Chapter Sixteen
Grant
Ches had worried about fitting in at Cuffed, but the moment we walked in the door, his eyes brightened.
The trip had been an adventure already for the omega whose past did not have a lot of luxury in it and who had never before ridden in a helicopter.
As we stood near the helipad, watching the bird come into sight, he reached for my hand and gripped it.
When the helicopter landed and the rotor blades slowed and stopped, I started forward, but he did not.
“Let’s just drive to the airport,” he said. “It’s just as easy, right?”
“We’d miss our flight if we did that,” I said, trying to tug him along with me. “There’s a reason most of the guests arrive this way. It saves a lot of time. Come on.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t look safe.”
The pilot opened the door and hopped to the ground just in time to hear his comment.
“Sir, this bird is as safe as houses. I’ve been flying her for several years and never had a problem.
She’s well-maintained to make sure there’s nothing for our passengers to worry about.
Also, if I thought for a moment there was going to be a dangerous situation, do you think I’d get behind the controls several days a week? I have three cubs at home. No way.”
“Do you feel better, Ches?” I asked, patting his hand with my free one and taking the headsets the pilot offered us.
“I guess,” he grumbled, still holding on tight. “But I still say it doesn’t look very safe.”
Still, he bravely boarded and buckled himself into his seat.
For a moment, as we lifted off, I thought he might say he’d changed his mind and wanted to get off, but he settled back and looked out the window at the desert dropping away below.
“It looks so different from up here. The resort is so small.”
“Have you ever flown before, even in a plane?” I asked. A helicopter, sure, not many people used those, but everyone flew in planes.
“No. It’s all new to me today.” He pressed his face to the glass and took in the sky and ground and whatever we passed. “Somehow I thought we’d follow the road. I’m not sure why I thought that, but I did.” He chuckled. “We’re going right over the mesa.”
“We are.” I hadn’t started out with a lot of money and the ability to take the most convenient mode of transport, but in the past several years, it had just become how I operated.
And I didn’t look out the window anymore, generally focused on a screen of some kind, making deals and returning emails.
In fact, I had my phone in my hand at that moment, about to do just that when the omega’s enthusiasm broke through the habit and had me stuffing it away.
“Lot of colors in the earth out here, aren’t there? ”
“So many!”
We landed at the airport and were driven to the private jet I had booked for the rest of our trip, and it was again a reminder of how privileged my life was.
Ches was much more relaxed than in the helicopter, even taking a short nap after enjoying snacks provided for us by the jet service.
I’d never had the opportunity to watch my mate sleep, and I tried not to feel too much like a stalker as I sat in the leather armchair across from him, loving the peace in his expression.
His eyelids twitched, making me wonder if he was dreaming and if so, of what?
Me?
A male could hope.
But as long as he didn’t appear distressed, I could also relax and enjoy just being close to him. The flight went by quickly, and soon we were touching down at a private airport not far from Cuffed.
I reached over to wake Ches, but he opened his eyes and glanced around. “That was…where are we?”
“We’ve landed. Time for our meeting. Why don’t you go freshen up first, and then we’ll disembark.”
“Are we taking another helicopter?”
Was it a “get to” or “have to” question? I couldn’t tell from his expression. “Not right now. We have a car waiting.”
“But we will when we go back to the resort?”
“Unless you don’t want to. I can always make other arrangements if you prefer.”
“No!” He unclicked his seat belt and hopped to his feet. “Don’t do that. I liked it.”
“You did?” I knew he’d enjoyed the views, but he’d been so tense. “That’s great, then.”
He started for the rear of the cabin. “Yeah. Alias is going to be so jealous when I tell him.”
My omega was already getting used to the finer things. I loved that so much.
The ride to the club was not long, the town car very comfortable, but the closer we got, the less relaxed Ches grew. Reaching over, I placed a hand on his knee. “What’s going on in your mind?”
“I don’t think I’m ready to try BDSM. I was looking at pictures on my phone before we left and it looks scary.”
“Ah.” I gave him a pat. “Get out your phone and show me what you were looking at, if you’re all right with that?”
“O-okay. It’s kind of embarrassing though.”
“I don’t see why. You were taking the time to investigate something we were talking about, something you know is important to me. Come on, let me see, and we can talk about your concerns.” The car stopped, but I leaned forward and asked the driver to step out for a few minutes.
When we were alone again, Ches thrust his phone toward me then leaned back, hiding his face in his hands. “You can look.”
“All right.” I scrolled through the gallery he’d brought up.
“No wonder you’re worried. First of all, this is not representative of what any responsible dom would be involved in.
Guessing from the expressions on the omegas’ faces, there is no consent, no agreement, no hard stops, or any kind of safe word.
I can see injuries that should never happen, ligature marks deeper than the ones you’re just starting to heal from.
No. This is not what we were talking about. ”
“Okay. Are there other images I can see?”
“Yes, there are, but I’d be much happier if you explore for yourself.
We are not going to play right now. I have a meeting and I wanted to give you a tour before the club opens.
Just a tour, nothing more than that. Then, tonight, if you’re so inclined, we can walk through again so you can see what it looks like when there are people using the equipment and scening together.
I would never expect you to participate until you, one, know what to expect, and two, tell me what you will allow or want to try. ”
“All right.” He opened the car door. “So, I’ll just be waiting for you in a lounge or reception or something while you’re in your meeting?”
“Unless you think you’d enjoy endless discussion about details of a business deal that may take place in the near future. We’ll have someone get you a beverage and you can relax.”
But, as it turned out, that wasn’t what happened.
We had just begun the tour of the main floor when Talon entered, followed by his omega Rowan and several others.
The omegas swooped in and whisked him off for an afternoon of lunch and shopping, barely giving me enough time to get him a couple of credit cards and tell him to have a great time.
My last view of him was in the middle of the omegas who were all chatting and bumping shoulders, laughter trailing behind them. Might have been easier for him to just be tied down and spanked.
Maybe he’d like that. I knew I would.
Settling at the conference table with the same group I’d met with before, I mused that one of us was going to have more fun than the other.