The Wrangler (The Yacht Club #2)

Chapter 5

Five

Alex

I rub the back of my neck. I could have handled the hotel room thing better but no way am I sharing with some random chick from Texas. Especially one as sexy as SJ is and one who focuses so hard on me. I swear I don’t make a move without her eyes on me. But that’s no excuse for being rude.

“Sit up here with Amy. Pierce and I can take the back row.” I hold out my hand to help her in. She hesitates and it kills me. I obviously hurt her feelings. Her fingers are chilled when she finally grabs my hand. I’m tempted to chafe them between my palms to warm her up. But I let her go and climb in behind.

Check in is smooth but we have a few hours before the club will open. I’d be fine watching TV and chilling out, but Stone orders us to show up for dinner. I swear, only my mama was as big a stickler for family dinners. A pang of longing careens through me leaving a shredded ache. I haven’t been at a my family’s dinner table in almost ten years. Amy and the guys are great, but they’re no substitute for my real family. I’m ashamed by my disloyalty to the people who have “found” me and provided as close to a family as possible. But I didn’t lose my family, they didn’t abandon me. I had to leave because of my own stupid choices.

Going to the club is less and less appealing. I gotta get my head out of my ass.

Dinner, a shower, and a short nap help. I’m something close to human when we climb into the van again. Cade, and Eliot pack in with us when we stop by their rental house. This giant van that seems like overkill when there are six of us riding in it shrinks to the size of a clown car. If clowns wore black leather and micro-mini skirts. Amy is sitting on Tyler’s lap. Not exactly kosher, but Eliot is the safest driver I know and we’re only a few blocks from the club. I wouldn’t mind having SJ on my lap. She must have borrowed on of Amy’s outfits, because, damn. Her legs are a mile long and her ass is stretching the shiny black fabric that barely covers her in a way that brings tears to a man’s eyes and steel to his dick.

The van is quiet enough that Tyler’s whispered promises are nearly understandable. Besides those two ratcheting up their coming scene with some dirty talk, the sexual tension is off the charts. The only one who appears unaffected is Stone. But that man’s feathers don’t ruffle. I’m pretty sure he could be in the middle of a tornado and he would just stand there while it veered to avoid him. I’m itchy to open my bag and check my equipment. The gear I keep in perfect condition. The carabiners clipped together by size. The rings in their own separate zipper pouch. The hanks I formed and sorted hours before we left the Sunflower. I rub my hands down my black jeans to ease the obsessive urge.

Pierce still works part-time at Pandora, so he takes lead on getting us into the club, chatting with the guy at the front. Each of us rattle off our names, Amy Davis, Tyler Davis.

“Alex Craig.” I point to my name on his members list, and flash my ID as I move inside.

Eliot Hughes, Cade Ramos, Stone. The guys rattle off their names as they follow me in.

SJ is the only nonmember guest, so she has to sign the agreement to follow the rules. Her hand shakes a little as she initials each rule, must be nervous about her first experience in a dungeon.

“We’ll meet you down there,” Eliot says. Cade and Pierce follow him to the elevator. After SJ finishes with her form, the ladies visit the locker room. Tyler, Stone, and I wait in the hallway, the anticipation building and keeping us silent. We left everything at the hotel room, except for the tool bags Tyler and I carry.

Finally we’re moving down the wide hallway to the freight sized elevator that will lower us into the Box. The thumping music hits low in my gut. I glance at SJ. The beat isn’t waking her up so much as rattling her bones. I’m pretty sure she’s feeling like a nervous hound in a thunderstorm. My hand twitches with my urge to reach out, but I hold back. As soon as the door slides open and the dark, cavernous space is exposed, Tyler grabs Amy’s hand and leads her directly to the spanking bench. Stone beelines for the table where Pierce, Cade, and Eliot are already chatting up a couple of women. This should be interesting.

SJ hasn’t moved a muscle to follow. My plan to let the one of the others, like Pierce, show her around isn’t going to work. I grit my teeth. “Can I give you the nickel tour?”

She whooshes out a breath and nods at me. I offer my hand and she hesitates before taking it. Her fingers were chilled before, now they’re ice cubes. Panic. If she was in my ropes, I’d be cutting her loose so she wouldn’t go into shock. We’re at the damn door and she’s losing her shit. I’m tempted to turn around and send her back to the hotel, but she steps off the elevator and turns to the right. “Show me everything.”

Little spitfire’s got gumption. I’ll give her that.

I lead her to the St. Andrew’s cross. A Domme is having fun with a naked male subbie who is bound facing the room but wearing a blindfold. She walks around him, checking his bindings, dragging her fingers lightly over his armpits and other vulnerable spots. It’s a wicked show of dominance without impact. She works him over with a feather wand, flitting randomly from spot to spot and occasionally lingering until her boy is twitching and begging. Based on his cock, he’s loving everything she’s giving him. She will probably move on to more intense sensations, but she has her sub’s entire attention right now. Exactly why I love my ropes.

I check our table. Stone is alone with one of the women that had been chatting with Eliot and the guys. Maybe she’d be willing to finish giving SJ the tour. I lead her toward the table. Stone waves us over when we’re still feet away. As soon as we reach them, Stone introduces the girl—she must be barely old enough to be at the club—as Cassie.

“Ma’am” I say automatically. And introduce SJ.

“Nice to meet you.” Cassie smiles, but it’s clear she’s nervous. Stone puffs up as if he needs to protect her from us. What’s that about?

When SJ doesn’t jump in, the conversation dies. My sister or my mother would have already been pulling out the chair nearest Cassie and asking intrusive questions. Cassie seems enthralled with Stone and SJ’s focus is still flitting around the club. I set my bag on an empty chair and rather than stand around awkwardly, I ask, “Ready to check out some more?”

SJ blinks up at me as if she forgot I’m here. “Sure.”

Over at one of the spanking benches, Tyler ties Amy in place. “Want to see some impact play? Tyler and Amy are about to scene.”

I take SJ by the shoulder and pivot her to face the right direction. Tyler lifts Amy’s skirt to bare her ass and delivers a warmup smack. SJ jerks in my grip.

“Um. Maybe not.” Her cheeks pinken and she turns her head away.

Interesting. I lean close to her ear and whisper, “Is it because you know them or is it the spanking? Does his hand on her ass make your pussy wet?”

Her blush deepens to match the red of her hair. She turns and her lips are nearly on mine. “Did you just ask me about my pussy?”

Damn. I did. I shouldn’t but I really want her to answer. I let the fire I’m feeling burn in my gaze. “Yes.”

Her mouth forms a perfect O and her eyes go wide. My cock loves that reaction. Let’s see what else gets her going. I grab her hand and head directly for the rigging stage. A couple I’ve seen before has the stage. Perfect. She’s a former dancer, ballet or something, and flexible as all hell. Her partner, lithe as she is and slightly older, moves around her, embracing her with his entire body as he weaves and knots his ropes. They’re beautiful to watch, but not at all instructional. His rigging appears like magic around her. I’m envious of the years they’ve had to work together to be so in sync that they look as natural as a flower blooming. That kind of partnership doesn’t happen with a single hookup—the only kind of play I let myself have.

With SJ directly in front of me it’s easy to talk without disturbing the scene. “What do you think?”

Her breath puffs out in a subtle pant. Her fingers warm in my light hold. Her body shifts as if the ropes are tugging her forward as her breasts are framed. Damn. She’s into it. My cock twitches with need and my urge to get out my gear comes roaring back.

I lean closer, close enough to smell the light fruity scent of her hair. “You like what you see.”

She nods even thought I didn’t ask a question. As we stand there, she leans into me, her back resting against my chest. I should shift away, but I can’t. Finally, the couple wraps up their scene with the woman spinning just above the floor in a beautifully balanced suspension.

With SJ’s vibrant red hair and curvy body, she would be stunning floating in air, naked, my ropes pinning her place. My fingers digging into her hips as my dick slides in and out of her luscious body. My cock lengthens uncomfortably behind my zipper. Woah . I step back.

“Ready?” I have to clear my throat of the lingering effects of my fantasy. SJ follows toward the middle of the club and taps me on the shoulder.

I stop.

“How did he know how to tie all those knots and how many times to wrap the rope around her body? How did he get the knots to lay so flat? Does the rope scratch her skin?”

Holy shit. She’s fascinated, curious. I consider going back to the table, grabbing my gear, and showing her the answers. Up close. In person. No. She doesn’t have a clue and can’t consent. And I don’t need to start something with someone I’m living with, even if it is in separate rooms.

I swallow down my perverted desires and try to answer with as little emotion as possible. “He’s likely been practicing for years. Probably taken classes or gone to conferences to learn. As a couple, you can tell they’ve been together a long time. There’s an artistry to that kind of rope play.”

“Obviously. It was beautiful the way she trusted him and he took care of her while he restrained her. But it wasn’t totally about that was it?”

“What?”

“Restraint. Control. Domination.”

“It is on some level absolutely about all that.” I don’t want to lie to her and let her believe that the dominance isn’t a huge draw. “But part of dominance, is care. The reason she trusts him is she knows she can release all control to him and he’ll care for her. They’re beautiful together because of that trust.” Trust he’d thought he’d found so early in his exploration. Trust that had been completely violated. “It’s just as important for the Dom to trust his sub. The suspension they did, he had to trust that if something felt…off, she would tell him. Those two are so tight together, they’re communicating without words. Her shift of an arm, or tilt of her head had him readjusting, responding to what her body needed. That’s why they’re so captivating.”

“When she lifted off the ground— I didn’t expect that. It was breathtaking.”

Damn, she did see the artistry.

“How does that even work? Ropes and some metal clips and her entire body was suspended.”

“There’s a fair amount of physics and some anatomy involved. Tying someone, bondage, is one level. They’re at a completely different level. Shibari.”

“What do you do? Bondage or art?” Her blue eyes bore into me, searching for my secrets.

“I can do either. Depends on my partner.”

“What would you do with me?” She blinks her pretty eyes, gaze soft and inviting.

Fuck. Her question might as well be her hand wrapped around my cock. I’d do everything with her. But I can’t. “Nothing.”

“What?” She stiffens.

“I have to go.” I grab her hand and tug her to where Stone is sitting with Cassie. Tyler and Amy have rejoined them. Amy on Tyler’s lap, cuddled close. As soon as we’re within range, I say, “I’m going back to the hotel. Not feeling well.” I drop SJ’s hand and pick up my bag. Before anyone can argue with me, I’m in the elevator sucking in air and praying my cock will go down on its own. It won’t. Image after image of all the ways I could tie SJ up flash before my eyes like a an old fashioned slide show of vacation pictures. Click. SJ, arms folded behind her, bare breasts wrapped and framed with a center knot. Click. SJ suspended, cradled with her thighs tied to her arms, open completely. Wet and dripping. Begging me to fuck her. Click.

The elevator door opens and I shake the images from bastard brain. I don’t retrieve my phone until I’m outside sucking in the cool night air. The ride share shows up and within minutes I’m back at the hotel.

I drop my gear and strip. The shower offers no relief. With a soaped up hand, I stroke away my longing. Only it doesn’t get washed away with my cum around the drain. Instead it builds. SJ with me under the water, the marks from my ropes still visible on her skin. Her hands on me. My tongue dancing with hers. Her hair in my fist as I press her against the tile wall and fuck her until neither of us can move.

I slam the water off. Grab a towel and barely dry off before I’m laid out naked on the bed, lube on the nightstand ready to help me abuse myself with images of what can never be until I finally pass out.

The sound of an injured animal has me jolting awake. What the fuck was that? I’m up and searching for the source before I’m fully aware. The connecting door. I open my side. Press my ear to the door to Sonja’s room.

“I’m doing the best I can.” The pain in her high-pitched voice stabs me through the thick door. I press my palm to it as if I could comfort her.

“This isn’t what we agreed to.” Is she crying?

That’s it. I knock on the door, three firm raps. “SJ.”

She mumbles something.

I knock again harder.

The lock clicks and she’s still dressed in her club gear.

“Are you okay?” I ask, reaching out to swipe away a tear.

“Are you naked?”

Aw shit. I drop my hands and cover my junk. “I was asleep. Sounded like you were in trouble. I wasn’t— I shouldn’t?—”

“Just my agent.”

“He shouldn’t talk to you like that.” Because it’s lighting up all kinds of protective instincts in me.

“You could hear him?” She clasps her arms protectively.

“No, I could hear you . Maybe you need a new agent.”

“It’s not that simple. I’m…late. On my book.”

I reach up and stroke the hair back from her face. “No matter how late you are, it’s not okay for someone to abuse you.” I’m sure not going to let her be bullied over a book contract. Not right under my nose. “If you ever want me to tie you up for real, you’ll have to learn to say no and mean it. Even when you’re not in the obvious position of power, you still have to be assertive when it comes to your safety, your mental health, your well-being.”

Somehow SJ is in my arms. She trails her fingers down my cheek and I tilt my head down to kiss her. Her lips touch mine and electricity flows from my mouth directly to my balls. I press my hips forward into the cradle of her thighs. She grips my biceps and steps back. She swipes her lips with her tongue and my knees shake with need.

“I can’t do this.” She takes another step back and I mirror her movement because she’s right. “Not with you. Not tonight.”

The next thing I know the lock on her door is snicking into place.

How did that happen? What is it about this woman? She makes me forget all my rules. I haven’t been alone with a woman and naked anywhere in almost ten years, much less a hotel room. The image of her screaming for help and my life imploding again is enough to kill any lingering lust and deflate my dick. But my gut is still demanding I protect her from the asshole on the other end of the phone. My guts will have to shut the hell up because it’s not my place to deal with her editor, even if he is making her act like a victim. She’s not my problem.

The alarm goes off before I’ve had a wink of sleep, at least not any actual rest. Images of SJ in my rigging warred with images of her being taken away by a shadow of a monster. I fucked and fought in my head the rest of the night, but we have to check out. I grab a shower and head downstairs to meet the group. After a quick bite of breakfast at the hotel buffet, we’re loaded back in the van. Stone’s driving. Tyler shotgun. I’m in the last row behind Amy and SJ. Guess Eliot decided to stay and spend time with Blake. I tilt my head back and close my eyes intending to get the rest I missed while I was sleeping.

“How’d you get started writing BDSM romance, SJ?” Stone’s question, lobbed into the backseat has me jolting up.

She laughs nervously. Stone has that effect on people. The van is silent, waiting for her to answer. Guess we’re all curious.

“Well.” She tilts her head and straightens. “I started in copywriting. Brochures, ad copy, rebranding. Stuff like that. Graphic design as well, but I don’t use those skills for my books. The, uh, the publisher does my covers. But I do some promotional stuff on my own.”

Stone’s cold gaze in the rearview mirror makes me want to confess everything, and I’m not event the one being grilled.

“But the writing. That, um. That was more of a hobby thing that I started because the writing I was doing for work was pretty boring. There’s only so many things that can be said about oatmeal and diapers. Right?”

“Why BDSM?”

“It was a good niche. Popular. And I like reading those books.”

I wait for what Stone will reply. Will he tell her she has no business writing about a community she doesn’t know the first thing about? Will he give her approval for following her dreams? Has he read any of her books? She writes under a pen name, but that wouldn’t stop Tyler and Stone if they wanted to find what she’s published.

Stone’s not done. “Do you like writing about BDSM?”

“Yes?” The interrogation is starting make Sonja nervous.

“Would you be interested in a little cross-over job? Copywriting and BDSM?”

She bites her lip. “Maybe. What would it involve.”

A job? Stone’s offering her a job. What the hell?

“We have a website person creating our sites for our new club. But she needs help with the content and none of us has the time or the skill to get the wording right. I’d also like some internal documents, like brochures.”

Brochures? What is Stone gonna pass them out at the next Commerce meeting or maybe ask the Alabaster innkeepers to post them in their B and B’s?

“That sounds interesting but I usually have a point of contact for my product descriptions.”

I suddenly see where this is going. “Don’t you need to work on your book? You’re already behind.”

Stone’s glare through the rearview mirror is impossible to ignore.

“Actually, it might be just what I need to get over my writer’s block. Something else to focus on but still on topic. Might even prime the pump.” She shrugs and gives me a smile over her shoulder.

“Perfect. We’ll work out the details on the pay and due dates when we get back to the Sunflower. Alex will be your subject matter expert. You can show her the ropes, can’t you Alex?”

Stone backs me into the corner perfectly and there’s not a damn thing I can do. His steely gaze dares me to try. I could argue that I’m too busy with the construction but he’ll call it out as the lame excuse it is. I’d settle this like I used to with my buddies back in Texas, a good punch to the gut, but Stone probably knows six ways to kill me before breakfast and could make my body disappear for good measure.

I nod while the voice in my head screams fuck.