Burned (Purgatory Club BDSM Erotic) (2 page)

She’d sought a counselor with an open mind who directed her onto a path that turned into a remarkable transformation. First she’d urged Ruby to consider fire investigation instead of trying to fight a fire. Definitely not her forte. With her deep desire to understand how a fire burned, her therapist felt certain she’d enjoy the puzzle of an investigation. Second, the woman had recommended a fetish club where she could meet other fire fetishists and learn to use the attraction in positive and safe sexual ways instead of feeling guilty for an attraction—that while outside the “norm” as defined by some, it wasn’t all that unusual.

Now in her second year as a fire investigator, she loved her day job immensely. She had a knack for science as well as an intuition for understanding the aftermath of a fire scene. She’d only taken the gig as a part-time bartender at Purgatory so she could hang out here without feeling like an outsider. While most of the club goers had a strong interest in pursuing the BDSM lifestyle, she’d never had an interest despite her mother’s role as a full-time slave to her father. Quite the opposite. The struggle to understand what made her parents happy had taken its toll over many years.

The barren shelf where empty and ready glasses should sit caught Ruby’s eye. She’d have to go to the kitchen and retrieve them herself. Whoever had closed last night had done a piss poor job of pre setup. Ruby pushed to her feet and swiveled to face the room, her gaze traveling to her favorite booth. She’d requested to work the second floor bar so she could keep an eye on the fetish stations. For a charity event Doc would pull out all the stops, and on her break she’d hit him up for some fire play of her own.

Despite her lack of interest in BDSM as a whole, they’d welcomed her into the Purgatory family and embraced her fire fetish. Doc had taught her some of the basics and frequently offered to teach her more, but she’d shrugged him off. She understood fire and, while she could probably wield it well, it wasn’t where the desire lay. Gabe had tried to explain that she continued to display submissive tendencies but she didn’t want to listen to his theories anymore than she wanted to think about her reoccurring dreams.

She wasn’t her mother. She desired an equal partnership that gave her the freedom to explore her unusual attraction to fire. Was that really too much to ask? Ruby shrugged and pushed her way into the kitchen where she loaded three trays of freshly washed glasses for her bar.

The door swung open and John sauntered in. “Hey, Ruby, I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”

She flashed him a quick smile and stacked the trays on top of each other. “Yep, Gabe asked me to head up the second floor so here I am.”

“
I’m surprised, I thought with Zane—” He clamped his mouth shut and turned beet red.

“
Yes, I’ve heard that Zane will be here. Jeez, did everyone know but me?”
And does everyone know I have an issue with him?

“
Would you have agreed to work tonight if you did?”

They both knew the answer to that, and she wasn’t about to satisfy it with an answer. “As long as he stays away from my bar we’ll all be just fine.”

“
Uh huh…like last time?”

“
I admit I might have acted a little out of character then, but that doesn’t mean anything. The man just knows how to set me off.”

“
More like push your buttons if you ask me.”

“
I didn’t, so let’s not talk about him anymore.”

She hefted the trays into her arms.

“
Hey, let me help you with those.”

“
Nope I’ve got it. Ex-firefighter, remember. You’re in charge.”

“
Yeah, yeah, you never want any help, I’ve got it.” He pushed and held the door open for her. “Good luck tonight. I have a feeling you’re going to need it.”

Ruby swept through the door, ignoring John’s last comment. What the hell did he know anyway? She started for the stairs and detoured for the elevator at the last minute. No need to push her luck.

A quick glance at her watch showed it was already after eight. She’d have to hurry before the rest of the staff and some of the early birds started trickling in. Now if she could just ditch the nagging feeling in her gut that tonight wasn’t going to turn out like she expected all would be right with the world.

* * * *

She was the epitome of everything he desired. Strong and willful, beautiful and mysterious. Zane Michaels watched Ruby as she rushed to the bar and shoved the trays across the counter. Her hand swept a thick lock of hair from her eyes, and her lips puckered and blew air into her bangs. He imagined a trickle of sweat sliding down her flushed cheeks as she swiped across her jaw. His cock leapt in his pants at the sight. If he thought he’d been aroused on his way to the club from the anticipation of seeing her again, it compared little to the raging burn in his body now that she stood across the room from him.

He’d been thrilled to accept the offered gig from Gabe with the one caveat that she had to be there. Their last encounter had been seared into his brain and she’d never been far from his mind since. She’d been entranced by his show and he recognized a fire fetishist when he saw one. Sure, plenty of the submissives allowed the fire play he desired, but none of them craved it deep down to their soul like he did. Nor did they have any desire to be pushed by his limits. He knew how to get them off on command and many of the pain sluts cherished their time with him, but something had always been missing. He’d found it in Ruby’s beautiful eyes that night and he’d not been able to forget it. The way they’d widened at his command spoke volumes. There had only been a spark of hesitation before she’d instinctively obeyed.
Submissive
.

She’d danced with him and his fire, entwined together in heat that should have scared her but didn’t. Instead her body had softened under his touch like sweet, soft cotton candy that melted in his mouth. She was a daring and bold woman who’d instinctively trusted his guidance and experience, and the moment his hand slid under her skirt to find sopping wet panties their fate had been sealed forever. At least in his mind. Ruby didn’t seem to agree, and for that he’d done his best to honor her choice, but the memory of her exploding in orgasm on his table was forever seared into his thoughts. She appealed to him so much that he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He’d bided his time over many weeks and waited until the time felt right to take another chance with the defiant beauty.

Zane focused on her now as she worked to set up for the night. She bent over the bar to reach for something and her tiny skirt rode up the backs of her thighs until he swore he spotted a glimpse of red panties underneath. Her legs were thick with muscle but disappeared quickly into bright red fur covered boots. Even the clothes she wore to the club mimicked the appearance of fire, making him harder than he thought possible.

“
Damn,” he cursed under his breath. She had no idea the extent of how she affected him. But somehow some way before the night was over she’d understand in crystal clear Technicolor.

“
If she catches you watching her like this she’s likely to tear strips off your hide with that sharp tongue of hers.” Gabe settled into the seat next to him, yet neither took their eyes off of her. When she adjusted the knot just under her breasts a quiet groan slipped from Gabe.

Fierce protectiveness rushed forward and Zane clenched and unclenched his fists in an effort to stay calm. There’d be a lot more men than Gabe eyeing her tonight, so it wouldn’t do either of them any good for him to act like an ass before he got a second chance. He had a feeling one wrong move and he’d be watching Ruby’s back as she ran for the door. Unfortunately, the white schoolgirl style shirt she wore tied above the waist and unbuttoned to the swells of her tits made it more than obvious to anyone who looked that she wore no collar, making her fair game to every Dom in the club.

“
Did you tell her?”

“
Yeah, I made sure she knew when she came to work tonight, but I’ve kept my distance ever since. She’s not happy and I don’t understand why. What happened between you two? I believed you when you told me you wouldn’t hurt her, but she’s so on edge at the news and I feel responsible.”

“
She’s scared.” Truth be told he was a little nervous too. Getting past the barrier’s she’d erected was critical and he expected would be quite a challenge in one night.

“
Yeah, right. Our Ruby is scared of nothing. I’ve gotten the impression that she’s one hell of a daredevil.” Gabe leaned against the table behind them. “Got herself let go from the firefighter training program a while back because she took crazy risks.”

Interesting. “It’s the fire. We both know how much she loves it, but she gets too close and loses control. She needs a Dominant to lead her.”

“
She says she’s not a submissive and has no desire to get involved with a Dom. She’s been clear about that since the beginning. Adamant in fact.”

“
Have you ever asked her why? I think the lady does protest too much…” Again the memories of her reactions pressed down on him.

“
Zane, I don’t like that look in your eye. What are you up to and what can I do to stop it? She’s a great bartender and I like her a lot. I don’t want any trouble tonight.”

He swiveled and glanced at his friend. “I already told you I wouldn’t create a problem. Trust me.”

“
Uh huh. Famous last words.” Gabe lowered his voice. “Now tell me something else that doesn’t make me feel like locking her away from you tonight.”

Zane stared at the back of Ruby’s head, longing filling him to the bursting point. “I need her as much as she needs me. She’s the one.”

“
Shit. You’re in love with her. What a freaking mess.”

He didn’t bother to answer because it wasn’t really a question. Did he love her? He wanted to take care of her, he certainly ached to own her, but he didn’t know enough about her for more. Yet…

Gabe stood and faced Zane. “She’ll go for the fire tonight. She’s too antsy not to.”

He nodded. “Exactly what I’m counting on.”

Gabe took one long last look at Ruby and shook his head. “I trust you, man, but if you hurt her…”

Zane ground his teeth at his friend’s warning, holding back the urge to question him about his interests in her. It was obvious Gabe cared about her, but the odd look in his eyes he kept trying to hide made him wonder if there wasn’t more. He and Gabe had enjoyed their fair share of women together but he had no intention of sharing this one. Ruby would be his and his alone. It’s what they both needed.

Chapter Two

She peered into the crowd amidst the haze of fake smoke and the neon lights coming from the performance stage seeing nothing but a sea of faces she didn’t recognize scattered among some of the regulars. The crowd had surpassed Gabe’s expectations, and she’d been running ragged all night long. Every hour a new group had come on stage and she’d held her breath, hoping not to see Zane.

Now the crowd at the bar had thinned to almost nothing, which meant only one thing. The main act was about to start, and she had an unobstructed view of the stage.
Just great
.

She busied herself with gathering the empties and either throwing the bottles in the recycling bin or stacking the glasses on the trays she’d arranged in the corner. With any luck she wouldn’t even notice the show. Yet the moment the first streaks of fire lit up the darkened club Ruby turned, unable to stop, and stared. She was doomed.

The girls were first, and she reveled in the familiar glow and imagined the heat streaking across her arms every time one of them stroked her skin with a firestaff. Chills raced up and down Ruby’s spine and her hands shook with rising need.

Who was she kidding? She couldn’t not watch. She made a beeline to the other bartender to tell him she was taking a break.

“
Yeah, yeah. I know. You want to watch the show.” He grinned. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand your fascination with fire.”

Ruby shrugged. He wasn’t the first person to say that. “I’ve always loved it. The heat, the beauty. It’s mesmerizing.”

“
Uh huh. And painful.”

“
Half the time I don’t even feel it that way. I focus on my breathing and the warmth. All it takes is the right person wielding it to make you soar.”

“
I think I’ll take your word for it.” He waved her away with his hand and she moved towards the stairs. She didn’t have to worry about the crowd—they’d all moved front and center of the stage as she made her way through the staff area to the side. She’d be able to watch unseen from here and would have plenty of time to get away before anyone spotted her.

Another woman had joined in, this one a spinner using two implements lit on the ends. Neither of the women wore more than pasties over her nipples and the skimpiest of panties that hid very little. Not only did it draw the crowd, but it cut down on accidents happening if your clothes caught fire. Annoyed with herself, Ruby shook the thoughts of fire safety from her head and focused on the actual flames.

The heat only ran along arms and legs for a split second, but she moaned every time. It wasn’t hard to conjure the memory of the delicious warmth on her own skin as the fire caressed her body. How long had it been since she’d last played? Forget Doc, she’d definitely have to look up Gabe tonight and see if he was up to a nice long session after hours. She’d save the payback for setting her up for another night.