Bonne Chance: Bourbon Street, Book 2 Page 3

  Chance hid behind her hands. “I made up a boyfriend.”

  Cassandra snorted and shook her head. “You realize that’s the oldest, lamest, saddest ruse in the world?”

  “I know.”

  Cass sipped her coffee, then shrugged. “It could be worse.”

  Chance glared at her. “How?”

  “Hon, the answer is staring you in the face. If you’re not willing to come clean, which, I know your family sucks, but it really would be best.” She gave Chance a pointed look and continued. “If you won’t come clean, I know a certain sub-in-training that’s easily gentleman enough to get you out of this self-imposed idiocy. And since you are supposed to be training him…” She trailed off, letting her words sink in.

  Chance blinked, stunned. It was an obvious solution. “Oh my God. Cass, you are brilliant. Adrian will kill me, but it’s brilliant.”

  The blonde Domme buffed her nails. “I have my moments.”

  Chance grabbed for her phone, pulling up the number Adrian had given her. The call picked up on the second ring.

  “Landry Boudreaux.”

  “It’s Chance. Are you free?”

  A pause and a bit of shuffling. “Not immediately, Mistress. Half hour?”

  Chance grinned, throwing Cass a thumbs-up. “Meet me at Café Du Monde. Text if you’ll be longer than an hour.”

  “Yes’m.”

  She ended the call and looked up to see Cass smile.

  “Sounds like you’ve got that boy wrapped around your finger already. God, he’s adorable. Did he ‘yes’m’ you?”

  Chance laughed. “He did. I take it you’ve met him?”

  “Once or twice over the years. His leave schedule never really permitted much in the way of consistency. Adrian threw him to whoever was available, so I think most of us worked with him at one point or another. We’ve all been itching to bring him along further.”

  “I’m surprised I never met him.”

  Cassandra snorted. “I’m not. Adrian kept you plenty busy. How does that feel, anyway?”

  Chance cocked her head. “What?”

  “Not being his favorite anymore.”

  She laughed. “I was never his favorite, I was his go-to. Hell, I wasn’t even top Domme.” Chance cleared her throat and gave her friend a pointed look. “Once Tamara left, that was all you.”

  Cass waved her comment off. “I may have seniority, but I knew the moment Moira started training she’d end up on top. She has a ways to go still, but seriously, Chance. She’s a goddamn fucking natural. And you didn’t answer my question, little miss former-favorite.”

  Shaking her head, Chance grinned. “Even if I was his favorite, it doesn’t bother me. We need more Dommes in this community. Not that I object to the boys having their fun, but there are so many male Dominants and female subs, it’s almost cliché. I will always be happy to see more strong women. Besides, Tamara was always his favorite.”

  “Not always.” The look Cassandra gave her was thoughtfully catlike.

  “I forget how long you’ve known him.”

  Cass shook her head. “Not as long as you think. Adrian was already the Maître we know and love by the time I came around. I don’t know his story, I only saw some of the fallout. I think the only ones that really know are Toussaint, Gideon and Tamara.” She sipped the last of her coffee and set the mug back on the table. “Speaking of, you know she suggested you take on the sergeant?”

  “No, I didn’t. I wish she’d stuck around.” Chance took a drink of her coffee and made a face. “Dammit, my coffee’s gone cold.”

  “She’d kick your ass if she knew you were letting your family get to you. Then she’d kick theirs on principle.”

  Chance laughed. “She would.” Her phone trilled, and she looked down to see an incoming text.

  Be there in five. L

  Cassandra raised an eyebrow. “That boy does love following orders. Speaking of naturals.” She pushed away from the table and stood. “Have fun with our favorite Marine. Let me know how it goes.”

  “I will. You working Macabre tonight?”

  The blonde Domme nodded. “Ellie’s coming in with me too. I’d tell you to stop by, but I know you’ll be busy.”

  Chance grinned as Cassandra waved and left, but her smile widened at the sight of someone else approaching. Landry Boudreaux walked with purpose and assurance, every inch a soldier in his crisp MARPAT digital camouflage, sleeves rolled up to show dark, muscular forearms. Brown eyes brightened as they locked on her, and Chance felt a rush of heat that had nothing to do with the early summer weather.

  He paused briefly at her table, waiting for her subtle nod before sitting. “Ma’am. Or—”

  “Ma’am is fine in public.” She smiled as he gave a curt nod. “It takes some getting used to, I know. And I understand the need for discretion, especially with you in uniform.” She eyed him for a moment, taking him in. “How are you feeling after last night?”

  Landry shifted in his seat, coming forward to lean on the table. “Honestly, ma’am? I…”

  Chance grinned, watching the nervous fidgeting of his fingers, and the slight flush to his cheeks. “Excited?”

  He smiled, finally. “Yes’m.”

  “But?” His shoulders hadn’t relaxed, so she knew that wasn’t all.

  “I didn’t expect we’d be talking about it in public.”

  Chance nodded. “This won’t be anything formal. I wanted to schedule something for tonight, but I also wanted to talk to you. I…need your help.”

  Landry’s eyebrow lifted. “Ma’am?”

  “It’s kind of embarrassing.” Chance took a deep breath. “I need a favor. Not as Domme to sub, but person to person. I’ve found myself in a somewhat awkward position, and I hoped you could help me out. It won’t affect our training, either way, but I would really be grateful.”

  “Sounds like a big favor.”

  Chance winced. “It is.”

  He sat back, crossing his arms, and cocked his head. “Won’t know if I can help unless you ask.”

  His response won him a brief smile. “My family is coming to town. They…”

  Landry’s eyes registered immediate understanding. “They don’t know what you do.”

  “No.”

  He leaned forward again. “Just your parents?”

  “And my little sister.”

  Landry laughed at her tone. “Don’t get on with her?” Chance shook her head. “She’s always makin’ the misère?”

  Chance laughed softly. “You must have sisters.”

  “Three of them.” He sat back again. “So what is it you need from me, if I may ask? Do we need to postpone things?”

  Chance waved him off. “It’s not that. If I spend all my time with them, I’ll go insane.” She sighed. “Family is hard, you know? They have all these expectations, which half the time don’t come even close to lining up with your own.”

  “I take it your life here isn’t what they expected?”

  “No. My mother is very old-fashioned in a lot of ways. I’m not married, and I don’t have kids, so in her eyes, I’m failing.”

  Landry nodded in understanding. “Which is why they don’t know what you do. I’m still not clear on how I can help, though.”

  Chance closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Pretend to be my boyfriend? I know, it’s absurd.” She rushed on ahead before he could answer. “It’s the worst trope in history. But I can’t handle any more of my mother’s matchmaking, or the disapproving remarks—I spent the last month with all of that.”

  Landry’s brow lifted. “Coo. I don’t know, ma’am. I get what you’re saying, and it makes sense. If you’re going to be training me, I’ll be hanging around all the time, anyway.” He paused, his brow furrowing in a way Chance found kind of adorable. “But I don’t li
ke lying, especially to family. If they can’t accept the truth, it’s on them. But you’re not giving them the opportunity, either way, and that’s on you.”

  Chance winced. “Ouch. You don’t pull your punches, do you?”

  He smirked. “No, ma’am. Do you?”

  She leaned back in her chair and matched his grin. “You’ll find out.”

  “Ooo!” He flipped his fingers to the side so fast they snapped. “I bet you don’t. This thing with your sister makes me think you hit hard too. Saw it with my own sisters, growing up. Always gotta be better than the other, right? Always competing?”

  Chance sighed. “It didn’t used to be. I don’t honestly know what happened. Bels and I used to be close. Best friends, really. And Mom always had her expectations for both of us, but it’s like one day I woke up and she was the favorite, and I was suddenly shit out of luck, and couldn’t please anyone.”

  Landry looked down, tapping his thumb on the wrought iron table. “Seems to me trying to please people never made anyone happy. But I can’t say as it’s my business what you tell or don’t tell your family.” He tapped his thumb on the table twice more, then looked up. “If I agree, will you at least think about telling them?”

  She gave him a lopsided grin. “I really should, I know. I’ll try.”

  “All right then.”

  Chance breathed out hard. “You are a fucking angel, Landry Boudreaux. Thank you.”

  He laughed, a deep, rich laugh that sounded like it came easy to him. “Don’t thank me yet. You did promise to think about telling them. So your sister, she married? Kids?”

  “Had her first a few months ago. I have a sneaky and unpleasant suspicion that Mom’s decided to find me a husband if it kills her.”

  “That is frustrating. She sounds like my auntie. She went all maryeur trying to get my youngest sister a husband, before Momma finally stepped in and told her Mahalia was never going to settle down with a nice man.”

  “I wish somebody’d tell my mother that. I bet your sister was relieved.”

  Landry laughed. “For true. Especially considering she’d proposed to her girlfriend.”

  Chance broke out laughing. “Oh that’s fantastic. How’d your aunt take that?”

  He shrugged. “She got over it, grudgingly. It helped that they invited her to the wedding. Even if they did move to South Carolina.”

  Chance nodded in understanding. She loved New Orleans, but Louisiana hadn’t gotten over the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling, much like her home state. She was fairly certain they’d still be fighting for equal marriage rights if the federal ruling hadn’t come down. “Good for them. I really do appreciate this, Landry.”

  “I will admit to being flattered you asked. I’d love to stay and talk about this more, but…” he glanced at his watch, “…right now I have to get back to the base.”

  “What time are you done for the day?”

  He pulled his phone out of a chest pocket and flipped through it. “My last group should be done at four thirty, ma’am.”

  Chance smiled. “Meet me at Adrian’s at six, then.”

  Landry stood. “Yes’m.”

  Chapter Four

  Devon bowed his head as he held the door open for her. “The sergeant is waiting in the Scarlet Room, as instructed, Mistress.”

  Chance nodded as he helped her out of the lightweight thigh-length dress jacket she’d worn over her outfit. “Thank you, Devon. Was he on time?”

  The large submissive passed the coat back to her with a small smile. “Four minutes early.”

  She grinned. Chance had prepared the room after her last afternoon client, making sure it was set before meeting Cassandra and Ellie for an early dinner at their place. A quick check of her phone showed 6:15 p.m., which meant she’d timed it perfectly. With a nod to Devon, Chance took her time sauntering up the steps to her preferred room. If he was good, Landry would be waiting as instructed at their first session—and she was willing to bet he was. The man didn’t strike her as one who forgot much, especially not an order.

  Stopping outside her door, Chance ran her hands down the black leather and red brocade corset Cass had suggested she wear. It was a good choice, one of her favorites. She always felt supremely confident in it. She’d selected a matching scarlet garter under black silk panties, as well as sheer black stockings with lace tops and a bright red Cuban heel and back seam that ended in a pair of ribbons. Her favorite pair of knee-high black boots, the ones with a special pocket for her crop, finished the ensemble.

  Taking a deep breath to calm the mounting excitement she felt, Chance flipped the ends of her high ponytailed weave over her shoulder and pushed open the door. The sight that greeted her made her grin widely. Landry knelt exactly where she’d showed him the day before, and exactly how she’d showed him. Knees wide, hands on his thighs, and—most importantly—without a stitch of clothing.

  Really, the man was a Domme’s wet dream.

  “Sergeant Boudreaux. Did you bring your homework?”

  He didn’t move, didn’t look at her, and Chance’s grin widened. “Yes, Mistress.”

  Shutting the door, she sauntered slowly toward him. “Very good, sub.” She pulled the red-handled crop from her boot and ran the tip down the smooth plane of his back. “Where is it?”

  “On the table with your toys, Mistress.”

  She lifted one eyebrow a fraction and walked over to the table in question. “Checking out my toys, were we?”

  He didn’t respond right away, which made her glance back in time to see him fight down a smile. “I did take a look, yes, Mistress.”

  “Like anything you saw?”

  His head shifted almost imperceptibly. “More…curious, Ma’am.”

  “Elaborate.”

  “I’ve seen some of them, had sessions with other Dommes who used several.”

  She pressed the end of her crop under his chin, directing his head up. “Show me which you’re familiar with.”

  Landry bobbed his chin in a sharp nod, and quickly stood, rocking onto his toes and up without the use of his hands. Chance gave him an impressed look, which made his cheeks flush. But he walked forward with his usual calm confidence, something Chance found refreshing. She’d worked with too many subs who lacked that assurance. Landry, though, was clearly at perfect ease with himself. He knew who he was, what he was and what he needed, and it was obvious in every move, every word.

  Watching him, Chance felt a brief moment of jealousy. Her time away from New Orleans, back in her childhood home and surrounded by family whose expectations were so far from her own desires and needs, had stripped her of much of her own confidence. Added to the news of her family’s impending visit, Chance felt the doubt more strongly than she had in a long time. The day Adrian had introduced her to kink she’d felt like she’d come home. Like she’d finally found that missing piece she hadn’t even known about.

  Shaking off the sudden feelings of inadequacy, Chance squared herself. Here, in this room, she was her most true self, and the world outside—her family included—could go fuck themselves.

  Because she had a sub to fuck. A particularly delicious one.

  Chance stepped up beside Landry, gesturing for him to proceed, which he did without hesitation.

  “I know these—the crop, flogger, paddle. The Mistress who runs the door at La Danse Macabre?”

  Chance smiled. “Cassandra?”

  He nodded. “Had a session with her once. Fond of the paddle, she was. And the strap-on harness. Could barely sit after.”

  She glanced up at that, surprised to see him smiling. “You enjoyed that?”

  “The strap-on? Not especially. It was the way she did it.”

  Chance chuckled. “I see. What did she order you to do?”

  His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Bend over and take it like a man.
”

  Chance burst out laughing. She really could see her friend saying something like that. “I’ll have to keep that in mind. What else do you know?”

  Landry continued, pointing out the usual suspects. Chance had set out a wide assortment, specifically for this reason, even borrowing a few things from Adrian that she didn’t normally go in for. They talked over the differences in various whips and floggers, the pros and cons to different paddles and restraints, then moved to some of the harder core toys. He pointed to the selection of gags and hoods she had laid out with raised eyebrows, and Chance laughed.

  “Self-explanatory, aren’t they?”

  He shrugged. “I s’pose, oui. But I can’t see that being enjoyable.”

  Chance gestured with one hand. “They don’t do much for me, either, but I’ve worked with subs that loved the sensory deprivation of wearing a hood, or having their ability to speak taken away. It takes all kinds.”

  He acknowledged her point with a nod and indicated. “And those?”

  Chance’s smile grew into a wicked grin. She reached out for the little rubber cap and licked the end, quickly pressing it over Landry’s nipple. He stared at it with a surprised look, then gasped sharply as she ripped it off with a loud pop. His eyes went from his now red nipple to her face.

  “Wow.”

  She laughed. “Variations on a theme. Nipple clamps, caps, suction cups.” Chance cocked her head as he absently rubbed at the offended nipple, then narrowed her eyes. “You liked that.”

  He grinned, dropping his hand. “I think I did.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Landry shook his head, then pointed to the table again. “Do I want to know what those are?”

  “I was wondering when you’d get to those.” Chance presented each as she named it. “Cock cage. Penile ring—this one vibrates. Some have a small electric charge. That’s a chastity cage.” She leaned in closely with a grin. “Your dick goes in there.”

  Landry cleared his throat nervously, and she laughed.

  “Yeah, I didn’t think they’d be much interest to you, at least not now. You might get adventurous later.”