Celebration (9 page)

Tess was trim and slender, her breasts full. More than one person in the crowd was watching her hungrily. She moved like a seductress, tempting everyone in the room. She arched her feet as she put her shoes back on, then shook out her hair, her full breasts bouncing slightly at the move. She strode closer to Rex, running her tongue across her upper lip. She reached out and took Rex’s cock in her hands, closing her hands around his thickness and drawing her palms slowly down his length. Rex inhaled sharply and shivered.

She put him between her breasts and Joanna thought Rex might swoon. “I know you like them full,” Tess teased. She must have squeezed his balls because Rex moaned aloud.

Then Tess bent over at the waist, her ankles spread wide and took him in her mouth. The others applauded wildly even as Rex swayed in his bonds in pleasure. Tess worked the length of his cock slowly, cradling his balls in her hand. Rex inhaled sharply every time she took him in her mouth, his hips rocking slightly.

The guy who had caught Tess’s bodysuit was eying her ass. He suddenly passed the bodysuit to the person beside him, stripped off his jeans and shirt, then strode to Tess. He gripped her hips, his hands looking large and strong on her body, and Joanna saw Tess pause to smile in anticipation. She’d been hoping this would happen. The man eased closer, clearly running his cock over her and Tess spread her legs wider. She closed her eyes and moaned, then arched her back in silent demand.

Her partner accepted the invitation, lifting her hips and sliding into her with ease. The others shouted encouragement, then Zeke climbed on to the back of the bench behind Rex. He had a marker in his hand and that, along with his tight leather pants, made him look like a gunslinger.

Joanna could see why Louise was crazy for him. He was artistic, intense and looked good enough to eat. She could bet that he was a sex machine, like Rex, too. She’d never bother with a man like Zeke, but he was perfect for Louise.

“No humping until the outline is done,” Zeke decreed and everyone in the room moaned in unison. Then Tess began to move, despite his command, and the guy behind her matched her rhythm, as if unable to do otherwise. They moved slowly, so slowly that Joanna knew it was an excruciating tease. Rex closed his eyes and clenched his fists, emitting a long low moan that made the other attendees catch their breath..

“All right, that’s enough,” Zeke complained. “Stay still!” They froze in place as Zeke touched the marker to Rex’s back.

The group around Rex might have been forbidden to move, but the rest of the crowd picked up on their mood. That moan was echoed and lips were licked, cocks caressed, nipples fingered. Louise hooked an arm around the neck of an older guy well adorned with studs and kissed him with enthusiasm. He picked her up in his arms as he kissed her back, looking like he’d carry her off. The guy to Joanna’s right removed his codpiece and the man by his side dropped to his knees to suck him off.

A woman was tipped onto another tattoo bench, her lace skirt pushed up as an Asian woman held her ankles and began to eat her, while a slender man kissed her voraciously. Another slapped her breasts. A third bench was put to use for spanking and a young man bent over it as the first victim of choice. A group of people quickly gathered to take a swat and his moans filled the room. The entire room divided into clusters of two and three and four, everyone bent on the exchange of pleasure and pain. The music was turned up again, the sound combining with the smells of leather, puss and perspiration to make an intoxicating combination.

Joanna watched, but knew this wasn’t the place for her.

When she turned to leave, Rafe waved two fingers at her. He was leaning against the wall of the smaller room, avidly watching the show. She waved back, but knew that no one else even noticed her leaving.

Joanna was sitting in the back of a cab when she realized that the Plume was alive and well in the hearts of its members. They were prepared to get tattoos to celebrate what they’d experienced in that private club, because they missed it so badly.

And that was when she knew what she should do.

The only trick was that she’d have to persuade Rex that it was a good idea.

She had to make a case for it. Joanna pulled out a notepad and began to make lists, more invigorated than she’d been all day long.

* * *

Mike couldn’t sleep. It didn’t help that this was the next-to-last weekend he’d spend without Joanna. He wanted to hear her voice.

No, he wanted to spank her pink, fuck her senseless, then order a pizza and talk until morning. He wanted to replay their scene from the night before, but not in his memory. He wanted to improve upon it, take it in new directions, immerse himself in Joanna and wake up beside her.

Mike knew it was late. He knew he was being irresponsible, but he called Joanna’s number anyway. He expected to wake her up from a sound sleep, to feel badly and apologize profusely, then be forgiven.

He didn’t expect Joanna to answer on the first ring.

Much less that she’d sound so awake.

“What’s up?” she asked, as if he’d interrupted her work.

Mike was a little disconcerted. “I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Okay. You are. Hi.”

Again, Mike had the sense that she was working. “I thought you’d be asleep.”

“No way. There’s too much to do.”

“At this hour?”

“Oh, not for the wedding. That’s pretty much taken care of.” Joanna half-laughed. “Well, what isn’t fixed won’t be, if you know what I mean.”

“No, actually I don’t.”

“Amy is never going to like the bridesmaid’s dress I chose, so she’ll be complaining about it until the wedding is over.”

“I thought they were sexy.”

“Amy doesn’t want to look so girly.”

Mike laughed. “I think Amy just doesn’t want to wear anything her big sister chose for her.”

“There is that. And my mom is determined to make everything ninety times more complicated than it needs to be.”

“Her contribution to the cause?”

“Something like that. I just agree with her, then carry on as if she didn’t say anything.”

“Any chance she’ll get angry with you?”

“Less than two weeks to the big day? No. I’m in the golden zone now.”

Mike leaned back, feeling better already. “No one can upset the bride?”

“That’s it. They believe it and I’m going with it.” He heard computer keys clicking, then she spoke. “Oh! That’s perfect.”

“What are you doing?”

“A proposal!” Joanna’s excitement was clear, although Mike couldn’t understand it.

“For what?”

“Oh, I had the most awesome idea. I went to this party tonight with Louise at a tattoo parlor.”

Mike was surprised. “You? At a tattoo parlor?”

Joanna laughed. “Not just any tattoo parlor. This place is called, um, Wicked Ink and Louise is dating the head artist, the guy who owns the place. Zeke.”

“Okay.”

“The thing is that he’s doing these commemorative tattoos of the Plume for former members and tonight was the party where they showed their new ink.”

“You’re kidding me.” Mike still couldn’t explain Joanna’s obvious excitement, but he was getting a bad feeling. “Anyone I know there?”

“Everyone you know! It was incredible.”

Mike cleared his throat. “Even Rex?” he asked quietly.

“Especially Rex. He’s been working out more, I think. He looks very buff. Hmm. Maybe he’s lost a bit of weight.”

Mike didn’t say anything. Had she seen Rex naked? Why? Mike could think of one good reason, and didn’t like it. He didn’t like feeling like a jealous idiot, either, so he kept his mouth shut.

Joanna kept talking, her excitement clear. “He was taking pictures of all the tattoos for Zeke and getting one himself.”

Mike felt a bit of relief. People got at least partly naked to get tattoos. That was comparatively innocent.

Depending where Rex was getting the tattoo. “Where was he getting a tattoo?” he asked, proud to have kept his tone neutral.

“On the back of his shoulder. That’s not really important.”

“Then what is?”

“You know, that place just morphed into this mock-Plume when they tied Rex down on the tattoo bench...”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s not important, Mike.” Joanna said firmly. “I don’t want to join the Plume or anything like it. I left then.”

Okay. Mike took a breath. “Then what are you so excited about?”

“I had the most awesome idea. Consider that there are all these people willing to pay a lot of money for a commemorative tattoo of the Plume. These aren’t small tattoos. This Zeke guy is doing well with this plan.”

“Good for him. He’ll be able to afford Louise.”

Joanna laughed. “But I thought—what else would they buy?”

“And you had an idea?”

“A commemorative coffee table book!” Joanna almost shouted into the phone. “It would be huge and beautiful, absolutely deluxe all the way. We could make it a limited edition, even...”

“We?”

“Well, yes. This could be my new job. Rex could provide the photographs and the plans, as well as the story behind the development of the club. I’d write the copy and could maybe even interview members of the Plume about their experience there.” She paused for a moment, clearly thinking, even as Mike wondered what to say. “The interviews would probably have to run under pseudonyms or even anonymously. I’d have to talk to Rex about that. But there could even be plans and explanations of the various experiences available. It would be like a vicarious trip to the Plume. I’m thinking that not just members, but other people would buy it. I’m trying to research these kinds of books, find out who publishes them and how the idea is pitched, how many copies they usually sell and at what price...”

“Why you?”

“Because I need a job. Because it’s my idea. Because Rex trusts me. It’s perfect, Mike!”

Mike wasn’t quite so sure that having Joanna spend months working on a project about the Plume with Rex was perfect, but he didn’t say anything. He trusted Joanna, even if he didn’t fully trust Rex. The other man had shown that his intentions were good, but a lot of time with Joanna could make him forget himself.

Even Rex was human.

And Joanna was luscious.

Meanwhile, she was carrying on, so enthused that she probably hadn’t noticed how quiet he was. “You see, I figure I can work from here or the west coast. We can do a ton of the work online.” Mike liked the sound of that. “It’s perfect. The timing can be flexible until I get settled and I’ll make my own hours. I’ll get started here and write up the proposal now. I’m going to call that lawyer’s office on Monday, you know the one who does the Plume contracts who I went to see before, and take it to him. He and Rex can talk about it all while we’re on our honeymoon.” He heard her rummage through some paperwork. “The contract for the exhibition that Louise and Rex did at the Eye of the Storm Gallery went through him.” Her voice rose as she read a name triumphantly, probably from a business card. “Julius Montgomery.”

“Good thing the wedding details are all arranged,” Mike said, thinking it was a fairly neutral comment.

“Yes, it is! Don’t you think this is a great idea?”

“Yeah, it is a good idea.”

“You don’t sound enthused.”

“Sorry. But don’t get your hopes up before you talk to Julius. Remember how much Rex likes his privacy.”

“I know.” Joanna sighed. “But the thing is that the Plume was his creation. I can’t imagine that he wouldn’t want it documented. And I really think a book like this would sell a lot of copies.”

“It’d probably be expensive to produce,” Mike cautioned. “You know Rex is only going to want the best, and the math might not work out.”

“That’s why I have to do the research,” Joanna said. “I need to have a plan and to have answers for all his questions.”

“Sounds like you’re too busy to talk on the phone, even in the middle of the night,” Mike said, only half-teasing.

Joanna’s voice dropped low. “Don’t you dare hang up just yet. I haven’t told you what I wore tonight to the party—or what I’m wearing right now.”

“Tell me,” Mike invited, his cock starting to throb.

“I started with the boots,” she admitted. “In fact, they’re all I still have on. You remember the tall black ones you bought for me before our first date?”

“As if I could forget them. I never imagined they’d look so good on you.”

“I think you should get naked,” Joanna said in a low voice. “Because if I were there, I’d strip you naked right now.”

“And then what?” Mike kicked off his Jockeys and laid back on the bed, wrapping his free hand around his hard cock.

“Have you been so bad that I’d need to tie you down?”

“I called you in the middle of the night. That’s pretty unreasonable.”

“True. Reach up with your right hand and grab the post on the headboard. You’ll hold the pose just because I’m telling you to.”

“Yes, Joanna.”

“Ankles to the corners of the footboard. Stretch yourself out.”