Chapter Five
Juan stepped betweenLakyn and Trac before she had a complete melt-down. Trac was his best friend, but he wasn’t big on compromise. Juan, on the other hand, had learned the fine art of finesse during his years living in a household surrounded by strong-willed women. There was a time to push and there was a time to soothe—and this was definitely the latter.
“Cariña,check inthe bathroom for moisturizer, lip gloss, and any other cosmetic that will make you feel more at home. Your comfort is important to us, but you need to be quick about it. When you return, we’ll join the others.” When she started to speak, he shook his head. “No, precious, you are wearing exactly what we want you to wear. Your introduction to the lifestyle begins now.” Her mouth snapped shut, andshe glared at them as if that would solve her problem.
“She wants a spanking, that’s what she’s waiting for. For crying out loud, she talks like a dock worker. That language shouldnotbe a part of her vocabulary. Hell, she makes Tobi sound like a kindergarten teacher.” Trac’s barked words seemed to jolt her into action, and she turned on her heel and stomped back to the bathroom. Before shecould fling the door closed, Trac growled, “Slam the door and you’ll get the paddling you’re angling for, Princess.” Juan heard her muttering as the door closed silently and barely managed to hold back his grin at Trac’s glower.
“Damn, brother, I think you may have met your match.” Trac’s size alone intimidated most submissives into behaving, but Lakyn had gone toe-to-toe with him, and it warmedJuan’s heart to see his friend challenged. Trac might think he enjoyed complete submission and sweet compliance in his subs, but Juan had seen how quickly his friend lost interest in those women. Earning Lakyn’s trust wasn’t going to be easy, but he had a feeling it would be worth every ounce of effort.
“You’re going to spoil her rotten, aren’t you? There won’t be a disciplined bone in her bodywhen you’re done. Protocol is going to fly out the window.” Seeing Trac off-balance was something new, and Juan was enjoying it more than he should. Trac sighed and shook his head, “Fuck me, she is so beautiful, and I’m not just talking about the way she looks. There is a fire inside her that shines all the way to the surface.”
“There are shadows, too. The loneliness lurking behind the bravadoworries me. I hope she sticks around long enough for us to show her it’s okay to let go and share those burdens.” Lakyn’s incredible transformation surprised Juan when she stepped out of the bathroom. She’d been gone five minutes, but she looked like she’d spent hours having her hair and makeup done.
“Cariña, I’m not sure I’ve ever known a woman who could get ready so quickly. I assure you mysisters cannot.” She smiled as her cheeks turned a sweet shade of pink. It amazed him that a woman he knew was no stranger to compliments about her appearance would blush from his simple remark. Realizing he hadn’t mentioned her beauty, but praised her efficiency gave him a bit more insight into the woman behind the pretty face.
“Let’s go, our hosts are waiting.” Trac’s words might have soundedharsh to Lakyn, but Juan heard more than the rough edge of his friend’s tone. Trac was aroused and fighting the urge to forgo the party for something a lot more intimate. His earlier threat to spank her had been more about his need to see her draped over his lap than about disciplining her.
Trac Hughes was well-known for his appreciation of the female derriere. He loved having the soft globespressed into his large hands and claimed there was no better view of a woman’s ass than when it was laid over his lap.
Juan hadn’t fully understood the allure until they’d played with one of the club’s submissives one night, and his friend had verbally walked him through it—step-by-step during their scene. The young woman they’d been playing with had orgasmed from Trac’s words alone, and Juanhad been enthralled as he briefly saw the world through the other man’s eyes.
People were often surprised to learn Juan and Trac were friends because, on the surface, their personalities seemed polar opposite, but it was those differences that were their strength. They complimented each other professionally as well as in their personal lives. By the time they reached the club’s main room, Lakyn’seyes were darting back and forth as if she was watching for someone.
“Who are you looking for,Cariña?” She startled at his direct question and when she looked up at him, Juan was surprised to see how truly anxious she’d become.
“I don’t know why I thought I could do this. Fucking hell, this dress is going to disappear entirely with the first camera flash. I know better than this.” When shestarted to turn, he wrapped his hand around her slender upper arm, stilling her retreat. Juan might have been the one to hold her, but it was Trac who stepped forward, blocking her view of the room. Gently lifting her chin with his fingers, Trac used every inch of his six-and-a-half-foot height to his advantage.
“Princess, no one is going to take your picture. There is a very strict no electronicsrule at the club. Only a select few members are allowed to keep their phones on them—doctors, first responders, select members of the staff, and the club’s owners. Anyone who has been given the privilege isn’t going to risk a lifetime ban from not only this club but hundreds of others by taking a picture.”
Juan had known she was tense, but he’d underestimated how close she’d been to the edgeuntil Trac’s words registered. She took a shuddering breath and finally began to relax. Trac smiled down at her and shook his head.
“Sorry, darlin’ we should have mentioned that upstairs, but I have to admit, I’m looking forward to playing with the flash on my phone later to see if I really can make that dress disappear.”
*
Lakyn couldn’t holdback her giggle at theway Trac waggled his eyebrows when he’d told her how much he was looking forward to seeing if her dress would actually disappear under a flash. She could assure him it would indeed appear completely sheer. She’d made the mistake of wearing the wrong fabric to a gallery opening when she first started modeling. The pictures of her on the red carpet that night still lit up the internet now and then.
Her saving grace had been the panties she’d refused to give up. Her stylist had been furious because she felt the panty lines ruined the look, but Lakyn had been adamant she wasn’t going out in public without underwear. It was bad enough everyone had gotten an unobstructed view of her breasts. Not only had Lakyn been mortified by the pictures, her brother had gone completely thermonuclear. She’dknown the minute he saw the photos because her phone had started ringing, non-stop.
Warm lips caressed her bare shoulder, startling her back to the moment.
“Stay with us,Cariña. Those lapses in attention will earn you a lot of paddlings, and I assure you, Master Trac is going to be happy to have you over his knee at the slightest provocation. I would suggest you make it your mission to ensurethose spankings are for your pleasure rather than as punishment.”
Juan’s words sent a wave of heat through her, and she felt her pussy moisten. Good grief, how was she ever going to get through this without the evidence trailing down her thighs? What had she been thinking coming down here without panties? Oh, that’s right, she hadn’t been given a choice.
“Are you planning to join us, or is Juangoing to eat her alive in the hallway?” Lakyn jumped at the sound of a deep voice to her right. “Easy, sweetness, I didn’t mean to startle you.” She recognized Kent West and gave him a quick smile. “Come on, we’re going to do a demo with some of the new merchandise from the Forum Shops. We’re calling it an etiquette lesson for our sweet sub. That sounds a lot nicer than punishment, don’t you think?”
Lakyn didn’t respond because she assumed the question had been rhetorical. When all three men paused and turned their attention to her, she took a quick step back.
“Freeze.” Trac’s command had the desired effect, and she went completely still. “I know you aren’t familiar with the rules yet, Princess, but when a Dom or Mistress asks you a question, they expect an answer. This isn’t the socialscene you are used to, there is no pretense. You’ll find a lot of freedom in that, once you discover it’s real.”
She might not know him well, but she understood the sharp edge she heard in Trac’s voice. This was a man who had an intimate knowledge of the subtle nuances of polite society’s undercurrents of communication, and she’d be willing to bet he hated it.Interesting.
Nodding her understanding,she turned her attention to Kent, she could play this game. Hell, she’d practically elevated it to an Olympic sport.
“Yes, Mr. West, I agree, the semantics of lessons are much nicer than less than subtle nuances of punishment although I don’t believe you felt any real need for my approval. I just remembered I promised to meet Mia upstairs. She was going to make me something to eat. It would berude to leave her in a lurch.” His eyes widened in surprise a split second before he leaned his head back and laughed. When he finally regained a measure of decorum, his eyes were still dancing with amusement.
“Damn, I’m not sure I’ve ever been told off that sweetly since the last time I accidentally stumbled into one of my mother’s hen parties.”