CHAPTER 37
Sutton
Shame felt like it was going to strangle me. I couldn’t look at him. I didn’t want to look at anyone.
“Dom, you wanted to see me?”
I flicked my gaze to a man I’d never seen before and then to Dominic. If anything, he looked even angrier.
“What’s your one job, Chris?”
Chris’ face dropped and paled.
“Um, it’s to move around the club to make sure everyone’s following the rules.”
“Tell me why the fuck I just watched this woman get dragged to the cross and strapped in without her consent? Tell me why, when I checked the cameras for the thirty minutes before that moment, I didn’t see you once.”
Chris took a step back and went completely white.
“Sir, I was just, uh, taking my break. It won’t happen again. Here. I’ll help the lady down.”
Dominic stepped into his path towards me and shook his head.
“No one touches her.”
“I’m really sorry, sir.”
“Not yet. But you will be. You weren’t on break, Chris. You were balls deep in a brunette. Cameras, fuckhead. Because you wanted to get your dick wet, you nearly let someone get hurt.” Dominic took a deep breath in and let out a dark laugh. “Go find Leon and Theo. They’ll know what to do with you.”
He started to beg but one shove with Dominic’s giant hands and he was stumbling away from us. It was only after the guy ran away and Dominic turned his focus back on me that I started to want Chris to come back.
“You didn’t want this with us anymore. You made that clear.
So why are you here? Without our protection.
Without our guidance. Without a fucking clue how to scream for help?
” He was so angry at me that I could see a vein in his forehead throbbing.
He might’ve looked even angrier than he had while strangling David.
“Tell me why the fuck you would put yourself at risk when I made it clear that you do not come here without us.”
I swallowed, my relief at having him there and my fear over what he’d do to me warring. My brain wasn’t working well enough for me to think of a better explanation so I told the truth.
“I didn’t want it to be the three of you who made me feel so much. I wanted it to be the club. I wanted to prove that I don’t need y’all.”
“And what did you figure out, Sutton?” The way he said my real name made me want to dig a hole and crawl into it.
Tears slid down my cheeks.
“It’s not the club.”
He came closer and took his time looking at my body.
“You broke the rules, Sutton. We’ll talk about the rest later but you have to be punished.”
A shiver went through me, something dark and lustful coming up.
“Punished?”
“You’re in my club, Sutton. You broke my rules. Now you have to face the consequences. Unless you want to use your safe word and walk away. Go back to the house and continue on as the nanny with as little interaction with us as possible. Your choice.”
I was weak.
“Consequences.”
A flash of heat darkened his gaze.
“Good girl.”
He reached for the strap around my right wrist but stopped when I shook my head.
He raised his eyebrows at me while I tried to make my mouth form the words my body desired.
I felt so stupid and like I’d disrespected them in their space.
They’d had to publicly save me. I took a deep breath and swallowed.
“Leave me here.”
He tried to hide it but I saw the surprise and then lust on his face. Still, he kept his hand on the buckle of the strap.
“Why?”
“I deserve to be punished here.”
“Why?”
“Because I got myself here in front of everyone! Because I was an idiot and I don’t think I can leave this room with all these disgusting feelings in me. I was wrong and I want you to punish me here, where they can watch.”
Dominic cupped the side of my neck and shook his head.
“Kitten, you don’t need to be publicly punished to get rid of those feelings. You had a fucked up experience and you’re shaken. Let me get you down and take you to my office.”
I glared at him, somehow finding the anger that never showed up with David.
“I’m not shaken, Dominic. I’m embarrassed and ashamed and I don’t need you to pity me or look at me like I’m going to break. Punish me here. I need you to.”
He wrapped his hand around my throat and tightened his hand enough for me to feel a flush of excited fear.
“You don’t make the rules.”
“Please, Sir. I’m begging you. I can’t explain why I need it this way, but I do. I need you to see how sorry I am. Like this. Out here.”
He growled and stepped back. He tapped something into his phone and then frowned up at me.
“There’s going to be a stipulation.”
“Anything.”
“Fine. We’re going to wait for Theo and Leon. Stay.” He walked over to the table I’d been at with David and sat so he was facing me. He was far enough away that I felt alone in my shame but close enough that I knew I was safe. More than safe.
A waitress approached Dominic and he said something to her while nodding to me. I watched her go to the bar and then come back with a glass of something. She came to me instead of Dominic and raised the glass to my mouth.
“It’s ice water.” She watched me while I drank and leaned closer. “I’m not sure if I’m jealous of you or if I feel sorry for you. You have Master Dom’s full attention and he’s intense, girl.”
Water dribbled down my chin when she pulled the glass away. I thanked her when she wiped it away for me.
“Am I crazy for asking him to punish me out here?”
“No fucking way. Show all the desperados in the club that he’s yours.”
I looked over her shoulder and found Dominic’s laser focused gaze still on me.
“I’m terrified.”
She winked.
“Isn’t it so fun?”
She left and more time passed before I felt the atmosphere in the room shift. I knew what was happening even before I saw them coming. I could feel their eyes on me. Leon stood next to Dominic but Theo came straight to me.
He gripped my chin and brought his face so close to mine that my vision blurred.
“I’ve been patient.”