Rescued in Paradise (2 page)

Heading to the women’s locker room, where members normally
stored their personal belongings and often showered and changed, she sought out
her assigned space.
 

Moving
down the row of medium-sized metallic doors, she found her number.
Syd
punched in the code, swinging the small door open, and placed
her purse in the small, rectangular box provided. The room was crowded with women
prepping and cleaning up while getting ready for their nights. A few early
arrivers walked by as they finished gathering their belongings. If it wasn’t
for the long hours she put in at her job, most likely that would have been her,
retiring earlier in the night. Taking a deep breath, she closed the locker back
up and tested to make sure it was secure before pivoting on her heel to exit
the room. As she made her way down the long corridor heading toward where the
main club room and the full service bar was, one thought crossed her mind. She
was in need of a serious drink, maybe even two.

A
presentation she had been working on day and night for over three weeks was
scheduled for the next morning and she was extremely nervous. If all went well
and the board members were pleased, it would likely result in her being given
the promotion she’d been dreaming of for so long. Yeah, a few drinks to calm
her rattled nerves were needed. This place was where she felt safest. Right now,
that was comforting because if a scene didn’t come to pass and she became
intoxicated, the club employees would make sure nothing bad happened.

Chapter Two

Making
his usual rounds for the evening, Connor Bradley stopped and spoke to some of
the club members while overseeing the various public floor sessions that were
in progress. Part of his job as co-owner was to make sure that there were no
rules being broken and that all acts were indisputably safe, sane, and
consensual. That was a strict motto they all lived by— never take another
without following the creed to a tee.

After
a full circle around the club that ended back at the main bar and adjoining
area, he scanned the large crowd. The main floor was packed. Lone members, as
well as partners, were in various stage of dress, from fully covered to almost
or completely nude. Grinding bodies moved in sync with the seductive beat
thumping through the speakers of the state-of-the-art sound system. Inhaling
deeply, he could actually smell the arousal and perspiration in the air. Damn, he
could enjoy that heady mix all night, never tiring of the unique aroma.

A
low growl rumbled his chest when he saw
her
saunter through the doors. Sydney. Long, thick auburn curls cascaded over her
shoulders down to the center of her back, bouncing as she moved gracefully. He
wanted nothing more than to thread his fingers through the silky strands while
he buried himself in her. That gorgeous mane, coupled with the most piercing
blue eyes he had ever seen, had been his undoing the first time he laid eyes on
her. They looked like round icebergs that highlighted her angelic, heart-shaped
face.
Perfection.
He could not take his eyes off the
sexy as hell women as she sashayed over to the bar, sliding her perfectly
shaped derriere onto one of the empty bar stools. The outfit she was wearing
displayed every delicious curve of her body flawlessly. Instantly, the front of
his leathers became tight as fuck, the length of his shaft tapping the rigid
metal tongs of the zipper. His cock was just begging to be set free...by her. Every
time he laid eyes on her since she joined the club a few months prior, his
reaction was the same. Only she had that instant effect on his libido.

Pushing
his way through the throng of grinding, half-naked bodies on the dance floor,
Connor was stopped every few feet to talk to member after member who approached
him. A couple of the subs made it very clear that they wanted to be his for the
evening, and he was very tempted to take them up on the offer. His eyes,
however, kept straying back to the beauty on the barstool, sipping on what
looked from a distance to be a fruity cocktail. He openly stared. Mesmerized,
he clandestinely watched her full lips wrap around the thin, multi-colored
straw, her cheeks hollowing out as she sucked the liquid into her mouth.

His
mind conjured up multiple images of those lips doing just that as they slid up
and down his shaft, gripping him firmly as they moved. Those cheeks of
hers hollowing
out to take him as far down her throat as she
could manage. That particular mental scenario kept him up most nights. No, he
instinctively knew she could take every inch of his cock. If she were unable
to, he would teach her how.

Fuck!
Shaking his head when one of the newer
Doms
asked him
a question, he broke out of his current fantasy. He was hard as stone; his cock
felt like it was suffocating in the tight confines of his leathers, all from
just that one image of her. He’d tried for so long to keep his distance from
the seemingly obedient seductress, but the longer he tried, the harder it was
to watch her play with the other men. One of the few times she had been part of
a public session, he wanted to literally rip off the head of the Dom she was
working with. He wanted to be the one to take her to her pinnacle. He wanted
her to be
his
, and only
his
.

When
she’d first started to frequent the club, she was fairly new to the scene,
merely hearing and reading about the lifestyle for the most part. She started
to come as a guest with her friend. After a few visits, she asked to fill out
the appropriate forms to become a full member, and he felt obligated to let her
blossom on her own before ever trying to make a move on her.

Trying
his best to listen to the gentleman who approached him, he leaned in closer to
compensate for basically ignoring him for those few moments while he was lost
in thought.

“I'm
sorry, what was that?” Connor tried to make it appear as if he couldn't hear the
other man over the blaring music.

The
man started over and he managed to follow the conversation until, out of the
corner of his eye, he spotted Master Dorian closing in on Sydney. Dorian was
one of the
Doms
who had been with the club for a
quite a while. He was a friend and colleague, and Connor thought highly of him.
Sydney, however, was off limits.

“My
apologies, I have something I have to attend to. It is rather urgent,” he
hurriedly relayed to the Dom. He was so focused on
Sydney,
he forgot what the man’s name was. “Go to the receptionist on your way out and
make an appointment so we can get together with no interruptions to take care
of everything you require, alright?”

 
The man nodded, momentarily pacified with the
offer, and Connor wasted no time pushing through the horde of people blocking
his way to the damn bar.

As
he got closer, he saw the young Dom's hand skim up the outside of Sydney's
thigh, lightly caressing the bare flesh. Connor’s hands involuntarily clenched.
By the time he reached them,
Syd
was already sliding
those slender legs off the stool to the floor, dipping her head down.

Oh hell no!
he
thought as fire practically spewed from his nostrils. Walking
up behind Sydney, he placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her still. He
knew he startled her when she jumped slightly and snapped her head around
without
so
much as moving her body. Pinning her with a
hard glare, he turned his attention back to Dorian when she twisted her head
back around. Her silky locks brushed over the tops of his hands. The simple
touch had him wanting to grip her hair in his fist, tilt her head to the side,
and gain the access he needed to run his tongue along the curvature of the most
sensitive part of the neck. To refrain from acting on his impulses, he squared
his shoulders and looked directly at the man who was currently interested in
his Sydney.

“I'm
sorry, Dorian, but tonight, this beautiful creature is mine.” He spoke in an
even tone, but by the look on Dorian’s face, he managed to get his meaning
across. Subconsciously, he wanted to make sure that the tall, muscular Dom knew
he was staking his claim.

The
grip he had on her shoulders tightened when Dorian grinned at him, taking her
hand in his own and pressing two light kisses on her knuckles. It pissed him
off even more when he felt a little shiver overtake her body.
Prick
. Dorian purposely did that to
rouse him, but he would not give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Straightening
to his full six foot, three inches, he kept his face emotionless. Well, at
least as emotionless as he could manage right then.

Dorian's
sly grin turned into an outright smile. Connor really wanted nothing more than
to punch him in his playboy face to knock that damn smile off of it.

The
younger man took a step closer to Sydney and said, “Tomorrow night, pet. You
will come find me when you arrive. You will be
mine
then. Do you understand?”

In
a bold move Connor wasn't expecting, he planted a kiss on her lips.
You have got to be fucking kidding me
,
he thought. Dorian was trying to rile him up, and it worked.
 
Before Sydney had a chance to make a move or
reply, he stepped around her and pushed the young man backwards to get him away
from her. He knew what he did was crossing the line, but the cocky ass prick
had purposely provoked him.

“Did
I give you permission to talk to my sub? Let alone touch her?” Connor was
getting madder by the second, his blood boiling in his veins, especially when
the other man ignored him and looked over his shoulder at a stunned Sydney.

Dorian
cleared his throat. “No, you did not, but I was merely staking my claim on this
enticing beauty for tomorrow evening before anyone else snatched her up, Master
Connor.”

“No,”
he growled, his anger barely leashed. “Master Dorian, she will be accompanying
me tomorrow night as well—” He was cut off mid-sentence by a tiny hand grabbing
his shirt and tugging him around.
What
the hell?
When he made the full turn, he was met with a very pissed off looking
woman—
Syd
.

Her eyes flashed fire at him and her voice raised a full octave
above her normal pitch as she addressed him. “I'm sorry. What was that? I seem
to have missed a conversation or two.” Connor was somewhat taken aback at her
apparent irritation.

She
was right, though, they hadn’t talked. In fact, they barely ever spoke. He kept
a bit of distance between them so he wasn't tempted to take her to his rooms,
tie her down to the bed, and never let her go. But right now, in this moment,
she was smart-mouthing the head Dom of Paradise, and that did not fly with him.

“You,
my dear, will ask permission next time you would like to speak. Also, you will
lower your eyes when you address me. Do you understand?” he stated firmly.

“Do
I? Oh right, the big, bad Dom says so.” She rolled her eyes before lowering her
head. Connor could not believe that his innocent, submissive
Syd
was being so defiant—a downright brat. Glancing back at
Dorian, even he was in a state of shock. The anger marring his face, he was
sure, mimicked his own.

Everything
that had just transpired bubbled up and Connor snapped. Pointing his finger at
Dorian, he made his point. “You and I will talk about this later. Right now, I
have a punishment to dish out on a smart-mouthed little sub.”

Dorian
nodded in agreement, his tone conveying a hint of excitement when he spoke. “I
think I might enjoy seeing this one in particular. I'm sure it will be quite
the show. Maybe I could learn a few things.”

He
really wanted to punch Dorian in the face, but that would have to wait for
another time and place. With that, he stepped up in front of
Syd
. Her head was still bowed, but her body was rigid, and
her hands were balled up tight by her sides. She obviously knew what was coming,
and she deserved every bit of it for the little tantrum that had just happened.
And he was most definitely going to enjoy every minute of it as well.

Chapter Three

Sydney
knew she was in trouble for her blatant insolent behavior when Master Connor weaved
his thick fingers into her hair and tugged her forward, giving her no other
choice but to follow obediently down the hallway.
 
She knew full well she’d crossed the line when
she smart-mouthed him at the bar. She just hadn't been able to stop herself. From
the moment she’d arrived, she was in a mood, and his arrogant display just
pissed her off. Apparently, he was also in a mood, one she hadn’t seen before. Normally,
he was so controlled, always in command of everything around him, especially
his own emotions. Tonight, that clearly was not the case, which confused her.

She
stumbled more than once as he led her to the center of the room, hauling her
over to the empty set of stocks. Her heart rate kicked up a notch when he
stopped in front of the thick wooden device. Defiantly, her chin lifted, not
giving him the satisfaction of a reaction, even though she was uneasy about his
intentions considering the anger that poured from him in waves. Even the
onlookers wore puzzled expressions at the sight.