On the Edge of Fear Page 14

  It was as if the spanking paid for her crime. Which was odd.

  She packed up her supplies and took them to the next cabin to use in a week and headed home. Her cabin was home. Her roommate worked the Faire and was only there from Thursday through Monday morning. Kara seemed nice enough, but they hadn’t spent much time together. Alexis was with Ryan most of the time and Kara was set on playing with as many Doms as she could.

  Everyone was gearing up for the weekend. It was not just the official Fourth of July weekend celebration. It marked the anniversary of the opening of the Faire the year before. While the actual fourth wasn’t until Tuesday, there were holiday celebrations all weekend. She had a new outfit to wear as well. It was red, white, and blue and covered very little. After having people stare at her over the last month, she’d gotten used to it. When Ryan saw her in the outfit, he’d practically jumped her.

  It was a definite win.

  The cabin was silent when she reached it, so she took a long hot shower and changed into a pair of shorts and a camisole top. Ryan had taken her to the peninsula in one of the township’s boats two weeks before and she’d gone to a used clothing shop. Thankfully, she’d found several pieces that fit. Most of them could be used in the winter, but she hadn’t been able to resist the shorts. Ryan seemed to love it when she wore them.

  Once she got dressed, she went into her bedroom, smiling when she spotted Ryan staring out the window. “Hey,” she said and wrapped her arms around him from behind. He took her hands in his and kissed each of her palms. A soft sigh escaped her lips at the gesture. Ryan was amazing. For now, he was all hers.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said and turned around and gave her a warm kiss. “Ready for dinner?”

  “Yep. Is everything okay?” He seemed off, though she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

  “Just tired. I offered to help clean the small lake on the northeast side.”

  “There’s a lake?”

  “Yeah. Kendrick’s having it checked to see if it’s something we can swim in or if it’s just going to be used for beauty’s sake. We took samples of the water and the ground.” He shook his head. “More my brother’s kind of thing than mine. Plus,” he said with a yawn, “this weekend’s going to be crazy. Several specialty groups are coming and there’s going to be a lot of play.” He patted her collar. “Keep that baby on display. I don’t want anyone thinking they can mess with my girl.”

  She beamed up at him. She loved it when he referred to her as his girl. “I never take it off.”

  His eyes warmed. “I love that. Now let’s get some dinner and then what do you think about a walk on the beach?”

  “We’re not going to run into your folks, are we?” she teased as they headed out.

  “You’re never going to let me live that down,” he said with a groan. “I don’t want to remember that.”

  Laughing, she wrapped her arms around him. The end of summer was a long way away. She planned on soaking up as much of Ryan as she could in the meantime.

  The Faire bustled with activity. In some areas, it was wall to wall people and Alexis found herself thinking things had been easier once upon a time when she could slither through those crowds and come out the other side with a few hundred dollars in her hands. Then again, the tradeoff was Ryan and he was worth the backbreaking work of cleaning the cabins. Truthfully, it wasn’t that bad. A part of her was proud of the work she’d done. She just wished making money the right way was as easy as stealing it.

  With it being a holiday, everyone seemed extra excited. There was more laughter, more sounds of flesh meeting flesh, and plenty of commands bouncing around her as she made her way along the fairway.

  “Oy, pretty!”

  She turned at the words and caught a beefy man with a beard and mustache grinning at her. Her outfit was definitely something to look at. Red, white, and blue gauze surrounded her, not covering the iron underwear she wore. Ryan had thought the chastity belt was hot. Before he said so, she’d been dubious at wearing it. But once she saw his expression, she decided it wasn’t too bad.

  “Good morning, Sir,” she called back.

  His eyes fastened on her collar and he shook his head. “Ah. Not surprised you’re taken. A pretty little sub like you? If he ever loses his mind, I’ll gladly take you on.” He sent her a wicked grin. “I’m a master of the rack.”

  She had no clue what that meant but sent a proud smile his way. “I don’t think he plans to lose his mind any time soon. Not my… Dom.” It was the first time she’d vocalized the term. It didn’t sound bad at all. In fact, she kind of liked it. Having a Dom wasn’t like what she’d feared when Ryan first brought it up. Sure it got her rear-end toasted a couple times a week, but Ryan wasn’t overpowering or demeaning. He always held her afterward which was worth the heat.

  The man laughed. “Ah, well. Can’t blame a guy for hoping. Tell him for me you deserve a trip across his lap.” He turned his gaze to a group of women and called out to them.

  Amused, Alexis continued on. One thing she could say for the kinky crowd, they were good natured for the most part. Sure there were some who took things a tad too seriously—Gray Eyes, aka Craig, the Discipline Master for one—but overall, they were a jovial bunch.

  Something caught her attention and she turned to her left. All she saw was his back as he moved smoothly through the crowd, but that was all it took for her heart rate to skyrocket. No. It couldn’t be. Almost against her will, her feet moved forward after him. Then she stopped. No. There was no way he was there. It was impossible.

  “Lexi, are you all right?”

  Startled, she turned toward Father Mark and forced herself to smile. “I’m fine. Think someone walked across my grave.”

  He laughed. “You know what would be good for that?” Mark wiggled his eyebrows making her laugh.

  “Repenting to Ryan’s bad enough. I don’t think I want to deal with your type of repentance.”

  “You’ve wounded me,” he said and placed a hand over his chest dramatically. “The Altar is the best way to repent.”

  “Especially for the priest giving out the form of said repentance?” she teased.

  He flashed her a wide grin. “Oh yeah. But I make sure everyone has a… spiritual experience.”

  Her worries temporarily forgotten, she shook her head. “You’re trouble.”

  “Wounded me twice,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll have to talk to Ryan about you. Or,” he said, as if just thinking about it. “Perhaps he should repent for not keeping you in line. Now that’s the ticket.”

  Laughing, she smacked him on the arm. “You wish.”

  “Aye. I do. But at least there are tons of parishioners waiting to confess. I must away.” His voice went from jovial to serious. “Are you sure you’re okay? Did someone act out?”

  “No. I’m fine,” she assured him, warmed by his care. The dominants on the island loved to tease her, but they never overstepped their bounds. They were all wonderfully protective. She never would have expected to feel so incredibly safe surrounded by people who spanked, whipped, and tortured in their daily life. In fact, she felt safer around them than she had anyone in her life. “Just one of those weird things.”

  He checked his watch. “Almost dinner time. Perhaps you should grab something to eat. Have you been drinking enough water?”

  “I promise.” She pulled out the small water bottle that hung from her shoulder. “I forgot once. Ryan made sure I’ll never forget again.” Instead of spanking her, he’d made her stand naked in the corner of her bedroom for a full hour while he lectured her on staying hydrated. She never wanted to go through that humiliation again.

  Mark smiled widely. “That’s my boy. Hey, after the Faire closes tonight, a few of us are playing at On Your Knees. Haven’t run into Ryan to tell him, but pass it along, okay?”

  “Sure.” Though she wasn’t sure she wanted to go. The dungeons were where the real intense play happened from what she’d been able to tell. On their ru
ns in the morning, she and Ryan had glimpsed people playing outside, but she always purposefully kept running and didn’t watch. Even when the sounds they were making made her wet.

  Mark went off to The Altar, the stage that was all about religious kink, and she wandered on, showing off her outfit and chastity belt. Thoughts of playing at the dungeon were fixed securely in her mind when two warm arms surrounded her from behind. “Hello, beautiful,” Ryan said into her ear and she giggled and looked at him over her shoulder. He smiled down at her, his eyes twinkling. “Had a good day so far?”

  “So far. The chastity belt has garnered notice,” she said wryly making him laugh.

  “I’m sure it has. I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind today.” Something in his tone made her tremble and she turned around and snuggled closer to him. “Hey,” he said. “Alec just told me a few members of the township are playing at On Your Knees after the Faire closes. I know you’ve been reticent before, but what do you think about going and watching? You’ve seen several scenes in the mornings. This would give you a chance to see experts and observe play.”

  She closed her eyes, unsure of how to respond. Alexis was unnerved at the thought of seeing all the things people could do together. But she was also interested. “If it’s too much?” she whispered.

  “Then we’ll leave. But I think seeing the play there will open your eyes to what kink can be,” he said as he held her tighter. “It’s amazing. That way when we discuss your limits next time, you’ll have a better idea of what I’m talking about.” He’d brought up the subject a couple times but everything had sounded too scary. Perhaps observing would be the best way to go about it.

  “They really won’t mind me watching?” She glanced up at him.

  Ryan smiled. “No, they won’t. Most of them have been doing this for a long time and get off on having an audience. And no,” he said with a shudder. “My parents won’t be there. I already checked.”

  A squeal of a giggle slipped out and his hand came down on her rump. The sound was loud, but it hadn’t hurt. “Shush, wench,” he teased and she laughed. “I’ve got to head back to the booth and you need to go start dinner delivery. See you after that. How about we hit the Boar’s Head and then go for a long walk on the Faire side of the beach?”

  “Another place your parents won’t be?” she guessed with a grin.

  “Yes,” he said with a nod. “Brat.”

  Giggling, she nodded and he gave her a quick kiss before darting away. His warmth surrounded her all the way back to the cafeteria to pick up the shopkeepers’ meals.

  Both Christine and she had their meal routes down so delivery took less than an hour and once she handed Alec his, she was free for the rest of the night. Ryan was still working so she walked around the area while she waited for him to be done.

  “Fuck, I almost didn’t recognize you.”

  Startled, she swung around, her eyes widening as she took in a pickpocket she hadn’t seen in several years. “Shorty?” she whispered. Shorty wasn’t short. At well over six feet, he should have been noticeable. Thin and pale, he seemed to be able to go unnoticed by most. So it had been him earlier. She’d hoped he’d been a mirage.

  He snorted. “That’s me, Lexi.” He looked her up and down. “Wish I’d known what to wear. I think my jeans and t-shirt kind of stand out.” A small leer crossed his lips. “Steel undies?”

  Heat flooded her cheeks, but she ignored it. “What are you doing here?” she hissed. She glanced around, noting that Ryan would be able to see her if he looked in her direction. She stepped between a couple buildings. Shorty followed.

  “What else, doll face? The same thing you are.”

  This could not be happening. “Shorty, go back,” she said, speaking in as low of voice as she could. “You don’t want to get caught here.” And she didn’t want him to be caught here. Shorty had taught her how to survive on the streets, how to recognize a good mark, and how to disappear. She had also seen him squeal like a pig, giving up anyone and everyone if he was caught.

  He snorted. “Wouldn’t be the first time I had a ride with a cop. Though you and I both know these kinds of places are the best ones to visit. Nobody notices.”

  “They won’t give you a ride to the police station,” she stressed, trying to make him understand. Having him there was bad for her. She didn’t want him caught at all, anyway. But especially not when he could point a finger at her. “They’ll hand you over to the Discipline Master who’ll whip you.”

  Shorty’s mouth dropped open and then he snorted. “You almost had me there, Lexi. Hmm. Must be lucrative if you want me to go.” His blue eyes went cold. “I guess all the things I taught you aren’t worth sharing a bit of the loot?”

  “No, Shorty, that’s not it. I—”

  He sneered. “No worries, Lexi. There’s plenty of money here to go ’round. May the best pickpocket win, ay?”

  Shorty strode away into the throng and her heart crashed into her stomach. Perhaps she would beg illness and go hide in her cabin until the last ferry left. All she needed was for him to leave without getting caught. She’d given up picking pockets. She’d given up prostitution. Why would the universe blow her cover now?

  It won’t happen. She crossed her fingers and stepped out onto the fairway.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  With one final thwap, Ryan put his leather paddle down and helped the man to his feet. After one hundred blows, his arm was sore and the guy’s ass was a deep red mottled with patches of blue. He would feel it for a while.

  “Perhaps you won’t be so mouthy now,” a Dom said in amusement. He handed Ryan another twenty dollar bill. “That deserves a tip,” he said with a wide smile. “With my arthritis, I can’t smack him nearly as hard as he needs. Thanks. Now thank the man,” he said firmly to his sub who was standing on shaking legs. Ryan was definitely getting a handle on spanking.

  “Thank you, Sir,” he said in a shaky voice. “Master’s right. I haven’t had a spanking like that in a long while.” He smiled and kissed his Dom. “My ass is burning and aches and no doubt I’ll still feel it for days.” The two men walked away, the Dom with his arm around his sub and Ryan watched them go. He loved their story. They met in the Navy and had been together for almost half a century.

  “Forty-three years,” he murmured, impressed and heartened. He loved the idea of growing old with someone, of fine tuning their D/s relationship over the years, of taking care of that special person for the rest of his life. It was wonderful to see it work.

  “What has that look of awe on your face?” Alec asked as he stepped into the gazebo.

  Ryan pointed out the couple. “They’ve been together for almost half a century, Alec. Brad’s arthritis has made it difficult to spank Gary so I guess they usually settle for something like capsaicin cream. But today, Brad splurged and had me spank Gary a hundred times. I… I love the idea of being with someone for half a century, you know?”

  Alec patted him on the back. “I never thought about it when I was your age, but I get it now. I like the idea that James and I could be together fifty years from now.” He grinned at him. “If my arm fails, you’ll need to train up a son I can call on to spank James when he needs it.”

  Chuckling, Ryan nodded. “Noted. Oh, and Lexi and I will be at On Your Knees tonight.” He held up his hand, fingers crossed. “I hope this encourages her to open her eyes up to play. I can see her interest in things, but she shuts down when I try to bring them up.”

  “That’s common with a new sub, especially a shy one,” Alec reminded him as he put his money bag over his shoulder and grabbed hold of his paddles. “But she won’t be able to hide her reaction to the energy and sex going on tonight. If I were you, I’d walk her through limits while there. After you leave, she might try and raise her defenses a bit. But while she’s taking in the play, she might be more honest than she would be otherwise. She knows to trust you. You’re not going to dump her into the deep end.”

  “Hell no
. I want her to trust me implicitly. So far I think she does. I promised her I would do everything in my power to not let her come to any harm.”

  “Hard promise to keep,” Alec reminded him. “Things happen.”

  “I know. But I’m going to try my best. She’s had a real difficult past, Alec. Shit I can’t imagine. It’s about time she had a good life. And I want…” He paused as he considered saying it aloud. But this was Alec, who he trusted. “I want to give her that life. I want us to grow together. I love her, Alec.”

  A huge smile crossed his friend’s face. “Good for you, Ryan. There will be problems, but you’re easy going. I think you’ll roll with the punches. And tonight, James has agreed to go to the dungeon to play.”

  “What are you doing to him?” Ryan asked with interest. He loved to watch all scenes, but a few Doms he thought were amazing and Alec was one.

  “He craves more exposure in his puppy self, so that’s what we’ll be doing. Also… he has a DP fantasy. If the energy’s right, I’d love to give that to him tonight. What do you say? Care to fuck my pup’s ass while I take his mouth?”

  Ryan considered. It was a wonderful prospect. Ever since he had watched the kink Olympics, he’d wondered what it would be like to fuck the lithe accountant. “Will he be okay with that?”

  “Like I said, he talks about it. It’s something he thinks he wants. Though until we do it, I won’t know if the reality will work for him. I won’t let anyone else near his mouth or throat. But I trust you not to ream his ass.”

  “Let me ask Lexi about it. We really haven’t discussed it and I doubt she’s thought about me having sex with someone else. If she doesn’t mind, I’d love to help.” Though he had the feeling she might not be too keen. Which would be a shame as he’d love to fuck James just the once. But he wasn’t going to screw things up with Alexis just to fuck Alec’s sub.