Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

CLARISSA

" Y ou're coming tonight, right? Not going to bail on me?"

"On you? Or the Slot Scene Spectacular?" Clarissa asked Luna as she held her cell phone with its speaker on while wandering around the huge walk-in closet off her bedroom, which could be considered a studio apartment somewhere else. Racks, shelves, hooks, drawers, and rods were filled with some of the biggest names in fashion, yet she couldn't decide what to choose from her fet-wear collection for the club. The only reason she'd let Luna and a few other subs at The Covenant convince her to sign up for the event was that she knew Landon was out of town, directing a movie in New Mexico. It wasn't as if she kept tabs on him, but she'd seen numerous social media posts and announcements about it in newspapers and magazines. He was working on the film version of a book that'd spent the last four months among the top three bestsellers on several publication lists. Fans of the book and its author were already chomping at the bit to see the screen version, which probably wouldn't be out until late the following year.

Whatever. As long as he wasn't going to be at The Covenant tonight, she didn't care. She actually looked forward to the event. The owners' wives had come up with the idea several years ago. They tried to have different events throughout the year, and some of them were quite original and entertaining. The Slot Scene Spectacular was a take-off of Plinko from the game show The Price is Right . It was for unattached Doms and subs only, but many members in committed relationships came to watch the fun festivities. Each Dom who had signed up would pull the name of a participating submissive from a bucket. Then, they would take a large, round, flat chip to the top of a board with dozens of wooden pegs sticking out and let it slide down. The pegs would make the chip bounce around on its way to the bottom, ending up in one of fourteen available slots. Each slot had a different type of play listed on it, and that was the scene the Dom and sub would perform. If they finished before the three-hour event was over, they'd come back and drop chip again for another scene.

"Either." Before Clarissa could comment, Luna continued. "Oh, and did you hear the news? There are three new hot single Doms who just joined and signed up for the event! I heard one is from Club X in D.C., and the other two are from Club Domain in Vegas."

"Really? Do you know their names?" Clarissa and Luna had memberships in clubs all over the US, including D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York, as well as several international clubs in the U.K. and Europe. They were all private and expensive, and members were completely vetted to ensure the other members' kinks were kept out of the public eye. The two women knew numerous celebrities, politicians, and wealthy businesspeople who were members of more than one club, so it was possible they were already acquainted with the three new Doms.

"Nope," Luna said with a pop of the ‘p.' "I didn't get all the deets yet. Shelby only said that they were dreamboats."

Clarissa chuckled. Shelby Christiansen was a sweetheart and a popular member of The Covenant. "Dreamboat" was her usual description of the handsome Doms at the club, but according to Shelby, none were hotter than her husband, Parker, although a few came close.

Giving up on choosing an outfit for the big event, Clarissa sighed before spinning around and stalking out of the closet. "What are you doing right now?"

"Sitting on the couch in my yoga pants, eating yogurt, and reading a script, and I hate it. The script, not the yogurt. Why?"

"Get dressed. I'll pick you up in a half hour. We're going shopping and then out to lunch. I need a new outfit for tonight."

"Yes! Now you're talking! See you in thirty!"

LANDON

Landon stood under the hot shower of the Clearwater Beach home he'd once shared with Clarissa, letting the familiar surroundings relax him. Thank God he chartered a private jet from New Mexico to Tampa because he'd been running late after a half day of filming. Had he flown commercial, he probably would've missed the flight altogether and any chance of making it to The Covenant in time for the Slot Scene Spectacular. He only had forty-eight hours to fix things with Clarissa before he had to be back on the set—if he wasn't successful, he'd have to wait three weeks for the next break that was long enough for him to commute home again for another attempt. He'd keep trying until she finally listened to him, but hopefully, he only needed a few hours at the club tonight before she understood he never cheated on her and that he now had proof.

Closing his eyes, he rested his weight against his hands splayed flat against the stone tile in front of him. Images of his beautiful wife flittered through his mind. Yes, he still thought of her as his wife despite the divorce papers that said otherwise. While he no longer wore his wedding ring on his finger, it hung from a gold chain around his neck, along with hers, which she'd thrown at him before kicking him out of the home they once shared.

Three years. Four Months. And five days. That's how long it'd been since she left him over an indiscretion that had never happened. That's how long he'd been trying to win her back without being given a chance to convince her of his innocence. He'd reluctantly stayed in the shadows of her life, watching from afar as she dated and slept with other men and played with other Doms while he remained faithful to their wedding vows. Of course, he couldn't fault her for being with other men. She was a vibrant and gorgeous woman who, according to the state of Florida, wasn't legally married anymore. But in Landon's heart, he knew she was his soulmate.

When he finally received the proof he needed only a few short weeks ago, he'd contacted Mitch Sawyer, the manager of The Covenant and one of the three owners, to find out if Clarissa had signed up for this year's Slot Scene Spectacular. She hadn't since that first event two years ago, which didn't end as he'd hoped.

They'd both signed up to be participants in the first event. Clarissa probably because she was still hurt and pissed at him, and it was a way to exact some revenge on him, knowing that even if he wasn't there, he'd hear about it at some point. Landon had registered as soon as he discovered her name was on the event roster. That evening, she'd stared daggers at him as each unattached Dom pulled a piece of paper out of a bucket, which would determine who would be their submissive for the night's festivities. Landon thought the stars had aligned when she still hadn't been paired with a Dom when his turn came and he pulled the paper with her name on it from the few remaining ones. But they never got a chance to play that night because her anger had flared, and after a very public argument, she'd stormed out of the club, refusing to play or even speak to him in a civil tone.

Even to this day, he understood her rage—the proverbial wounds he allegedly inflicted had still been fresh at the time. Since then, though, especially in the past few months, he occasionally caught her staring at him when they'd both been at the same club, award ceremony, or other event. He knew he hadn't mistaken the longing he saw in her eyes sometimes before she realized he was returning her gaze. Then, she would quickly look away and start talking to the nearest person, trying to ignore him.

But ignoring her was something he couldn't do. No matter where he was, he always knew when she entered a room. A tingle of awareness would run down his spine, and his gaze would instantly dart about, searching for her in the crowd.

When he found out she'd signed up for this year's Slot Scene Spectacular at The Covenant at her friends' urging, he'd contacted Mitch and practically begged the man to add him to the list. At first, he was turned down because the roster was full, and Mitch didn't want any potential drama at the event. But then the owner must've taken pity on him because, when another Dom had to back out for some reason, Mitch had filled the empty spot with Landon. He also agreed to keep that information to himself after Landon had fully disclosed the reasons for wanting to be paired with her. Landon had to promise on his grandmother's grave that there wouldn't be a repeat of the first Slot Scene Spectacular. Lord help him and her backside if Clarissa made a scene again.

After turning off the shower, he dried himself off with a towel and then took a razor to his face. It was time to get spiffed up and claim his woman.