Collared (Vegas Nights Book 1) Read online

  “How long have you been dating?”

  “What’s his full name?”

  “Where is he from?”

  “Have you guys had sex yet?

  “Is he good in bed?”

  “Most importantly, does he have any brothers?”

  Their questions came rapid fire, as if they had been holding them in all day, just chomping at the bit for a chance to ask. The last one came from Emmy.

  Diamond laughed, a deep hard belly laugh, and then she answered every one. It finally felt like girls’ night. “A week, Paxton Aaron Donovan, he’s from back east somewhere, yes, and yes, and I don’t know, but I’ll ask.”

  “You’ve only been together a week, and you’ve already had sex? Damn girl, you work fast!” Ruby exclaimed.

  Diamond just shook her head. Roo had no idea.

  “Paxton Aaron Donovan? Really? Holy hell,” Emmy fanned herself with her hand. “Good Lord, even his name is sexy as fuck.”

  “I know, right?”

  “So, how did you snag him? Spill. We want every sordid detail.”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Diamond was shaking her head no, but she knew her sisters wouldn’t rest until they got it out of her, so she grabbed the wine, and chugged until she felt brave. And then she told them everything.

  Emmy was on the edge of her seat, eyes wide, taking in every detail with a squeal of delight or a clap of her hands. Ruby was less enthusiastic. The more Di talked, the more closed off she seemed. Finally, Emmy reached out and pinched her.

  “Geez, Roo! What is your issue tonight? Seriously? Are you not even listening? This story is amazeballs! It’s like something straight out of a book.”

  “Yeah, How to get Murdered in Your Sleep,” Roo muttered rolling her eyes. If it was anyone else, Diamond would have been convinced that they were judging her choices, and disgusted by the idea of her dipping her toes into the kink pool. With Ruby, Diamond knew better. She had seen Roo’s Kindle.

  She stared at her sister, taking in the body language, from the stubborn set of the jaw to the eyes wet with unshed tears, and thought about the odd way her sister had been acting. Finally, it hit her.

  “Oh, my god, you’re jealous!”

  “You’re crazy. Like batshit crazy,” Roo deadpanned.

  “No.” Diamond shook her head slowly, remembering all sort of crazy sister conversations they had had over the years. “No, I don’t think so. You’re kinky,” she said slowly, wrapping her head around the idea. “And Trevor’s not.”

  “Hmmph. I’m not kinky. I’ve never done anything the slightest bit kinky.”

  “No, you haven’t,” Diamond agreed, having once been privy to every excruciating detail of her sister’s early sex life. “When would you have? You’ve only been with Trevor, and he’s not kinky in the least.”

  One thing Diamond had learned during her short stint at Rojo was that you couldn’t judge a book by its cover or a kink by the person who loved it. Some of the kinkiest people she had come across lived the most boring and normal everyday lives. They were doctors and lawyers and accountants and teachers. She had also learned that if you read the signs, sometimes a kinky person would know another kinky person before that person themself knew she was kinky. She knew instinctively that that was not the case with Trevor. He was about as straight laced as they came. And he was good for Roo—a calming force for her sister’s tempestuous temper, but that didn’t mean he was filling all her needs.

  Suddenly Di felt bereaved for her sister. Until the first time Pax had turned her over his knee and she felt that first sweet explosion of pain as his hand connected with her ass, she hadn’t known what kink was. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to know, and know that if you stayed with the person who you had spent a decade believing was your soul mate, your needs would forever go unmet.

  The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, and neither Diamond nor Emmy seemed to know what to say in response to this new revelation. Di herself had only been immersed in the kink scene for a week now. She was not one to be giving advice in the kink department. It’s not like she had ever tried to get anyone to spank her; it had just happened. In her limited knowledge, you were either kinky, or at the very least, open to it, or you weren’t. It couldn’t be forced.

  Emmy, not knowing what to say, walked over and gave Roo a hug, handing her the bottle, and smiling when Roo took another big swig, wiped her mouth off with her forearm, and waved the empty bottle in the air. “Let’s play truth or dare!”

  “Um, no.” Diamond shook her head, backing away slowly. “Last time we did that I ended up on a tabloid cover.” She didn’t add that whatever her sisters dared her to do was likely to end up with her getting her ass beat. They were ruthless when it came to truth or dare. “Let’s try to keep it legal tonight, and play, Sex, Marry, Kill.”

  * * *

  Pax took in the scene at the breakfast table the next morning with a knowing smile. All three Barrett sisters looked rough around the edges, with Ruby taking the lead. Diamond seemed to be nursing a slight headache, and only Emmy seemed to be relatively normal.

  He shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. Naughty girls. He knew Diamond had permission, but he couldn’t help but have to restrain himself from behaving as he normally would. His palm was itching, and his cock was twitching, and it took everything he had not to grab the back of her ponytail, pull her into the other room, call her his naughty girl, spank her ass, and have his way with her.

  Reminding himself that they were at the breakfast table in her father’s house with her two sisters present, and her father a stone’s throw away in the next room, he settled on slightly torturous small talk.

  “So, did you girls behave yourselves last night?” He had expected only Diamond to really react, but to his amusement, all three heads jerked up simultaneously, took one look at him and burst into raucous laughter.

  It took him only a split second to realize that a drunken Diamond had spilled her guts. His eyes jerked to the other room, where Martin was still engrossed in a phone conversation with a client. He could have some fun with this, if only for a few minutes.

  He caught Diamond’s eye, and when he was sure she was paying attention, he quickly winked, hoping she would realize what he was doing and play along.

  “Diamond,” he said sternly, “I trust you followed our alcohol rules last night? Remember what happened last time you over-indulged?” His words had the desired effect. Ruby and Em, both stared at him wide-eyed, then jerked their gaze to Diamond, checking their sister’s reaction.

  “Um… maybe?” Diamond, it seemed was a very convincing actress, with her pouting lips and half lowered gaze, as she refused to look directly at him. Both of the younger Barrett sisters were fully engaged, and squirming in their seats—looking torn between embarrassment and fascination.

  “Maybe, hm. Care to reconsider your answer, baby girl? Think very carefully this time before you open your mouth. Lying and disrespect go over just about as well as over-indulging.”

  “Fine,” Diamond acquiesced, so convincing in her role that for a minute Pax nearly forgot that they were acting and that he wasn’t actually upset. “No, sir, I didn’t follow the rules.”

  Pax was sure she actually hadn’t but he was guessing her sisters didn’t know that she had gotten permission ahead of time not to. Staying in his role, Pax raised his eyebrows and pegged her with an appraising look. “Naughty girl. You know what happens to girls who disobey, don’t you?” He stood, and circled the breakfast table to stand beside her, wrapping her ponytail around his first, and leaning down to whisper in her ear. “What happens to naughty, disobedient subs?”

  She shrugged defiantly, and traced a scratch on the oak dining table with her finger. “I don’t want to say.”

  “Upstairs, now,” he growled thickly, smacking her ass lightly when she stood.

  The younger Barrett sisters were a sight to behold. Emmy looked genuinely concerned, as if she desperately wa
nted to jump up and stop him, but she was genuinely afraid to. Ruby’s expression was unreadable. She seemed to be shutting out the whole exchange now, where moments before, she had been on the edge of her seat. What was that about? He didn’t have time to wonder, as Diamond was practically dragging him up the stairs to her room. He still had ahold of her by the hair, so he had to follow.

  When the door closed behind them, he dropped her hair, and burst into laughter. “That was fun. You’re a good actress, darling. I think your sisters are down there about to pee themselves.”

  “You’re not bad yourself.” Diamond was bent over holding her stomach as she laughed. “That was epic. For a second there, I thought you were actually mad!”

  “For a second there, I forgot that I wasn’t.”

  Her laughter under control, Diamond leaned into his embrace, standing on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips. “God, I want you.”

  “Me too, darling, me too. We can’t though. Your father’s house is off limits. We went far enough yesterday, and we’re not going any further.”

  “Fine, okay. When can we leave?” she asked with faux exasperation.

  “We can stay until Tuesday as planned or we can go home right now. It doesn’t matter to me a bit. This is about you and your family. I’m just here to watch out for tree creepers.”

  Diamond sighed, her eyes rolling back in her head as she contemplated her decision. “If we go back now, are you going to go straight back to work?”

  “Only in the case of a life or death emergency,” he vowed solemnly.

  Diamond leaned in for another kiss, and Pax stooped down slightly in order to kiss her thoroughly. When she came up for air, looking breathless and amused, she said, “Okay, you’ve convinced me. Let’s leave after lunch.”

  “Should we go down and tell your sisters this was all a prank to get a few minutes of alone time before they have a full on conniption?”

  “I suppose,” she agreed with a sigh. “Although they really don’t deserve it.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “We took a vacation from work, and you want to go to work?” They were back in Pax’s suite on Sunday night, after a four-hour drive, a short nap, and several hours spent reconnecting. He had asked her what she wanted to do tonight, and her answer had left him staring in confusion as if she had grown a second head.

  “I don’t want to go to work. I want to go to the club as an observer.”

  He still didn’t look convinced. “But, why?”

  “I like the club. It’s exciting. I always see something I wasn’t expecting, and I always leave there horny as hell. I think it would be fun to enjoy it as a patron, to be able to sit, and have a drink, and talk to whomever I wanted, when I wanted and for as long as I wanted.”

  “Okay. Wouldn’t you rather go to a different club? There are several nearby we could check out instead.”

  “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet,” she admitted. “I was kind of hoping it would be slow and mellow tonight since it’s Sunday. But, it wouldn’t be too overwhelming, because it’s still familiar. But if you don’t want to, it’s okay. We can do something else.”

  Pax regarded her with contained amusement. “No, you’re right. You deserve to experience the scene as a participant or observer, and not just as staff. Get dressed. We’ll grab a quick dinner before we head in.”

  She jumped up like a shot, squealing, and clapping her hands together as she ran to the closet. What did one wear to a BDSM club anyway?

  Vowing to shop for some club-worthy attire, she settled quickly on her shortest and tightest little black dress and ran into the bathroom to get ready.

  She showered quickly, and dressed, pulling her hair into a messy bun, not quite sure how one dressed to observe at one of these things, and not wanting to take the time to straighten or curl her hair. She did her makeup as quickly as possible and frowned at her reflection. She looked great for a night out at a regular club. At Aubergine, she would have blended right in. At Rojo, she was going to look like a pariah who didn’t belong.

  Rummaging through her jewelry, she searched for a necklace that was similar to the one she had worn as part of her uniform the other night. So, she didn’t have a collar, but she could at least look like she had one.

  An arm brushed her waist, and she jumped, startled at seeing Pax’s reflection in the mirror. He kissed her neck softly, and she nuzzled into him.

  “Are you almost ready? I’m kind of hungry.”

  “I have nothing to wear!” she whined, withdrawing from his grasp and turning to face him. “I look like a frumpy librarian.”

  He looked her up and down, undressing her with his eyes. “You will be the hottest sub in the place. And you’ll be with me. I’ve never brought a sub there before.”

  “What!” she exclaimed in shock. “Really? Not ever?”

  His finger came to rest across her lips. “Shh. I’ve never brought anyone there as my sub, because I’ve never wanted to. Nor have I been in a committed D/s relationship since Rojo began. I’m not very good at balance, and I’m a bit of a workaholic. Until you came along, I’ve never been tempted to blur the lines between work and pleasure. It hadn’t even occurred to me.”

  Her mouth rounded into an O of surprise behind his finger. “I’m sorry, Paxton. I didn’t realize. We don’t have to go. Or, we could go, and just go—I don’t have to go as your sub—I don’t even have to go as your date. I—” she cutoff abruptly when Pax’s hand lifted from her lips and came out in front of him as if to stop her tirade in its tracks.

  “Stop. We’re going. Just because I haven’t done something yet doesn’t mean I shouldn’t. And what is this nonsense of not going as my sub? It’s not a button you can push to turn it on and off at will. You’ll go as my sub, because that’s who you are. In this relationship, that is your identity. You are my sub, and you belong to me, and anytime we go out in public together, outside of work, that is your role. Do you understand?”

  “Oh. Yes, I, uh… I just…” she opened her mouth and attempted to speak but nothing coherent came out as so many conflicting thoughts and emotions were swirling in her brain. She was turned on as hell at his speech, but unsure that she was cut out for the role of full-time submissive. What did that mean? Was she able? Was she worthy?

  “So, if we go to the club tonight, you go as my sub. If you aren’t comfortable with that, we don’t go. My dominance is your protection, and without it, you have no business in a place like Rojo. If we go, you are at my mercy and disposal from the moment we step into the hallway until the moment we fall into bed tonight. You will obey me at every step. It will be good practice for you. We haven’t spent a lot of time out in public together.”

  “Okay,” she whispered her agreement, nearly shaking with anticipation.

  “I’m going to go get a few things ready,” he told her stepping into the open doorway. “Be ready in ten minutes.”

  “Yes, sir,” she agreed watching him go.

  As she double checked her make-up, applied deodorant, and liberally coated herself with her favorite blackberry peach body spray, she wondered what sort of things he needed to get ready. It was commonplace at Rojo for doms to bring an assortment of toys and implements with them, within reason. She drew the line at the leash. If Pax ever brought it up as an expectation, they would have to have a serious come to Jesus meeting.

  She had no idea how long it had been when Pax called out to her. She was wound so tightly that every minute seemed like an hour. She entered the sitting area of the suite to find Pax dressed to the nines in black slacks, a black shirt and a vest. He was sitting on the couch, with his legs open in a V and he motioned for her to stand between them.

  She went slowly, her legs shaking as she walked.

  “Inspection time.” He motioned for her to twirl, and let out a low whistle of appreciation as she turned. “Very nice,” he murmured appreciatively as she faced him again. “There’s just one problem. You’re wearing panties.”

&
nbsp; “I’m sorry?” Whatever she had expected him to say, it wasn’t that.

  “When you are in public with me, you will always go without panties. It reminds you to behave, and gives me easy access if you are terribly bad, or,” he added mischievously, “terribly good.”

  “I…” she hesitated, her bottom clenching, when he raised his hand, level with her bottom in warning. “Okay, okay.” Lifting her dress to her hips, she grabbed her panties and quickly pulled them down to the floor, stepping out of them and leaving them where they lay.

  “Normally, I would have you go fully pantyless,” Pax repeated, reaching into his pocket, for a reason she didn’t yet understand. “Tonight, though, I thought we would have a little fun, and ease into it so to speak.” His hand came out of his pocket, holding a pair of black silk panties that to her surprise were much less revealing than the ones she had been previously wearing.

  “Put these on,” he instructed, handing them to her with a wicked smile.

  “I don’t understand,” she replied slowly, taking them from him, and stepping into them slowly.

  “Hush. You don’t have to understand. Just obey.”

  She desperately wanted to be good, and to not fail miserably at this whole submissive in public thing, so she shut her mouth, and pulled the fabric over her hips, pushing them into place, and frowning when they were fully on. There was a strange bulge in the v of the crotch. A pocket sewn into the fabric, for some reason. She didn’t understand fully until Pax opened his hand to reveal a small bullet shaped vibrator that he quickly slid into the fold of fabric in the front of her panties. Instead of laying the vibe on its side as she would have expected, he stood it on end, folding the fabric around the bottom, and then gave a small push. Her eyes widened as it settled inside of her. She waited, oddly disappointed when nothing happened. Was this some sort of test? Was the goal simply to try to keep the thing lodged inside of her as she went about her night? Was it some sort of muscle strengthening exercise, to better prepare her to please him? For all she knew it could be. She was literally clueless when it came to BDSM practices, approaching the entire thing with wide eyed wonder. She learned something new every day—some things surprised her and some didn’t—but this one straight up baffled her.