Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
RUBY
S tanding outside Braden Elliott’s office, Ruby nervously shifted from foot to foot. No matter how many times she’d told herself she didn’t feel the least bit guilty over helping Lottie hide from her Daddy the night before, that little pit in her stomach had grown bigger and bigger with every passing hour since Beckett had issued his ultimatum.
She’d actually considered just not coming to the club at all tonight. After working two of her three usual jobs, she was down-to-the-bones exhausted and she would have been well within her rights to simply not show up. She’d even laid on her bed for a solid hour after she’d gotten home from her last run of the day at her third job, convincing herself she wasn’t going.
And yet, here she was, dressed in a dark red corset with a matching tulle skirt that showed off her cute satin panties—also matching—every time she bent over. It was her ‘come and get it’ outfit, which she had tried to tell herself didn’t mean anything as she’d wiggled her way into it in the club changing room.
She really, really sucked at lying to herself.
Bracing herself for what lay on the other side of Braden’s door, she lifted her fist and rapped three times in quick succession.
Please don’t be here, please don’t be here, please don’t be here.
“Come in.”
Fuck .
Plastering on a bright smile, she pushed open the door and poked her head in. “Do you have a minute?”
Braden looked up from the stack of papers in front of him and waved her in. “Ruby. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Um, well.” Even though a very large part of her wanted to turn around and run, she forced herself to walk forward and stand in front of his desk. “I need to tell you something. About last night.”
Leaning back in his chair, Braden raised an eyebrow. “I see. I certainly hope you aren’t here to tell me you were involved in the glitter fiasco.”
“No, Sir. Well...” Shit. Would he consider being an accomplice after the fact ‘involvement’? “That is to say, I didn’t help plan it or anything.”
Somehow that damn brow raised even higher. How the hell Lottie managed to hold her own against that look, Ruby would never know. It was taking everything she had not to squirm under his scrutiny.
“But?”
“But, um.” Oh, god. It had been so long since she’d been in a position where she had to actually confess her sins, she’d forgotten how hard it could be. She hadn’t had anyone holding her accountable for her actions outside of a scene in years. “When you came by the bar, asking if I’d seen Lottie and I told you I’d seen her heading toward the private rooms, I sort of… lied.”
The corners of Braden’s lips twitched, just for a moment, before he cleared his throat and fixed her with a stern expression. “And where, exactly, was Lottie hiding when you gave me this false information?”
“Behind the bar. I’m sorry, Sir, I didn’t really think it was a big deal at the time.”
“What changed your mind?”
Okay, where was a hole in the ground to swallow a girl whole when she needed it? “Master Beckett knew I lied and he said he’d punish me for it. You know, to like, clear my slate or whatever? But he said I had to come clean with you, first.”
“Really?” Now Braden’s lips did curve upward in clear amusement. “Well, if anybody knows how to teach a naughty girl a lesson, it’s Beckett Stone. You can tell him you’ve confessed your sins and that he’s free to deal with you however he sees fit.”
“Yes, Sir.” An odd tightness gripped her by the throat, surprising her with how guilty she actually did feel now that she’d looked him in the eye and confessed. “I’m really sorry I lied.”
“It’s all right. I know Lottie can be very… persuasive when it comes to involving people in her schemes.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“But the next time you lie to me, Ruby, I won’t care who else has offered to discipline you. I’ll take a strap to your backside myself, on top of whatever your Daddy may have planned for you.”
Her heart jumped at the word Daddy, but she deliberately ignored it. “Master Beckett isn’t my Daddy. It’s just one scene, Sir.” And even if he wanted to be, I’m not looking for a Daddy. Or any other kind of controlling asshole to run my life.
“We’ll see. You’re dismissed.”
Turning on her heel, she hurried from his office and straight for the bar, her mind racing.
We’ll see. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
“Ruby!”
The sound of Lottie calling her name stopped Ruby in her tracks. Lottie was at a large table with her usual entourage. Cordelia, a fearsome Domme who reminded Ruby of the cheerleaders she’d been so envious of in high school with her bright blonde hair pulled up in a high ponytail. On her lap was her girlfriend, Ivy. Small and dainty, Ivy always made Ruby think of fairies and other mythical beings.
To their left was Frankie. Like Cordelia, she had her hair pulled up in a high ponytail, though hers looked more like living fire than California blonde. And she was looking extra fiery tonight, glaring into her wine as if it had personally offended her somehow.
Then there was Silver. Amanda Sterling, by birth, but she’d become known to the world as Silver over the course of her career with the band Deviant Whispers. Seated between Frankie and Lottie, Silver had her mass of dark curls piled up on her head and a drumstick in her hand, spinning it between her fingers. The fact that she could do so after being attacked by her ex-boyfriend and ex-bandmate just a few months ago was nothing short of a miracle.
Even more a miracle than the fact that she was here in this club in the first place, breathing the same air as Ruby. Deviant Whispers had been her all-time favorite band, and Silver her personal hero for years.
She was still getting used to not fangirling all over her every time she saw Silver at the club.
And lastly, Lottie. Beaming up at Ruby, she scooted closer to Silver and patted the empty spot on the bench beside her. “Come, sit with us!”
Sit with them? With Silver ?
No, thank you.
“Thanks but I have to… do something.”
Jesus, could you sound any less convincing?
Lottie raised an eyebrow, but unlike her Daddy who had simply looked intimidating, Lottie looked downright regal. Queen of her domain, and woe be unto any who dare defy her. “You’re not working tonight.”
“Ah, no, I’m not.”
“Are you meeting someone?”
She was, but it occurred to her now she had no clue when Beckett would actually be arriving at the club. They were still hours from her twenty-four-hour deadline. Oh, god. What if she had to wait until after midnight for him to punish her?
Better to just pretend she was here on her own, hanging out at the club like she usually did on her nights off. “No, no I’m not meeting anyone.”
“Then sit.”
Out of excuses, Ruby lowered herself to the bench beside Lottie, and focused on her breathing to keep from passing out at the knowledge she was sitting at the same table as her own personal idol.
How was this her life?
“Ruby is my new hero,” Lottie announced to the table, draping her arm around Ruby’s shoulders and pressing a loud kiss to her cheek. “She hid me from Daddy after the glitter cannons went off last night.”
Silver cheered, and even Frankie stopped scowling at her wine long enough to flash an approving smile. Cordelia, on the other hand, simply shook her head. “You don’t want to get caught up in Lottie’s brattiness, Ruby. Especially when it involves Braden. He won’t hesitate to take you to task right alongside her.”
“Shhh, you’re ruining all my fun, Cordelia. Don’t listen to her, Ruby, I’ll protect you from my big, mean, Daddy.”
“Ah, well, that’s not what he said when I talked to him just now.” At Lottie’s outraged gasp, Ruby offered up an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I was feeling guilty about lying to him so I had to come clean.”
She wasn’t quite ready to tell anyone why she’d been feeling so guilty, so she just kept that part to herself. Beside her, Lottie sighed and shook her head. “I don’t blame you, really. I can’t keep anything a secret from that man, no matter how hard I try. But thanks for saving my ass last night, anyway. Your first drink’s on me.”
“Lottie, I work here. I get one free drink on non-working nights, anyway.”
“Shit. Right. Well… I owe you a drink. Eventually. Anyway, you’re just in time to listen to Frankie bitch about her GSFD.”
“GSFD?” Ruby asked, at the same time Frankie narrowed her eyes and let out what sounded distinctly like a growl.
“Giant Silver Fox Daddy.” Beaming, Silver raised a hand, a pink, puckered scar still visible across her palm from where her bastard of an ex had tried to end her career. “I came up with that one. Pretty proud of it, actually.”
“He is not my Daddy.” Frankie shot Silver a glare. “So stop calling him that.”
“I will not.” Sitting back with a smug smile, Silver shrugged. “It’s fitting and I like it. And he’s only not your Daddy because you keep fighting him.”
“Why are you bitching about him?” Ruby asked, as much to distract Frankie, who looked like she was ready to strangle Silver, as anything. “What did he do?”
“Oh, oh, let me tell her the story!” Without waiting for an answer, Lottie shifted in her seat, an excited gleam in her eyes. “So, a few months ago—well, actually, I guess it’s like six months ago now? Maybe more? I don’t know, actually. Anyway, not important. However long ago, Frankie and I went out clubbing with some friends and Frankie went home with this smoking hot silver fox.”
“GSFD,” Ruby provided, earning her a proud nod from Lottie.
“Exactly. So she goes home with him, he spanks her ass and makes her call him Daddy, she falls head over heels in love.”
“I did not fall in love! It was strong lust at most.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself, babe. Anyway, she falls hard, they spend some more time together and then… boom. She breaks it off. Nobody knows why.”
The last was said with an ominous tone more suited to telling ghost stories than sharing her friend’s sordid dating history. “So why is she bitching about him if she dumped him?”
“Because he refuses to stay dumped.” Crossing her arms, Frankie slouched in her seat, her scowl returning with a vengeance. “He’s here every night I’m here, he has all the other Doms too scared to scene with me, and when I tried to put myself in the auction a few months ago, he walked up on stage, announced he was paying thirty grand for me and carried me off the stage without even letting anyone else bid!”
“Oh.” The soft-hearted romantic buried deep inside Ruby’s soul sighed. “That’s… awful.”
Frankie narrowed her eyes. “You think it’s sweet. I can hear it in your voice.”
“Okay, well, yes. Guilty as charged. But you have to admit it is kind of romantic, in a very fucked up, bodice-ripper-romance kinda way.”
“I just don’t know what it’s going to take to shake him.” Groaning, Frankie let her head fall back against the padded seat. “No matter what I do, no matter how clear I make it that I am not interested he refuses to budge.”
“Have you tried just being a huge fucking brat?” When five sets of eyes turned curious stares in her direction, Ruby blushed. “I mean, it works, depending on the Dom. I’ve scared off my fair share of them over the years.”
“Um, have you met me?” Lifting her head, Frankie cocked an eyebrow in clear amusement. “I’m never not a brat. He just takes it all in stride. Even the auction didn’t faze him, and I thought for sure that would be the thing that finally broke him.”
“I know this may seem like a crazy idea, but have you tried just having a conversation with the man?” Cordelia asked. “You know, like an adult?”
“Of course, I have. He just tells me he disagrees with my reasons for dumping him and he’s not going anywhere.” Tapping her fingers on the table, Frankie appeared to mull it over. “Maybe I’m just not being the right kind of brat.”
“For the love of god,” Cordelia mumbled. “Are you actually hearing yourself right now, Francesca?”
“What? There are different kinds of Doms, so why can’t there be different types of brats?”
“That’s not… okay, yes, that’s true but you’re going about this entirely the wrong way.” The frustration was clear in Cordelia’s voice, and Ruby almost felt guilty for being part of the reason. Although it was amusing to watch Frankie get under the usually unflappable Domme’s skin. “Seriously, Francesca. Just talk to him.”
“Tried that. Didn’t work. But our Ruby here… she claims she can out-brat any Dom.”
Suddenly wishing she could crawl under the table, Ruby cleared her throat. “That’s not exactly what I said.”
“Close enough,” Frankie said with a regal wave of her hand. “You said you’ve scared off plenty. So you’re going to teach me.”
“Teach you?”
“Yes. Teach me how to be such a huge fucking brat this man doesn’t want to have anything to do with me ever again.”
“I’m… not exactly sure how to teach that. Being a brat just sort of comes naturally to me.” Of course, it hadn’t always. There was a time she’d been so submissive most people would have considered her a doormat. So technically she had taught herself to be a brat, but even then she’d just… gone against her initial instincts and done the exact opposite.
Frankie, unfortunately, was not swayed by Ruby’s protests. “Then let me see you in action. Next scene you do, I’m going to be watching and taking notes.”
Butterflies exploded in Ruby’s stomach at the suggestion. “Maybe not my next scene.”
Frankie frowned. “Why not?”
“Ah, well, I’m supposed to be doing a scene with Master Beckett tonight and?—”
“That’s perfect!” Lottie let out a delighted laugh. “If you can out-brat Beckett, you really can out-brat anybody . We literally could not have picked a better Dom for you to demonstrate your bratting skills.”
Except for the fact that I really fucking like him and I actually want to be a good girl for once . “I don’t know…”
“What if we make it interesting?” Eyes glittering, Silver leaned in. “You show Frankie how you brat and I’ll give you private drum lessons. Ten sessions, in the studio Ice set up for me in our house.”
Holy shit. Private drumming lessons from Amanda Fucking Sterling? At her house ?
Fuck it. As she’d decided long ago, if a man couldn’t handle her at her brattiest, he didn’t deserve her anyway. But, god, she secretly hoped Beckett could handle her any which way he got her.
“All right. You’re on.”