Flame for Always (Bandit Brothers #9)

Chapter 1

Asmattering of jealousy rode up her spine as Ella Riddell watched Ares Montague tie his new bride in ropes and lift her up in suspension.

Josie had the sweetest smile on her face, and her body looked divine in those intricate knots as she swayed gently, held in the ropes attached to the suspension frame.

“What are you thinking?” Master wrapped her in his arms, bringing her against his chest.

His erection bulged against his leathers.

She swallowed. Zee hated when she talked down about herself, even in her thoughts.

“Admiring how beautiful youth is.” She cupped his face, her fingers trailing along the stubble of his chin.

Zee laughed softly. “It’s fleeting. Spread those legs and give me access to what’s mine.”

His tone, all steely and stern, made her wet.

Her stomach fluttered with heated anticipation as she did what he asked, spreading her legs as far apart as she could without falling.

“Good girl.” His praise was liquid warmth making her nipples bead. His hands slid underneath the bottom hem of her corset. He pushed the waistband of her skirt down, and his fingers roamed her belly.

Over her cesarean scar, dimpling his fingers into the worn flesh, squeezing the roll of flesh underneath the scar.

She leaned her head back against his shoulder, tense.

Even twenty-three years later, it still bothered her.

He knew it. She could hear the curve of his smile, and he pushed her a little with how heavy his touch was on her stomach.

“Who does this belong to?” He gently traced the scar before his fingers slid down and dipped into her folds.

“You, Master.”

“That’s right.” He fingered her until she moaned, louder than she wanted to, afraid that someone was going to hear.

Zee took his fingers out of her pussy, making her gasp, then stuck them in her mouth.

“Clean those for me.”

Ella lapped her wetness off his fingers, but Zee hadn’t stopped. His hands squeezed her breasts through the lacy top of her corset.

“You are mine. You are beautiful, and what we have is strong and has stood the test of time. Do you love me any less because of my old, wrinkled face?”

“No, Master. Your face is as handsome as it was when I first met you.”

Zee chuckled. “What’s a few more white hairs here and there? You’re still my redhead, and I’m still yours.”

He squeezed her nipple between his fingers; her pulse jumped under his touch and she gasped.

“We have a wonderful crowd of friends and members tonight.” Zee released her nipple, then ran his palm over it.

“Yes, we do.”

“We’re very lucky, Ella.”

“I know, Master.”

She knew that every day as she looked out on their expansive property in one of the richest postal codes in the country. A girl like her from Olds, Saskatchewan, ended up the wife of an Olympic gold medalist.

Who would have figured? Not her and not her loving family who always thought she’d stay on the farm because she was too shy to talk to any stranger.

It hadn’t always been easy, but they made it work.

So why couldn’t she shake the growing sense of fragility—that something was wrong?

Zee grabbed her wrist, pulling his fingers out of her mouth. He wiped them on her cheek.

“Thank you, Master, for letting me clean your fingers.”

“You’re welcome, dear heart.”

He brushed his hands along her shoulders, then he unzipped her corset. The cool air against her nipples made them bead even more.

He folded down her corset, so her breasts hung out, exposed.

“Go take a shift at the bar, my slave.” His hand snaked through her hair, his cool eyes meeting hers.

She wanted to say no, and he knew she did. Serving publicly wasn’t her favourite task.

But of course, she wouldn’t.

“Yes, Master.”

She brushed by him, but he pulled her back to him, kissing her with all the passion and heat she still saw in his eyes.

“Good girl.”

She held her head high as she made her way through the crowd, smiling and checking in with their members.

Whatever worries she had about the future, she had to put them behind her and stay in the moment.

She served as he commanded.

Like she always had.

Across the room, Zee’s gaze locked on her, slow and deliberate and it made her breath catch. No matter what happened, they’d get through it together.

***

Working at the bar, serving guests drinks and getting them snacks kept Ella’s mind so busy that she didn’t have time to wallow in the dark thoughts. She enjoyed talking to Club Bandit’s guests and found it easy to play the part of hostess.

As the evening wore down, the crowd thinned, leaving couples cuddling in the seating area and on the benches of the stage.

One scene captured everyone’s attention.

A Dom had his sub dressed in a maid’s uniform, made her clean the bondage table, every toy in his bag, and then his boots, before cuffing her hands to the ring above her and tickling her with a feather duster.

The Dom also flipped that duster over and used it for impact.

Ella knew she’d safeword at that amount of tickling, but as the sub’s laugh rang out in the club, Ella’s cheeks hurt from smiling, her mood definitely lifting.

“Ella, can I get a cup of coffee?” The deep voice belonged to River Stone. The large, muscled man had his arm around the shoulders of his partner.

“Right away, River,” Ella said.

“You’re the best, Ella.” Carter smiled, flashing his pearly whites.

“Yes, she is.” Zee came up behind her; he slid his warm palms down her waist to her ass and nuzzled her neck.

The smell of his aftershave wafted towards her nostrils.

“Sir, I’m going to spill River’s coffee.” Ella said, laughing.

“It’s for him. I need to bring him back to life. We just got called out on a job.”

“So inconvenient of them,” Zee said, his grey-blue eyes twinkling.

Ella passed Carter the to-go coffee cup.

“Carter, drink it.”

The man made a face. “It doesn’t have cream or sugar in it.”

“You’re such a baby.” River flicked Carter’s chin but took the lid off the coffee and blew on it.

Zee reached behind her, stopping her from opening the fridge, pulled her against his chest and brought her top back up, to cover her breasts.

The gesture sent hot tingles across her skin.

She blushed, handing River cream and sugar.

“Thank you, Ella.” River’s only focus was on Carter as he stirred cream and sugar into the cup. “Here.”

“Hey, you want me to be alert. I’m not going to drink the black coffee.”

“Yep, I need your wits, which is the only reason I gave in.” River ruffled Carter’s hair.

“We have energy bars,” Zee offered.

“I’ll take what you’ve got,” Carter said.

Zee reached into the small cupboard behind the bar and tossed four to the men. “Here you are.”

“I thought we were going to have a relaxing night in, but you know, no rest for the wicked and all that. See you at the poker game, Zee. Goodnight, Ella.” River grabbed the energy bars, looped his arm through Carter’s.

“Night,” Ella echoed.

“I’m looking forward to a relaxing night tomorrow with you, my love.”

The way Zee gazed at her with heat and love still made her heart go pitter-patter.

“Someone has a big day on Monday,” Ella mumbled. Her stomach formed a knot of anxiety thinking about it again.

Zee leaned in, pulling her close until she fit perfectly against his chest.

“It’s going to be great. Thank you for not talking me out of it.”

His thumb traced small circles over her back, and the brush of his stubble along her cheek made her shiver.

She tilted her face into him, breath hitching, as warmth pooled low in her belly.

In his arms, her shoulders loosened, her heartbeat slowed, and the world outside melted away.

“Zee, I wouldn’t.”

And before he could respond, Ella went and helped a guest, pinpricks of anxiety flaring along her neck again.

This seesaw between calm and hyper-anxious had to stop, but she didn’t know what to do about it.

This week, Zee’s team had tournaments that’d keep him working later.

He switched from being part time on staff to being full time.

And though she was happy for him, she knew she was going to miss lazy sleep-ins and late-day breakfasts.

She’d miss him taking midday laps in their indoor pool and him telling her to eat because she got so wrapped up in a project and forgot.

Even though there was nothing unethical about it, Ella worried about someone finding out about Club Bandit and firing Zee because he owned it.

A couple of years ago, the founding members of the club voted to have occasional open-to-the-public sessions, and privately, it’s a motion she wasn’t in favour of.

Except for the sex and BDSM education classes; those were important to her and at the time, that’s what swayed her from voting no.

For years she’d worried about someone finding out Zee owned the club and that having a negative effect on their family.

Even though they didn’t open Club Bandit until their daughters were off at university and out of the house.

“Hey, boss, I’m heading out.” Max, one of their trusted dungeon monitors, clasped Zee’s arm.

“Have a good one. See you later.”

“Bye Max,” Ella called.

Max tipped an imaginary hat to her and left.

The remaining couples in the club were exiting or hitting the locker rooms. The submissive who was in the French maid scene came over to the bar.

“Water, please.”

“Of course,” Ella said, passing her a water bottle. “You need it after that scene.”

The submissive grinned, pushing back her long hair.

“It was so good.”

“And you were so good, Diamond,” Pete Zimmerman said into his new submissive’s ear.

“Hey Zee, I think I’ll make the next poker game.”

“Good to hear, Pete. I can’t wait to empty your wallet.”

Peter laughed, and raised a finger. “You can but try, my friend. Come on, Diamond, I want to get you home.”

“Yes, Sir. Bye.”

“Isn’t that submissive number four this month for the good doctor?” Zee said, smirking.

“I stopped counting long ago. You should too if you want him to keep coming to the poker game,” Ella said with a grin, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Zee had held the monthly charity poker games for years, and all proceeds went to the charitable foundation he started with his sister-in-law in honour of his brother, who was a Marine.

Zee raised his hands in mock surrender. “I’m going to check the private rooms and the cube.”

“I’ll do a sweep down here with Lena.”

“Good girl.” Zee brushed his lips across Ella’s, and she wished it was a longer kiss, but work called.

She turned up the house lights in the main space, the brighter light on the golden textured walls giving the place an even more luxurious glow.

Ella took pride in Club Bandit, in how the hardwood floors gleamed, how the seating area was filled with elegant, overstuffed chairs and classic tables.

She loved the stage, big enough to hold demos and dance parties.

Lena came out of one of the private rooms, her hands bundled with clothing.

She loved their private rooms on the ground floor, most of which featured beds, a nod to her initial idea of having a kinky bed-and-breakfast.

But Zee wanted a club, a place for his friends to come and play, and seeing how happy it made her husband, she gave it all of her energy.

Upstairs, they had private dungeons, all of them set up with a theme.

And her favourite, an actual dungeon with black iron rings and anchor points set on each wall.

Heavy brackets and bars hung, perfect for bondage play. The black floor grounded the space, and despite the theme, Ella found the room to be serene.

“Someone forgot all this!” Lena grinned, coming out of the hallway from the private rooms, her arms full of clothes.

“That goes to the lost and found in the hallway by the lockers.” Ella grinned, wondering how someone could leave without all their clothes, but it happened. “After you do that, you can take off, Lena. Do you have a ride tonight?”

“Yep, my boyfriend’s waiting for me in the parking lot.”

“See you Saturday,” Ella called.

Ella went to each of the play spaces that lined the perimeter of the space, checking for belongings.

When that was done, she picked up all the blankets, put them in the hamper for dirty linens and left the space.

The cleaning crew would be in tomorrow during the day.

“Dear heart, come here.” Zee’s voice slid into that lower register that still, all these years on, caused her to open to him.

Turning to see where Zee stood, Ella shook her head, even as her feet carried her to the centre of the room and its fairly recent addition of the spiderweb.

Framed by a solid wooden square, the thick ropes formed a spiderweb.

Ella swallowed, her mouth dry. It’s not that anything about the spiderweb icked her out; it’s that she didn’t think the piece of furniture would be comfortable.

Considering how her knees ached in the morning and her shoulder at night, these days she needed comfort.

Zee cocked an eyebrow.

“The doors are locked. Everyone’s gone home. Let’s get you on here, Ella.”

“Yes, Master.” With dread making her limbs heavy, Ella turned against the spiderweb. Zee started with her wrist, cuffing it to the rope above her head, then did her other one. She exhaled when she realized Zee wasn’t going to lift her onto it but tie her ankles to the lowest rope on the bar.

Ella leaned against the thick rope, and it wasn’t as uncomfortable as she thought. It sprang back, and it was kind of fun.

“These ropes are actually cables wrapped in nylon. Does it hurt?”

“It’s okay. I don’t think I could maintain it for hours, but it’s not as torturous as it looks.”

“And what if I wanted you here for hours, hmm?” Zee grabbed a fistful of hair, yanking her head off the web, staring into her eyes with the same intensity as he’d always had from the very first time Ella met him.

“Then I would, Master.”

He slammed his mouth against hers in a kiss that stole her breath, and sent her clit throbbing.

“Because you are my slutty good girl.”