Tempted by her Daddies: Chapter 5

Salem entered Club Slade.

Frustration was riding him hard, and he wasn’t certain that being here was a good idea.

Not that he’d ever take his frustration out on a sub. He had been trained better than that.

But he wasn’t exactly in a good headspace.

The meeting with Riordan hadn’t gone well. He was a hard man. And he demanded results.

Which Salem wanted to give him.

But he was pushing Salem out of the lead position. A clear message that he didn’t trust him to do the job.

He worked best when he was given free rein at something, and Riordan knew that. Just like he knew that Salem had put his blood, sweat and tears into this.

And then there was Alexei.

Fuck. Salem knew he should go check on Alexei. Riordan wouldn’t even hear of letting him take on any undercover work. Instead, he was stuck giving them information or helping to train new recruits.

At least Roman had escaped Riordan’s ire.

Salem moved slowly toward the bar at the end of the room. Club Slade was housed in a cold, industrial building, and the inside kept that industrial theme with lots of black, metal, and wood.

Nothing like where he lived. He still felt out-of-place. As though he couldn’t quite settle because he was too scared to touch anything.

Sometimes, he wished Alexei took more care. He’d broken two vases and a sculpture in the first two weeks of living there. Although Roman had taken it rather well.

Then again, Salem wasn’t always sure of how much Roman took in. Maybe he didn’t even know those vases were broken.

Salem needed to check in with the younger man tomorrow. He’d come home from his walk the other day in a strange mood.

Quiet and thoughtful.

But he hadn’t immediately taken off into his office and bedroom. Instead, he’d sat at the kitchen island as Salem cooked and had asked him questions about how easy it was to get infections from scraping your knees and palms.

It had been a bizarre conversation.

And that was saying something. Because most of his conversations with his roommates were bizarre.

Yeah. He shouldn’t be here. He had other responsibilities.

Like taking care of everyone else.

And that included convincing his mum to go to Escana for Alina’s wedding.

He wasn’t sure why she was so hesitant.

He knew that his dad wouldn’t go without his mum and Alina wanted their parents there more than anyone else. So he had to make that happen.

More shit on his plate.

Turning away from the bar, he’d made the decision to get the hell out of here when a woman banged straight into him. He grabbed hold of her as she wobbled.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry. I’m such a freaking klutz.”

“Don’t talk down about yourself,” he said automatically. Although he found himself actually meaning it.

He didn’t want this gorgeous girl to ever speak or think badly about herself.

She was stunning with long hair that was a curious mix of colours that she’d pulled up off her face into a high ponytail. Big blue eyes stared up at him. She wore a tight black leather corset that pushed her breasts up, baring most of them. And she’d paired them with long, black tight pants that clung to her in all the best ways. Her feet were bare, which he didn’t think was that wise.

“It’s not smart to go barefoot in here,” he told her. “Someone could stand on your toes.”

“Yeah, I’ve already learned that the hard way. But I wore some new shoes the other day and my feet were rubbed raw. I didn’t think it was a good look to wear my slippers or flip flops.” She grinned up at him.

Shit. She was short.

The top of her head barely reached the top of his shoulder. Salem swallowed heavily. He didn’t know whether it was because she seemed so sweet and helpless. Or if it was because he hadn’t been here in a long time, but he couldn’t help but feel a surge of protectiveness.

It’s just what you’d feel toward any sub who was on their own and looking a bit lost.

“Other clubs I’ve been to, it’s been fine to go barefoot, and they didn’t say anything when I came in. But, yeah, these floors are freezing, huh?”

And likely not that clean. At least not in this part of the club. Downstairs where the serious play went on, the place was kept spotless.

Up here was more for mingling. Not that some public play didn’t go on. Over in the corner of the room, he’d spotted a Domme pressed up against a wall with her legs spread. A male sub was on his knees with his head between her legs, eating her out.

There was another sub kneeling in a cage hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. She’d likely been put there as punishment by her Dom as she was completely naked except for a pair of cat ears and the cat tail anal plug. There was a thin, tall man standing to the side as people reached into the cage to pet the kitty. Which often involved stroking her skin and playing with her nipples.

“Do you think she’s all right?” the woman whispered. “That she wants this? She’s not embarrassed?”

He glanced down at her and then realized that he still had a hold of her arm. He let go of her quickly, but he didn’t make an excuse and leave.

Instead, he glanced back at the kitty assessingly. Was she being coerced? If it was a punishment, she would understandably look upset. But was her Dom pressuring her into this? Ignoring her cues that this was too much?

If she was saying her safeword, a monitor or someone around them would notice. There were two monitors that he could see. They always wore red shirts as an extra reminder that Red was the club safeword.

She didn’t look unduly upset. Perhaps a bit embarrassed. But that was to be expected.

She snuck a glance at her Dom, and he walked over immediately, saying something that sent everyone stepping back. The man reached in and ran his hand over the sub’s hair which was tied back in a French braid. Then he put his hand against her cheek, and she nuzzled into him.

“Never mind,” the woman standing in front of him said in a high-pitched voice. “I can see that she’s enjoying herself. Excuse me. I’m sorry I banged into you. Again, total klutz.”

“Wait,” he barked out.

She froze. Shit. He probably shouldn’t have done that. He was supposed to be on his way out.

Not engaging with a skittish, obviously new even though she’d claimed to have gone to clubs before, sub.

Even if she was gorgeous.

“Yes?” she asked as she turned, her gaze on his.

He sighed.

She was going to get herself into so much trouble here on our own. Yes, this club was one of the safest he’d ever been a member of. But that didn’t mean that something couldn’t happen. Someone might try to convince her to go home with them tonight . . . and she might go with them. She might have lied on the information questionnaire she’d filled in and find herself in a scene she wasn’t fully prepared for.

And who knew if she would actually safeword.

Urgh, nope. He couldn’t do it.

“I thought you said you’d been to clubs before. Where you went barefoot.”

He still didn’t like that.

Bare feet in a scene, fine.

Bare feet in a crowded bar, not fine.

Someone bumped against her, and she fell into him once more.

This wasn’t working. They needed to talk somewhere quieter.

“There are quieter spaces in the other room. I want you to come with me to talk, but there will be other people around. So you will not be alone with me.”

“Okay, sure.”

Dear Lord.

This worried him. Did she not even feel an ounce of concern and fear? He was a stranger. Shouldn’t she be with the other new subs? Any completely new sub had to stay with a monitor especially assigned to them. And then they were to run any scenes by them. How had she gotten past that level?

Salem lightly took hold of her forearm and led her through the crowd. He kept her close, not wanting to lose her or for her to be stepped on. They made it through the throng and past the kitten who had been taken out of the cage. She was being cradled in her Dom’s arms. It created a moment of longing inside him.

He enjoyed having complete control over his sub. Of taking care of her. He loved aftercare.

Unfortunately, most of the people he tried to take care of didn’t appreciate it.

They should.

Shit.

Now he really did sound like an asshole.

But, yes, he was jealous of that Dom. He got to hold his sub close, take care of her in all ways. And she looked like she was lapping that up. As though she needed it.

He’d spent so much time chasing after Pinky that he had neglected that part of himself. And it was rearing up, demanding that he find someone to fill that hole inside him.

Easy.

This little sub wasn’t that person. She was just someone who needed a bit of guidance.

But damn, she smelled good. He couldn’t smell her before with the scent of so many bodies and everything else in the room.

However, as he led her over to one of the privacy booths in the quiet room behind the bar, he caught hints of vanilla and something else.

Salem stepped into the booth and sat, but he didn’t pull the privacy screen. He hoped that would help her feel safer with him. Although she still showed no signs of fear.

“What are we doing in here?” she asked as she settled onto the leather seat.

He noticed then that she was wearing black leather gloves.

“Aren’t you hot in those gloves?” he asked.

She gave him a curious look as she shook her head. The lighting was dim in here, but it was enough for him to see her face clearly. Plump lips, long eyelashes, high cheekbones.

Yes, she was utterly gorgeous.

And it was a wonder that one of the Doms here hadn’t already propositioned her.

“You lied to me.”

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “I only met you fifteen minutes ago. I don’t even know your name. How could I have lied to you?”

“It surprises me too. Considering that you’re a sub in a club filled with Doms who wouldn’t hesitate to punish you for lying.”

“But none of them are my Doms, are they? And I didn’t agree to any punishments.”

Okay, perhaps she had more experience than he thought. Relief filled him. Along with a hint of sadness that surprised him.

Why wouldn’t he want her to be experienced?

Because he wanted to teach her? That was absurd. Like she had said, they’d met fifteen minutes ago. After they had this chat, he was leaving. And he doubted he would see her again.

“You agreed to the club rules, though, didn’t you? And if you breach them, you accept punishment from one of the monitors or owners. Or your membership is revoked.”

“That’s true. But you’re not a monitor or owner.”

“Hmm. No. That’s true. But there’s one just over there.” Her gaze moved over to the monitor standing in the corner of the room.

“I didn’t think lying was against club rules,” she said.

“It is if it affects your safety.”

“What did I lie about that affects my safety?”

“You haven’t been to a club before, have you?” he asked.

She blinked. “I have. But I never played, I just watched. And there were subs who walked around in bare feet.”

All right. He felt better now that he knew she had some experience.

“You seemed shocked over the sub in the cage,” he pointed out.

She cleared her throat. “I guess I did. I’ve never, um, felt a reaction toward anything I’ve seen before like I did that.”

Interesting.

“What is the part which intrigued you?” he asked. “The part where she was on display and he was letting other people touch her? Or was it the pet play aspect?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think I want strangers touching me.” She shuddered. “Nope. And I don’t like the idea of a cage. I’m also not sure I like the idea of wearing cat ears. So weirdly, I don’t think I liked any part, but put it together . . .”

“Perhaps you liked the part where he had complete control over her and she had no say. Apart from saying her safeword.”

She licked her luscious lips. “Maybe I did.”

His interest was stirred. “Do you know the club safeword?”

“Yes, it’s red,” she said huskily.

“Would you like to⁠—”

“Ahh, there you are.”

He looked up in irritation to find Quaid Ashworth standing there. He was part-owner of the club and not a man you wanted to cross.

“We’ve been looking for you,” he said to the girl. “You were supposed to stay with your monitor.”

“I wondered why she was on her own,” Salem said.

Quaid frowned. “Yeah, it was a mistake that will be rectified.”

Probably on this naughty sub’s butt.

Although she didn’t seem to realize that.

“I’m fine,” she said, waving a hand through the air.

“Sub, you will not speak to me like that,” Quaid said. “You will get up and come with me to accept your punishment.”

She narrowed her gaze at him, then turned to Salem as though she expected him to save her.

“I’m afraid you either come with me or you leave the club. Those are your two options,” Quaid explained.

There was silence for a long moment and Salem knew he couldn’t interfere and undermine Quaid’s authority.

“Fine. If I’m still alive I might SYL,” she said to Salem.

She stomped off with Quaid and he had to smile.

That subbie was in a world of trouble.

And he really did wish he was the one disciplining her.

Also what did SYL mean?