To Command And Collar

“You’re here!” Jessica trotted down the steps from the third floor, followed by Andrea and a slender redhead. The small blonde started toward Kim, then detoured to thump a tray of sandwich makings on the table by the FBI men.

Carrying a big bowl of chips, Andrea got snagged by the giant bartender who pointed at the coffee table in front of him. “Put it there, love. If anything’s left when I’m through, the others can help themselves.”

Andrea did exactly as he said and then pushed Cullen far enough sideways on the love seat to snuggle beside him.

The redhead added her bowls of dip before deliberately moving the chips to the center.

“Beth, those are mine!”

Grinning at the bartender’s loud complaint, the slender woman knelt beside the meanlooking, scarred-up man. Kim’s heart quailed as she waited for him to reprimand the woman. Instead he tugged Beth’s red hair lightly. A smile lit his darkly tanned face when she kissed his wrist.

Kim relaxed.

“C’mere, girlfriend.” Jessica pulled her away from Master R to give her a hug. “I wanted to visit you, but the feebies said I couldn’t.” She gave the FBI agents a disgusted look.

Galen frowned at her, although amusement turned his lips up. “New little slaves like Kim don’t entertain friends,” he said. “If Raoul didn’t normally have employees coming to the house, Gabi wouldn’t have been permitted there either.”

“Pffft,” Jessica said under her breath.

Master R grinned and murmured, “You may talk for a bit, Kimberly.” He kissed the top of her head and joined the others.

Kim clasped her hands together, annoyed at how her anxiety rose without him beside her. Dependent. You’re getting as dependent as a clown fish needing an anemone to hide in. She hauled in a breath. I’m a strong, independent woman… At least, I’m getting back there.

She deliberately turned away to talk with Jessica. “Hey, I saw you at the club when that dom slapped the brunette. I can’t believe you actually broke into a scene.”

“My bad. I should have called the dungeon monitor, but I was too mad.” Jessica scowled. “Sally’s one of the trainees, and when I saw her crying, I lost it. She’s so not into the faceslapping stuff.”

Kim understood completely. Being hit in the face was a shock. Horrifying in a way. Her stomach tightened as she remembered how Lord Greville had backhanded her. Unable to help herself, she glanced over her shoulder to check that Master R was close. Just the sight of him calmed her nerves. “What did Master Z do?”

“Oh, Master Calm and Levelheaded. He was mad at the dom, since Sally hadn’t okayed face-slapping, but she hadn’t used her safe word either. She said she was too weirded out, and I believe her. She’ll sure be more careful with setting hard limits on her play next time. Z made the dom apologize, but he couldn’t do much else.”

“Uh…it looked like you bit Master Z. You didn’t, did you?”

“Well.” Red swept into the blonde’s face. “Maybe a nip. It’s not like I made him bleed or anything. I hate being gagged.”

“God, Jessica. You need lessons in behavior.” Kim bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing and glanced at Master Z. A little older than the others and with the elegant, pulledtogether appearance of someone who was wealthy and accustomed to it. “What did he do to you?”

Jessica lowered her voice. “He made me strip and put me on my back at the end of the bar.” She sent a fulminating glare across the patio at Z. “There I am, whining, ‘We’re engaged. You’re not supposed to want to share me,’ and he laughs and says he’s never minded sharing my beauty or even my punishments. God.”

At Gabi’s house, Jessica had mentioned Z’s inventive discipline but always with a rueful expression, never like a woman who’d been brutalized. He couldn’t have done anything too cruel. Could he? “Go on, before I burst.”

“That’s not sounding much like sympathy to me.” Jessica turned her frown on Kim. “You’re supposed to feel sorry for me.”

“Oh. Right. Lost my place for a moment.” Don’t laugh. Kim wrapped her arm around Jessica’s shoulders. “Awww, you poor, poor baby. What evil things did your mean dom do to you?”

“That’s much better. I knew I liked you.” Jessica grinned. “So-the bar top has recessed rings here and there. He tied my hair to a couple, so I couldn’t lift my head, blindfolded me, and used knee cuffs to spread me open for everyone to see.”

Kim couldn’t decide if she was horrified or turned on. She checked on Master R. He was talking to Z…and watching her and Jessica, his eyes filled with laughter. What was Z telling him? She turned back to Jessica. “Mmmhmm. Ah, go on.”

“He has this miniflogger with three soft strands-a pussy whip. He lent it to every dom at the bar and let each one take five lashes at my pink bits.”

“That douche bag,” Kim snapped, her mood changing abruptly.

“No, it didn’t hurt.” Jessica pulled Kim farther away from the group. “Dammit, that was the problem. Getting lashed like that, off and on, got me hot. Really hot. God, I think it lasted an hour or more. He sat and lectured me on proper submissive behavior and calling dungeon monitors and not barging into scenes, and all the while the doms kept me right on the edge. I swear, he waved them off every time I got close.”

Putting her hand to her throat, Kim tried to imagine being so exposed. Being excited and having something hitting her pussy. Oh boy.

“Look at those jerks,” Jessica muttered. “He’s sharing again, isn’t he?”

Kim glanced over her shoulder. Master R was leaning back in his chair, studying her. He had an erection he didn’t bother to hide, and he laughed when Z motioned like…like a whip. Oh Lord, don’t give my master ideas. “Uh.” What had she planned to say? Right. “Did one of them finally, um, ever…?”

“When I was a heartbeat away from a stroke, Z took over.” Jessica shivered. “His other little flogger has a different leather. Not nearly so soft, and his aim-” Her color darkened. “I came so hard the entire room probably heard.”

Even as heat flared through her body, and her clit throbbed in response, Kim choked with trying not to laugh.

“Oh, go ahead, everybody else laughs.” Jessica scowled and giggled as well. But then her lips turned down. “Sometimes I wonder what kind of sleaze I am that I get off on something so public.”

Kim blinked. She knew those self-doubts only too well. That this brightly intelligent and sweet woman also worried was incredibly reassuring. She gripped Jessica’s shoulder. “You’re no sleaze. Remember, before…this…I played in clubs a lot, and there’s, like, an increased hotness, knowing people are watching.”

“I guess so. Thanks.” She tilted her head. “You know, at Gabi’s, you’d never have said something like that. You’d have been too busy shivering. I think you’re healing.”

Kim’s mouth dropped open. She hadn’t paid attention to her progress recently. She still got uncomfortable at times but maybe because Master R kept increasing the stakes. But she was coming along. She’d had sex. Done a public scene. Could talk about stuff. Definitely improved. “You’re right.”

“Of course.” Jessica gave her a smug look. “I’m always right. Ask anybody…well, anybody but Z.” She wrinkled her nose at her dom and got a flashing grin that changed his lethal appearance into simply gorgeous. “So what do you and your lord and master want to drink?”

Easy answer. “Supposedly Z picked up some ale from someplace-the Swamp Head Brewery?”

“Oh, the 10-10-10. It’s a malty brew. Be right back.” Jessica grinned and headed up the steps to the third floor. The blonde might be fluffy, but her legs were in good shape. Shaking her head, Kim made a beeline for her lord and master.

He looked up, and his smile, just for her, made her spirits bubble like sea foam. Oh, I’m in trouble. God, she loved him. She walked over and waited, unsure if he wanted her to kneel or pull up a chair or-

He nodded at a large flat pillow lying between his feet.

When she knelt in perfect position, he leaned forward to murmur in her ear, “Be comfortable, carino. You need