A Little Band of Red (The Red Series Book 1) Read online

  “Stop, please stop, you’re going to make … me come … ahhh Christ.” Her words were lost on a moan as the orgasm crashed over her. Unlike her first, this one rolled down her body like a wave, but right before it hit her core, a stinging blast of pain exploded. The slap of the crop echoed around the room yet it was the impact of it landing on her clit that had PJ screaming. Her pleasure morphed to pain then back again. Desperately she fought to stay with him as she gasped through the haze.

  “That’s one. Say it and thank me.”

  Thank him? She could barely comprehend him. “One … Thank—you.”

  “My pleasure. Are you ready for number two?”

  “Two?”

  He laughed at that then lowered his head. This time it was his fingers that penetrated her, pushing deep and twisting. Something inside her reacted, her abs drawing tight as another shudder stormed through her.

  Why was he licking her again?

  Why wasn’t he slapping her and getting the punishment over and done with?

  When a thicker presence pressed against her, she realised he was filling her with the glass handle, and this time she could feel every ridge as it forced her open. He started fucking her, slow and steady, gradually working deeper and faster while his fingers danced over her clit. She’d never been so confused in her whole life. One second it hurt, the next it was heaven, hell—ahhh, he was coaxing her right back to the agony/ecstasy and she couldn’t seem to stop him. Her vision faded in and out, her body began to tremble. She tried not to fight it, not to hold her breath but—

  “Oh fuck, Master, fuck.” The roaring in her ears preceded her climax by a split second, but just as she was falling into it, white-hot pain erupted over her clit again. Nothing had ever hurt so good or so bad, yet when the convulsions slowed, her heartbeat didn’t. A fine layer of sweat coated her body and her head was spinning. Her legs felt heavy, strangely detached and the bit in the middle, the epicentre of Master Luke’s attention, that sensation left her speechless.

  “That’s two, now be a good girl and say thank you for the orgasms.”

  Orgasms, he was punishing her with orgasms not the strikes!

  “Oh no … no, please.”

  As she stared above her, seeing shimmering dots and silver chains, he appeared, lowering himself down. Carefully he cupped her nape, holding her tight, his words whispering across her cheeks between kisses.

  “Shhh. Don’t be scared, there’s nothing to be scared of. I just want to show you what you’re capable of, what we can have together if you’ll trust me. Can you do that?”

  Oddly, she did trust him, but this was the most overwhelming, disconcerting experience of her life. “I … don’t know.”

  “I do. You have a safe word, but I want to give you what you need.”

  She could feel him toying with the bands at her wrist, tugging them, and he looked so sincere, like this meant something to him.

  “Okay.” The kiss he gave her was incredible, so gentle yet she couldn’t seem to catch her breath as he eased back down her body.

  “Three to go, Baby.”

  There was no slow build up with the third orgasm. He took her straight back to the agonizing point right before the pleasure and kept her there until she was begging him to stop. He didn’t. Again he licked her with such devastating skill that she screamed through her orgasm well before he struck her nipple with the crop. The pain barely registered because somewhere in the process, her body had turned against her. PJ shuddered violently, jerking beneath him with so much force that the chains rattled all the way up to the ceiling.

  Everything was starting to ache, even her lungs as she dragged in a breath, holding it far too long before she forced it out. He wanted two more and she wanted to please him, but she honestly didn’t think she could. Her heart was racing, slamming against her ribcage and her skin felt like it was on fire, but as soon as he eased a finger inside her, dragging the pad over that one spot, he took control of her body again.

  “No, please not again.”

  “Yes, again. I know you can.”

  The handle, his fingers, his tongue, she couldn’t tell, all of them were inside her, thrusting hard and fast then soft and slow.

  “Feel it, PJ, feel it for me.”

  She was feeling it, all of it: the agonizing pleasure, the exquisite pain, the slick heat of her straining body, the rapid pulse of her heart. PJ knew where it was heading because she’d been there before, never in a situation like this, but the result was still going to be the same. If he didn’t stop this soon, she was going to pass out. As she tried to catch her breath to tell him, he thrust the glass dildo inside her, forcing it down hard over something that had her whimpering. Every muscle inside her seized, taking her completely by surprise. This time the sensation was too much. Her orgasm was so fierce she vanished inside it, trapped under the waves that just kept on coming.

  “Please, stop … Vader.”

  Five, ten seconds, twenty PJ didn’t know, but when she opened her eyes, Master Luke was right beside her, cradling her head in his hands.

  “Shh, shhh, you’re okay.”

  Her legs were free, writhing on the sheets all by themselves as her arms rested heavily on her lap. Master Luke was wrapped around her like a lover and she couldn’t quite figure out why.

  “What happened?”

  “You had a vaginal climax and I’m guessing by your reaction, it was your first.”

  His kisses were feather-light, tickling her eyelids, her cheeks, then finally her lips.

  “Look at me.”

  After what he’d just done to her, PJ was suddenly overcome with shyness.

  “Please don’t hide from me. I want to get to know you. I realise what just happened was your first real taste of erotic punishment, but you responded beautifully. You’re so perfect for this, for what I can give you.”

  Again PJ found herself struggling to comprehend what he was saying. It sounded like he was talking about a future, as in their future. She didn’t know the man at all yet she found herself getting swept up by his words, her mind running away with the idea of being his. How could she not? He was stunning and sexy, dominant and charming. What more could she ask for—? And that’s when she gave herself a good mental slap. It was the Master Adam instant love all over again. Was she really so desperate for positive male attention after what Sam had done to her? Yes, he’d dented her ego, but she’d never been a particularly self-centred person anyway and she’d certainly never needed a man’s approval to feel good about herself. Yet hearing the tone in Master Luke’s voice, the hope, the longing—she was drawn to it, and him.

  “How about we go out to the bar, get a drink and something to eat. You’re incredibly pale.”

  “I’d like that, Master, thank you.”

  Carefully he sat her up, keeping an arm around her waist until she was ready to stand. Then he dressed her, taking forever as he eased her stay-ups back on and tied her dress in place. He even attempted to tame her hair, and he never stopped whispering to her, telling her how beautiful she was, how sweet her submission had been. How good they could be together, how happy she made him. Surprisingly, he made her happy too and that was the scary thing.

  The main club was packed when they returned to it, with all the stations busy. As PJ quickly scanned the room, she couldn’t see Indy anywhere. She did however, see far more of one scene than she wanted to. In the far corner, attached to a cross was a blonde woman, bound with a multitude of ropes. A thick leather belt was strapped under her chin, hauling her head back on a hideous angle, but it was her breasts that had PJ cringing. They too had been bound, separated by a figure eight of rope. Her nipples were clamped and heavy weights were hanging from them while a man struck her with a vicious looking whip. Bright red welts appeared after each strike. She was screaming, clearly in agony, yet he just kept hitting her, in the same place again and again. PJ’s stomach heaved, bile surging up her throat.

  “I need to go to the bathroom, Master, pl
ease.” It was either that or throw up at his feet.

  “Of course, Darling, you know where?”

  “Yes.”

  “Come back here when you’re done and we’ll talk.”

  “Yes, Master.” With her head down, PJ stumbled through the crowd, avoiding everyone until she entered the bathroom where a small group of women stood by the sinks talking and reapplying make up. One of them smiled at her as she entered a cubicle, but even with the door closed she could still hear them clearly.

  “Do you think Lana will stay with Master Noah? She needs far more than he’ll ever be able to give her.”

  “I don’t know. She might have to look at another club. There’s no one else here as hard core as Master Luke, and if he doesn’t want her, well ….”

  Something in PJ’s chest twisted so tight, she almost choked.

  “Did you see the welts he left on her last time? She was black and blue for weeks. I’ve never seen a Dom use a cane like that.”

  “That’s what I don’t understand. She’s a total pain slut. She’d let him do whatever he wanted, but he keeps turning her down, refuses to give her anything other than the odd night here and there.”

  “Maybe he really is that cold? I mean I’ve seen his scenes, there’s no emotion there.”

  The main door opened then closed, the voices fading as PJ sat very, very still. What was the chance of there being two Lukes at the club, and those women were talking about the other one? Surely the gorgeous, charismatic Master she’d spent the last couple of hours completely at the mercy of, wasn’t the man they were talking about? He’d been so gentle and tender. Yes, he’d inflicted some pain on her, but he’d done it with charm and he’d been right there with her through every strike.

  After a deep, much needed breath PJ left the safety of the toilet just as the door opened again, Sasha, the receptionist walking in.

  “Hey, Miss Lester, how was your first night?”

  Up until five seconds ago it had been brilliant.

  “Good, thank you.” Before she could stop herself, the question was out. “Sasha, are there two Doms at the club named Luke?”

  Sasha smiled, sort of. “Oh no, there’s only one, but I doubt you’ll meet him, he only ever plays with experienced subs. He has some pretty extreme requirements.”

  “Such as?”

  “He’s a sadist, PJ, and a serious one. He’s been doing it for years so the experience he has is mind-blowing. His knowledge on how to really fuck with someone, mentally and physically is, well … ”

  Sasha caught PJ’s horrified expression in the mirror.

  “Don’t be fooled by those baby blue eyes and the angelic smile, PJ. He’ll hurt you and he’ll take all night to do it.”

  Sasha headed for the toilets while PJ just stared at her reflection before she slowly started to remove the black crescent of mascara from under her eyes. When Sasha finally left after a very one-sided conversation, PJ stopped fighting the bile that was surging up her throat.

  She gagged over and over, unable to make sense of anything, not the beautiful kisses, or the sensual feel of his touch. Certainly not the promise of what they could mean to each other, or the way he’d completely covered her body with his, using his weight and his heat to comfort her when she’d been scared, none of it. But if what Sasha and the other members said was true then she needed to leave because there was a very dangerous man out there waiting for her.

  Why he’d been so different with her, she didn’t know and never would. The idea of heading back into the club to ask him was not one she planned on following. Instead she slowly opened the door and stepped out into the darkness. It wasn’t hard to make her way undetected across the room, but with every step, her heart beat faster, just waiting for his big hand to land on her shoulder, yet it never happened.

  The foyer was empty when she entered it, the cloakroom too. PJ was tempted to leave Indy a note, but she didn’t, deciding to text her tomorrow instead.

  Her hands were shaking so much as she tried to do up the buttons that she gave up, heading for the door half dressed. It was bitterly cold out on the street as she waited for a cab, which thankfully only took a minute. Jumping inside, she mumbled her address before slumping back against the seat. Only then did the full impact of what could have happened hit her. What a fucking fool she’d been, allowing her heart to run away with a stranger, a beautiful, deviant, potentially dangerous stranger.

  When the tears started to fall she wasn’t sure whether it was from relief or terror, but it was over now and she was safe, not that it made her feel any better.

  Where was she?

  Luke glanced around the club, spotting PJ’s blonde friend, but not PJ herself. She’d been in the bathroom for at least ten minutes and he was starting to get worried. If she was his—when she was his, they would establish some ground rules so that both of them knew what was expected in situations like this. The last thing he wanted was for her to be alone in a bathroom, struggling to deal with what had happened between them.

  She was so new to all this and she’d been so strong, fighting through her fears to stay with him, but that sort of bravery came at a price, one she could quite possibly be paying for now, alone. As he paced restlessly, a sub he was familiar with appeared. He beckoned her over.

  “Natasha, can you go and check on my sub for me please? She’s in the bathroom. She’s one of the new girls, black dress, long curly hair.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  With her eyes lowered, Natasha bowed before vanishing into the crowd. The tiniest hint of unease niggled at Luke. What if she’d panicked and left? His fists clenched at his sides, fingernails digging in before he forced himself to take a breath and calm the fuck down.

  Why would she run? They’d been amazing together. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ended a scene feeling so satisfied and content and he’d barely touched her. Just kissing her had been incredible. Luke never kissed anyone. It was one of his rules, one that he’d broken within minutes of having her alone in that room. And he hadn’t been able to stop once he’d tasted her because every breath he took from her was a little part he got to keep. Now he wanted so much more.

  Natasha returned, dropping to her knees in front of him.

  “You may speak.”

  “I’m sorry, Master, there’s no woman in any of the bathrooms in a black dress or in the locker room.”

  “What?” Before she could answer, Luke turned, searching for the blonde. She saw him coming, hastily stepping away from the group she was dancing with. Again he had to haul himself back under control. Coming across as a psychotic sadist wasn’t going to win him any points, and if what he was starting to suspect had happened, he was going to need this woman’s help. If only he could remember her name.

  “Claud—India, can I have a minute please?”

  Without a word she followed him out into the foyer. She too was a stunning woman, but she had nothing on PJ.

  “Do you know where PJ is? Have you seen her in the last ten minutes?”

  With the undisciplined mannerisms of a beginner, she fidgeted and fumbled with her hands before she met his gaze.

  “No, Sir. The last time I saw her, you … she was with you. Why? What happened?”

  What happened indeed? “We’d just finished a scene and she went to the bathroom, and now she’s gone. I need her—” Fuck! “I need to talk to her, make sure she’s okay.”

  India visibly paled before him. “What did you do to her?”

  A blinding wave of fury had Luke seriously struggling not to hit something. No one had ever spoken to him with such an insolent tone in the club, no one would fucking dare! Did she not know who he was, what he was capable of?

  It took a moment for the haze to clear, his anger quickly receding behind a well-practiced smile. She too was new and obviously didn’t have any idea of the reputation that proceeded him, which was for the best considering what he wanted from her best friend.

  “I did nothing that
she didn’t enjoy, I promise. She was beautiful, India, absolutely beautiful, but it was intense for her and I really need to help her deal with that. Can you call her for me?”

  Again an unnerving sense of panic overrode all his other emotions. It was so foreign to him that he just didn’t know what to do with himself.

  “Of course. I’ll grab my phone.”

  She left him waiting in the middle of the foyer, alone, which was ironic really, that he now found himself in the exact position he’d put so many of his subs in before. Standing, watching, wondering when or if the person who held all the power was ever going to come back and if they did, whether it would make the longing in their heart better or worse. He was about to find out as India returned, frowning while she frantically hit the screen of her phone.

  “I’m sorry, she’s not answering.”

  Luke thought about demanding PJ’s number and her address, but there were rules in place at the club for this exact reason. And what would she think if he started calling her at one in the morning or worse, turned up on her doorstep? He just couldn’t risk it. “Will you keep trying, please? I need to know what happened. She really did seem fine.”

  “Yes, Sir, I will.”

  She turned away from him, heading back towards the club, but the utter feeling of loss that filled Luke forced him forward. With what he hoped was a gentle hand, he stopped her, turning her back. It felt like this was his last chance at happiness, yet even after everything he’d done to secure it, it was still slipping through his fingers.

  “Will you bring her back, on Monday? I need to see her, to talk to her.”

  India’s expression did nothing to reassure him, if anything she looked guilty.

  “This wasn’t her idea, Sir. I made her come. If she left tonight, upset or … I’m sorry. I honestly don’t know if she’ll want to come back. But I’ll try. She’s had a rough time lately and she could do with a distraction.”