by Kris Cook
“Did I not make myself clear, sub?” The edge in his tone worried me. I had felt so close to the cop. I didn’t feel close to this man. Could he have changed so much?
“What?”
“Time. To. Go. Home.”
Though I wanted to mentally compare the phrasing and tone that the cop had used to Lex’s, I found myself leaping from the car like a little soldier following the orders of his commander. I stood beside him and gazed into his gorgeous eyes.
“Better, little one.”
“May I come back to your club, Lex? I did what you asked.”
“Yes, you did.”
“Ask the officer,” I said, hoping to spot a clue from his reaction. But none came. I found no change in him. Not one. His eyes never blinked, and he stood as still as a statue. “I deserve to come back, Lex.”
“You think so?” His lips curled up, making me weak in the knees. “Well, I’ll think about it.”
“Please?”
“I like that you know how to beg, but you need to learn when it works and when it doesn’t, sub.”
I felt like I was blowing my chance for a repeat visit to The Cell. I needed to switch tactics with Lex, but wasn’t sure how.
He reached into the backseat of the vehicle and pulled out the blanket. Wrapping it around me, he led me out the door. I turned and took a long look back at the scene.
“You’ve got quite the setup here at your club.” I sighed, recalling the spanking the officer had given me. “You should be very proud of what you’ve created here.”
His eyes widened as if I’d hit some kind of nerve in him. He stared at me for the longest time. He finally shook his head. “You’re such a sweet treasure, pet. I didn’t know a woman like you even existed in the world.”
I wasn’t entirely sure that was a good thing. “What do you mean by that?”
“Enough talk. You’re exhausted. You need rest since you’re coming back tomorrow.”
Totally thrilled that he was going to allow me back in the club, I nodded. With my hand in his, Lex led me out of the club the same way we’d come in.
The limo was idling by the side door with the driver standing by.
Lex opened the door for me. “I’ll text you with instructions for tomorrow night, Mia, just like I did today.”
“Thank you.”
Suddenly, he grabbed me by the back of the neck and pulled me in for a kiss. His mouth crashed against mine, and I melted into him. As his tongue swept past my lips, I became wonderfully woozy.
And just as fast as the kiss had come, it ended, leaving me wanting more.
“Goodnight, little sub.”
Jan 4th
Like yesterday, I sat and waited, the day not quite beginning until my phone chimed. Lex’s first text came early and with his very specific instructions.
Breakfast will arrive shortly. Don’t pick at it. Eat until you are full. You’ll need you’re strength tonight.
It felt amazing to have someone take care of every detail of my day.
Fifteen minutes after I’d first read the text, there was a knock on the door. Right on time.
The delivery girl handed me the packages with the delicious breakfast inside. I could smell a dozen culinary aromas like bacon, eggs, honey, bananas, strawberries, and so much more, causing my stomach to growl.
“Let me get you a tip after I put these on the table.”
She shook her head. “No tip. Strict instructions from your husband.”
I thought about correcting her, but didn’t. She wouldn’t care one way or the other. But her calling him my husband got my mind buzzing. What was he to me? I’d only met him recently, but now I was following his every direction. I still thought that the cop and Lex were the same, but I wasn’t totally sure. If not, I hadn’t even had sex with Lex. I couldn’t call him my Master. I knew that to be more of a formal act in the BDSM community. And yet, I couldn’t refuse him anything. I’d known it that first meeting when I’d pulled my panties down to my ankles in the lecture hall. And it wasn’t just being in the same room that turned me into soft clay in his hands. Even his texts unhinged me so much that I could not resist his words on my cell’s screen.
“Do you need anything else?” she asked, smiling broadly.
“No. This is fine. Thank you for bringing this to me.”
“My pleasure.”
I closed the door, and per Lex’s instructions, I ate the meal he’d sent. Try as I might, I couldn’t finish it. I doubted that a family of ten would’ve been able to. Every bite had been delicious and satisfying.
The next text came, and the next.
Each and every one, I followed to the letter. And every time I completed one of his tasks, I grew prouder of myself and more excited about the evening he had in store for me.
There was another knock on my door.
Thanks to the most recent of Lex’s texts, I knew the person knocking was Vivian, the woman I’d met at the BDSM boutique yesterday.
I opened the door. “Come on in.”
“Hi, Mia.” She grinned and handed me the box in her hands. “Did you have fun last night?”
Fun didn’t begin to cover it. I’d discovered something about myself. I was still discovering with every small task. “I did. What kind of outfit does Lex have me in tonight?”
Vivian’s lips curved up in a smile. “One of my personal faves, kiddo. A slutty maiden dress that will knock his socks off.”
I was glad to hear that. “Do you have time to come in for a cup of coffee, Vivian? I have some questions I’d like to ask you, if you don’t mind.”
“I heard you are working on a thesis. Until Lex gives the green light, no one is going to talk to you about the life. That includes me. I’m sorry.” She gave me a sympathetic look.
I sighed. “No worries.”
“That’s not to say I won’t be talking with you soon. I think you’re about the only woman who has ever been able to get under Lex’s skin.”
The only woman to get under his skin? How could that be possible? I was confused but also foolishly hoping it was true. “You can’t tell me that he hasn’t been with a lot of women. Maybe even you?” That thought sent a bolt of worry and jealousy through me.
Vivian shrugged. “Not me. Boy, don’t think I wouldn’t have loved to drink from that fountain if I’d gotten the chance. I’m a bit of a switch, and Lex only goes for pure subs.”
Knowing that she’d not been with him filled me with relief. “What do you mean I’ve gotten under his skin?”
She held up her hands. “I’ve already said too much. Just whatever you’re doing, keep it up. You’ll get his green light and get your interviews, I’m sure of it.”
“Thanks, Vivian.”
“My friends call me, Viv.” She winked.
“Viv. Thanks.”
“Bye, kiddo. Have fun tonight.”
I shut the door and put the box on my sofa. I ripped off the top, revealing the outfit Lex had chosen for me for my second visit to his club. I slipped on the maiden outfit and became both excited and nervous. Was I actually brave enough to show up at The Cell dressed like a...how had Viv described it...slutty maiden?
The dress reminded me of the costumes my sister wore to the Renaissance festivals she’d forced me to go to with her. She was—still is—a huge fan of anything medieval. Actually, my dress resembled her costumes in theme, but not in any other way. Sure, the bodice laced in the front. The lacing was gold and the top was layered with green and brown fabric. A ruffled skirt completed the dress. It harkened to the days of maidens and knights, but its length hit the very top of my thighs, not my knees. The top gaped wide, exposing the cleavage of my over-sized chest. Since, once again, he’d ordered me to go pantyless, my outfit would likely garner me an indecent exposure charge in most states.
I wondered what kind of scene Lex would send me to tonight. I might be a wench in a tavern delivering drinks to one of the king’s knights or a gypsy girl telling the fortune of a lost journeyman
. Whatever he’d set up, I knew I would have one of the best experiences in my life.
It was hours before the limo was to arrive, so I took the outfit off and placed it on my bed. I wasn’t sure how I would pass the time when another of Lex’s texts came in.
Another website I was to go to. I got my laptop out and entered in the address. I’d gone to every place on the Internet about BDSM in the past several months—or so I thought. When the page opened, it asked for a username and password. As if Lex had hidden cameras in my apartment and knew what I needed the instant I needed it, his next text came. He’d set up a temporary username and password for me. I entered them, and the page opened.
My jaw dropped. This was a site with more information on BDSM than I knew existed. A directory listed every club in the world, with ratings from users about each. The Cell was rated in the top ten in the world for every category, and was actually number one in several.
Per Lex’s text command, I went directly to the link that took me to a specific section on the site that focused only on protocols. The wealth of information was staggering. There were articles, discussion groups, videos, and more. I devoured several. I opened up a notepad on my laptop and entered several quotes I’d found.
The more I read, the more I began to look at BDSM in a new and different way. There was more to the lifestyle than just kink. There was more to it than just sex, too. It had a symmetry and grace that was too easy for an outsider to miss.
I’d learned under Lex’s tutoring that my most basic nature was to please, yet being completely open and real didn’t come easy. But my tutor knew how to get past my internal barricades. The combination of his demands and punishments cracked my shell, reaching my deepest hidden pleasure spots.
I knew that I would have to change much of what I’d done on my thesis, but I didn’t mind. For the first time, I even envisioned finishing it.
Another text came in from Lex.
“Get dressed and be ready to leave in thirty minutes. The driver will be knocking on your door then.”
I looked at the clock on my microwave and couldn’t believe that hours had past since I’d first received Lex’s text about the website. The day had passed quickly, my mind focused on work. I’d gotten everything done I’d needed to do, and without my normal frustrating starts and stops. I closed my laptop, stood up, stretched, and headed to my room.
By the time I heard the knock on the door, I was vibrating from head to toe, anxious to see Lex again.
I opened my door and saw a different driver this time. A woman.
“Hello, Ms. Weiss.”
“Hi. Call me, Mia.”
The woman nodded and pointed to the limo. It was nearly identical to the one that had come last night, except it was black and not white. I climbed aboard, imagining it was a carriage taking me to the castle of the king. I looked down at my outfit and giggled. Would I be the unknown princess dressed as a lowly maid tonight? Maybe. But whatever Lex had planned for me, I prayed it included his hand, and not another’s, on my ass.
We went through the gates at the side of the club, and again, Lex came out to meet me. Tonight, he wore jeans, boots, a T-shirt, and a sport coat. My mouth watered as I watched him walk to the car from the side entrance of The Cell.
He opened the door, looking me up and down like a CT scan. “Excellent.”
“I’m glad you like it, Sir.” I lowered my eyes in deference to him.
There were nuances I’d learned today on the website about some of the protocols that a casual observer would likely miss, but I wanted to impress him tonight.
He cupped my chin. “Look at me, sub.”
I gazed at him and saw him smile. It was enough to send a tingle through my body.
“Same rules as last night, Mia. No talking, looking, or responding to anyone until I say so. Understand?”
It was so much easier now that I really grasped the rules. “Yes, Sir.”
“Okay then. Let’s go inside for round two.” He put his arm around my shoulders and guided me to the side door.
With each step, my temperature rose as I recalled the lecture hall with him and the deserted road with the police officer. I thought about rubbing my ass but didn’t. I wasn’t sure Lex would want me to touch myself without his permission.
As we walked through the door, I made sure to keep my eyes down or on Lex. We made several turns, going down one hallway after another. There seemed to be more people in the club tonight, but I continued following the protocols I’d read about earlier, looking into no one’s eyes save my blue-eyed teacher.
The last hallway was empty, which I found strange at first, until I spotted a sign hanging above: “This section is closed for repairs.”
Anxiety and desire swung blows at each other inside my thoughts. My heart pounded the inside of my chest. “Are we alone, Sir?”
He didn’t answer but continued leading me down the hall.
At the end of the passage, we came to the last door. It looked ancient and foreboding. I wondered what scene was behind it. I imagined an English manor beyond the dark wood door that was held in place by black metal hinges.
“We’re here.”
“Where?” Would I play the maid of the estate where Lex was lord? I sure hoped so.
Once again, he didn’t answer. He took out a key and unlocked the door. I recalled that the room he’d taken me to last night hadn’t been locked. Why was this one? The claws of fear dug into my mind.
As Lex swung the door open, it creaked like the ones in scary movies always did. “Go down the stairs, little sub.”
I didn’t move, couldn’t. I looked beyond the door and could only make out the faintest of lights reflected on the walls. The glow came from below from some source I couldn’t see.
As he’d done in the lecture hall, he asked me, “In or out, Mia?”
His blue eyes were somehow brighter tonight. Clearly, he wanted me to go down those stairs to what he’d prepared for me this evening.
Looking at him, I found just enough courage to push my fears aside, though they were still present and clawing at the back of my mind. “Definitely in, Sir. I want in.”
He smiled, and then it faded into a scowl. Were his actions all part of enhancing the experience for me? I wondered.
He pointed to the door. “Now.”
“Yes, Sir.”
I stepped through the door to the landing that led to the stairs below. It curved, hiding whatever the stairs led to.
“I’m impressed, sub. Now, go down the stairs and see what I’ve set up for you.”
I turned back, only to see him shut the door on me. Then I heard the lock engage.
“Sir!”
I pounded on the door, but it remained closed and locked. My misgivings were howling in my ears, bringing up a million possibilities at what was at the bottom of those stairs. Even though my nerves were on high alert, I reminded myself that last night had been an incredible experience—and very safe. Clearly, The Cell was a place of fantasy and sexual exploration with Lex as its proprietor, wicked wizard, and ultimate Master. Besides, I had my safe word that could halt everything once uttered from my lips.
Cautiously, I descended the steps.
Halfway down, I saw the torch—yes, an actual torch. It was the only light in the stairwell. Then I noticed that the walls were not plaster or drywall but were stone. I wondered if the walls were faux, another illusion of The Cell. I reached out and touched them. The cold hit my fingertips, and I shivered. The walls were actual masonry. I looked down at the steps. They were made of stone, too. This was quite an expense to create a fantasy for the club’s patrons, but from what I’d already seen, expense was not a problem for its owner.
I took the final steps and came to a large oak door. Not sure if I was to walk in or knock, I chose to take my chances and turned the knob slowly, hoping it wouldn’t inform anyone within of my arrival. Luckily, it didn’t make a sound. When I opened the door, I scanned the room. Like the stairwell, burning
torches in iron sconces on the walls cast a dim light. Still, it was enough for me to get a sense of the room. It screamed of medieval torture. Well, at least I was dressed for the part.
Chains hung from every wall, and on the five wooden tables around the room were what looked to be a wide assortment of paddles, whips, and other implements of punishment. One word came to mind for this room—dungeon.
At the center was a wooden set of stocks built in a way that was obviously used to restrain a person in a bent-over position. Clearly, it was for delivering spankings. Though I was trembling with anxiety, I found the thing strangely compelling. I wondered what it would feel like to be locked into the stocks with my ass jutted out for Lex to spank.
I jumped back as two muscular men wearing black leather aprons suddenly appeared in front of me.
“Look, brother. A visitor.” The bald man to my right smiled. “How nice for us.”
I’d been so mesmerized by the implements of the dungeon, I’d not noticed them standing in the corners. They looked like twins, except that one had long, black hair down to his shoulders and the other one was completely bald. They both sported several tats on their arms. Their eyes looked like caramels.
My jaw dropped. Was I supposed to get spanked by them?
The one with the long hair turned to the other. “Behave, Kane. Hello, Mia.”
They’d been expecting me.
“Hello,” I squeaked out as uneasiness swelled inside me.
“My name is Reed. We’ve got the place all ready for you, just as Master Lex requested.”
The mention of the club owner’s name calmed my nerves, if only a bit. “You’re following, Lex’s instructions?”
“Of course.” The bald guy pointed to the stocks I’d just seen. “That’s for you. You’re five foot three, yes?”
I nodded, staring at the contraption and feeling my palms get moist.
“That’s terrific. I won’t need to adjust the pillory to fit you since it’s already set to your height.”
“Shall we get you set up for the dungeon master, Mia?”
“O-Okay.”
Reed asked me what my safe words were, and I told him. Then he sent me a knowing wink. He cleared his throat and then changed his accent. “Dost thou knowest the time, Master Kane?”