Connor scowled at the bartender. Matthias held his hands up in surrender, but he was grinning. “Just trying to help.”
“Don’t,” Connor growled.
She looked up at him in surprise. It wasn’t like him to be rude.
“I just want to know why all the Doms around here have nicknames for my sub.”
His sub. Damn, that sounded too good for her peace of mind.
This is just one night. Unless she wanted to keep playing until his job was finished and he left.
Matthias raised his eyebrows. “You’re claiming her as your sub?” He looked down at Ria. “This is the first time she’s been in here. You been to see Master Joe?”
“We have,” Connor said sharply.
Matthias eyes narrowed, and his lighthearted look disappeared. The rancher was generally an easy-going guy, surprising for a Dom, really. But, right then, he looked anything but.
“Permission to speak to your sub.”
Connor scowled. He didn’t look like he was about to say yes.
“Listen, you haven’t been here long.” This time it was Alex who spoke. He’d turned towards them; his sub’s face was now very close to his crotch. “I don’t know how things happened in your last club. I’m guessin’ it was one of them big city clubs where us little ol’ country folk wouldn’t fit in. But round these parts we take care of each other.”
Oh, dear God. Alex was laying the accent on thick. He never spoke like that. Except for when he was getting pissed.
“You’re small town country folk, huh?” Connor mused. “What is it you do for a living?”
“Well, I’m just a small-town lawyer. Got my degree from some college out East.”
Ria snorted. “Right. Cause every lawyer has a degree from Harvard.”
There was silence all around her. Each of the Doms was giving her a cold look of disapproval.
“I do believe your Dom gave you an order, Ria,” Alex said. “We’re in the dungeon now. That means you respect all the Doms here, especially the club Doms.”
Right. So, Alex really took this seriously. She’d never really been sure. He seemed so laidback the rest of the time.
Connor turned to her. “Open.”
“Wait.” Matthias drew a bottle of water out and unscrewed the top and handed it over to Connor who gave him a quizzical look. “Ria often forgets to take care of herself. I’m betting she hasn’t had anything to drink in a while so before you put that in you should rehydrate her.”
Connor still looked puzzled. “She hasn’t played in here.”
“No, but like the good ’ol boy was trying to explain, we all look after each other around here. This is more than just a club. To many of us, it’s our family.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to see that.” Connor turned to her. “When’s the last time you had something to eat or drink?”
She opened her mouth, some smart assed comment on the tip of her tongue, but they were right. She was in the dungeon now. She’d agreed to this. To Connor being her Dom. For tonight at least.
“I had breakfast.”
His scowl increased. “We need to feed you before we do anything else.”
“Aftercare area has a stocked buffet,” Matthias commented.
Connor nodded and slipped the ball gag away. She noticed he kept the nipple clamps out.
“I couldn’t eat. Really. It will make me feel ill,” she whispered to Connor, hoping the others couldn’t hear.