Chapter 16

brADY

“Brady!” Grace jumped out of her chair and grabbed my arm. “Stop! He didn’t even do anything!”

It didn’t matter. This stranger had talked about hurting Grace. My Grace.

Grace’s voice was all that kept me from doing worse. I finally let go, the guy coughing and sputtering.

“What the fuck, dude?” he kept saying. “Who the fuck are you?”

I grabbed Grace and hauled her into a back closet that was blessedly unlocked. It was either that or dragging her out to my car.

“What has gotten into you?” Grace demanded.

I barely registered her words because even in the dim light of the closet, I could see she was wearing a leather dress and spiky heels. And this dress hardly even covered her luscious ass.

“I told you not to come here again,” I growled.

Grace crossed her arms. “So? You aren’t my keeper. I can go where I want.”

“That’s not the deal we made.”

“Deal? You giving me commands just to be overbearing is not a deal. That’s just you being a ...”

I smirked. “What?”

“Asshole,” she finally spat out. “You’re being an asshole, and it’s pissing me off.”

I had to admit, Angry Grace was extra gorgeous. But I also had the presence of mind to know that if I said as much, she’d probably stab me in the eye with one of her heels.

“And anyway,” she was saying, “if you’d just answered my questions, I wouldn’t have had to come here to do my own research. So, really, this is all your fault.”

“I told you to stay away from here!”

Grace rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and look what happened. Did you really think I’d just nod and go home? Come on. You’re smarter than that.”

I growled low in my throat. I’d never met a more frustrating, stubborn, sexy, alluring woman in my entire fucking life.

I also realized what exactly she was saying. Doing her own research. I swallowed, feeling ill.

“Were you seriously thinking about letting that guy touch you?” I asked.

Grace shrugged. “I was considering it. Because at least I’d understand why you liked that kind of stuff.”

I gaped at her. I didn’t know whether to be horrified or flattered.

“Jesus Christ,” I groaned.

“But in all honesty, I was just asking the guy some questions. What’s wrong with information? And anyway, I decided to do the limited trial membership to see what this place was all about.”

Information? Yeah, fucking right. Grace was easy prey in a place like this. She was innocent and curious. It wouldn’t take much for some guy to seduce her. Did she even realize how much danger she was in?

“You signed up? Christ Jesus above, Grace. Your dad would kill me if he found out,” I said.

Grace made a face. “My dad has nothing to do with this. Gross. I’m an adult, in case you didn’t notice. What I do on my own time is nobody’s business but mine.”

I sighed. She didn’t get it. It didn’t matter what she thought. What mattered was that my influence had created her interest in this place. And so Coach Dallas would have every reason to take me out back and shoot me.

“What can I do to stop you from coming around here?” I asked.

“Show me what you like.”

“I’m not going to show you anything.” At her frustrated expression, I conceded, “I’ll tell you about it. How about that? You said you just wanted information, right?”

Grace considered my offer and then thrust out her hand like we were in a fucking board meeting. “Spill your guts, Carmichael.”

I guffawed. Then I realized that standing in a supply closet was a terrible place to have this conversation. I found Grace and me a table in the corner of the bar.

I considered booking a private room. But I knew that would test my self-control, which was hanging by a thread already.

At least here, enough people were around to keep me from throwing Grace over my shoulder like a caveman.

It’s a sex club, my brain reminded me. Nobody would bat an eyelash if you did throw her over your shoulder.

Grace took off her mask and folded her hands. I half expected her to pull out a notebook and start jotting down things.

“What do you want to know?” I asked.

Grace tapped her chin. “Well, I guess I’ll ask the same questions I asked the guy you nearly strangled.” She smiled, her expression sardonic. “Do you like to give or receive pain?”

“Give.”

“How did you figure that out?”

“I’ve never been the type of guy to submit.”

She snorted. “Well, that goes without saying. But inflicting pain on somebody—that’s a whole different thing.”

I considered her question for a long moment. “Mac told me this place was a good idea to let off some steam. I was curious, but I wasn’t sure if it was something I’d be into. Then I met a woman—”

I bit my tongue. Did Grace really want to hear about Shayla?

But Grace didn’t seem judgmental, only curious.

“You met a woman,” Grace prompted.

“And she showed me how to whip her.”

“So you liked it.”

I nodded. “Something about being in control like that was intoxicating. I could do whatever I wanted to Shayla. It was ... freeing.”

“But you guys had a safe word, right?”

I raised my eyebrows, surprised. “You’ve done your research, then.”

“I might be a virgin, but I’m not a nun. I know things.” Grace sniffed.

I had to restrain a laugh. As far as I was concerned, Grace was a nun. Or, at least, that was how I needed to think of her.

“I also realized that I felt better after being dominant like that,” I admitted. “I have a lot of anger. It’s probably why I like hockey.”

“Ah,” Grace replied.

Did that scare her? That I was angry? That I needed to take that anger out on someone else, however willing that other party was?

“You haven’t had a lot of control in your life. It makes sense that this is a way to take that back,” Grace said.

“I really didn’t intend for this to become a therapy session.”

“Nothing wrong with a little therapy. Besides, you’ve had a lot going on lately, especially with your mom. Do you think that’s why you needed to try this place out?”

“I guess so.”

I wasn’t about to admit it was more because I couldn’t touch Grace, so Shayla had been a convenient stand-in.

“Tell me what you guys did,” Grace said.

“What? Me and Shayla?”

“Yeah.”

I hesitated, but if Grace wanted the truth, then who was I to stop her? Like she’d insisted, she wasn’t a child. And she wasn’t stupid, either.

“I started with a flogger,” I began. “It’s a whip with a leather strap on the end of it. It doesn’t look like much, but it can inflict different levels of pain, depending on where you use it.”

Grace inhaled and gestured for me to continue.

“Shayla showed me where she liked to be hit. Her ass, but most especially the skin between her thighs and ass. She’d moan every time I’d whip her there. She also liked it across her entire back. At first, I didn’t hit her very hard. I was afraid of hurting her.” I chuckled.

I could tell that Grace was breathing hard. Was she scared? Or worse, turned on?

I felt my own body react to my story. Hell, I was half hard anytime I was near Grace. She had a constant effect on me.

“Watching her skin bloom red,” I continued, “was nothing like I’d ever experienced. She writhed and made these little moans every time I hit her harder. She was even begging me to fuck her, but I didn’t. This wasn’t about sex. Not really.”

Grace licked her lips. “It wasn’t?”

“It was hot as fuck, but no, I didn’t want to fuck her. I just wanted to experiment with BDSM. And I discovered that I liked it more than I thought I would.”

We stared at each other for a long moment. Grace had leaned so close to me that I could close the distance and kiss her. It didn’t help that she was breathing hard, her breasts pushing against the tight leather of her dress.

“I’ll stop coming here on one condition,” she said quickly.

“What’s that?”

“That you show me exactly how you whipped Shayla.”

“ Fuck no, ” I snarled.

Grace just shook her head. “That’s my deal. Take it or leave it.”

I wanted to shake her. I wanted to take her to the back and show her why she shouldn’t poke the bear. Most of all, I wanted to hear her scream my name as she came.

I was almost vibrating with desire—and anger.

“You don’t get to force my hand like this,” I growled.

“I thought you wanted to make a deal. This is it.”

She’d backed me into a corner, damn her. Well, then I should call her bluff. We’d see how long she lasted before using her safe word.

“Pick a safe word,” I said.

Grace perked up. “You’re going to do it? Really?”

“Against my better judgment? Yeah. But we’ll see how long you can take it.”

For the first time, Grace looked a little frightened. Good. Maybe she’d realize she shouldn’t fuck around with guys like me.

But she didn’t back down, God bless her. She just thought a long moment before saying, “Galoshes.”

“That’s your safe word? Really?”

“I mean, isn’t it supposed to be random?” Now she seemed unsure.

I shook my head, chuckling. “Sure, galoshes it is.” I got up and took her by the hand. “You can say no still. You don’t have to do this.”

She just raised her chin and said, “Let’s go.”

This was insane. What the fuck was I doing?

But I had no choice. If this was how I was going to get Grace to stop coming to the club, I had to do this.

Like you aren’t desperate to do this to her.

I got us a private room and shut the door, locking it behind me.

“Only to keep other people out,” I said.

Grace looked nervous, but she didn’t seem afraid either. “I know. I trust you.”

You shouldn’t, I wanted to say. I wanted to shout at her to get far, far away from me.

But apparently, I was a weak man because I didn’t have the strength to send her away.

Grace accoutrements began looking around the room. There was a bed covered in silk sheets. Along the wall were all kinds of: whips, chains, floggers, paddles, handcuffs, ropes. On the opposite wall was a Saint Andrew’s cross, and dangling from the ceiling were ropes to hang people by their wrists.

There was also an impressive collection of dildos and vibrators. Grace picked one up, a giant blue cock.

“This looks like a Smurf penis,” she remarked.

I laughed. “What Smurfs were you watching?”

She picked up one that was a more human color. She held it up near my crotch. “How does it compare to the real thing?”

I groaned. I took the silicone cock from her and set it back down.

“I wonder how they keep all these things clean,” Grace was musing. “They’d have to sterilize everything. I wonder who’s in charge of that—”

I pressed a hand to her mouth. “Good lord, woman. You’re killing me.”

She licked my palm, and it made my eyes nearly roll back inside my head.

“Go there,” I commanded, pointing at a spot near a settee and chairs. “And don’t move unless I tell you to.”

“Yes, sir,” she murmured.

I shuddered. She did as I said, kneeling and waiting for my command.

I went to the wall of whips, and my brain was a complete mess. But I soon realized I didn’t want to use anything but my hand on Grace tonight.

“We’re going to start slowly,” I said, approaching her. I sat down on the settee and motioned for her to stand. “Drape yourself over my legs.”

Grace licked her lips. She did as I said. Soon she was lying across my legs, her ass within easy reach.

I smoothed a hand down her spine. “Doing okay?” I asked.

She nodded.

“What’s the safe word?”

“Galoshes.”

“Good girl.” I gently pushed her leather dress up her hips. When I discovered she was wearing a black thong, I had to grit my teeth at the surge of desire that exploded inside me.

Her ass was pale and round, and I could imagine it red from my hand. I rubbed one side, then the other, getting her used to my touch.

“I’m going to spank you,” I said slowly, “because you’ve been a naughty girl tonight. You’ve pushed me to my limits. You need to learn to behave.”

When she said nothing, I spanked her. She yelped.

“Answer me when I talk to you,” I said.

She glanced back at me. “Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.” I rubbed where I’d hit her. Red was already blooming on her pale skin.

I started spanking her now. I rotated from one side of her ass to the other. I kept things light at first, more of a light slap than anything. But as Grace started moaning and bucking, I increased the force of my hits.

“You,” I said between slaps, “are a”— slap —“bad girl”— slap . “You do not disobey again. Do not come to the club unless I allow you to.”

Her ass was a bright crimson now. I could make out the shape of my handprints on her skin. It was so arousing that my cock was about to burst from my goddamn pants.

“Yes, sir,” Grace was saying, panting hard.

I brushed my hand down her back, soothing her. I kept rubbing her back until her breathing slowed. Then I gently turned her over and pulled her into my arms.

“Oh my God,” Grace whispered. She still shook a little. “I had no idea.”

I had to admit that I felt similarly. This was not fun experimentation with Shayla.

I’d unlocked something not only within myself but also within Grace. How had I ever thought Grace would back down? She’d taken the spanking like a champion.

“You were amazing,” I said into her hair.

“I wasn’t sure I’d go through with it,” she admitted. “But then it turned into something that I didn’t expect.”

“Something you enjoyed?”

“Yeah.” She looked into my eyes. “Is that weird?”

“Not at all.”

I then had her lie face down. I went to get a salve that Shayla had told me to use after sessions. I returned and began to spread it on Grace’s ass.

She shivered a little. “That’s cold!”

“It has menthol and arnica in it. It’ll help if you bruise.”

As I rubbed the salve into her skin, guilt hit me for the first time. I’d spanked Grace Dallas so hard that she had handprints on her ass. What kind of a freak was I?

But even as I expected Grace to run flying in the other direction, she didn’t. She just let me cuddle her until we were both ready to leave.

“You won’t come here again, yes?” I said quietly. “That was our deal.”

When she said yes, I almost believed she was telling the truth.