For the Night, page 5
Shay had just poured a new drink, thankfully, and Reese was lit and happy, back to strumming absently on his guitar.
“By the way, Pen, the Nashville crew will be here at ten tomorrow mornin’,” he said.
“Oh good. I’ll text Jack,” she replied. “He said he was available till noon.”
“Nashville crew?” Shay cocked his head.
Reese answered. “August, Anthony, and Camden.” He glanced my way. “We have two Augusts in our circle now, so we dubbed the newcomers the Nashville crew. It’s where they spend most of their time.”
“Plus, Ivy’s trying to make Auggie a thing with our original August,” Penelope laughed.
“That ain’t happenin,” River chuckled. “We have one August, and the new one is just King.”
“His last name,” Penelope supplied to me.
I nodded, having met Camden, the Little in their triad—and I’d talked to him online too. August King was a famous chef, and it was possible I had downloaded a couple of his cookbooks. My parents loved Southern cooking.
Camden was one of those guys who looked much younger than he was. I’d guessed not a day over eighteen when we’d met, and then I’d heard he was around thirty.
“So who’s in charge of this next Game?” Shay asked. “I want spoilers.”
“Your Daddy, me, Jack, and August—King,” Penelope clarified.
“And there’ll be no spoilers, slave,” Reese said with a smirk.
Shay scowled.
I snickered. “That’s gonna be so weird. I’ve never attended a TPE event before.”
I’d seen plenty of scenes at play parties, participated in a few too, and I’d observed TPE dynamics, but a whole event revolving around it…?
“What was the primary kink over at Old Town?” River asked me, referring to my previous community.
“Sadomasochism and D/s,” I answered. “Plenty of Bigs and Littles too.”
Reese glanced at me. “But their pain play is different, innit?”
I nodded. “Yes, Sir. There’s no room for primal play, so it’s attracted more Sadists and masochists who get off on regular beatings. Like, strap someone to a cross and so on.”
Reese nodded and looked down as he tinkered on a new song. “Max and Reid are good guys. They should join us here.”
Best idea ever. Toward the end, Lane and I had mostly stayed because of Max and Reid and a couple others.
“Lane said there’s always drama at Old Town,” Shay mentioned.
“All the fucking time,” I confirmed. “We never had a fancy online forum like you guys—Old Town has a Discord server that’s filled with shit-talk, memes, and passive-aggressive digs.”
River sat up a little straighter and gestured his drink at me. “I know how you can contribute to our fancy forum. You can post a recipe for a Swedish gravy we like—it’s unhelpfully called brown sauce.”
I spluttered a laugh. What the fuck?
“Oh yeah, the one we buy at IKEA,” Shay said. “It’s delicious.”
Reese leaned forward and eyed his brother. “The fuck’re you gonna do with a recipe, Riv?”
“Hand it to you.” River didn’t miss a beat.
Penelope and I laughed.
Undeterred, River returned his attention to me. “Have you heard of that sauce?”
“Yes, Sir,” I chuckled. “It’s a staple—and very easy to make. I can get you a recipe.”
River sat back again, pleased as punch. “Fantastic.”
Penelope shifted in her seat, facing me better, and smiled curiously. “Where in Sweden are you from? And before you answer, I should mention I’ve only heard of Stockholm and…I wanna say Lund? I went to grad school with someone from there.”
Huh. That was interesting. “Okay, so both Stockholm and Lund are part of the bottom third of the country—the populated part.” Half a joke. “I’m from there too. I grew up in three towns, first Linköping, then Uppsala, then Ronneby. You may forget the names now.”
She grinned. “Already did.”
I caught River throwing me a pensive expression in the background.
He cleared his throat. “I don’t know a whole lot about Sweden either, but those are military towns, aren’t they?”
If he knew that about Sweden, he might know more than most Swedes did. “Um, sort of,” I answered, nodding slowly. Technically, we didn’t have military towns like the US did, but yes, he was correct in a way. “Uppsala is more known as a university town, but there’s also an Air Force flight school—which is pretty much how you can track my upbringing. We went wherever they sent my dad until he left the service. He’s an engineer.”
Was River military or something? More than that, had he been to Sweden or worked with someone from my country? Otherwise, I couldn’t see why he’d know that.
“Then you’re in good hands at Mclean,” Reese said firmly, pressing a kiss to Shay’s temple. “We love our engineers. Especially if we get to call them slaves and hunt them down.”
I lifted my brows. “I’ll make sure to tell my dad that.”
Penelope cracked up, Shay snickered, and River rumbled a laugh that made him cough around a mouthful of whiskey.
I beamed.
Reese shook his head in amusement. “Definitely a brat. I’ll have a word with Ash before the Game.”
Um, why? “Why would you talk to him?”
“He’ll be your Top for the event, won’t he?”
I nodded.
“So I can make you suffer through him.” He smiled.
I dropped my jaw.
What. The. Fuck?
Penelope smiled too. “Welcome to Mclean House, Nora.”
The dreaded time came, when Shay was yawning and Reese wanted to take their boy to bed. River had been drifting between half sleeping and smirking lazily at the conversation flowing; he was definitely the type of man who liked to listen to what was going on around him.
I was tired too, but I’d ended up having so much fun tonight that I didn’t want the evening to be over.
“Yeah, I better get some sleep if I’m gonna be sharp at ten,” Penelope said. “I can return the drink cart if you just lift the thing up on the deck, Reese. Since you’re a big, strong man who knows better than me.”
I snickered and rose to my feet, and I folded the blankets Ash had provided for us.
Reese furrowed his brow. “I feel like I’m gettin’ punished for somethin’ Greer said.”
“I’m fine with that,” Penelope replied.
Shay and I chuckled at the toppy Tops’ staredown, which ended with Reese going, “If I throw you in the pool at some point, don’t ask why.”
River yawned and absently cracked his knuckles. “Y’all have two primal brats watchin’. Last thing we need is them throwin’ a divide-and-conquer op on our asses.”
I exchanged a quick, subtle glance with Shay. We were going to file this away, for sure. Causing playful rifts between Tops could be hysterical.
“If they end up doin’ that, it’s because you just gave them the idea,” Reese shot back. “They wouldn’t have come up with it on their own. Brats aren’t bright.”
Hey!
I wasn’t gonna take that bait, but hey!
“Good one, Daddy,” Shay drawled. “Let’s hit the sack.”
Yeah, I supposed it was time.
I kept the blankets, not sure where they belonged, but they shouldn’t be outside overnight. I could place them on the bar or ask Penelope.
Reese helped her with the drink cart, up on the deck, till she could wheel it indoors, and I followed once we’d exchanged goodnights with the guys.
The club area was pretty dark, only illuminated by the spotlights along the underside of the bartop. To be honest, the silence and the emptiness of such a large place left me with an eerie feeling. The club was supposed to be packed with kinksters and flashing with purple lights, music pumping, kink furniture occupied… I’d overheard Reese earlier saying only three people were spending the night in the main house, which was uncommon for a Friday.
Tomorrow would be different. They’d host an event, and those attracted a larger crowd.
I hadn’t decided yet if I was staying the night tomorrow as well. The play party wrapped up at six, at which point I could probably catch a ride with Ty and Lane. I knew they were heading home after the event.
“Do you have everything you need up in your room, Nora? I don’t know about you, but when I’ve had more drinks than I can count on one hand, I need painkillers and water on my nightstand.”
I smiled and left the blankets on the bartop. “I’m okay. Four ciders aren’t enough to make me hungover.”
She sighed and opened the fridge. “Ah, to be young…”
Like she was old? Pffft. She hadn’t even turned forty yet.
“Humor me, please.” She extended a bottle of water across the bartop. “You didn’t eat much for dinner either.”
My subbie senses tingled and fired off multicolored flares, and the girl with a massive crush—AKA, me—wondered if Penelope was like this with all the subs around here. She probably was, right? I mean, she was a Founder, and I’d heard so many things about how protective and caregiving they were out here.
I accepted the bottle and unscrewed the cap, and…I cursed myself because I was going to be too honest. I felt the urge to be blatant bubble up within me, and I could stop myself, at the same time as I couldn’t. Don’t say it, don’t say it. I’m gonna say it. Fuck my life.
“Thank you. I’m gonna pretend you only do this with special subs.”
She laughed softly and rested her arms on the counter. “That’s cute. I guess my warning earlier hasn’t deterred you from flirting.”
What warning? That she only wanted casual arrangements?
Um, no.
“A girl can dream.” I took a swig of the water before mirroring her move on my side of the bar, resting my arms on the counter. “But if it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop. I’m just…” I raked my teeth over my bottom lip, trying to come up with the best way to say this. “I know you’ve been through a lot, so if my flirting just makes you smile or improves your day, then it’s not for nothing.”
She smiled slightly, and her hazel gaze felt a few degrees warmer. “That’s very honest.”
“Not to mention straightforward, another reason I had to get out of Sweden,” I joked.
She grinned and rested her chin in her hand. “Are you saying Swedes aren’t honest?”
Well…
“No, I’d say we are, but we’re also a reserved bunch,” I said. “When we get angry, we write a strongly worded note to our neighbors and leave it anonymously in the elevator. Or we take to Facebook to rant. Meanwhile—” I gigglesnorted. So attractive. “Before we moved to the US, we lived on a quiet street—small houses, even smaller backyards—and this one neighbor would go out and mow his lawn in the middle of the night when he’d been fighting with his wife. I was like twelve, maybe thirteen, and I opened my window on the second floor and just laid into him. Like, ‘Are you serious right now? It’s two in the fucking morning, and I have school tomorrow! Stop bitching at your wife, or find a quieter hobby!’” I beamed as Penelope laughed. She had the most gorgeous laugh. Warm and light, almost musical. “This douchebag was the one who’d messed up, but it was my mom who apologized. She was so embarrassed by my outburst.”
Penelope shook her head in amusement, down to chuckles. “Hotheaded and salty. I like it.”
I liked seeing her in high spirits. She’d been carefree the whole evening. Well, once she’d relaxed around me.
She offered a softer smile and briefly covered my hand with hers. “It is flattering, by the way. The flirting. I can’t imagine what you’d dream about with me—to use your words—but I’ve enjoyed myself tonight. More than I thought I would.”
Welp. That was quite honest of her too—and boy, did it make me feel good! I couldn’t hide my grin.
“Ma’am, you don’t have to imagine. I can tell you if you want,” I replied.
I was sure I came off as a puppy who’d just caught a whiff of a treat, but I didn’t care. The amusement hadn’t left her eyes, and that was a good sign.
Her smile hadn’t faded either. “Okay.” She nodded once, as if to herself, and straightened a little. “What exactly is it you dream about?”
A chance with you.
The words were right there on the tip of my tongue, along with hopes of dates, tons of kink, love, and sailing off into the sunset together. But given her history—and honestly, how many people past their thirties had life experience that shot down romantic optimism?—I held back those words.
I didn’t wanna overwhelm her. At the same time, I wanted her to know my wishes weren’t founded in spur-of-the-moment thoughts or a days-old infatuation.
“I guess I should start by saying there are a handful of Dommes I’ve followed online and at events as a newbie,” I admitted. “I’ve stumbled across your posts and online journaling, and then I’ve attended demos you’ve hosted around the city. And you and Ella went to a few parties around Logan Circle.”
She inclined her head. “I have friends in a more lesbian-oriented community there.”
That made sense.
“Right, so you’re one of those Dommes—admittedly the one I’ve followed the most,” I said. “And, you know…” Satan också. All of a sudden, the courage drained out of me, and I felt exposed in a moment where I had zero confidence about the future. My mouth went dry, and I rubbed the back of my neck. “In the end, I guess I want to turn a for the night into a second and a third and a fourth, but yeah. Yeah.”
Thank fuck, she took pity on my fumbling, and she gathered one of my hands in both of hers. Then she surprised me by kissing my knuckles, causing me to stand ramrod straight and suck in a breath.
Good development or bad? Was she gonna let me down easy again or—
“Just a few hours ago, I would’ve… Well, I said what I said to you.” She lowered my hand to the counter again but kept it in her grasp. “I’m not going to say it again, partly because I can’t do it as confidently. Just…please don’t get your hopes up with me, pet. It has absolutely nothing to do with you—in fact, you’re kind of testing my resolve…”
She called me pet.
I’m testing her resolve.
I wasn’t gonna push. I just couldn’t back away either. I stood there, verbally frozen—if that was a thing—but I inched forward a little. I couldn’t help it. It was the strangest sensation to be warned and complimented at the same time. I couldn’t speak, and yet I leaned forward as if she beckoned me. Until our stances were mirrored once more and mere inches separated us. Goddamn the bartop—it was in the way.
Did she have to be so damn beautiful? She radiated warmth and softness, all while her edge never disappeared out of sight.
“You should get some sleep.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
But neither of us moved, and a beat later, I felt the heat crackling. It was ignited by a single flash of desire in her eyes, which sent a blaze of fire through me. Fuck me, but she was something else. What would it be like to follow her? To be owned by her? To serve her, to kiss every freckle, to…
She broke the spell with a sigh, but rather than averting her gaze and putting distance between us, she leaned forward and gently knocked her forehead to mine. Like a silent, “What am I gonna do with you?”
I swallowed dryly. Maybe the spell wasn’t broken after all, ’cause I felt feverish. Need imploded within me, and I clenched my thighs together.
She closed her eyes, and she swallowed too. In the deafening silence of the empty club, it was so easy to hear the slightest sound. And then, maybe I chipped away at her resolve some more, because she closed the last distance and pressed her lips to mine, followed by her fingers shaping themselves to my jaw.
So this is how I die.
All my thoughts sank into a pool of hot water, where they became background noise to the most epic win I’d had in a long time. Mistress Penelope was kissing me. Holy fuck, she was kissing me. I kissed her back tentatively, brushing my lips against hers as she did with mine. Just for a few seconds, before she deepened the kiss. Her soft lips, her soft tongue, the taste of gin and lemon, and her manicured nails gently pressing into my jaw nearly short-circuited my brain.
I shivered violently and completely surrendered. As if I’d ever put up a fight…
She took her time and wouldn’t let me get ahead of myself. Whenever I tried to kiss her a little harder or deeper, she tightened her grip on my jaw or nipped at my bottom lip.
“Easy, girl,” she whispered.
But I’m needy-wanty!
“Sorry,” I whispered back instead.
That made her smile, and she gave me a hungry kiss that I felt fucking everywhere. I had to cross my damn legs to get some friction, and goose bumps appeared across my arms.
With a sensual twist of her tongue around mine, she had me in the palm of her hand.
My hands—I didn’t know what the fuck to do with my hands, but then it didn’t matter, because she broke away and told me to stay put. I blinked, in a daze, and watched as she rounded the bar. Yes, yes, yes, yes. She came over to me, the determination and lust so clear in her eyes, and she got her hands on me again. She pressed me up against the bar, cupped my face in her hands, and kissed me hard and deep.
I drew a shaky breath and threw my arms around her neck, to which she let hers drop to my hips.
I pressed myself against her, needing everything she could give, and she finally let me be greedy.
We made out hungrily, as if our lives depended on it, and it felt like she threw caution to the wind. At least for the moment. Her hands roamed my body, slowly, firmly, greedily, over my hips, up my ribs, cupping the undersides of my tits…
I whimpered and flushed.
“More,” I pleaded.
Holy fuck, she didn’t deny me. I’d been so sure she’d slow things down. Instead, she cranked it up, pinching my nipple and letting one of her hands drop low. She cupped my pussy through my shorts, and I could barely believe it.
I gasped and rolled my hips into her hand, and she cursed under her breath.
