Club Shadowlands (Masters of the Shadowlands #1)(22)
Author: Cherise Sinclair

“You’re blushing again.” He held a finger to her cheek, eyes narrowing. “After everything I did in the –”

She put her hand over his mouth, trying to silence him.

“My fingers were in more intimate places than your breasts,” he whispered, ignoring her hand. The jerk. “As was my mouth, my lips, and my tongue.”

The memory of the way she’d shattered the last time, under just his hands and mouth, sent warmth pooling back into her groin. “You are impossible.”

His lips curved under her fingers. “And you were very loud.”

Oh, God, she had been. She pressed her forehead into his shoulder, hiding her face. “How can I ever face anyone here again?” she moaned. “They saw –”

He took her shoulders, pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Kitten, many of the subs here have done a public scene.”

“That doesn’t help.” Every private place on her body had been on display.

“Up we go,” he said briskly, setting her on her feet. He tossed the blanket over the back of the couch. When she smoothed her too-short skirt down, she realized she wasn’t wearing anything at all underneath it.

“I think you deserve a drink, don’t you?” He tucked an arm around her as he strolled her to the bar. She really did love how he kept her so close to him, as if he was proud of her.

Cullen was there, and she froze, still a few feet from the bar. He’d touched her, sucked on her breasts. Sir’s arm urged her forward, but her feet wouldn’t move. She looked up at Sir, shook her head.

He sighed; his gaze met Cullen’s. Cullen had been watching them. Oh, God.

Sir tilted his head toward her, and she tried to back away, but the grip that had been so gentle was now a steel band around her waist.

Cullen came around the bar. She stared at the floor, blinked when his big boots appeared in her field of vision. “Jessica.”

She couldn’t move. His laugh boomed out. A callused hand caught her chin, forced her gaze up. “Don’t panic, love. Since you are Master Z’s sub, I can only touch you with his permission, and I can see that won’t be happening often at all. He only let me play because you needed the extra sensations to take you over the top.”

And because Sir knew that she was turned on by the thought of two men. Surely Cullen wouldn’t know that.

He grinned at her, a slash of white in a brawler’s face. “I thoroughly enjoyed touching you, pet, but you don’t need to run from me. Are we clear on that?”

She nodded, unsure why she’d been so frightened.

“If you’d permit, Z, I’d like a hug from your sub to know I’m forgiven and we’re all right again.” He stepped back.

Sir murmured, “Permitted,” and his restraining arm dropped away.

Cullen held his arms out. Waited. His eyes had that look that Sir’s got, the unspoken command.

Okay. She liked Cullen; he’d only been nice to her. And…okay. With a breath, she took the one step to him, felt his arms come around her, very different than Sir’s, but comforting just the same. He was so tall; her head only came to the center of his chest. He squeezed her once, let her go.

“There.” He tapped her cheek with a finger. “All better. Now, what can I get you to drink?”

Chapter Twelve

For the next few hours, Sir didn’t try to take her into any of the scene rooms or do more than fondle her and take a kiss, as if he knew she wasn’t ready for anything more intimate. Not at this time. They wandered through the crowd, joined people here and there to chat, and avoided the more intimately engaged couples.

They were just like a normal couple on a date, she thought, trying to ignore the way her body felt when close to his and the way his voice could heat the air around her.

“Got a nasty problem in the dungeon, Z.” One of the monitors trotted up, his face flushed.

Master Z took two steps in that direction, then stopped and frowned at Jessica.

“Mmmh, not a good place for you.” He led her to a nearby sitting area occupied by a trim woman of around forty and a plump blonde about Jessica’s age. “Ladies, may I leave Jessica with you?” Sir asked.

“Of course, Master Z,” the older woman answered. “We’d be happy to stay with her.”

“I can go with you,” Jessica whispered to him.

“Not the dungeon, not if there’s trouble,” he said, pushing her into a chair. To her surprise, he hooked her hands together, then to a long chain on the floor, before giving her a hard kiss on the mouth. He glanced at the women. “Thank you, ladies.”

They barely had a chance to smile back at him before he strode away, moving deceptively fast.

Well. Jessica yanked at the chain that was long enough for her to stand and maybe take one step. “Dammit, what did I do wrong this time?”

“You’re new, aren’t you?” the brunette said.

Jessica nodded.

“My name’s Lenora. You didn’t do anything. The chain says you’ve got a Dom already, that you’re not available.”

“Oh.” As relief washed through her, Jessica leaned back in the chair, curling her feet under her. “Thank you.”

The blonde leaned forward, her nightgown longer than Jessica’s, but the top much tighter and lower. “I’ve never seen Master Z chain anyone outside of a scene before. He must really like you.”

Jessica laughed. “I should be complimented by being chained? I don’t think I’ll ever understand this place.”

“It’s pretty strange at first,” Lenora said. “But this is the best place in the area to learn. Master Z keeps his eye on stuff.”

It was one of the things she found so admirable about him. “So, maybe you can tell me –” She glanced up as a man in fancy red leathers walked up, smiling at her.

“Hello. I haven’t seen you before.”

His bearing proclaimed him a Dom, but he lacked that special something that Master Z and Cullen and Daniel had. He saw the chain attached to her wrist cuffs and scowled. “Already taken, huh?”

He turned toward the little blonde. “Maxie, come with me.”

Maxie shook her head. “I don’t want to be with you, Nathan, and I can’t leave here, anyway.”

His face darkened. “I don’t take back talk from subs, especially not cunts like you.” He reached down and grabbed her wrist.

Jessica jumped to her feet and realized with her arms chained, a punch wouldn’t go very far. She kicked the guy instead, right in the butt.

He dropped Maxie’s hand and whipped around. Majorly pissed.

As he advanced, Jessica backed up until the damned chain went taut. Balancing most of her weight on one leg, she got ready to kick with the other foot.

“Stop now.” Daniel strode up and yanked Nathan’s arm behind him, pushing until the guy went on tiptoe to keep his shoulder from being dislocated.

Nice job, Jessica thought; he made it look so easy.

“Time to call it a night, buddy,” Daniel said, his voice easy, his face angry. “Someone will be in touch about your membership.” He hauled the man away.

Heart thudding painfully, Jessica sank back into the chair.

Cullen appeared and knelt beside her chair. “You’ve got to stop beating up on the members, sweetie. For a sub, you’ve got a real aggression problem.” His smile disappeared, leaving his face hard as he scrutinized her. “Are you hurt at all?”

“No. I’m fine.” Jessica ran her hands up and down her arms, feeling chilled. She saw the blonde doing the same thing. “Are you all right?”

Maxie nodded. “I can’t believe you did that.” Her eyes puddled up, and she sniffled. “You could have been hurt. Nathan can be really mean.”

Jessica smiled. “Bruises heal. Watching someone get hurt when I could do something to stop it… That doesn’t heal so fast.” Like the guilt left from her sister. Her mouth tightened.

Cullen rose to his feet. “Maxie, why don’t you come and sit at the bar for a while; let me keep an eye on you.”

Maxie’s mouth formed an O as her eyes went wide. Then she shook her head. “I can’t, Master C. We’re keeping Jessica company for Master Z.”

Cullen’s smile was back. “Dedication to duty is a good thing. Come on over when you’re free.” His eyes glinted with humor. “If you want.”

Considering Maxie was almost drooling, Jessica figured the bartender knew quite well how much the blonde wanted. He strode back to his bar, his long legs a fine sight in tight brown leathers.

Maxie sighed.

Giving a cautious look around for any more overaggressive men, Jessica leaned back in her chair. Here was her chance at getting some information from the women’s side of the fence. “I don’t think Master Z would have been upset if you’d gone to sit with Cullen.”

Maxie’s eyes widened. “Defy Master Z? Are you insane? You don’t talk back to him, do you?” She added hastily, “Don’t ever talk back to him.” The blonde seemed more scared than when Nathan grabbed her.

What made Maxie look like that? “But, Sir told me he never… He only s-spanked –” The word was difficult to even say. “He doesn’t whip or anything.”