by Cassie Ryan
A herd of butterflies took flight inside her stomach and she swallowed hard. What if Master Brent turned her away?
She missed this life, or at least some of the kinks she enjoyed, like watching, as well as the friendships and the sense of belonging. But she hadn’t realized how much she wanted membership in Club Desire to be part of her new life.
“Yes. Thank you for coming to us, Sandra.” His deep voice conveyed sincerity, his sensual smile making her feel welcome. “Why don’t you come in and get comfortable so we can talk?”
He gently squeezed her hands and pulled her forward to a large leather love seat off to the side of his desk. The butter-soft leather welcomed her, and she shamelessly ran her hand over the supple material while Master Brent sat in the large chair in front of his desk.
A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, and she looked up to find him watching her with definite heat in his eyes.
Or was she imagining it?
“I love the feel of that leather too. I’m very much a texture person, so when I found it in the showroom I had to have it.”
Sandra smiled self-consciously, resisting the urge to tell him she was also a texture person. It felt like too intimate an admission, although she knew there wasn’t any logical reason to feel that way. Maybe the combination of this man and the general erotic air of this place were getting to her.
“Sandra, relax.” His tone was calm and sure. “You have nothing to fear here.”
She jumped as she realized she’d fallen silent again and turned to find him watching her. Another strong flash of familiarity caught her before it vanished.
She dismissed it. If she had ever met this man before, she wouldn’t have forgotten him.
“I did receive the envelope from your old dungeon,” he said, pulling her attention back to the topic at hand. “Master Mason and I have known each other since college. In fact he was the one who invited me to my first munch and showed me my first glimpse into the kink world.”
Sandra had never been fond of the term “munch,” which just referred to a social gathering of those involved in or interested in the BDSM lifestyle. She had never figured out why someone had settled on that horrible name for it.
Brent’s voice held fondness and a soft note even though his presence was total Dom. She could imagine this man holding her in aftercare and soothing her with that same tone in his voice, or maybe even more.
Sandra stiffened at the thought. She needed to be smart about this. She’d just met this man. Choosing a Dom this quickly was part of what had gotten her into trouble last time. She needed to slow down. After all, she wasn’t sure he would grant her membership, even with Master Mason’s recommendation.
She didn’t think she’d spoken to Master Mason more than four or five times in passing, the entire time she’d attended her previous dungeon. But within fifteen minutes of entering this one she now had a private audience with the owner? Oh, how times have changed.
She chided herself. The club in New York had been good to her. It wasn’t their fault that Diego had turned out the way he had. In fact, once they found out what he was doing to her, they tried to help. One of the other Doms had even driven her downtown to file the restraining order.
“Sandra?” Master Brent’s deep voice broke into her thoughts and she snapped her gaze to his.
“Yes. I’m sorry.” She clenched her fingers until her nails bit into her palms, trying to bring herself back to the present and break away from the past. “I seem to be rather scattered tonight.”
He gave her a slow smile that managed to be both comforting and sexy at the same time. “It’s all right. I meant what I said. You have nothing to fear. You’re safe here.”
She cocked her head to the side, again wondering what Master Mason had written in that note.
“Mason told me about Diego, and the bastard won’t bother you here. We’ll make sure of it.” Master Brent scowled, his voice taking on a dangerous edge, promising almost anticipated retribution should Diego choose to try to get to her here.
Even with Master Brent’s assurances, though, she knew Diego. He had a way of convincing people he was sincere, that he had only the best intentions. Why would this club, this city, be any different?
Sandra’s brow furrowed, and a frown pulled at her mouth as the familiar fear stabbed into her. “But how can you be so sure?” The question slipped out before she could stop it, and she hated that her voice wavered.
“Because, Sandra, we take care of our own.” He leaned forward and ducked his head to capture her once again in his mesmerizing gaze. “We will take care of you. I’ll see to it. You’re safe here.”
She blinked several times, letting his words take shape inside her mind, almost afraid to hope. “You’re granting me membership?”
Master Brent gave a single nod. “You’re a full member. I can give you a tour and introduce you to those not in scenes when you’re ready.” And just like that his voice and demeanor were back to normal. The glimpse of the dangerous man she’d seen hidden once again behind the sexy Dom.
She blew out a long breath, releasing all her nervousness with it—she hoped. “I’d like that…Master Brent.” She deliberately enunciated his name and title, enjoying how it felt on her tongue. A quick flash of how other parts of him might feel on her tongue tightened her body with arousal.
His knowing look told her he had a good idea what she’d been thinking. “Why don’t we go over some administrative details first, so in case you get…distracted by something during our tour, we’ll have that out of the way?” His throat worked and she found herself mesmerized by his Adam’s apple and the tanned skin of his neck.
Thoughts of what all those distractions he mentioned might entail intrigued and aroused her—especially if they involved him.
She wasn’t sure why she was drawn to this man so strongly. She’d met many sexy, confident Doms before, and none had ever made her react like this.
There was something about Master Brent that both reassured and excited her.
He shifted in his chair and she noticed his muscular thighs under the dress slacks.
How would those muscles feel flexing under her fingers? She brushed the tips of her fingers together in an attempt to remind herself not to start fantasizing about reaching over to find out.
He smiled at her, a smile that sent heat searing through her, making her wonder if he knew the effect he had on her. “Or would you rather we save the boring administration details for later?”
Sandra resisted the urge to bang her head back against the wall behind the love seat. She was becoming quite distracted already and they hadn’t even left his office.
“I’m sorry. I’m not sure where my brain is today. I’m not usually this scatterbrained.” She squirmed in her seat while hope, leftover nerves, and a thousand other things churned inside her gut all at the same time. She forced herself to relax, uncurling her fists, unclenching her jaw.
There was no way she could sit still for another minute without splitting apart at the seams, or throwing herself at the sexy man in front of her. “I’d like to do the tour first, if that’s okay?”
He stood and held out his hand to help her up. “Absolutely. Let me show you my kingdom.” His boyish grin exuded pride and love, which made him seem younger and more approachable somehow.
She swept a glance over his office and then up at him. “Did you have this place built?”
“Yes, from the ground up, actually.” He stepped inside the elevator after her, inserted a key into the panel, and pressed a button for B4.
“Basement level 4?” she asked.
“Yes.” He faced her. “Full members have access to basement levels 1 and 2, but only a select few have access to basements 3 and 4.”
He smiled, pausing for such a long moment she thought he might not continue.
“Basements 2 and 4 are fully equipped dungeon play areas.” He held up his hands one above the other as if trying to show her how the floors were stacked
. “Basements 1 and 3 are set up to enable people to watch the play on 2 and 4, while still having privacy to play on their own. As you can imagine, basement levels 1 and 3 are very popular floors.”
He gave her a knowing glance. “You enjoy watching,” he stated. It definitely wasn’t a question, and suspicion burned in her gut.
Sandra’s cheeks flamed as she wondered if the man who had caught her watching the play in the waiting area had told Master Brent, but then she reminded herself that he hadn’t had time to speak with Brent privately since he’d caught her. Master Brent’s serenely confident expression sent embarrassment twisting in her stomach.
He knew.
Chapter 2
“We have cameras in all of the common areas. There’s no crime in watching—especially here.” He looked away, but not before Sandra caught sight of the smoldering heat in his gaze. She wondered what angle the camera captured and how much of the specifics he’d seen while she was in the waiting room…. She supposed it didn’t matter. There was no disguising what she’d done. And if it caused the kind of searing look she’d just seen in Master Brent’s eyes, she was glad he saw her, and wouldn’t mind showing him again in person.
He continued, “Here, most things legal and consensual are possible. And there are those of us who like to watch.” His quick conspiratorial wink surprised a smile from her before she could stop it.
“Watching is one of my particular favorites, which is why I designed the basement levels this way.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “I was lucky the corporation who owned this site before I bought it had already done quite a bit of blasting and excavating down into the mountain for whatever project they were planning. It was still incredibly expensive to clear enough space for four full basement levels, but I think you’ll see that the final result was more than worth it.”
A soft chiming had her looking around for the source of the sound.
Master Brent turned the key in the panel and then slid the key back out, pocketing it as the doors whooshed open.
Sandra looked out into dark gloom, and fear snaked along her spine, tensing every muscle and kicking adrenaline and the urge to flee through her system. She backed up, hugging the wall of the elevator as if it were a lifeline.
What had she done? She’d come down here with a man she barely knew, and she was alone.
Alone, but not helpless. She raised her chin and mentally firmed her resolve. She wasn’t helpless. Never again. She’d sworn that to herself when she’d left Phoenix after high school to take NYU up on their full scholarship.
She took deep breaths and sighed as the fear slowly receded.
Brent must have noticed her discomfort because he murmured, “I’m sorry. Let me get the lights. Basement 4 probably wasn’t the best place for us to start, but I wanted to show you the setup.”
“It’s all right. Really,” she mumbled as she heard his footsteps head off to the right. She forced herself to take a few steps forward to at least look out of the elevator before the doors closed and sealed her inside. She gripped the side of the door and peered into the gloom, looking both to her left and right.
A small row of lights snaked along the floor, like the kind you would find in a movie theater. Just bright enough to help you find your way.
From the pattern of the lights, the hallway curved around on both sides, and made a giant circle.
She could imagine the floor above with a large circular gallery allowing members to look down and watch whatever was going on down here on the Big Top of Basement 4.
A spotlight flared to life to her left and she blinked hard, letting her eyes adjust. The light centered over a St. Andrew’s cross and a large nearby table with drawers underneath.
Another spotlight to the right of the first blinked on and showed a set of hanging bondage hooks suspended from large beams. Chains and various rings hung from the beams off to either side of the hooks, just waiting for various types of play.
More spotlights flickered on in quick succession. Without leaving the elevator, she really couldn’t see what each play area held.
She huffed at her ridiculous fears and forced herself forward, heading to the right, where Master Brent had gone.
As she followed the curving path, play areas were sectioned off on her left. As she advanced they became larger, and the equipment more ominous. She spotted a spanking horse, a set of stocks like those she imagined would be found in a medieval town to punish the disobedient and lawbreakers, a few bondage beds and tables, and even a hot tub with bondage hooks and various large rings suspended over it.
She’d seen equipment like this at the other dungeon, but unease pricked along her spine at the possibilities of what could go on down here. Master Brent had said most things legal were fair game, but she knew that even legal things could encompass a very wide range of kink.
The imagery of being a fairy princess carried off to her doom returned, and she shivered as she remembered her silent wish for an erotic doom. But oddly, even with the ominous assortment of equipment down here, she suspected Master Brent would turn any play erotic and fun.
The thought stopped her and she turned to face the play area on her left. A spanking bench was positioned next to what looked suspiciously like a coffin, and several electronic devices she couldn’t even begin to identify.
Just what went on down here under the superexclusive Big Top?
She tried to be repulsed at the possibilities of what the coffin could be used for, but the curl of arousal that tightened inside her pelvis told her she was at least curious.
“Are you all right?”
Master Brent’s voice startled her, and she tore her gaze away from the coffin and turned toward him.
He stood just down the curved hallway from her, wearing a concerned expression.
She realized how distressed she must look with her posture rigid and her hands clamped together. She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. “I’m…trying to take it all in.”
He nodded as if she didn’t sound like a scared child, and walked toward her. As he neared, it felt like his soothing, protective energy reached out and wrapped around her, loosening her tight muscles and stroking her in deep, intimate places. She couldn’t help but meet his intense gaze as he closed in on her.
He gestured toward the coffin in an offhand manner. “Several people have a fantasy about being with a vampire, or being one themselves, so this setup is quite popular. In fact, we might have to invest in a few more.”
“Wow,” was all she could manage while she continued to stare at the display.
“Don’t get me wrong—I know a lot of people enjoy a good vampire movie or novel, but the whole vampire sinking fangs into someone and drinking their blood doesn’t flip my switch.” He chuckled, which made the muscles in her shoulders relax for some reason.
Possibly because if it wasn’t something Master Brent enjoyed he’d never ask her to participate?
She knew it was an actual fetish. In her old dungeon there had been people who drank blood and liked being bitten on the neck with razor-sharp fangs. In fact, there were even those who had gotten their canine teeth filed to sharp spikes purely so they could bite people during play and drink their blood. But for some reason, the addition of the coffin freaked her out.
She thought about the few scenes she’d witnessed involving that. Everyone participating seemed to love it. The women and men who were bitten had screamed in what sounded like ecstasy and even begged for sex, but she remembered thinking the scenes almost looked forced. Then again, maybe that had been her own filters she’d interpreted their reactions through.
For every kink, there were those who got off on it.
She enjoyed reading about that kind of thing in novels, but that wasn’t something she wanted to take part in.
Master Brent’s last words trickled through her endorphin-soaked brain. He had said that the vampire thing didn’t “flip his switch.” She wondered what did flip his switch, and if she would ever be
offered the opportunity to join in.
He cleared his throat. “On Basement 4, all the equipment can be moved, and the play areas rearranged or redecorated as needed. This is the level most often rented out for large parties or orgies, usually with the agreement that Basement 3 will be open to our members so they can watch.”
Sandra laughed, and it felt freeing as her fear and tension melted away. “It’s like a bondage version of Fantasy Island down here.”
Master Brent shrugged, amusement clear in his expression. “That’s one of the reasons Club Desire is one of the premier BDSM dungeons and fetish clubs in the Southwestern United States, and possibly in the entire nation.” The pride in his voice was unmistakable, almost as if he were describing his own child.
Their gazes locked, and Sandra could have sworn attraction sparked between them. She thought Master Brent was going to lean closer and press his lips to hers, but then his expression closed off, and he looked away—although it almost seemed to her that he was as reluctant to break that connection as she.
She really needed to get a grip. He might be a Dom, but he had his pick of subs in the dungeon, and he wouldn’t want an inexperienced woman who wasn’t even a full sub and didn’t know exactly what her limits were. But she certainly knew some things she didn’t like.
She thought of Diego and shuddered. But he hadn’t wanted to help her find her limits; he wanted to push her past any he found until she broke beyond repair. Yet she was healing, and swore to herself that she would move past her issues somehow.
Master Brent gently raised her chin with his finger. “Are you ready to see more, or have you seen enough for one night? We don’t have to do all of this right now. There’s no time limit on this tour or even the administrative details.”
Sandra cast away all thoughts of Diego. “I’m ready. So what’s next?” When her words came out sounding suggestive and needy, she winced.
“Well, Basement 3 is a large circular gallery that looks down over all of this.” He gestured to the spotlighted scenes.