Long Slow Tease: Penance Part 6

As his gaze moved to a fountain off to his right he caught a glimpse of Mich.e.l.le and Yuki walking towards them. A little bit of redness rimmed Mich.e.l.le's eyes and he wondered if she'd been crying. Her gait was as lovely and controlled as ever, but he could read the tension in her body. She needed him right now so he had to put his bulls.h.i.t PTSD on the back burner.

Turning to look at James, he forced a smile. "Okay, I'm good. Now laugh or some s.h.i.t so Mich.e.l.le doesn't worry about me."

James gave him an incredulous look. "I don't know if Mich.e.l.le knows how not to worry."

Before Wyatt could respond the women joined them. Mich.e.l.le took his hand with an almost shy look that broke his heart. "Hi. Sorry I flaked out on you during the ceremony."

Careful not to mess up her makeup, Wyatt drew her into his arms in a gentle hug, breathing in the light floral perfume she wore tonight. "I hardly noticed. I was too busy watching the mother of the bride go into hysterics."

She pulled back enough to look up at him. "Are you sure you're okay to go to the club tonight?"

"Are you?"

"Yes." Her lips thinned and she definitely did not have the look of a woman antic.i.p.ating an evening of carnal debauchery, more like an execution. "I have to do this."

Yuki sighed and linked her arm with James. "We're going to eat. Mich.e.l.le, think about what I said."

Mich.e.l.le's chin lifted and she gave Yuki an unreadable look. "I have and I won't let my past ruin my future."

James led a clearly upset Yuki away from them, giving Wyatt and Mich.e.l.le some semblance of privacy.

He cupped her chin, turning her attention back to him. "There's nothing I'd love more than to take you back to our hotel room and let you handcuff me in the shower."

A hint of warmth chased away the volatile sorrow and she stroked his cheek. "I really want to do this, Wyatt. I want to show you the fun that we can have in a club together so that when we get back to Austin you might consider going to a BDSM club there with me. I want this to be perfect for you."

"How about we find a club nearby, but not in Austin. I know too many people there and it would be really weird to run into my third grade teacher getting a spanking."

She giggled and twined her fingers through the short hair at the back of his head, sending tingles down his spine. "I'd much rather give you a spanking."

While part of him felt like distracting her with s.e.x was a cop-out, that he should get her to open up about what was going on inside her head, he was also more than aware that they were in a very public place with more than one set of curious eyes glancing their way. Mich.e.l.le would forgive him for just about anything, but he was pretty sure she'd kick his a.s.s if he made her cry in public. She was such a private person that he sometimes wondered about the social b.u.t.terfly she'd been before Owen's death. According to Yuki, Mich.e.l.le used to be the life of the party and had greatly enjoyed having a large circle of friends. While he didn't think Mich.e.l.le could ever return to the carefree young woman she had been, he hoped that someday she would stop isolating herself and only letting a few people into her life. He could easily imagine her ranch in Austin filled with friends and family for summer barbecues and winter parties instead of standing almost empty most of the time.

Taking her hand in his, he brought her fingertips to his mouth and kissed each one. "Promise me if it gets to be too much we'll leave."

"I don't want to deprive you of the experience of Petrov's club."

The mention of her old mentor sent a bolt of jealousy straight to Wyatt's heart. "I want to meet this Petrov."

She snorted then moved so no one could see her cup his b.a.l.l.s and give them a gentle squeeze. "You aren't going to try to kick his a.s.s over my training with him, are you?"

With his c.o.c.k rapidly hardening he shifted uncomfortably beneath her knowing touch. "I just don't understand how any man could be with you and not want to keep you to himself forever."

Her gaze softened and so did her touch, now a teasing caress over his stiff length. "Petrov is a happily married man who has trained dozens of submissives and Dominants. He is well-respected in the community, and while we were s.e.xually intimate, we weren't emotionally intimate. He is a valued and cherished friend, nothing more. It's not like I have a giant tattoo on my back that I got for him."

He gently pulled her hand from his now straining erection. "You're never going to let me live that one down, are you?"

She took a step back and watched with amused eyes as he tried to cover his hard c.o.c.k with his tuxedo jacket. "Nope. Now come on. Let's go eat and make nice so we can get out of here and have some real fun."

Chapter 5.

Wyatt looked at the black leather harness and back up at James, shaking his head. "I can't wear that."

With a low laugh James began to shed his tux in the men's locker room at The Velvet Fist. "You want to p.i.s.s Yuki off, be my guest. I'd just like to remind you that she's going to have you trussed up and hanging from the rafters tonight so you might not want to make her angry."

"And you're sure Mich.e.l.le is going to like this?"

"Trust me, she's going to love it." James shed his clothes as he talked and put his own black leather and steel harness on. "She's always been a sucker for a man in a harness and loves it when Yuki does suspension play. Besides, I haven't been practicing this scene with you for the past week only to have you p.u.s.s.y out now."

"f.u.c.k off," Wyatt said with a small smile even though he was nervous.

It was one thing to do this with Yuki and James in the privacy of her barn, but a whole 'nother ball of wax to do it in public. He'd told Mich.e.l.le he was over there posing for Yuki's sculpture, but in reality they'd been figuring out the logistics of how to suspend both himself and James. True to form, Yuki had actually done most of the planning while he and James just followed her directions. Sometimes it was nice having a dominant woman in charge. He didn't have to worry about doing the wrong thing because Yuki would lay into him in a second if he p.i.s.sed her off.

He also didn't have to worry about Yuki copping a feel while she was winding rope around him because although she admired his body, it was more like being admired like he was an animal, or a piece of art. When she was doing her sculpting and her shibari play she was focused on him as form and function rather than as a man. He could only hope that their performance would help distract Mich.e.l.le from her anxiety and help her find her footing.

When they'd entered the club and branched off into the men's and women's locker rooms he hadn't missed her unsteady breathing or the faint tremble in her hands.

Eager to return to her side, to be her support and her guardian, he shed his tux and threw the harness on, adjusting the straps so they laid just right. It looped over his upper shoulders and crossed his chest in a X where it connected to a strap that went all the way around his torso and joined in the back. A large silver ring decorated where the straps came together over his chest and he had to admit that he looked good. Before James could catch him admiring himself in the mirror like a girl with a pretty new dress, he put his tux back on and was slipping back into his shoes by the time James had finished putting their bags into a locker.

Other men filled the room from the wedding and James was clearly popular by the number of guys who came over to talk to him. For Wyatt, it was a little weird to be talking to men in fetish gear, but he tried to keep his discomfort to himself, especially when he'd been propositioned by an older submissive who'd mistaken him for a Dominant.

To his relief James led them out into the club and Wyatt found himself gaping like a kid fresh off the farm. A ma.s.sive bar that wouldn't be out of place in any dance club took up the far wall, but the plethora of bondage equipment instantly caught his attention. Yes, the scenes being conducted on some of the pieces were s.e.xually riveting, but as he watched he could only imagine what Mich.e.l.le would do to him on a St. Andrew's Cross, or all the wicked ways she'd tease him to a ruthless o.r.g.a.s.m while he was trapped in a stockade.

James sighed. "It'll take a bit for Mich.e.l.le and Yuki to get ready. Want to walk around? I'll show you the club."

"Sure."

As they made their way around the room Wyatt was getting an uncomfortable hard-on from all the female bodies displayed before him. There seemed to be a greater number of male Dominants than female Dominants, and far more submissives than Dominants of either s.e.x. He wondered why that was, but wasn't going to interrupt a scene to ask. James pointed out different groups of people, telling Wyatt who they were and if they were friends with Mich.e.l.le.

The club was actually three stories, and this room opened up to a second level above with a walkway all around so people could look down at the floor below. Ropes and chains hung from the ceiling far above a roped off area and Wyatt took a deep breath. The third level was where Petrov and his wife lived.

Wyatt nodded to the open area with the walk way. "Is that where we're doing our thing?"

James nodded, obviously distracted. "I should go double check that they have everything set up right. If they don't, Yuki is liable to throw a fit of epic proportions."

"Go ahead, I'll wander around."

"Are you sure?"

He grinned, warmed by the obvious concern in the other man's voice. Over the past few weeks they'd become good friends and Wyatt not only respected James, but liked him as well. And, as with all men's friendships, the more guys got along the more they gave each other s.h.i.t.

"I think I'll be fine, Mom. You can pop your t.i.tty out of my mouth now."

James flipped him off. "Mich.e.l.le and Yuki should be out soon. Try to not drool on yourself when you see them."

Wyatt waved him off and made his way through the lower level of the club, stopping to look at a particularly well made table that had some kind of pump attached to it. He was trying to figure out what it was when a male voice said, "Excuse me."

He stepped back and a man a few years younger than Wyatt with light blond hair wearing only a pair of leather pants set a black bag on the table. He was covered from neck to where his torso disappeared into his pants in an elaborate and amazing tattoo of dragons mixed with all manner of stylized Celtic symbols, merging together to create a masterpiece.

Wyatt came to himself when he realized he'd been silently staring. "Sorry, 'bout that."

The other man grinned and held out his hand. "No problem. My name's Collin."

"Wyatt, nice to meet you."

The men shook hands and Collin gave him a once over. "You're Mistress Mich.e.l.le's submissive, right?"

He flushed, not used to a stranger knowing about his s.e.xual activities. "Yeah."

"I saw you at the wedding with her." He took out a tube of lubricant and set it on a shelf beneath the table. "I wasn't sure if she'd bring you here or not. Mich.e.l.le tends to be uber possessive of her men. But then again so is my Mistress. h.e.l.l, she tattooed her name on my a.s.s."

"What?"

With a laugh Collin turned and pulled down his leather pants enough so Wyatt could see the name 'Daniella' done in cursive script right above the crack of the other man's a.s.s.

"Your Mistress did that?"

"Yep, she's done all of my tattoos."

"Does she do any cover-up work?"

"Sure. Why, you got some rainbows and unicorns you want to get rid of?"

"Try a tattoo that I got for an ex-girlfriend when I was nineteen. It's all f.u.c.ked up but Mich.e.l.le found out why I got it and I have a feeling she'd scrub it off with sandpaper herself if I let her."

Collin grinned and turned back to the bag he was unpacking. "I hear ya. I always liked her even if she and my Mistress don't get along."

Interested in this glimpse into Mich.e.l.le's past Wyatt watched as Collin took out a series of different colored candles. "Why don't they get along?"

He hesitated. "Well, before Mich.e.l.le collared Owen my Mistress trained him."

"So before Owen was with Mich.e.l.le he belonged to your Mistress?"

"That's right," a sultry female voice said from behind Wyatt. "I trained him, but I never loved him the way I love Collin."

Wyatt turned to find a lovely middle-age woman in a black latex dress that hugged her body from her large b.r.e.a.s.t.s down to her red stiletto-clad feet. She also had tattoos, but not a full body suit like her submissive did. With dark hair and dark eyes she reminded Wyatt of a cla.s.sic femme fatale from the old detective movies he used to watch as a kid. Although she barely came up to his chin, she projected the same aura of control that Mich.e.l.le did, but slightly different, more earthy somehow.

Collin came over and dropped to his knees before her, bending to kiss her foot with a reverence that Wyatt could understand. After all, he felt the same way about Mich.e.l.le. She was the beginning and end for him, and he had to admit he was curious about the Domme who had trained Owen.

"Hi," Wyatt said then cleared his throat. "Uh, I'm not sure what the proper manners are in this situation."

"My name is Daniella, but you can call me Mistress Daniella."

"Wyatt Callahan, nice to meet you." They briefly shook hands and Wyatt struggled against the urge to shift beneath her gaze. "So, Collin was telling me you do tattoos?"

She smiled and went from scary Domme to appealing woman in the blink of an eye. "Indeed I do. Why, are you in the need of some new ink? If you and Mich.e.l.le are going to be in town for a few days I'd love to have you both over to my studio."

He looked at Collin then back to Mistress Daniella. "Um, I'm not sure if that's a good idea if you and Mich.e.l.le don't get along."

Mistress Daniella snorted. "We used to fight like two territorial b.i.t.c.hes, but that was years ago. I've grown up since then and I'm sure she has as well."

Before he could respond Yuki's familiar voice reached his ears. "h.e.l.lo, Daniella."

"Yuki, it's so nice to see you."

The women exchanged a brief hug and Yuki turned to look at him, the concern in her gaze obvious. "Wyatt, Mich.e.l.le is waiting for you at the bar."

Mistress Daniella let out a soft sigh. "She's p.i.s.sed, isn't she? I can see it from here."

Wyatt went to turn, but Yuki stopped him. "Yes, she is. She's waiting for you, but I'll need you in a few minutes to start our performance."

He nodded and turned to leave their small group, but Yuki stopped him and whispered in his ear, "She's had a couple drinks so she may not be as rational as she usually is. This means no playtime for you together. Understood? It's the rules of the club and while Mich.e.l.le knows that, she's not in the right mindset for any kind of play."

"Are you sure our performance is a good idea?"

Mistress Daniella and Collin moved to the far side of the table, discussing the candles and obviously trying to give them some privacy. "Yes, no, h.e.l.l I don't know. If we give her a good enough show and can drag her out of the funk she's in it should help. She's feeling very vulnerable at the moment and seeing you with Mistress Daniella sent her straight to the bar."

"Why? All I'm doing is talking with Mistress Daniella and Collin." Irritation spiked along his nerves and he looked for Mich.e.l.le, but couldn't see her through the growing crowd. "Does she really believe I'd cheat on her?"

"No, that's not it. Well that's kind of it, but not really. Look, just go talk to her, soothe her, and I'll send James over for you when it's time. She loves you, Wyatt, don't ever forget that, but she's in her ice queen mode right now so try not to let her freeze your b.a.l.l.s off."

Making his way quickly through the crowd, his gaze centered on his Domina and he only vaguely noticed she was wearing a pink latex dress that molded to her every curve before flaring out at her hips with a silver chainmail corset around her waist. What captured his attention was the way she was slamming down two shot gla.s.ses of a clear liquid, one right after the other. After she slammed the gla.s.ses on the bar top her head momentarily sagged and her shoulders rounded in, a brief crack in her physical armor that was alarming on every level. Mich.e.l.le never, ever let her emotions show in a public situation, and to see her this obviously distressed sent up warning flags.

He needed to get her out of here.

Right the f.u.c.k now.

She noticed him approaching and sat up straight, trying to affect her normal cool Domina expression. Only her fingers were twisting in her lap, a sure sign that she was either drunk, or close to losing it, or both. The bartender caught Wyatt's eye and made the universal gesture of a finger across the throat to indicate that Mich.e.l.le was cut off. Wyatt nodded and as soon as he was close enough to touch her, knelt next to her bar stool.

"You look beautiful, Domina."

Anger and pain waged a battle in her slightly gla.s.sy gaze before she said, "Do you want to f.u.c.k her?"

"What?"

Mich.e.l.le jerked her chin in Mistress Daniella's direction. "Do you want to f.u.c.k her?"

He rose until he could put his lips to her ear. She tried to jerk away but he easily captured her with an arm around her waist. "Better stay still, sweetheart, because you need to understand something right now, before we go a step further. You're the woman I love. You and only you. There is no one I could ever want more than I want you. Don't you understand? You're my beginning and end."

She sagged in his grip and let out a hitched breath. "I'm...I'm sorry, Wyatt. You don't deserve my jealousy."

"It only tells me that you care, but I won't put up with you doubting me."