants, his cock throbbed viciously at the throaty whimper she couldn’t hold back. His Dom half strained, trying to shake off his restraints so he could show his associates of the evening how to claim one’s submissive properly. Thoroughly. How to appreciate every soft, silky fold of her pussy. How to worship and devour her in the same breath.
“That stage behind us? Tonight, you own that the same way I own you.” He bit her earlobe, relished her shocked hiss. “I want you to go up there and show these other Doms what a treasure I have. Give them a glimpse into everything about you that makes me love you so fucking much.” He felt his chest vibrate with the force of the snarl working its way free. “Each time you take off a piece of clothing, you’ll think of me. Imagine me ripping it off you. All the way down to this…” His hand hiked up the dress, found the sleek muscle of her thigh and followed it to the flimsy piece of material guarding her pussy.
The warm, damp heat of her beckoned him.
Caera moaned, lost in his words. Her hips tilted, tried to draw his hand closer. Then she froze, muscles seizing. Her eyes flicked back to his before her hands lifted, pressed against his chest. “I’m stripping?”
“Yes. Only as far as you feel comfortable with.”
She lifted her hand, one finger pointed shakily toward the ceiling. “That’s, ah, that’s certainly a surprise. You do know that I can’t dance?”
“It doesn’t matter, baby. The thing about music is, there’s no right or wrong way to express yourself with it. Everyone moves differently to the same beat, interprets the rhythm with a little more insight or a little less vigor than the person beside them. It’s like sex; your body knows what it wants to do, so listen to it, give it the freedom to express what you feel from the music.”
Caera blew out a breath. “Is it a competition or just for thrills?”
He couldn’t quite read her and that worried him. She’d dropped a guard over her face, masked her emotions for the most part. Something he didn’t think she knew how to do. Which brought to mind the question of did she know she’d done it? “Some of both. Mainly the Doms enjoy the show, like to brag about their subs. But there is a prize for the most pleasing sub and their Dom.”
She chewed her bottom lip until he ran his thumb over the indents her teeth made. “What’s the prize?”
Unable to help himself, Saul grinned. He’d piqued her interest now, possibly even her competitive side. “I wouldn’t know. Both come from Dominov as a personal thank you and are given in privacy. Adds to the mystique of the night. I’ve never brought a submissive before, never competed.”
Green eyes narrowed speculatively. “You’ve never brought a woman here before?”
“No. This is a big community and sometimes D/s relationships can be unfortunately short if the pairing doesn’t fit comfortably. There’s a lot of pride at stake tonight, and more than half the couples here will have been together for a decent period of time or have the intentions of staying in a committed bonding.”
She took a moment to consider the information. When her expression relaxed and she submitted to him without further question, Saul breathed a sigh of relief. He’d said something right. “Does Sir promise he won’t laugh at me?”
“Absolutely, baby. I’ll be too busy trying to keep my hand off my cock to laugh.” He sobered for an instant. “There’s something I need you to do for me when you’re on the stage, Caera. Something important.”
“Sir?”
“Tess. When you’re up there, stay close to Tess. Don’t leave her sight or let her leave yours. You’re her rock up there tonight while Mac is stuck in the audience. No Doms are allowed on the stage after the curtain goes up. Can you do that for me?”
Her head tilted curiously. “Did you think I’d refuse your request, Sir?”
“No.” There was no hesitation. “But you need to be aware Tess isn’t going to be herself. If I ask you to watch over her, you can be prepared.”
He gave her thigh one last stroke and then let her dress cascade down again, smoothing creases and wrinkles. When he checked his watch, he saw they only had a few minutes before Dominov’s staff parted the now-heaving crowd, gathering the submissives who would be on stage and taking them behind the scenes for the final pep talk and rules.
“Not long now. We’ll see if Dee managed to get us any drinks.” Saul grasped Caera’s hand in his and began to glide through the throng of bodies like an eel through water reeds, agile, purposeful, ruthless. “God knows I need one.”