Second Time Lucky (Club Decadence Book 5) (50 page)

Chapter Thirty-two

One at a time, she removed each piece of equipment and laid it on the counter. Some of the items were familiar, a few she had no clue. By the time she’d emptied the contents of Sean’s large black bag and spread it all out in front of her, she was amazed—and rather appalled—at the assortment of tools he’d acquired. It looked like something the Marquis de Sade would have proudly owned. She counted two paddles, one clear plastic, the other leather, and three various weight floggers. There was a lightweight red one that she knew on sight would sting like the dickens, a thuddy medium weight in blue, and a run-for-the-hills-this-is-going-to-hurt-like-hell heavy-duty black one. The last one she hadn’t had the displeasure of and planned to avoid at all costs because if Sean laid into her with that, he would likely knock her across the room. She mused over the other floggers, thinking he hadn’t used the red or the blue either. She also found an eight-inch baton, but after studying it closely, discovered it was actually a cane that expanded to three times its length. She slashed it through the air, winced at the whippy sound it made and quickly set it aside. Next, she gawked at the three phallic toys in graduated sizes: extra-large, mammoth and no freakin’ way.

“Does the man do nothing in moderation?”

“That word does not exist in Texas, baby? Haven’t you learned we do everything bigger?”

Sean’s deep voice in the quiet bathroom made her jump. What happened next unfolded as if in slow motion. As she spun to face him, her hand came up to her chest as if to slow her racing heart, but she lost her grip on the heavy dildo still in her hand, which naturally, was the one of ginormous proportions. It flew up in the air, seemed to hover—although she knew that was scientifically impossible—then fell, flipping end over end until it hit the tiled floor with a loud splat.

In wide-eyed amazement, Mara stared at how it landed—giant bulbous head up, balls down with the suction cup making direct contact with the floor. If that wasn’t awkward enough, the flesh colored cock with its super-sized balls swayed and wobbled obscenely, to and fro, in its upright position.

“Uh, baby?” Sean deadpanned. “Is that your giant cock on the floor, or are you happy to see me?”

Slack-jawed, she looked from the floor to his face. A moment later, he bent at the waist as huge, rolling guffaws burst free. Booming loudly, the joyous sound bounced around the small room like an echo chamber.

Mara did not see the humor. Stomping forward, she bent to retrieve the fake dick that was providing a source of unlimited hilarity for her husband.

She pulled.

It didn’t budge.

With both hands, she took hold. Gripping the large cock with an extra hard tug, it came unstuck from the floor with a resounding pop. Standing upright, she glared at Sean who was wiping tears from his eyes, his belly laughs not having waned one iota.

“I’m glad I can be the butt of your joke.”

This sent him into louder gales of mirth and she immediately knew why. Mara had a tendency to talk with her hands and had done so just now with a fourteen-inch long rubber dildo in one of them.

“Ha ha.” She stared at him for several moments waiting for his laughter to slow, but it didn’t. “If you can settle down enough to answer a simple question, I’d like to know what you are doing with an elephant dong in your bag? Certainly, you weren’t planning to use it on me. I mean, really Sean, it’s as long and thick around as my forearm.”

That sobered him.

“That isn’t mine.”

With a high-pitched shriek, she dropped it. Again, it landed at her feet, but on its side this time. Appalled, she turned to the array of other items on the counter.

Sean stepped up beside her and perused the assortment spread out on the counter. Shaking his head, he met her eyes in the mirror. “None of this stuff is mine.”

Relieved he hadn’t purchased either the five-pound flogger or the mammoth dong with her in mind, she slumped into his side. “Thank heavens, I had this horrible feeling you’d turned sadist on me.”

He bent and retrieved the toy bag. Turning it over, he grunted and showed her the label. “Didn’t you read the monogram?”

“What monogram?” She tugged it from his hand and studied it a moment. “R.S.” Her brain did some quick calculations. “Oh my god! Richard Stapleton! Oh my freakin’ god!” She jumped to the sink and with the faucet on full hot, pumped a handful of antibacterial soap into her hand. As she scrubbed up to her elbows, she kept up a steady chorus of “ews” and “oh my freakin’ gods.”

“Easy, Mara, everyone here is tested, remember? Stapleton would have been screened.”

“Still, it’s disgusting to think about touching his toys.” She gagged a little.

In one swoop of his arm, Sean returned all the items to the bag, adding the huge latex cock from the floor and zipped it all up, out of sight. He moved her already red hands away from the stream of scalding water, adding cold until steam no longer billowed up from the sink. He then did a normal hand washing, not the intense fifteen minute surgical scrub she intended.

“What was his bag doing in your office?”

“Someone in housekeeping must have brought it here. I’ve been designated the lost and found, evidently. The real question is what possessed you to go in it?”

Surprised, she tipped her face up to his. “You told me cleaning the toys was my job.”

He smiled and shook his head. “I did, didn’t I? We were at home when I said it. I meant those toys, not the ones in my bag and I certainly didn’t mean anyone else’s.”

“Oh.”

His helped her rinse and with a clean towel, patted her hands dry. Tossing it aside, he pulled her into his arms, tipping her chin up as he did so with a crooked finger beneath her chin. “We need to tighten up our communication. I need to be more precise, evidently and you definitely need to stop making assumptions.”

“I made an ass out of me and you, didn’t I?”

“That’s not quite how it goes and no, baby, not an ass.” He chuckled, curling her into his chest when another full-throated laugh burst free. “That has got to be the funniest thing I have ever seen.”

“Sean!”

“Come on,” he snorted, pausing every few words for breath, “you’ve got to admit that never, in a million years, even if you tried,” he paused to breathe, “could you get that giant dildo to stand on its end again, with a toss.” Another wave of raucous laughter passed before he added, “And the look on your face… priceless.”

Unsure if it was from Sean’s amusement, which was infectious, or the true absurdity of the situation, or the heaving, shuddery chest beneath her cheek, but she ended up joining him, laughing until tears rolled down her cheeks too.

A long time later, after their bellies were sore from laughing and they managed to make it to the big comfy couch in his office without losing it again, a knock sounded at his door.

“Damn, it’s like grand central station in here of late.”

Mara didn’t budge from her place on his lap as Sean called, “Come in.”

Cap entered. “Sorry, Sean, Mara, but I wanted to share the news right away.”

Mara she sat up. From the intensity of Cap’s tone, it sounded serious. Intent on moving to the cushion beside him, she scooted, but Sean held her tight, one hand curling over her thigh while the other held onto her waist.

“First, some good news, the psychiatrist saw Moon and she’s being transferred to an inpatient unit for further evaluation and treatment. The preliminary diagnosis is clinical depression. Lexie says that in severe cases like Moon’s, untreated long-term depression can spiral down into an acute psychotic state. They’ll treat the depression and work on her abuse issues which the doctor feels is the root of the problem.”

“Thank goodness,” Mara breathed. She didn’t know Moon, but according to the twins and Angie, their cousin’s recent behavior was way out of character for the usually good natured, fun-loving young woman.

“How did you get the information?” This came from Sean. “Usually psychiatrists don’t disclose anything. I remember the time Dex had getting information about Elena because they weren’t married.”

“True, but Moon’s parents arrived. They had a long visit and she allowed the psychiatrist to talk to them. From there it went through the girls and so on.”

“Yeah,” Sean smiled up at Cap. “With “so on” and the girls, who needs cell phones?”

Cap chuckled. “I’m the first to admit my lovely wife and her sister are faster with gossip than Facebook or Twitter. Something to work on I suppose.”

“It’s not gossip if it’s the truth, is it?” Mara couldn’t help from coming to her friend’s defense.

Cap smiled at her, just as Sean’s arms squeezed. “That is very true, Mara.”

“Is that the bad news?”

“No, hang on to your hats. Stapleton has disappeared.”

A startled, “No!” came from Mara while Sean cursed outright.

“The Feds were building their case, as was Internal Affairs at the SAPD. Neither was ready to charge him yet, but they were close. Someone must have tipped him off. The corruption is so widespread that some major house cleaning is going to have to take place. With the suspicion of his disappearance, Robinson should have enough for a warrant.”

“That ought to be a slam-dunk,” Sean said. “They need to find him before he leaves the state, or crosses the border.”

“Rossi has the bounty contract once he’s charged.”

“Dex,” Sean suggested unnecessarily.

“There’s none better,” Cap replied.

“What about Victor and Esteban?” Mara inquired softly, thinking her ordeal would never end, not really.

“They remain in custody, safe and sound under the Bureau’s watchful eye. They’re not taking any chances that something will go wrong before trial next week.”

She nodded, thinking safe and sound were something she might never attain. Although sitting on Sean’s lap, in his office with their multiple levels of security sure came close.

“Thanks, Cap.”

“No problem, Sean. I’ll close this behind me.”

The change in their mood from thirty minutes prior was as divergent as night and day.

“This will be over soon, nightingale.”

“I pray you’re right, Sean.”

“Do I need to reschedule our training session with Adele and Clarissa?”

She shook her head. “No, don’t do that. I ran into Clarissa yesterday and she was bubbling with excitement.” Running her hand up his chest, her fingers played with a button near the top. “Your reputation as an awesome Dom and an even better trainer is making the rounds. Don’t tell him, but rumors are that you’re better than Dex.”

“That’s high praise for Dex. He’s the one who trained me back in the day.”

Mara pushed up from his chest, twisting to smile down at him. “It’s hard to think of you as a newbie. I’ve always known you as confident and in command, which I have to say I find incredibly hot.”

Proving the veracity of her words, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her mouth down to his, stopping when their lips were almost touching. “Some of us are born with dominant traits; others have the qualities of submission. Sometimes all it takes is the right person to recognizing what’s lying beneath the surface, like Dex with me.”

“And you did with me. You nurtured the seed inside me, one I didn’t even know was there, and helped it grow. Without you, my perfect Dom, it would still be buried deep. I love being your submissive, Master. Thank you.”

“Mara,” he groaned softly. “Have I ever told you that you can lay my heart bare with your words?”

“A time or two, I don’t mean to upset you.”

“Baby, that you move me, deeply, is by no means a bad thing. Now, kiss me but quickly. We need to get to our appointment.”

“Mm… with pleasure, Master.”

Her lips moved the fraction of an inch needed to meet his. As her tongue ventured between his lips, the taste of him, minty fresh as always, exploded on her tongue. Her mouth moved eagerly over his and she groaned at the bliss she always found there. He allowed her only a few moments of control, before flipping her to her back and taking command of the kiss.

* * * * *

An hour later, she was getting impatient as she stood with ankles bound in shackles to the floor, her wrists in leather restraints over her head. Naked, she was spread wide, the memory of his powerful kisses from earlier had her ready for more from her Master, but she had to wait, again.

Not having loads of experience herself, Mara understood being new and uneasy, but Clarissa was trying her patience. Unfortunately, Sean noticed.

“Your irritation is showing, Mara. Lock it down.”

“It’s just—”

“This comes with the territory. You wanted to help me train, so you deal with what comes and that means you need to learn poise and composure.” He was speaking low in her ear, his body pressed against her from behind. “Are you wet for me?”

“I’ve been wet since our kisses in your office.”

“I’ve been hard for you since then too.” The hand at her waist rose to cup a breast, his thumb gliding over the tip making it rise to a peak, eager for more attention. “Let me see if I can move things along a bit, or at least keep you occupied.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“Uh, uh… Thank me after you see what I have in store for you.” He tweaked her nipple before moving away. Mara instantly missed his body against her.

“Adele, our girls are at different speeds. While you’re warming yours up, mine is cooling down. We need to find a happy medium.”

“My apologies, but Clarissa is nervous, this being her first scene with another couple.”

“I understand, but Mara needs a little something to keep her on edge while Clarissa catches up. Doing something together might help Clarissa feel more at ease. I’m thinking clamps.”

“Perfect. Rissa enjoys nipple play.”

A groan arose from the sub under discussion. Sean chuckled. “That’s answer enough.”

In her periphery, Mara saw Sean move to the supply closet in the corner. When he returned, he handed a set of clamps to Adele.

“Butterflies, very nice,” Adele allowed, while behind her Clarissa whimpered. She turned and gave her sub a sharp smack on each hind cheek. “Hush, Rissa. You’ll have Master Sean thinking you’re unappreciative of his time.”