Power Play [Pleasure Playground 2] (16 page)

With her position on the couch, her face wasn't visible, although he knew exactly who it was. He'd studied her enough to know every inch of her. The smooth lines of her delicious body were only broken by the bright red color of the rope she'd been bound with. Chase did have a way with black and whites with a small splash of color. What the picture didn't show were the small smattering of freckles that trailed along her hips and thighs. Every time he saw them he wanted to lick his way from top to bottom.

Daegan shifted his stance, seeking relief from the hardening cock against his zipper. How bad did he have it when he got incredibly horny from a picture of his sub? His sub. He had to admit he really enjoyed calling her that.

"Can I help you?"

Startled, he turned toward the unfamiliar voice and came face-to-face with a pretty brunette. “I was looking for Jennifer. It appears my wayward sub has gone missing."

She blinked in apparent surprise. “You must be Daegan.” She held out her hand.

He grasped her fingers. “And you are...?"

"I'm Tammy. This is going to be my new shop."

Of course. The jeweler. He'd heard she'd arrived early. Several of his crew had been out of their mind with discussing her at lunchtime. From the curly hair to the round, curvy figure he should have known, because she matched their description perfectly. Now he understood why the men were so enamored.

"Well, welcome Tammy. Everyone has been looking forward to your arrival and the new shop opening."

"Oh my goodness this is so exciting. I've never heard of a place like this before. I think Eve's idea is going to be a wild success."

He smiled at her enthusiasm. “I couldn't agree more. Chase and Murphy are going to have their hands full with her.” For some reason his mention of Chase and Murphy made her flush bright red. The tinge of pink looked good on her. Her Dom must enjoy spanking her quite a bit. Speaking of...

"Have you seen Jennifer?” He was getting anxious to get his hands on her.

"I'm pretty sure she left a while ago. Maybe an hour or so."

"Okay no problem. She's probably already upstairs. Thanks for the help, and it was great meeting you."

"Likewise."

Daegan hightailed it up to his apartment to find it quiet and empty. This wasn't exactly the way he'd planned their evening. He'd hoped to settle her reservations once and for all so the rest of the night could be devoted to progressing Jennifer's submission. With her sudden disappearance, he had a feeling she was testing him. Not that he blamed her. Finding out about his wife from someone else had shaken her pretty badly. He'd give her a little more time to stew and then he'd find her and he'd spank her until she understood the truth.

With his decision made, he proceeded to take a shower and wash away the grime of his day. After two hours went by, he left the Playground and went looking. He tried her apartment first, but when he found no one home, the unease grew in his chest, giving him a solid idea of where she'd gone. Daegan fought the rising anger to no avail. That she'd gone to the club without him burned like a betrayal in his stomach.

Ten minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of Purgatory and killed the engine of his car. He didn't have to search for her car; it stood out like a fucking beacon in a sea of dark SUVs. He was going to kill her.

Inside the club, he stood to the side of the entrance and allowed his eyes to adjust to the dark interior. Music thumped from speakers surrounding the main floor of the big room. He didn't even bother checking the dance floor. His wayward sub would be on the second floor where the play stations were located. When he reached the stairs, the club manager, Gabe, blocked his path.

"You're looking a little pissed tonight, Daegan. What's going on?"

"Let me pass. I'm looking for someone."

Gabe shook his head. “Now that definitely doesn't sound like a good idea until you calm down, my friend."

"I'll be perfectly fine just as soon as I find my sub.” He started to push his way up the stairs.

"Ahh. I'd heard you and Jennifer had come to an agreement. Although I have to admit it came as a total surprise. I'm not sure I've ever seen a more reluctant sub in my life."

Daegan stopped and eyed Gabe warily. In the short time he'd known the man, he'd learned he had an uncanny ability to read people. “I don't think you understand her. Sure she's complicated, but underneath all her bluster she's soft and far more fragile than anyone realizes."

Gabe snorted. “I can't say fragile is a word anyone's used to describe her before."

The implication that he'd discussed his sub with other Doms annoyed the hell out of him. Despite the anger, all of his protective instincts rode close to the surface, and it wouldn't take much to provoke him. “Trust me, I know."

The other man narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure about that? You seem like a good guy, but Jennifer has been a member here a lot longer than you have. If you aren't willing to finish what you've started, then I think you should walk away now before it's too late."

The warning burned in Daegan's mind. “I appreciate that your job is to protect the members here, but this time you're wrong. I know exactly what I'm doing."

Gabe studied him for a minute more before letting his guard down. He stepped to the side and swept his arm in the direction of the play area. “Then I suggest you check out the flogging station first.” With that, Gabe disappeared into the crowd and left him to stand and gape. With a last glance into the sea of people, Daegan pushed his way upstairs and into the overflowing play area. People were crammed into every available inch, making it difficult to see the flogging station. The sound of a whip cracking screamed through the air, accompanied by a few gasps and a delicious cry of agony when the leather tip hit flesh.

A few people glanced his way and immediately moved out of his path. When he got through enough of the crowd, what he found boiled his blood. Jennifer was being strapped to the St. Andrew's cross by a dark-haired sub. The attendant at the station plucked a flogger from the wall and made his way toward his sub.

Mine.

"Touch that flogger to my sub's skin and you'll not be able to wield it again for a week,” Daegan growled in a low voice.

Several people behind him sucked in sharp breaths, and the area around him turned quiet and still except for the music coming from downstairs. Even with clothes covering her body, Daegan saw Jennifer's back go ramrod stiff when she heard his voice. ‘That's right, love. Busted."

The man glared at him for a few seconds before he took a step back. He twisted the implement in his hand and offered Daegan the flogger. A dungeon master pushed through the crowd. “What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"I need some scissors,” Daegan said.

The DM ignored him and repeated his question to the attendant.

"He claims this is his sub, and I'm guessing by the look on his face she didn't get his permission to do this."

The man walked to Jennifer's side “Is this true?"

A few seconds ticked by before she nodded her head. The tension among the crowd grew palpable. She'd just damned herself to a very painful or public punishment.

The DM approached him. “Do you want me to bring the punishment box?"

"Not yet. I need a pair of scissors or a knife,” he repeated. “After, you can bring the box."

The DM's eyes grew wide. “As you wish, Sir."

Everyone stayed rooted in place until one of the young women from up front arrived with a pair of scissors. The DM placed them in his hand. “You do remember the rules of the club, right? No blood."

Daegan nodded and took the offering. He stalked toward Jennifer until he was close enough to touch. He wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and bent toward her ear. “Have you ever heard the saying be careful what you wish for?"

She nodded.

He opened the scissors and sliced one side of her top open. The crowd behind him gasped. Oh they had no idea. She'd triggered the sadist inside, and he had every intention of making her beg for everything tonight. He continued to cut away her clothes until she lay against the cross—naked and exposed. She'd uttered not a single word of protest, and he'd lay money on how aroused she'd become.

"Do you remember your safe word, Jennifer?"

"Yes, Sir,” she whispered on a shaky breath.

"Good. You might need it."

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Jennifer gulped for air. She'd never intended for things to get this far when she'd left the building after work today without letting him know. Her original idea had been to go home, have a really strong drink and then stare at the television until she got her head on straight. Instead, she'd started to analyze everything Daegan had ever said to her. Looking for clues to his deceit. She'd needed to find a reason not to trust him. When she'd gotten to the point she wanted to pull her hair out and scream in frustration, she'd grabbed her keys and purse and headed out for a drive.

Instead of the open road she'd thought of, she'd found herself in the crowded parking lot of Purgatory. Immediately the lure of the sights and smells of leather and sweat flashed through her memories, leaving her helpless to resist the call of pain. Like an endorphin junkie, she'd convinced herself in minutes that one little session on the cross wouldn't hurt. She didn't even have to take off her clothes. There was nothing wrong with that. It wasn't even a sexual thing.

Oh how she'd lied out her ass.

Cool air brushed across her heated skin, bringing her thoughts back to the situation at hand. Her pussy throbbed in anticipation. Until she remembered the look in his eyes. The disappointment he'd shown her despite the anger laced in his words.

"Why are you here, Jennifer?” he asked.

"I don't know."

"Lie.” A sharp smack landed on her ass. Bright pain bloomed across her backside. Tears sprang to her eyes. That wasn't a flogger. He had a crop.

"Why are you here?” he repeated.

"I—I—needed some time to think."

Another smack landed on her right cheek. “That's not why you are here. Why are you here in the club, strapped to a cross?"

She started to process.

"Don't embarrass yourself with another lie. You don't have to come to a club to think. Why are you here?"

She swallowed, her hands tightening on her restraints. He was going to force her to admit everything in front of an audience. “I was looking for a brief escape. I thought about the pain..."

She jerked and went up on her toes when his evil crop landed on her left cheek. Another slap of leather, and her ass began to feel like it was on fire.

"The last I checked, you and I were in the midst of an agreement. Is that incorrect?"

"Yes. I mean no. It's not incorrect,” she admitted.

"And you assumed coming to a club unescorted and without permission would be permissible?"

"I—It wasn't—"

Another sharp, fiery sensation streaked across her buttocks.

"Answer the question."

"No, Sir,” she whispered.

"Much better.” He rubbed the fiery stripes on her ass with the rough palm of his hand. “I'd call that act of defiance one of extreme disrespect, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, Sir.” Several blows landed on her backside. She whimpered and cried out for each strike. It hurt like fucking hell, but with each touch of that little piece of leather, something loosened inside her. He was disciplining her. All she had to do to make it stop was say her safe word. She trusted Daegan to stop immediately if she did. She never came close to uttering it. Instead, each swat made her feel better. This was what he wanted from her at the moment, and she needed to submit to it. Something dark and heavy inside her unraveled and began to fade. The further she slipped under his will, the easier the pain became.

"This discipline is what you came for isn't it? You didn't think you could get what you needed from me so you came here.” The deep tone of his voice unnerved her.

"I didn't know,” she cried.

"And that, my love, is called topping from the bottom.” He threw the crop against the wall, and she watched it bounce and land on the floor. She wanted to cry out and beg him not to stop. Not yet.

His hand grabbed the back of her neck. “Do you even know what the difference is between my discipline and some stranger beating your ass?” he snarled.

She shook her head, her legs trembling.

"I don't discipline you just because I get off on watching you tumble into headspace with tears in your eyes. I punish you because I care. Because making sure that you get what you need means the world to me."

Jennifer choked back sobs. Things were so fucked-up, and she didn't know how to fix them.

He released his hold and stepped back. “You can bring the punishment box now."

Stark fear surged through her. Many nights she'd watched a submissive subjected to the punishment box after breaking a club rule. She'd sworn that would never happen to her. She turned in time to see Gabe step onto the dais with the small box in his hands. This wasn't at all what she'd expected to happen tonight. Good God, what had she gotten herself into?

"You have a choice, Daegan. Either I can draw a card from the box, or you can take your sub and go home. In light of everything, you'd only be suspended for two weeks."

"No!” she screamed. All eyes turned to her in shock over her outburst. “I'm—I'm sorry. Please, Sir. I will take whatever punishment they see fit."

"Jennifer, that's not your decision to make,” Daegan reproached.

"Please. Please, Sir. Let me do this for you. I'll do anything.” The fact she meant every word she said surprised her. Suddenly her doubts about him faded, and she realized what a horrible judgment she'd made against him.

"Mmm. I had no idea your sub had begging in her."

Daegan frowned at Gabe before turning back to her. He stared hard at her, and she put every ounce of sincerity in the look she returned. She feared that saying anything else would not go well for her, but somehow she needed him to know how important this was.