Club Wonderland (9 page)

Gael cupped her face in his hands once more. Alice managed to look him in the eye, still feeling stunned by the pace of events. For his part, Gael looked nearly as confused as Alice felt. For a moment she thought he might actually lean in and kiss her. Instead he ran his thumb across her cheek, rubbing the come into her skin.

“You’re been so good. Not many women I know would be able to handle that level of intensity.”

“Sir?” Her mouth was dry and the word threatened to get stuck.

“At the end I wasn’t holding back. I was—” He closed his eyes and groaned. “You deserve a treat, Alice.”

He set about freeing her wrists and ankles from the bench, taking time to massage the muscles in her arms and legs as he went. It was amazing how stiff she’d gotten, even being in such a comfortable position. Instead of taking her from the bench completely, Gael helped her roll over so her back pressed against the now warm leather.

“Gael?”

“Fuck, I can’t stop myself. Putting everything at risk.” Shoving her legs wide, he dropped to his knees in front of her. “Doesn’t matter. I can smell how turned on you are. You want this.”

Alice tried to lower her hands and cover her pussy, suddenly embarrassed. He’d seen her naked all night. Hell, the whole club had seen her walking around. Why she should feel embarrassed about him seeing how wet he’d made her was weird.

As soon as she tried to move, he slapped her hands away, followed by a spank to the side of her thigh. “Never hide yourself. You’re far too beautiful for that.”

Gael reached up and ran his thumb through her pubic hair. He rubbed the wetness into the coarse strands, pushed them to the side and exposing her clit. His thumb breached her body, scraping against the top of her pussy for a moment before going back to circle around her clit.

“I know you’re close. I can see how big and swollen you are. I want you to try and hold back. I don’t want you to come until I tell you. Understand?”

Alice managed to force herself to nod a moment before he pressed the pad of his thumb to the hood of her clit. The nearly blinding pleasure had her squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her teeth together. God, she wasn’t going to be able to do this. How the hell could he expect her to hold back after everything he’d put her body through?

Having to prevent her orgasm was almost painful. She wanted the release, needed to let things go before she couldn’t stand it any longer.

She’d grown so tense that she didn’t notice Gael had shifted until the hot wash of his breath rolled across her pussy. That was the only warning she got before his tongue licked a path across her mound. The soft, wet heat had her crying out and tightening her hold on the bench. Her legs shook from the strain of holding still; her heart raced as every cell in her body seemed to itch.

“Relax.” He mouthed the words against her clit before sucking on it gently. “Relax into the feelings.”

Her breath was coming now in huge gasps, timed nearly perfectly with the lapping pace of his tongue. Her hips began to buck to the rhythm, driving her closer to her orgasm, even as she tried to hold herself back.

“I...can’t.” She groaned, turning her face to the side. “Can’t. No, no, no.”

Gael chuckled. “Yes, you can.”

He thrust two fingers hard into her pussy, pushing against the top of her vagina as he fucked her with them. His tongue, once teasing with its caress, now flicked hard and steady against her clit. There was no chance for her to retreat from the sensations, or escape the pleasure. When she thought there was no place for her to go, her body tensed and the first tingle of her approaching orgasm warmed her core.

“God, oh God. I’m...please. Close.”

“Come for me.”

Gael sucked hard at the same time he pressed his fingers in, and that was all Alice could handle. Her body bowed off the bench and she shoved her pussy hard against his face. Pleasure erupted through her, blinding her sight and turning her deaf. Waves of pleasure mixed with the pain from her sensitized skin of her back and ass, until she couldn’t tell the two apart.

She’d lost track of how long her orgasm lasted, her body far beyond her control and her mind unable to keep up. Eventually the pulses slowed until there was only the occasional burst that caught her by surprise.

Gael at some point had gotten to his feet and now stood a short distance away from her. It would have been nice to have him take her in his arms much the same way that the Dom by the cross had looked after his sub. Alice wasn’t even sure he was aware of her, standing as he was, surveying the club.

Maybe he was looking for another playmate already.

Was that how things went here? Use a woman for his needs and then toss her aside?

Her gaze locked onto his back, mesmerized by the up-down motion of his steady breathing. She’d seen him like this once before in the office, after a particularly nasty conference with one of the partners. Back then she’d admired his ability to rein in his emotions, to keep himself so detached from what must have been a frustrating situation. Now though...not so much.

He tried to warn you.

Alice shakily pushed herself up so she was able to perch herself on the side of the bench. Now that she was coming down from her high, the tenderness of her ass and back was starting to register. She didn’t want to know exactly how red everything was back there.

Gael crossed his arms. “We need to get your dress.”

Although she wasn’t expecting roses and poems, having him at least pretend to give a shit about what they’d done together would have been nice.

Ignoring the churning of her stomach, she got to her feet and tried not to wobble too much as she walked. “I’ll get it.”

“I will take you.”

“But—”

“It’s not up for discussion. I’m not leaving you alone in this place.”

Alice wasn’t sure if they were still being Dom and sub at this point, or had switched to Gael and Alice, but either way she could tell he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Fine.” She got into position just behind him, ignoring his hand when he eventually offered it.

“You’re the most stubborn...” He pinched the bridge of his nose before turning sharply and marching toward the small bay where they’d started their evening.

Alice once more found herself trailing after Gael, now with a deeper understanding of who he was as a man, but seemingly more confused about where things now lay between them. She’d learned something about herself, but didn’t have a clue if this was nothing more than a one-time appeal given the weirdness of the events, or if she’d now never be able to have sex any other way.

Was BDSM programmed into her now? Did that even make sense?

Laughter and moaning reached her before she stepped up behind where Gael had stopped. Alice gasped when her gaze landed on the two people in the room. Mistress Red was sitting in the chair, her dress pulled up high and her legs wide. The man who’d run into her out on the street, who she’d followed into the club, was on his knees between Mistress Red’s thighs.

Except he wasn’t eating her pussy, but rather sucking her cock.

Alice’s head began to spin.

“Christ,” Gael muttered before venturing into the room and picking Alice’s dress off the floor where it had been thrown.

“Umm baby.” Mistress Red pulled the man’s head from her cock. “Jealous, Gael? I’d be more than happy to let you have some.” She bucked her hips into the air.

“You’re a man.” Alice couldn’t believe it. The way she was dressed, the lilt of her voice. “But I thought...”

“You’ve never seen a tranny before?” Mistress Red giggled. “Oh she’s precious. You’re too much of a bastard for her, Gael.”

“Fuck off, Red.” He tossed the dress at Alice. “Get dressed.”

“Oooh, someone’s got a bee up their ass.” She pushed the man’s head back to her cock, where he immediately began to suck on it. “I take it you didn’t have fun. Poor boy. I guess she wasn’t a good enough lay for you.”

“You know nothing about it.” Picking up Alice’s purse, Gael turned back to face her. “You need to leave.”

Alice pulled her sundress on, feeling odd about not having any panties beneath it. The soft cotton teased the sensitive skin of her back and ass. “I did everything you asked.”

Shit, she sounded like a pouty five-year-old.

Gael must have thought the same. “Don’t start.”

“I’m not starting anything.” Alice stepped back, no longer able to look at him. “Don’t worry—I’m leaving.”

There was no apology from him, no softness to cut the hard edge. Alice was in a strange place with a man who didn’t want her here. No matter how good the sex was, she wasn’t the type of woman to throw herself into a situation where she wasn’t wanted. She had too much self-respect for that.

Ignoring the giggles from Mistress Red, Alice turned her back on Gael and walked as fast as she could from Wonderland.

Chapter Nine

“Oh my, God. I can’t believe this is happening to me.”

Alice sat on Petra’s couch, a box of unopened dildos beside her, and watched her friend pace. In their phone conversation, Alice had heard only that Petra’s one-night stand was in fact her online nemesis D. Williams of the
Mantastic
advice blog. Needing the distraction that her friend’s crisis would provide, Alice skipped her Sunday morning coffee ritual and headed straight over.

“Pet, you’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you don’t sit down.”

“How the hell do you expect me to sit?” Petra’s untamed curls were a frizzy mess around her head, bouncing this way and that as she ran her hands through them. “He must have known it was me all along. That explains why he spoke to us at the coffee shop.”

Alice had been fascinated by the way Darcy had always followed Petra’s every move whenever they were in the same room. Sure Petra didn’t believe her own sex appeal, but Alice believed without reasonable doubt that Darcy was totally taken by her friend. It would only be a matter of time and circumstances before they would be together in some fashion.

You deserve a treat
,
Alice.

Shifting on the couch, she thumbed the unopened box of dildos. “Hon, I don’t think he knew who you were. The way you two go at each other online, I have no doubt he’d be the first to tease you in person.”

“But he must have!” Petra growled before marching toward the kitchen. “I need wine.”

“It’s ten in the morning.”

“I’ll pretend to be Catholic.”

“God will smite you for that.”

Petra’s snort echoed across to Alice. “He has better reasons than that for wanting to smite me.”

The spray of water and the whirl of the coffee grinder told Alice that her friend had opted for a less blasphemous option. Not that Alice would have said no to a healthy dose of alcohol, even if it was early. Sleep had completely eluded her once she’d gotten home from Wonderland. Her hour-long shower couldn’t chase away the feel and smell of Gael from her skin. And the moment she’d climbed into bed, she felt every inch of the marks that she was certain covered her ass and back.

Her mind hadn’t stopped racing from the second she’d walked out of the club. Memories of the trip home were blank, instead filled with the perfect recollection of every second she’d spent with Gael.

Gael the sexual dominant.

The man she’d have to come face to face with tomorrow morning.

“Alice?”

With a slight jump, Alice looked up into Petra’s concerned gaze. Taking the offered coffee, all she could do was smile. “Thanks.”

“Hon, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” The only person more defensive about her than her mother was Petra. The last thing she needed was to transfer her ire from Darcy to Gael. Especially when there was nothing she could do to fix matters. “Sorry, I had a shitty night’s sleep.”

“Are you sure? You were totally zoned out there.”

“One hundred percent.” Taking a too-large sip of the hot coffee, she made room for Petra beside her. “Now, tell me what you plan to do about Mr. Williams.”

Alice did her very best to listen to her best friend rant and rave about the man she was clearly more than a little in love with. The problem was, every time Petra would say something, all Alice could think of was Gael, Wonderland and the life-altering sex she’d had.

“I mean, yes Darcy was hot and knew exactly what I wanted in bed.”

Gael pushing the straps of her dress down.

“And I’m too embarrassed to tell you some of the things I actually said to him in bed.”

Please
,
Sir.

“But there’s no way he didn’t know I was PC.”

This isn’t about romance.
This is fucking.

“I need to confront him. He thinks I’m some sort of pushover because we’ve had mind-blowing sex. Well, he’s going to get a shock. I’m going to let him know that I know who he is now and that there’s no way we’re ever going to get together. This is one bridge he won’t be crossing ever again.”

Swallow me.
That’s it.
Be a good girl.

“Alice?” Petra pressed her hand to Alice’s forehead. “Are you feeling okay? You’re all flushed.”

“Yeah.” She needed to gain some distance between them. Walking over to the air-conditioning vent, Alice tried once more to refocus on the matter at hand. “Like I said, I’m more than a little tired.”

“I’m the shittiest friend in the world.”

“No you’re not.”

Petra cut her off with the wave of a hand. “I totally am. I’m here bitching about a guy who means less to me than free dildos and you’re sitting here exhausted listening to me. I’m sorry.”

“It’s good, hon.” It was Alice being the selfish one. Petra would kick her ass if she had any idea what was going on with her. They normally told each other everything, and yet this was the sort of thing Petra wouldn’t quite get.

Although her friend ran a sex advice column, Petra’s experience in the world of BDSM was as absent as her own. With Petra focused on Darcy, there was little reason for Alice to bring things up.

She’d muddle through on her own.

Pressing her back to the wall, Alice gave Petra a good once-over. “You know, I think you’re right.”

“About what?”

“Confronting him. When do all of the nominees get together again?”

That brief suggestion was all Petra needed. The spark that normally flared whenever she was posting on the
Mantastic
blog instantly appeared. “Tonight at the media event for our category. We’re supposed to give a brief description of our site after they’ve plied us with wine.”

“There you go. You can take him aside and ask him if he knew who you were before your fling. I’m sure you’ll catch him off guard, and you might even get the truth out of him.”

Petra laughed, ran over, and gave Alice a hug. “That’s perfect. I’ll know exactly where he is so he won’t be able to get away from me. You’re brilliant.”

Alice watched as Petra flew around her condo, getting ready for the event and strategizing about what she’d say and how she’d respond to him. It was hard to keep up with the ever-changing emotional tides. Despite Petra’s plans, Alice couldn’t break away from the thought of her own upcoming confrontation. Tomorrow morning she’d have to get dressed and go to work. She’d walk down the hall, smile and wave at her coworkers as she passed by, and take her spot outside of Gael’s office.

How was she supposed to act?

She had no doubt he’d be as cool and reserved as normal. Having kinky sex with someone in the office might not be a normal occurrence for him, but he was an expert at keeping his poker face in place. Which meant if there was any hope of them discussing what had transpired between them, it would come down to her.

Did she really want to go there?

Could she afford not to?

Petra came out from her bedroom wearing a far more sexy skirt and top than Alice would have assumed she’d put on without a fair amount of prodding. “How does this look?”

“It’s perfect. You look like PC, while still having a good amount of Petra showing.”

Her friend beamed. “D. Williams isn’t going to know what hit him.”

At least one of them was brave enough to confront her demons. “Go get him, girl.”

* * *

Alice spent the rest of her day walking around in a fog. Everywhere she turned she saw things that reminded her of her time with Gael and Wonderland. The grocery store had nearly killed her with its sale on wooden spoons, Twizzlers and hot cross buns. A trip to the bookstore wasn’t any better, with their huge displays for the latest big book in erotic romance.

Finally she gave up trying, got a bottle of wine from the liquor store and holed up at her house. Maybe this was for the best. She could stay hidden in her house for days before anyone would bother coming to look for her. Petra was distracted with Darcy, her mother wouldn’t get suspicious if she didn’t call her for a week, and work...

Well, that’s what sick days were for.

The heat in her house was still too much for her poor air conditioner to handle, leaving a humid stickiness behind. Channeling her inner Petra, Alice stripped out of her skirt and blouse, and put on a camisole and shorts. The moment the clothing slipped from her body, Alice could feel the phantom sensation of fingers sliding across her skin, covering her throat, and cupping her shoulders.

To make matters worse, she caught a glimpse of herself in her full-length mirror as she started to leave her bedroom. Faint marks still adorned her bare shoulders, disappearing beneath the thin fabric. She shouldn’t look, but the compulsion was too much. A step closer allowed her to see the marks better. Lifting the hem of her camisole revealed nothing else on her skin. Not that she needed to see the physical proof to know that the marks existed.

Gael had put them there.

She’d never considered before then the appeal of being branded by another person. How it was possible to bear the mark of a man beneath her skin, past the muscles and into the very core of her person. Somehow without realizing what he was doing, Gael had laid claim to a dormant part of her personality, awakened an animal within her she didn’t even know was there.

And the bastard didn’t want her.

Letting the fabric fall back into place, Alice turned her back on the mirror and marched into the living room. She snatched the portable phone as she passed it and hit the speed dial button for her boss.

“Hi, Carmela—it’s Alice. I wanted to let you know that I probably won’t be at work tomorrow. I woke up this morning with a headache, and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon.” For once in her life, she didn’t feel bad about taking the mental health day. “Yeah, damn summer flu. I’ll let you know how I’m feeling tomorrow. Thanks.”

After pressing the End button and tossing the phone to the couch, Alice grabbed the wine and a large glass before quickly eyeing the time.

“Four o’clock. Bottoms up.”

Sure, drinking was never the answer to any problem, but there were certain occasions when a glass was the prescription required to fix the symptoms, if not the ailment. A confused and battered heart certainly qualified. Tomorrow she’d stay in bed, watch TV, and get her shit together. Tuesday she’d face Gael. And if Tuesday turned into Wednesday...well, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.