Byron-4 (11 page)

“You think? I don’t know, telling me one minute that you are going to have my back and that you’ll help me then telling me that you’ve just talked with the Feds...nope, harsh is an understatement. I’m not talking to anyone. I’ve decided that I don’t want to pursue this thing anymore. On Monday, I’ll go by the bank, give you the thumb drives, and let you deal with it. I’m finished.”

“It doesn’t work that way, Taylor. You’re up to your pretty ass involved now. Once you make it known that you have knowledge, you need to stick with it. I’m sorry. The Feds still want to meet with you this weekend. When can you come by my office? I’ll meet you there anytime you want.”

She looked across the street at the pretty lights in the shop window and felt the tears roll down her cheeks. Why, why did she ever think that doing the right thing would actually be the right thing to do? Now she was in trouble. Again.

“Taylor? Are you still there? I do want to help you. I’m sorry that—”

“Yeah, so am I. I’ll call you later, Mr. Grant. I’m kind of in the middle of something here.” She closed the phone and sat down on the bench outside the garage where her car had been.

Every time she thought she was getting ahead, something always hit her broadside and her nicely laid plans crumbled. All she had wanted to do was to start over, come to Ohio, get a good job, a nice apartment, and a guy to call her own. And what did she end up with? No car, no apartment, and not an even a mediocre job. She pulled the list out of her pocket again.

She couldn’t even mark through three more things on the list now. She wasn’t going to go to the bank and give the drives up, she wasn’t going to get to quit her job, nor was she going to ignore any contact with the Feds. Wadding up the list, she started to throw it in the trash can and then started to smooth it out. Fuck them, she thought and stuck it back into her pocket.

She went back to the Y and dug out something to wear. She was going to that club, but she wasn’t going there to play. She just needed to be around people like her.

Someone who wouldn’t be repulsed by what she was. She felt that way about herself enough. Picking up a bag of apples and a bottle of water, she felt better than she had in days.

~CHAPTER 11~

Byron had been at the club since noon. He had tried working at home but couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything other than Taylor. He wasn’t getting much more done here, but at least he could pretend more with the computer up in front of him.

Rape. He had heard that “The Flogger” had a semi bad reputation, but he’d really never put much thought into it. He had figured that if they were that horrible to their customers, then they would end up at his place. And he couldn’t help but feel that he had let Taylor get hurt because of his greedy thoughts.

Looking at his watch for the thousandth time, he groaned. She wouldn’t even be here for another three hours and he was about to burst with need to touch her. Smiling, he thought touching her was only part of what he wanted to do to the bossy Ms.

Bennett.

He walked to his personal room and turned on the lights. His room wasn’t anything like the ones in the club. He had toys and equipment here that had been specially designed and built for him. Closing the door behind him, he walked to the wall unit and opened the doors. Every imaginable toy or device was here, some that he had designed himself. He pulled his newest toy off the hook. He had picked it up while he had been in France.

It was a flogger, but different than the others that he had. This one, while made of leather, the strips had been feathered along both edges so that it was as soft as a real feather. He couldn’t wait to run it over Taylor’s skin to watch her eyes glaze over with need. He would have her tied to his cross while he did it and not allow her to make a sound when he slapped it over her ass. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

If she didn’t show tonight, he was going to be in serious trouble.

At five, he ate a light dinner and was nearly finished with it when Bobby came into the office. The look on his face would have been comical if it hadn’t made Byron a little nervous.

“She’s here, boss. Lynn said to tell you that she needs you up front, pronto. There is a little trouble.”

Byron was out of the chair in a heartbeat and striding to the front of the club. He could hear the voices before he saw them. And when he did, he stopped and watched.

He held Bobby back as well.

“You touch me again, you perverted dick, and I’ll feed that small twig and berries of yours to you. I said that I wanted to be alone; alone as in you are nowhere near me.

Got it?”

“You don’t know what you’re missing, honey. And I don’t have any sticks with me and especially no fruit; I don’t think they let you bring stuff like that in here. How ‘bout you let my bud Pete here and me keep you company? We can have a real good time.” When the man stepped forward, so did Taylor. Byron was ready to leap to her defense, but her next move startled a laugh from him instead. She took both men out in one move.

The man called Pete had tried to grab her arm so Taylor rammed her forehead into his nose. It was a slick move, and quick. Pete hit the floor, out cold. The first guy had tried to move behind her and she simply turned and kneed him. He did get in a fast jab to her jaw before he, too, hit the floor. When she backed up quickly to avoid another patron’s grab, Byron wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

“Taylor, it’s me, I’ve got you.” He felt her relax for all of five seconds, and then she brought her heel down on his foot. He might have laughed if it hadn’t hurt so much. He turned her around and tossed her over his shoulder and smacked her ass. Turning to Bobby, he told him to throw out the trash and take away their membership. Then he took the now cussing Taylor to his office.

“I’m going to put you down now. If you try to hurt me again, or leave, I’m going to beat your ass, do you understand me?” When she didn’t answer, he swatted her on the ass again. If she didn’t answer soon, he was going to come in his pants.

“Let me down, you overgrown ox. I don’t know how you found me, but I want you to tell that brother of yours to fuck off and die.” He swatted her again. He wasn’t sure which of his brothers she was talking about, but it was as good a reason as any to get to spank her again.

“Are. You. Going. To. Behave? I’ll not ask you again, Taylor. You will answer me or I’ll tack another punishment onto the two you already have.” He waited and just when he rose his hand to deliver another smack, she answered.

“Yes, I’ll behave. I hate you. Now put me down.” He smacked her again. Christ, if he kept this up, they would never make it to the room before he dropped her to the floor and fucked her right here.

“You’ll answer me correctly. Do it now. You have three punishments coming; do you want to try for four?” He wanted her to go for five or six, but wasn’t so sure who he was going to be punishing more, her or him.

“Yes, master. I’ll behave.” He slowly lowered her to her feet but didn’t let her go.

Grabbing both her hands and holding them behind her back, he pressed her closer to his body. He watched as her eyes widened at his erection pressing into her belly.

Leaning down slowly, he brushed his mouth over hers.

Just that simple touch had him groan. She was soft and warm; her breath was sweet and slightly minty. He nipped at her lower lip and when she groaned, he ran his tongue along her lips. When she opened under his mouth, Byron let go of her hands and cupped her ass under her skirt. He couldn’t feel anything but hot flesh. He knew in a small part of his mind that she was probably sore, but he needed to feel her wrapped around him. Want slammed into him, making him dizzy with need so desperately that he had to press her against the closest wall or fall to his knees with her. But that simply made him needier, especially when she wrapped her legs around his hips and locked her ankles.

“Baby, I want you, now. I want to fuck you so bad I hurt.” He had never admitted to a Sub before how he felt. He gave the orders, he was in charge, but right now all he could think about was getting her naked and him inside of her. The chirping of a phone and the pounding at the door nearly made him whimper. Taylor did.

“What the fuck do you want?” he snarled to the door, and Taylor giggled. He turned to look back at her, still wrapped around him, and laughed. Christ, he wondered, how could either of them think this was funny?

“He probably wants to know why you’re in his office. I would. I bet it’s not every day that a customer breaks into his office to fuck someone against his walls.” He didn’t answer her, but let her slide down his body and held her. The knock at the door and her phone again made him need to step away. With a quick kiss, he walked to the door and stepped out.

“Boss, I was just wondering if you’re out for the night? I know that you was waiting on her and all, but what should I tell anyone who asks?”

“Tell them that you don’t know where I am and don’t know when I’ll be back. If it’s my family and there’s an emergency, then go to the intercom and page me. I’ll hear it.” At least he hoped he would. Right now, the buzzing in his head was making him dizzy.

When he walked back into the office, he knew something had changed with Taylor.

“That was your brother, Devin. He’s a tenacious bastard, isn’t he? Anyway, I asked him if he sent you to follow me and he said that he wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy. He said that anyone who wanted to hurt me should take their chances, that I’m more than capable of taking care of myself. He’s slightly pissed off at me right now.”

“No, he didn’t send me anywhere.” He moved cautiously toward his desk. He was reasonably sure she would hurt him and very soon. Byron wasn’t sure if he should smile or not, and when he looked at Taylor, he decided not.

“Then I started looking around. These pieces look like your art. I have two pieces that Jamie...your other brother gave me that look a lot like these.” He heard the slight catch in her voice and wanted to pound Jamie all over again.

“Yes, they are. Taylor, this—”

“Don’t! I’ve worked this out for myself; the very least you can do is let me tell you. I wondered why such a prestigious club would send me an invitation to visit. I mean, you had a waiting list of over six years when I asked several months ago. Then, suddenly, I’m all in. I never gave it much thought at the time, but now I do. You own this club, or at the very least you run it.”

“I own it. Let me…” He closed his mouth. She looked ready to boil over and he thought the best thing was…well, the best thing for him would be to let her calm a little.

“Own it, which means that you’re responsible for me being here. And more than likely for the generous offer of six months of free membership because of what happened the...he knew you were coming, that young man at the door, he told me the boss—I’m assuming he meant you, wanted to speak to me. Damn, you’ve been playing me all along. What an idiot! I just keep digging myself in deeper and deeper, don’t I?” She paced back and forth in front of the desk. Byron watched her, wanted her. Her temper made her more beautiful and he wondered, not for the first time, how she would look when she came. When he realized that she had stopped moving, he looked up at her face. Shit!

“I’m not going to lie to you. I want you, Taylor. I want to see you bound and at my mercy. I want to play with you in the worst way.” She stared at him then looked around the room again. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking, and when she spoke, he nearly swallowed his tongue.

“I’ll play with you. I’ll play tonight, but never again. I want you to stay away from me, and your family to stay away as well. Deal?”

“I can’t speak for my brothers. For as much as I want you, I can’t make a promise to you that I can’t back up. I’m sorry.”

She sat in the chair across from his desk and looked at him. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes and he hurt because of them. He nearly got up and pulled her into his arms and that confused him more than his need for her. Byron had never wanted to comfort a woman, had never wanted to be near one when the waterworks started. But this woman made him want—no, made him need to hold her. He didn’t want to think about what that meant, nor where it was leading.

“I just wanted to live my life like a normal person. I didn’t want to be a sexual deviant. I didn’t want to be perverted and ashamed of what I need. I just wanted a job, a career, and something...something else.” Her voice was small and childlike even if the wording wasn’t. His heart broke. He went to her, kneeled before her, and pulled her into his arms. She broke down and started sobbing.

“Taylor, honey, don’t. You aren’t either of those things. You’re a beautiful, vibrant woman—sexy and not afraid to express yourself. Don’t put yourself down, please?”

~~~

Taylor was going to take what she needed, even if it were for this one night with this one man. He made her feel things she had never felt with Josh or the man at “The Flogger.” She felt safe and protected and she had never felt that before. Not sure she was doing the right thing, she stood up, took several steps back from him, dropped to her knees, and bowed before him.

It was several seconds before he moved. She was sure that he was going to tell her to go, to get out of his office, but he didn’t. Byron stood up and over her.

“Are you ready to obey me? Be my slave, my submissive?” Her heart started beating faster at the tone of his voice. She could feel her pussy gush with need.

“Yes, master, I’m ready to be your slave for tonight.” She told him the only way she knew how as his submissive that she would play, but only this once.

“You have three punishments coming. They are severe and you will have to pay those before I feel that you are sufficiently ready to be fucked. You understand that, slave?”

“Yes, master. I understand three punishments before you will fuck me.” She had learned from Josh to repeat everything he said to her. That way, if she didn’t understand or he wanted more or less than she was repeating, then he would be able to know without adding an extra punishment because she had misunderstood. “I’m ready to pay for my indiscretions.”