(Shan's POV – Sat. 25 October 2014)

It's almost noon when I wake up for the second time today, and I feel better rested and not as uneasy as I felt the first time. It may have to do with the fact that my sleep was dreamless, or at least not sex-related. Not Alex-related. I don't know why dreaming of him made me feel so uncomfortable, almost anxious, because I can't even remember what it was exactly about.

I tried to hide my emotions from Mark, but as usual, he had to see through me and noticed something was off. Thank goodness, I was able to use the tiredness card, which was real since I immediately fell back asleep as soon as I hit my pillow, and I didn't even hear him get ready or leave the apartment.

I'd better get a grip on myself though, because I don't want Mark to worry. He already has so much on his plate, and I don't want to have him on my back 24/7 if he senses my anxiousness. Besides, he might cancel our evening at the club tonight if he thinks I'm tired, and I won't let him do that.

A long and warm shower achieves to completely relax my muscles and I feel even better when I step out and wipe myself dry. While I put on a pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt, I realize that it shouldn't be long before Mark gets back home. I know he was meeting the mean chef at 10 and then Alex at noon, so I hurry a bit and do our room before Mr. Tidiness-Freak arrives, and that's when I get a text from him.

Mark – Hey Babe, hope you've rested a bit more. It's taking longer than I thought, but I should be home by 2pm the latest. Don't wait for me and have lunch if you're hungry. Love you!

Hmm... Is this a good sign or a bad sign? I wonder how things are going on, but I guess I'll have details later. In any case, Mark is the fairest man I have ever met, and I trust him to have dealt with the situation in the best possible way. I met him barely four months ago, but he never seizes to impress me with how brilliant he is in everything he undertakes. He really has everything a man – or a woman – could dream of, and I'm not only talking about his looks, his money or the sex!

Everything seems so natural for him whenever he has to deal with a situation. His dominance is something, but his kindness, his generosity and his innate authority are others; you just have to look and see what he has done with me! His guidance has helped me to settle down and become a better man, so I could only fall for a man like this and I can't imagine my life without him anymore. Coming from someone who had never been involved in a relationship before, it may sound extreme, but this is what I truly feel for him.

I love him so much that I have decided to go over my hate for being in a kitchen – unless it is to eat – and to cook lunch for us. I honestly loathe cooking, but I'll try my best to prepare something decent and to not burn his kitchen. Living with a great chef, I have come to learn a few tricks, and after standing in front of the fridge for a few minutes, I make my mind on a stew of pork with carrots and pasta.

I really focus – and God knows how hard it is for me! – on remembering Mark's tips, preparing all the ingredients in advance, then making sure that the pot is really hot before I add a bit of fat, a thinly sliced onion and the chopped meat that I let seal for a few minutes. It already smells good, so I add a glass of white wine, some water and the chopped carrots, and lower the heat to let everything stew while I cook the pasta. I hate every minute of it, but I am proud of the result, and my man deserves that much.

I am draining the pasta when I hear the entrance door open. My heart lurches in my chest with love and I lunge to the foyer to wrap my arms around his neck and haul myself up, crashing my lips on his. I can tell that he's a bit surprised, but his arms still close around my waist and his tongue instantly invades my mouth for a deep and passionate kiss. Putting me back on the floor, one of his hands rises to grasp the back of my hair, and as he tilts my head to the side, Mark deepens our kiss and pins me against the wall, allowing me to feel his erection against my lower belly.

Dang! How I love when he takes all the control and manhandles me with his hands kneading my flesh!! I might explode in my briefs!

"What was this about?" he pants when he breaks our kiss, his lips still brushing mine and his voice deep and husky.

"I missed you..." I reply through my heavy breathing, licking his lower lip sensually.

"Mmm... Missed you too, Babe... Sorry it took so long."

"No problem. I had time to cook us lunch!" I cheer as we eventually disentangle from each other.

I can barely suppress a laugh when I see his nose scrunch a little to inhale the delicious smell and the pleased expression displaying on his face.

"Seems like you outdid yourself, Babe! I'm starving, let's go and see this!" he suggests, grabbing my hand and leading me to the kitchen. "You look better than this morning, did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I got up at noon, so I'm fully rested now!"

"Someone wanted to make sure we'd go out tonight!" he chuckles.

Well, yes, there's a bit of that too!

Mark finishes the preparation of our meal while I set the table, and he congratulates me on the good job I have done. As we start eating in silence, I can't help ogling the beautiful man sitting next to me. He has taken his jacket off and I just love how his dress shirt perfectly fits him, hugging the muscles of his chest. He looks so freaking sexy when he dresses all business-like. Come to think about it, anything he wears looks sexy on him. Sweatpants... Jeans... Leather pants... Nothing at all...

"How was your morning?" I ask, trying to chase my horny thoughts away.

"Very efficient!"

"What happened with the chef, if I may ask?"

"Of course, you may!" he chuckles. "I fired him. The staff eventually spoke up and some admitted that he'd been quite harsh, though it was mostly aimed at Alex it seems."

"I hope you kicked him out with a nice punch..." I grumble.

"It doesn't work like this, Shan," he sighs. "As much as I would have loved to beat the crap out of him, I couldn't do that and risk a complaint. So, I did things properly and mostly made sure that he wouldn't start another job and reenact his wrong doings. He'll have to follow either a short therapy or a sensitive training on ethics."

"Ugh... You're probably right..." I reply, thinking that this man is just too good to be true. "I bet he didn't like it..."

"Nope, but he doesn't have a choice. Experienced as he is, future employers would call me to verify his references, and if he doesn't comply, I'll just ruin his reputation. I also convinced Alex to make a log at the police station, so that the chef is officially reported, and I accompanied him there."

"Oh good! Poor guy, though... How was he doing?" I ask as innocently as I can.

"He seemed better than last night. I guess he was relieved when I told him that the chef wouldn't come back."

"I can imagine... At least he won't be put under pressure anymore."

Mark was right when he said how important it is to do the job you like and to work in a good environment. I have come to realize it quickly while working at the Black Moon. It's a fantastic place, I love the job, my colleagues are great, and even if the boss is extremely demanding, he is fair and respects his employees. This poor Alex guy must have really needed the money if he didn't quit and endured this for so long!

"Yes, and I've offered him to do the job he was initially hired for. He had applied as a cook helper, but the chef never let him, so from now on, if he accepts, he'll work with the other cooks and learn the job."

"Didn't he do a cooking school?"

"Apparently no, but he's not very talkative so he didn't say much. All I gathered was that he loves cooking and he sounded motivated to learn, so he'll do that with the other cooks. I could also try and convince him to follow a training like you did..." he adds thoughtfully.

Mark and education... I have no doubt he'll try to push the guy into a training or something similar, or train him himself. He just can't help guiding frailer people, it seems.

"It would be a good thing for him, and you could also teach him!" I suggest. "You're such a great cook!"

"Unfortunately, I don't have time for this, Shannon," he replies, chuckling. "Alex can learn with the staff. Now I need to hire a new chef, and in the meantime, I'll spend more time at the restaurant, so I'll be able to keep an eye on his training. I've already arranged everything with Matt, and I'll work in the kitchen on the evenings you work at the club. I'll just go there after I have dropped you off, and I'll pick you up after your shifts as usual."

"I can take the bus if it..."

"I'd rather drive you as often as I can, especially after your shifts. I don't want you to take the bus so late at night," he replies firmly. "Besides, it allows us to spend more time together," he adds on a second thought and with a warm smile.

"But you already have so much to do with the sale of La Seine, the new Wine & Cheese Bar, your usual work at Le Marais, and this now!" I argue, because I don't want to be a burden for him.

"Don't worry for me, Babe. I can adapt my schedule and the way I work," he reasons, and I don't even know why I'm trying to make him yield, since it's impossible once he has made a decision.

"Fine with me, it's up to you," I concede as I stand up and carry our empty plates to the dishwasher.

After we have cleaned up everything, Mark pins me against the counter, cupping my cheeks, and leans down for a soft kiss, before he rests his forehead on mine, our noses touching.

"Do you want to do anything special this afternoon?" he asks, rubbing the tip of his nose against mine.

"Hmm..." I trail off, striving to keep my horny thoughts for tonight. "Cuddles?"

"I like that... What about cuddles in the media room while watching a movie before we go to the club?"

"Seems like a plan! As long as I'm on time to meet Liam in the Subs' Room..."

"That shouldn't be a problem."

As per the plan, we spend the rest of the afternoon on the couch in the media room, cuddling while watching TV. As much as I love all our intense sex in the playroom, I also appreciate these quiet moments of tenderness. This is something new for me since I had never been in a relationship before him, but I have noticed – and Mark certainly has too! – that it helps me to reign in my hyperactivity and these annoying urges to be in action. I just love the comfort of his body, his arms hugging me, his hands caressing me.

Of course, as they reach my crotch, I can't avoid hardening, especially as I feel his own member swelling against my backside. The movie session quickly turns a tad bit naughtier than planned, with me rolling over to face him, with hands taking clothes off and dipping inside boxer briefs, with fingers wrapping around each other's erections and stroking until we both reach our orgasms. It isn't anything intense, nothing like what I'm expecting to experience at the Diamond tonight, but it is sweet and good.

I am laying sprawled over Mark's body, drowsing off with my face nested in the crook of his neck, when his phone goes off. The sound coming from the speaker is loud enough for me to recognize Aaron's voice, and I can clearly hear him suggest Chinese take-away for dinner tonight with Master Camden, Master Joshua and Liam. The words Chinese and take-away instantly wake me up and I kneel up with a start, straddling him and joining my hands in a prayer-gesture for him to accept.

Mark is not a fan of Asian cooking, much less take-away food unless it comes from high-end delicatessens like Miceli's Deli or Publican Quality Meats, so I rarely have all this junk food anymore. However, my puppy dog eyes seem to do the trick and he eventually accepts Aaron's offer.

"Thank you!" I whisper as I lean back down and kiss his beautiful lips.

"Hmm..." he grunts. "It's only because you've behaved really good recently and deserve a reward..."

Now that I think about it, I haven't been disciplined since the end of last month, and it wasn't even a real one since I had begged him for a flogging and punishment fuck after I overheard that conversation in the Subs' room and sulked for the rest of the evening. Dang! Am I getting tamed?

No way!

It's mostly because October has flown by and was quite eventful sex-wise, so maybe this lifestyle and the intense sex manage to keep me on the right rails. Or perhaps it's just Mark's presence and guidance. Or perhaps I just haven't found the right opportunities to push him far enough and earn a punishment. Or maybe the little masochist in me has fallen asleep...

Well, it would be time for him to wake up and shake all this quietness. I don't want to get into deep trouble, but a tiny mistake and a little spanking would be nice. Jeez!! I'm missing these disciplining sessions it seems! But I won't take things too far. Mark already has enough worries on his mind, so I don't need to add more. I'll look for something soft enough, like a bit of sulking or talking back. Yummy! I can already imagine his hands hitting my buttocks...

"Shan...?" Mark calls, pulling me from my reverie. "What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm... nothing... just Chinese noodles, spring rolls, sushis..." I reply awkwardly.

"I didn't know Chinese food could arouse you..." he smirks, but I'm glad he doesn't try to dig in for once. "Let's go get ready if you want to eat Chinese tonight. Don't trust Aaron to leave you anything if we're late..."

I know the Master Dom loves Asian food – and mostly anything that's unhealthy apparently – and the mere thought of him eating my share has me spring to my feet and rush out of the media room to prepare my bag of clothes for tonight. Since Liam and I are going to spend time at the Black Moon, I pick a pair of skinny leather pants and a black shirt that I'll be able to remove when we join our Doms at the Diamond.

An intense effervescence is rising within me, tonight is going to be a great night, and by the time I'm finishing dressing up in jeans, a sweater and my Dr. Martens, Mark has barely started preparing his own bag. When I try to help him and push him to go faster, he scowls at me and kicks me out, saying I'd better calm down. Thank goodness, he shows up in the foyer ten minutes later, rolling his eyes, and we finally head out. Throughout the half-hour ride to the club, I really strive not to bounce on my seat, grumble at slow drivers or tell Mark to speed up, because I don't want to get on his nerves, but I'm getting more and more excited.

Master Joshua and Liam have just parked at the back of the building when we reach our destination, and Mark has barely switched off the ignition that I hurry out of the car to meet Liam and hug him for a few seconds. That's when I notice that his Dom is carrying bags of Chinese food, and I can't help leaning down and sniffing their delicious smell.

"Don't you dare approaching or I'll go get one of Camden's whips to flog you!" Master Joshua grunts, stepping away from me. "Get a grip on your Sub, Mark! And I'm not talking about the sandwich I got you from Publican's..."

"Publican's!?" Mark exclaims with eagerness.

"Yeah... See how good I am to you! But if you don't reign in your little minx, I swear I'm going to eat all this Chinese and your Piri-Piri!" Joshua smirks playfully.

"Shan! Get your ass here! Don't you mess up with my Piri-Piri!!" Mark warns me, grabbing my waist and pulling me to his side as we all head joyfully toward the entrance.

Of course, I wouldn't mess with his favorite Sub... sandwich. If he had to choose between a Piri-Piri Sub and his boyfriend Sub, I can't be sure he would go for the human one!

Both Master Aaron and Master Camden frown at our noisy arrival, and despite the usual atmosphere of respect and docility that confers to the club, dinner occurs in a rather elated ambiance with the Doms bickering each other as always. I feel quite chirpy tonight and keep cracking lewd jokes. I even manage to steal a spring roll from Master Joshua while he is too busy kissing my best friend, which earns me an icy scowl from Master Camden who had to be the only one noticing.

Thankfully, I decipher a glint of amusement in his cold gray eyes, and I'm glad that he doesn't rat on me. I swear the man sometimes scares me with his always-stern expression, and honestly, if I hadn't witnessed how he can sometimes behave around his friends before, I would run for the hills each time I cross his path. In any case, if there is one Dom I wouldn't try to mess with, it would be him! And Master Aaron maybe.

"Can you calm down a bit, Pet?" Mark scolds me when I accidently knock my drink over and the liquid spills all over the table.

Uh oh... Pet, he said. It's been a long time since I last heard him call me this. I don't know exactly how things have evolved over the last couple of months, but Mark has come to address me as Babe most of the time, even during scenes at the club or in the playroom at home. Not that I would complain! I actually don't mind either nicknames, but I know he uses Pet when he gets angry or annoyed.

"Fuck! Do you put him on special substances, Mark? Vitamins? Energizers?" Master Camden asks, which actually only makes me giggle more while I mop up my mess on the table, because I certainly don't need anything to make me hyper.

"Are you wishing him death, Cam?" Master Aaron jokes. "Shannon would be a ticking bomb if Mark gave him those!!"

"Yeah, right... He doesn't need anything like this," my own Master grunts before he turns his attention to me. "Kneel!" he orders just as I am finishing cleaning up.

"But it's almost time to g..." I protest pleadingly.

"I said kneel, Pet!" he insists, raising his voice louder and pointing at the floor beside him.

I know I said I wanted to push him in the near future, but not tonight because I really want to go to the Black Moon with Liam and the guys, so I immediately drop to my knees next to him and lower my head.

"Good boy. Now close your eyes and let the overflow out for a few minutes, Babe," he says more softly as his fingers start running through my hair.

Mark has already used this technique a few times whenever he felt I was too excited. He says that in these moments, I should focus on peaceful things like the sound of waves on the seashore or staring at a beautiful sunset, and it usually works quite well as I revel in the delightful and relaxing caresses in my hair. Tonight, the result isn't that obvious as I barely manage to reign in the tension and agitation coursing through my veins, and when Liam and I eventually get our Doms' permission to go prep in the Subs' room ten minutes later, I feel all the animation kick back in.

"No alcohol drinks tonight, Shannon!" Mark warns me, and I know it's not a punishment, it's just that it's forbidden before we play a scene.

"No, Master!" I reply impishly, grinning at him.

"And don't forget about the rules, Boys!" Master Joshua adds. "Wear shirts at the Black Moon and be at the Diamond by 10pm to watch the second show!"

"Yes, Master," Liam replies respectfully while my Yes, Sir sounds more mischievous.

"And stay on the left side of the dancefloor!" Mark insists.

"Yes, Daddy!!!" I sigh, which makes Master Camden burst out laughing – something I have rarely seen!

"Daddy... Now that's a new way to address you, Mark!" he teases him.

"I already told you to not call me that, Babe!" Mark grumbles.

"Sorry, Masterrrrrr..." I purr, quickly pecking his lips.

"Ugh let's go now before you get on their nerves," Liam whispers, dragging me out of the room. "Jeez! How many cups of coffee have you had today!?" he then asks once we are in the corridor toward the Subs' room.

"Just two, but I slept until noon this morning..." I reply poking my tongue out.

We meet our other friends in the locker room where they have just finished their dinner and we all quickly strip naked to go prep. The routine of performing our enemas and helping each other out to shave goes smoothly and cheerfully, and by half past eight, we have all dressed into tight leather pants and black shirts. We seriously look like a weird gang of six sexy young males, so I get why our Doms – at least Liam's and mine! – wouldn't want us to mingle too far with the crowd.

It's still very early when we finally reach the Black Moon, but there's already quite a lot of people dancing and grinding because the nightclub is one of the rare discotheques which opens early on Saturdays. The ambiance is already electric and I just love it. I love clubs for this reason. People are here to enjoy themselves, have fun and party. All worries are left outside. Everybody is smiling and relaxed, and as a member of the staff, I know all too well how more pleasant it is to deal with joyful customers than sulking ones!

Mick, Ed, Tony, Eric, Liam and I quickly join the crowd of dancers, mingling with other people, but Liam and I never leave each other. Even though we no longer share the same apartment, the lifestyle has brought us closer together, in a different way, and we truly enjoy all the moments we can spend together, either at the club or when we meet for lunch like we did earlier this week.

I'm also glad to see that the day Ed spent with Mark and I on Monday hasn't changed a thing to our relationship. It was really a one-time thing and although we teased each other about it in the Subs' room while we were prepping, this is not something that we will bring up too often again. In any case, Ed is far too busy ogling a cute little twink further into the crowd to care, and I'm not surprised to see him slowly drift toward said cutie a few minutes later. Ed must be in a mood to top tonight again.

We have been here enjoying ourselves for more than an hour when something – or rather someone – catches my attention. I am looking at the bar where I usually work and where Randy is putting up a show of mixing cocktails when I notice a familiar mop of dark-blond messy hair among the crowd watching the bartender and waiting for their drinks. The skinny guy is facing away from me, but his rather tense stance clearly rings a bell.

Is this him? Is this Alex?

Dang! I had nearly managed to forget about him over the past few hours, why did he have to pop back into my thoughts?

I am probably wrong anyway, but I just can't resist checking whether it's him or not.

"Where the heck are you going?" Liam exclaims, catching my wrist as I begin to walk away from my group of friends.

"I'll be right back, Lili!" I reassure him.

"Shan! We promised we'd stay on this side!"

"I won't be long, Bunny. I just need to check something!"

"I don't want us to get in trouble, or they'll never let us go to the Black Moon again!"

"Neither you nor I will get in trouble, Li. Stay here, I'll be back in just a minute!" I argue, still peeking at the guy to make sure he is still there.

"What if Master Mark finds out?"

"He won't! There's still almost half an hour before we have to meet them at the Diamond, and I won't do anything wrong anyway!"

Before he has time to protest again, I disentangle from his grip and head toward the main bar. Liam can be such a chicken sometimes – though I understand him, because Master Joshua is not always easy, it seems – but our Doms never come to the Black Moon. For crying out loud, they don't even dance at the Black Diamond! So why would they visit the public nightclub tonight?

Don't jinx it, Shan...

Yeah, right. I won't be long in any case. I just want to see if the guy dressed in dark skinny jeans and a black tight tee-shirt is the guy I met at Mark's restaurant last night. I need to go around to get a look at his face, but just as I am about to swerve to the left, the young man turns around and bumps into me.

Shit! It's really him!

"Sorry..." the boy mumbles in a strained voice without even raising his eyes before he starts walking away.

I should let him go. Now that I know who he is, I should just return to my friends. But me being me, I have to fuck up.

"Alex!?" I exclaim, causing him to turn around and face me.

"Shannon...?" he says, his eyes opening widely as they linger on my leather-clad legs, then my half-exposed chest and stop on the collar around my neck.

It only hits me then that I might be in trouble now. The guy saw me with Mark at the restaurant! Although I don't remember Mark clearly stating I was his boyfriend in front of Alex, he might have assumed so. What is he going to think about my presence here in such an outfit? Has he ever heard about BDSM? Does he know what a collar is? Could he guess from my looks? Shit! What if he does and suspect that his boss is in the BDSM lifestyle?

Ugh! It might get embarrassing for Mark!

Even worse... If Mark finds out that I more or less involuntarily revealed an important detail of what he considers his private life – just because I didn't think twice before acting! – he might as well kill me! This is a bit exaggerated, but he will definitely be furious at me!

"Shannon...? Shannon...?" Alex says again, waving his hand in front of my eyes.

"Oh... Hi Alex... What are you doing here?" I stutter.

Playing football, of course! You and your stupid questions, Shan!

"Probably the same thing as you..." he replies, chuckling lightly before he recovers a serious expression, a glint of sarcasm in his eyes. "Or maybe not..." he adds while his eyes are traveling all over my body again.

Shit!!

"Shan! What are you doing!?" Liam asks, suddenly by my side. "It's almost time to go..."

"Alex, this is my best friend, Liam. And Li, this is Alex. He... he..." I stutter, feeling myself blush as I don't even know how to introduce him without involving Mark's name. "He works at Le Marais."

If the situation wasn't dramatic, I would have burst out laughing at Liam's face. His eyes gawk at me and his face almost blanches, which only comforts me to think I fucked up big time.

"Oh, hello Alex... Nice to meet you..." Liam says kindly and Alex replies in a similar fashion.

"I hope... your hand is getting better... I'm sorry, but... we gotta go now..." I blurt out nervously.

"It's early! Are you guys leaving already?" Alex asks.

Yeah... I have to go and confess a big mistake to my Dominant, who turns out to be your boss, and he'll probably flog me until I fall into unconsciousness... Or perhaps I'll grab myself together before I reach him and manage to hide what I just did.

"Yes, sorry... I really have to go now... See you soon..." I reply.

I don't wait for another answer and drag Liam toward the door that leads to the long corridor which goes to the Black Diamond, but my wrist gets suddenly caught by cold fingers before we even reach the bouncer.

"Shannon, wait!!" Alex begs as I turn around.

He may be skinny and all, but this boy still has a firm grip on my hand.

"Are you two going there!?" he asks with an eagerness I would have never expected to see on his face, pointing at the double-door. "Can I go with you?"

Holy crap! Why would he want to go there? Does he know the Black Diamond? What am I going to tell him? Obviously, I cannot take him there...

"I'm sorry, but you can't..." Liam replies apologetically.

"Please..." he begs, looking at me with puppy dog eyes.

Just as I feel a light draught in my back, Alex's puppy eyes open widely, to the point they are almost bulging out. Like he has just seen a ghost. Like he has just seen a zombie. Like has just seen his boss.

The next second, a firm hand grasps the nape of my neck and a terrible impression of déjà vu washes over me, sending a cold shiver down my spine. Another hand grips my forearm, and I already know it's Mark's bare chest I can feel pressed against my back.

Yes, I have been there before...

"You are in fucking deep trouble, Pet..." he seethes in my ear.

Yeah... I already knew that too.

Published on 16 May 2016