"What will you call me when you're in my home?" Lyda's grip constricted enough to leave bruises. Gen felt a thrill shoot through her with the pain. When her lips parted in aroused response, Lyda's eyes flashed triumph. "Tell me, right now."
"Mistress. Oh God. Please."
It came out a wail. Lyda gave the barest of nods, and Noah changed rhythms once more. Not a frantic devouring that matched the chaos of Gen's mind. Instead, he began a slow stroke around her clit, a circling motion combined with the press of his tongue, the sucking of his lips she could hear. It only took three such rotations and she was like a stone fired out over Niagara Falls. Experiencing a crazy, stomach-rolling rush, tumbling over and over, buffeted by sheets of water, blinded by the glittering diamond flow, the mist and foam.
He maintained that deliberate rhythm as her climax pulsed through her tissues, as her pussy gushed its release. He made a surprised, pleased noise, suckling the flood of juices. She was making a thin sound, strangled from a deep part of her that wanted release on so much more than a physical level. Something just out of reach, but oh so close. So much closer than she'd been in a really long time. It was terrifying.
When she was gasping, limp in their hold, she trembled under Noah's kisses along her thighs, the brush of Lyda's knuckles along her damp face, against her breasts as she readjusted Gen's bra, the neckline of the dress. Gen kept her eyes shut, face pressed against Lyda's upper arm. Not thinking was a conscious choice, because to think would be to evaluate what she'd done and reach a serious WTF.
But it was inevitable. The bitch of such an incredible experience was how it resurrected lost dreams and hopes, unleashed a soul-deep yearning. She was clinging to the bittersweet moment as long as she could, a slippery rock face in whitewater.
"She's going to crash," Lyda said. "It's where she is right now, who she is. Bring her, Noah. We'll see what we can do about that. We're going home."
It was too soon. She couldn't get up. Her legs were noodles. But Noah lifted her, taking her out of Lyda's arms. Lyda stayed close, giving Gen's hair another stroke. "Take her to my car. I'll follow in a few moments."
No one had ever carried her as an adult. Noah brushed a kiss over her temple. "Sshh," he murmured. "I've got you, baby. It's all right."
No one except her first husband had called her baby, and that had only been when they were dating and he wanted to have sex. The first time she'd heard him say it, her heart made a tiny leap, like now. She hadn't realized then the implied promises behind the endearment--care and protection--were empty.
Her head felt like a bowling ball, so she kept it on Noah's shoulder. "I'm older than you, you know. Calling me baby seems...weird."
"Does it really seem weird, or is the weirdness because it doesn't?"
Yes. Because it felt exactly like what she wanted him to call her at this moment. It stroked her nerves, calmed her. And that agitated her. She couldn't explain that, even to herself, so she said nothing.
He took her through the club, back to the crowded main foyer. She kept her eyes closed, even when the hostess stopped them. "Oh, it's you, Noah. That's fine. Go ahead. Have a good night."
In the relative quiet of the parking lot, she wondered if she was getting heavy to him. Yes, he was strong, but he was lean. She didn't consider herself overweight, but she wasn't skinny. He didn't seem to be tiring, though. He hadn't even adjusted his grip. He still held her in a secure cradle.
"Why did they stop you?" Her speech was sluggish.
"Security stops anyone not leaving under their own steam. They don't take chances on someone using a date rape drug or letting subspace disorientation cause a nonconsensual situation. But the owners here know I'd never endanger anyone else, no matter what a Master or Mistress ordered me to do."
When he let her feet down, she was standing by a black Escalade with all the trappings. Apparently, Lyda working those two jobs in high school had paid off. The nursery must be a successful venture, and she obviously hadn't made poor choices in men, like Gen had. Her corset was probably custom made, not underwear bought off the discount rack.
She realized abruptly she'd put her car key in her bra, and it wasn't there. "My key..."
"Lyda has it. She put it into her bag so you wouldn't lose it."
It also made a cowardly escape impossible. Not that she would do that. Maybe. "What about yourself?"
"Hmm?" He had his arm around her waist, so she could lean against him, get her bearings. He was nuzzling her temple, long fingers stroking her hip. He was an irresistible blend of nurturer and utter temptation.
"You said you wouldn't put anyone else in danger. It was a weird way to word it. What if they put you in danger? You said no murder, unless you deserved it, but there are a lot of awful things that don't result in death."
"She doesn't miss much, does she? Even when she's a little fuzzy." Lyda strode toward them. She was wearing an embroidered silk tunic over her corset, belted with a silver and black sash. A tote bag was slung over one shoulder. The Escalade chirped as she unlocked it and opened the passenger door. "Put her in the front seat with me."
Noah slid Gen onto the seat and leaned in to pull the belt across her. Gen laid her hand on his back, tracing the Yours Unconditionally tattoo, sliding up over the Celtic heart as he shifted to buckle the belt. Catching her hand, he kissed her knuckles before laying the hand in her lap.
"I could have done my own seat belt," she informed him. "It was more fun to let you do it."
Amusement captured his expression at her slurred tone. "I bet you're a sexy, adorable drunk," he said.
"Not drunk. Just lost. Confused." She wanted to ask him if she should be doing this, and that disturbed her. She could ask herself. If she'd made a wrong choice, she could back away from it. Even now, her mind wasn't that scrambled, even if her physical coordination was.
What had Lyda said? She's going to crash. Was that what this sudden despairing feeling was?
"Hey." Lyda slid in front of Noah, framing Gen's face in her hands. Noah was right behind her, his hand resting on Gen's leg. "You're not going to be alone tonight, Gen. You're with us. Okay?"