“Good evening.” She shuffles some wristbands of various colors around. “Welcome to The Inferno.” She smiles politely at me as I shift from foot to foot anxiously. “Is this your first time visiting with us, or do you have a membership with one of our sister clubs?”
“No. It’s my first time,” I stutter. “I’m sorry, I’m incredibly nervous.”
Her face transforms to one of understanding with a trace of pity.
Pity? Why would she pity me because it’s my first time visiting? What on Earth could they possibly do here that would invoke even a glimpse of pity in her expression?
“Well then, let’s get the formalities covered and then you can browse a bit to see what piques your interest.” She scoots her chair up under her desk and begins pulling papers from various folders and then stapling a packet together for me.
While she readies my paperwork, I try to look around the foyer, but a large wall decorated with black and white paintings of people in seductive poses blocks everything. They’re mainly abstract in nature, but if you look hard enough, you can make out the fine lines of silhouettes in various states of erotic bliss. They’re riveting, and I can’t help but stare somewhat awestruck by their harsh beauty.
On the other side of the room is a massive fireplace with embellished stone all around the mantel and hearth. There are no traces of black soot so I assume its purpose is merely decorative. To the side is a lounge with several black leather chairs that have brass studs running along the outer armrest and down to the wooden legs. The decorations are distinctly masculine with a touch of raw seduction in the mix. The colors are all dark and some form of metal embellishes everything. It invokes a visual wonderland of warm silk sheets and cold steel cuffs.
To say that I’m not somewhat aroused would be an absolute lie. This is a place where individuals are freed from their inhibitions and fantasies are brought to life. Dark and depraved fantasies. And for some reason, the depraved part of that thought is what appeals to me the most.
“Now then, please read everything over very carefully and should you have questions, I’m here to answer them for you.” She reaches over to a cup full of pens and plucks one out with her long, elegant fingers. I take it and then make my way over to the sitting area with my clipboard in hand and my mind a million miles away.
After thoroughly reading the document, I graze over the rules a second time for good measure. With clauses for scenes and proper etiquette to be followed at all times, there is little doubt of what I’m about to embark upon. This will be my first exposure to a world that most would recognize as seedy and verboten. Things that happen in here are talked about in huddled groups and hushed whispers.
Things that Derek would never have agreed to or approved of.
It’s that thought alone that makes my being here logical to me. I need to find some sort of divide in order for me to allow myself this pleasure. I don’t know why, and I can’t explain my rationalism, but I NEED there to be a distinct contrast in what I shared with him and what I’m willing to share with another.
I finish signing the forms and return them to the desk where the redhead is now standing, waiting for me.
She cocks her head to the side and gives me a quick once-over then secures an orange band around my wrist. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? Any last-minute questions?”
“What’s the band for?” I ask.
“It’s so other visitors will recognize you as a guest. We don’t have a health clearance on you so they need to know the potential risk factor should they choose to do a scene with you. If you have anything contagious, please do not participate in any activities that may run the risk of contaminating the room or subjecting others to risk of infection.” She says it all as if she’s reading me her grocery list. When, in fact, she just blatantly asked me if I was a carrier of any STDs.
“I’m clean. I’ve only been with one man.” She nods and taps the band around my wrist.
“Still, safety first. I’ll have Trinity escort you around and show you the ropes.” She laughs at her own pun. “Any other questions before I turn you loose?”
I run my sweaty palms over my thighs and shake my head. “I believe your contract covered everything.”
“Great. Trinity will meet you as soon as you pass through the main entrance.” She gives a satisfied nod and proceeds to walk toward a set of double doors. I can hear a low humming sound coming from the other side. The subtle bass in a sensual melody triggers a small quiver in my bones as I follow behind the hostess in her black leather mini dress and thigh-high boots. I look down at my dress and shake my head. If what she’s wearing is the norm, I’m seriously overdressed.
“There are Dungeon Monitors, or DMs as we call them, throughout the club to monitor scenes and ensure that everyone plays safely. You can easily spot them by their neon yellow armbands. They’re here to keep you safe at all times. If you ever feel threatened or afraid, get their attention by using the club safe word—red.” She stops and turns toward me with her hand hovering over the door handle. “Always remember the code—safe, sane, and consensual. No exceptions. Understood?”
“Yes. I appreciate your concern, but I have a friend here who can help me should the need arise.”
“Whom may I ask is waiting for you?”
“Umm...” I debate for second on whether or not to reveal his name but then I remember the contract and know that he must have signed with his legal name the same as I had to. After all, they scan our IDs into their computer system, so there is little doubt as to the identity of anyone who enters.
“His name is Parker Thibodeux.”
Her eyes light up with recognition. “Ah. Well, I believe he is presently occupied in one of the private rooms.” She clears her throat as her cheeks turn the cutest shade of pink.
This lady has the hots for my best friend. I bite the inside of my lip to keep from smiling. “I’ll be fine. I appreciate your concern.”
She smiles politely and then turns to open the door for me. I return her smile as I pass through the open door and into the intimidating den of ecstasy.
Chapter 4
My eyes roam over everything. Missing nothing and taking in even the most minute detail.
“Hey, there. You must be the newbie. I’m Trinity.” A cute little brunette with a face full of piercings says as she extends her tattooed hand out to me.
I look down at her extended hand and notice a hazy fog rolling in soothing waves over the floor, eluding to a sense of stepping into a forbidden zone.
I remember my manners and shake her hand. “I’m sorry. I’m Marissa.” I look all around us at the people milling about. Some dressed in business attire, some in leathers and chains, others in nothing at all. “It’s just a lot to take in,” I manage to croak out as my eyes fall upon a woman naked and bound to a huge X in the corner. A man wearing a leather hood with a zipper down the back raises what appears to be a cane and then brings it down directly over her bright red buttocks.
Smack. I flinch as the sound of the cane coming down on her backside reaches my ears.
The warm hand I forgot I was holding squeezes mine reassuringly, pulling my attention back to Trinity. She grins, her eyes glowing with mischief. “That’s the Saint Andrews Cross. If you’re lucky, Master D might allow you to play with them.” Her eyebrows wiggle suggestively.
I start vehemently shaking my head. “Oh, no. No. I wasn’t...”
Her eyes light up at my denial and she smiles sweetly back at me. Her hand gently pulls from my grip and pats the top of mine. “It’s okay. So, from your reaction, I take it that you’re a submissive?”
“I think so.”
“First timers seldom know what triggers their desires. It’s a learning curve that a good Dom will be more than happy to help you explore.” At my puzzled expression, she explains further. “This lower level,” she gestures to the expanse of people and various scenes taking place, “is our communal floor, where conversations are exchanged. Scenes dis
cussed. And ultimately, partnerships are formed for a night of pleasurable play.” She points to the woman at the Saint Andrews Cross. “You can test the waters down here and make sure you’re compatible with one another. Full visibility tends to alleviate a lot of the newcomers’ nerves. They feel safer knowing they’re not alone with someone they just met and haven’t formed a well-developed sense of trust with yet. It’s a good way to build that trust, so you can take things a bit further, should you wish.”
My eyes flick from the scene back to her. “What do you mean...further?” I raise a brow in question.
She jerks her head toward the bar, gesturing for me to follow. We both take a seat on the tall barstools and she proceeds to order us drinks. “What’s your poison?”
“Um...I’ll have a Crown and Coke, please.”
“Mmmm, good choice.” She smacks the bar and a dark-skinned man wearing black military-style pants and a black t-shirt walks over. He has a bright yellow armband cuffed around his massive bicep with an engraved DM on it.
“A double on the Crown and Coke please, Master Jay,” Trinity calls out over the music.
His smile is warm and thoughtful, and he teasingly chucks her under the chin. “Anything for you, sweetness.”
Trinity takes in my confusion and explains, “Master Jay is a DM.” She points to his armband. “See that?” I nod. “All of the DMs will have one so that you can easily spot them amongst the crowd. If you ever feel threatened or like something is going too far for you...” Her eyes tighten as her expression shifts from playful to serious. “Red is the club safe word. All you have to do is say red, and they’ll put a stop to it if your Dom doesn’t first. Understand?”
I nod like a dumbfounded bobble head taking in everything she’s just divulged. “The lady at the front mentioned it as well.”
“Every club abides by a strict standard of Safe-Sane-Consensual. We’re all here to experience pleasure with like minded individuals. No judgment. I’ll go over the hard limits list since most newbies glance over it and don’t really pay much attention.” The guilty look on my face brings a hushed giggle up from her. “No worries, I’ve got you covered.” She begins to tick them off one by one on her hand. “One, no scat play. Two, no blood play. Three, no golden showers or other play involving urine. Four, no bestiality. Five, no breath play.”
“What’s breath play?” I ask, more than a little dumbfounded by all of these foreign terms.
“Asphyxiation. Strangulation.” Her pierced brow raises. “A lot of people find that it heightens their pleasure if they’re choked to the point of orgasm.” She shakes her head in dismay. “But there’s no safe way to practice breath play. I don’t encourage it and have never participated. It’s dangerous, no matter what level your experience may be.”
“That’s not for me.” I don’t want anyone choking me no matter the outcome or heightened pleasure. That thought is not even slightly appealing.
Master Jay places our drinks before us and gives us both a flirtatious wink before leaving to tend to other patrons. Trinity stirs her drink with a longing look as she watches him flirt with other women down the bar. “If only...” She leaves the sentence hanging as she takes a huge drink, her eyes flashing back to me with approval as I follow suit.
“Another club rule, only two drinks per night. No exceptions. Some of the things that take place within these walls require a great deal of focus and a steady hand. We can’t have people drunkenly participating in any scenes they would have otherwise steered clear of.”
“Makes sense. I could see how someone would overindulge to take the edge off and muster the courage to jump in,” I admit without shame. I was just thinking two or three more of these and I would be good to go. My barriers would fall and I could allow myself to venture into the unknown. But this rule brings everything into a clear perspective. I need to have my wits about me. I swivel on the stool and take in the various scenes in the four corners of the room.
“Over there, that’s a whipping bench.” She leans across me and points to a man strapped to a padded table shaped in the form of a person leaning forward while braced on their knees. There’s a place for each knee to rest on some sort of stirrup while leather buckles strap down his thighs, calves, and ankles. His chest and face rest against the flat padded surface and his arms are stretched out and down toward the floor, where they are strapped to the legs of the table on either side. The sight of the woman standing behind him with what appears to be a flogger stirs an unwanted emotion in me that I fight to contain as a warm tingle begins to travel through my veins.
“And over there, that’s a revolving wheel. It’s used for all sorts of play, but mostly for what you see taking place now.” She draws back onto her stool beside me, offering an unfettered view of the woman strapped to the wheel. She’s completely naked, blindfolded, and being fondled by men and women as they pass by. Her nipples are in some sort of painful looking clamps with a chain stretched between them that the group of onlookers gently pulls and tugs on, eliciting moans of pleasure and pain from her gasping mouth. A toy of some sort is strapped around her waist and thighs, securing a small object directly over her clit. “What’s strapped to her?” I ask with no small amount of awe to my tone.
Trinity giggles and then leans in to whisper in my ear. The heat from the breath of her whispered words triggers a deep and unmistakable shudder from my now aching body. “It’s a vibrator. It’s called orgasm denial. She can’t come until her Master allows it.” Her hushed words send my mind reeling with visions of having that done to me.
She slowly pulls away and I can feel her eyes on me as I watch the scene unfold before my enraptured gaze. An unmistakably masculine figure steps forward and runs his finger from the chain between her breasts to the toy over her clit. He leans into her body, his fingers plunging deep into her wet pussy, his masked face nestled beside her ear. My stool wobbles a little as I unknowingly mock his leaning action, my mouth going dry as I watch his lips move beside her ear. Whispering words that catapult her over the edge. Her scream ripples free from her moist lips as her body violently shakes with the most powerful orgasm I have ever witnessed.
Several onlookers smile and nod in appreciation.
“Nobody...” I jump at the sound of her voice and spin around to face a smirking Trinity. “As I was saying, nobody delivers orgasm denial quite like Master X. He used to be a regular here, but now we only see him when his business travels bring him through. Such a shame too.”
“What do you mean?” I ask. Her tone gives nothing away, but her expression says plenty.
“Well, as far as I know, he’s never taken a full-time sub. Only plays out a scene with whoever he chooses and then moves on to the next one.” She lifts her chin toward the woman and a couple of men helping her down from the wheel. One of them pulls her up into his arms and cradles her lovingly against his broad chest. He carries her over to a leather couch and curls her body around his as they sit together. His hand gently caresses her bare back while his lips feather tiny kisses across her cheek. It seems too intimate a moment to watch so I avert my gaze back to Trinity.
“He doesn’t even offer aftercare which is pivotal in any Dom/sub relationship. See how Master Drake took her down and is now helping her recover?” I glance back over at the couple on the couch and then back to Trinity. “Master X takes on a sub that he knows has a permanent Dom. He scenes with them, sometimes involving their Master, oftentimes not. Then he walks away.”
“Does he ever have sex with them?”
“Sometimes. Depends on how far their Dom is willing to let it go. He’s a sadist and good ones are hard to come by. A lot of Dom’s have subs with masochistic tendencies. Some can’t deliver the pain their subs require. So, they turn to a sadist like Master X to fulfill those needs. He’s in high demand.”
My mouth goes wide at that. The thought of having a Dom who wants to share me never entered my mind. I had become so accustomed to Derek’s possessive nature that the idea of a ma
n willing to share his woman in an intimate manner with another was simply unfathomable. My naive expression causes Trinity to laugh as she teasingly pushes on my shoulder.
“Come on, Marissa...what did you expect? Aside from the club rules, nothing is off-limits here. This is the one place where couples and individuals alike can experiment without the ramifications or judgments of the outside world. You’re free to do who, and what, you want. So long as your Dom approves, it’s all fair game.” She grins and then presses her tongue ring against the front of her teeth, twisting it around playfully.
A shrill beeping draws her attention down to a phone holstered on her hip. Her face pinches as she removes it and reads the text. “Crap, stay right here. I have to go take care of something real quick.” She hops down and begins to walk away before suddenly stopping and calling back to me. “As soon as I get back, I’ll show you the upstairs. Then you can decide what you’d like to try out first. Got it?” she asks with a slight smirk to her smile.
“Sure thing.” I spin back around and finish my drink. The bartender looks down the bar at me, silently asking if I need another. I shake my head and he winks before turning back to the couple in front of him.
After what seems like forever, I stand and stretch my back. Then I decide to walk around and get a better look at the club. Whoever designed this place had a keen eye for all things sensual and alluring.
More of the paintings that were in the lobby cover the walls. Poses of a submissive bound and being flogged catch my eye and I find myself walking toward it for a closer look. The artist captures the sheer bliss of the moment on the subject’s face. Eyes closed, teeth biting down on her bottom lip, with a Dom behind her wielding a large flogger. A look of unbridled passion gleams in his onyx eyes.
A Whisper Of Solace Page 23