Fleur de Nuit: Bourbon Street Bondage, Book 1 (22 page)

Moira laughed. “Hm, something in between boring schoolteacher and Pro-Domme? I may have to borrow—” She stopped, feeling suddenly mischievous as a smile spread across her face. “No, you know, I think I have the perfect thing. Meet you back here?”

Kara gave her a wicked smile. “Let’s meet at La Belle Dame. We can start with the good stuff while we can appreciate it and go from there.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Adrian tapped his fingers on his knee and looked across his desk at Moira with a thoughtful expression. Moira and Kara hadn’t actually made it to Bourbon Street the night before. They hadn’t made it past Adrian’s bar, thanks to a pair of brothers who had caught their eyes. After crawling back to Kara’s in the predawn hours, Moira had called and taken the day off.

Adrian had called by ten, somehow knowing she wasn’t at work, and issuing a summons.

So there she sat, wishing she were still in bed with Kara. Adrian stared at her for a long moment, obviously waiting for Moira to squirm. When she didn’t, he smiled. “Mon ange noir, I have trained you too well. Which is, in fact, what I wished to vay-yay with you about.”

Moira sipped the coffee Kara had slipped into her hand before leaving her to Adrian. “Let me guess. You’re putting me to work.”

“Bon, mon ange. With the holiday bringing so many to En Ville, I need you available. I believe I did mention I was shorthanded. If ma Maîtresse Chance hadn’t been called home, things would be easier. But she is gone indefinitely, and you are now ma Maîtresse préférée.”

Moira lifted an eyebrow. “I would like to actually enjoy Mardi Gras, you know. And I still have to teach, though I could be convinced to take the week before the holiday off. My principal will probably have a heart attack, since I never take time off, especially not around now, but it might actually be fun.”

Adrian laughed. “Mais it will be fun, and you will enjoy it, I promise. However, I plan to take full advantage of you. Starting now. Your councilman is coming back, and he has asked for you specially.”

Moira blanched. “My councilman?”

“Oui, mon ange, you know the one. And before you faire la misère, I’ve agreed to allow you to break skin.”

Moira closed her eyes. “Fuck. That doesn’t actually make me feel better, Adrian.”

“Co faire? You are exactly the Dominatrix he has been looking for.”

“But you’re actually asking me to break skin!”

“Oui. And you’ll enjoy it.”

She shook her head. “Adrian, I had a panic attack after last time. Kara talked me down, but I was this close to quitting.”

“I know, mon ange.”

“What?”

Adrian grinned. “You think our Kara wouldn’t have told me?”

Moira rolled her eyes. “Of course she did. Traitor.”

He tutted. “She was only looking out for you.”

“I know. Still. I don’t know if I can do it, Adrian.”

“Oui, you will. Remember that he wants it, he has asked and begged for it. You have a bit of the sadist in you. Not much, but a little bit. Non, you will enjoy beating the councilman bloody, and I will enjoy watching that pain in my ass get exactly what he deserves.” He gave her a sly smile. “He is also paying three times for the privilege.”

Moira choked. “You’re kidding me.”

“For true.”

Moira shook her head slowly. “All right. How can I say no to that?”

“Bon.” Adrian pushed out of his chair and came around the desk to take Moira’s hand. “He’ll be here at two thirty, so you have…” He glanced at his watch. “Mais, not long enough. You’ll have to change here.”

Moira stood. “And what would you have done if I hadn’t come over? Beaten him yourself?”

Adrian winked. “Bien sûr. And I most certainly would have enjoyed it. Also, I’d like you and our Kara to stay here until after the holiday.”

“What? Why?”

“Mon ange, my house is quite comfortable. And not having to travel between school, your apartment, Kara’s and here will afford you more time to enjoy Mardi Gras.”

Moira glared at him. “And more time for you to put me to work.” Adrian smiled at the jab, but something felt off about the request. Even if he did have a point. “What’s the catch?”

“Really, mon ange, you wound me. Please, come stay. It will benefit us all. And I think you’ll enjoy yourself.”

“You said that already.”

“I meant it.”

Moira rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

“Bon. Now go change.”

Moira emerged from her session as satisfied as Adrian promised she’d be. The first bit of blood had almost undone her, but the man had groaned with so much pleasure it had shocked her out of any panic that might have taken over. And in the end, he’d thanked her profusely.

She grinned and stepped away from the door, stopping short a moment later when she heard voices in the hall. Adrian’s voice, without his usual humor.

“You’re certain?”

“There’s no doubt. Tony said he’d seen him twice.” She recognized the deep rumbling voice from the last time she’d overheard their conversation. Curiosity overwhelmed her, and Moira creeped closer.

“Maudit! This isn’t good, mon frère. Not at all.”

Peering around the corner, Moira caught sight of a tall man. Dark suit, black hair and beard, both trimmed very close, and somber, hooded eyes. His face and body were all angles and strong lines that screamed raw, sensual power. He said something that Moira didn’t catch, and Adrian replied before she could kick-start her brain into working again.

The stranger continued. “Do you want me to take care of it?”

She edged closer in time to see Adrian give the other man a sharp look. “I wouldn’t normally ask, mon frère, but I think, in this case…”

“I’ll make a call.”

“Bon, thank you.”

Moira scrambled away from the corner, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. This conversation had been even stranger than the last, and her curiosity was off the charts. And the man Adrian had been with, there was something about him that both frightened her and excited her.

Something Kara had said at the club surfaced in her memory.

I wonder if that’s the infamous Gideon St. Sauveur. The accent matches and the jaw-dropping looks.

“Mon ange noir? Is everything all right?”

Adrian’s voice startled her out of her thoughts. She shook her head, trying to clear it. “Fine. Just lost in thought. Who were you—?”

“Your councilman was pleased with his session, oui? You did well.”

Moira made a confused face at the quick topic change. “Thank you. That was far more fun than I expected.”

“A little bit of the sadist in you, ma chère. As I said.” He offered his arm. “Come now, we have your schedule for the next few weeks to determine. Starting tonight. I want you and Kara both here by supper. I’m taking you out, and then I need you both, after.”

Moira groaned.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“I can’t believe he’s making us move into the house until Mardi Gras.” Kara leaned in the doorway of Moira’s room, wearing a slightly annoyed look and watching Moira pack.

“He’s planned out the whole next month, I think. I’m going to be in sessions every moment I’m not teaching, I bet. Tonight he’s breaking in Josephine, tomorrow he said we’re going recruiting.”

Kara’s face lit up. “At La Danse Macabre? I was hoping we’d get to take you there!”

Moira stuffed a last pair of shoes into her bag and zipped it up. “What is it?”

“Adrian’s other club.” She smiled wickedly. “Fleur de Nuit is the exclusive, by-invitation-only club. La Danse Macabre is the other, anybody-can-come club. We do a lot of recruiting for Fleur de Nuit there. Oh! This means you’ll get to meet Master Toussaint. You’ll love him. He’s a character.”

Moira gave her a confused look. “Master Toussaint?”

Kara winked and threaded her arm through Moira’s. “He runs La Danse Macabre for Adrian, and he goes all out for Mardi Gras. His family has been in New Orleans since before it was American. He’s got ties to all the old voodoo families in the area and can be downright terrifying if you cross him. But he’s an incredible Dom and loves the club.”

“So, not the kind of guy you want to meet in a dark alley, but great in a dark bedroom?”

Kara laughed. “Exactly.”

“Sounds fun.” They walked out her front door and paused as Moira turned to lock it. She threw the deadbolt, and then leaned against the wall and looked at Kara. “Are you okay with tonight?”

Kara shrugged and took her arm again. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Moira raised her eyebrow and stared at her.

Kara rolled her eyes. “Fine. But yes, I’m okay with tonight. Besides, it’s not like you’re fucking her. Adrian is.”

Moira smiled. “I didn’t last time, you know.”

“Wait, what?”

Moira gave her a look and loaded her things into the car Adrian had sent to collect them. “I didn’t fuck her. I mean, I did, but only with a vibrator.” She shut the trunk and looked around at the early evening crowds. The whole town was buzzing, and she could feel it in her bones. Anticipation and excitement. Streetlights just coming lit as the sun grew low cast a glow over everything. She smiled at the light, the music and the noise, her eyes flitting over the bright colors until they settled on a face that looked back.

Moira froze.
It can’t be.

Devon stepped in front of her, holding the door open and cutting off her view. She moved to the side, but whatever she thought she’d seen was gone.

She shook her head and climbed in the car where Kara stared at her expectantly. “What?”

“I asked why you didn’t fuck her. Are you all right, Moira?”

“Yeah, I…I’m fine.” She shook the oddness off and waited until the car started and Devon had them moving before answering further. “Because I didn’t want to. Don’t get me wrong, Josephine’s a beautiful girl and an excellent sub. But there was no attraction there. I was doing Tamara a favor, that’s all. Well, that wasn’t all, but the rest was between Tamara and me, not Josephine.”

Kara shook her head and leaned over to rest on Moira’s shoulder. Moira wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

“I told you there was nothing to worry about. I’m happy to take female clients for Adrian, but Kara…” She took a deep breath and held her tighter. “I don’t think I will ever feel the same about another girl as I do about you.”

Kara lifted her head, her green eyes glistening as she looked at Moira. When she leaned in hesitantly, Moira’s lips were there to meet her.

When they walked into Adrian’s house holding hands, Adrian smiled and kissed them both. “Kara, ma chère. Mon ange noir. Thank you both for coming. I’ll do my best to make your stay enjoyable.” He turned to Devon, who had come in behind them with their things. “Ah, Devon, merci. Please take their things to…what do you think, Kara?”

Kara bit her lip and glanced at Moira. “Can we have the tower room, Sir?”

Adrian laughed. “Kara, ma petite, I should have guessed. Will you help Devon up with your things? I wanted a moment with L’Ange Noir.”

“Of course.” Kara nodded and then leaned in to whisper in Moira’s ear. “You’ll like the tower room. See you up there.”

Moira grinned and kissed her again, and then watched her walk away with Adrian’s hulking house servant.

Adrian stepped closer and joined her in watching Kara. “Mon ange, when are you gonna collar her and be done with it?”

Moira whipped her head around to stare at him. Adrian looked back with an amused expression. “Collar her? She doesn’t want to be collared. She even told Tamara—”

“Je ne souscris pas. She wants it. More to the point, she wants
you
. That’s why she told Tamara she wasn’t sure.”

Moira stared at him with shock. “Me? She wants me? To
collar
her?”

Adrian smiled. “For true.”

“Adrian, I… God. I want it, I do. But are you sure she does?”

Adrian gave her an exasperated look. “Mon ange noir, I do keep telling you to have that vay-yay. Look at it this way. The longer you wait, the more competition you’re gonna have. Maîtresse Tamara wasn’t the first, nor will she be the last. Your Kara has had more supplicants than I can recall to count, including me.” He smiled and reached out to tap Moira’s nose. “Think about it. She’s waiting.”

“Mes filles.” Adrian smiled and kissed Kara’s and Moira’s hands in turn. They sat in the viewing room where she’d first seen Kara and Master Ian together. This time, it would be Josephine and Adrian. He wore a white suit and purple tie, which made his green eyes electric. “I need your honest opinions tonight. If we’re in agreement, I’ll have you take her for her tattoo tomorrow. If we’re not, I’ll keep working with her until we’re agreed. Tout va bien?”

They nodded, and he released them. Moira glanced at Kara before opening the door to Adrian’s observation room. His comments earlier hadn’t left her. Kara had asked more than once what was wrong, but Moira had shaken her head and changed the topic.

“So does he do this with all his new subs?”

Kara laughed and took a seat. “Dominants and subs. He always has another Dominant and a sub vet them.”

Moira stared through the two-way mirror at Josephine, who knelt with her eyes lowered, strawberry-blonde hair cascading down her back. Adrian had ordered her to wait for him without clothes, and Moira could still see the lingering bruises from her night with the new sub. “Who vetted me?”

Kara laughed. “All of us.”

Moira whipped her head around. “Why?”

“You don’t understand what a novelty you are. Adrian hasn’t trained a new Domme in a decade. Since before I knew him. Rumor has it he’d sworn he would never train one again.”

Moira worked her jaw for a moment before words solidified. “Sounds like there’s definitely a story there.”

“I’m sure. But if you can get him to tell, you’re better than the rest of us. Anyway, you can see why we were all a little curious. Hell, even Master Gideon came out of hiding to watch you one night.”

“Really?” The conversation she’d overheard the day before came back to her. “What does he look like?”

“Master Gideon? He’s the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. He’s jaw-droppingly good-looking, all hard lines and brooding sex. And when I say dark, I mean it in every sense of the word. Somber, ominous, foreboding, mysterious, grim. His looks complement his demeanor, jet black hair and these eyes that you’d swear make shadows look light. The English accent even makes it worse. I knew a Domme who was the toughest bitch I’d ever met, and she turned to a puddle every time he came out of hiding.” She looked at Moira. “Why?”

“I think I saw him yesterday, talking to Adrian. It was the weirdest conversation, and I couldn’t hear all of it.” She grinned. “Partly because I kind of lost all cognitive abilities when I saw him.”

Kara sighed. “Yeah, that sounds like him. Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to describe him.” She shivered. “What were they talking about?”

Moira shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t hear specifics. But Adrian wasn’t happy, and Gideon offered to take care of it, which made Adrian even more unhappy, even though he agreed.”

Kara’s eyebrows pulled together. “That is weird.”

The door to the other room opened and Adrian walked in, effectively ending their conversation before Moira could say anything else. But even as they watched him work the new sub over, Moira couldn’t get the conversation between Gideon and Adrian out of her head.

Tony said he’s seen him twice.

It couldn’t be. Moira shook herself almost imperceptibly while Adrian strapped Josephine into a spreader bar and spanked her.
I’m being paranoid, that’s all.

Kara’s hand touched hers. “You okay?”

Moira shook off her thoughts and glanced at Kara. “Yeah, I’m fine. Is he always this much of a showman?”

Kara laughed. “Always. God, I envy that lucky bitch.”

Moira smiled softly, her mind turning to Adrian’s words beforehand. “I could help with that.”

Kara eyed her with a predatory grin. “Is that a promise?”

Moira smiled and threaded her fingers through her friend’s.

Josephine screamed as Adrian fucked her, alternating between strings of what Moira could only think were Quebecois curses, and short, sharp outbursts. Moira shook her head, unimpressed. “God, she’s a noisy one.”

Kara eyed her. “Mmm. It’s almost too much.”

“Bit of a turn-off, really.”

They watched together as Adrian brought her to climax and then proceeded to spank her with his belt. The crack of leather pierced the room, and Moira found herself staring not at the scene in the other room, but at Kara. The way she nibbled her bottom lip and fidgeted with the hem of her dress. Little things that Kara had always done, like how she didn’t look straight on when she was enjoying herself, but cocked her head down slightly. Or the nervous way she ran her fingernail over the pad of her thumb.

The noise from the other room stopped, and Kara looked up to meet her gaze. “What is it?”

Moira smiled and turned back to Adrian. “Nothing.”

In the other room, Adrian’s belt lay tossed to the side while he untied her wrists again. “Lie down on your back.”

“S’il vous plaît, Maître, no, please don’t…”

He fisted her hair. “Josephine.”

She whimpered and crawled onto her back. “Ciboire de criss de clef d’ostie de marde pogné dans le jesus criss de char, bâtard!”

Adrian’s hand closed on her neck. “Josephine, that will be enough of that. You will be silent, ça va?”

Josephine nodded.

“Your Maîtresse Tamara might’ve found that amusing, but I do not. You’ll show respect, or I will teach it to you.”

Josephine nodded again, and Adrian released her.

“About time he curbed that.” Kara laughed and shook her head.

“No kidding. After that little outburst, I’d be reaching for my crop.”

By the time Adrian had finished with Josephine, Moira could hardly take it. All she’d been able to see the whole night was the difference between the two subs. Josephine had almost annoyed her, but every move Kara made, however slight, turned her on more.

She jumped to her feet when Kara tugged on her hand.

“Come on. He won’t expect us to hang around while he does aftercare.”

Moira practically ran out of the room after her, not even bothering to glance back at Adrian’s room. “Good. Because after that, I’m so horny I can hardly breathe.”

After watching you all night.

Kara laughed then squeaked as Moira shoved her up against the wall and kissed her hard.

Moira pulled back a moment later, her chest heaving. “Come on. I’m ready to fuck you right in this hall, so help me. And I desperately want to taste you.”

Kara’s laugh echoed down the corridor as they ran.