Authors: Ella Jade
“Ms. Covington.” Nico smirked in the most obnoxious way. “Are you having a good day?”
“Where are you going?” Ari asked.
“That’s none of your business,” he snapped as his smug smile disappeared.
“You can’t leave with Nadia.”
The girl dropped her gaze when Ari tried to make eye contact with her.
“Are you telling me what to do as Martin’s attorney or as his submissive? Because most of us can’t keep up with your multiple personalities. Who are you today?”
“Who are you to speak to me that way?” Ari couldn’t help herself. She didn’t like this man and she wouldn’t stand by and allow him to treat her with such disrespect. “You have no right.”
“You don’t have any rights at all when it comes to me. Learn your place,
sub
.” He raised his voice loud enough for people to stare at them. “I don’t care who your Master is.”
“That’s quite enough,” Martin said as he approached them. Alex and Hunter weren’t far behind.
Wonderful.
“What’s going on here?” Martin surveyed the situation in front of him and he didn’t look pleased.
“He’s trying to leave with—”
Nico cut Ari off. “He was talking to me.”
Ari looked up at Martin, but he didn’t reciprocate. “What’s the problem, Nico?”
“Your
sub
,” he said, glaring at Ari, “is trying to tell me who I can and can’t leave with. Her behavior is totally unacceptable.”
Ari couldn’t hold her tongue. Her attorney persona kicked in and she had to defend herself. “I know you wouldn’t want him to go anywhere with Nadia.”
Nadia looked as if she wanted to bolt for the elevators. The timid girl moved to stand behind Nico, never looking up at Martin.
“When did it become her place to tell me what to do?” Nico asked. “When I step through those doors I command a certain amount of respect, the same way Alex and Hunter do. I shouldn’t be interrogated by your attorney.”
“You’re right,” Martin said.
“What?” Ari yelled. “I was trying to—”
“Ari.” Hunter took her hand and pulled her back. “Stop it.”
“You don’t understand,” she whispered.
“Be quiet,” Hunter warned.
Ari remembered the conversation she’d had with her cousin about allowing Martin certain liberties when they were inside the club. This was probably one of those times.
“Martin,” Nico said. “You may allow your sub certain exceptions. Maybe you get off on switching roles with her, but I won’t stand for it. I don’t bottom for anyone. I’ve done nothing to violate the rules of this club, and I don’t want any problems.”
“Were you leaving with Nadia?” Martin asked. “Because you know that was against my wishes.”
“No,” he said.
“You’re lying,” Ari said. “You were getting on the elevators with her.”
“No,” Nadia spoke barely above a whisper. “He wasn’t.”
“Nadia, you don’t have to defend me,” Nico said.
“I want to explain,” she said. “May I?”
“Please.” Martin sighed.
“We sat at a booth, and when Sir asked me if I’d like to go to a room with him I told him we would have to check with you first.”
“Why were you getting on the elevator with him?” Ari asked.
“Stop playing lawyer,” Hunter whispered.
“I was walking him out. He was leaving,” Nadia said. “He has done nothing inappropriate.”
“I apologize for Arianna’s behavior,” Martin said. “It won’t happen again.”
“I hope not,” Nico said. “Perhaps that dainty, little collar you placed on her wrist for show isn’t serving a purpose after all.”
“Nico,” Alex said. “Martin has apologized.”
“I accept, but I’d also like to ask permission to pursue Nadia. She’s been here a few weeks and I think she’s ready to move forward.”
“Is that what you want, Nadia? No one can force you to do anything you don’t want here. You get the final say,” Martin told her.
Ari noticed Roxy staring at her. She had a feeling Roxy was pleading silently for Ari to keep her mouth shut.
“I’d like to get to know him,” she said.
Ari cringed but she knew she wouldn’t win this argument. Not with four powerful Doms and one willing sub.
“Very well,” Martin said. “Set it up through Alex. Please reserve a room for Nico at his convenience.”
“Thank you.” Nico stared at Ari. “I hope there will be no more misunderstandings between us.”
“I’ll ride down with you,” Martin said before Ari could answer. “Arianna, go to my office.” Martin stepped into the elevator with Nico, never once looking at her.
Crap!
“What were you thinking?” Hunter asked.
“Not now,” she said. “I need to speak with Roxy.”
“I’ll walk you to Master M’s office. Is that okay, Master?” Roxy looked at Alex.
“Yes, just don’t get into trouble. We have big plans tonight.” He leaned down and kissed Roxy.
She smiled, a blush filling her cheeks when he whispered something in her ear. “I’ll be right back.”
As Hunter led Nadia to the bar area, Ari wondered why her cousin couldn’t pursue her. A girl like Nadia needed a man like Hunter. Someone who would care for her and help her figure out what she needed. Nico wasn’t the right Dom for her. He wasn’t like Martin. His needs would come before the well-being of his sub. Why was she the only one who could see that?
“Ari,” Roxy said. “Please don’t tell on me.”
“Are you kidding? I can’t keep your secret from Martin. He’s already furious with me.”
“Today is Alex’s birthday,” she said. “We’re going on a real date. No collar, no games, and no playroom. He has a special night planned for us. If I tell him the truth now, he’ll be so mad. It will ruin our night.”
“Roxy,” she said. “Don’t put me in this position. Please.”
“I wanted to help Nadia. The same as you. I know I have to tell my Master, but please, not tonight.”
“I’ll give you until tomorrow, but then you have to tell him Nadia has been staying here. Martin needs to know. If he does, he won’t allow her to sub for Nico.”
“I agree,” she said. “I’ll tell Nadia I have to tell them the truth.”
“By tomorrow.” Ari turned the knob on Martin’s office door. “No excuses.”
“I promise.” Roxy hugged her. “Good luck with Master M. If he’s quiet you know you’re in trouble.”
“How do you know?”
“Gracie and I are very good friends. She confided in me all the time. I know a lot about your Master.”
“He’s more than my Master,” she said. “I know he’ll understand what I was trying to do.”
“I’m sure he will.” She smiled. “He’s fair.”
Martin came down the hall. As soon as he approached, Roxy dropped her gaze to the floor and waited for him to speak.
“You’re free for the evening. Give Alex a birthday he’ll never forget.”
“Yes, Sir.” As she hurried down the hall she spoke over her shoulder. “Thank you.”
Martin held the door open for Ari, motioning for her to go inside. She entered the room and sat on the couch. He went to his desk, opened his laptop, and began typing. She waited for him to say something but he acted as if she wasn’t even in the room.
“I think we need to talk,” she said.
“You’re awfully talkative today, aren’t you?”
“I know I was out of line, but you don’t understand.”
“Make me understand, Arianna.” He slammed the laptop shut. “Tell me what would make you approach Nico.”
“I don’t like him.”
“That doesn’t give you the right to disrespect him in my club,” he yelled. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Martin, please. There’s something about him.” How could she make him understand without violating Roxy’s confidence? “Can’t you just tell him Nadia isn’t the right girl for him?”
“It isn’t my place to say who can go with whom. I can suggest, and many of my customers take my advice, but you heard Nadia say Nico didn’t do anything inappropriate. I’ve had her monitored for weeks. She is a consenting adult.”
“I thought you were looking into her past. Where does she come from?”
“Nadia is not the issue.” He got up from his desk and walked to stand in front of her. It reminded her of the first night she’d come to see him. She had no idea she could fall for him so fast and so completely. “Arianna, why are you making this so difficult for me?”
“I don’t mean to,” she said. “There are just some things I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t like Nico, but he isn’t your concern. I spoke to him in the elevator. I told him Nadia was a unique situation and I’m not certain she really is a sub. Something is off with her and that’s why I’m allowing her to hang around here. Between Alex and me, we’re trying to keep an eye on her.”
“Allowing her to associate with Nico is your solution?”
“Why don’t you take that collar off? You’re clearly not my sub today.”
His words stung.
Does he really want me to take it off?
“I still belong to you, even if I don’t agree with your tactics.” She got up and moved toward him. “I know you’re upset with me, but I have to do what my gut tells me. I had to stop Nico from leaving with Nadia.”
“He wasn’t leaving with her.”
“I didn’t know that then.” She shrugged. “I made a mistake.”
“Yes, you did, but I respect your motives.”
“You do? I thought you’d be furious.”
“I’m not pleased, but how can I expect you to follow all the rules of the other subs when you’re not like the other subs?”
“I’m trying to learn.” She hated to think she had failed him when he tried hard to teach her his way of life.
He pulled her against his chest. “I can’t have you mouthing off to the other Doms in this club. They come here to be respected and to practice a certain way of life. We live by a code and you can’t just stomp all over that. You set a bad example for the other subs and no one will respect me if they think I have a rogue sub.”
“I’m that bad?”
“Today you were.” He kissed the top of her head. Even when she placed him in an awkward position he still managed to make her feel safe and secure. “But I can’t fault you entirely. We don’t have the same relationship the other Doms and subs do.”
“Alex and Roxy are taking their relationship to the next level.”
“After several years of creating a BDSM bond first. They came together because he is Dominant and she is submissive. Their boundaries were set and now they have the task of making a normal connection work. We are in the reverse and you are not a traditional sub.”
“Does that disappoint you?”
“You’re submissive enough in the bedroom. You like to play and are eager to learn, but I’m not sure you’ll ever be able to submit to me in a public capacity.”
“It isn’t who I am.” There were times when she wanted to be more compliant. It felt good to release the power and hand herself to Martin completely, but other times she couldn’t do it.
“I don’t care.” He tilted her chin. “I want you just as much as you want to belong to me. We can make it work outside of this club.”
“This club is a big part of who you are. You can’t give it up. I would never ask you to.”
“And I would never ask you to be something you’re not. I’m happy with you. I want us to work. We don’t have to make it work here. We don’t need to.”
“You’re okay with that?” She couldn’t stop the tears from seeping onto her cheeks. Martin had every right to be mad at her. She had disrespected and embarrassed him in his club. “Even after what happened out there?”
“Don’t cry.” He wiped her face with his hand. “I never want to be the reason you cry. I love you.”
“Oh.” She put her hand to her mouth, trying to conceal a sob, but his admission only made her cry harder. “You love me?”
“That wasn’t supposed to make you cry.” He held her against him and rubbed her back in long, comforting strokes. “I was going to tell you at dinner tonight but it seems as if we’ve missed our reservation.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He laughed softly into her hair. “We can go back to the penthouse and order in.”
“Martin?”
“Yes, sweetheart.”
“Don’t you want to know if I reciprocate?”
“Um, well, I suppose.” The muscles in his arms tensed around her. “No, not really.”
“Why not?” She pulled out of his hold.
“Just because I feel it doesn’t mean you have to.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I will not dominate those words out of you.”
“You couldn’t.”
“I know I can’t.” He walked to the window and glanced outside. “We should go. It looks like rain.”
“Martin?” She moved to stand behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “You’re afraid of my answer, aren’t you?”
“Of course not,” he said. “I know you need to think things through and analyze everything. I don’t mind waiting.”
“Oh, my, God.” She laughed. “You’re scared. It’s adorable.”
“No, I’m not.” He turned to face her. “No woman has ever scared me.” He paused for a moment. “Hell, until now.”
“For the record, I do love you. I have since you gave me that collar. When you showed your vulnerable side and told me you didn’t see me coming. I saw how open you were when you took me into your playroom and showed me your domineering side but still let me ask questions and voice my concerns. I love all of you, Martin. Dominant, caring, loving, sexy, and tender. I’ve never encountered anyone like you before.”
“My dominant side never wanted to rear its head more than it did out there in front of that elevator. I wanted to drag you into one of those rooms and strap you down to a whipping bench.”
“Oh?” She didn’t see that admission coming.
“That’s how I know I’m in love with you.”
“Because you wanted to beat me?”
“No.” He laughed. “Because I didn’t follow through. I knew you were trying to protect Nadia. I saw the determined look in your eyes, and if I didn’t have a club to run I might have found it amusing, but that’s not how it works here.”
“I think I better stay away from here until I can figure out all the rules.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” He took her face between his hands. “I have enough to keep you busy in Connecticut anyway. Besides, that playroom is much bigger.”
“What are we waiting for?”
“I have some odds and ends to tie up here in the city.”
“Nice choice of words.” She smirked.