However, if you’d like to experience my aftercare, we can look for a mutually beneficial time to further explore what would be involved.”
And just like that, he’d thrown the gauntlet down in the most matter-of-fact way possible.
“I think we’d better stick to photography,” she managed to get out.
He nodded and took a sip of his water. “Consider it a standing offer.”
She was fresh out of snappy comebacks. Probably because the photography session had her wondering what a BDSM session would be like with this older Luke. She had a feeling it would be nothing like what she had experienced with the younger Luke and that was nothing short of spectacular.
* * *
Luke breathed a sigh of relief as Meagan’s car pulled out of the driveway. The photography session had been a lot more intense than he’d bargained for. Meagan obviously thought so too, or else she wouldn’t have made the comment she did about aftercare.
Damn, but he didn’t remember things being so fiery with her the last shoot they did. Then again, maybe they had been. After all, they’d spent the following weekend in bed.
He took a big sip of his water. No, there was no way in hell the chemistry between them had been so palpable fifteen years ago. No way had she played to the camera all those years ago the way she had today. He’d known she’d look incredible in the silk and lace he bought for her, but he had no idea she’d become the very embodiment of every fantasy he ever had.
Fuck, just thinking about it made him hard.
He was going to spend a lot of time in a cold shower if today was any indication of how future sessions would go. What he needed to do was to get his mind on something other than Meagan Bishop and how she looked wrapped in the tiny bit of almost nothing.
His phone vibrated on the counter where he’d left it and he gladly went to answer it. Finally, he could talk about something that wasn’t Meagan.
Except it was the gentleman behind the book, Rick Campbell, and Luke knew he’d be calling for an update. He had to admit, he’d been surprised when Rick approached him about the project. Apparently, Rick had been at his latest club’s grand opening and had been captivated by the pictures Luke had decorated with. Rick called him the next day to inquire about them and when he found that Luke was the photographer, he brought up the book.
The book itself was to be published by a small press that specialized in nonfiction coffee-table books. Luke had been tempted to snicker at the thought of a BDSM book being considered a coffee-table book, but Rick had been completely serious.
“Hello, Rick,” he said with a smile. “How’s it going?”
“Great. I’m calling to see if the session went as expected.”
“It did. Ms. Bishop is everything I told you about and more. Definitely the right model for the job.”
“Then I’m glad she agreed to work with you. Would you be able to send over a few shots from today?”
“Of course. She just left, so give me a few hours to go through what I have and pick some out to send.”
Rick agreed and after they disconnected, Luke sat the phone back down with a groan. Looked as if he wasn’t going to get a break from Meagan after all. Instead, he was going to spend the evening with images of her barely covered body.
First things first, though, he decided. And the first thing up was an ice-cold shower to show his body who was boss. As he walked past the bedroom Meagan had changed in, he saw the skimpy gown hanging where she’d left it.
First thing up was a longer-than-long ice-cold shower.
Later that night, he stood in his New Jersey club, just a few minutes from his home in Princeton, and hoped the sights and sounds would help keep his mind off Meagan. So far it wasn’t helping. He wasn’t sure why. It was a Saturday night and the place was crowded. From the looks of it, everyone was having a great time. He smiled and nodded at a few people, but didn’t stay in one place long enough to strike up a conversation, because he didn’t feel like sitting around and talking. He felt restless and unsettled.
Which he partially blamed on Meagan and partially on himself. After all, he was the one who’d picked out that damn gown. But it was all her fault she looked so damn good in it.
He thought about finding a willing submissive and escaping off to a private room. He’d never played at his own club, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t.
Maybe a nice long, hard session was just what he needed to clear his head. He walked toward the check-in desk, planning to look through the submissive list to see who’d showed up alone tonight, when a soft, seductive laugh had him changing his direction. He knew better, but for some reason it sounded like Meagan.
In all likelihood, it wasn’t her, but rather his mind conjuring her up because she was so heavily on his mind. The sound was coming from a nearby lounge area. He made his way toward it as quickly as possible and came to a full stop.
Damn it all to hell and back. It was Meagan.
She didn’t see him and he almost smiled. He couldn’t wait to make his presence known. But as he grew closer, he saw who she was talking with and froze.
A man who went by the name “Master V”; a man who was removed from the membership roll. He’d been dishonest to Meagan months ago the night Abby was almost assaulted. Though many things bothered Luke about the man, at the moment two held the top position in his head: why was Meagan talking with that asshole?
Regret, anger, and jealousy boiled inside him, but they all dimmed in comparison to his second question: What the hell was Master V doing in his club?
Both Meagan and Master V heard him approach at the same time and turned. Meagan looked surprised, but Master V just looked smug.
“How did you get in?” Luke asked, seeing no reason for pleasantries.
The so-called “Master” answered with a confident “I just gave them my name.”
Luke stepped closer, the just-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it expression on the other guy pissing him off more with every second. “What name would that be?”
Meagan stepped in between the two men. “Luke, you’re being rude.”
Luke held up his hand. “Meagan, this is none of your business. Stay out of it.”
“What do you mean it’s none of my business? It was my conversation you interrupted.”
Standing slightly behind her, Master V simply snorted in enjoyment. Was he enjoying a scene he had orchestrated?
“Meagan,” Luke said. “I’m telling you one more time—”
“Do you need help, Boss?” The head of his security team appeared at his side.
Luke didn’t move his eyes from the couple in front of him. “Find out what name Master V used to get in tonight.”
He’d given explicit instructions that the so-called Master V was not to be allowed in his club. He knew for a fact his employees would not let him in. It only made sense the man used a different name to get into the club.
He was mad at himself now. Somehow there was a loophole in his database that allowed members to be listed more than once, under different names. It was his mistake and he’d own up to it.
“Excuse me?” Meagan said.
But before he could fix the security issue, though, he had to deal with Meagan. He turned to his security lead. “I’ll let you take care of him. I’ll handle her.”
“You’ll handle me? Handle me?” Her voice was filled with ire. “What the—”
“Enough.” Luke stepped closer to Meagan as Master V was led away by security. Luke took her wrist and held it up, his thumb stroking the red bracelet there. “Unless it’s escaped your attention, you’re here as a submissive tonight and you are being disrespectful to me, not only as a Dom, but also as the club owner. Not for the first time, either, I’ll remind you.”
She jerked her hand out of his, put both on her hips, and tipped her head. “And?”
“And since the Dom you were with is no longer here, your discipline falls to me.”
Understanding swept across her face and she
went pale. “I loathe you. I don’t even know why I come here. Every time I show up, you follow me around just waiting for me to mess up. It’s like you’re looking for a reason to get your hands on my ass.”
“Why do you come here?” he asked. “I can remember at least five times you swore you’d never come back and yet you still show up.”
“There was nothing on TV tonight.”
He could almost laugh at her thin attempt at bravado. Almost, but he wouldn’t; he had an image to protect and he didn’t want the other submissives to get any ideas. “You’d think with as much trouble as you’re in, you’d be just a bit more respectful.”
“I don’t see the point. You’re going to do what you’re going to do anyway. Might as well let you know how I really feel.”
“Still with the backtalk, sweetheart?” he asked. “It’s like you’re looking for a reason for me to get my hands on your ass.” She opened her mouth to object to his slight restatement of her words, but his next words stopped her from doing more. “And trust me, by the time we’re finished, everyone in here will have no doubt about how you really feel.”
For the first time he could ever remember, Meagan looked unsure of what to do or say next. No worries, he told himself. For the next however long it took, she didn’t have to concern herself with what to do or say. He would be the one to direct her. And it started with one word.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Kneel.”
* * *
Meagan kept her eyes on Luke as she went to her knees. She recognized she was in enough trouble without disobeying him more, but she wanted him to see her eyes. To feel her anger.
Though, truly, she really had only herself to blame. She had been disrespectful to Luke. Many times. And with her display tonight, she’d basically pushed him into a corner until he had no choice other than to do what he did. She did know better, but damn it, it was as though his very presence egged her on.
Unless he was right and she really just wanted his hands on her.
She didn’t feel like walking down that path at the moment.
When she made it back to her apartment after the photography session, she’d been surprised to find her earlier restlessness had dissipated, leaving her calm and at ease. It was as if she’d spent the last few hours in an actual scene instead of merely being photographed.
Then another e-mail from The Taskmaster had arrived and all her calm went straight to hell.
I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me. Keep up the good work and I’ll be in touch.
The anonymous man had taken pictures of her in her home; she didn’t know why it shocked her that he knew how she’d spent her afternoon. But it did and she found herself antsy and out of sorts. When Master V called and asked her to meet him at the club, she jumped at the chance. She hadn’t talked to him since that fateful night at the club, and the way she saw it, she’d finally have the chance to grill him about what really happened. Sure it was Luke’s club, but her need to get out of the house exceeded her need to keep her vow never to step foot into one of his clubs again.
She found Master V waiting for her inside when she arrived, so she didn’t know what name he used to get in. She had to admit, if he was listed twice using different names, Luke had every reason to be upset. Truthfully, as soon as she’d met up with him earlier tonight, she knew it had been a mistake. He had no interest in talking and she had no interest in playing. Still, when Luke had interrupted their conversation, all she could think about was how the entire evening was just a colossal waste of time and she hadn’t found anyone she wanted to scene with.
Of course, now she was going to get a different kind of scene.
The short time she’d been with Luke in the past hadn’t allowed him the opportunity to do anything resembling a punishment session. And the few times she’d observed him play, either in a demo or in a public setting, he’d always been participating in pleasurable scenes.
Funny, even though she’d imagined playing with him over the years, this was one scenario she’d never thought of.
He stood in front of her, watching her with questioning eyes, as if he was trying to read her mind.
“Do you have anything you want to say?” he asked.
“I’m sorry for disrespecting you, Sir.”
He looked relieved that she hadn’t argued. Surely he knew her better. But then again, she hadn’t exhibited her best side the few times he’d seen her as a submissive. With that thought came the determination that no matter what, she would take what he dished out and she’d be the best damn submissive he’d ever disciplined.
She bowed her head.
“Thank you, Meagan.”
Because she did Top on occasion, she was familiar with the decisions Doms faced. She had no issue with Luke’s decision to call her on her disrespect and correct it.
On the other hand, she was irritated with her traitorous body for being turned on at kneeling at his feet.
“Stand up and strip,” he said.
She couldn’t look him in the eye as she followed his command and folded her clothes neatly. After the photo session, it seemed too intimate to do so and she wondered if she’d feel the same if he’d had her naked in the studio.
Fuck, it turned her on being naked in front of him.
“Very nice, Meagan,” he said, but his voice was strained. “Now, go sit at the bar. I’ll meet you there soon.”
Sit at the bar? What the ever-loving fuck?
Still, she’d told herself she was going to be the best submissive he’d ever punished, so she made her way to the bar and sat on one of the stools. Almost every eye was on her, but out of respect to Luke, no one touched or talked to her while she waited for him to return.
She didn’t hear him come up behind her and she jumped when he placed a laptop in front of her. Maybe he was going to video something?
“I’ve decided your punishment is that you’re going to sit naked at the bar and you’re going to go through the membership of the club, looking for duplicates like your friend V. I want everything cross-checked: names, numbers, employers, photos. Find the duplicates and forward them to me.”
He wanted her to what?
“There are faster ways to accomplish this, Sir.” She didn’t want to argue, but this was borderline ridiculous. There was software he could install. Programming he could run. Anything but the way he was suggesting. “Doing it this way will take forever.”
“I’m aware of that, but I want you to do it this way. And if you don’t finish tonight, I want you back here tomorrow. Naked and working. And you will sit here, checking my database until you’ve finished and I’ve approved your work.”
Forget borderline ridiculous; he’d just crossed over into completely ridiculous. There was no telling how long it would take to complete the task. “I’d rather you spank me.”
“I’m sure you would. You think I didn’t see how turned on you were standing before me, naked? But I need the database checked, so that’s what you’re going to do.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I’d rather be spanking you, too. But know this, Meagan. If I got my hands on your ass, I wouldn’t stop until I had you on your hands and knees, legs spread, begging me to fuck you.”
Hot. Damn. And. Yes. Sir. The visual his words brought to mind were enticing. So much more desirable than what she currently had to look forward to. If she closed her eyes, she swore she could almost feel him behind her, his warmth pressing against her. She swallowed a moan.
He chuckled. “Get to work.”
With a resolved sigh, she turned her attention away from the man behind her and opened the listing of members, trying to work out in her head what would be the best way to go about checking everything. She decided to pull up V’s information first to see if she could find the second name he was listed under.
After she’d been working a few minutes, Luke stepped away. She was surprised to find she missed his presence. Determined not to dwell on it, she refocused on the spreadsheet before her, th
ough she felt as if she was looking for a needle in a haystack.
She scrolled through the list of addresses. Would V have listed the same one? After several minutes of looking, it didn’t appear he had.
“Meagan?”
She had focused so intently on the computer, she jumped at the sound of her name. “Damn it, Sir.” She turned to face the interruption. “You scared me half to death.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you heard me.” He held out a slip of paper. “Here’s the name he used to get in. Thought that might help.”
“Yes, thank you.” She looked at the paper and frowned. She didn’t recognize any of the information. Interesting. But opening up the alternate name on the computer, she saw the connection. “There we have it.”
“What?” Luke peered over her shoulder.
“He listed his real name as a reference. Talk about a ‘fuck you and your security system, too.’”
“Shit.”