Page 13 of Point of Contention

I looked at the other woman. “Yours?”

Shaking his head, Gage turned his attention to her, then trailed his finger down her cheek, following the line of her pulse down to her collarbone. He dropped his hand and pinched her nipple. Her back arched, but she didn’t make a sound. “No more than anyone else’s,” he finally answered as he looked up at me, “but in need of a sponsor.”

I nodded. It wouldn’t be me, but I had no doubt someone would claim her. Anyone who could sit on exhibition like this was either already well into the lifestyle or a born submissive. Un-sponsored subs didn’t last long at The Rabbit Hole; they were either scooped up by available Doms or asked to leave when no one claimed them.

If she was here with Gage, he’d likely vetted her, prepared her for the club, and I wouldn’t have as much to go over before I could get right into addressing my needs.

She wasn’t what I wanted, but she’d do.

“Should we let Master Creed play with our new toy, kitten?”

Let. The word made my teeth grind. As if he had a choice in the matter. As if I couldn’t just assert my authority andtakeher from Gage. But I hoped it wouldn’t come to that. I was in no mood for a pissing contest and we couldn’t afford to lose any more members, especially those who had been with us the longest.

His sub’s shoulders rose and fell on an excited breath and she nodded, licking her lips at the suggestion.

My gaze flicked to the blindfolded blonde. Her plump, rosy pink lips were stretched beautifully around the gag, and drool slid from one corner of her mouth. Her breasts were full, though that’s all I could see with the table blocking my view of her body. Her chest rose and fell on quick inhalations, whether from anticipation or fear, I didn’t know. I didn’t really care either.

Both responses were acceptable.

And both were warranted.

Gage began to finger the blindfold, but I shook my head.

“Leave it on.” I didn’t want to see that her eyes were nothing like Rylan’s.

Shewas nothing like Rylan. Thick, where Rylan was slender. Light, where Rylan was dark. She was older than Rylan as well, though with so much of her face covered by the blindfold or distorted by the gag, I couldn’t tell how much older.

She wasn’t my girl.

But she’d do.

“Go on now,” Gage said, nudging the woman. “You belong to Master Creed tonight.”

I watched her throat bob as she swallowed, then nodded and slid to the edge of the booth.

“Stand,” I commanded.

She rose to her feet and I was pleased to see her dressed in nothing but that ball gag and blindfold. As much as I loved a woman in high heels, and what tilting the feet like that did to the muscles of the legs, there was something inherently vulnerable about bare feet.

Her body was thick and curved, with a soft swell beneath her belly button and hips that swooped out impressively. She would be a welcomed change, so different than the women who haunted my thoughts that there would be no room for unwanted comparisons, no reminders of my longing for Rylan or my anger toward Stella to interrupt the scene.

With a nod of thanks, I reached for the ball gag, then paused, my hand hovering near the latch at the back of her head. On second thought…

I didn’t want to hear her voice because it would never be the one I wanted to hear screaming my name. Pleading. Crying out when I brought her to the edge then catapulted her over it.

It wouldn’t be the mouth that could get a rise out of me with a flippant remark.

The lips that curved around an indignant pout so deliciously that I’d imagined sliding my cock past them the very first time she spoke to me.

Goddammit, Rylan.

Guilt filled me with a prickly sense of unease. I shouldn’t be here.

My gaze flicked to Gage, who watched me closely.

Word would have gotten around by now. He knew of my previous sub’s betrayal—to me and the club. He’d also likely seen the debacle that was this morning’s presser.

Any sign of weakness and he’d waste no time positioning himself to take my place as Ombudsman.

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