necessity?
Like Mondo said, every D/s encounter was different. While Mondo didn’t make a habit of sleeping with the Doms he trained, or seeing them outside the confines of this club, he’d made an exception for her.
However, why she was worried when Gus likely wouldn’t want anything to do with her if they met again outside the club, she didn’t know. Yet Mondo’s belief that they were good together held a lot of sway. He knew her. Had broken down every wall around her heart then helped her build a shiny new foundation. Maybe that’s why she wasn’t willing to walk away.
Or maybe it was because the moment Gus had gained her permission to take over, she’d been thrilled to her toes. The way he’d pleasured her, with more enthusiasm than finesse, the way he’d handled her body, unleashing his immense power while carefully gauging her rising excitement, had made for the most exhilarating sex of her life.
Her shoulders slumped. She’d been playing at being a Domme. Obviously, she had no true heart for it. She ought to be wallowing in a pool of self-recrimination over her loss of control. And yet her body had never felt more fulfilled or relaxed. Although she wanted to deny she felt it, this feeling of elation, of wonder and discovery, was what she’d wanted for so long but never quite achieved.
Maybe she was overthinking the whole thing. Maybe tonight was simply super-charged because they’d just met and both been carried away. Perhaps the next time he’d be more willing to trust her and for her to trust her own instincts.
She had a week to get herself back in the groove. She’d set the date and the setting. Rather than jump off the deep end in a date outside the club, she’d had the good sense to draw back.
Reassured she’d done the right thing, she ignored the voice inside her head, the one ranting at her for not seeking him out right this minute for more of his rough brand of loving.
Chapter Four
Early Thursday evening, Gus’s crew assembled at their usual haunt. This night, The Emerald Tavern was hopping.
A favorite among cops and firemen, the dimly lit bar felt like a second home to Gus. Thursday night was the one night of the week his posse’s work schedules allowed them to all meet, outside special events for which they requested time off. They had a ritual—same scarred table, same first round of drinks. They even had their own personal bartender who never let their glasses go empty, but who also made sure to replace beer for water when they’d reached their limit.
Gus glanced toward Marti Kowalski, who was wiping down the bar, and raised a finger to indicate they needed another round. She flashed him a brilliant smile. Then blushed.
Something she didn’t do with anyone else. Marti was tough despite her tiny frame. But she was engaged to his buddy, Jackson, something Gus and the rest of the crew had helped Jackson achieve over the course of one naughty weekend. A weekend no one ever mentioned for Jackson’s peace of mind.
Beau lifted his chin to point toward the pretty bartender with the blue streak in her hair. “Marti looks happy.”
Jackson grunted. “That’s because she is.”
“What’s the matter with you?”
“A little problem regarding expectations.”
Beau grinned, white teeth flashing. “We set the bar too high?”
Jackson rolled his eyes then sat forward. A sure sign he wanted to talk about his pre-marital issues. “She’s looking for new adventures.”
Mondo cleared his throat.
Jackson gave Mondo a searing glare. “I am not takin’ her to La Forge.”
Mondo flashed a quick grin. “Bring her to watch. No more. She might be inspired.”
Jackson sighed. “It’s not like things aren’t great, but sometimes she gets this look in her eyes. Like she’s remembering it .”
Soft chuckles circled the table. Gus knew none of them was likely to ever forget the lengths they’d gone to help Marti check off every naughty item on her sexual bucket list.
Jackson