Page 32 of Dance for Me

“Okay then, Operation Subbie Rescue is officially a go. Everyone’s in place?” At Braun’s affirmative, Jasper tapped a finger to his forehead and strolled into the throng of people, cutting through them without making a stir.

Bodie would never see him coming.

Braun observed her carefully. None of the crowd would notice how she faltered here and there, missing a beat occasionally. She was fatigued—he could see it in the flow of her limbs, the slight missteps. Whatever was causing her unhappiness, he would get to the bottom of it tonight.

If it was him...well, sometimes letting the bird out of the cage was the only solution. All he could hope for was that she would come back to him one day when she felt able.

Jasper ascended the stage steps like a ghost, disappearing behind the curtain without Bodie catching the barest glimpse.

Beneath the stage, Connie eased back into the shadows, ready to offer a friendly face if Bodie panicked.

The song ended, Bodie bent over backwards in a grand flourish, much to the appreciation of the club. Applause and whistles erupted; the members had grown to love her performances as much as she loved dancing for them.

It took too long for her to get to her feet.

She staggered to a standing position, breathing hard.

Jasper stalked out onto the stage like a wolf.

It physically hurt Braun’s heart to see Bodie freeze on the spot when she realized she wasn’t alone on the stage. It damn near ripped the fucking thing out when she lost every ounce of color and took a hasty step back as Jasper lifted his hands where she could watch them, his mouth moving as he spoke to her.

Shaking her head slowly, her eyes darted around, seeking an escape route that didn’t send her directly into Jasper’s arms, and came to rest on the edge of the stage. Even barefoot as she usually was for dancing, the four-foot drop posed a risk. If she slipped, if she landed wrong...but there was no stopping her once she made up her mind.

Jasper lunged for her, missed her arm by a hair, and closed his eyes as she made the leap.

The landing jarred her, sent her stumbling forward into the crowd. Several hands reached out to steady her, but she just shoved through people, heading for the exit. Definitely not thinking. An arm’s length away from Atticus, she pulled up short, backpedaled quickly as the big man held out his hand, palm up, and smiled at her.

She bolted, heading back toward the stage and her hidey-hole, but both Connie and Jasper were waiting for her now. Frantic, frazzled, she spun in a circle as Dominants and submissives alike tried to calm her down.

“Please tell me you’re going to put her out of her misery,” Liam snapped from behind him. “I can’t watch this, Braun.”

No, neither could he. He shoved away from the bar without answering his friend, striding into the center of chaos. She was whimpering, slapping at the hands that dared reach out as he approached.

Braun didn’t hesitate. He ducked as she swung at him, tucked his shoulder into her midriff, and folded her into position as her fists hammered on his back. Pinning her legs with his arm, he simply turned around and carried her silently to his office.

Closing the door, he locked it and stood stoically, taking each blow without a word. Her pain was tangible and hurt him more than her tiny hands ever could. Her silence was deafening.

As the minutes ticked by, her legs stopped kicking and the ferocity of her fists waned. Even when she hung limp, he didn’t move, didn’t say a word.

It was only when the first explosive sob ripped through her that he eased her carefully to her feet. He’d organized what he thought he’d need hours before, stacking items on the couch to the right of his desk.

Once he started this, he wasn’t moving for anything.

Not until they were on the same page.

With an arm around her waist, he half-carried half-guided her where he wanted her as the keening sound of a woman on the edge echoed around the room. Somehow, he was the cause of this, and he couldn’t stand it.

“Darlin’, I’m going to put the blanket around you. If you’re comfortable with doing so, I’d like you to strip down to your underwear. Can you do that for me?” Braun had no idea whether she could even hear him through her pain.

Sobs wracked her body as she lifted her arms like a child.

Braun gritted his teeth and grasped the hem of her black lacy shirt. She’d improved her dress standards for the club, he noticed, upping the sexiness with every weekend that passed. He lifted the shirt up and over her head and arms, and Bodie immediately wrapped her arms around her waist.

Christ, he’d never seen so many tears come out of a woman.

He ignored the swell of her breasts in their tiny sports bra and hooked his fingers into the waistband of the high-cut spandex shorts clinging to her hip bones.

His girl was cruising for a spanking for letting herself deteriorate this far.

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