Tara Me - Seduced by Fire

“Yes?”

“Wondered.” There. She’d said it out loud. To Daniel even.

But he showed no reaction to her confession. “That’s pretty much what Sasha said. Except you know, of course, that she was aware I’d be here and she knows you and I are . . . involved.”

“Yes, I know. I’m still pissed at her about that.”

“As your friend, I can see how you’d be upset, but as a senior member of Sasha’s BDSM group, I understand why she went about it the way she did.”

“Which brings us back to my original question. How did you imagine me finding out?”

He sat back down in his chair. “Come sit with me, please?”

Warily, she crossed the floor to him. When she took the chair beside him, he held out a hand. She placed hers on it and their fingers intertwined.

“I was going to tell you Saturday night.”

She believed him. Though he hadn’t told her everything about himself, she knew enough about him to know he wouldn’t lie.

“Why did that woman call you ‘Master Covington’?”

“Dena? The blond submissive?” At her nod, he continued. “It’s a title used by the group’s submissives when addressing the senior Dominants.”

She gave a sigh of relief. “I thought you and her, maybe, you know.”

The hand holding hers tightened a bit. “No, we’re not. I’m not with anyone right now except you.”

Her heart gave a little flutter and she squeezed his hand back. His thumb stroked her palm.

“Now,” he said. “About that wondering part you mentioned.”

“I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about it right now. Just seeing you here. Finding out you’re a Dominant. It’s just . . . I need to let it sink in.”

“Fair enough, but will you answer one question?”

“Maybe?”

His thumb continued stroking hers. “When you were wondering, what role were you in? Were you a Domme, with a submissive worshipping you? Or was it you who kneeled? Did you find your strength in control or yielding?”

She closed her eyes against the sensation his touch created. Behind her closed eyes she saw it so clearly: her body, given to him, for his use.

“I yielded,” she whispered.

“Oh, Julie.” He untwined their fingers and stroked her cheek. “Open your eyes. Look at me.” When she opened them, he continued. “Never doubt the strength to be found in yielding. A good Dominant understands that strength. Protects it. Makes it flourish.”

Her mouth was dry. “And you? Are you a good Dominant?”

The look in his eyes spoke of one at complete ease with who he was. “I’m the best.”

* * *

Daniel watched as her expression changed from shock to desire. She might not be ready to discuss her interest in submission, but her body knew what it wanted. He could wait for her to be ready. He’d seen the same look in the eyes of numerous submissives. It was only a matter of time. What she needed was the space to think.

“Do you still want to have dinner Saturday?” he asked. If not, if the shock of seeing him at the meeting had been too much, they could reschedule.

“Yes.”

He dropped his hands, afraid of appearing too forward and eager. “If it’s okay with you, why don’t you come over to my place and let me cook?”

“Your place?” She had an I-know-what-you’re-doing look in her eye.

“Trust me when I say it’s not like that. It’s just that if you want to discuss anything, I thought you’d prefer to do so in private.”

She nodded. “Your place.”

“Until then, if you have any questions, I’m sure Sasha would be more than willing to answer.”

Finally. She laughed. Progress.

He saw the question in her eyes before she asked it. “Have you and Sasha ever . . . played?”

“No.”

“Will you be at the party tomorrow?”

“Yes, though I’m not sure you’re ready to attend one yet.”

“That’s not why I was asking.” She looked down at her hands. “I was wondering if you would be with anyone there.”

He waited until she lifted her head again before answering. “I’m a senior member of the group. I need to be there and I’ll be serving as Dungeon Monitor, making sure group rules are followed, being an overseer. But for right now, I’m only with you and I won’t be playing with, or seeing, anyone else.”

He stood up and reached for her hand. “We should get back into the other room. The meeting’s probably almost over.”

“You didn’t get to give your presentation.”

“But you and I talked, and in my mind, that’s more important.”

“What was it going to be about?”

Oh, yes, there was interest behind that inquisitive glance. Just thinking about being the one to reach inside and bring out her submissive side made him hard.

“The Importance of Being Teachable.”

“Huh,” she said, sounding slightly disappointed. “Not exactly what I was thinking it’d be.”

“There are breakout groups that meet every other week. One for Tops, one for bottoms. If you get to the point you’d be interested, Sasha can give you more information.”

“Sasha? Not you?”

He led her to the door, his hand on the small of her back. Chatter was coming from the other room. The meeting had ended.

“Sasha’s a submissive. I could give you my opinion, but it would mean more coming from someone living the role. More importantly, though, Sasha is a friend of yours and has your best interest in mind. I don’t want you to think I’m being self-serving.”

She turned to him, her eyes soft. “I could never think of you as self-serving. You’ve been nothing but selfless.”

He brushed her cheek. “Ah, but you’re wrong. When it comes to you, I’m totally selfish. I want to keep you all to myself.”

She grinned and reached for the doorknob, but he stopped her. There was something she had to understand.

“Julie, I want you to know that what happened last weekend was amazing.”

She turned back to face him, her hazel eyes darkened. “For me, too.”

“It’s just, I know I’ve been distant this week and I didn’t want you to think it was because I found anything lacking between us. I felt guilty at keeping this part of me from you.”

She was being far too quiet. It tested his resolve to give her space. But first, he needed some reassurance himself. “And, if it’s okay with you, I’d really like a kiss.”

“I’d really like that, too.”

He took her face in his hands. “Then why deny ourselves what we both want?”

He meant for the kiss to be tender and gentle, but when his lips touched hers, she moaned and rocked her body into his. He ran a hand behind her head and held her close, parting her lips and tasting. Her hands fisted in his shirt, her need as desperate as his.

A knock on the door brought them both back to reality.

“Daniel?” It was Jeff. “There are some people who need to speak with you.”

“Saturday,” Daniel whispered to Julie before pulling away and opening the door.

The next night, Daniel arrived a bit early to the host’s home. The party would be held inside the house and grounds, so he started by peeking into the garage where the playroom had been set up. Several pieces of equipment had been placed around the unfinished room. With the concrete floor and hooks and chains attached to unpainted drywalls, the space certainly had the feel of a dungeon.

Before too long, people started arriving and filling the room. His gaze wandered from couple to couple, making certain everyone was okay and following the agreed-upon party rules. Ron and Dena stood talking in a corner. From the looks of it, Ron was trying to talk her into playing. She appeared uninterested.

Dena truly was a beautiful woman. Tonight she was dressed in her usual party outfit: spiked heels, black lace corset, and dramatic makeup that made her blue eyes stand out more than usual. As he watched, she called to another submissive and introduced her to Ron. The three of them walked to a nearby couch and sat down.

“Master Covington.”

He turned to find a petite redhead. “Hello, Rachel.”

She was a relatively new submissive to the group, and he thought this was probably her second party. As far as he knew, she didn’t play with anyone at the moment.

“I thought maybe we could . . . but I didn’t see . . .” She waved at his armband.

He wore a yellow armband in order to be identified as the Dungeon Monitor. Everyone in the group knew he’d be overseeing the party, ensuring everyone’s safety, and that his rule was law.

“Outside of the fact that I’m not currently available,” he said, “I think you know most of the Doms in our group prefer to make the first move.”

She shrugged. “I’m just impatient, I guess.”

He crossed his arms and stared at her until she dropped her eyes. “Are you here to serve or to be served, Rachel?”

“What?”

“Look at me.” He waited until she met his gaze. “Are you here because you long to submit and serve, or are you here because you’re looking for something you want?”

Her nose wrinkled as she thought about his question. “Aren’t they the same thing?”

“No, they aren’t. One is the heart of a submissive and one is not.”

“I don’t understand.”

“When you approached me just now, were you truly thinking of my needs or your own?”

There was nothing but silence. “My own,” she finally whispered.

“Do you see the difference now?” he asked gently.

“Yes, sir.”

“Perhaps you should take a few minutes to think about why you’re here tonight.”

She mumbled her reply and he watched her walk back toward the main house. He could see she was dejected, but he knew her and felt with the proper Dom she could flourish into a wonderful submissive. That Dom just wouldn’t be him.

On the other hand, if Julie turned out to be interested, he was certainly willing to help her discover her submissive nature. After talking with her yesterday, he desired nothing more than to take her interest and slowly transform it, first into want and eventually into need. He grew hard just thinking about being the one to introduce her to the pleasure to be found in surrender.

The steady rise of voices coming from the main house drew his attention. He scolded himself for being distracted by fantasy and hurried into the living room.

It was no surprise whom the two voices belonged to: Kelly Bowman, one of the group’s few Dommes, and Evan Martin, a Dom she was frequently at odds with. Kelly stood with hands on her hips, looking every bit the part of “Mistress K” in a skintight black leather bustier and skirt and boots that reached her thighs. Her long red hair was streaked with black.

Evan had a slightly amused look on his face and Daniel groaned. If he had to guess, the Dom had probably picked the fight with Kelly in order to get a response out of her. He thought about telling them to get a room and fuck it out like they both seemed so desperate to do.

“Mistress K. Master Martin,” he said instead. “I’m three seconds away from throwing you both out. End it now.”

Kelly broke the stalemate first. “Apologize to Master Covington, Martin.”

“Suck my dick, K.”

“I’d have to be able to find it first.”

Daniel stepped between them. “Enough. You two know better. Evan, there’s a petite redhead looking for a play partner. She needs a lesson in serving with the proper mind-set. Can I trust you to handle it?”

Evan winked at Kelly. “I’ll take care of her. I love a feisty redhead.”

“Asshole,” Kelly quipped.

He blew a kiss over his shoulder.

Daniel waited until the other man left. “If I thought it’d do either of you any good, I’d suggest you help him. Force the two of you to work together.”

“If you’re going to lecture me, call Martin back so he can hear it, too.” She snapped her fingers at one of the group’s male submissives. “You, there. Come here.”

“Maybe I thought I’d speak to you since you’re the more reasonable of the two,” Daniel said.

The submissive had made it to where they stood. A look of excitement was evident in his expression. “Yes, Mistress K, how may I serve you?”

“My cane needs a workout. If you’re amiable, go wait for me in the upstairs bedroom. The green one. I want you naked and kneeling in the middle of the room.”

“Yes, Mistress K.”

“You’re excused.” She didn’t bother to watch as he left; instead she turned back to Daniel. “You’re sorely mistaken if you think Martin and I will ever work together.”