Chapter 13

Tajah: Chapter 13

Mikhail had been gone for hours with Reuben. I had no idea where they went. All he told me was they'd be back later, and if I needed anything to ask Freddy. I didn't think anything about it when they first left. I assumed it had something to do with Lustz, but as time passed. I began to wonder. For one thing, they hadn't been dressed in their usual suits or even dress clothes when they went. They were both in jeans and t-shirts. What kind of business would they conduct dressed like that? I knew Mikhail was a stickler for projecting the right image for his business. He was always dressed in a suit or at least dress clothes.

I didn't want to interrupt him by calling or texting to ask where he was, so I tried to see if I could get the information out of Freddy. I called the number for him. He answered swiftly. "Hello Tajah, how can I help you?" The main staff knew my real name by now.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you, Freddy, but I'm wondering if you know when Mikhail will be back? I want to make dinner, and I need him to stop to pick up something at the store. Is he close by? I don't want him to go out of his way."

"He didn't say where he was going, or when he'd return. I can have someone run out and grab what you need though."

"No, no that's okay. I'll text him and ask. I just thought you might know. I didn't want to disturb him. Thank you."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Not that I can think of. I'll let you get back to work."

"Okay, call if you do," he said before he hung up.

Damn, no luck there. I paced the office for twenty minutes or so, before I broke down and texted him.

Me: Hello honey, hope I'm not bothering you. Do you know when you might be home? I want to make dinner and I don't want it to get cold.

It only took him a minute to answer me.

Mikhail: I should be home within the hour, maybe sooner. Just finishing up. Don't start until I get there, so I can help you fix it.

Me: That's great. Is your meeting here in The Gulch?

Mikhail: No, why?

Me: Just wondering. If you were, I wanted to see if you'd stop at the bakery down the street to get one of their desserts. No biggie. I can go get it.

Mikhail: I'll stop on the way home. Anything else you need?

Me: No. Is your business going well?

Mikhail: It went as planned. Be home soon.

Me: See you then.

That didn't get me any closer either. The more I thought about it, the more I was certain he wasn't telling me something, but what could it be? He had no reason to hide anything. I wasn't concerned he was out seeing another woman behind my back. I'd learned my lesson about jumping to conclusions after the whole fiasco with Tessa. You're being ridiculous. What's wrong with you? Why would Mikhail lie? I scolded myself.

I thought about sitting down to write more, but my mind couldn't concentrate. I saved my document then went to make sure I had all the ingredients for what I wanted to make for dinner. Seeing that I did, I tried to occupy myself by reading a book. I couldn't concentrate on the words. I tossed my e-reader aside with a huff. Staying in the apartment was making me feel antsy, so I decided to go downstairs and see what the staff was doing. The club wouldn't start to get busy for a little bit, but with it being a Friday, I knew it would be packed later.

I changed out of my shorts and tank, and I slipped into a nice, although not fancy, dress and a pair of sandals. My hair I pulled up in a bun. Once I was changed, I went to the second floor. This was my chance to check out some of the rooms more closely. Mikhail had shown me several of them, but it was hard to explore them thoroughly when people wanted to use them.

I got off the elevator and headed to the first one on my list. There were several I was curious about, but there were two I wanted to see the most. One was the forest room and the other was the jungle. The reasons were obvious. My man was a primal first and foremost. These had to be the ones which called to him the most.

I had to admit the jungle one made you feel like you were in the middle of an actual Tarzan movie. There were even loin clothes and itty-bitty outfits for people to dress in. They had the air in there more humid, too. There were a bunch of different props or whatever you wanted to call them to use during your play. I spent a good fifteen minutes exploring, before I had to get out. I was sweating, and it felt like I was breathing water into my lungs. I thought the South was humid, but whew this was worse. I hoped Mikhail preferred the forest room.

As I walked out to go to it, I saw Freddy. His eyes widened when he caught sight of me. I wanted to giggle as he came scurrying over to me with a slightly panicked expression on his face. "Tajah, what're you doing down here? How can I help you?"

"I'm fine. I just thought I'd look around while it was quiet. I don't need anything. Don't mind me. I know you're all busy getting ready to open."

He swallowed nervously. "I don't think the boss would like it if we left you alone. If you want to explore, I'll have someone stay with you."

"Freddy, what kind of trouble can I get into? Surely, no one in here right now would harm me."

"No, I don't believe they would, but I'd still feel better if you had someone with you. If you needed anything or had questions, they could assist. Please, let me do that."

I didn't want to make him lose focus on his work, but I also didn't want a babysitter. Finally, I gave in. "Okay, how about this? If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd like to see how you do things around here. I want to be able to help Mikhail with his work if he ever needs it. Do you mind if I shadow you? I promise not to drive you crazy with a lot of questions, although it might kill me as an author not to ask them," I said with a grin.

This eased the tension in his face and he laughed. "I can do that. Don't worry about asking too many questions. I love talking about this place. Besides, if you hurt yourself holding them in, the boss will kick my ass."

I shook my head as I moved next to him. "I swear, he wouldn't."

"Oh, yes he would. We all know how he feels about you. We've never seen him like he is with you. It's a good thing. He deserves someone who loves only him and that he can love. He's been alone too long, even if he won't admit it. Honestly, I was beginning to worry it would never happen."

I was happy to hear this. And he was right. I did love Mikhail, only it was too soon to tell him that. I hoped he was falling in love with me. "How long have you worked for him?"

"Ten years. He gave me a chance without any real experience and I started out as a Disciple then worked my way up to this. He runs a tight ship, but as long as you stick to his rules, he treats you well."

"Do you ever…" I cut off my question. It was probably too personal. My author's mind and mouth at work. I had to learn to control it.

"Do I ever play here? No, I don't. My wife and I are more private about things, but that's not to say I haven't learned things to take home. She apparently likes them. We're expecting our fourth kid in a couple of months," he said with a wink and chuckle.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I guess not. So tell me about your wife and your kids. What are their names and ages? Which one or ones act like you?"

As he went about his work, he not only shared details about his family, but he talked about the various things he did as the floor manager. There were a lot of moving parts to it, and he was busy the whole time the club was open. All the other staff brought their issues and concerns to the floor manager and only if he or she couldn't handle it, did they go to Reuben or Mikhail. Or if they thought it was something Mikhail and Reuben would want to know, even if the floor manager did handle it, such as the whole Dominus thing with me. If Freddy had been the one to kick him out, he would've told them what happened right away.

I saw the other staff giving us curious glances. I smiled and greeted them. Those who I didn't know by name and there were some, he introduced me to. Every time he did, I got a warm sensation in my chest because he told them I was Mikhail's woman. He didn't call me the boss's sub, although technically I was. I enjoyed learning so many things about the club's inner workings. I never intended to stop writing, but I had no problem helping Mikhail if he needed me to. I wanted us to be partners in more than just the bedroom and our personal lives.

We'd been at it for about a half hour when I was surprised by the return of Mikhail and Reuben. I found out he was back when I heard his voice behind us. "What are you doing down here?"

I jumped, then swung around to face him. He was frowning. Reuben was behind him with a quizzical look on his face. "Freddy is showing me around and explaining what he does. He was sweet enough to take pity on me and help to relieve my boredom. I couldn't focus on writing or reading. How did your business go?"

He opened his arms so I walked into them. He gave me a hug and a passionate kiss. However, as I went into his arms, I saw the way Reuben grimaced. He wasn't comfortable with my question. Damn it. Where did they go? As Mikhail kissed me, I resolved to ask him about it, but not here in front of the others. This was a private matter.

When he got done, he nodded to Freddy. "Sorry about that. I was surprised to see her down here, that's all. Thanks for doing it, although babe you could've asked me to take you around."

"I know, but I liked hearing it from the perspective of the person who does it every day. No disrespect as the boss, but there are things you wouldn't think of or know to tell me I bet. I want to include those in my books as well. Besides, Freddy refused to let me explore the rooms alone. I gave the poor man a heart attack when he saw me come out of the jungle room."

"What!?" Mihail asked, doing a double take. I laughed while Freddy let out a soft groan.

"He had no idea I came down until then. I wanted to explore a bit while the club was closed. I know you showed them to me, but it was busy and they're in demand when you're open."

"Babe, if you want to explore them when the club is closed, all you have to do is tell me. I'll be more than glad to explore them with you," he wiggled his eyebrows at me and smirked, which made me blush. Reuben and Freddy laughed.

"Hey, none of that. If you piss me off, you'll become characters in my books, and I won't write you as the sweet guys you are." I warned them jokingly.

"Hey! No fair. And cut out the sweet talk. I have a reputation to uphold," Reuben grumbled, even though he winked at me. Freddy rolled his eyes.

I stood there as they checked to be sure Freddy was all set for the night then we excused ourselves to go upstairs. I made sure to thank Freddy.

"Thank you and I look forward to seeing pics of the new baby."

"It was my pleasure, Tajah. Anytime."

When we got to the elevator, I asked Reuben if he was planning to join us for dinner.

"I'd love to, if you're both sure you wouldn't rather be alone."

"I don't mind," Mikhail told him.

"I wouldn't have offered it if I did. I always cook more than enough."

"What are we having and what time? I'll go get some stuff done until then if you don't mind."

"It's tortellini carbonara with garlic toast. Does that sound good to you guys? I need about a half hour to make it. If I was at home and had my pasta maker attachments, it would take longer, since I'd make the tortellini myself. Although, the frozen ones in the freezer are good quality ones. Did you bring dessert? If not, then add another half hour or so and I can whip up something for after dinner."

"Damn, you can make pasta from scratch? And yes, we grabbed dessert," Reuben said in what sounded like awe.

"Of course I can make pasta. It's not that hard, especially if you have the assorted attachments to make the different types of pasta. My mom would disown me if I couldn't. How does six-thirty sound? I know you both have to work tonight. Is that too late?"

"It's perfect. You know, I think you should reconsider making Mikhail your man. After all, I saw you first. If you make homemade meals, I'll be your devoted slave," Reuben said with a smirk.

Mikhail let out a growl. "If you'd like to remain in the land of the living, friend, I suggest you take that back. She's mine and I'm not giving her up."

Reuben grinned then sighed. "Well shit, then I guess I'd better back off, but if you change your mind," he laughed as he took off running when my man tried to grab him. "Later Tajah. Kisses," he yelled back. Those around us all smiled.

"I swear, if he makes a real move on you, he's a dead man," Mikhail muttered.

"You know he won't. He's just messing with you. Do you need to work on things before dinner? If so, I understand."

We got on the elevator. He shook his head. "No, I wanna spend time with you, and you can tell me what things to get so we can make pasta here. I promised to help and I meant it. I enjoy time with you no matter what we do."

"Well then, you'll be my sous chef and I enjoy spending time with you too, no matter what."

Once we were back in the apartment, I got out the ingredients and explained what we'd be doing. I purposefully didn't ask him anything else about his day or what he did. I didn't want to ruin dinner or get into a drawn-out discussion before he had to work. The time went by fast and before I knew it, we were making it and laughing. The dessert he picked up would go perfect with an Italian dinner, tiramisu. It was like he knew what I would fix.

Reuben came wandering in around six-fifteen with a bottle of wine. As we chatted and worked, he set the table. "I have zero kitchen skills, so setting the table and fetching is the extent of my contributions."

I gave him a mournful look. "Then there's no way you could be my man. Sorry. I'm sticking to Mikhail."

While he pouted and my man gloated, I laughed. Even if he proclaimed to have no skills, I still had him watch. We had it done and on the table with five minutes to spare. Sitting down with our food and wine, we dug in. I stared at the portions they scooped up, but only after Mikhail fixed my plate first. It was one of his things. I did have to tell him to stop before he loaded it up.

We had an enjoyable time eating and talking about just things in general. Most of it was about growing up. I knew Mikhail had no siblings. It seemed Reuben had three brothers and three sisters all younger than him. He was forty. His family was a close-knit Hispanic family, but the women were traditional, and didn't believe a man should be in the kitchen, hence his lack of skills.

"Boy, my brothers would've loved that. My mom isn't traditional. She's more of a free spirit and even though Dad worked a lot, when he was home he did help her. My brothers always bitched and complained it was a woman's job to cook, clean, and take care of kids. That is until Dad smacked them on the back of the head a few times, then they stopped saying it where he could hear them. I pity their poor wives. They let them get away with it."

"Are they older or younger? Are you close?" Reuben asked.

"Both are younger. One is a year younger than me and the other is two years younger than him. I'm not close to them, unfortunately. They don't approve of my writing, and they don't know why I didn't hang on to my husband. According to them, if I'd been more like their wives, I would've been able to save my marriage."

"How the fuck can they think that?" Mikhail exclaimed.

"I guess he would've changed from being secretly gay to straight if I'd been a more subservient wife."

Reuben choked on his drink. We waited for him to stop coughing. Once he did, he asked in a strangled tone, "He was what?"

I guess Mikhail did keep that between us. I didn't announce it to just anyone, but I didn't mind if Reuben knew. "Yeah, my ex apparently had been gay all his life, and married me to hide it from his religious family, so they wouldn't disown him. Too bad for him I found out and blew it up in his face. He got his lover, which he had before we ever got married by the way, but he lost his parents and his inheritance. I definitely think I made out on the deal." I informed him with a smile then a laugh.

"Jesus Christ, how could he do that to you, to anyone? Fuck, does he live around here? I wanna pay the fucker a visit," Reuben snapped. It made me feel warm to have him take my side.

"If I can't beat his ass and kill him, then you can't," Mikhail told him.

"Come on. We could even make it a road trip if we have to. It would be fun," Reuben pleaded.

I couldn't stop from laughing even more. "God, I'd love to see his face if you two rolled up. I'd never do it, but still, I can dream about it."

"Do you know where he lives?" Mikhail asked casually.

"No, and I never cared to keep track. As soon as the divorce was final, we had zero contact. I took back my maiden name. Luckily, I write under a pen name, so he has no idea what I do now. I assume wherever he is, he's still practicing law. Enough about Sam, who's ready for dessert?"

"You sit. I'll get it," Mikhail said. I mouthed thank you to him. He gave me a kiss then went to get it from the fridge. Thankfully, it had been soft already before he brought it home. I was discovering taking care of me was a big part of his love language. There were four main ones I'd discovered over the years. They tell how you express and receive love. They were quality time, physical touch, acts of service and receiving gifts. No one was one hundred percent one of them. For me, I knew acts of service and physical touch were my two biggest ones. I was working to find what his was, so I would be able to meet those needs for him.

Dessert was consumed in a flurry with lots of moaning about how good it was, then Reuben had to get downstairs to work. He thanked me again for dinner after the guys did cleanup for me, while I relaxed with another glass of wine. Lucky for him, he'd changed into his nice clothes before coming to dinner, which meant he could go straight to work. Once he left, I indicated to Mikhail. "I know you'll wanna go see how things are tonight. Whenever you're ready, go."

"Do you want to come with me or stay here? I won't be on the floors the whole time. I do have work to do in the office, too. Or do you have plans to write tonight?"

"I'm not sure. I'd like to try to see if I can write, but I was distracted today. I might not be able to do it."

"Tell you what. Why don't you try and if you get bored or can't concentrate and you want to join me, let me know? I love spending time with you, even if we're nothing more than together in the same room. I won't spend all night down there. I just like to be seen."

I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a kiss. He eagerly returned it. It was becoming more heated when he stopped it. "You can distract me so damn easily, Dove. I hate to stop but if I don't, there won't be any work done tonight by either of us. I'm going to change and get ready. Can I get you anything before I do?"

"No, I'm good. You need to leave so you can get back here. I'll come down if things don't go as planned."

He kissed the tip of my nose then slapped my ass before he headed to the bedroom. I sat on the couch and waited until he returned. One more kiss and I saw him out the door, then I went to his office.

I tried for close to an hour to concentrate and get significant words on the page. When I was no closer than I was before I started, less than a few hundred words, I gave up and decided to hell with it. I would go spend time with my man, even if all I did was watch him work or follow him around. I hurried to the bedroom to change into something nicer and to fix my hair and put on a little makeup. After all, I had to project an image to compliment his image. When I thought I looked good enough, I grabbed my phone and left. My first stop was his main office down the hall. I found it was empty.

I didn't linger. Instead, I went to the first floor. I wasn't sure which one he'd be on and I knew if I texted him, he'd tell me, but if he was in the middle of something, I didn't want to interrupt. I could look around for him and ask the staff if they knew.

As I wandered the first floor, I didn't see him. The place was busy as usual. There were people talking, dancing, and drinking all over. After I realized he wasn't there, I went to the second floor. I'd been here enough that I was no longer taken by surprise by the various things people were involved in. I made sure to have my bracelet on. The orange bead had been changed out. It was now a black and red striped one worn on the right wrist, which indicated I was taken, in a committed relationship, and not available. I hadn't added any others to it. Mikhail said it was up to me if I wanted to do it or not. He had changed out his beads, too. The various ones he had before were gone and he had the same one as me.

I was making my way through the crowd. I was about to ask one of the staff if they knew where he was when I saw him. He was standing by a couple of chairs. There was a woman with him. They were talking animatedly. I hesitated. If it was business, I didn't want to disturb them, although her outfit hardly screamed she was here on business, unless it was kinky business. My resolution to stay away flew out the window when she suddenly grabbed his hand and tried to place it on her chest. Oh, hell no, she didn't! As I started toward them, I saw him jerk his hand away and scowl at her. He was shaking his head and pointing toward the exit.

I came up behind him and placed my hand on his back. He swung around. When he saw me, I saw consternation on his face then he smiled. His hand snaked out to take mine, and he drew me up next to him where he put his arm around me. He dropped a kiss on my mouth. It didn't last long enough for me, but it was filled with passion. When we parted, I glanced at the woman. She was still standing there and she was glaring at me. I could see she wished I was anywhere but here. Too bad. He was mine and no way would I let her make moves on my man. The no touching rules applied to him as well.

"Who's this? A new member?" I asked just to be sure.

"No, I'm not," she spat out.

"Oh, well, then you know the rules then don't you? No touching unless you're invited to do it, and I know he didn't invite you. Mind telling me why you had your hands on him? People get thrown out for that."

"I've known Master M for a long time. It's not your place to tell me what I can and can't do," she said snidely.

"Really? I think this says differently." I held up my wrist with the bracelet on it, then I reached over and lifted up his arm. I glanced up to find him with an amused look on his face. "Don't you think so, babe?" I asked him.

"It sure does. Tessa knows the rules and no matter how long she's been here, or how we know each other, those still apply. Tessa, this is Delilah. She's mine. Like I told you, I'm not in need of a sub. Not now or ever again."

"Master M, why her? Why commit to her? I was your sub for two years and you never gave me that bead," she said in outrage. So this was what Tessa looked like. Her voice sounded familiar now that I thought about it. Meeting his prior sub face-to-face didn't thrill me.

"You're right. I didn't because you were nothing but a sub and not my only one, Tessa. You know I was never only with you. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, period. Delilah is mine in every way, and she'll remain as such. This is the last time I'll tell you to stop approaching me to take you back and not to touch me. If you do it again, your membership will be revoked."

"So you'll kick me out like you did Dominus all because of her! She's a nobody. When she fails to give you what you need, I expect an apology," she spat out, before turning on her heel and stomping off.

"Well, isn't she just a ray of sunshine? Maybe I should've punched her in the mouth to get your point across. She appears hardheaded." I told him, as I glared at her retreating back. Her long hair would make a good handle to swing her around by.

He chuckled as he shook his head. "Settle down there, tiger. No need to get physical. I think she's finally gotten the message. And if she hasn't, she'll be gone. I thought you were gonna text if you wanted to join me?"

"I thought about it, but then I didn't want to interrupt you if you were in the middle of something important, like fighting off a pawing kitten. I hope she knows a tiger beats a kitten every time."

"Fuck, stop with the animal analogies before I let my beast out to play," he growled. I saw his expression growing heated by the second.

"May I touch you, Master Misha?" I purred.

"Abso-fucking-lutely."

I ran my hands up his chest. Over the past week we'd negotiated an actual contract between us. Sex between us didn't always have to be that of a Dom with his sub, but if I wanted to play, I had to address him as such and wait for him to give permission. The contract didn't just say what I would or wouldn't do, but also what he, as my Dom, would and wouldn't do for me and what his expectations were.

His hands came down to grip my ass to tug me hard against him. He took my mouth in a ravenous kiss. I moaned. I heard him make those delicious growling sounds he liked to make. My nipples were hardening and the crotch of my panties were beginning to get damp. He was excited too if the erection growing and pressing into my body was any indication. I shifted from side to side to rub against it.

He tore his mouth away. "That's it. You've done it. You've teased the beast, and he has to come out to play. Upstairs. Tonight, you and I are gonna explore our private room."

It might not sound dignified, but I let out a squeal and clapped my hands together. He laughed at me. "Get going crazy woman," he said as he slapped me on the ass.

As we made our way to the elevator, I thought of the things I'd been discovering about myself since not only I started coming here, but just in the past week with him. I had a lot of new desires I wanted to explore, and he had no objection to any of them. We were slowed a bit by people stopping to say hello to him or by them calling out. I felt the tension in his body, but he made sure to smile at each of them and acknowledge them.

By the time we made it onto the elevator, the door barely closed before he had me pinned to the wall, and had his hands underneath my top, toying with my tits. Not to be denied, I tugged his shirt free of his pants and slid my hands up his torso to pet his muscles and run my fingers through the hair on his chest. I sank my nails into him. His hiss then groan told me I was in for a pounding tonight. I was excited for the chase. Bring it on.