Hmmm. She isn’t coming out.
My move.
I headed out into the hallway to find her.
Wait.
You need answers before you dive in and potentially fuck up your life…or hers.
Doing a one-eighty, I went back into the kitchen and grabbed my phone off the central marble island. If my suspicion was right, calling this number would confirm the clues I’d deciphered. There were a handful of intimate friends who knew about Vanguard—most of them men. And only one woman.
Madeline answered her phone on the third ring. “What a lovely surprise.”
I listened for any hint of where she might be at this late hour. “Thought I’d say hi.”
“I’m flattered,” she said. “I know how busy you are.”
“How’s teaching?”
“Fulfilling. You?”
“Honestly, I’m exhausted.”
“You need to take some time for you, Damien. A day off once in a while.”
“I wish.”
“I’ve been following the polls. It’s looking good for the Senator. How does it feel?
Your dad’s going to be President! Oh, my God, you have to invite me over to the White House.”
She made me smile. “Consider yourself invited. But let’s not pick out new curtains yet.”
“Are you freaking out?”
“No.”
“How are you this calm?”
“It is what it is.” I paused. “It’s good to hear your voice.”
“The feeling is mutual. To what do I owe the honor?”
“You’re a great distraction from the work I have waiting on my laptop.”
“I’m so glad,” she purred.
Her husky voice always did things to me—it was like melting butter. My balls
remembered the feel of her mouth…the way she’d suckle my sac like that was all she cared about. Like it was her goddamn job.
I adjusted my pants to accommodate my reaction, cursing the day ten years ago that Madeline had told me she wanted to top. I’d been twenty-two and balls deep into the lifestyle. Balls deep in her, too.
Weeks later, she’d officially become a dominatrix, a waste of a good submissive.
Still, she was happy and therein lay the wisdom of that decision. She’d found what I’d been searching for—fulfillment. I was glad for her. If not a little jealous.
“Still there, Champ?” she said with affection.
“There’s a submissive inside my dungeon. Waiting for me to fuck her into
oblivion while I burn off some stress.”
Silence lingered on the other end.
“I have an excellent selection of toys to use on her,” I continued. “A few new pieces shipped in from Italy.” I smirked. “Some antique torture devices from medieval times. She’ll be destroyed by the morning.”
“I thought you had work to do?”
“I consider this a gift to myself. Some night play. This need has been building for quite some time. I’m going in strong.”
“Damien,” she scolded.
Yeah, you better break, bitch. “I’m listening.”
“Okay, okay, I gave her the clavis.”
I felt a rush of relief at knowing this ruse had been orchestrated by Madeline and not some deviant with a political objective.
“Keep talking,” I coaxed.
“I thought Pandora would be good for you as a submissive.” She breathed out a sigh.
“Since when do you decide what I need?”
“Since I decided I love you. And I know you, too. I know what you need to keep you sane. You’re starving, Damien. I can see it in your eyes at the pressers.”
“You watch my interviews?” I downed the rest of my drink in one go. “I’m flattered.” Citrus and spice danced on my tongue and heated my throat.
“Be gentle with her. Ease her into it.”
“She’s using me.”
“I showed her Amelia.”
“What?”
“I showed Pandora the video of Amelia being taken by Theo and Landon at the same time—you couldn’t see their faces in the footage.”
I raked my fingers through my hair.
“You should have seen her reaction, Damien. Pandora was mesmerized. It was like a light being turned on full beam. Her response was pure sub. I tested her with some other photos and—”
“Where?”
“At the St. Regis.”
“You were there tonight?”
“I was.”
“Where?”
“Ballroom. You were off wheeling and dealing in the anteroom.”
And we both knew we couldn’t be seen together. This job was stifling.
My back stiffened. “You showed her those things with all of those people around?”
“Yes, of course.”
“What were you thinking?” I scolded.
“That she was being forced on you. Might as well make it a good relationship. For both of you.” The rustle of sheets revealed Madeline was in bed. “I watched her reaction. You know I have a knack for spotting subs. Pandora watched the footage and pressed her hands to her breasts. She wasn’t even aware she was doing it. She only watched five minutes and was hungry for more. There’s your new sub.”
“I’m quite capable of finding my own.”
“Really? If your father makes it all the way to that house on the hill, you’ll be locked out of Vanguard. Those are the rules. No further access.”
“What the fuck do you know?”
“Everything. I still visit.”
“Vanguard? I thought you hated that place.”
“Not since certain changes were made.” She chuckled. “A dominatrix runs it now. So, it’s well suited for the female gaze. It’s now more respectful and emotionally fulfilling for female members.”
If I wasn’t hard from knowing Pandora was waiting for me in my dungeon, I certainly was now. Rhodes was a scholar in and out of the classroom. I’d always wanted the women in Vanguard to get as much out of it as the men.
“I respect your opinion.” A session with Madeline was probably mind-bending. She thrived on the play as much as I did. “And if I’m ever in the mood to be topped…”
“Like that would ever happen.”
“True. I fucking hate it.”
“Enjoy her. That’s all I want out of this.”
“She’s not here to be dominated, Madeline. She’s here to use me.”
“I don’t necessarily believe that. It’s probably what she’s telling herself. Either way, use her right back.”
“This could blow up in my face.”
“Or…”
“She’s probably in shock at what she’s seeing right now.”
“You’ll find her kneeling. Her mouth ready for your cock.”
“You always were eloquent.” I drew in a breath. “Did you tell her to do that? To kneel?”
“Your balls are tight. I can hear it in your voice. Usually, I’d say don’t think with your cock, but you know…”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“I need you to remember that this is her first time.”