Bondage Unlimited (18 page)
It didn’t matter how much he clicked with Adriana. It didn’t matter that when he was with her, he was at peace. He refused to claim his happiness at the expense of hers. She loved her family fiercely and would never be happy without them. André couldn’t be in the same room with a family, any family, and not feel the pain so deeply he struggled to breathe.
No, it was better to adore Adriana from afar than to put her in a position of having to choose between him and those she held dear. He doubted her family would be any more accepting of his line of work than his own. No matter which way she went, she lost.
His office phone rang, saving him from sinking any further into his nightly pity party.
“André,” he answered.
“Hey, it’s Ted. I figured you’d be hiding in your office again.”
“Fuck you. You’re a fine one to talk. How’s Meri? Has she thrown your sorry ass out yet?” He was a little jealous of Ted. Meri was a sweet girl, loyal and deeply in love with André’s partner.
“She’s doing well, but refuses to listen to a single word I say. She smiles and nods then does whatever she wanted in the first place. Once her leg heals, she’s getting her gorgeous butt beaten.” Ted sounded tough.
André knew Meri was in no danger of facing Ted’s wrath. That woman had him wrapped around her little finger. Ted knew it too and he liked it that way.
Meri had been a victim of a vicious mugging and Ted had taken time off to care for her. André expected he’d be officiating another wedding any time now. Ted, the lucky son of a bitch, had managed to find a woman who didn’t care that he co-owned a BDSM club and sex toy chain.
From what André had heard, she’d introduced him to her co-workers and family like it was no big deal. André still didn’t know how that worked. As much as he expounded acceptance, he’d rarely experienced it. Hell, even members in his own club had a tendency to get uppity around members whose kink differed from theirs.
“I doubt that’s much of a deterrent,” André told his friend. It was good to hear Ted’s voice. He sounded relaxed for the first time in years.
“Probably not.” Ted grumbled. “Hey, the reason why I called is Meri is getting cabin fever. We thought we’d have a few folks over for a barbecue and were wondering if you and Adriana were free on Sunday.”
“I…” Fuck, he didn’t want to turn Ted down. God knows the man needed to have some fun and realize he had friends who cared about him, but bringing Adriana would be a mistake. He needed to get everyone to realize she was a good friend and nothing else.
“I can make it, but I won’t be bringing Adriana. She has a family event that day.” She always had something going on with her family so he doubted that was much of a lie. “Besides, Ted, we’re not an item. She has an issue with my subs.” Hell, he had an issue with his subs, but that was for another conversation.
“Okay, if you change your mind, she’s welcome. We’ll see you at Meri’s place around five.”
“Great. I’ll be there.”
He hung up the phone and sat back in his chair. More than anything, he wanted to head back out to the bar and see if Adriana was there. Hopefully dressed this time. He couldn’t look at her and not want her so badly his cock ached.
Shit, the woman had broken him. His dick didn’t even work anymore. The stupid, fucking doctor was a lot of help. After a bankrupting run of tests, he’d determined it was a ‘side effect of love’. What the fuck was that?
Oh, he knew what love was. At least in the familial sense, he certainly felt it for his cousin, Amanda, and her mom, Trixie. Truth be told, he even felt it for the rest of his dysfunctional, ‘head up their ass’ family, but he’d damn well never experienced an erection from it.
Love was expressed by protection and benevolence, not hard-ons. But tell that to his cock. The only time it came to life anymore was around Adriana. She’d fucking ruined him.
He was out of the door and headed to the bar before he even realized it. There she was, the holder of his smile and the nail in his coffin. Adriana Parma, black-haired sorceress.
When both Eva and Adriana turned his way he almost headed right back to his office. No, damn it. This was his club, his domain.
“Just the man we need for the job.” Eva waved him over.
If it wasn’t changing a light bulb, killing a spider or something along those lines, he was outta there. “What’s up?”
“Someone poured baby oil outside of Adriana’s shower stall so as soon as she stepped out she slipped and fell.”
Adriana held out her hand as if to stop Eva mid-sentence. “Now, we don’t know that it was done on purpose. Someone might have spilled it by accident.”
André grabbed Adriana by the arms and turned her so he could get a better look at her. “Are you all right?” He palmed the back of her head, feeling for a bump. He tried valiantly to ignore the silky, thick strands sliding between his fingers.
“The main problem is I pulled a muscle in my leg. It hurts like a b—bad dog.” Adriana ran her hand along her left thigh.
He chuckled. “Good save.” She had told him months ago that she was trying to clean up her language before her niece repeated something she shouldn’t. “What did you hit?”
“My bum hit the edge of the shower. I’ll have a lovely bruise, but no real damage.”
When she smiled at him like that, his cock jump-started.
Down boy, she’s not our type. She’s the forever kinda girl and we’re a live in the moment package.
“Did you hit your head?” It was wrong and he should burn in hell, but he couldn’t stop his hand from fisting her wavy, thick mane.
Her eyes flared for just a moment and he knew it wasn’t from pain. She’d responded to his touch. He quickly pulled his hand away.
“No, not that I’ve noticed.” She laughed and looked to Eva.
“She doesn’t want to miss her pole dancing class tomorrow night, so I suggested asking you to try the TENS unit,” Eva explained.
“It may help reduce the pain, but it wouldn’t actually help heal the muscles. Are you hurting?” The idea of Adriana injured made him want to punch something. Preferably whoever had spilled oil and hadn’t cleaned it up. Maybe he needed a cleaning crew stationed on site during play times. It was certainly something to look into.
Her face scrunched. “A little.”
“A lot. You should have seen her hobbling up to the bar,” Eva threw in.
The two women stared at each other again. André wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that they were telepathic, considering how often they stared each other down then burst out laughing. They obviously had a language no one else understood.
The last thing he needed was to be touching her thigh. Son of a bitch, his pants were already strangling his cock. “Let’s get you to the infirmary and see what we can do. Put your arms around my neck.”
“No, André, I’ll walk. I weigh too much for you to carry me. I’m fine.”
He gave her ‘the stare’, the one that sent subs to their knees in seconds flat. She simply lifted one eyebrow and stared back. “In a pissing contest, I’m going to win every time, cher. So we can stand here and argue or you could make it easier on us both and obey me now,” André informed her.
“You don’t weigh shit, Adriana. Let him show off a little. It fluffs up his ego and makes him easier to work for,” Eva added.
André glared at Eva until she threw her hands in the air in a surrender pose and walked to the other end of the bar.
“Okay, André, you win, but if you get man pain, don’t blame me.” Adriana circled his neck and laid her head against his shoulder.
He picked her up and knew instantly it was a mistake. She fit into him perfectly. She was soft everywhere a woman should be. He tried hard not to breathe. Her scent filled him with a little slice of heaven.
As he walked, he rested his chin on the top of her head. He was doomed. His cock would never play for anyone else now. It had somehow fixated on Adriana and wanted only her. The damn thing was straining against the zipper trying to poke her through their clothes.
He kicked open the door. Most rooms had the door slightly ajar to make it easier on Doms who wished to carry their subbies into privacy rooms or other stations inside the club.
He set her gently on the examination table, but she grimaced anyway. “What hurts?”
“Just my bum and my pride.” She smiled at him.
About the Author
Tori lives in the beautiful Sonoran Desert with her loving husband of almost thirty years. She wakes up each morning to the howls of coyotes and the barking of her family dogs wanting to join the fray.
When Tori isn’t writing, she’s either spending time with her two, wonderful adult children, or creating stained glass art.
She likes her love stories scorching hot. She tries to infuse a fire and passion between her characters that rivals the blazing summer sun that Arizona is known for. Tori encourages you to bask in the heat between the covers of a Dominant/submissive, happily-ever-after, bondage romance.
Email:
[email protected]
Tori loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.totallybound.com
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Also by Tori Carson
Desired Discipline: Bondage Anniversary
Desired Discipline: Bondage Celebration
Desired Discipline: Bondage Wedding
Desired Discipline: Bondage Seduction
Desired Discipline: Bondage Included
Totally Bound Publishing
