Writes of Submission (7 page)

“So, what would you all like to see tonight?” Allie asked, taking a seat at the table. “What would help you the most at this stage of the game?”

Nikki was almost as surprised by the question as she was at seeing the other woman without food or drinks in her hands. She’d begun to think they were a permanent part of Allie.

She shook her head to clear the internal image away. “What do you mean?”

“Well, from what little I know of your past work, Kane, I think you normally have BDSM, power exchange, and ménage in your books, right?”

Kane bowed his head dramatically. “I’m honored that you’ve checked out my work. Believe me, it is appreciated. Yes, those are the main themes and since I want to really give Nikki here a good kick-off, I want to stick to that so the fans don’t get pissed. They know what they like and if I can help Nikki start with a pre-built fan base, I think that would be best.”

Nikki looked down at her hands to hide the small smile that pulled at her lips. He might not be so tough to work with after all. But her head snapped up as his next words brushed the thought from her mind.

“I think it would be best to focus on the power exchange and ménage aspects at first. A little BDSM, but we can work that in gradually. We do need a sex scene fairly early, though.” He turned toward her with a thoughtful look. “Have you ever done a threesome or seen one in person?”

“No.” She jerked her head, wondering how he could ask such a personal question so casually.

“I suspected that might be the case.”

“Sorry I’m not as slutty as you thought I should be,” she snapped.

Before Kane could even open his mouth Allie spoke up. “Do you think I’m slutty then?”

Nikki was caught completely off balance by the question. “Of course not. Why would you ask such a thing?”

“Because I have threesomes regularly. Often in public at play parties either here in the barn or at The Keep. By your attitude I have to assume that makes me a slut.” Allie smiled at her as calmly as if she were ordering a cup of coffee.

“But—I didn’t mean—I just—” Nikki trailed off, confused and unsure how she had managed to piss off everyone so quickly. Jumping to her feet she knocked her chair over onto the floor and took a quick step toward the door with tears in her eyes.

Before she had gotten more than one step, however, Kane’s voice broke through her emotion. It was deep and authoritative, like it had been earlier. “Sit back down, Nikki.”

Instinctively she stopped and turned back, hating herself for being so susceptible to him. She was an adult, damn it. He couldn’t just shout orders at her. But her body had a mind of its own and she found herself sitting in the chair Dante had just righted for her. Kane’s voice had left no room for disobedience, but without being offensive. How had he done that?

“That’s better,” he said in a quieter voice. “There is no need for that kind of behavior.”

It wasn’t as loud, but there was still that soft, commanding tone. She felt as if she were sliding into it, wrapping it around herself. Even though she was being corrected like an errant child, his voice somehow seemed to offer a cocoon of safety. Shocked, she heard herself say, “Yes, Sir.”

“That’s better.” She watched as he turned back to Allie. “I apologize.” His voice was soft now, almost back to normal, releasing her from its spell. Trying to analyze what had just happened, Nikki almost missed Allie’s next words.

“It’s all right, Sir.” Nikki felt an unexpected stab of jealousy at the way Allie lowered her gaze instead of looking him in the eyes. She didn’t understand this feeling at all. She didn’t want to be submissive to Kane. He was much too young and good-looking to be interested in that kind of relationship with her. She didn’t know why she had the impulse to follow Allie’s example, or why Allie had called him Sir. Nikki never did that, not even to her old boss—yet she just had.

Allie shook her head as if clearing the air. “Well, let’s just put that behind us, shall we? Nikki, you’ll find that in the leather and kink communities, sex is not something to be ashamed of. In fact, it can be a sign of respect to our Masters. Until I took over this resort and became involved with my Sir, I felt the same way—that any woman who has sex with anyone other than their ‘one and only,’ in the privacy of their bedroom, must be a tramp. Right?”

Nikki gave a barely perceptible nod of her head, unable to meet Allie’s gaze.

“I was fortunate enough to learn that is not the case, at least for me. I have the love and devotion of two of the finest men I’ve ever met. I learned that if it makes my guys happy to have sex with me at the same time and in public that it’s a way for me to honor them by not only allowing it but enjoying it in the ways they desire me to. By not holding back or refusing, I make them happy and proud of me. Hell, I make me happy and proud of myself not only for having the strength to do it but in knowing that they will never ask me to do anything that would hurt me unnecessarily or embarrass me. They’re expressing their appreciation by wanting to show me off to others. Besides, I’ve learned that names like ‘slut’ can even be empowering, depending on who is saying it and how. When Sir calls me ‘his little slut’ I know that he doesn’t really think of me as a slut. He means it as both an inside joke and a compliment that I am giving him something he wouldn’t ask of anyone else. Does that make any sense?”

“I think so, but I need to evaluate it more, pick it apart and put it back together. That’s just kind of how I process things. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“No problem.” Allie patted her hand lightly.

“Can I ask a question?” Dante asked timidly.

“Sure. That’s kind of why you’re all here, isn’t it? To learn?”

“Right. Okay. So something weird happened during all of that.” Dante glanced hesitantly between them, as if he were trying to choose his words carefully.

“What do you mean by weird?” Kane asked.

“Well, it was like you used some kind of Jedi mind trick. If I had said the exact same words you did, Nikki probably would have slugged me. You didn’t yell or say magic words, that I could tell, but there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you had the whole room in the palm of your hand. Both of them called you ‘Sir,’ for Chrissake. So what the fuck happened?”

Nikki leaned forward, listening intently, since she had been wondering the same thing. Allie chuckled. “That, my dear young man, is what all great Dominants strive to achieve. It takes self-confidence and inner strength to put that tone into your voice. It commands submissiveness without being offensive. I’ve only met a few Masters who could do that to people not their own. Karl is one such person, but you surprised me.” She turned to Kane.

Nikki watched as he gave a lopsided grin but didn’t say anything.

“But I should have expected it.” Allie smiled at Nikki. “It’s always the quiet ones.”

Nikki burst out laughing. “Quiet ones? You’ve got to be kidding me. These two are as far from quiet as you can get.”

“Think of it this way. We know that Kane writes about BDSM and power exchange and his descriptions are much closer to the emotions and motivations of real people than most of the others I’ve read. But have you ever heard him brag about his experience in the lifestyle?”

Nikki thought back over her encounters with Kane since her arrival. “No, but I haven’t had much time around him yet, either.”

“I’ve had lots of time around people who claim to be Masters and Dominants. You can usually tell pretty quickly the true ones from the wannabes by how they treat their submissives. Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever reacted that way before?”

Nikki could feel her face heating up as the blood rushed to her head. “No.”

“I have, but usually only with Karl. I know Kane wasn’t trying to do anything inappropriate, but he is obviously a skilled Master and probably gets that reaction all the time.”

“Dude, you have got to teach me how to do that. It was awesome!” Dante crowed from the end of the table, obviously excited.

Kane gave him an uncomfortable grimace. “Yeah, well, can we get back to the matter at hand, please? If you could do a scene that focuses more on power exchange and ménage than on technique, that would be great for tonight.”

Allie nodded. “We can certainly manage that.”

“Great. Thanks. I’ll see you later, then. Now I need to jot some notes down before I forget them.” He stood and walked out of the room.

Chapter 6

Kane walked into the barn an hour later. Nikki and Dante were already there, chatting with Brad. Nikki held a small notebook with the air of a student preparing for a test.

“Good, you’re here,” Brad said, nodding at Kane. “Give me a minute and I’ll go get Allie and Karl and we can get started.” He disappeared through a door at the back of the room.

“Well, this must be old hat to you, stud.” Dante grinned at him from his seat on the couch. “How many of those do you have?” He pointed at the T-shirt Kane had changed into. This one was black with red, flowery writing that said, “It’s only kinky the first time.”

“It’s always nice to see how other people do things, so it really never gets to be routine. I have a million of these shirts. I always try to get a new one when I go anywhere outside of my home base.”

The door Brad had gone through opened and they all turned to look in that direction. Karl came out first, wearing a dark dress shirt tucked into black leather pants over the most highly polished black leather boots Kane had ever seen. Behind him was Allie, wearing nothing but a sweet smile and an intricately woven metallic chain collar attached to a leash that led back to Karl’s hand. Kane couldn’t help but admire her lush breasts and curvy figure, although he glanced at Nikki to see if she was upset by the nudity. To his relief, Nikki was staring openly at the group, as if she was surprised but not offended. Just behind Allie was Brad, who had on black leather shorts. He wore a collar that matched Allie’s, but without the leash.

No one spoke as the three made their way to where Kane stood with Nikki and Dante. A few feet away, Karl stopped and pointed to the floor in front of him. Allie came forward and knelt with her head bowed and her hands clasped behind her bare back. At Karl’s nod Brad stepped up next to Allie and took a similar pose.

“I understand that you would like to see elements of power exchange and ménage in our scene tonight,” Karl said, laying a hand on each of the bowed heads of his partners. “Just so we’re on the same page, I want to make sure you understand a few things before we start. First, everything we do tonight has been discussed, negotiated and agreed to by all three of us. Nothing is being done against the will of anyone and we have safewords in place if needed. So that you will understand our relationship, I will tell you that I am the Master of allie syn and liege.”

Kane was impressed that the other man did not continue until he had received a nod of understanding from each of them. “liege is also the submissive of Allie when she is in top space. Tonight, however, she is in slave mindset.”

“I heard Allie mention before that she is a slave and I see her in chains like a dog here. Is that what it means?” Nikki’s voice was low but slightly belligerent.

Karl regarded her for a moment before answering. When he did, it was in a normal tone of voice, not at all as if he was upset by the rude question. “No, she is not chained like a dog and no, that is not what it means. allie is wearing a collar and leash to honor me and our bond. The collars she and liege wear at all times remind each of us of our commitment to one another and our responsibilities in the roles we have agreed to fill. The leash helps her transition into the frame of mind she enjoys during the times she is allowed to be completely submissive. It is known as sub space or slave space, depending on the person and how they identify.”

“I’ve heard of that, but what does it mean?” Nikki said, opening her notebook and beginning to write in it.

This should be interesting, Kane thought.

“It’s different for everyone who experiences it,” Karl said. “But some of the common things I’ve heard people mention are a feeling of being disconnected from everything but their Dominant, of being wrapped in the knowledge that they are loved, appreciated and protected. They talk about an overwhelming need to provide service or a need to prove their submissiveness to their Master. I would suggest you discuss this at greater length with either allie or liege at a later time.”

Nikki nodded, although she kept writing.

Karl went on. “Each power exchange is unique and handled differently according to the needs of the people in the relationship. Ritual is a common component of those dynamics. Here is one of ours.”

Kane glanced at Nikki to see how she was taking all of this. He was pleased to note that she looked more curious than freaked out. He turned back to the action, where Karl had stepped directly in front of Allie and shifted his grip on the leash until his hand was at her throat. The indentation on her skin showed that her collar was under a small amount of pressure. Karl leaned down to gaze into her face. “You are mine, allie syn.”

“Yes, Sir.” Her voice was breathy and she blinked as if she’d teared up.

“You belong to me.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Your body is mine to do with as I please.” He wound his other hand into her hair and pulled it tight at the back of her head.