The Collar

  “I’ll be there. I’ll just be late. I’d hoped to see you before we went, but I guess I’ll just meet you there.”

  “Okay, as long as you’re there.” She paused for a second. “I have a new corset. I think you’ll like this one.”

  He was now certain the closest thing to hell on earth was being stuck in traffic with a massive erection. He shifted in his seat the best he could. “Fuck, Dena. I like all your corsets.”

  “This one’s special,” she nearly purred.

  “I’m getting there as fast as I can.”

  “You better.”

  “Mistress K’s place this time, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “See you soon.”

  Even so, the party had been going on for at least an hour and a half when he pulled into Kelly’s driveway. He parked his truck on the street and walked up to her door.

  Evan Martin opened the door at his knock. “Master Parks, the she-devil who owns this joint said you’d be here tonight. Good to see you again.”

  “Thanks.” Jeff shook his outstretched hand. “Who’d you piss off to get assigned door duty?”

  Evan leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. “The she-devil.”

  “What’d you do this time?”

  “It was either the she-devil comment or the insinuation that she spanked like a girl. Master Greene heard me, said I was being a bad example and I should take over the door.”

  Jeff shook his head. Kelly and Evan were always butting heads. They seemed to get off on insulting each other, and everyone tolerated it because it didn’t appear to be harmful. He was going to have talk to Daniel. Before he’d left for Colorado, Kelly and Evan’s arguments had intensified. It was beginning to look as though someone might need to intervene.

  Jeff slapped the other man on the shoulder. “Well, good luck with guarding the door. I’m going to find Dena. Do you know where she is?” She’d asked him to text her when he was ten minutes away, but said to check with whoever was working the door to find out where she’d be.

  “Oh, that’s right.” He snapped his fingers. “She said to tell you she’d be waiting in the she-devil’s office.”

  “Which is where?”

  “Down that hall, third door on the right.” He waggled his eyebrows. “She was wearing a raincoat, wouldn’t let anyone see what was underneath. If she’s still looking to play when you finish, I’ll find someone else to guard the door. Will you tell her?”

  “I’ll relay the message,” he said in a gruff voice, though it was probably the last thing he’d ever do.

  He left Evan at the door and walked toward the office with one thought on his mind. A few people spoke to him as he passed, but he couldn’t remember if he replied or not.

  He knocked on the closed door three times in rapid succession. “It’s me.”

  “Come in.”

  The room was dimly lit, and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust after the bright light in the hallway. But when they did …

  He grasped on to the chair in front of him. “Dena?” he croaked.

  “You like?”

  The corset was flesh colored and covered in lace, so you couldn’t tell what was fabric and what was Dena. The cups uplifted her breasts in offering, and the faintest hint of a nipple showed. At least, he thought it was a nipple. A matching garter belt, thong, and stockings completed the outfit.

  Her hair had been curled into spirals that fell gently to her shoulders, and on her feet were four-inch heels that screamed “fuck me.”

  He stood for a long moment and just devoured the sight of her. When he regained his composure, he answered, “Hell, yes, baby. I like. I fucking love it.”

  It took four long strides to close the distance between them, and when he made it to her, he took her in his arms and crushed his lips against hers. He held nothing back, pouring out the emotions of the last weeks in his kiss. She moaned and pulled him closer, parting her lips and allowing him to take the kiss deeper.

  It’d been too long since they’d kissed, but their bodies remembered and their flesh rejoiced at the reunion. He ran a hand down her side and cupped a breast, brushed his thumb over the nipple and smiled at her groan.

  “I’m not taking you here,” he said through heavy breaths. “I’m going to make us both wait. Make it better. In the meantime.” His right hand traveled down to her thigh and slipped under her knee. He lifted her leg so her barely covered pussy was exposed to him, and he rocked his erection against her clit. “No coming without my permission.”

  “You’re so unfair.” She pouted.

  “Good girls get rewarded,” he said with another rock of his hips.

  “I’ll be good. I’ll be so, so good.”

  He kissed her again, softer this time, but he still held her leg, still pressed against her. “You always are,” he whispered.

  She whimpered and pushed herself closer to him. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek and forced himself to take a step back. If he didn’t, he feared he’d shove everything off Kelly’s desk and take Dena on its gleaming wooden surface.

  “Not yet,” he said, lowering her leg and running his hand up her body. “Not here.”

  “Let’s leave,” she suggested, and he strongly considered it.

  “I need to talk with Nathaniel, and you said you wanted to support Julie.”

  “The demo’s over, but I know where Nathaniel and Abby are.” She held out her hand. “Come with me?”

  Like she had to ask. He wasn’t about to leave her side. As she reached for the door handle, he remembered his conversation with Evan.

  “Master Martin wanted me to tell you he’d find someone else to watch the door if you were interested in doing a scene with him.”

  “I’ll pass.” She looked over her shoulder. “Did he still have his teeth when you left him?”

  “I’m not that much of a Neanderthal, am I?”

  She didn’t answer but opened the door instead. “Let’s go find Nathaniel.”

  “Am I?” he asked again.

  “I’m trying really, really hard to be good,” she whispered. “Don’t make me lie. Oh, look. There he is.”

  He followed behind her, assuming she was taking him toward Nathaniel but not really paying much attention. He was too focused on her ass and the sexy-as-fuck lingerie she wore. Images and ideas of what he’d do when he finally got her alone filled his mind. He tried not to think about the fact that he’d probably have a raging erection for the duration of the party.

  She came to a stop in the living room, and Jeff looked up to find Nathaniel and Abby sitting with Julie and Daniel on the couch. Julie was dressed in a fluffy robe and sat curled up in Daniel’s lap, her head tucked under his chin as she spoke with Abby.

  “There he is,” Daniel said, seeing Jeff approach. “Glad you’re back, but I’m sorry to hear about your dad.”

  Jeff nodded. “Thanks. It’s good to be back home. How’d the demo go? No stomach issues this time?” he asked Julie.

  Something danced in her eyes, but she replied with a simple, “No, Sir. Everything’s good.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  “She’s being modest,” Daniel said. “The demo went great; she was wonderful.”

  Julie lifted her head for a soft kiss.

  Nathaniel looked around the room and put his arm around Abby. “Now that you’re here, we can tell our news.”

  Jeff held his breath. They are pregnant. He told himself if that was their news, it was okay. That all he had to do was smile. Beside him, Dena stiffened. Damn, he wished they hadn’t picked tonight to share their news.

  “We made an offer on a house here in Delaware and found out this afternoon it was accepted,” Nathaniel said.

  The air left Jeff’s body in one big whoosh.

  “That is the best news,” Dena said, clearly relieved she wouldn’t have to offer pregnancy congratulations. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. What about your New York places?”

  “
I didn’t want to jinx it,” Abby said.

  “We’ll be living here part-time. We’re not selling anything,” Nathaniel explained.

  Everyone started talking at once. Dena let go of his hand and sat down beside Julie and Abby. Soon the women were talking with their heads together. Daniel shifted Julie so she could better talk with them while still keeping his arms around her.

  Nathaniel was discussing the new house with Daniel, but Jeff couldn’t pay attention to the conversation. His focus kept slipping to Dena.

  It was several minutes before he realized the two men weren’t talking anymore.

  “Why do I have the feeling I’m going to have to find a new submissive for my mentees to work with?” Daniel asked.

  A streak of possessiveness like nothing he’d experienced shot through Jeff’s body. It shocked him; he’d never had a problem with Dena helping with the mentor program before. And yet he heard himself answer, “Because you probably will.”

  Daniel gave a resolved sigh. “Guess I better start looking through files.”

  “Last I heard you were switching it up.” Jeff chuckled, thinking about Ron and Mistress K. “Literally.”

  “Yeah, but that was just a onetime thing. Now there’s the potential I’ll have to look into replacing her permanently.”

  Jeff crossed his arms and cocked his head. “If you’re waiting for me to say I’m sorry, you’ll be waiting a long damn time.”

  “No way in hell am I wanting you to apologize. If that’s the way it turns out, it’ll just create a slight headache for me.”

  A movement in the corner of his eye caught Jeff’s attention. “Speaking of mentees.”

  Ron, Daniel’s mentee, approached the group and nodded at the men. “Excuse me, Master Covington, Master Parks, Master West. I wanted to speak to Dena.”

  Something in the way he looked at Dena made Jeff want to pick him up by the nape of his neck and kick him out the door. It wasn’t necessarily a leer, but it wasn’t a look of honor and respect either. Not that Jeff could fault the young man. Dena looked fucking hot in the cream-colored outfit. Besides, he didn’t want to prove Dena’s Neanderthal comment right.

  The two other men looked to Jeff, and Jeff nodded, appreciating the subtle request for his permission.

  But apparently the request was too subtle for Ron to pick up on. “Ladies,” he said, interrupting whatever the women were talking about, and Jeff growled deep in his throat.

  “Ron, hey,” Dena said, a slight look of irritation in her expression.

  Ron didn’t seem to pick up on that either, though he did grimace a bit at the use of his first name. Too damn bad, Jeff thought. The term “Master” would never be bestowed upon someone still in the mentor program.

  “I was wondering if you’d like to join me in the upper bedroom, Dena?” Ron asked.

  Doesn’t he see she’s with someone? Jeff took a step forward, but Daniel held out a hand. Let her handle it, he seemed to say.

  “Sorry, but I’m not playing tonight,” Dena said with a fake smile.

  “Your outfit suggests otherwise.”

  I’ll rip his—

  Daniel’s fingers dug into Jeff’s upper thigh as if he knew what Jeff was about to do. It gave him momentary pause. “Control your mentee, Master Covington, before someone else does it for you,” Jeff ground out.

  Daniel’s grip didn’t loosen. “Ron, you extended an invitation and you were refused. It may be cliché, but in this group no means no.”

  “Yes, but—” Ron started.

  “If you argue with me or disrespect a submissive again, you will be removed from the mentee program. Now apologize to Dena.”

  He paused a bit too long for Jeff’s liking. “Now.”

  “Sorry, Dena,” Ron said. There may have been concession in his voice, but there wasn’t a trace of remorse.

  “It’s okay,” Dena replied.

  “It sure as hell is not okay.” Jeff still didn’t like the look on Ron’s face or the halfhearted manner of his apology. If that made him a Neanderthal, so be it. “Dena, let’s leave.”

  She gave Julie and Abby hugs, promised to call soon to set up a lunch date, and rose to her feet. “I arrived early, Master Parks. I’ll have to see if I can get my car out.”

  Jeff kept his eyes on Ron as the younger man stalked off. “Leave it here. We’ll take my truck.”

  They bade everyone a hasty farewell and then stopped back by Kelly’s office to get Dena’s coat.

  “You really didn’t have a chance to talk to Nathaniel,” she said as they made their way outside. “I think they’re going to have dinner with Daniel and Julie. I could change and we could join them.”

  “I’ll call him later,” he said, opening the door for her to get into the truck. “And no way. We’re spending the evening alone.”

  She didn’t say anything, but she looked pleased they weren’t joining the other couples for dinner. Jeff pulled onto the street. “Mind if we go to your place? Mine’s still a mess.”

  “Sure. Did you bring your bag?”

  “Overnight bag or toy bag?”

  “Either one. Both.”

  “Yes.”

  “You didn’t really answer my question.”

  He grinned in the dark. “I know.”

  She mumbled something under her breath but didn’t say anything else. As he drove away from Kelly’s house, he felt the tension of the night ease. No matter what happened at the party, he was with Dena and they were headed to the privacy of her home.

  Because it’d been a while since she’d been at her apartment, Jeff insisted on looking over everything. Nothing appeared out of order, and there was no new note waiting.

  When they made it inside, Dena hung up her coat.

  “You need to put on a robe or something,” he said, looking over her outfit. “I want to talk for a bit, and it’ll be damn near impossible with you wearing that.”

  She kicked her heels off. “If you insist.”

  “I’ll pour us some wine,” he said, walking toward the kitchen while she disappeared into the bedroom. He didn’t know his way around Dena’s apartment since she’d rented it after they broke up, but he knew she had excellent taste in wine. Though he preferred a good craft beer, he had grown to appreciate some of her recommended vintages.

  “Help yourself,” she called from the bedroom.

  He opened the refrigerator, deciding he’d open a white wine, and found a four-pack of his favorite local brew sitting on the shelf.

  “You’re a dream come true,” he said, taking out a bottle for him and a Riesling for her. “Has anyone ever told you that before?”

  “Once or twice.”

  He turned to find her standing in the doorway. She’d slipped a robe on that somehow matched what he knew lay underneath. Her feet were bare, and she’d rearranged her hair so it was swept to one side, the curls spilling over her shoulder.

  “You want to talk?” she asked.

  No, not really. Not with her looking like she did. But he knew they needed to. “I have to hear about you being a Domme.”

  Her laugh was soft and seductive as she took the offered glass of wine and led him into the living room. She sat on the couch and patted the seat beside her. “Yesterday I went and had a little chat with my dad.”

  He took the offered spot. He sat just close enough to feel her presence without actually touching her. “How is Senator Jenkins doing?”

  He listened as she recalled her visit and her threats. When she got to the part about lying, he gave a low whistle. “You would actually do that?”

  “Without thinking twice. Would it actually work?” She shrugged. “Who knows? He thought it would, and that’s all that really matters.”