Spring Training (14 page)

“You feel as if your needs somehow make what you have with him impure.”

“I know they do.”

“They don’t, Brooke. You are only human. You can’t stop feeling simply because you want to.”

“I don’t want to hurt him.”

“Neither do I. He loves you. I would never do anything to jeopardize that. You need to talk to him, Brooke. Tell him what you’ve told me. Think about what he’s done to keep you. Do you think there is anything he wouldn’t do to make you happy?”

“There isn’t anything I won’t do to make him happy.”

“Come on.” Mistress Lola gathered her half-eaten meal then stood. “There’s a park down the street. We can talk there.”

Brooke followed her, tossing her uneaten meal before trailing the other woman out of the restaurant. The park she spoke of was an oasis of green in the otherwise brown landscape. Scraggly pepper trees provided dappled shade for the unoccupied picnic tables and benches. As refreshing as the plot of ground was in the middle of the desert, there were no other people about.

The women settled at one of the tables, using the tabletop as a backrest. They had a sweeping view of the park, allowing them to see anyone who entered. “We can talk freely here.”

“I don’t know what else there is to say.” Even though they were in a public place, the fact that they were alone made their meeting seem more intimate, more forbidden to Brooke.

“There’s plenty to say, sub.”

Every cell in her body went on alert at the woman’s choice of address. They’d been careful in the restaurant, but here, it seemed caution was going to be thrown to the desert wind.

“The two of you have an appointment this weekend. According to our contract, Todd is still my sub. He will follow my orders or suffer the consequences. I could have him whip you. If I insisted, he wouldn’t spare you.”

She hated to think of her Master compelled to execute a scene he wasn’t comfortable with, no matter how much she welcomed the pain. “No. Please, Mistress, don’t force him.”

“You realize you have no say in this? Todd is your Master.”

“I know.”

“That brings us to the other issue—your desire for me, personally.”

The frank assessment of her feelings shocked Brooke. For some reason, she’d tied all her feelings for Mistress Lola up in her newfound need for a higher level of pain instead of seeing there were two issues in play. That she enjoyed eating pussy and wanted this woman to return the favor was a startling revelation. At the time, she’d performed the act on Mistress Lola because watching her do so would please her Master, but when the tables were turned, she’d balked. Not because she didn’t want to take the woman up on her offer, but because she
did
. Her pussy ached to feel Mistress Lola’s lips and tongue stroking her, cleansing her still-throbbing tissues. Then she’d thought of her Master and realized her desire was an adulteration of their relationship.

“I shouldn’t have let you make the decision the other night. That was my mistake. Todd was so focused on caring for your back he didn’t pick up on your other needs. I should have pointed them out to him. He would have held you while I sucked your pussy clean then we wouldn’t be in this situation. Everything would be out in the open.”

“It was my responsibility to tell him.” She’d almost told him the night before when she told Carrie and Jason how she came to have a pattern of stripes on her backside. But she’d stopped short of the aftercare part of the story. Bringing up her desire for a woman in the presence of friends would have made the revelation that much more difficult for her Master. “Besides, I’m not sure where the desire came from. It might have been part of the natural bonding process after such an intense scene. Perhaps I would have felt that way about anyone who applied the whip to me as thoroughly as you did.”

“It was more than the whipping.”

Brooke tilted her face up to catch the rays of sunshine filtering through the canopy of thin leaves overhead. She closed her eyes, willing the warmth to seep in and dispel the chill of uncertainty in her bones. “Maybe.”

“There’s no maybe about it. We connected. Your Master is going to notice. Are you prepared for when he does?”

She shivered in the sun. “No. I don’t want to lose him, Mistress.”

“The last thing I want to do is cause a rift between the two of you, but once he sees what’s right under his nose, denying it will only make the situation worse.”

“I know. I won’t lie to him if he asks.”

With a resigned sigh, her companion stood. “That’s all I’m asking, sub. Remember, your Master loves you. His decisions might seem harsh, even cruel, but he has your best interest at heart.”

***

Todd was tired down to his bones. Every minute he was on the field these last few days, he felt as if he were a rookie again, proving to himself and to the team he was equal to the job. Couple his attempts to turn back time with Jason’s news, and the conversation with Doyle Walker earlier in the week, and his mind was anywhere but on playing submissive to Mistress Lola.  But fatigue wasn’t an excuse to miss an appointment with his trainer.

There was more on the line these days than keeping his place on the field. His relationship with Brooke still tottered on the edge of an abyss filled with unknowns. He had no intention of accepting a trade, even if it meant picking splinters out of his ass until his contract ran out, and he could retire. But if he couldn’t cement this thing with Brooke, then perhaps moving to another city would be the right thing to do.

Just like his sessions with Mistress Lola were the right thing to do. He’d learned more than he ever expected by assuming the role of a sub. Watching his slave with the other woman was a bit of a revelation in itself. Remembering Brooke going down on Mistress Lola, bringing the powerful Domme to orgasm, was enough to make him hard. And he couldn’t get that scene out of his head any more than he could forget Brooke lying face down on the floor, accepting a whipping he would have cowered from.

There were layers to his slave he never knew existed. No points for him as her Master. But he recognized his shortcomings in that realm and had taken steps to rectify the situation.

Watching Brooke disrobe in the small dressing room at Mistress Lola’s establishment tonight, he wished peeling her layers off was as easy as removing her clothes. But no one ever said being a Dom, a Master, was easy.

Brooke turned to place her neatly folded garments in the locker provided for the Mistress’ visiting playmates, giving Todd an excellent view of her backside. It had been a week since the whipping. The marks had faded considerably, but they were still there. Some had bruised, going through the colorful phases of such things in the interim. She’d been stoic throughout, even showing her body to their friends as regally as any royal sporting the crown jewels.

He couldn’t imagine losing her, but, thankfully, he didn’t have to make a decision unless an offer was made. Brooke couldn’t leave the business she’d worked so hard to build in Dallas, and he wouldn’t ask her to.
I do have a choice. All I have to do is say no. They can’t make the trade without my consent.
But still, he’d agreed to listen to an offer if one was made.
I’ll say no.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“You’re amazing,” he said, taking Brooke into his arms when she faced him. He kissed her, taking her lips in a blaze of passion she returned in equal measure. “I want to fuck you, slave. I want to use your body like there’s no tomorrow.”

“My body is yours to command, Master.”

He kissed her again, recognizing the desperation underlying the move. Ever since their last session with Mistress Lola, he’d felt as if Brooke was slipping away from him. With the possibility of a trade hanging over his head, the thin bond holding them together seemed more fragile than ever. “I don’t think I can stand by and watch you submit to another. Not tonight. I need you too much.”

“As you wish, Master.”

She followed him out to the main room where the Domme awaited them. This evening, the woman had chosen a red corset that elevated her breasts, flaring out over her hips in perfect contrast to the black garter belt that held up red silk stockings while framing her bare pussy. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, its length laced tight with a thin leather strips. The pinpoint heels on her stilettos clicked on the concrete floor as she circled the two of them like a lioness deciding which of the innocent bunnies to feed to her cubs first.

“There’s been a change of plans, Mistress.” His uninvited comment would undoubtedly earn him a punishment, but the way he figured it, he was paying for the woman’s time. She’d damn well listen to what he had to say, or he’d take his toys and leave. He was tempted to do that anyway. Having Brooke all to himself tonight sounded pretty good.

“Oh?” She came to a stop in front of him. “You’re fortunate I haven’t decided what to do with you tonight. So tell me, what would you like to see happen?”

He didn’t give a rat’s ass why she’d agreed to listen. It only mattered that she did. “My slave isn’t fully recovered from her last session with you. I intend to fuck her until she can’t walk on her own.”

Her attention shifted to Brooke. “Turn around, girl. Let me see your back.”

After seeking his approval, his slave spun in place, lifting her hair to one side. Mistress Lola examined her closely.

“She’s healing nicely, but I agree. It’s too soon for a repeat performance even though I’m sure she would welcome another trip into deep subspace.”

With the tip of his index finger, he traced one long, pale line extending from Brooke’s left shoulder to just above her right buttock. “She was pretty deep last time. It was beautiful to see. It’s been a week, and the reminders still haven’t faded. Do you think she wants to go there again?”

Mistress Lola traced a mark that mirrored the one he followed. “Yes, I think she needs it in order to remain in touch with her deepest feelings and desires. She’s a strong woman, Master Todd. In order to function in the outside world, she buries her true nature way down inside her. She shows it to you, but when a sub looks as deep as she did last time, the things she finds there can change her.”

“What are you saying?”

“That she’s a different person since her first voyage into deep subspace. I think there might be more avenues to explore with her than there were before.”

He studied Brooke’s back, letting the fading lines speak to him. Memories of the night she’d received them played over in his mind. She’d done things he never thought she would do. He could still feel her mouth on his ass, see her face between Mistress Lola’s legs. Perhaps the whipping had unlocked levels of Brooke’s sensuality she’d previously balked at expressing.

“I never want to hold her back.”

“You aren’t, Sir. There’s no need for her to delve that deep into her psyche too often. But when you do take her there, you’d be a fool not to explore all she learns about herself.”

“You’ve given this some thought.”

“I have. Put yourself and your slave in my hands again tonight. I swear I will not cause her any undue pain.”

“Meaning?”

“No whipping. Nothing more than something to help her focus.” Her hand trailed to Brooke’s ass, still pink from the spanking he’d given her. “I see you’ve done a little of that recently.”

“That was purely selfish. I wanted to see my handprints on her ass when I fucked her.”

She nodded her understanding. “Submit to me, Todd. Allow me to use you and your slave tonight. I promise you won’t regret it.”

“Not me.” He nodded at his naked slave. “Her. I want tonight to be about Brooke.”

Mistress Lola studied his face, eventually turning her scrutiny on the other woman as if appraising her worth. “Do you have your leathers?”

“I do.”

“Go put them on.” Her lips curved into a smile, and her eyes sparkled. “Let’s work together to see how far we can take your slave.”

She stroked a hand down Brooke’s back from nape to ass, causing his woman to shiver. Was that from apprehension or anticipation? He never wanted Brooke to fear anything he did to her.

“Slave, turn around. Look at me.”

Moisture pooled in Brooke’s eyes, ready to spill over.

“I would not push you too hard, too fast, slave. You will not be beaten tonight, but you will be used and rewarded if you please us. Do you have any questions?”

“May I use my safe-word, Sir, if I feel I can’t go on?”

Todd wiped an errant tear from her cheek. “You trust me, don’t you, slave? I know you. I know your body. There will be no need to use a safe-word tonight.”

She worried her lower lip with her teeth. “I trust you, Master.”

Didn’t she always? Even when his decisions proved disastrous? For reasons he couldn’t pinpoint, he knew this decision was sound. Mistress Lola seemed to understand Brooke, perhaps better than he did, so he’d be a fool to pass up the opportunity to work side-by-side with the Domme.

“That’s a good girl.” He wrapped a hand around the back of her head, urging her closer. He brought his lips down on hers for a tender kiss. “You will always be safe in my care, but I won’t have you worrying, not even for a second. Your safe-word is yours to use whenever you feel the need.” Twisting her ponytail in his fist, he tugged so he had access to her neck. He nibbled the slim column, reveling in the quickening of her body. “You will not need your safety net tonight, slave.”

Taking one last taste of her skin, he ordered her to her knees. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Behave for Mistress Lola until I return.”

He hurried, lacing up the leather pants and vest Brooke liked so much as quickly as possible. His slave would be perfectly all right, but it had been weeks since he’d dressed to dominate, and he couldn’t wait to resume the role he was born for.

When he returned, Brooke was still on her knees where he’d left her, but now her lips were stretched wide around an enormous dildo strapped between Mistress Lola’s legs. The Domme caressed his sub’s head, stroking her hair and crooning words of encouragement to her.

“There, girl. Look at me and breathe.”

Todd approached, watching his slave for any sign of distress. Though the large object in her mouth must have been uncomfortable, she appeared serene. Not required to suck, only to hold the cock in her mouth, she gazed up at Mistress Lola like a puppy willing to do anything to please its Master.

“She always has liked to suck cock,” he said, straddling Brooke’s legs and pressing his thighs against her shoulders from behind. He cupped her jaw in both hands. Her skin felt like satin pulled taut.

“You can learn a lot about a sub by watching their eyes when they’re being flogged. Will you do the honors, Master Todd?”

Before he left to choose a flogger from the assortment hanging on the wall nearby, he stroked her cheek with the back of his thumb. Returning with a soft, suede instrument, he touched her lightly on the shoulder to let her know he was there. “Hands behind your head, girl.”

When she complied, he dangled the thin strands of leather over one shoulder, then the other, teasing her nipples to hard peaks.

The scent of her arousal called to him like a mythical siren. He fully intended to give in to the call, but not until she was mindless with need. He laid the strips against her back, being careful to do nothing more than bring a lovely rose hue to her skin that would fade before the night was done. Nonetheless, it pleased him to mark her as his. Switching sides, he laid another layer of color from her ass to her shoulders. Satisfied with his work, he crouched down to admire her heated flesh.

Mistress Lola continued to stroke Brooke’s hair, her gaze on the sub at her feet. Todd flattened his palm on his slave’s back. Her skin was warm and soft as silk.

“Ah, girl. You are so lovely,” he said.

“She’s exquisite, Master Todd. All I see in her eyes when you strike her is love.”

Todd rose, coming to stand beside the Domme so he, too, could see his slave’s expression. Her features were soft, her eyes dilated. Her body trembled as the warmth began to seep from her skin, yet she did not look away from the woman who had commanded her attention. 

“She’s in subspace.”

“Yes, she goes there easily.” Mistress Lola caressed Brooke’s face. “I want to taste her pussy more than I’ve ever wanted anything. Fuck her, Todd. Then I’ll have both of you on my tongue.”

He pictured the scenario in a rush of erotic images that almost brought him to his knees. He damned near died watching Brooke go down on Mistress Lola at their last session. Watching the Domme return the favor might finish the job. He was willing to risk death by sexual fantasy, but there was more at stake. Brooke had always resisted his attempts to get her to interact with other women, but she didn’t seem to have the same hang-ups in that regard when it came to Mistress Lola. Still…. “She might safe-word out of the scene.”

“I don’t think she will. Not if you want it.” Stroking Brooke’s forehead, she said, “Just look at her. She’ll do anything for you.”

That’s what he was afraid of. He doubted his sub was so deep in subspace she wouldn’t come out of it quickly, and he wouldn’t put her into a scene he knew she had objections to unless she was fully aware of what was being asked of her. If he pushed her to do something she didn’t want to do, would it put more stress on their already strained relationship?

He laid a hand on the top of her head, stroking her forehead with his thumb. The price might be too high for a few minutes of a fantasy he could do without. He’d recently been through hell believing he’d lost her. That memory wasn’t going away any time soon. Perhaps it never would. “Only if she wants to. I won’t lose her over something like that.”

“You won’t. I promise.” She stepped back, removing the dildo from Brooke’s mouth.

The shock of returning to the real world rocked Brooke all the way to her toes. She licked her lips, swallowing hard. No longer compelled to look upward, she obediently dropped her eyes to the floor. She often thought of subspace as having different levels. Sometimes she went to a deep, dark place where her inner feelings were magnified and illuminated. Other times, she floated on a cloud of euphoria. Today, she’d been on a plane where her senses were heightened, so the slightest thing aroused her.

Her Master’s unique scent, the smell of his leathers, Mistress Lola’s arousal inches from her nose, the soft application of suede to her back, the sound of voices discussing their plans for her, even the feel of her lips stretched to accommodate the strap-on—all combined to make her ache with need. Her body was on fire with desires she could barely comprehend. She trembled as Mistress Lola framed her face between her palms, drawing her attention away from the huge cock bobbing between them.

“You were excellent, slave. Your Master is very pleased with you as am I.”

She couldn’t help the smile curving her lips. Being on her knees again for her Master felt like coming home.

“I’m sure you heard our discussion regarding how to proceed with you. Master Todd’s concerns are valid, so, at this instance, we would like to hear what you think. You have permission to speak freely.”

“Thank you, Mistress, Master.” She cast her eyes down, thinking of a way to express her feelings adequately. She’d never do anything to hurt her Master again. Yet she was certain if she told him how she really felt, she would do just that. “Can I have some water please?”

“Certainly.” Mistress Lola stood, urging Brooke to do the same. Wrapping her in a blanket, she led her to an oversized chair. “Relax with your Master. I’ll get you some water.”

Her Master gathered her in his arms, her head on his shoulder. His body felt like a furnace, replacing all the heat she’d lost since the flogging ended.

“This feels good,” she said.

“I’m glad.” Todd squeezed her tight. “She was right, you know. You were excellent. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Not at all, Master. You chose your flogger wisely and handled it with skill as you always do.”

Mistress Lola returned with a water bottle. Brooke drank greedily before handing it back and snuggling close to her Master again.

“Your scent is driving me crazy, girl. A good flogging always did increase your arousal.”

His words made her forget all about the other person in the room. “My pussy aches for you, Master.” She squirmed in his lap to emphasize her point. “You know I can never get enough of you.”