Except tonight's performance was different. Her regular guy wasn't at the club and the stranger was neither good nor able to last. The second time the tongue of his riding crop struck the tender, vulnerable hollow behind her left knee, Lily shrieked. Gasping, she locked her muscles up tight and frantically gave her signal for the man to stop. Two more blows fell before club staff interceded and made the man back down.
The sounds of a low, fierce argument reached her. She couldn't make out words because of the music but she did hear the distinct sound of a body colliding with a wall and caught jerky, violent movement in her peripheral vision.
The pain of that misplaced lash had been white-hot but it faded quickly, making room for fear. She jerked ineffectually at her bonds, but nobody paid her any attention. By the time everything was sorted out behind her, the brief spark of fear had given away to frustration. Still spread-eagle and bound, she rested her forehead against the pole and growled beneath her breath.
Ares, who up until this point had never been far away even though he must have a hundred other responsibilities to the club, stepped in front of her and leaned in close enough to be heard over the music. "Someone else is asking to play you. Are you finished or do you want to try once more?"
No mention of the altercation, which was fine with her. She didn't want to be involved. Exhaling, she turned her head slightly. No, she wasn't really finished, didn't want to go home before she was truly ready to collapse. But could she melt back into the right mood after this kind of interruption?
She couldn't see the "someone else" in her limited field of vision, not that it mattered whether she could see or not. They all wore masks, just like she did.
Ares waited patiently, gaze fixed on her face, not once straying to her body. He just wasn't interested, which was good and bad. She sensed that she could trust him completely, but part of her wished she couldn't. It was just a plain shame that he didn't play. Despite his apparent distance from the activities of the club, she detected an aggressive need behind his jade eyes. He would do very well with a whip.
Unwilling to leave without getting what she'd come for, she let out a sigh. "Is he capable?"
"Yes." He hesitated and looked past her shoulder. Lily thought his jaw hardened, but he nodded and repeated, "Yes."
That pointed pause, the single glance, should have given her a heads up. Maybe she would have asked more questions in a different situation. She'd come to trust Ares's judgement, though, and the honest truth was, she didn't want to go home yet.
"I'll stay."
He nodded again and produced a bottle of water with a straw. She sipped carefully, enough but not too much. Soon, he took the bottle and backed away.
Eyes closed, she drew several deep breaths and tried to force herself to relax. The music had changed. Now, screaming electronics sounded a lot like a wild animal's cry. It took a moment to find her breath and just as she did, she sensed movement behind her, low to the ground. Warm, confident hands settled above her ankles and began to knead her calf muscles. She tensed, surprised by the new Dom's approach. In response, he worked her muscles more deliberately.
Strong fingers dug deep into the tightest knots she'd acquired during her earlier brief session. He gentled behind her knees, careful with what must be a nasty welt after the previous top's wildly misplaced blow, and was less gentle with the long muscles of her thighs. His hands were decidedly rough by the time he reached her ass. He squeezed and separated her cheeks, revealing the thin line of her thong. Her chin dropped to her chest as thrill shot back through the limbs he'd just loosened.
She hadn't come to the Jungle for fucking, but when the pad of his thumb pressed against her through the thin cotton, the rhythm of the music became something else-hard, deep, an echo of the pace he would set as he thrust into her. Her nipples tightened beneath the backless halter she wore to cover her breasts. Her pussy fluttered and creamed. Goosebumps spread across her skin as if he'd already worked through the ring of muscle he massaged, as if he'd already settled deep in her ass.
But he hadn't. She'd specified no sex and Ares would see to it that her rules were followed. As though he heard her thoughts, the man behind her left her ass and worked his thumbs up to the small of her back, where he grasped her waist, gripping lightly as he stood. The fabric of his shirt whispered across her skin and his body heat warmed her shoulder blades.
"What are you looking for? Tell me what my hands can give you."