Chapter Three

 

Deanne grabbed the pot from Jillian’s hands and set it on the kitchen counter. Jillian stared quizzically at her friend.

“Okay,” Deanne said firmly as she dusted away whatever imaginary lint was on her hands. “It’s time you got out.”

Jillian frowned. “Out where?”

Deanne rolled her eyes. “Out where? You know where. Come on, Jillian. You can’t keep hiding out in here all the time.”

Jillian reached for the bowl. “I’m not hiding out.”

Deanne slapped her hand away then set the bowl further out of reach. “You are.”

“Deanne, it’s my day off. I was looking forward to a movie and some popcorn.”

“You can have a movie and popcorn after you come with me to the club. How long has it been since you’ve had sex?”

Jillian rolled her eyes.

“I know how long it’s been. Do you?” Deanna asked.

Jillian opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it and slapped her thigh. “I actually don’t.”

“I know you just want to keep things simple and only do one night stands. The club is perfect for that.”

Jillian leaned against the kitchen island and crossed her arms. “It’s also public.”

“Not always. They do have private rooms. Just make that one of your stipulations when you negotiate with a Dom.”

“It sounds like a business transaction.”

Deanne shrugged one shoulder. “In a way it is. You tell him what he can’t do and in turn, he agrees to give you a glorious orgasm.”

Jillian snorted. “Glorious? No such thing. Yeah, sex is great. Orgasms are great, but I have yet to have one that’s glorious.”

“Which is why you should go to the club.”

“You’re not going to give up on this, are you?”

Deanne shook her head. “We’ve been there for each other since we were kids. I helped you study for your medical boards. You helped me escape that abusive boyfriend. I helped you through the death of your fiancé and I even moved here for you. You can do the club for me.”

“You went there,” Jillian murmured.

Deanne nodded. “Yes. I went there.”

“Does it really mean that much to you?”

“Its not that it means something to me. I’m worried about you. You go to work, you eat and you sleep, and maybe, occasionally you have sex. You don’t have a life, Jillian. I was hoping you would’ve asked Mr. Reed to coffee, but that never happened either. I never even got to see the guy, I just got to hear about how gorgeous he was and how you ignored the looks he gave you.”

Jillian crinkled her nose. “He didn’t give me any looks.”

“Well from what I understand, you weren’t paying close enough attention.”

Jillian sighed. “Fine. I’ll go.” She pointed a finger at her friend. “But I do not promise to have sex. If I see someone that interests me, then I’ll think about it.”

“Fair enough. Now lets go find you something to wear. We need to get there early so you can go through all the paperwork.”

Deanne started pushing her toward the bedroom, but Jillian grabbed the doorframe as they approached the bedroom. “Wait. What paperwork?”

“Its nothing,” Deanne said as she pushed her past the door. “Its just safety stuff and consent forms.”

“What?”

“Jillian, the place is very safe. All the doms watch out for the submissives. Especially the new ones. I’ve been going there since we moved here. Have I ever complained about anything?”

“No,” Jillian consented.

Deanne opened Jillian’s closet and stared at the contents. “All you have is scrubs and a few pairs of jeans. What about all those sexy nighties you got at the bridal shower?”

“I got rid of them.” Jillian dropped onto the bed. “I didn’t need them.”

Deanne sighed. “I think I have something in my closet that will work.”

“All your stuff will be too long,” Jillian called at her friend as she left the room.

“Trust me,” she called back.

Jillian fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Maybe she should’ve asked Declan out for coffee or something. It had been three days since Shawn left the hospital and every day she’d looked for him in the quarter when she went to get lunch. She wasn’t sure why. That one day they’d run into each other had probably been a fluke. The address they had for Shawn was his foster family’s address. There had been nothing on Declan. She didn’t even know what he did for a living.

As long as he wasn’t a cop, she wasn’t really sure it mattered. Not seeing him again was probably for the best anyway. She didn’t want a relationship and she had a feeling one time with Declan wouldn’t be nearly enough.

 

Almost two hours later Jillian followed Deanne into the club playroom and stood frozen to the spot. She stared around the opulent, sexy club in awe. Scantily clad women were everywhere. Matter of fact, the white, button-down blouse she wore covered more of her body than most. Deanne had even dressed it up with a pretty gold belt. Gold, high heel sandals completed her look. The blouse barely covered her ass, and it had taken a lot of convincing on Deanne’s part to get her take her coat off. Now that she was inside, she realized just how conservative her attire actually was.

Her eyes moved around the room, looking at the various scenes, as Deanne had called them. Most of the men were dressed in slacks, but a few were shirtless. There were all types of couples. Gay ones, straight ones, men with two women, one woman with two men. Her friend had given her a bit of a head’s up on the scenes, so she knew what to expect. Seeing a woman bent over a spanking bench and being fucked right out in the open, though, caught her a bit off guard.

“This is, uh…”

Deanne laughed and tugged at her hand. “Come on, hon. Let’s head over to the bar and get you a drink so you can loosen up some.”

Jillian took her eyes off the couple and turned to the bar. Her gaze caught a familiar man at the far end, and she froze. “Deanne.”

Her friend turned to gaze at her in concern. “What?”

“That’s uh…” She pointed to the man at the bar. Dressed in all black, he looked like a pirate ready to plunder. Oh lord, what she wouldn’t give for him to plunder her. “That’s Declan Reed.”

Deanna spun and looked to where she pointed. Deanne gasped and grabbed her finger, pulling it down. “Holy crap! That’s Shawn’s Mr. Reed?”

“Yeah. Do you know him?”

“Not personally, but…that’s Master Reed. He’s friends with the owner and is managing the place while he’s out of town. Oh lord, Jillian. Get with him. I’ve heard he’s amazing.”

Jillian shook her head, suddenly unable to breathe. “No.”

“Why?” Deanna asked in surprise.

“I just…oh god. He saw us.”

Jillian turned to leave but her friend caught her hand and stopped her.

“Stop, Jilly. You think he’s gorgeous. You’ve said so yourself. Stop being a nervous ninny and just go fuck the guy. You need this.” Deanne glanced over and gasped softly, making Jillian’s heart skip. “He’s coming over.”

Now her heart didn’t just skip, it ran wild, pounding so fast and hard she was sure he could see it through her skin.

She took a deep breath and looked up just as he came to a stop right in front of her. “Well, well,” he said, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Imagine meeting you here.”

 

Declan couldn’t believe his eyes. Not at first. He’d had to walk over and make sure it was actually her. All he’d ever seen her in was scrubs, so it was quite a surprise to see her standing in the club playroom in nothing but a white shirt and heels. Her hair was down. Ringlet curls framed her face, giving her a pixie appearance that made Declan’s balls tighten. She licked her full lips and tried to smile, despite the deep blush that covered her cheeks.

“Mr. Reed,” she said, obviously uncomfortable.

“It’s master,” the young girl standing next to her murmured.

Jillian glanced at her in surprise. “It’s what?”

Declan smiled. “It’s Master Reed.”

She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing. “As in ‘yes, Master. I’ll do your biding’?”

His lips twitched. Tonight was going to be a whole lot more fun than he was expecting. “Why, yes. That’s exactly what it means.”

Jillian snorted. “I don’t think so.”

“I told you about this, Jillian,” her companion said.

Jillian pointed a finger at her. “You did not tell me I had to call them master. That’s ridiculous.”

Her companion looked incredibly uncomfortable as she turned to Declan. “I’m so sorry.”

“Deanne? What the hell are you doing?” Jillian asked in surprise.

Declan stuck his hands in his pockets, rocked back on his feet and chuckled. “It’s fine, Deanne. Really.” He nodded to the bar. “Go enjoy yourself. I’ll give Jillian here the tour.”

Deanne gave a nod. “Yes, Master.”

Jillian rolled her eyes. “Oh, good lord.” Deanne took off for the bar and Jillian called after her. “You and I are going to have a serious talk when we get home.”

“If you’re so averse to calling someone master, why did you come?” Declan asked, unable to keep his amusement hidden.

Jillian pointed at her friend, palm up. “I was sort of talked into it. She’s been trying to get me here for a while.”

“Any particular reason?”

Jillian sighed and then shrugged her shoulders in indifference. “She said it would be a good place to meet someone for a one night stand.”

Declan raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest. “So you just wanted sex?”

Jillian lifted her chin slightly. “Yes. I did not, however, want to be someone’s slave.”

“It’s not about being a slave. Some doms want a full submissive, someone they can dress and give a list of chores to—“

“Please tell me they don’t actually do that.”

Declan smiled. “Some do, yes. I, however, do not. I have enough on my plate taking care of myself. I don’t have time to schedule your day as well.”

She crossed her arms and eyed him skeptically. “So what is your thing exactly?”

Declan moved closer, crowding her space. “Bondage, spanking, flogging.” Jillian swallowed and glanced behind her to see if she had room to back up. “Making sure you come as many times as you can handle.”

She brought her gaze back to his. At first her eyes were wide with surprise and then they narrowed in skepticism. “As many times as I can handle? Wow, aren’t you full of yourself.”

His smile widened. “Aren’t you going to tell me to put my money where my mouth is?”

Jillian snorted. “I know when something is too good to be true. Besides, I’m your foster son’s doctor. We can’t—“

“Who says?”

She licked her lips and squared her shoulders stubbornly. “I say.”

“What are you afraid of, Jillian?” he asked.

“I’m not afraid, I just…” She glanced around the room and sighed. “I’m out of my league here. I’ve never done any of this stuff. I just wanted to have sex.” She bit her lip as though she said something she didn’t mean to.

Declan stepped closer and touched her arm. She jumped slightly, but didn’t back away as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “If it’s just sex you want, sweetheart. I can take care of that.”

“Down here?” she asked with just a hint of sarcasm.

He looked into her eyes and touched his fingers to her cheek. After a brief second, she tilted her head just a bit toward his touch. “Down here. Upstairs in a private room. Wherever you want.”

She looked around his shoulder toward the stairs by the bar before bringing her gaze back to his. Her eyes flashed with indecision before she took a slow deep breath. “Upstairs. Just tonight. I don’t have time for a relationship. I don’t want one.”

“So you just want my dick,” Declan said trying to fight a grin.

She licked her lips. “That’s a crude way of putting it, but yes.”

“Fair enough. I like a woman who puts all her cards on the table.” He stepped back and crossed his arms again, studying her. “How adventurous are you?”

“I’m…” She shrugged and frowned. “Not that adventurous,” she mumbled and nodded toward a woman who was being caned by her Dom.

“Neither am I,” Declan replied dryly. “So a cane is off limits. What else? Bondage?”

“Are you talking just wrists?” she asked.

“Wrists, maybe ankles.”

She shook her head and frowned again. “This is so strange.”

“No,” Declan replied. “It’s honest.”

She bit her lip and tilted her head in acknowledgement. “I can see that. Okay. How about this? I’m pretty much open, but nothing that draws blood. And no anal. I tried it once and it sucked.”

“Did it hurt?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Then he didn’t do it right.”

She lifted one shoulder. “Maybe. If I’m tied up and you do something I don’t like, what then?”

“You have a safe word. Yellow means you want me to slow down. Red means you want me to stop. And I promise you, I will stop.”

She studied him briefly. “I believe you will. Okay, so are negotiations over?”

“If you’re comfortable to continue, then yes.”

She nodded. “You have a condom, right?”

Declan chuckled. “Yes, sweetheart. I have lots of condoms.”

“Condoms plural? Aren’t you optimistic.”

“I always come prepared. Besides, once might not be enough, especially if tonight is all I get.” He held his hand out, palm up. “How about we continue this upstairs?”

“No one can know about this,” she said, staring at him pointedly. “It’s just for one night.”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Declan asked.

She lifted her chin once more and placed her hand in his. “I don’t need convincing.”

As they strolled through the club, he watched Jillian glanced wide-eyed at some of the scenes taking place. “Would you like to stay and watch?” he asked.

She jerked her gaze back to his and shook her head.

As they passed the bar, her friend Deanne smiled at them and waved. “Wish me luck,” Declan said with a wink. “I think she’s going to be a tough nut to crack.”

Deanne giggled and gave him thumbs up. Jillian, on the other hand, didn’t find it amusing at all. “I should really rethink our friendship.”

Declan let go of her hand and put his at the small of her back, pushing her ahead of him as they climbed the stairs. “She’s just looking out for you.”

She glanced back at him and sighed. “I know.”

“Besides, if you’re looking for a one night stand, a place like this is safer than picking someone up at a bar. We have a strict rule of condom use. All scenes are closely monitored.”

She stopped and turned. Declan was one step lower, so they were able to stand eye to eye and he found himself caught mesmerized by how deep blue her eyes were.

“But we’re headed to a private room. How closely are those monitored?” she asked.

“Only established doms have access to the private rooms, men and women who have proven themselves. New members are not allowed to use them until they’ve been monitored and cleared.”

“So I take it you’ve been cleared?” she asked, watching him speculatively.

Her hand rested against the railing, and Declan raised his hand to cover hers. “I have. Would you like to see my note? I’m sure I have one.”

Jillian snorted softly, and Declan had a hard time not smiling. He loved her spunk, her fight, and her straightforwardness. He had no doubt her tiny little frame was packed full of dynamite. Tonight would definitely be interesting.

“She brought you here for sex,” Declan murmured. “You’re halfway to getting what you want.”

“Meaning I should just shut my mouth and turn around so we can go upstairs?” she asked, her own lips twitching slightly in the first sign of her beginning to loosen up.

Declan shrugged one shoulder innocently. “I would’ve put it a bit more…sexy. But, yeah.”

“Really? And just how would you have put it?”

Declan wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close enough her breasts were flush against his chest. She lifted her hand as though to push him away, but didn’t. Instead, she stared into his eyes, her face flushed, her lips parted expectantly.

“How about you get that tight little ass upstairs so I can keep your mouth busy with something other than snarkish comments?”

Her lips twitched adorably. “Snarkish? Is that even a word?”

“Would you rather stand here and debate Webster’s or get your brains fucked out?”

“Well, since you put it that way…”

She turned and started up the stairs. Declan chuckled and slapped her hard on the ass. She squealed and reached around to rub where he slapped. “That hurt,” she said over her shoulder.

“You never said spanking was off limits.”

“No, I didn’t,” she said with a sigh as they came to the top of the stairs.

Declan put his hand at the small of her back, once again leading her ahead of him. He stopped at the room he’d been using as his residence, and placed the keycard in front of the knob. It beeped and he pushed it open, ushering Jillian in ahead of him.

The door closed with a click, and Jillian jumped slightly. “That sounded so ominous. Like the lock just clicked on my fate.”

Declan smiled. “Relax, sweetheart.”

Jillian looked at him and swallowed. “Said the spider to the fly.”