Ann Mayburn - Sodom and the Phoenix

A small white marble pier jutted out into the river, with a landing platform at the end. The air shimmered for a moment, and a new domme entered the simulation. Bryan recognized his friend Julia and waved a hand in greeting as she blinked in wonder. She raised her hand and returned his wave, the cream leather catsuit she wore complementing her lean figure. A golden whip hung from her side, and a pair of golden cuffs gleamed on her wrists. Bryan couldn’t help but grin at the reference to Wonder Woman, one of Julia’s personal heroes.

The smile that lit her face chased away some of his anxiety. There was such joy in it that he found himself smiling back. When Julia reached his side, she fairly vibrated with excitement. “Bryan! I didn’t think you did the whole VR thing. I thought you said it was too hokey for you.”

He grimaced, but humor sparkled in his eyes. “I still say it’s not as good as real life, but it certainly has its perks.”

She chuckled and took a seat on the bench, stretching her long legs out with a sigh. “This is just…wow. I’m glad I got here before my sub so he didn’t see me staring and gawking like some farm girl fresh off the watermelon truck.”

Bryan couldn’t help but glance toward Tanwen’s cage again, and his gut tightened to see it was still empty. Maybe she had changed her mind. Maybe she had found another dom she wanted to play with instead. He didn’t like that thought, and if he saw her on someone else’s leash, he’d be liable to get himself thrown out of Sodom for pounding the other dom’s face in.

With a start, he realized he was obsessing about beating up an imaginary dom for being with a sub that wasn’t even technically his. Good Lord, that little slip of a woman had him acting like a teenage boy with his first love. He had to get ahold of himself and his emotions before he saw her.

If she showed up.

He forced himself to think about Tanwen and what he already knew about her. With her sense of honor and keeping her word, she would show up, and he needed to step up his game. He’d be charming and show her that she could have all the experiences she’d been yearning for and still be his sub.

Before entering the simulation, he’d been given a brief rundown of all the different things they could do together. He wondered if she would like to be in a pet show, competing against other subs in agility challenges. Of course the challenges were of a very carnal nature so they would both enjoy it, but he wasn’t sure if she was the type who took pleasure from being displayed. No, he would take her through the zoo and see what piqued her interest. As amazing as this simulation was, he wanted her to remember it not because of the VR but because of him.

There were only a few days of this trip left to woo her, in however nontraditional a manner, and he had to show her they had the potential to be so much more than a vacation fling. He wanted her to see him as a partner, a man she could picture herself with ten years from now. It was going to be a tricky balancing act, helping her explore long-repressed desires while making sure he kept his idiotic jealousy under control. If he knew how she felt about him, it would certainly help. He and his late wife had greatly enjoyed swinging and partner swapping, but the introduction of other people into their bedroom had only come after an intense level of trust had been built between them.

In an effort to distract himself, he tried to focus on Julia. “Which lucky sub gets the pleasure of your company?” The smile fell from Julia’s face, and Bryan cocked his head. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, not you.” She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders. “You remember that kid who got hurt yesterday? The one with the rent-a-domme?”

“I heard a little bit about it this morning at the founders meeting. That bitch had better be glad management escorted her out of the resort.” The abuse of a sub tended to be dealt with swiftly and severely among the BDSM community.

“Yeah, well, I wanted Saul, that’s his name, to know we’re not all like that.” She fingered the whip at her side. “Poor kid. He wants so badly to serve, but he was brought up in a very strict household in New York City and went to work for his parents right after he graduated from an überconservative college. Very sweet, very eager to please, and very naive.”

“So you managed to talk him into letting you top him today?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t easy. I met with him in the hospital, and we had a long, long discussion about the lifestyle.”

“Shows a lot of trust to meet you here.” Bryan watched a pretty flush creep up Julia’s cheeks, and had to suppress his grin.

“I know. I had him pick an avatar that would make him feel powerful, that would show the world the beast inside. And he can use his safe word at any time to get out of here…unlike when he was trapped with that bitch.” Her hands clenched into fists, and he feared for her fingers snapping before she blew out a tense breath. She sat forward and braced her elbows on her knees, peering up at him with her dark and intelligent eyes. “Enough about my fucked-up situation. What about you? What pretty little thing are you going to play with? Let me guess—young, ditzy, and blonde, will probably be wearing a bunny avatar.”

Bryan glared at her, but she calmly raised one eyebrow. Julia had met a few of the subs he’d played around with after his wife’s death, and had been less than impressed with his selections. Come to think of it, he’d been less than impressed with his selections. They had all been pretty much what Julia said: young, ditzy, and blonde. God, he was like the Hugh Hefner of the BDSM world. He’d made sure none of the women had the substance that would make him consider a long-term relationship just as much as he’d selected them for their disinterest in settling down.

Julia cleared her throat in an annoying manner, and he sighed. “She may be blonde, but she isn’t young or dumb. In fact, Tanwen has to—”

“Did you say her name is Tanwen? Big hazel eyes, late thirties with really nice curves?”

“Yeah, you know her?”

“Kind of. I met her when I talked to Margo last night. She was also one of the people who helped me with Saul. She’s a nurse and kept him from freaking out while we took care of him. Really smart lady and quick on her feet.” She sat back and laid her arms over the back of the bench. “Funny, I wouldn’t have pegged her as a sub. She seemed very in control when we were getting Saul stabilized.”

Bryan felt his heart swell with pride that his little flame had leaped right in to help a stranger. No one at the founders meeting had mentioned the names of the women who’d helped Saul, just that they’d done a great job. “Julia, you know better than most that being a sub doesn’t mean the person is weak. Think of how many officers you know who like to bend a knee to their enlisted staff sergeant mistress once the uniforms come off.”

A wicked grin teased Julia’s lips. “Well, that is true. I do love a good major tied to a spanking bench.” Her expression turned serious. “You be careful with her. She’s a nice lady and deserves a dom who will treat her right. She’s not like the plastic dolls you usually play with.”

Anger threaded through Bryan, and his voice came out in a soft growl. “Watch yourself, Julia. I like you and I consider you a friend, but I won’t stand for you insulting me like that. I would never betray a sub’s trust or get involved with one who wanted more than I had to give.”

Julia gave him a curt nod and stood. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She glanced over his shoulder, and her dark eyes sparkled with warmth. “Saul just arrived. If I see Tanwen, I’ll put in a good word for you.”