Chapter Six
The last little gave him a big hug and bussed his cheek above his fake beard after telling him she wanted a new buttplug for Christmas—one of the ones with the nice fluffy fur tails attached to it because she’d always wanted to try pet play and see if she liked being a kitten. She already had the ears. So cute.
She pranced the couple of steps and took her present from Sable—or should he say Twinkle—with a shy thank you, and then ran back to her daddy, eager to show him what she’d received.
Jethro wasn’t in the habit of lying to himself so he acknowledged the ache he felt in his chest. He liked playing with littles and other subs at Hive but he missed having a little he could call his own. Missed someone calling him Daddy for more than an hour or two. Missed having someone who wanted, who needed his discipline. Someone who would gaze at him with adoring eyes when he spoiled her and would cry when he punished her. Yeah, he missed it all.
He glanced over at Sable who he’d been working beside non-stop for the past couple of hours. She’d been sort of stiff at first but seemed to warm to her job as the evening went on.
Jethro hadn’t talked to her much, not wanting to invade her space or make her think he wouldn’t keep his word. He didn’t want to betray their familiarity to anyone else here. The most he’d done was get her a bowl of popcorn and a cup of ginger ale when they’d taken a break halfway through.
And now she was picking up scraps of wrapping paper and bows littles had abandoned in their exuberance as he took off his hat and wig and beard and belt. Again.
He tried not to stare at Sable but he’d noticed at one point when she’d had to reach over a pile of presents that she’d taken off the tights she’d had on earlier and her upper thighs and lower cheeks that peeked around her panties were pink.
She’d been spanked.
Thank god his Santa pants were roomy and thick because she didn’t need to know he’d gotten hard just thinking about turning her over his lap.
Knowing Sable was kinky was…well, it was a revelation is what it was. He’d never be able to see or think about her in the same way. Which was probably her fear, so he’d be damn sure to treat her the same.
He’d follow her lead, just like he did with anyone else. He wouldn’t make her uncomfortable or make her regret coming here tonight—if he could help it. His behavior might not matter—she might have regrets already.
He was about to ask her if he could get her something to drink when a man walked over. Jethro didn’t recognize him which was odd—he knew most of the members by name and almost all of them by sight. But this guy didn’t look familiar at all.
He was tall with dark hair, probably somewhere in between him and Sable in age, and he was wearing all black. Which wasn’t unusual at the club but most of the regulars had donned some holiday duds for the occasion. His black boots shone and he carried a big gear bag over his shoulder.
Jethro turned and started tidying up himself to give them privacy. He didn’t know why but the guy made him uneasy. Maybe Sable already knew him and Jethro was being paranoid. Or maybe he was channeling his envy of the mommies and daddies who were playing and chatting with their littles into feeling possessive over Sable. Which was ridiculous. She clearly wasn’t interested in him like that. Or at all. Which was fine. He could still make sure she was safe and interested in the attention she was receiving.
“Couldn’t help but notice you over here, working hard. Don’t you ever get to have any fun?”
Sable murmured something back he couldn’t make out and Jethro did his level best not to turn so he could hear better.
“Well, anyway, this party has been kind of a bust. It’s almost all littles and their tops here.”
Yeah, genius,Jethro thought.It’s a fucking littles holiday party, who else did you think was going to be here?
There were a few stray singles but not too many—there weren’t usually at the littles events. People mostly came already coupled or at least with a play partner or planned to meet up with people once they got here.
“I’m Master Trent. I’m into the more hardcore stuff. You know, whips and canes and breath play and not this…”
Jethro couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Some littles weren’t into impact play or bondage or anything else like that but a lot of them were. Hell, a few littles he knew were some of the toughest bottoms he’d ever met.
Fuck yeah they often called their tops mommy or daddy but that didn’t mean they couldn’t take a beating. And what did it matter if they couldn’t? Kink shouldn’t be some fucking hierarchy.
This jackass probably thought there was one true way to be a Dominant and he was it. If Jethro knew anything about Sable—and he’d like to think he knew at least a bit—she’d put him in his place right quick.
She said something back to him—damn the woman, couldn’t she speak up to make his eavesdropping easier?—and then the smarmy fuck replied, “I think you meanMasterTrent.”
Jethro tilted his head to crack his neck as his hackles rose. Oh hell no. He did turn his head then, preparing to intervene if he pushed her anymore but he didn’t need to worry. He could hear Sable now.
“You may be a master, but you’re not mine. It’s rude to demand someone you never met before use a title and I won’t. My tops earn their titles from me and I don’t know the first thing about you except that I’ve tried to excuse myself politely twice now and you won’t take no for an answer. So no, I won’t be calling you master anything, ever. Good night.”
Good girl, Jethro thought, even as he was sure Sable would probably punch him in the throat for thinking it. That was almost as condescending as Master Asswipe over there.
Except as he was about to turn back to cleaning up, he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. The asshole hadgrabbedher. Reached out and wrapped his hand around Sable’s delicate wrist.
Jethro did turn around then, standing up tall and peeling off his Santa coat. He wanted this asshole to take him seriously because he was dead serious.