Ashley's Bend (6 page)

What was even more worrisome was the feelings that I had after the events at the club. One event with my stranger, who I now knew as Head Master Dominic, and I was filled with thoughts of him. In all the years that Jared and I had been together, I never felt
that
way with him. I could still feel the tingles of my body from his touch. His scent remained in my nostrils as if he were still close to me. I remained confused as to why he pulled away from me so abruptly. I would never have gone any further with Dominic, especially seeing that I was still married, but a big part of me truly wanted to. I felt new sensations that I never felt when he was that close to me. It felt like we were two magnets being pulled together by an unknown force.

Trinity had gone home and it was just Kelly and me sitting on the couch. She popped a bag of popcorn and we sat munching on it in silence. I knew that I was not going to escape Kelly’s inquisition for long, so I waited until she spoke up first.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked me watchfully trying to gage my temperament. I let out a huge breath of air I didn’t realize I was holding. I didn’t want to talk about the feelings that I had been feeling, but I knew that if I didn’t talk to her then, she would keep prying until I did.

“I cannot believe you didn’t tell me that we were going to a BDSM club, I felt a little uncomfortable,” I explained to her.

“That wasn’t exactly what I was talking about. We can talk about the club later, but right now I want to know how you are feeling about Jared’s infidelity,” Kelly said matter-of-factly.

“I feel hurt and sad, but most of all I am angry. I am angry that I gave up everything for him. I put my life on hold so that he could have a career, and now he has one and I have nothing. I’m scared.”

Kelly slid over and wrapped her arms around me. She had been my rock and the person that I turned to the most. I was going to need her now more than ever.

“You know I have a spare bedroom. You are more than welcome to move here with me. In fact, I insist on it.”

I looked at my best friend with adoring eyes. I loved her and knew that no matter what she would be there for me. I was grateful that I had someone in my life like her to help me get through it.

“Thank you, Kelly. That means a lot to me.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now about Master Dominic,” she said as she wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

“How hot was that Ashley? He pulled you from the crowd! Apparently that was the only time he has
ever
done that. He looked like he wanted to eat you alive.”

I wanted him to eat me alive
, I thought. Adrenaline started to surge through my body when I started thinking about Dominic again.

“Did you like it? I mean I know you have never done anything like that before.”

If that wasn’t the understatement of the century. How did I feel? Liberated, free, even. Though Dominic’s intention was to bind me in ropes, I felt electricity, sparks and fire. I had never been more turned on and those feelings scared me. Was that a lifestyle that I wanted to participate in?

“It felt different,” I gave her as an explanation.

“Do you think you would go back?” she asked.

“I don’t know, maybe?”

“Good because I signed on as a member!”

“Oh my God, Kelly? You know that you have to either be a madam or a submissive, right? Holy hell, which one are you?” She looked at me a little sheepishly. I half expected her to say she was a madam who delivered pain and pleasure to submissive males, but once again Kelly surprised me.

“Sub,” she said.
Wow.

“Kelly, Dominic flipped out when he found out that I was not a submissive. He literally looked at me like I had burned him. They are not going to let me back into The Celtic Knot.”

“They will if you sign up for the training course.”

I looked at her dumbfounded. They had courses to
train
someone to be submissive? The thought both shocked and intrigued me. Could I do something like that?

“I’m not sure Kell, first things first, I need to file for divorce from Jared before I do anything. I cannot begin a relationship with anyone, regular or in a submissive role before I am free from my marriage first.” Kelly nodded her head in agreement. I pondered the idea over in my head. I felt something with Dominic. Something that I have not felt in a long time. The scary part was the fact that I was contemplating the training, just to get closer to him.

She wasn’t a fucking sub? What the hell had I done? I knew I should have stuck to protocol, but there was something about her that I just couldn’t get past. Her eyes, hair, body, all of it drew me to her like a moth to a flame. I knew that if I wasn’t careful, she would singe my wings and cause me to crash and burn back down to Earth.

It had been two days since I did the rope demonstration on Ashley, and I couldn’t stop thinking about her. The way her trembling body felt beneath the brush of my hands had my dick hard. I didn’t even know the girl’s last name, or even who she was. We did very extensive background checks on all members of the club. Safety was first and foremost when it came to the business.

This was my fourth club that I had opened in the past five years. The others had become highly successful and made me a very rich man. Not one time in those five years had someone slipped in under the radar, and now this woman had slipped into my fucking head. I’ve never had a woman affect me as much as she did, ever. Hell, I barely even gave the girl I fucked any thoughts at all beyond the bedroom.

I had seen first-hand the devastation that love can do to a person. It could pull you down into the pits of hell and burn you like an eternal flame. I promised myself long ago that I would never have a reason to fall in love. I would never have to feel the devastation that love brings as long as I didn’t feel anything. The only feelings I allowed myself to feel were of the physical variety. The feeling of having someone submit all power to me as I pounded my cock inside her. No lust, no love, just pure carnal, licentious sex. Physical release to distract any demons that were holed up inside me and to make me
forget
.

I had to get this woman out of my head, pronto. So I was going to do something I hadn’t yet done since opening up the Chicago location, I was going to put myself on the list for available Masters tonight. It was where a sub who was unowned by a master could come and enjoy the benefits of a relationship, without having to sign a contract. A Master was randomly provided a sub. It created a little excitement because it was like a lottery, you never knew what or whom you would get. Yes, all I needed to do was lose myself in a fine pussy, or risk losing my mind over Ashley.

I was sitting at my desk in my upstairs office when Knoxville Tanner, also known as Knox, my head security guard, and one of my best friends, came barreling in and plopped his big ass down in the chair in front of me. He was also financially invested in this location with me. His big bald head shined as the light from the fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling reflected off of it. He was a big man. Ex-military. He didn’t put up with anyone’s shit and that was one of the reasons we got along so well.

“Member numbers seem to keep climbing,” he deadpanned. It was his way of trying to start the conversation I didn’t want to have.

“Yeah, pretty soon we will have to halt memberships. We are almost to capacity. If any of the people sign on after our sub training in a few weeks, then we could be at our maximum sooner, rather than later,” I replied to him.

“Have any of the invitations gone out yet?” Knox asked me. I looked at him a little quizzically. I knew where he was headed.

“No. Why?”

“I think you should invite her, man.”

And there it was. The elephant in the room waiting to break the silence. The thing was I had thought about it. A lot. But then, did I really want to subject that sweet innocent girl to a lifestyle of pain and punishment?
Hell fucking yeah,
my subconscious screamed at me. Knox gave me an obtuse look.

“Look, all I am saying is that you felt something with her up on that stage the other night. Why not try it out and see where it goes? I have never seen you with a girl outside of the club, or the bedroom, ever.”

“I have my reasons,” I bit out. Knox, more than anyone knew about my past and the reasons why I was the way I was. He also had a dark past that was still a bit of a mystery to me, but out of bro code, I didn’t push the subject. I knew in his own time when he was ready, he would tell me.

“I know you do Nic. I’m not saying get involved with her, just
explore
her. Give into your desires for her. Maybe it will be more stimulating than you care to imagine.” He rose from his chair and walked over to the door. Just before he stepped over the threshold, he turned to face me.

“Just think about it.”

When Knox left my office, I picked up the phone to call the man who does all of our background and personal checks on every member that applied to the club.

“Hey Tommy,” I said as he answered the phone. Get me all the information you can on…” I trailed off as I glanced down at the NDA she signed the night she came into the club.

“I need everything you can find on an Ashley Carter.”

It had been nearly two weeks since I walked into Jared’s office and my world was ripped apart. I had since moved all my belongings to Kelly’s house and was having to fight Jared’s attempts at reaching me to try to repair our broken relationship. I visited him to file for divorce. I lost all trust and love for Jared the night I found him in the act of cheating. I knew that, after seven years of marriage, it shouldn’t be so easy for me to do, but it had been rather easy. When someone shattered your heart like Jared did mine, it was easy to lose all faith and love in that person.