Vaughn's Awakening [The Black Dahlia Hotel 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Read online

  * * * *

  Paul, Dane, Sy, and Beau, together with a few other members of the club, were simultaneously clutching Styrofoam cups of steaming coffee with shots of whiskey and Jamie Devereau’s excellent Cuban cigars. They were excitedly gazing into the spray coming off the bow of the forty-five-foot charter fishing boat, The Lucky Lady, that had been engaged at the Bahia Mar Marina for an afternoon of deep sea fishing. The captain had had reports of marlin running off the coast and they were on their way out to find them. There was always the possibility of tuna, mahi mahi, and red snapper as well.

  Dane sipped the steaming coffee that had been handed around by the first mate. “It looks like you and Vaughn Rawlston are hitting it off. How come you never tagged her up in Savannah?”

  Dane looked interested in the answer so Paul responded, “She was a newbie. I saw her hanging out in the uncollared sub’s corner with her posse a few times, but she didn’t seem ready to play. I have to admit I noticed her right away.”

  Dane grinned. “It would definitely be hard to miss her. I’ll see what I can do to keep her posse busy and out of your hair this week. Those two are a handful. Actually, they’re two handfuls, and I look forward to playing with them. What do you know about them?”

  “Not much, really. They’ve both been members of the club for about eight months. Vaughn has not joined yet. I don’t know what their prior BDSM experience is. I’ve seen them playing with a few unattached Doms, but neither have been collared that I know of. I haven’t noticed any unpleasant drama around either of them, so you should be okay.”

  “Thanks. I don’t like to step into something without a little foreknowledge. Sometimes things can get sticky when you least expect it.”

  “You look like you speak from personal experience.”

  “Yeah, man, I do. I was involved with a sub a couple of years ago. It got very intense very quickly, but I wasn’t ready to settle into a collar situation. I broke the relationship off when it seemed to be getting too serious, and it has come back to bite me in the ass. Apparently the woman was more involved than I realized, and I hurt her rather badly. That wasn’t my intention, of course. But shit happens, and feelings get hurt.”

  “What do you mean by ‘bite you in the ass?’”

  “She’s now working for me at the hotel.”

  “Why did you hire her then?”

  “She had already been interviewed and pre-screened by Jack Brown, and he liked her. She had no idea I was the hotel manager when she came in for the interview. I saw her face fall when she recognized me, and I felt like shit. I wasn’t happy to have to hire someone I’d had a relationship with, but she’s very good at the job, and we needed someone to handle the event planning side of things immediately. She needed the job, so what the hell? But now I find myself tiptoeing around her. She saw me take Alexa and Cyndy upstairs on Sunday. I got the uncomfortable feeling that I was kicking a puppy or something.”

  “Well, hopefully you’ll both come to an accommodation. I’m sure she’s just as uncomfortable as you are.”

  “Yeah. I guess.”

  * * * *

  Vaughn left the spa at five o’clock. She was wrapped in the cuddly white bathrobe with slippers on her feet. Her hair was gathered in a messy knot on top of her head, her face was pink and shiny, and her body was relaxed from the herbal wrap. Alexa and Cyndy had just started with the hairdressers so she had time for a short nap in the quiet suite. The girls were great, but they could really push when they wanted the scoop—which was all of the time. They were not done with her by any means. In fact she was sure Alexa was scheming right now. As Vaughn turned the corner toward the elevators, she bumped right into Jeremiah Wade. Shit. Of all the bad timing.

  “Vaughn, we really need to talk this situation out. Won’t you come to my suite for a drink?”

  “I don’t think that would be appropriate, Mr. Wade.”

  “Call me Jeremiah. Or Master in the dungeon. What do you mean? We’re both adults. There is nothing inappropriate about a drink.”

  “I really can’t help you with the cheating situation, Mr. Wade. Any disciplinary measures are completely up to Headmaster Bishop, not me. You should discuss this with him.”

  “I’d rather discuss it with you over a drink.”

  “Perhaps we can have a drink at the bar later this evening. Right now, I have to get back our suite. I’m hardly dressed for the public areas of the hotel.”

  “That’s why I suggested my suite.”

  It sounded like he was going to press his invitation so she hurried and hit the down button. “I’m sorry. I can’t have a drink right now. I’ve just had a massage, and I’m supposed to only hydrate with water. Thanks for the offer. I’ll see you later.” The elevator binged, and she stepped inside, pressed the button for the eighth floor, and held her breath while the doors closed. That was a close one. She had thought he was going to get into the elevator and follow her to her door. She didn’t like that idea—not one little bit. The man made her seriously uncomfortable. She was glad when she closed and locked the door to the suite behind her. She went into her bedroom, lay down on the bed, pulled a coverlet over herself, and drifted into sleep.

  * * * *

  Bitch! He’d almost had her there for a minute, and then she bolted into the elevator. Short of grabbing her arm in the public hallway, there was nothing he could do about it. Your time is coming, Vaughn Rawlston. Your time is coming.

  * * * *

  On the dining terrace at The Black Dahlia Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Tuesday evening, December 29, 2015

  The large, round table was buzzing with conversation. Vaughn sat back for a moment and just enjoyed the comradery that was in evidence. Of course, her two best friends were there, but she also enjoyed getting to know Cassandra Bainbridge and Devon Blackthorn better. Cassandra was a well-known Savannah jewelry designer and Devon was an interior designer.

  The men had apparently bonded over marlin, tuna, snapper, and mahi mahi. A huge catch of the later three had been delivered to the hotel kitchen and would be on the menu as the catch of the day. Vaughn certainly planned to enjoy the fresh fish.

  “So who had the biggest catch today?” She smiled to herself. Paul had pulled her chair close to his and had his arm around her shoulders. He never let much space get between them if he could help it. She had to admit she loved that.

  Paul grinned and replied, “I did—a forty pound tuna. I named him Bubba. I hope you’ll order the tuna, Vaughn. He gave me a mighty fight.”

  “I don’t know if I can eat a fish named Bubba. That just makes it so personal.”

  Sy Blackthorn leaned over and said, “Don’t believe it, Vaughn. That fish jumped in the boat by himself. Now, the marlin I hooked and released—that was a battle.” That started the discussion of whose fish was the hardest fighter, the biggest catch, et cetera. Boys would be boys. When the meal was served, however, Vaughn had to admit that Bubba was the freshest and best tuna she’d ever eaten. Paul was beaming.

  Conversation shifted to the girls’ afternoon in the spa, and Cassie and Devon divulged their plans to spend the next day getting the full treatment.

  Dane Dunross was seated between Cyndy and Alexa, and he had an arm around each of them. Vaughn was interested to see just how their planned ménage would work out over the remainder of the week. Cyndy said, “Well, if you’re getting haircuts, be sure to book Eduardo Moreno. The man is a genius with scissors. I love this cut. It’s absolutely no maintenance. All I have to do is run my fingers through it.”

  Cassie laughed and gathered her mane of golden ringlets in her two hands. “I doubt that would work for me with this rat’s nest.”

  Beau put his hand on the back of her neck and squeezed gently. “Don’t even think about it, baby. I love your lion’s mane.”

  Cassie shook her head. “Female lions do not have manes. Therein lies my problem.” Cassandra was a beautiful young woman with a wild mane of blonde corkscrew curls with platinum highlights an
d light turquoise-blue eyes rimmed by thick, gold-tipped blonde eyelashes. Her turquoise-blue eyes were sparkling as she grinned at her tall, dark, and very handsome husband.

  Devon shook her red hair and said, “I’m thinking of getting my purple streaks again. I kind of miss them.” Devon was petite with a pleasingly curvy figure and short, red hair cut in a pixie style. Sy Blackthorn just raised one eyebrow, and Devon burst into delighted laughter. The purple streaks were obviously a topic of frequent teasing between them. Symon was of medium height and build with a strong, well-sculpted body, sun-streaked auburn hair, green eyes, and wicked sense of humor. He wasn’t as handsome as Beau Bainbridge, but the chemistry between the couple was palpable.

  Vaughn loved to people watch, and the BDSM community provided a selection of very interesting pairings.

  * * * *

  After dessert and coffee had been served to the ladies at the table, the men moved over to the area at the end of the porch reserved for cigar smokers to enjoy their brandy and coffee. Jamie Devereau, one of the hotel’s owners, joined them. He passed out Cuban cigars to all of the men.

  “So, Jamie, where does one get Cuban cigars these days?” Paul was grinning. “I’d love to take a box or two back to Savannah.”

  Jamie just smiled. It was a mystery, even among his family and friends, as to how the highly prized contraband cigars came into his possession. His older brother, Justin, liked to say that they had been liberated by a Delta Force team from Fidel’s own stash. Of course, that was merely family legend, and Jamie wasn’t talking.

  “I hope you are all enjoying your stay at The Black Dahlia. If you get a chance, make an appointment to tour the Golden Dolphin. She’ll be back from a cruise to Bermuda and at the dock in Port Everglades tomorrow afternoon. She is leaving again on New Year’s Eve afternoon for Cozumel and the second leg of Jack and Kaylin Brown’s honeymoon cruise.”

  Beau Bainbridge said, “You should do that. The club booked a BDSM singles cruise on the Dolphin last May, and it was outstanding. I reconnected with Cassie on that cruise, and Sy met Devon.”

  Sy laughed. “I certainly did, and they didn’t even charge extra for the match-making services. That ship should be called the Love Boat.

  “Speaking of love, is everyone planning to visit the dungeon tonight? Does anyone need theme room reservations or anything else?” Jamie was happy to see that Dane, ever the manager, wanted to make sure his guests enjoyed all of the facilities available at The Black Dahlia Hotel.

  * * * *

  In the main dungeon of The Black Dahlia Club on the top floor of The Black Dahlia Hotel, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida, Tuesday evening, December 29, 2015

  Once upstairs, Paul guided Vaughn to one of the St. Andrew’s cross stations in the main dungeon. He had retrieved his toy bag from the men’s lounge, and it sat open on the floor beside the cross. Paul was eager to see how Vaughn would react to the public play in the main dungeon as opposed to the private theme rooms. He wasn’t sure she was quite ready for public display. If she had a problem with enacting their scene in the main room, he would move them to the private French bordello theme room he had already reserved. He wanted to push her a little out of her comfort zone but not totally over the line. He was very pleased with her reactions so far.

  He turned to her with a stern look on his face to remind her that they were in the scene. “Remove and fold your clothes neatly, sub, and assume the slave position.” When she looked around the large, open space of the dungeon with anxiety in her eyes, he said, “Are you uncomfortable out here, Vaughn? Do you want to move to a theme room?”

  He could see her struggling before she answered. “No, Master. Thank you. I’d like to try a scene in the main dungeon.” He grinned. She wanted to expand her horizons, and that was what he was looking for. He removed a set of suspension cuffs from his toy bag and handed them to her. “Put these on.”

  “Yes, Master. Thank you, Master.” He grinned to himself. New subbies tried so hard to not mess up the protocol.

  When she had donned the cuffs and mounted the step of the cross, he adjusted the height so that his cock and her butt were lined up perfectly. These adjustable hydraulic crosses were an innovation that he would love to see at the Le Club in Savannah. Even though Vaughn was fairly tall, it was so much more comfortable to not have to bend down.

  Paul had been looking forward to this scene all day. Later she was going to be pleasuring him with that wide, beautiful mouth and those soft pink lips. She had better please him, or she would find her bottom red again. He certainly enjoyed paddling her abundant butt. Actually, she had seemed to enjoy the impact play they had engaged in, which had resulted in very satisfactory orgasms so far. He wondered how she would react to a hard wooden paddle across that adorable ass. He was sure he would be finding out in the not-too-distant future.

  He knelt down behind her and slid his tongue over her now-pouting pussy lips. She bumped her butt out to facilitate his contact. Ah, she likes that. He skimmed his fingers over her clit with the lightest touch. He felt the nerves along her spine shiver as he continued to play with her. He circled his fingers around her tight asshole just to see her reaction. She stiffened and tried to pull away so he redirected his attention back to her velvet pussy. It was too soon for anal play even though she did not wear the green rubber band. That was an adventure for another day. He continued to tease her clit while leaving her wanting more. It was always best to keep a sub on the edge of satisfaction for as long as possible. She moaned when he took his mouth away.

  “Remember, no coming until I give you permission unless you want to earn a punishment.” He thought he felt her shudder. Was it with anticipation or dread?

  Vaughn continued to back up into his hand. She couldn’t help the automatic reaction to the pleasure he was providing with his agile tongue and busy fingers. A quick smack followed by the warning, “Topping from the bottom” had her trying to be still, but she was fighting a losing battle as her pleasure continued to ramp up. “I thought I explained topping from the bottom. You’re going to have a red butt if you don’t control yourself.” Finally, as he continued to play with her clit, she tipped over the edge into a strong orgasm that rippled up and down her spine. Her arms and legs jerked, and she cried out. She hung limply from the suspension cuffs around her wrists.

  “Sub, I had not given you permission to come. You’ve earned a punishment. Are you ready?” He thought she might have slipped into subspace when she failed to respond. He waited a moment to let her gather herself. “Sub? Ready?”

  She finally responded. “Yes, Master.”

  He walked to his toy bag and bent down. He was looking for the small, hard wood paddle with the heart-shaped cutouts on the shiny surface. It would leave impressions of hearts all over her round bottom for him to enjoy later. That always made him smile. Often the sound of the paddle got more reaction from a sub than the stinging smacks.

  Paul moved behind her and off to the side. “You will count. Five for coming without permission, and one extra for the topping from the bottom.”

  He delivered a thwacking smack on her right butt cheek. She gasped, and when she didn’t immediately count, he said, “Count. We will start again.” He gave her another one on the same spot.

  This time she said, “One, Master.” Good. She was still with him. He quickly administered five more smacks over her round butt so that the little hearts were distributed evenly across her bottom. They would be there for him to enjoy while she pleasured him on her knees. He had been looking forward to introducing some oral play, and this was the night. Her face was red, and she was gasping when he had finished. She was right on the edge of coming again so he slid his fingers between her hot red cheeks, and she clenched around his hand as he brought her to another crashing orgasm.

  Vaughn hung limply after the second orgasm had ripped through her body. Paul always made sure his sub received pleasure after an erotic punishment. He unfastened the cuffs, picked her up, and walked to the s
ection of soft upholstered furniture dedicated to aftercare. He wrapped her in a blanket and pulled her into his lap in a big leather chair. He settled her against his chest and ran his fingers through her straight dark blonde hair streaked with sunshine.

  “Did you enjoy our scene, Vaughn? Do you want to continue?”

  “Yes, Master. I want to continue.”

  “Okay. You’re fine then. In a little while, I’ll teach you to pleasure your Master. Do you want to do that?”

  “Yes, Master,” she whispered. He continued to hold her until she was back to herself, and she began to shift her sore butt against the hard-on nestled against her bottom. “May I give you pleasure now, Master?” He smiled. She had caught on to the sub protocol quickly.

  “Now, sub, I’ll show you what I like. On your knees between my thighs.” She slipped off his lap and positioned herself between his spread thighs in front of the chair. She glanced up at him with a look of adoration he was sure she didn’t realize was there, and he smiled at the hearts on her bottom. He pulled his zipper down, and his iron-hard cock jutted out of the opening. “This first time you can use your mouth and your hands. Next time it will be mouth only. Since you are new to this, we’ll take it slow.”