Doms of Dark Haven 2: Western Night (12 page)

“Yeah. With you, I have to be careful that my punishment is really punishment and doesn’t lead to more bad behavior.”

“There is that.”

“Dress in a skirt, shoes, and shirt that you can travel in,” he told her.

Her heart momentarily stopped with the realization that they were so close to the end of their time together.

She packed while he made breakfast, and she joined him for coffee in the sun-drenched breakfast nook. She couldn’t eat more than a few bites.

He poured coffee from a carafe into a porcelain mug and added the exact amount of creamer she liked. He’d clearly been paying attention to little details. The way he watched for subtle nuances made him good at what he did, including driving her to orgasm.

“Nervous about seeing Master David?”

“Yes,” she lied. Lying, she figured, was better than letting him know she was sad about leaving. Master Trevor hadn’t revealed any of his thoughts, and he hadn’t hinted that he’d like her to stay, so her feelings were likely one-sided. He was single by choice, she knew. He turned down plenty of opportunities to play with subs. She took a drink of coffee to occupy herself and to disguise the fact her lower lip trembled. While the week had turned her world upside down, to him it had likely been nothing more than a fun diversion.

After breakfast, he took her into his home office to show her the initial designs for David’s law offices.

He brought up a slide show on the large monitor.

In the conceptual pictures, the building had a lovely new sign, along with a new door, sturdy but elegant wood.

“Stunning,” she said, standing behind him.

He went to the next slide.

“You’re adding a few windows.”

He zoomed in to show detail.

“Arched windows? I love them. Reminds me of this place.”

“We’re not doing much to the existing windows. He’ll still want plenty of privacy. But these fit the building and will add plenty of natural light.”

Which inspired optimism, she supposed.

He moved to pictures of the interior, including a conference room, several offices, a child’s playroom, file room, and a small break room, complete with refrigerator and small stove.

“You’ve thought of everything. The only thing it needs is a place to sleep on those nights when David refuses to go home.”

He skipped ahead and then said, “Right here.”

“Clever.” The room was small and tucked into a corner with no windows.

“A good place for him to spank a naughty sub.” He looked over his shoulder at her.

“You’re always thinking.”

“A place should always have a place to spank a misbehaved woman.”

“Of course.” Too bad she wouldn’t get the chance to be his misbehaved woman. She gave in to her sadness and impulse and kissed the side of his neck. “You’re an amazing man, Master Trevor.”

He turned to her, captured her around the waist, and pulled her onto his lap.

“You’re quite an inspiration, sub.” He kissed her long and slow. He tasted of coffee and sin and the impossible promise of tomorrow. For a moment she fantasized about truly being with him.

But then an alarm rang on his phone. He slowly ended the kiss. But he held on to her for a few seconds before brushing his thumb across her lips. “Behave this afternoon.”

She reluctantly left his lap and gathered their coffee cups for the last time.

While he grabbed her suitcase from upstairs, she rinsed their coffee cups and the coffee carafe, and after confirming that she was ready to go, he called for a cab.

As they got closer to Dark Haven, adrenaline began to build. Seeing David, saying good-bye to Master Trevor, wondering what he had in store for their last event.

She twisted her hands in her lap, and Master Trevor placed a hand over them, stilling her movements.

“I promise it won’t hurt a bit,” he told her with a wolfish grin.

Destiny met them inside the club. She gave Master Trevor a scowl, then looked Shelby over from head to foot.

“I didn’t harm her one little bit,” he promised the woman, holding up his hands.

“So why does she look so unhappy?” Destiny asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Unhappy?” Master Trevor asked, looking at Shelby.

“I’m just nervous,” Shelby said, the lie slipping out as easily as it had at Master Trevor’s loft.

“I reserved the punishment room and the horse,” he said to Destiny.

She hesitated, and Shelby wondered if Destiny would refuse. When she’d met the other woman on previous visits, she’d been friendly and outgoing. Obviously she was protective of subs, though. Master Xavier had done well hiring her. Nothing got past the woman.

“This way,” Destiny said with a toss of her hair.

“Sir?” Shelby asked.

“Follow me,” he said.

Wanting to behave, wanting him to be happy with her, she trailed him, the requisite three feet behind. The odd thing was, she was happy to do so.

“I’ll send Master Xavier by,” Destiny said.

Shelby wasn’t sure if that was a warning or promise.

“And Master David, when he arrives, if you will.”

She stuck her tongue behind her lip, pushing out her lip piercing.

Shelby liked the woman more and more.

Master Trevor shut the door to the all-too-familiar room.

She recognized the horse, but now it didn’t seem so intimidating. She knew Master Trevor, trusted him. As long as she could control her mind and surrender rather than fight, she’d get through this.

“Seems you have more than one protector,” he told her.

“Or you’re an ogre.”

“Clearly. And there’s a reason you’re standing?” He folded his arms across his chest.

The temperature in the room plummeted. She hadn’t lied to Destiny. She was well and truly nervous now, knowing David and Master Xavier would be joining them. “Shall I undress?”

“Did I order you to strip?”

She gulped and cast her gaze down. “No, Sir.”

“Do what you’re supposed to do, Shelby.”

Quickly she lowered herself to her knees.

He walked over to her and crouched in front of her. With his finger, he lifted her chin. “You’re lovely, sub.”

She blinked. “Sir?”

He moved the pad of his thumb gently down her jawbone.

She could get lost in his eyes. Suddenly she wanted to stay. Unfortunately subs didn’t get to make that decision.

“Thank you for being my sub for the past week. It was a novel experience. I’m glad I got to know you.”

Her heart raced. She didn’t dare hope he’d say more, but desperately she wished he would. “Thank you, Sir.”

Abruptly he changed the subject. “Master David will be here shortly. Master Xavier may or may not pop in.”

She nodded, never wanting him to let her go.

“I will give you a symbolic beating before releasing you back to Master David.”

She stopped breathing.

“I expect you to take it with grace. Make me proud, little sub.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I’m greedy. I won’t let anyone else touch you while you wear my collar. After that, it’s your choice.”

“Thank you.”

Their gazes were locked. It seemed as if a thousand things remained unspoken.

After several seconds of silence, he said, “I hope that sometime in the future we can—”

The door banged open.

“Good afternoon. Shelby’s actually kneeling? And she stayed there?”

Crap.

David’s arrival interrupted Master Trevor’s words…words she hoped she’d hear, promises of the future and, of course, his undying devotion.

If it had been possible to stamp her foot, she would have.

Instead, she stayed exactly where she was with Master Trevor’s hand holding her chin, despite the fact her friend and sometimes-dom was in the room, looking at her, studying her, maybe judging her.

After tenderly stroking her jawbone one last time, he released her and stood to greet Master David.

“I received the preliminary ideas for the law center,” David said. “I’m beyond impressed. Honored. We’ll do a fundraiser right away. Thank you.”

“I would have done it anyway,” Master Trevor said. “But Shelby’s involvement convinced me to do it immediately.”

Her heart pumped faster. Part of it had been about her.

“Stand, sub,” Master Trevor said.

Keeping her gaze on the floor, she rose with more grace than would have been possible a week ago. Practicing hundreds of times a day led to mastery.

She stood there quietly and waited for further instruction. She wanted to please Master Trevor. She knew that by focusing on him—and only him—she would stay grounded.

“I want you naked, and I want Master David to see how well you behave.”

She didn’t respond. She didn’t need to. It was a given that she’d do what he told her.

“Take off your blouse, then remove your skirt. Leave your shoes on,” he said.

He had told her previously that he had a thing for stilettos. She’d remembered and had worn them intentionally.

She took her time unfastening the buttons on her silk shirt. She was aware of Trevor watching appreciatively and David looking at her with an intrigued, raised eyebrow.

Trying not to allow her fingers to shake, she shrugged out of the silk shirt.

“Great tits, Shel,” David said.

She’d actually dated him?

Trevor extended his hand, and she draped the material over it.

She slowly unzipped her skirt and then shimmied out of it. The fabric pooled onto the floor. She waited for him to tell her to step out of it before she moved.

David sucked in a breath. “You taught her all this
in a week
?”

“She’s a fast learner,” Master Trevor said.

As she stood there, naked except for shoes and his collar, the men talked about her as if she wasn’t there. She really liked some parts of submission. Other pieces were much more difficult to handle…like them talking about her as if she weren’t there.

She supposed that submission was much like a number of other things. There were trade-offs. Like the fact she hated to exercise but enjoyed the results.

Hoping she was disguising her impatience, trying to be a good sub, she waited for further instruction.

“Climb up on the horse, sub, your ass facing us, just like last time.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said.

He swept the skirt from the floor, then hung it and her shirt on a peg on the wall.

She concentrated on her breathing as she climbed onto the horse.

Master Trevor grabbed restraints from the wall and walked over to her. “You’re doing well,” he said quietly. “I’m proud of you.”

He stroked her spine, and she relaxed. She forgot about everything except pleasing him.

She wriggled until she was as comfortable as possible, and she stuck out her ass in a way she knew he expected.

“Good girl,” he said against her ear as he bent to secure her first wrist in place.

She could do this. She
would
do this.

In only minutes, he had her tied to the horse.

“How many, sub?”

“Ten, Sir.”

Silence seemed to echo before he said, “With what implement?”

“Whatever Master chooses.”

“Jesus,” he muttered.

She grinned into the vinyl. She’d never used that term of respect before, and clearly he knew it. She liked shocking him.

She wondered what David thought of her new behavior. They’d played together for years, but nothing like this. She’d always talked, always told him what to do, always refused to let him tie her down, always made him stop.

“The flogger or my belt?” Master Trevor asked. “Choose.”

“The flogger, Sir.”

A good sub would give the answers he expected, but she wasn’t quite as good as he thought.

He trailed the twelve thick leather tips over her back, across her buttocks, and then allowed them to dance on the skin of her thighs.

Suddenly she wasn’t feeling so brave.

They’d never played with a flogger, and she wasn’t sure what its intensity was like. She closed her eyes, quickly praying she wasn’t in too deep.

He shocked her by reaching between her legs and pressing a finger against her clit. She swallowed a gasp and curved her fingers into the horse.

“You’re wet, sub.”

“Master’s touch does that, Sir.”

He gently pinched her clit. “No orgasming.”

“Sir?”

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

“Sorry, Sir.”

He removed his hand and took away the flogger.

She didn’t even have time to tense her muscles in anticipation before the first dull blow landed. “Thank you, Sir. One.” He hadn’t told her to count or express gratitude, but she supposed that was a given.

The second thuddy stripe landed almost on top of the first. She breathed out and thanked him. “Two.”

By the third, they’d found a rhythm. “Three; thank you, Sir.”

He wielded the whip like a master. The differences between this kind of beating and punishment were vast. This was scripted for her enjoyment.

The fourth landed, and she moved with it, then brought her body back into position for the fifth.

Despite his warning, deep inside, an orgasm built. Her pussy was damp. “Four. Thank you, Sir.”

Now she had something else to worry about. If she orgasmed and others were in the room, he’d have no option but to turn this into a punishment.

He landed another stripe, this one blazingly hard. Most of the throngs curled around her thighs instead of her ass and bit into her skin. But one tip landed viciously between her legs and caught the tender flesh of her pussy. She screamed.

Damn it! The single throng seared.

She yanked against her restraints, desperate to get away.

“Shelby?”

Panting, blinking back the sting of tears, she forced herself to say, “Five. Thank you, Sir.”

She expected the next stripe to come immediately, but it didn’t. Obviously he was giving her time to compose herself.

She exhaled shakily.

Shelby had dug her fingers into the horse’s vinyl padding, and as she managed to breathe again, she realized the pain had obliterated her need to come.

Her dom had been watching her carefully, reading her. Over the past week, he’d taken the time to learn about her and her responses. He knew her intimately and had apparently recognized that the rhythm of the beating was bringing her to orgasm.