Chapter Eighteen
Grant
My meeting couldn’t have been any different from the previous one. Instead of treating me like a Hun come to overrun them, they were cordial and welcoming. Every one of them shook my hand and told me they were excited to hear what I had to propose.
After a few moments of greeting and small talk, Talon called the meeting to order and everyone took seats around the table.
Interesting to note that they did not take the same seats as before.
In many corporations whose boards I’d faced, the top executives always sat in the same order, generally of importance, but in my visits so far, the closest I’d come to finding anyone in actual charge was Talon conducting the meetings.
Something that changed after he introduced another investor and took a seat to the side.
After a couple of them said a few words, they had me come up and talk a bit about the resort and my plans for it—which, as I’d told Talon, were hardly set in stone.
Basically, I planned to make the place a destination for kinkster shifters, especially wolves.
Although Cuffed and its sister club Crowned were not exclusively for wolves, they were the larger share of membership.
Sandwiches and some cold salads were brought at one point, and I really thought we had come up with some great ideas as to how we could offer support to one another and the market we were destined to share.
What I really wanted was to see my omega again.
But in addition to the collab, I’d made another deal I was excited and a little nervous about.
After his day with the omegas, Ches was swept back into the club offices on a wave of laughter. The others were laden with purchases, though, and my omega did not have anything. I’d given him the cards to use.
“You didn’t buy anything?”
“No. I have everything I need.”
“But I told you…”
“To have fun.” He beamed at me. “I did, too. We went all over town, shopping and had a delicious lunch. How was your meeting?”
“It was good. We also had lunch and did a lot of brainstorming. Why don’t we check into our hotel and take a rest before the club opens.”
It had been quite a day already, and as we walked out to the car, I asked him what the omegas had to tell him about the club or the lifestyle.
He was quiet a moment before saying, “They were all very positive about their lives and thought I should give it a try. All of them, at least I think all of them, are mated and have young.”
“Nothing else?”
“They think you’re hot and I should jump your bones ASAP.”
Really? “Those were their words?”
“Not exactly, but they definitely were complimentary. And I’m not sure if they were saying we should jump into bed, or maybe I should let you give me a ummm…”
“Spanking?” I winked and gave his bottom a little pat.
Cheeks flaming, he took a little hop-step forward. “Something like that.”
“And what did you think about that?”
“I think we’ll see how things go tonight.” He gave a brisk nod but didn’t elaborate on whether he meant sex or spanking. Was it terribly wrong that I hoped for both?
But none of that was going to happen this afternoon.
I had a suite with a room for each of us to which we retreated for a couple of hours, emerging in time for a room-service meal before returning to Cuffed.
I had no expectations for the evening, and, as I told Ches when we were turning over our phones at reception, “Let’s just have fun.
Being with you is what matters.” And if he didn’t like the idea of spanking or anything else I enjoyed, we’d figure it out somehow.
Fated mates didn’t come along multiple times in a person’s life, and I had to trust Fate knew her business.
I’d had him go online and fill out the guest form for Cuffed before our nap, so he had been approved to enter the club during open hours. All we had to do was turn over our phones and cruise on into the main room. But for some reason, the person behind the desk gave me mine back.
Ches stopped in the doorway, his breathing harsh. “There are so many people here.”
“It’s true. Busy night.” Talon arrived beside us, Rowan in tow. “I reserved one of the milder stations, in case you want to play this evening.”
“That was kind of you, but we may just be visiting, walking around so Ches can get a feel for the place.”
“Not a problem. It’s not like you can just drive down the street to get here, so we want to make sure and be hospitable to our newest investor.”
“Your what?” Ches spun to face me. “You bought into Cuffed?”
“Cuffed and Crowned, yes. I decided that it’s time I learned to play nicely with others instead of always being the only boss. Besides, it’s the easiest way to add a club to our new resort when we’re ready. Thinking of calling it Consummated or maybe Apex.”
“I assume you are still in possession of your phone?”
“I am. They did put Ches’ in the locker.”
“Once you’re mated and add him as an investor, he can keep his too.” Talon sounded so confident, but we hadn’t even discussed this yet. Sure, I had told him I planned to put Ches on all my accounts, etc., but that was if he agreed to be my mate.
After a moment of silence, Rowan said, “I think our station is ready, alpha.”
“Yes. I left you the spanking bench right at the front, Grant. We’ll see you later.” And off they went with everything entirely too real between the two of us.
We didn’t talk about it, though, not then. Instead, we went through the main floor of Cuffed, pausing at each station, letting Ches look his fill and ask me any questions. By the time we’d made it halfway through, his breathing was choppy, his pants tented at the front.
“Look there, omega.” I paused in front of the empty spanking bench with the discreet “reserved” sign atop it. “This is our stop, if you want to try.”
“All right.” He marched right up and bent over. “Like this?”
“Not going to feel much through those clothes, but up to you.”
He straightened and turned to face me. “Show me what to do.”
“It would be my honor.” I brushed his lips with mine. “Strip down to your undershorts.”
He kicked off his shoes and lifted a foot to tug off a sock. “Just my shorts?”
“Why? Would you rather leave the pants on after all?”
“No, but I noticed a lot of the other omegas are naked. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”
“There is no supposed to. It’s whatever you want.” I gently helped him remove the rest of his clothes but left the undershorts. “Now, lie on the bench, facedown. Hold onto the handles on the sides.”
He was trembling, and I was glad I’d left the shorts.
It gave him a little protection and while I didn’t plan to hurt him—much—a good spanking could sting.
Pressing him down, rubbing circles on the warm skin of his back, massaging down to the firm globes of his ass.
Only thin cotton separated my palms from his cheeks, but it would be enough for now.
Drawing my hand back, I brought it down with a firm thwack.
He gasped.
“Remember what you learned on the site when you filled out the forms. Yellow to pause, red for a full stop.”
“And green for go.” He moaned. “Green.”
He never changed that. Not when I spanked harder, my hard palm covering his whole ass, not when I reached into the drawer for a flogger and upped the intensity. When I stopped, it was because I judged he’d had enough, only regretting that I couldn’t see the marks I’d left on his skin. Yet.
I eased him up from the bench and gathered his clothing then led him to one of the aftercare corners. “Lie over my lap, omega. I want to check your skin and apply a salve.”
“Yes, alpha.” He bent at the waist, and I helped ease him down until he lay over my thighs.
Easing the waistband down past his buttocks, I admired the criss-crossed handprints on his smooth skin.
They would fade in a little while. It was just a taste, but it was enough for tonight.
While he lay limp, I smoothed the salve from the table next to the chair, over his skin.
His groan came all the way from his toes.
Then I repositioned him to sit, leaning against my chest, and held a bottle of water to his lips. My omega. My mate. My love.