“Remember your training and what I told you.”

It had been so long since we’d been to a club that I wanted to cover all the rules and regulations with her before we entered. I couldn’t have anything go wrong, or we’d be in a world of trouble.

The Doms here didn’t play.

This was their life, and many of them lived the lifestyle 24/7. They’d probably have a coronary if they knew I gave my wife free rein over everything in her life and only played from time to time because of our kids.

I’d dressed Izzy before we left, taking my time to make sure her outfit and makeup were perfect. The slinky black miniskirt covered just enough of her body but gave a hint of ass without revealing too much to be acceptable at Taboo. The bustier she wore pushed her tits up nicely, but it hid her nipples well. The collar around her neck was freshly polished and glittered in the overhead lights of the parking lot as she walked next to me, staring at the ground.

I pushed her against the building and slid my hand up her thigh and under her skirt. “This is mine, and no one else will see it or touch it. Understand?” I murmured against her lips as I cupped her mound, pressing her back into the brick wall.

“Yes, Sir.” She smiled and bit down on her lip, taunting me.

“I need you to listen tonight and pay attention to your surroundings for any information about Matías.”

She nodded quickly and glanced down at the ground when she remembered her place, in case someone was watching. “Yes, Sir.”

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that her calling me Sir made me hard as fucking granite. It was a high when a woman surrendered herself fully, but hearing the words come from Izzy’s mouth meant more because she didn’t easily hand over the reins of power.

“Good, girl.” I yanked the chain, pulling her lips to mine and crashing my mouth over hers. I dipped my fingers inside her panties, finding her wet and ready.

She loved the power exchange. It turned her on and always had. I remembered the first time I ever took her to a club after we’d played at the house; she’d nearly lost her mind with lust. I’d never heard Izzy beg before, but I could still hear her sweet moans of pleasure to this day.

I rubbed my finger over her clit, pushing her legs apart with my arm. “You want to come, doll?” I asked, but I wasn’t going to give her what she wanted.

“Yes, Sir,” she murmured against my lips and blew out a shaky breath as I plunged my fingers back inside of her.

My thumb grazed her clit, and her head tipped back, exposing her neck as I slid my fingers in and out of her without remorse. “You want me to fuck you?”

“Please,” she begged as her pussy clamped down on my fingers, sucking them deeper.

She licked her lips, just as turned on by the idea as I was.

God, I missed this.

I missed us.

The way we used to be before shit got so complicated. I needed to change that and bring us back to our center, keeping our relationship rock-solid and worshiping my wife the way she deserved.

“Later, if you’ve been a good girl—” I smiled against her skin, licking a trail up to her ear “—I’ll let you come.” I pulled my hand from under her skirt, licking her wetness from my fingers and groaning as her taste exploded across my tongue. Tonight would test my restraint just as much as it would test her ability to submit.

Izzy didn’t speak, just stared down at the ground with a hint of a smile on her lips. Wrapping the chain around my hand, I pulled her forward and toward the door. Her Jimmy Choo heels clicked against the cement with every step as she kept pace with me.

A small part of me regretted not being able to walk inside the club with my wife tucked under my arm. Although I was a Dom and there was no denying that, I was a man in love, and I was proud of the feisty little Italian spitfire I called mine.

The lobby of Taboo hadn’t changed much, with its dark walls, faint sound of music, and the smell of sex. A man, one I knew well, stood behind the waist-high desk, flipping through a book. He looked up as soon as the door closed behind us.

“James?” Hagan narrowed his eyes. “Is that you?”

“It is,” I said, stepping forward to shake his hand. “Good to see you, Hagan.”

He looked exactly the same as he had the last time I saw him, almost twenty years ago. The only thing different was the amount of gray that framed his face and a few lines around his eyes.

“I didn’t know you were coming back.” He smiled, shaking my hand and almost breaking my fingers in his vise-like grip.

Hagan was one of the oldest and most established Masters at Taboo. He was also a sadistic motherfucker who liked to toy with his submissives and push them right up to their breaking point. But that never stopped them from lining up to feel the lash of his whip. They begged him for his brand of punishment, craving the pain he’d inflict. I’d never fucking understood it.

I could never be like him. I wasn’t into the pain. I never got off on hurting others, even if the goal was to bring pleasure for all parties involved. Thank God pain wasn’t Izzy’s thing. I couldn’t deal with hurting her even in the act of sex.

Deprivation was an entirely different matter.

That was my thing.

I enjoyed bringing her right to the edge of orgasm and ripping it away. Then doing it all over again. She liked it too. Sure, she whined and begged, but she always asked for more.

“Just for a night. I was in town and wanted to play with my girl, so I figured I’d come here.”

His eyes drifted to Izzy, slowly raking up her body. “You always picked the lookers.”

I cringed, because I knew Izzy was going to chew my ear off later for that comment. She’d grill me about the “lookers” and exactly how many there must have been for it to leave a lasting impression on Hagan.

“Hagan, she’s my wife,” I warned.

“Ah.” His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth. “I need to get a better look.” The dirty old bastard rounded the desk and stopped next to me, clasping a hand on my shoulder while he looked down at Izzy. “May I?” he asked, needing permission to speak to her, and I nodded.

Izzy hadn’t looked up, but the corner of her jaw ticked, probably still mulling over the comment about women I’d been with before I met her. Even when she was angry, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world, and I rethought my genius idea of bringing her here.

“It’s nice to meet you, pet,” Hagan said.

“Eyes, doll.”

I knew he wanted to see her face. Hagan appreciated beauty as much as the next guy, but I knew what he’d see when he looked in her eyes. There was a fire that burned deep down in Izzy, and there was nothing she could do to hide it. It was that slow burn under the surface that made her so alluring to me when I met her…that and her smart mouth.

Izzy lifted her head and gazed up at Hagan, but she didn’t speak.

“You have your hands full with this little one, don’t you, James?” Hagan laughed softly and took a step forward, but he still maintained an acceptable distance for me not to put my body between them as a shield.

“That’s what I love most about her.”

Izzy chewed on the inside of her cheek and swallowed the words I knew she was dying to say. Probably something along the lines of “go fuck yourself” sat on the edge of her tongue, ready to put us in our place.

“Is she your only submissive, or do you have a more open arrangement?”

The moment I met Izzy, I knew I’d never share her. She had it…that quality that made me want to be a one-woman man, devoting my time, attention, and love to only her and no one else.

“I’m not into sharing this one, Hagan. I give her my full attention.”

Hagan wasn’t a one-woman type of guy. Although he had a devout submissive, he usually had a few slaves too. The man was more virile than most teenagers, wanting to conquer as much pussy as he could. The women never seemed to mind. He loved the openness of our world.

“I’d be the same with this one, James.” Hagan turned his attention back to her. “It’s entirely my pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Caldo.” Hagan tipped his head and kept his hands to himself, following protocol within the walls of Taboo.

Izzy smiled, but she somehow remained silent.

“Sorry to cut this short, but…”

Hagan stepped back and away from the door. “I get it. Will you need a private room tonight, or will you be using the public areas only?”

The dirty bastard probably hoped I’d be fucking my wife in public. I was sure we’d draw quite a crowd with her wails of ecstasy, killer tits, and the way she begged for my cock. So, that was a big hell no.

“A private room would be perfect.”

“One doesn’t open for another hour, but it’s yours. I’ll come find you when it’s time and escort you. We don’t normally let in nonmembers, but since I’m now part owner, I’ll give you a pass. I know you’re good to go. Do you need to store her clothes?”

“No, she’ll remain dressed while in public.” I shook his hand and made a mental note to see what I could get out of him about Matías. “Thanks for everything, Hagan.” If Matías spent time here, then he had to be a regular and would have had to have filled out paperwork, including a background check, before he was able to gain entry.

“I’m always happy to help an old friend.” Hagan walked around the desk and pushed a button on the wall, unlocking the main entrance to Taboo. I yanked Izzy’s chain, pulling her forward as I opened the door.

“Have fun,” Hagan called out as the music intensified, and the bass pounded against my chest twice as fast as my heart.

I glanced back as we walked through the narrow, barely lit hallway. Izzy stared down at the floor, twisting her hands together in front of her as she walked. I stopped before we entered the public room, pressing my fingertips to her chin and forcing her to look at me. “You’re doing great. I promise I’ll make this worth your while.”

“You’d better rock my world, Jimmy,” she whispered.

“Baby.” I brought her mouth to mine. “I’m going to fuck you until you beg me to stop.”

“Promises. Promises.”

I slid my free hand up her back, fisting her hair roughly. “Be careful, little one, or I won’t be so kind later.”

Her eyes twinkled as my mouth crashed down on hers, sealing her smartass comment before she could speak. When she melted into me, going almost slack in my arms, I knew she’d be quiet at least for a little while. When I pulled away, she was panting and breathless as I stared down at her.

My hand fell away, dropping back to my side as I took a step backward and appraised my wife. Bee-stung lips, flushed skin, and divinely decadent in her barely there outfit.

Her eyes cast downward, and I knew she was ready to enter the lion’s den.