The Sweetest Taboo: An Unconventional Romance (3 page)

It was Saturday night, and fun was on the agenda. The controlled environment of the club ensured that myself and other subs and slaves were treated with respect and care. If a Dom or Domme, whatever the case may be, was interested, They’d bid to have us for the duration of the event. There would be time to mingle beforehand, and then after the winning bid, we’d go into one of the playrooms. . . .

i’d been around the scene since my early twenties, so now at thirty, i’d pretty much seen and had it all. A great deal of men call themselves Dominants but believe that D/s is
only
limited to the bedroom. In my opinion, a little bit of rough sex or some sort of degradation does not make one Dominant. Too many equate being domineering with being Dominant. The two aren’t synonymous. Those “bedroom Doms” can take a hike. i’m not a slut, whore, tramp, bitch, cum dumpster, or any of those other slurs these “bedroom Dominants” hurl at submissive women in a poor attempt to assert power.

There’s only so many frogs a girl can kiss, so tonight was all about blowing off steam. i went to Spanxxx with zero expectations. Sure, my long-term goal was to find the right Dom, but i’d rather wait for something real. i’m no doormat and have few self-esteem issues; if you feel the need to try and belittle me to get your rocks off, i am not the one for you.

i looked around the club, trying to make mental note of who might be worth a few minutes of my time; i don’t accept mediocrity when it comes to my Men, and wasted time is my only regret in life. i’m also a workhorse type and expect the same in a Dom, but i’ve run into far too many damaged and domineering jerks instead of ambitious, refined Gentlemen.

i’ll readily admit that i am a submissive to anyone who dares to ask, but being submissive doesn’t equate to being weak. i’m not some feeble woman who gets off on being demeaned. For me, being submissive meant taking care of my Man’s needs in every capacity. It meant bending to His will, and His will only. He would lead and i would follow. i would be perfectly content in my role when it came to pleasing Him, and the Man who captured my heart would be an Alpha down to His core. i would be His servant, His lover, His friend, His everything. He would be my Guide, my Protector, my Confidante, my Love. He would not demand my respect, He would earn it. He would love me for my mind. He would see beauty in both my strengths and weaknesses and encourage me to be the best version of myself. So you see, this lifestyle went well beyond spankings and tying me to a headboard.

After tucking my ID back into my clutch and adjusting my garters, my lungs were seized by the smoke that hung in the air. The club didn’t allow alcohol, but smoking was A-OK. i would have made some smartass comment to kisa if my lungs were working.

A new law had recently been passed that banned smoking in bars and clubs, but it wouldn’t go into effect for another month. Until then, i would suffer. After i experienced a coughing fit that damn near brought me to my knees, kisa handed me bottle of water.

i drank quickly, hoping it would help. my coughing stopped long enough for me get my inhaler out of my clutch. Two quick puffs usually helped alleviate the constriction in my chest. i felt a bit overheated so i removed my blazer and tucked it under my arm along with my clutch.

kisa rubbed circles over my bare shoulders. her hand was still cool from the water bottle and was a welcome relief from the steroid hotly racing through my system. “you gonna be okay?”

i nodded and rasped out, “i’m fine. Go have fun. i’m probably gonna go sit at the bar.”

she wrapped her arm around my shoulders, giving me a squeeze before whispering in my ear, “i love you. i’ll be just over there.” she pointed to the plush sofas where a group had congregated.

“All right. Go get ’em.”

kisa was gone before i could utter another word.

i took a few moments to get my bearings before i decided it was time for me to scope out the scene as well. As i made my way through the crowd, i felt a clammy hand grip my elbow. The guy who stopped me had a cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips. i immediately removed his hand before turning my nose up and continuing on my path toward the bar.

i was already trying desperately to get my breathing back on track. The last thing i wanted was to start a discussion with a human chimney. In another attempt to initiate conversation, a handsome, clean-cut guy asked if he could buy me a drink. i told him maybe later, before exchanging quick pleasantries. i figured if he was truly interested in getting to know me, he’d put in a bid when the auction started. i hoped the human chimney got the hint—smoking was one of those things that immediately turned me off.

Most people chose to congregate near the bar to get conversation going or to pull up a stool and take in their surroundings. i was hoping for some decent conversation before the auction began. Wouldn’t you know, just before i reached the bar, some tool was bold enough to grab my ass? i froze for a moment in disbelief that someone would be so blatantly disrespectful. i whirled around to face my assailant before stepping on his toe with the heel of my stiletto. The man winced as my heel dug into the leather of his shoe.
So you want to palm my ass? That’ll teach you to be touchy-feely.
i apologized to the stranger with a sly smirk before walking away. What an asshole. No wonder i don’t take these guys seriously. Who violates a woman’s personal space like that? It’s the antithesis of the behavior a Dom should display.

Where the hell did kisa disappear to?

her Master

she moved through the crowd with an air of grace, pausing briefly to speak with men who were momentarily successful in gaining her attention; however, she seemed disinterested in what most of them had to say.

One guy learned the hard way to look but don’t touch. He forcefully grabbed her ass, and the little vixen ground her heel into his foot, causing him to flinch in pain.

What a good girl. No man has the right to touch you without your permission. she was feisty—I liked that.

I was ready to pounce in case he decided to retaliate.

As she moved closer to the bar, and by default Me, her balance wavered. she slowed her approach and began coughing again. her coughs turned to wheezing and gasps before she could take another step.

I stood. When her eyes met Mine, I saw panic in her features.

I closed the distance between us and offered My assistance. “Hey, are you okay?”

she didn’t respond, but instead began rummaging through her purse.

Of course, I immediately realized she was likely looking for her inhaler.

“Whatever you do, sweetheart, don’t panic. Here, let Me help,” I said, taking her purse. I was in a better position to find the goddamn thing. “I saw you with an asthma pump a bit ago. Are you a chronic asthmatic?” I asked, locating the pump.

I handed her the inhaler and she took a few quick puffs and as deep a breath as she could before grounding out the words “Can’t breathe.” her eyes glazed and her legs started to give. I dropped the purse and quickly grabbed her just before she collapsed.

Oh shit. This was
not
happening.

No. No. No.

Fuck.

micah

my legs buckled and my blazer fell from my grasp. Before my body met the floor, a pair of muscled arms grabbed hold of me. The voice attached to the arms shouted at the bartender, “Call 911. We’ve got an emergency here!”

Nearby patrons hurled questions our way. “Is she dying?” “Does she need CPR?” “What’s wrong with her?”

The Stranger attached to the pair of strong arms ignored all their questions and gently lowered me to the floor as a small crowd gathered. He held my head in His lap as tears rolled down my cheeks.

i continued to wheeze, struggling for every little bit of air.

i was going to die on the floor of a fetish club, but all i kept thinking was,
Where the hell is kisa?

“Shh. Relax, sweetheart,” He murmured as He softly stroked my hair. “Relax.”

He tried His best to soothe me by speaking calmly. “From what I gather, you’re experiencing an asthma attack. Panicking will only exacerbate your symptoms, and that could be fatal.”

i was so damn scared. my heart felt as if it were going to pop out of my chest. He held His fingers against my neck. i assumed He was monitoring my heart rate.

“I need you to relax and try your best to breathe through your mouth. Slow and steady. Short breaths.”

i concentrated on His voice and stared at His lips to keep me calm. It was the only thing i had at the moment. my mind raced with a thousand different thoughts:
Where the hell is kisa? Why does this Stranger smell so damn good? Why am i laying on this nasty-ass floor? Why does He have such nice lips?

He was talking, and i had tuned out most of what He was saying but i continued to watch His lips move.

Despite my mind running a mile a minute, i followed His instructions and took short breaths. Breathing wasn’t as difficult but it was still an effort. What i was experiencing was easily the scariest moment of my life. my chest ached and my throat felt arid and tight.

If i am going to die tonight, at least i’ll have a handsome face as a send-off.

Did i really just think that? Clearly, the panic hadn’t lessened, since i was delirious. Thirty was too young to die; i had so much more life to live. i wanted to visit the pyramids in Egypt, i wanted to learn to swim, i wanted to have an M/M/f threesome, i wanted to run the San Francisco marathon, i wanted to try electro torture, i wanted to pierce my nipples, i wanted to get married, i wanted babies, i wanted to be a soccer mom, i wanted so much. . . .

If it was my time to go, i didn’t want to be alone. The Stranger was comforting, but i didn’t know Him.
Shit, where the hell is kisa?

As if on cue, kisa screamed at the patrons to let her through. “Holy shit, micah! Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.” she was a frantic and hysterical mess.

Most people still stood around gawking as everything unfolded. i didn’t like the unwanted attention but there wasn’t much i could do about it.

The handsome Stranger continued stroking my hair while frowning at kisa. He addressed her through clenched teeth. “miss, an ambulance has been called and they’re on the way. your friend seems to be having an asthma attack, and you panicking while I’m attempting to soothe her is not in her best interest. If you want to help, I’m going to need you to get it together.”

Although His tone was clipped and not at all malicious, the piercing look He gave kisa indicated He was serious.

kisa heeded His warning and calmed down, silently sobbing while she held my hand.

“Don’t you die on me, micah,” she said as tears streamed down her face. “i shouldn’t have asked you to come here. This is all my fault.”

Oh geez, i didn’t want kisa to feel like she was responsible for what was happening. my asthma attack could have happened anywhere. Since i couldn’t respond, i squeezed her hand, hoping she knew i didn’t blame her for my predicament.

The ambulance finally arrived and the crowd thinned, allowing the EMTs to pass. The floor seemed to rumble like something mighty was heading straight for me. i caught a glimpse of a yellow-and-black box just before it was placed out of my sight. A man knelt beside my handsome Stranger, but my attention was drawn to the squeak and moan of rubber and metal. i jumped when a gurney fell into my line of sight.

The man to my right took my arm and strapped me to some sort of portable blood-pressure machine. While the device constricted my arm, the EMT asked questions i couldn’t physically answer. my handsome Stranger was ready, though. The EMT raised his eyes from my arm and looked at my Hero. His eyes bugged out and his mouth fell open to utter what sounded like “Doctor Thomas.” The EMT started to say something else, but my handsome Stranger slowly shook His head. Whatever just happened set the EMT back to his task.

Wait, did he say “Doctor” or was that my imagination? i was a wee bit delirious after all.

“Look, don’t ask any questions,” the Stranger directed. “Let’s just stabilize her and get her to Kincaid Metro’s ER. I’ll take over until we can get a pulmonologist to assist.”

kisa looked over to Him, clearly confused. “You’re a Doctor?” she asked.

“I am, and if you’re accompanying your friend to the emergency room, we’ve got to move now.”

It wasn’t my imagination and i wasn’t delirious. He was a Doctor.

Although things could have gone horribly wrong, i felt fortunate that my Hero was a Physician. At least if things took a turn for the worse, He had the training to save my life.

i was lifted onto the stretcher and wheeled out of Spanxxx with kisa and the handsome Doctor flanking me. i saw kisa grab my clutch and blazer and was thankful she had a cool enough head to remember my belongings. The contents of my clutch were sprawled out on the floor, but luckily there wasn’t much of value other than my ID, twenty dollars, and the keys to my apartment. One paramedic hopped into the driver’s seat of the ambulance while the other loaded me into the back of the cab. kisa and the Doctor quickly followed.

Once we were inside the ambulance, the Doctor rifled through compartments. When He found what He was looking for, which turned out to be a small vial filled with a clear liquid, He grabbed pair of latex gloves and a syringe while kisa and i looked on. He put on the gloves before hiking up my skirt, unclipping my garter belt, and rolling my thigh-high down to my knee. He used an alcohol swab to sterilize a portion of my upper thigh.

i knew what was coming next and i was deathly afraid of needles. Despite being told not to panic, i couldn’t help but take frantic breaths.

The Doctor immediately noticed the change in my breathing pattern, and His facial expression registered alarm.

For a big Guy, the handsome Doctor moved pretty fast. He filled the syringe with the clear liquid while the second paramedic grabbed an oxygen mask and fiddled with a few dials.

i tried my best not to get worked up, but i couldn’t stop thinking about the needle that was about to pierce my skin. i glanced up and once again focused on the Doctor’s lips as He spoke.