A sub portraying a certain amount of tenseness was natural and something most Doms expected to encounter. But people into dominating know, or should know, how to read a sub’s body and be able to tell the difference between tenseness derived from hesitancy, and out-and-out dislike or fear.
“Why didn’t you stop?” he growled at the other man, each of them positioned at Krista’s sides and reaching to undo the cuffs.
“I didn’t hear her,” he snapped in defense, his posture as rigid and unapologetic as his icy tone. “She should’ve spoken up louder.”
Dax snapped his mouth shut and turned his attention to Krista’s shaken, perspiration-damp body as she collapsed into his arms. Regardless of the less than favorable circumstances and his guilt, it felt damn good to feel the press of her soft, lush curves again. Lust joined his rage, the two volatile emotions a bad combination when they revolved around her. Wrapping one arm around her slender shoulders, he allowed her to bury her face in his shoulder for now as he reached for the clothes the Dom handed out.
“My apologies.”
Nodding, Dax watched the man stalk off without a backward glance, and gritted his teeth against the urge to snap at him again. His indifference to Krista’s struggles proved what an asinine Dom he was, but nothing else. Dax sure as hell didn’t intend to call him back to fulfill his duties and take care of his sub. That job had just landed in his arms, and he wouldn’t turn away from it this time like he had after Kurt’s death. Temporarily, for good or bad, she’d just become his to see to, at least for now.
“Get dressed. We’re leaving.” Ignoring Krista’s sudden stiffening, Dax yanked the dress over her head and jerked it down. Kneeling, he held up her panties as he looked up into her frowning face. “Hold on to my shoulders and step in.”
Good, she didn’t argue, even though he could see she wanted to in the way her eyes snapped with blue fire. Her small hands gripped his wide shoulders and the warmth penetrated his silk shirt. He didn’t bother resisting the temptation to run the backs of his knuckles up her smooth, bare legs as he pulled her panties up. The saliva in his mouth increased when he saw her denuded labia and the telltale glistening sheen that had been absent when he’d first spotted her. But all he had to do to get his rising lust under control was conjure up the sight of the two rising welts across her buttocks and the tears shimmering in her eyes when he’d removed the blindfold. Tears of frustration, confusion, pleasure, release or even irritation with a Dom were all good. But not from fear or pain that went beyond a sub’s threshold. Another sin the asshole she’d hooked up with should answer for.
Pushing to his feet, Dax injected a note of steely authority into his voice as he stated, “Come with me. I’ll drive you home and you can explain yourself.” The sharp yank on his hand after he clasped hers and turned toward the entrance drew him back around with a frown. He was itching to get her out of this fucking place.
“I appreciate you’re—”
Shaking his head, Dax cut her off. Bending down, he spoke loud and clear enough in her ear to be heard over the noise. “Now, or you’ll feel my hand on top of the cane marks.” He caught her wince and, smiling to himself, tugged her through the mass of people with one hand while texting both Sean and Miles he was leaving and would call shortly with an explanation. Since Sean had driven them, it wouldn’t be a problem.
It took Dax a moment to acclimate to the sudden quiet as they stepped outside, but not so for Krista. Pulling her hand from his, she fisted both hands on her hips and leveled a glare up at him that was a first coming from her. He’d had other subs defy him openly, but not her. Of course, there was only that one circumstance when she’d been under his partial control, so not much to compare with. The rest of the scenes with her had all been unfulfilled fantasies.
“Who said I was ready to leave?” she demanded, and he could tell she had to work at keeping a level tone.
“I did, and after seeing the way that fucking ass excuse for a Dom wasn’t paying attention, I strongly suggest you don’t argue with me. You’re in no condition to drive and we have a long overdue conversation we’re going to have. Where’s your car?”
She must have been able to read how serious he was because she pointed to the same dark purple, two door Jeep Wrangler he’d always thought suited her to a T.
Krista waited until he’d buckled her in the passenger seat and pulled out of the parking lot before questioning him. “Who appointed you my boss? In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not at work. I wasn’t ready to leave.”
Raising a brow in sarcasm, he drawled, “How’s sitting on those welts feel?” Dax almost chuckled at her peevish look and the way she shifted to lean more to the right than centering her weight on her ass. “Now, want to tell me what the hell you were doing in a place like that?”
It was her turn to drip mockery. “What were you doing in a place like that? Were you gone so long you’ve forgotten Kurt and I belonged to Chains, where I distinctly recall seeing you on a few occasions?”
He hadn’t forgotten a damn thing, which was part of the problem. How could he move on, like he had hoped, when the memories refused to stay hidden away?
Too bad her reply didn’t answer his question. Dax wasn’t sure what he itched to do more: spank her delectable ass for putting herself in the position to get hurt, soothe her pain, or kiss those pillow-soft lips. When it came down to it, it didn’t matter, since he wouldn’t be doing any of those things. “Krista, answer me. Now.”
Krista knew what he meant by ‘that place’ as The Dungeon had turned out to be nothing like the only other club she’d frequented. Unsafe had screamed at her when she’d entered but she’d ignored the warning signs and forged ahead regardless. What her first scene re-entering the lifestyle had neglected to produce, she’d achieved with just the command in Dr. Dax Hayes’s deep voice, his tone and words having the desired effect she’d been aiming for with a stranger. Her nipples had puckered, her sheath swelled and dampened, and her abdomen cramped. The burning pain from the cane and flogger had morphed into the sweetest ache for his touch as soon as his arms had come around her and promised a safe haven for her body. His cold fury as he addressed the other Dom had been a soothing balm for her battered emotions, which both thrilled and dismayed her. It wasn’t fun lusting after just one man, especially one who made it clear, despite his anger on her behalf, that he wasn’t interested in topping her.
Before Kurt, she’d submitted to a few Doms at Chains as a newbie sub and found pleasure with all three of them. But tonight had been different, and the last thing she needed was Dax’s presence interfering with her already haywire libido. She’d never been subjected to an indifferent jerk of a Master before and hoped that was all that amounted to her failure.
Until Master Dax arrived. Damn that little voice for reminding Krista of her quick response when she’d heard Dax’s voice penetrate through the loud noise and the encompassing pain. She couldn’t help but wonder if the outcome would have been different if he’d been the one yielding the flogger or cane. From the closed look on his face, she figured she wouldn’t get the chance to find out.
“Nothing to say for yourself?”
His cool tone broke into her thoughts. “What do you think I was doing? I finally listened to Alessa, who’s been telling me for over a year my desires didn’t die with Kurt. What were you doing there? Making up for lost time? I don’t imagine there are too many BDSM clubs where you’ve been the last eighteen months.” She could see his scowl when he stopped at a red light. He wasn’t used to being questioned. As both a doctor and a Dom, she knew he didn’t answer to her, but she was still so hurt over his desertion—and her quick response to him regardless—that right now, she didn’t care.
“If you want to know, I’m supposed to be doing a favor for a friend, a cop who heard of a woman being abused there. Two other friends of mine and I agreed to check the place out since Troy’s jurisdiction is in Pensacola.”
“Turn here, you’re headed in th
e wrong direction,” she instructed as she digested his explanation. How could she fault him for going out of his way to help a friend, then coming to her rescue?
“You moved?”
His surprise grated as he’d know that if he’d been around, a reminder of why she couldn’t let his good qualities sway her from trying to move on without his help. Shoving aside regrets that did no good, she answered, “Yes, about a year ago. I appreciate your interference, Dax, but I’m fine now. Why don’t you turn around and go back? I can get home, and I don’t want to keep you from your friends or your promise to check out that club.”
“This is more important. It’s best if you don’t go to any of the clubs for a while, Krista. Not until I know it’s safe.” The hard edge to his voice carried a hint of concern, enough to tamp down her irritation and stir up her senses again.
“It’s that one.” Pointing to her bungalow, Krista sucked in a deep breath and turned to face him as he parked. The longer she was with Dax, feeling the comfort of his big body sitting so close to her and seeing the banked lust in his eyes every time he looked over at her, the more she wanted him to be the one to bring her back into the lifestyle she was ready to embrace again. She needed him gone before she did something really stupid, like begged him to stay.
“You lost the right to lecture me or look after me when you left without a word.” When she’d needed him the most, she thought but refused to admit aloud. She didn’t need to give him any more leverage over her, even if he wasn’t aware of the power he already possessed.
His hands tightened on the steering wheel, the only outward sign to show she’d gotten to him. Without answering, he slid out of the Jeep and met her on the passenger side as she hopped out. Krista wasn’t prepared when he braced his hands on the door behind her, caged her in with his big body, and pinned her in place with the hot blaze lighting his eyes. Her blood heated and rushed through her veins to pool between her legs; her heart rate sped up and her palms grew clammy. All familiar, welcome responses when she used to face a stern Master. Now, she didn’t trust him enough not to turn from her again to embrace the once exciting responses.
“I promised Kurt I’d make sure you were okay after he was gone.”
His low, guttural tone sent a frisson of shivers up and down her spine and made her ache so much she couldn’t keep from snapping back at him with the truth. “You have a funny way of keeping your promises, Doctor, by bailing for a year and a half. Why are you so gung-ho now to honor your word?”
His frustrated sigh blew over her upturned face but he didn’t back off. “I told you to contact Dr. Bates, made sure you knew Sean was a good friend who could help you. Why didn’t you?”
Krista’s stiffened shoulders sagged. They could continue to volley this point back and forth but it wouldn’t change anything. He thought turning her over to his friend should’ve covered his obligation, and maybe it had. What did she know about Dax and Kurt’s relationship outside of their careers and a penchant for BDSM they had in common?
“I told you, I’m not the type of person who can speak to a stranger about personal issues, not even a psychologist. Alessa has been there for me, I’ve coped just fine until recently without…” Rare embarrassment halted her explanation. It’d been too long since she’d had to bare her soul and be open and honest about her needs with Kurt. And when it came down to it, she knew Dr. Hayes better than she did Master Dax.
“Sex? Someone to take control when you need it?” he supplied, his voice gruff.
“Call for a ride back to your friends,” she returned when those simple words turned her inside out with want. “I’m tired and want to go in.”
“First I have to see to those welts. Argue with me and my promise still stands. You’ll feel my hand adding to your discomfort. Keys.” He held out a hand, his eyes steady on her face.
This is a mistake. How many times had he repeated that refrain? Once again, Dax agreed with himself, but he couldn’t turn from the longing still portrayed on Krista’s face or the telltale shiver his threat invoked. Her eyes didn’t shy away from his as he took the keys and ushered her inside the small cottage home he could easily picture as hers. He executed a sweeping glance around the large, open living area, liking how the smoky grey hardwood floors and pale blue walls lightened the room that was lit with just one corner lamp next to a wicker sofa. Decorated with much more feminine décor than the house she’d shared with her husband, he could see Krista’s hand in the colorful, shell-decorated seat cushions and whimsical knickknacks placed through the room.
“You have a nice view of the canal.” Dax nodded toward the wide sliders letting in a stream of moonlight. “What made you decide on such a change?”
Shrugging, she took the keys he handed back to her and looked away. “I’ve always wanted to live along the water. Dax…”
He held up a hand, forestalling another insistence she was fine now. “Do you have an antibiotic ointment with pain reliever?”
“Yes, in the bathroom, but—”
“I’ll get it. Show me where, then strip and lie on your bed.” The quick flare of heat in her eyes added fuel to the lust he was working hard to keep at bay. He was here to see to her needs and nothing else. At least reiterating his promise to spank her seemed to have doused her resistance, for the time being, anyway.
“This way.”
She led him down the hall, pointed to the bathroom on the left then walked into the room on the right without looking at him. Dax searched the medicine cabinet above a dual sink vanity and found a tube of over-the-counter cream that would work to soothe the small cut and welts he’d seen rising. It still pissed him off how the other man had wielded the cane without a care to the damage that particular instrument could inflict. Dax had used that implement on numerous occasions, but always made sure he tempered the cuts so as not to cause uncalled for damage to the skin. If harsher pain was the goal, that could still be achieved with lingering effectiveness without breaking the skin, an unforgiveable line not to be crossed in his eyes.
Turning from the cabinet, he glanced across the hall in time to see Krista kneel on a queen-size, four-poster bed before sliding down on her stomach, her legs slightly parted, her head resting on her folded arms. Waiting for him. Dax crossed the hall, wondering who, at this moment, held the most power over the other. The answer didn’t bear delving into right now.
Dax tightened his jaw as he sat next to her and spotted one small drop of dried blood along the lower welt, the one above it just as raw and angry looking without any breaks in her delicate skin. “Why the fuck did you agree to scene with that Dom? Couldn’t you pick someone who knew what he was doing?”
Pushing up on her elbows, she turned to look at him, her slim brows dipped down in annoyance. “It’s not like I went there to hook up with a jerk. How am I supposed to tell the good from the bad in Doms I’ve never met?”
Squirting a dab of cream on his finger, he kept his gaze on hers as he rubbed it on, noting her wince at even that light touch. “By not being in such a damn hurry, taking time to ask around for a recommendation first, then talking to him. Did you even discuss the scene first?”
Krista shifted her eyes then turned her face away before laying her head back down, which gave him his answer. But he wanted to hear her admit her mistake, which would better ensure she didn’t make the same one again. Pinching the round, plump curve of one soft cheek, he ordered, “Tell me, Krista. Now.”
The bedside lamp shed enough light that he could see her body tense, and hear her indrawn breath from that slight pain. “No. He approached me almost as soon as I got in the door. I… was nervous, it’d been so long. I thought it best to not think too hard on what I was doing, or with whom.”
Dax could respect the courage it must have taken for her to take the step forward she had tonight, even if she should’ve known better than to go to a new place she knew nothing about and jump into a scene without thinking it through. Every time she sat for the next week would be a
reminder of her foolhardy choices. “Thank you for your honesty.” He added more cream and covered the rest of the welt, pleased she now seemed open to talking to him. “I’m sorry he hurt you. You’ll need to keep an eye on this lower abrasion, make sure you don’t put too much pressure for too long a time until this small fissure heals.” He rubbed the spot so she’d know where he was talking about, enjoying the soft give of her butt cheek. She had a gorgeous ass, firm, yet cushiony. “It shouldn’t take long.”
A giggle emerged from her buried face. “Are you going to charge me for this house call, Doctor?”
“I should,” he returned with a smile she couldn’t see. The desire to give her what she’d gone looking for tonight overruled his determination to keep his hands off her. With her rich, mahogany hair spread out over her upper back, her slender body bared before him, and her soft skin under his fingertips, how could he leave without tasting the feast before him? How could he walk away without replacing her bad experience with a more pleasant one?
“Roll over,” he demanded before common sense returned to remind him why this was a bad idea. She flipped over, unabashed in her nudity as he looked his fill, even though her muscles tensed with the wariness reflected in her eyes. His actions baffled her as much as they worried him. “Very good, little one.”