Hooked (Decadence Nights Book 1) (8 page)

“Leave the rest and bend over my desk.” As she took her position, he saw the slight tremble in her shoulders and the rapid thrum of her pulse in her throat. If he touched her now, he knew she’d be dripping wet.

His hand came up to soothe her, gliding softly over her back. It wasn’t torture after all, but play on his part, although she didn’t know that yet. Having easily taken control of the game, he wondered if it was turning out as she’d hoped.

His fingers skimmed along her lower back and the waistband of the garter. “Palms flat on the surface, feet wide apart.” As she shifted, his hand moved between her legs and commanded, “Wider.”

Her breath hitched as his fingers found her sultry heat. She was soaked, her abundant nectar like a balm to his soul. His Livvy thrived on this as much as he did, thank god. In that, they were matched perfectly. Returning his hand to her back for support, the broom came into play as he whisked it lightly against her nicely rounded ass.

“I’m told there is a cumulative effect with the birch. Each swat builds upon the next.” He paused, delivering one well-controlled thwack after another. She shifted a bit. “I’m assured the aggregate grows to a significant sting equaled by none.” He paused and stroked over her abraded skin, testing her heat and the tenderness of her behind. He then administered three swipes in quick succession, each equal to if not eclipsing its predecessor.

On the last stroke, she hissed in a quickly indrawn breath.

He stopped, his hand gliding over her quivering ass as he leaned over her back. “If you want to play naughty secretary and me your hardass, disciplinarian boss, pet, you only need to say so.”

She huffed a sharp breath at both his words and the two fingers that simultaneously slid into her wet pussy. Finding her clit with his thumb, he rubbed it briskly as he pumped in and out of her slickness. “I’ll make the time. If you want to roleplay, I’m up for that too, but none of this sham incompetence. I know you better.”

“I’m sorry,” she said between moans. “I didn’t mean—” She didn’t speak further as he withdrew one finger and slipped it into her wonderfully tight and puckered backside.

“Go on,” he encouraged as his fingers moved in and out of both holes in tandem, his thumb strumming constantly over the bundle of nerves up front.

“I can’t think when you’re doing that.”

“Try for me.”

“The f-folder…” she stammered as he quickened the pace. “I didn’t mean to give it to you,” she blurted out in a rush. “I changed my mind. The real contracts are on my desk.”

“You were going to give me a little test, eh? Were you hoping I’d bend you over my desk for a sound thrashing?”

Her answer of “Yes, Master,” was almost lost in her blissful groan as she rocked back against his persistent hand.

“It seems a spanking in this case is a reward rather than a punishment when that was your end game all along.” He withdrew his hand, smiling as she whimpered at its loss. He wouldn’t leave her unattended for long. From his trouser pocket, he withdrew the plug and lube he’d placed there in anticipation of this moment. One handed, he thumbed open the flip top bottle and applied several drops to the end of the medium sized plug. He spread her cheeks and pressed the tip against her tightly furrowed pink skin.

“Breathe out while you bear down and it will slide right in.”

Slowly, he inserted the plug watching as her ass stretched to accommodate its girth before eagerly engulfing it. He had to wrap his arm around her waist to hold her still while he seated it fully.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, bending to place gentle kisses over her pink bottom cheeks. A few more with the birch on her plugged behind, then he’d grant her an acquittal and fuck her.

The rod returned as if it hadn’t ceased, the intensity picking up where it left off, swishing along her backside, heating her skin and bringing the color to a lovely rosy hue.

“Please, Master, I can’t bear it. May I come?”

“Not without me inside you. You’ll have to wait.” Painting her thighs pink with the brush, his free hand went to his zipper and unleashed his painfully distended cock, the sound of her unrestrained cries almost making him erupt prematurely.

With an urgency matching her own, he slicked the head through her drenched opening, filling her swiftly. With the plug in her ass, the squeeze was almost painful, but with a hard thrust, he wedged himself deep, sweat beading up on his forehead as he fought for control.

She was at the edge, however. “Please… Master,” she sobbed.

“Come, Livvy. Fly apart for me.”

She did, screaming her pleasure, uncaring of who might overhear. His roar of completion followed shortly and was only incrementally less noisy. When he lifted his chest from her back and pulled out, he whispered in her ear, “Stay right here.”

Joseph disappeared in his private lavatory, returning in a moment with a warm cloth and cleansed her gently. When he was done, he helped her stand and hugged her against him. “Get dressed, pet. When you’re done, bring me the correct contracts. One needs to go out by courier by close of business today.”

She nodded and took a step. Halting sharply, her hands flew to her bottom and she swung back. “You forgot the plug.”

“No, I didn’t,” he countered, bending to place a quick kiss on her lips. “That is your real punishment for testing me.”

“But I didn’t.”

“This will help you remember the next time you plot and scheme.” He patted her behind making sure to get the plug with his fingertips. She was obviously a novice with ass play. She would find out soon enough that the plug would shift with every subtle movement and if she sat or heaven forbid bent over—

At that point, she did exactly that, leaning down to retrieve her skirt from the floor. She yelped, popping upright instantly. Her grimace soon turned into a scowl, which she indiscreetly aimed his way. His tolerance level was boosted by his good humor and having just come in quite splendid fashion. She got off easy with a warning.

“Without the scowl please, Livvy, unless you want to try out our new cane here and now. I promise it will be less forgiving than the birch, as will I.”

“No, Master. I’m fresh out of scowls.”

When she was dressed once again, he beckoned her over with a finger. As soon as she was in reach, his hand wrapped around her nape and pulled her into him, bending to capture her lips in a scorching kiss. Once he had her breathless, he reluctantly let her go.

“I enjoyed this little interlude. Maybe we should renegotiate professional behavior in the office.”

“After the last hour, I think we already have.”

He grinned. “Cheeky girl, I believe you’re right.”

She returned his grin, standing on tiptoes for one more quick kiss. Of course, he obliged. As she walked away, her gait was noticeably less graceful and polished. He couldn’t help the chuckle that earned him a glare as she opened the door.

“Was that a scowl, Miss Wright?”

“No, Mr. Hooks,” she replied without looking back. “Something in my eye, is all,” was her unlikely excuse. Before she slipped out of sight, she winked at him brazenly.

His laughter rolled up and burst free. She was a delight and he kicked himself for not making a move with her sooner. For the remainder of the afternoon, he enjoyed watching her try to manage the plug with grace, challenging her by sending her on needless errands, calling her into his office a time or two for a kiss or a pat, and once bending her over on the outrageous excuse of checking the placement of the plug.

By five o’clock, she’d had enough. Without warning, she rushed into his office, locked the door and sank to her knees.

“Please, Master, end this torment and fuck me.”

Seeing her in such a state, his simmering passion boiled over. He got up without a word, grabbed her hand as he passed and with her doubled over the arm of the couch, he replaced the plug with his cock. Going slowly at first, his hand wrapped around her hips and moved down to find and torment her clit. She was soon begging for more. Only then did he speed up, taking her hard and fast.

It occurred to him after they’d both shouted in release, that it might be a good idea to soundproof his office.

With Livvy practically living with Joseph, spending every night at his place unless he was out of town, Emma and David insisted on meeting him.

“I met David at a munch I attended in college. It was my first and we chatted. He was full of information and took me under his wing, not as a submissive but more as a mentor. We were instant friends, never having any kind of romantic or sexual spark.” She glanced over at Joseph, who was listening to her ramble as he drove. “We adopted each other I’m afraid. Neither of us has any siblings, but he couldn’t be more of a brother to me if he tried. I hope you understand.”

“I’m glad he was there for you, Livvy. What about Emma? Was she ever jealous of your connection?”

“He left town to complete his doctoral degree and that’s where he met Emma.”

That had been a difficult two years. During his absence, without David’s support and sound advice to keep her straight, she’d gotten mixed up with Vaughn. She hadn’t told Joseph about it just yet, and wondered if she should. Glancing out the window, she reflected on her unhealthy relationship with Vaughn. It was nothing like what she and Joseph shared. He was strict, but also affectionate and playful, both of which she enjoyed. Vaughn was controlling, demeaning and frankly an ass. She’d laughed more with Joseph in the short time they’d been together than she did the entire time she’d been with Vaughn.

When they’d returned from Dallas, Emma and David had immediately recognized the relationship as toxic and challenged her on it, but she’d been in denial. Vaughn had kept her apart from them after that. She was a shell of herself while with him, something he seemed to prefer. Once she’d become entirely dependent on him and isolated from her support system, he’d broken things off leaving her devastated. What a prick! It had taken a while for her to see the truth and realize that dumping her was the best thing that Vaughn had ever done for her.

“Livvy?”

Startled out of her musings by his voice, she looked away from the window.

“Where did you go just now? You were so far away, you didn’t hear me call you twice.”

“Lost in the past for a bit, is all.” That wasn’t a lie, not completely, more like a half-truth. She pressed on. “You asked about Emma. We clicked right off. I was involved with someone at the time, and she never saw me as a threat. Now my brother’s wife is my best friend.”

“So I should be prepared for the Inquisition from them both?”

“It won’t be as bad as that. David’s a tough Dom but he only tops Emma now. Ten years ago, he may very well have put you on his rack to get the truth out of you, mwah ha ha.” She giggled, her earlier somberness dispelled. “Truly though, Joseph, they’re my only family. They love me and want to see me happy. I think once they meet you, they’ll love you as much as I do.”

Realizing immediately that she’d let the L-word slip out, she cringed inwardly, waiting stiffly for a response. Holy crap! Had she screwed up and let it out too soon? It had only been a month.

“Livvy,” he said softly, his hand finding hers and lifting it to his lips. After a gentle brush, he held it clenched on his hard thigh. “Although a declaration while driving wasn’t my intention, since it’s out there… I love you, too. If you’re worried that it’s too fast, consider that although we’ve only been intimately together as a couple, as Dom and sub for a few short weeks, the feelings were there long before that night at Club Decadence. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, I’ve loved you forever, it seems.”

He grinned at her obvious exaggeration, but didn’t discount her fervent declaration. “I’d prefer you turn that around a bit.”

She thought for a moment and restated. “I will love you forever, Joseph.”

“Sweet music to my ears, love.”

*****

Dinner that night was pleasant, filled with good food, great company, lots of wine and laughter. Joseph and David hit it off right away, both having so much in common. The only uncomfortable moment came during after-dinner coffee. She and Joseph were sitting closely on the love seat adjacent to their hosts who were sharing an oversized chair-and-a-half, the petite Emma ensconced comfortably in her husband’s lap. Somehow, the conversation turned to Livvy’s extremely poor taste in men.

“Hopefully, Joseph, you will break that pattern.” David said this only half-jokingly, going on to threaten him with dismemberment of a certain appendage should he treat Livvy the way that bastard Vaughn had.

Her Dom stiffened beside her, his full attention shifting to her. She glanced up then frowned over at David.

“I don’t believe she’s mentioned anything about ‘Vaughn the bastard’, have you, Olivia?”

“We haven’t discussed past relationships at all, not in detail.”

The glint in his eyes, told her he wasn’t happy with her avoidant response.

“He was an abusive prick,” David supplied, turning a dark glower on Livvy. “And you, missy, should know better than withholding something so pivotal in your past from your Dom.”

Two on one, so not fair. She looked to Emma for assistance, but she was frowning at her too. Definitely outnumbered and out gunned. She shifted to get up, but Joseph’s arm held her close.

“It was a long time ago, Joseph.”

“Obviously, she’s not going to be forthcoming,” he commented, addressing David now. “Was it physical?”

“No.” Livvy interjected, but got a silencing squeeze. Joseph had evidently chosen to move on to another more reliable witness. She glanced down at her clasped hands, really not wanting to get into this.

“No visible bruises, but his words hurt as much as a fist. He beat her up emotionally,” Emma explained, reaching out to squeeze her friend’s hand. “After he stripped her bare and left her defenseless, the bastard dumped her without warning when she turned thirty-five like it was a pre-ordained cut off point.” Getting angry on her behalf, she cast her hand toward Livvy. “I mean, look at her, she’s thirty-eight, but freakin’ gorgeous and will be at forty-eight and forty freaking years from now at seventy-eight. Trust me, I’ve seen her mother. By my way of thinking, he did her a favor, but it took a while for us to convince her of that.”

“Can we change the subject, please?” Livvy implored softly.

“Silence, pet.” Joseph hadn’t used the commonly used submissive endearment in public before, but didn’t hesitate in front of Emma and David. They’d understand its meaning and used with his no-nonsense tone of voice would also recognize he meant business, right now.

“I blame myself.” David’s low voice rumbled with anger. “I was away for two years while working on my PhD and completing my internship. She’d talked about him, but whenever I came home for a visit, he was always out of town or he cancelled when a work matter suddenly came up. I suspected something was wrong, but Livvy convinced me I was imagining things. I finally got the chance to meet him about two years in and recognized his bullying and emotionally abusive shit the moment I laid eyes on him. I should have done more than try to persuade her he wasn’t good for her.”

“I’m an adult, David, as I was then. I wouldn’t have listened. I didn’t, in fact, the many times when you tried,” she ended in a whisper. She curled into Joseph’s chest. “It wasn’t long after he left that I transferred into your office. The change was good for me, but it took a while to come back to myself. David and Emma helped me.”

“It wasn’t just us, Liv,” he added gently. “You need to tell him all of it.”

Livvy glared at him again. Was nothing private with these Doms?

Joseph intercepted the look and turned her face up to his. “Don’t take this out on him, Olivia. David knows how important disclosure of past trauma is in our lifestyle, not to mention honesty and trust. By revealing your remarkably imprudent omission, it shows his concern and love for you. You should have told me this first thing, so he didn’t have to.”

“I know that,” she whispered. “It’s just so embarrassing.”

“To have fallen in love?”

“No. To be pathetic and weak. That’s how he made me feel.”

“This happened three years ago, is that why you never got involved again?”

“I was being cautious,” she said evasively.

“Olivia,” David cut in, repeating, “tell him all of it.”

“I was getting to it, David. As I said, it took a while to come back to me. I was in a very bad place and slipped into a clinical depression. It took counseling and a psychiatrist to intervene.” She glanced up at him to see how he was taking it all. Seeing no disapproval or condemnation, she added, “I’m off the antidepressants and my therapy sessions have ended. The change in jobs, David coming home and having him and Emma in my life really helped me heal. There was also this really hot attorney who caught my eye.”

Joseph’s grunt was the only acknowledgement of her attempt to lighten the mood. “Have you been with anyone since the bastard? Am I the first in three years?”

“I’ve had a few dates.”

“You know that isn’t what I meant.”

“I’ve scened at the clubs a few times, but nothing serious.”

“She pushed them away,” David put in. “Just like she tried to do to you that first night. Thank god you had the balls to call her on her shit.”

His eyes searched her face, stroking her face gently. Suddenly, they shifted to David. “Knowing all of this, why the hell did you let her go clubbing by herself. What the fuck?”

Shocked at his language, Livvy stiffened. She’d never heard Joseph use fuck as an exclamation or expletive, a verb during play, yes, but never in this context. Shock quickly turned to dread, as she realized her other omission from that night was about to come to light.

“I’m getting a headache—”

“Stop being avoidant, Olivia. We’re doing this now. So sit there and be quiet unless you have something of value to add. If you can’t do so, I’m sure David has a gag I can borrow.” He paused, obviously done with her crap. “Are we clear on this?”

“Yes, Sir.”

His eyes reconnected with David, who was shaking his head, perceptively offended. “I’d never let her go to a club alone. She always went with me and Emma.”

“She was at Decadence alone.”

Two pairs of eyes turned to her, one set angry, the other appalled.

“I arranged for a colleague, who was also a member, to escort her.” David’s blue-eyed gaze blazed with fire as his words mirrored Joseph’s. “What the fuck, Livvy?”

“My escort cancelled at the last minute. I was afraid if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t get another chance.”

“How did you walk into that place by yourself?” Emma gasped.

“It wasn’t easy, or the smartest thing I’ve ever done. But if I hadn’t gone, things might not have turned out as they did.”

“The end doesn’t justify the means, little one.”

“Was that the only time?” David barked, his face telling her he already knew the answer.

So she didn’t, answer that is, which was as good as admitting the truth.

“Fuck me,” he growled. His eyes shot to Joseph. “She’s a handful, man. Sweet as hell, but when she gets a bug up her ass—”

“David!” Livvy and Emma both cried at once.

“Have no fear. I have some experience handling a misbehaving submissive. Livvy can vouch for that herself.” He stood and tugged her up beside him. “Thank you for dinner and a very informative evening. I think Olivia and I will continue this discussion at home.”

“What about dessert?” She stalled, sending big eyes Emma’s way.

“What about your headache?” Joseph challenged back.

At the door, he turned. “I almost forgot. I wanted to extend an invitation to the both of you to join us one night at Club Decadence. There are some preliminary forms to fill out and approvals to obtain before we can say for sure, but if you’re interested in putting in the work, I think you might enjoy the club.” Emma virtually bounced off David’s lap and jumped up and down in her excitement, while he was more sedate. Rising, he clamped an arm around her shoulders, trying to contain her as he graciously accepted on their behalf.

Despite what lay in store for her later, Livvy smiled at her friend’s exuberance. “You’ll like it, Em, there’s a great band with an awesome singer and the owner’s submissives are all very nice.”

“I can’t wait to see the dungeon. Maybe this time, you can too.”

Blinking slowly, Livvy looking up at Joseph. He smiled down at her, clearly recalling that night as did she. Needlessly, she stated, “I told her I never made it past the bar.”

David’s attention switched to Joseph and back. “I thought you two, you know.”

She flushed under David’s regard and admitted, “He took me to a room upstairs.”

“A private apartment actually,” Joseph explained. “The owners and I have an arrangement. They let me stay due to the commute and I represent them as well as all their women when they get into legal trouble. Believe me, they’re getting a bargain.”

David’s eyes once again snapped with anger as they zoned in on Livvy. “Let me get this straight. You went to a club alone, picked up a Dom and went directly to his private apartment? Olivia Suzanne, did you retain nothing that I taught you?”

“But it was Joseph, David. Besides, I didn’t have much choice. I was kind of passed out at the time.”