“You’re never late. You best get on in there, or Sensei McCallum will put you through the ringer,” Ed teased her.
Alessa returned his smile, wishing she’d had someone take her under his wing the way the ex-champ had Miles. “He will anyway, won’t he?”
“Yeah, most likely. My boy doesn’t cut anyone slack in the gym, and that’s rubbed off on Dean in the few months he’s been here.”
“He certainly doesn’t cut us any slack. Catch you later, Ed.” Padding toward the closed double doors that led into the gym and provided no sound barrier to the activity going on behind them, she waved to the older man with a smile.
Since she’d worn her gi to class, she was ready to step over to the large mat and the group of women going through the warm-up exercises without having to take time to change. Sidling next to Krista, she bent to touch her toes, whispering, “I’m not too late. Maybe…”
“That’ll be an extra lap around the gym, Ms. Alexander,” Sensei McCallum called out.
“Drat.”
Krista giggled, her blue eyes bright with mirth when she glanced over at her. “Why are you late?”
Twisting at the waist, Alessa put off bringing up the club. Since she didn’t care to get into an argument by revealing last week’s excursion to Dominion without telling Krista, she planned to omit that small fact from her request. Of all the people who had come and gone from Alessa’s life, Krista remained the only one who’d stuck with her, but her constant, insecure fear of rejection kept Alessa from telling even her closest friend about what she was searching for.
“Wasn’t paying attention to the time.” That much was true. She’d spent the past five days trying to decide if she had the guts to give another club—and another Dom—a try, her mind struggling with all the reasons why she should, and why she shouldn’t.
“Well, we’d better pay attention now. Miles is watching.” Krista nodded sideways.
“Isn’t he always?”
Alessa spotted the large, black-haired, ebony-eyed man who gave her the shivers from just looking at his hard, scarred face. Seeing how he’d soften when he gazed at Hope, who stood with Julie and Sandie in the row in front of them, had gone a long way toward easing her reluctance to spend much time with that member of the gang of seven. Jackson, Julie’s veterinarian, and Sean, another one of the group who made her pause before getting too close to him, were sparring in the ring behind Miles.
Something about the psych doctor’s direct, intent grey eyes when he looked at a person forced her to throw up the shields she’d developed after being sent from her second foster home whenever he turned that look on her. He, too, drew ripples of unease under her skin, but she never could pinpoint why. She’d agreed to his invitations to dance at both weddings out of politeness, and could still recall the press of his wide, muscled chest against her breasts as he’d held her close and the damp warmth his tight embrace generated. Her response had been disconcerting on several levels since he’d always left her with an uneasy feeling he could see through to the insecurities she tried so hard to hide.
Every one of the men she’d met through Krista’s relationship with Dax were panty-dampening, walking sex magnets, but Alessa had never been tempted enough to take Krista up on one of her many invites to join the group when they got together for a play party. Even now, seeing the two men’s bare chests glistening with perspiration, their thick muscles bunching with the jabs they took at each other, she refused to let her libido lure her into daydreaming about anything except enjoying the scenery. Her curiosity about the mega, luxury yacht equipped for their BDSM fun also wasn’t enough to put herself in the tenuous position of having an affair with one of Dax’s friends, then suffering through the split while maintaining her friendships when it ended the same way as all of her previous encounters. Other than not knowing how to explain what she craved from a relationship, that had been the reason she’d turned down Krista’s invitations and intended to keep quiet about her first experience last weekend.
But now she needed her friend’s help. She didn’t want to give up yet, but also didn’t want to return to Dominion and face Master Greg again.
“Can we talk after class?” Alessa asked Krista as they finished their warm-ups.
Krista flicked her a puzzled look then nodded. “Of course. Everything okay, Lessa?”
Alessa worked to swallow past the lump wedged in her throat. Her whole life, Krista had been the only one to show concern for her welfare and to remain a steadfast figure. “Yes, fine. I just want to ask a favor, one I need you to keep between us.”
“Let’s split up, ladies. We’ll run through a series of kicks, elbow and knee strikes before practicing some new feigning techniques. Remember, you won’t always be in a position to strike back at your assailant,” Sensei McCallum instructed.
By the time the one-hour class ended and Alessa had finished her extra lap around the gym, sweat had pooled in her lower back and dampened the tendrils of strawberry-blonde hair that had worked free of the band she’d tied it back with. Panting, she labored to catch her breath, all the while wondering why she hadn’t shed a pound since starting this weekly, grueling workout. Cursing her slow metabolism, she entered the short hallway that housed two smaller gyms on the right and the locker rooms on the left. Intending to meet up with Krista after she’d changed, Alessa smiled when she emerged from the women’s showers, her long, sable hair damp and her cheeks flushed from the steam.
“I’m glad I caught you. Sandie already left but Hope and Julie are still in the gym with Miles and Jackson.” Alessa didn’t know where Sean had disappeared to, she was just glad he wasn’t around by the time she’d finished her ‘punishment’ for being tardy. That man unnerved her on several different, confusing levels.
“I don’t mind keeping something between us, Lessa, but I don’t keep anything from Dax. You know that, but are you okay with it now?”
Alessa blew out a breath and nodded. She knew the strict, full-time Dom/sub relationship Krista enjoyed with her husband didn’t allow for secrets, and once she heard the request, Alessa was aware Krista would refuse to keep it from Dax.
“Yes, but could you wait and tell him after Saturday night?” Leaning against the wall, she crossed her arms and blurted out the rest of her request before she could change her mind. “I need a guest pass to Chains.”
“What?” Krista shrieked then glanced up and down the hall to ensure no one was around. The door to the weight room stood ajar, but all remained quiet behind it, and the small gym door was shut tight. “I can’t believe you’ve finally changed your mind.”
Shaking her head, Alessa pushed back the frisson of guilt slicing through her. Krista was the last person she ever wanted to deceive, but if she mentioned last weekend, she would become suspicious of her desire to ‘club hop’, and it was something she couldn’t explain right now.
“Well, I have. I guess all your nagging has paid off,” she teased.
“Good! Not only yes, but we’ll go with you—”
Holding up her hand, she stopped Krista’s offer. “No, please, Kris. Right now, this is something I need to do alone. I’d explain if I could but, damn it, I don’t know what will work for me and I don’t need the added stress of having you and Dax keeping an eye on me, which is why I’m asking you to hold off telling him. You’ve always touted the safety of Chains above any other club.”
“Yes,” Krista sighed in defeat, “that’s true. But I wish you’d let me be there for you.”
“Just knowing you would be is enough.” They turned and padded down the hall to walk through the big gym toward the exit. “You’ll call me?” she asked as the door to the hall shut behind them.
“I don’t like it, Lessa, and I’m only going to do it because I know Chains is safe and because it’s taken too long to get you to this point. But you will call me when you arrive and leave. I’ll drop it off Saturday morning and try talking you into letting us join you.”
Relieved, Alessa returne
d Krista’s smile, once again grateful for her unwavering friendship.
SEAN STEPPED out of the weight room with a frown, watching the hall door close behind Alessa and Krista. What is she up to? He couldn’t help overhearing their conversation or wondering why Alessa hadn’t mentioned her trip to Dominion last weekend. The look on her face when the Dom had released her and walked off still bothered him. He prided himself on being able to read people, and it was essential in his work he do so with accuracy. But Alessa Alexander’s motives behind visiting two clubs in the span of a week baffled him, especially given she hadn’t seemed thrilled with last week’s scene or Dom. Was that why she felt compelled to try again? If so, why didn’t she let Krista and Dax come along, introduce her to someone who was better suited for her needs?
Crossing the hall into the men’s locker room, he didn’t let the fact it was none of his business deter him from planning a visit to Chains Saturday night with the sole purpose of keeping an eye on Krista’s friend. Everyone considered her part of their small group even though she’d never attended their play parties aboard the yacht. He knew the five girls were close and used that to justify spying on Alessa behind her back, his only goal to ensure she stayed safe and didn’t get in over her head.
Two days later, Sean wove his way through the Saturday night crowd at Chains and took a seat at the circular bar in the middle of the spacious room. Like Dominion, most of the BDSM equipment sat along the back wall with seating areas in between it and the bar and dance floor, where he spotted Alessa dancing with another man he knew nothing about. The club used to be a favorite venue until Zach gifted them with the equipped yacht. Now, he, as well as the other guys, only frequented the popular club on occasion. As far as safety, Chains was the best at maintaining tight security and enforcing the strict rules. Alessa would be safe here, so why had he skipped a small gathering on the yacht to spend his time eyeing her with other Doms? Did it have something to do with his recent apathy toward involving himself in the lifestyle or was it more about his growing interest in what made the woman tick?
Nodding his thanks to the bartender for the beer he slid his way, Sean swiveled on the stool, leaned back and sipped the cold brew as he watched the way her shoulder-length hair swung about her upper back as her partner twirled her around. The smile that lit up her face was one he knew would lighten her topaz eyes because she’d looked at him just so when they’d danced together at the weddings. Tonight, she wore a simple shift that fell in a loose drape around her round body. Most of the other women wore body molding, revealing fetish attire, which made her more modest dress stand out and draw attention she appeared oblivious to. When the song ended, and the man took her hand to lead her over to a spanking bench, her look of relaxed pleasure changed to one of hopeful expectancy.
Sean didn’t like the quick way the man stripped her of her dress and panties and laid her back on the bench. Couldn’t the jerk tell she was a newbie? It soon became obvious he was one of those piss-poor Doms who concerned himself with his own sexual gratification first rather than with seeing to his sub’s needs. With just a few pinches to her up thrust nipples and one sharp slap on her inner thigh, he released his cock and lifted her hips for his rough possession. Even from a distance, Sean could see Alessa’s tight-knuckled grip on the sides of the bench as he took her with pounding strokes that jiggled her full breasts. That would’ve made for an enticing picture if it weren’t for the look of despondency on her face.
With any luck, this time she’d learn from her mistake of choosing the wrong Dom and go home and ask Krista for help in making her next choice. The thought of her with yet another inconsiderate partner didn’t sit well with Sean. He blew out the breath he’d been holding when the scene came to an end. At least the selfish bastard helped her dress before walking away from her the same as her partner had last week. From the bleak look crossing Alessa’s expressive face, she hadn’t found what she was searching for tonight, either.
Sean started to spin back around at the bar so she wouldn’t spot him spying on her before she strolled—not toward the exit, but back to the seating where unattached subs waited for a Dom to offer his attention. “Fucking unbelievable,” he grumbled under his breath as he realized she wasn’t leaving but intended to scene with someone else. “Enough is enough.” The girl was searching for herself, and an outlet for her needs, whatever those were, and he got that. But this wasn’t the way to go about it. Random club hopping where she didn’t know anyone, or what she wanted from them, would only lead to more disappointments, and possibly unsafe situations.
Winding his way through the crowd, he arrived at the seating area just as another Dom stopped in front of Alessa. Sean stepped forward before he could issue an invitation, not glancing at the other man as he said, “There you are, sweetheart.” Holding out his hand, he drilled her with a silent warning to go along. “Thank you for waiting for me. Sorry I’m late.”
“Master Sean, I haven’t seen you in a while,” the other man stated.
Pivoting, he relaxed when Alessa’s soft fingers curled around his. At least she was cooperating. “Work’s kept me busy lately. Good to see you again, Doug.” Doug’s eyes shifted back to Alessa when Sean tugged her to her feet to stand next to him. He knew the other man well, and she most likely would benefit from his reputation as a strict but thoughtful Dom and the light of appreciation in his eyes, but Sean wanted to get to the heart of her motives before he trusted Krista’s friend with someone else. “Alessa here is a good friend and a newbie I’ve offered to show around.” He squeezed her hand and cast her an intimate smile meant as both reassurance and a caution. “Ready?”
She nodded but her eyes reflected confusion. “Yes, thank you.”
“We’ll catch up later, Doug.” Sean kept Alessa close to his side as he guided her over to a secluded corner blocked from viewers by a low wall of potted plants.
She waited until he tugged her over to the small sofa before breaking her silence and he had to give her credit for going along until now when she pulled her hand from his. “Why did you do that?” she questioned him with a catch in her voice and wary look in those topaz eyes.
“Sit down. I want to talk to you.”
TOO SURPRISED TO ARGUE, Alessa sank onto the sofa and looked up as Sean Bates, a man she barely knew, glared down at her with his hands on his hips. With his coal black hair curling around his nape and a perpetual five-o’clock shadow darkening his jaw, she couldn’t deny his physical appeal or the fact he would draw any woman’s attention, including hers. But damn, the shivers his focused, penetrating gaze always induced were hard to ignore, even with her senses still battered and fractured from the scene she’d agreed to earlier.
How foolish had it been to allow that man who hadn’t even taken time to introduce himself except as ‘Sir’ to use her body with such callous disregard? She’d been hoping to find a connection tonight, to be lucky enough to attract someone who would know better than she what she needed, and who would take control. The way ‘Sir’ had propelled her onto the dance floor and taken over as they moved had given her hope he would be the one. But when they’d reached the bench, he’d been all about himself, a fact driven into her with each thrust of his cock into her unresponsive pussy.
Hearing Sean’s voice and the command in that tone and seeing the warning in those eyes had compelled her to go along with his charade, but now she wanted answers.
“Talk to me about what?”
He cocked his head and surprised the hell out of her with his next words. “I saw you at Dominion last week.”
Oh, shit. Sandie, Krista, Julie and Hope were all careful not to reveal too much about their guys’ tragic pasts and knew little about the others’. But if there was one thing Alessa had learned about the seven men her friends were close to, it was how tight they were. The girls had mentioned enough to know they’d bonded at a camp for teens headed in the wrong direction and each had come from a troubled childhood. She’d seen how protective the men wer
e with her friends, but never dreamed that trait would extend to her.
“What… what were you doing there?” She couldn’t think of anything else to ask at the moment, her shock at hearing he’d witnessed the humiliating way Master Greg walked away from her clouded her thinking. Had he told any of his friends? That possibility bothered her the most.
“I was doing a favor for Troy. I know you’ve heard about the man infiltrating clubs around the state and the women who’ve ended up hurt by him. So, the real question is, why are you attending these places alone, knowing it’s not safe and not telling Krista the whole truth?”
“You were listening?” Indignation propelled her to her feet, and she glared up at him in burning anger. Guilt over being confronted with her deceit with Krista sprang to the surface, and from the knowing glint in his eyes, he knew exactly why she was so upset with him.
“Not on purpose. I just finished working out in the weight room when I heard your voices. Alessa, what you’re doing isn’t wise. I’ve watched both of your scenes, and it’s obvious you’re floundering with coming to terms with what you need and how to get those needs met. I can help you if you’ll let me,” Sean offered, fishing a card out of his pocket.
The blood that surged to her face when he’d mentioned watching her with those other two men drained as fast as it rose. She cringed away from taking the card he held out, remembering the one visit she’d made to a shrink. Stepping back, she bumped into the sofa and he reached out and snagged her arm to keep her from going down in an undignified drop. His strong, sure grip matched the hold his steady gaze wielded on her, both comforting in an odd way she didn’t understand.
“I… thank you, but I don’t think so.” Worried about what he might tell Dax or Krista, she whispered in a tight voice, “Please tell me you haven’t told anyone about this. I know I should’ve been more upfront with Krista, but I needed to do this on my own, in my own way. You don’t understand—”
“I haven’t said a word,” he interrupted in a hard, clipped tone. Holding up his other hand, he forestalled her further, rambling explanation. “Number one, what is said between us, here or anywhere else, stays between us. Second, I’m concerned about the safety of your actions, as well as what is motivating you. As both a Dom and a psychologist, I can advise you when I know the root of what’s driving you and steer you in the right direction once we establish what your needs are. You’re submissive, and for a lot of women, that’s all their interest in BDSM amounts to, indulging in alternative sex for recreational fun. For others, such as Krista, it involves a lot more, is more a lifestyle than just a sexual preference. Surely you’ve seen that.”