Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Iris
“Be a good girl,” Law said, lifting his lips from hers.
Iris stared up at him in shock. That had been the last thing she’d expected.
She couldn’t come up with a response, which was kind of a moot point since she’d lost her voice.
Was it possible for a kiss to cause temporary loss of speech?
Because it felt like that’s what had just happened.
“Okay, well, that was hot as fuck,” Rae said, fanning herself as Law walked away.
The hot kiss he’d just planted still burning on Iris’ lips, she was a little swoony as she stared after him. How did his ass look just as good clad in leather as it did when he was naked?
She was pretty sure, as the woman, she was supposed to be the one walking away, having her butt stared at by him, but he’d turned that around on her. Not that she was complaining. It was a very nice view.
Hate to see him go, but love to watch him leave.
“Has he ever done that before?” Mitch asked.
It took Iris a moment to realize that he was asking Master Asad, not her.
Master Asad was one of Law’s friends. The two of them were complete opposites in a lot of ways.
Master Asad was taller with muscles that were less bulky and always quick with a joke, though not in the same way Mitch was.
Asad seemed more serious—and he definitely took his scenes seriously, even if he didn’t do serious relationships.
As far as she could tell, he was intent on working his way through every submissive in the club, unlike Law, who had seemed intent on scening as little as possible.
Master Asad reminded her of her brother after he and Kate had broken up.
Not that she’d been at Stronghold to witness his manwhore days, but she’d heard about it plenty since joining the club.
Blech.
Why people were so intent on talking to her about it, she didn’t know. Though to be fair, it wasn’t everyone, but still, more than she would have liked.
“I’ve never seen him publicly claim a submissive like that, no, if that’s what you’re asking,” Master Asad answered Mitch’s question, but he was looking at her, studying her as if he was trying to figure out what made her so special.
Joke was on him—the answer was nothing—though she could understand his interest.
She was curious why she’d brought out that response in Law. After their discussion last night, she’d been pleased when he’d stood next to her and put his arm around her, but she hadn’t expected anything more.
“It was just a kiss,” she said, downplaying it, even though it had felt like so much more than a mere kiss.
“Law has never kissed a submissive outside of a scene that I can remember,” Asad answered quickly. “Hell, he rarely does it within one.”
Iris pressed her lips together to keep from grinning as widely. Why she felt the need to pretend as if it wasn’t a big deal, she wasn’t sure. Maybe because she was still afraid he’d change his mind.
Next to Iris, Rae made an unhappy noise. It kind of sounded like she growled.
Frowning, Iris turned to see Rae glaring across the room.
When she followed Rae’s gaze, she winced.
Master Brian had just come in, and Morgan was running from the Lounge to meet him as he entered.
His expression brightened as she approached, though Iris noted he kept his gaze on her face and not on her barely-there black teddy.
While she was trying to decide if she should say something, there was a quick exchange of words between Master Brian and Morgan, then he grinned widely, pulling her in for a hug.
Rae made another growling noise. When the pair broke apart, Brian kept his arm around Morgan’s shoulder and escorted her toward the bar.
Across the table from Iris and Rae, Domi spun back around, looking at Rae with sympathy. Mitch looked as uncomfortable as Iris felt, and she had a feeling he knew what was going on.
“Why is she always throwing herself at him?” Rae seethed, pulling the label off of her beer bottle. It wasn’t coming off easily, but that didn’t stop her. There was a little pile of paper flakes already on the table, and she kept adding to it with every bit she managed to scratch off.
“Um… well...” Iris shifted uncomfortably on her seat, but she didn’t feel right, leaving Rae in the dark.
She was also aware of Master Asad’s confusion as he looked around, trying to figure out what had just happened.
“I heard Master Brian asked her to move in with him… as friends. It looks like she might have just said yes.”
“They’re moving in together?” Rae’s voice was rising to a shriek.
Domi reached across the table to put her hand over Rae’s, hushing her.
Several people at nearby tables looked over at them, frowning, but turned away again when they saw nothing interesting was happening.
Rae was frozen in her seat, breathing heavily, obviously trying to get a hold of herself.
Unfortunately, Domi’s movement seemed to have drawn her attention to Mitch.
“Did you know about this? You had to have known.”
“I knew he’d asked her,” Mitch said calmly, his blue eyes steady, his demeanor more serious than Iris had ever witnessed outside of a scene.
There was sympathy in them, but his tone was firm.
“I decided not to tell you in case she said no. There was no point upsetting you if it wasn’t going to happen. ”
“Wait, you knew?” Domi’s gasp was outraged as she twisted in her seat to look up at her boyfriend.
Crap, this was such a shit show. Master Asad was frowning as he took in the conversation. Apparently, he hadn’t been in the know about whatever weird not-thing was going on between Rae and Master Brian.
“I knew.” Despite the glares coming from both his girlfriend and her best friend, Mitch seemed unfazed. He slid his hand up to the back of Domi’s neck as if he was taking control of an unruly puppy—an observation that Iris would never, never make out loud. “It wasn’t either of your business.”
Domi opened her mouth. Closed it. Looked at Rae. Iris looked down at the table, not wanting to catch either of their eyes. She’d known and was relieved neither of them seemed angry at her, but she also felt incredibly guilty. Should she have told Rae sooner? On the other hand, Mitch was right.
It wasn’t really her business. There would have been no point in upsetting her if Morgan had said no. Mitch wasn’t wrong about that.
“What is the problem exactly?” Master Asad interjected. His tone was perfectly pleasant, but there was a bit of an edge as though he wasn’t happy about what he was hearing.
Iris, Rae, and Domi exchanged a glance. Iris didn’t have a problem with Morgan, but she knew Rae and Domi weren’t huge fans.
“Nothing,” they said in unison. Mitch rolled his eyes.
“Rae wants Brian, but she doesn’t want to admit it. Brian wants Rae, but he can only handle so much rejection. Rae and Domi didn’t get along with Morgan during their introduction class, and now Rae is convinced Morgan wants Brian.”
“Mitch!” Domi elbowed him in the side, causing him to use his grip on her neck to tilt her head back. Whoops. Master Mitch had entered the building.
“Domi darling, you and Rae are making yourselves look bad. You need to get over whatever this thing you have against Morgan is.”
“She was rude in class… and mean.” Rae crossed her arms over her chest, scowling. “She didn’t think Luke could be a submissive because he ‘looks like a Dom.’ She said that out loud. She was bitchy to Sam about her weight.”
Ouch. Iris winced. She hadn’t known that. Definitely not a great first impression.
The two Doms exchanged a glance across the table.
“There’s a reason Morgan is… the way she is. You two need to be kinder.”
“Maybe if someone would tell us why.” Rae glared at him.
She didn’t quite glare at Master Asad, but she shot him a look, too.
“You know. All the Doms know. You expect us to act as if we’re in the know, too, but all we can go by is her behavior.
Which isn’t always very nice, especially toward other submissives.
She’s perfectly nice to all the Doms, and sometimes, I think that’s all you see. ”
“It’s not our business either,” Master Asad said, though he didn’t seem as stern as he had a few moments ago, as if what Rae said had struck a nerve.
“Master Patrick got Morgan’s permission before he told us about her.
She didn’t want the submissives to know.
It’s not a nice back story, and it’s hers to tell when she feels comfortable. ” His voice got a little sterner.
“What I will say is you have been told there are reasons for you to think twice before making judgments about her, and even if you don’t get to know those reasons, you should appreciate we’re not throwing her personal business around the club. Just like we wouldn’t with yours.”
“Other than Mitch throwing his theories about Brian and me out there,” Rae muttered.
“Which I wouldn’t have done if you and Domi weren’t making fools out of yourselves in front of Master Asad.
And it’s hardly a secret.” Mitch shook his head.
“I know it’s hard feeling as though you’re in the dark, but you shouldn’t have to know every detail of someone’s pain in order to respect it.
If and when Morgan decides to share what her life was like before coming here, I can guarantee you two are going to feel really bad if you keep on acting the way you do toward her. ”
Until that moment, Iris hadn’t been curious about Morgan, but now she was wildly curious. Dammit. Domi and Rae looked as if they felt the same way.
“Okay, fine.” Rae blew out her breath, slumping slightly as she glanced over to the table where Master Brian and Morgan were sitting, talking with their heads together. She made a face and turned to Master Asad. “Master Asad, were you planning on playing this evening?”
Master Asad raised one dark eyebrow, but he didn’t look disinterested. If anything, he looked intrigued.
“Are you trying to use me, sweetheart?” There was no judgment in his voice.
“Yup.” Rae met his gaze head-on with no hint of shame. “I’ve heard the Persian Excursion is one of Stronghold’s best tours.”
The Dom grinned and sat up, his eyes sparkling with interest and none of the stern censure he’d had a few moments before.
“Then absolutely.”
Oh, good grief. Law’s friends were as crazy as hers.
Law
Walking through the Dungeon, Law was doing his best not to think about Iris being upstairs. He needed to focus on his duties.
Though truth be told, most of the time, things were not particularly eventful at Stronghold, which was exactly the way he liked it.
Patrick had a thorough screening process, which kept out a lot of the assholes who tried to use BDSM as an excuse or a cover for abuse.
Keeping the vast majority of them out—and kicking out the ones who made it through and crossed the line inside the club—helped keep incidents down to a minimum.
They still happened, of course. No process was perfect, but thankfully, it was rare.
Unfortunately, that meant there wasn’t a lot to distract him.
He paused to watch scenes, focusing on the submissives and checking on the Dominants to see how everyone was feeling.
There could be mismatches on both sides.
He’d once intervened in a scene with a Dominant who thought they could handle a heavy masochist. It turned out the Dom couldn’t, but he’d been trying so hard to give the sub what she needed, he’d been on the way to doing emotional damage to himself before Law had intervened.
Doing a slow circuit around the Dungeon, he glanced over at the table where Iris was still sitting when he headed upstairs to walk through the second floor but only allowed himself that one glance.
When he went back down to the Dungeon, he scowled when he saw Asad setting up a scene at one of the spanking benches with Rae standing to the side, obviously watching him. They were supposed to be with Iris. What were they doing down here?
Reining in his emotions, Law headed over. Asad saw him coming and grinned, turning to gesture at Rae.
“Over the bench, lovely girl, and flip up that skirt for me,” he ordered before turning back to Law.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Law asked in a low voice, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Being used like the stud I am.” The reply was so far from what Law expected that confusion sank him for a moment, and Asad chuckled.
“Iris is fine. Connor and Q are at the table. They came in while Rae and I were negotiating. Mitch and Domi are waiting for one of the private rooms upstairs, so they’ll be there a while longer as well.
Rae needed a distraction, and I’m happy to be used. ”
“I see.” Law sighed. He did see but didn’t particularly like it. Connor and Q were good buffers for Iris, but it itched that his friends were keeping an eye on her instead of him.
“Why don’t you go get your lady if it’s going to bother you that much?” Asad asked. “There’s nothing to say she can’t walk around with you as long as you don’t drag her off to scene while you’re on duty as a Dungeon Monitor.”
He started to respond, then closed his mouth.
Asad was right. Other Dungeon Monitors had done the same on occasion when they had their partner at the club with them.
Patrick didn’t mind as long as they fulfilled their duties.
He’d even joked it was getting two for the price of one—not that Law was being paid in anything other than reduced membership fees.
It wasn’t something Law would have ever considered before, but then, he was already doing a lot of things with Iris he wouldn’t have considered doing with anyone else.
“Have fun. Don’t… mess with her.” Law’s eyes dropped to where Rae had draped herself over the spanking bench and had turned to peer at them curiously.
“Don’t worry. She doesn’t want me.” Asad grinned. “No sex, but we’re going to have some fun. You know me. I’m always happy to be used.”
Yeah, Law would have to ask Iris about that.
Feeling more cheerful than he had a moment ago, he headed to the stairs.