Chapter 12
“Yes?” Logan looked up to see the club’s duty manager standing in front of him. “Is there a problem?”
“I’m sorry to disturb you, but I wondered if I could have a quick word with you, please?”
“Of course. What’s up?”
“I don’t know if you’re acquainted with Master Clark, but he was scheduled to give a demonstration of Florentine flogging this evening. Unfortunately, he’s been delayed by an accident blocking the motorway, and at the moment, it’s looking as if he won’t make it here in time. I know you have a great deal of experience with Florentine, and I wondered if you’d agree to fill in for him.”
Any other time, Logan would have been glad to step in, but not this evening. “I’m sorry, but this is my sub’s first visit to the club. She’s new to the lifestyle, and not ready to take part in a demo like that.”
“We do have an experienced volunteer lined up, if that might persuade you?”
“Any other time, I’d have been happy to help out, but I’m not prepared to leave her on her own, either. I’m sorry.”
“Excuse me, I wonder if we might help, Master Logan? We’d be delighted if your submissive were to join us while you’re on stage.”
The new voice belonged to Lee Carmichael. He was accompanied by his sub, Tristan Rhodes. Logan had been introduced to the pair shortly after he’d joined the club, and had become good friends with them. The men weren’t just Dom and sub—they were also business partners, and a couple in a long-term relationship. Their offer to help might work, but only if Lucy felt comfortable sitting with two strangers.
“Lucy, it’s up to you.” He dropped a brief kiss on her forehead. “Will you be all right with Master Lee and Tris if I help out?”
“If they don’t mind the company?”
“Master Logan, if I may speak to your submissive?”
“Of course. Lucy, say hi to Master Lee and Tristan.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lucy.” Lee gave her a warm smile. “It would be our privilege to escort you in Master Logan’s absence. I’m sure we can find a good spot near the stage, where you can keep an eye on him.”
“I’ll make sure one of the booths is free,” the duty manager offered, relief evident on her face. “Thank you, Master Logan. If it’s convenient, the demo is scheduled for approximately eleven-thirty.”
“I’ll need to warm up first. Master Lee, would you be all right to sit with Lucy from about quarter past?”
“It’ll be our pleasure. Till then, Master Logan. Lucy.”
The duty manager departed, followed by Lee and Tristan, leaving Logan and Lucy to their quiet corner. Logan could guess what was coming next. “Questions?”
As naturally as if they’d been together months, not days, she tucked her head against his. “I take it they’re friends of yours?”
“I know them through the club. They used to work for British Intelligence, but now they own one of the most successful cybersecurity companies in the world. They’re good guys—you’ll be safe with them.”
Her lips touched his cheek. “I never imagined I wouldn’t be. What’s Florentine flogging? I can’t remember reading anything about it. Presumably it includes a flogger of some description?”
Logan was quietly impressed. If she was taking this in her stride as easily as she appeared to be, her calm acceptance of the situation gave him a good feeling. “One in each hand, and you set up a rhythm, for either four-point or six-point. It’s easier once you see the pattern.”
“Ah. And you’re going to be doing it to another sub?”
He’d become more clued in to Lucy with each passing day in her company, and though she tried to conceal it, he heard a note of vulnerability in the question. He wrapped both arms around her and kissed her again. “Being on the receiving end of Florentine can be intense. We’ve only touched on relatively light impact play so far—this would be like asking you to run before you can walk.”
Her gaze lowered. With her head tucked against his neck, he was acutely aware of the deep breath she released, and her whispered “Thank you.”
“Lucy, I know you’re only here for the mission. You’d never voluntarily venture into a place like this.”
“That’s just it. The club isn’t what I expected. Logan—Sir, when we get home, can we talk about this, please? There’s so much I’ve learned, it’s overwhelming, and it would really help if I could discuss it with you.”
Her need to talk was almost tangible—she vibrated with it. For a moment, Logan wondered if the mission was at risk, but his instincts told him that what Lucy had in mind for their conversation was something altogether more personal.
“Any time, princess. Do you want to head out now? I’ll tell them to find someone else to give the demo.”
“No—it can wait.” When she smiled at him this time, there was an unexpected sparkle in her eyes. “You gave your word, and I know it’s important to you not to break it. Besides, I’d like to see it, and it’ll also give me some more time to think.”
She was thinking. Again. “So help me, before we’re through, I swear I’m going to get you to live in the moment instead of in your head.”
Oh, he loved the way Lucy flushed.
“With all due respect, Sir, I think you’ve already managed to do that.”
“Temporarily, maybe. I must be losing my touch. How do you fancy stretching your legs and taking another look around the play stations, see if there’s anything new you’d like to experience?”
~~*~~
“So, what do you think of Aegis, now that you’ve had a little more time to take everything in?”
Lucy sipped her orange juice, and considered how she could answer the question without seeming like a drivelling idiot. She was loosely sandwiched between two gorgeous men, who were taking very good care of her while Logan warmed up backstage for his demo.
Prior to disappearing, he’d granted her permission to talk freely to her escorts. At one time, that would have seemed weird, but now she appreciated the structure and formality even more than when she’d expressed her desire for it. Logan had handed her into the care of Master Lee and Tristan, and within minutes she’d felt more comfortable with them than she’d ever have thought possible.
“It’s amazing. I hadn’t really thought much about what the club itself would be like—at least, I didn’t think I had, until I walked through the door. I was surprised at how elegant and upmarket it is.”
“Aegis is all that and more,” Lee agreed. “Especially since the new owner took over.”
“Whoever that might be.”
Tristan, sitting to her left, had been given full permission to join in with the conversation. Lucy found the dynamic between the two men fascinating. Like Sean Malone, Tristan was an unlikely submissive. He had the lean, cut physique of a swimmer, and now that he wasn’t observing protocol, Lucy could appreciate his understated masculine confidence. She tried not to be distracted by his state of semi-undress, in contrast to the formality of Lee’s immaculately tailored three-piece suit.
“You don’t know who owns the club?”
“No idea,” Lee replied. “It must be getting on for a couple of years now, and we’re none the wiser. Whoever it is, they’ve invested a lot in making the club something special.”
“Do you go to other clubs as well as Aegis?”
“We used to, before we found out about this place,” Tristan responded. “You’d have to go a long way to find anywhere half as good as this.”
“Are you planning to apply for membership, Lucy?” Lee asked.
On the cusp of giving an automatic negative reply, Lucy hesitated. She was here as Logan’s guest tonight, but given the organisation for which she worked, could that make her eligible for membership in her own right? And the fact that she was even contemplating the matter gave her even more pause for thought.
“I was about to say no, Master Lee, but the truth is, I’m not sure. I work for Logan’s—Master Logan’s commanding officer, so depending on how much flexibility there is with the membership rules, maybe I could qualify.”
“No ‘could’ about it, you do. Give it some thought, Lucy.”
“I will, thank you, Master Lee.”
Tristan rose. “I think they’re getting ready to start in a couple of minutes. I’ll go and get us another drink—the waiting staff look a little busy right now.”
“Thanks, Tris.”
Lee was fascinating to talk to, and some of the stories he told Lucy almost had her afraid to switch on her computer the next time she was in the office.
“Hey, don’t let what I’ve told you put you off using technology. The black hats may be good, but we’re better.”
His confidence was reassuring. “Black hats? I’ve heard the phrase, but I’m not sure what it means.”
“It harks back to the good old days, when the villains in a Western wore black hats. These days we use it to describe hackers who break into computer systems with malicious intentions.”
“As opposed to hackers who break into systems with good intentions?”
“That’s as good a way as any to describe it. Part of the service we provide is to test existing security by trying to hack into a system, and we also have teams of cryptologists developing even more advanced security algorithms.”
Three small bottles hit the table with a thud. “Yeah, about that, Lee.”
Tristan had returned with the drinks, and something about the last thing Lee had said didn’t seem to sit well with him.
“Tris, can the attitude. Now isn’t the time.”
“It’s never the time! Lee, we need to make a move or we’ll lose—”
“Tris, that’s enough!”
The command in Lee’s voice was unmistakable. Lucy wondered if she’d somehow parachuted into the middle of an ongoing dispute—all was clearly not well between the two men.
“I’m sorry, Lucy.” Tris sent a regretful look in his partner’s direction, then went around the table to kneel in front of him in presentation position. “I apologise, Master.”
“Apology accepted, but you’ve just earned yourself a punishment when we get home.”
“Yes, Master.”
A cold tremor shot down Lucy’s spine. Safe, sane, consensual. Whatever Lee had in mind for Tristan, it would be delivered with Tristan’s unequivocal consent, she had to remember that. And Lucy had to admit, there was something deliciously hot and sexy about the thought of these two stunningly handsome men together. Add in the extra spice of their D/s relationship, and…
She was turning into a sex maniac. At the very least, she was becoming more than a little obsessed.
“You okay, Lucy?”
Lee’s concerned question cleared the sensual fog cloaking her brain and focused her concentration where it ought to be. “Yes, thank you, Master Lee. I’m fine.”
Tristan resumed his seat. “It looks like they’re about to start.”
The duty manager took her place on the low stage. “Good evening, Masters, Mistresses and Dominants. As most of you are aware, Master Clark was due to give us a demonstration of Florentine flogging this evening. Unfortunately, he’s been detained due to circumstances beyond his control, so won’t be able to join us tonight. However, Master Logan has kindly agreed to step in and give the demonstration for us. Please take your seats, then we’ll begin.”
A quiet ripple of appreciative applause came from the audience, then silence flowed around the room. The stage curtains swept back, revealing Logan in all his most masterful, black-clad, breathtaking glory. In that moment, Lucy realised she’d seen only a fraction of his power as a Dom. His presence rolled out from the stage, and one word resonated in Lucy’s mind.
Mine.
“Good evening, everyone, and thanks to Antonia for that introduction. And an even bigger thank you to Pixie for volunteering to help me with this demonstration.” Logan extended a hand in the direction of the very scantily clad woman on the St. Andrew’s Cross. “I’m going to start by warming her up with a little light flogging, and then move into four-point Florentine.”
Lucy was only half-listening as Logan explained the movements his hands would make as he wielded the twin floggers. What had thrown her for a loop was the unexpected pang of envy she’d experienced when he’d acknowledged Pixie.
In direct conflict with that, though, was the knowledge that she could never have handled being up there on display, the centre of everyone’s attention. If anything like that cropped up at the resort…
“Everything all right?”
The whispered words came from her left, as the man who spoke them took her hand. She managed a reassuring half-smile and a nod. Although he was Lee’s submissive, Tristan still possessed the qualities of an alpha male, and she was grateful for his quiet support.
Lucy wasn't surprised Logan had been asked to step in. His skill with the implements was unquestionable, as were his reasons for working with an experienced submissive. However, everyone had to start somewhere. What were her chances of persuading him to repeat the performance, with her, in private?
As the stage curtains swung back into place at the end of the show, Lucy experienced a sharp stab of what she could only describe as out-and-out jealousy. Nothing to do with the demonstration itself, and everything to do with what Logan had told her earlier about aftercare.
Her head knew it was only right and fair that he take care of Pixie after she’d helped him out. Her heart was all passive-aggressive indignation about it. As for her cave-girl instincts, they were all about dragging him off and demanding he have his way with her.
And on top of all that there was her reaction to the club itself, the lifestyle it represented, and the part she wanted it to play in her future.
“Are you ready to talk about what’s put such a serious look on your face?”
That voice. The man who owned it shouldn’t have been there, not yet. He was supposed to be busy with Pixie, not standing in front of her with his arms folded, one of three men staring at her and clearly expecting an explanation.
All she could do was stare at him open-mouthed.
“Master Logan, since that may be something Lucy would prefer to discuss with you in private, I suggest that Tristan and I make ourselves scarce. Thank you for the demonstration—it was most enjoyable, and if you ever consider offering a class, I’d be more than happy to sign up.”
“My pleasure, Master Lee. I’m not planning to hold any classes for now, but who knows? Thank you for taking care of Lucy for me—I trust her manners were better than this?”
“She was delightful company. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Master and sub departed, leaving Lucy alone with Logan. He slid into the booth beside her. “So?”
“Shouldn’t you be taking care of Pixie? Aftercare, I mean.”
A dark eyebrow lifted. “That’s what this is about?”
“What?”
“The fact that you were a million miles away when I came back, and I had to ask the question twice before you even acknowledged I was there. Why does that concern you so much?”
“It doesn’t. I mean, I thought you wouldn’t be back yet. Pixie should have aftercare, shouldn’t she?”
“One of the other Tops stepped in. The duty manager knows her job, she had that organised as well.”
“Oh.” A surge of happiness lit her up inside. Only a hint of guilt kept her from showing it.
“I think we’d better continue this conversation somewhere a little more private.”
“A little more private” meant his apartment, and to prolong the torture even further, Logan insisted that she take the bathroom and shower first. Too tired to care, she changed into her favourite PJs, and barely had time to make herself comfortable on the sofa before Logan joined her and kicked off the conversation.
“So what was all the introspection about at the club? Did you have a problem with the scene with Pixie?”
Though his voice was gentle, domination rolled off Logan in waves. The black jeans and t-shirt he’d changed into added to the impression, as did the ragged scar on his left arm. Only a fool would mess with this man.
“No, not really. I understand why you didn’t want me to… take part. I just… I’d like to try it sometime. That is, if you…”
“Maybe—when you’re ready. So if it wasn't really about Pixie, what was it about?”
“I spent a lot of time people-watching—when you were talking to Sean, and while I was with Master Lee and Tris.”
“And?”
Trust. Honesty. Communication. “I thought about things you told me about the people, and the conversation I had with the two of them. What it was like at the club. How I feel about it—not just the club but the whole lifestyle.”
“And how is that?”
His voice was steady, his tone neutral, neither giving any indication of what was going through his mind. At least he was prepared to hear her out before giving her the benefit of his thoughts. She wished she had a cup of tea to keep her hands occupied and give her an excuse to divert her attention away from him.
“That it’s not for everyone, but that’s fairly obvious. Until a few days ago, I never even gave it much of a thought, beyond that book that’s been in the news over the last couple of years. I only intended to learn enough about it for the mission, but tonight—today as a whole, come to think of it—that changed.”
“In what way?”
“It became real—three-dimensional. It became about real people, who hold down regular jobs, but who also shop at places like Giorgio’s, and go to clubs like Aegis, and probably organise babysitters so they can do it. It’s more than just a bit of private fun in your apartment.”
“We’re not perverted monsters, then?”
“I never thought that!” Driven by impulse, Lucy scooted down the sofa to Logan, determined to put the horrifying idea right out of his head, only to be stunned into silence when he caught her and pulled her onto his lap. Senses on high alert, she searched his face for some clue as to his intention.
“Is that all? I want the truth, Lucy.”
The words spoke directly to her soul—their underlying command not to leave anything out did not escape her. She lifted her hand but stopped short of her target, uncertain as to whether he’d welcome the intimacy of her palm against his cheek. Instead she laid it on his chest, as if to absorb his strength.
“Master Lee asked me if I’d thought about joining Aegis, and I didn’t say no.”
“Why not? You can tell me.”
“Because… Because…”
“Be brave. It’s only words, Lucy, they can’t hurt you. Trust me.”
He said it as if it mattered to him. As if she mattered to him. She dragged in a huge breath and held it, teetering on a knife edge, where one false move could plunge her into unimaginable humiliation. And if humiliation was in her immediate future, she couldn’t look at him while he delivered it.
“Because I felt like I belonged there. Because it felt right to be there, with you, like that. Because it felt right to be with you.”
Lucy fell silent. Had she just made a monumental mistake? Was everything going to come crashing down around her head?
“I’m going to burn in hell for this.”
He framed her face with his hands. His mouth crashed into hers and he kissed her as if his life depended on it.