Charming Colton Read online

  She shakes her head. “Not necessarily. That’s something else entirely. It’s just that often people like to get a rush from a scene their partner isn’t proficient at. Like I’ve told you before, it’s not always sexual. Often it’s not.”

  I nod slowly. I’m not even close to understanding, probably because all of my experience in the fetish community has been with Eve, and there is no doubt everything between us is steaming hot sexual. Even for her, and she’s the one who told me she doesn’t mix sex with her kink.

  I squeeze her hand. I don’t relish the idea of letting go of her and pretending for the next several hours that we don’t know each other. And as much as she’s explained her relationship with Owen, I loathe the idea of watching the man dominate her.

  I’m beyond glad that she’s mostly been in her adult mindset since I picked her up, but I’m also aware that I’m largely responsible for her frame of mind. If I dominate her, she’ll drop into a submissive mode, automatically aiming for her little because that’s the type of submissive she is. If I speak to her as my equal, she can maintain control of her adult. I’ve put this to the test for the last few hours and proven it.

  Granted, we also didn’t talk much, and I’m itching to dominate her because I love how she responds to me. It’s been challenging keeping my thoughts to myself. And my resolve is slipping.

  What I should do is let her go so she can transition into her little space on her own in the changing room inside. But I can’t quite bring myself to do it. I want her to go into this club knowing that I’m her Dom, not some other man. That she will leave here under my control. Macho much? Yes. Apparently.

  “Eve, look at me, baby.” I slide that word in to set the tone.

  She lifts her gaze, her grip on her adult self already wavering behind her eyes.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got this. I’m going to hang with Davis and learn the ropes. It’s going to be fine. I promise I will not interrupt your scene in any way. You won’t even know I’m here. But…” I release her hand to cup her face. I’m so going to step over a line I should not have drawn. “You’re my submissive. For as long as we’re together, you’re mine. When we leave here, you’ll be over my knee with my palm on your bottom. And even though you’ve never mixed sex with your little side, you will with me. When I spank you, you’ll squirm with the need to come so badly that you’ll be begging me to give you the release you crave.”

  She trembles so hard that my cock can’t stand it. She’s panting. Her eyes are wide. And she starts to fidget.

  “Are we on the same page?” I love to make her say it out loud. I love it because it makes her squirm and I know it increases her arousal when I do it. It’s a look I want to see as often as possible.

  She licks her lips. “Yes, Sir.”

  “Good girl.” I stroke her cheek and consider leaning in to kiss her but decide against it.

  I’m staring at her lips when she speaks softly. “One of my coworkers saw us this morning.”

  I jerk my attention up to her eyes. “Oh shit. Sorry. What did they say?”

  “Luckily, it was a friend of mine. Lacy. We hang out together outside of work sometimes. She was just teasing me. Said I was holding out on her. Wanted more details about the mystery man who dropped me off and kissed me out front. She was jealous.”

  I hold her face and lean closer. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you. You bring out a possessive side in me I didn’t know existed.”

  “It’s okay. I told her I wasn’t ready to talk and that I didn’t want to jinx anything because I don’t know you that well yet and it might not work out.” She shudders as she finishes.

  My chest tightens. I hate that she had to tell her friend she had no faith in our relationship. It shouldn’t bother me. She’s right. It’s not going to work out. I’m going to solve this crime and then the captain will put me on a new assignment, and I won’t see Eve again. I can’t. It’s not possible. But it hurts. Eve is the first woman I’ve ever considered having more with, but I would never drag another human being into the shitty world I live in. It wouldn’t be fair.

  I want to kiss her even more now, but suddenly a car pulls up next to us and I glance over to see Davis and Britney. It’s time for this charade to begin.

  I turn back toward Eve. “You okay, Eve?”

  She nods.

  I grip her face and hold her gaze. “Words, baby.”

  “I’m okay, Sir.”

  “Good girl.” I open my door and search our surroundings. I see no signs of anyone lurking around the area. Not on foot or in a car. The only other people in the parking lot right now are Davis and Britney.

  Eve exits the car, grabs her bag from the back seat, and lifts it onto her shoulder. I have no idea what she’s brought to change into, but I’m looking forward to finding out.

  She gives Britney a hug before the two of them link arms and head for the entrance. I hang back with Davis and enter behind them. My heart is racing. This is going to be a long night.

  When we step inside, I’m shocked to find Eve’s friend Leah working at the front desk. She greets us and checks her notes in front of her before waving us through. I know Julius left her my name and told her I was an invited guest.

  While the women head off to the changing room, Davis and I wander around the club. It’s kind of early so not many people are playing yet, but we pause to watch a couple doing a spanking scene.

  Davis stands very close to me so he can talk without disrupting the scene. “So this particular woman is more like Eve than Britney. She really likes to get spanked, but it’s not sexual for her. It’s cathartic. Like a massage.”

  I watch closely as the Dom peppers the sub’s butt with a steady stream of swats. He covers every inch of her skin so that a pink glow rises on her upper thighs and all over her cheeks, much like Davis did to Britney after dinner Tuesday night.

  The woman is secured to the spanking bench, her wrists and ankles cuffed so that she can’t escape. Her only movement is a slight wiggle back and forth. Her lips are parted and her face is relaxed.

  I turn to Davis as he motions for us to step away from the scene.

  He leads me to the break room where we sit on one of the sofas and turn to face each other. “Questions?” he asks.

  I glance around, but no one else is in the room, so I feel confident I can speak candidly. “Turns out it’s not going to be that way between Eve and me. When she submits to me, it’s sexual. I get that it’s not like that with other Doms for her, but it is when she’s with me.”

  Davis smiles. “Have you spanked her yet?”

  “No. I wanted to wait until after tonight. I feel like I need to watch several more times and get a better education first.”

  “Good plan. How about if we secure a private room for later and then I can go with you and help you the first time.”

  “That would be great. If Eve doesn’t mind.”

  Davis chuckles. “I can tell you a few things about Eve. One, she doesn’t mind who watches her. She has been spanked in front of the entire club many times. Two, she would want you to have every possible tool at your disposal, including solid instruction. And three…” He wiggles his brows.

  I widen my eyes. “What?”

  “Based on what you’ve told me, she’s already under your control. Do you really think she would turn down the opportunity?”

  I smile, then chuckle. “Good point.”

  Roman steps into the room. “Ah, there you are. I saw Eve and Britney in the daycare when I dropped off Lucy, so I figured you two were around here somewhere.”

  “Thank you again for allowing me access to the club.”

  “No problem. This is important.” He sobers. “By the way, Julius and I looked over the picture Davis sent us. Neither of us recognizes the man.”

  Davis nodded. “I showed it to Blade too. He’s never seen the guy either.”

  I sigh. “One step forward. Two steps back.”

  Davis glances p
ast me as someone else enters the room. He smiles. “Speak of the devil.”

  I turn to see Blade coming toward us. The man is tall. Six-three. Dark hair, cut short. Dark eyes. I figure he’s at least partly Hispanic. He holds out a hand. “Good to see you again. Though I hate the circumstances.”

  I shake his hand. “Yes. You too. Do you go by Blade in the club?”

  His eyes dance. “Nope. Around here, I’m Master Andres.”

  I nod. “Good to know.”

  “Not a big deal. Most people in all walks of life call me Blade.”

  Davis chuckles. “It’s impossible for me to think of him as anything other than Blade. I tend to not notice when I hear Andres.”

  I smile. “Trust me, I’ve had so many pseudonyms over the years that I barely know who I am anymore.”

  Blade claps a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll be low-key around here tonight, but rest assured I will keep my eyes peeled on everyone who comes through the door. If they even so much as glance wrong at Eve, I’ll let you know.”

  “Appreciate it.”

  “On that note, just ignore me. I’ll catch up later.” He turns and leaves the room.

  I’m glad to have Davis’s boss on my team. Another set of eyes is always welcome. And I know how the man feels about human trafficking. Of all possible crimes he finds himself investigating, that one really gets under his skin. It does all of us.

  Roman motions over his shoulder. “You want to see the daycare?”

  “Yes. Thank you.” I wipe my hands on my thighs. I hope I don’t appear half as nervous as I feel.

  Davis follows us as we head down a hallway toward the elusive daycare all of them have mentioned. I’m stunned and amazed. It’s exactly like a daycare would be anywhere except that everyone in the room is an adult in a role.

  The room is large and divided into many sections with a variety of activities. There are three walls. Where we’re standing is more like a fence. It makes up the entire fourth wall and allows people on this side to watch while pretending to keep the occupants safe from escaping.

  I spot Eve quickly, and my breath catches in my throat. She’s wearing a lavender dress. It’s very youthful, barely reaches below her bottom, and will flare out like she enjoys if she spins. I smile as I remember her designating such dresses as twirl dresses and wonder what she’s wearing underneath tonight.

  She’s sitting at a small table with two other littles. The dress is not tucked under her. It’s hanging off the back and sides of the chair. She has on white knee socks and white patent leather shoes too. Her hair is in the usual pigtails she has worn at home a few times.

  The woman across from her is Britney who looks equally young. I’m not sure who the other woman is, but I don’t have to wait long. Roman points toward her and says, “That’s Lucy. My little.”

  “Ah.” Lucy is even shorter than Eve and very petite. She’s also dressed similarly. “How long have you two been together?” I ask him.

  “It will be seven years in May,” he responds.

  “Wow. That’s amazing.”

  Roman chuckles. “It wasn’t easy at first. We’ve had our rocky patches. I wasn’t very diplomatic when I decided I wanted her to be mine.”

  I smile. “Looks like it worked out.”

  The girls spot us and wave.

  We wave back.

  Eve looks very sweet. She even shrugs her shoulders up and giggles when she sees me.

  I stare at her, wondering how the hell I’m going to watch her get spanked by another man.

  Chapter 18

  Colton

  * * *

  When we turn around, Leah is heading toward us. “You wanted to see me, Sir?” she asks Roman.

  “Ah, yes. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind doing a spanking scene for our guest to watch.” Roman nods toward me. “You probably met at the entrance, but Leah, this is Colt. Colt, Leah.”

  I extend a hand because it seems polite.

  She smiles. “Nice to meet you, Sir. I’d be happy to help out.”

  It feels strange for random people to call me Sir. It’s also weird that I spied on this woman with Eve last week at lunch. She doesn’t know it. I doubt Eve has told her.

  She turns toward Roman. “Who’s going to dominate me, Sir?”

  “I was going to ask Stephan, if that’s okay with you. You two have chemistry that draws a crowd.”

  “Sounds good, Sir.”

  “Perfect.” Roman leads us back into the main room and Davis and I hang back while Roman speaks to Stephan and Leah. Finally, he nods toward the far corner of the room, and we head that direction.

  “What’s special about Leah getting spanked as opposed to anyone else?” I ask Davis.

  Davis smiles at me. “You’ll see. She’s the polar opposite of the woman we saw earlier. She finds spanking extremely sexual and will orgasm for a crowd.”

  I nod. Interesting. “Is she little?”

  Davis laughs. “Not even close. Though I’m pretty sure Eve has tried to get her to turn to the dark side on more than one occasion.”

  Even more interesting.

  Roman joins us to one side and we talk while Leah and Stephan discuss their plans. The entire process is fascinating. These people negotiate every detail in full before they do a scene. I never realized how incredibly diligent the fetish community is about safety.

  More people are starting to arrive, and I glance around, carefully noting everyone I see.

  Roman is frowning when I look back in his direction. “It unnerves me that someone among us might be considering such a heinous crime,” he murmurs.

  “I know. Let’s hope I’m wrong,” I respond. “But in the meantime, I’m going to watch closely.”

  “You don’t think any one person is working alone to snatch women though, do you?” Roman asks.

  “Not a chance,” Davis responds. He knows as well as I do. The man who attempted to sell Britney eight months ago was not working alone. I’m certain we’re dealing with the same outfit this time. It was only a matter of time before they attempted to grab another woman.

  No chance it’s a one-man operation. Since no one at the club recognizes the stalker from the photo, my inclination is that someone inside the club is still in on this crime. They are thorough. Their MO is to scope out a woman and then track her until they’re ready to move. Just like was the case with Britney, I wish I knew the actual date the exchange is planned. But once again, I do not.

  Roman steps closer and glances around. Luckily no one is near us. “So, all you know still is that someone is stalking her and you have a tip that came in warning you she was a target. And you’re thinking there’s an incredibly good chance that an accomplice to the kidnapping is a member of the club. Nothing new?”

  I sigh. “That’s correct.” I’m not one bit closer to solving this crime than I was a week ago—or three weeks ago, to be honest.

  Roman winces. “Hate it.” He glances around. “Just fucking hate it. There are a lot of vulnerable women here, my own wife included.”

  “I noticed a man standing outside the daycare,” Davis points out. “Not a coincidence, is it?”

  Roman shakes his head. “No. I wanted extra security. He’s a friend. Craig Darwin. We go way back. He’s retired Army. He was gracious enough to do this for me. I don’t like the littles unprotected in that daycare. Not Lucy or any of them. They are more vulnerable than anyone in the place because they get left alone.”

  Davis nods. “I did pin him as military. How much does he know about the BDSM community?”

  I noticed him myself, but I had no way of realizing he was out of place. I’m glad to know he’s here.

  Roman chuckles. “More than the rest of us combined.”

  Davis smirks. “Okay then.”

  “Trust me. He’s solid. I’ve been trying to get him to visit the club ever since his divorce five years ago, but he wouldn’t do it. If I’m lucky, he’ll get lured back into the scene while standing guard.”


  Movement to my right causes me to shift my attention toward Leah and Stephan. He’s guiding her toward what I know to be a St. Andrew’s cross. Leah is dressed nothing like Eve or Britney or Lucy. She’s not a little. She’s wearing a tight black skirt, platform heels, and a red corset that pushes her breasts up and gives her amazing cleavage.

  Stephan lifts her chin with one finger.

  When she looks at him, I see a very submissive woman, nothing like the woman I saw at lunch Sunday or at the front desk when we arrived. She has transformed, much like Eve does when she switches to her little.

  Stephan is speaking to her in a soft voice I can’t hear, and she’s nodding. When he’s done, he angles her toward the cross face first and lifts her arms one at a time, securing them spread high and wide.

  I watch with curiosity as he trails a finger down her cheek and then between her breasts. He teases the edge of her corset before dipping his finger into one of the cups and flicking her nipple. Leah arches her neck and whimpers.

  “She’s amazing to watch,” Roman whispers. “I’m going to go swap places with Craig for a bit so he can watch.”

  Davis chuckles. “Playing matchmaker today?”

  Roman shrugs. “Leah is not his type. Craig is a Daddy through and through. Doesn’t change the fact that the show you’re about to see is going to be erotic and sexy as fuck.”

  I return my attention to Stephan as Roman leaves us. I’m marginally aware of Craig taking his spot a few minutes later. When I glance at him, he nods toward me and Davis. I’m betting Roman told him who we were. He’s intense. Arms folded. Looks like a bouncer. Big guy. Serious.

  Once again, I focus on Leah and Stephan. He’s slowly strolling around her from one side to the other and back again. He touches her randomly. Her shoulders. Her neck. Her back. Her butt. Eventually, he plants himself right behind her, so close she can feel his heat, and he unfastens the back of her corset.

  I’m surprised as it falls away, leaving her naked from the waist up. She’s a gorgeous woman with breasts about the same size as Eve—more than enough to get a palm around, but pert and high at the same time.