From the outside, the vast brick building looks welcoming with its pillars, potted plants, dark red shutters and off-white siding. It has a noticeable southern charm about it that you’d typically find in Charleston. I wonder how many people show up here expecting the building to house something entirely different.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on before we get out of this car?” Anna pries once more for information by giving me an accusatory look. The cat is already out of the bag so I might as well tell her. Putting the car in park, I turn in my seat to face her.
“Alright fine. Well, after Leo practically man-handled me back at the café, he ran out of there like a bat out of hell, which confused me so much. I didn’t know why he would come on to me so strongly then just leave me cold. So I was pretty upset about it and that’s when I noticed the business card on the floor where he stood and further inspecting it, for some inexplicable reason, I realized whatever answers I seek, I’ll find them here.”
Anna shakes her head once I’m done talking. The parking lot is slowly starting to fill up with willing participants around us while we continue our chit-chat.
“So that’s what’s going on. You want to know what his deal is with this hot and cold attitude?” Anna questions while she pulls her makeup bag out of her purse and reapplies fresh make-up to her already gorgeous face.
“Yes. I didn’t know how you’d react if you knew before we left the café so I wanted to wait.”
I let out a sigh and Anna nods. “Well, I’m glad you told me but damn it, I wouldn’t have agreed to come if this was the case,” she says.
“I know, that’s why I didn’t tell you until I got here.” I giggle and she flips me the bird. Finishing off her newly painted face with some lip gloss, she slips her bag over her shoulder.
“So, you ready? Gwen is already inside according to her text and she found Zac. They’re waiting for us in the lobby,” Anna says before opening the car door.
“I’m ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s see what answers we’ll find in this wonderful establishment,” I say nervously. Have faith, have faith, have faith. Repeating the mantra, I let out a heavy breath and walk straight into the kingdom of kink.
Chapter 22
Anna
“I still don’t understand why you wanted to meet here but okay, whatever.” The text from Zac reads as we march on up to the peculiar looking building like we own the place. Looking around, the front entrance doesn’t house a single flaw. Each little detail is perfectly in place.
“Wow, this place is beautiful. You sure we have the right address?” I ask before glancing down at my phone where we typed in the address for directions.
“666 Bondage King Lane. Yeah, this is it,” Sarah says while looking down at the business card in her hand.
“I wonder how they came up with that name for a street,” I ask amusingly with a laugh and Sarah let’s out a slight chuckle.
“Hell, they probably bought the entire road to retain the privacy of the place, so naming it that seemed fitting, ” Sarah says before we make our way inside.
The entrance is plain with no elaborate splashes of color, except on the siding. No security guards, no type of entrance that would set off alarms in your head alerting you of any suspicious activity. Once we’re through the doors, the front lobby resembles that of a doctor’s waiting room. Art deco is plastered on the walls, putting off a calming atmosphere. Now I’m questioning what exactly this place is.
“Okay, this can’t be the place. The address is the same but this place can’t be the club,” I say while looking around the lobby. Off to the side, sits a blonde haired Barbie doll with a little too much makeup on and a tight red dress. Getting a closer look at her, I notice she has a choker around her neck. It’s black with pink diamonds circling around the whole outside. Standing off to the side is Gwen and Zac.
“Well it’s about fucking time you guys got here. Blondie over there has not even eye-fucked me once. Judging by the looks of her, I wouldn’t even attempt it if I were her. She’s owned.”
Sarah rolls her eyes at Zac’s modesty. Of course he isn’t used to girls not falling all over him.
“Zac, not every girl is going to fall all over you like Jayde did, okay?” I say nudging him playfully.
“Nor would I want them to. Jayde is all the woman I need. And damn she feels good when I…”
Zac mimics a thrusting motion making all three of us gag. “Hold the fuck up! Nobody wants to hear all the dirty details about my sister and her sex life,” Sarah pipes up, stealing the words right out of my mouth. I was just about to say that right before she did.
“Seriously! I don’t need to hear this,” I say before punching Zac in the arm, hard.
“Good god, y’all. A girl does not need to hear this. Maybe you should go in there without me because if I can’t handle Jayde’s man with all his...unique qualities, then I don’t know how I’m going to be able to handle a club full of them. Maybe I should go home.”
As much as Gwen was a party girl, this may be a little too intense for her liking.
“Gwen, if this bothers you then you can leave. Nobody is twisting your arm to stay, babe, ” I say looking at her curiously. Maybe she bit off more than she could chew.
“Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be able to go in there,” Gwen says looking positively nauseous.
Zac looks at her with genuine concern before looking both at me and Sarah.
“Maybe we should regroup before going in. God only knows what we’ll find on the other side of those doors,” he says rubbing Gwen’s back softly. Sarah and I are standing off to the side looking between both of them when Sarah speaks up.
“Well, I’m going in. I want to see what this club is all about,” she says leaving the group and walking up to the counter. The blonde sitting behind there looks up when Sarah approaches her.
“Yes, may I help you?” she asks in the sweetest voice I think I’ve ever heard. Either she was naturally that sweet or she has been trained very well.
“Yes, my friends and I would like to enter this club,” Sarah replies.
“Do you have memberships?” blondie asks in that sweet voice again. I’m convinced she has perfected that voice by rehearsing it.
Sarah looks back to me questionably with a confused look on her face. Blowing out a frustrated sigh, I take a step forward but before I could step up to the counter, Zac steps ahead of me.
“They’re with me,” he suddenly says in a stern voice. The girl looks up with wide doe eyes before clearing her throat.
“Oh umm, sorry. Let me just get you guest passes then you can go inside.” Zac nods and the girl returns to her computer, not making eye contact with him anymore. Well, that was odd. Looking over the counter, I notice the girl’s golden name tag reads “Candy.” She hands us our guest passes and presses a button behind the counter, opening the doors behind her.
“There you go. Enjoy your time at The Lair,” Candy says and Zac is the first one to bolt inside without looking back at us. Gwen smiles then waves goodbye and leaves without saying another word. It’s only Sarah, me and Zac. Well actually, just Sarah and me. Zac has already disappeared inside.
Walking through the double doors, the area is dark. There are a few lights right at the entrance giving it a haunted house feel that also gives off a creepy feeling. The walls are painted dark red and follow a path which only goes a few feet before the room opens up into a much larger space. Lining the walls are pillars with portraits on the walls in between them. Couches and tables are all around the space and it makes me feel a little uneasy. Couples sit around the large area, at the tables, on the couches talking to each other it appears. The soft hue of the lighting is making it difficult to see anything.
“What kind of place is this? Everyone is just sitting around talking. I don’t see any whips or chains anywhere,” Sarah says, gesturing around the vast space. It’s a beautifully erotic area but confusing.
Suddenly, a stranger walks up
in front of us. He’s wearing a black mask that covers half his face with a little bit of fur attached all around, like a mane. The only physical features we can see are his eyes and his full luscious lips. “Who are you?” I ask. The stranger isn’t looking at me but instead is looking at Sarah. No, he’s not just looking at Sarah, he’s devouring Sarah.
He opens his mouth to speak. “Maybe your friend can explain exactly who I am.”
Chapter 23
Sarah
Leo. I know it’s him. As soon as he spoke, chills ran up my body and filled my head with the same thoughts they were filled with before at the café. Only this time, I’m not surrounded by the comforts of the café. I’m in a whole new territory.
“Hello Sarah. How are you?” he asks but it takes a solid minute for me to respond. I’m too shocked by who’s in front of me.
“Leo? What are you doing here?” I ask. Leo is dressed head to toe in a slick black suit that hugs his whole body and brings mine to attention.
“Surprised to see me?” Leo asks in a low growl. He seems agitated. Anna slips up beside us and a look passes across her face. “So this is Leo?” she asks, fully turning to me.
Leo makes a face that resembles irritation and bows his head before walking away. Looks like he couldn’t wait to get away from me again.
“What the hell is his problem?” Anna asks and I’m wondering the same thing myself. The scent of his cologne lingers in the air and it’s mixed with a hint of coffee from his time in the café a little while ago. Looking up, I catch his form rushing through the crowd and I can’t let him get away. A split second decision has me rushing off towards the crowd of people after him.
“Where are you going?” Anna calls after me but it’s in the distance as my feet are hastily making their way towards Leo. My breathing gets heavier the quicker I run towards him. He turns a corner heading down a long hallway. “Leo, wait!” I call out. The ambience of the front club crowd gets drowned out in the distance as my feet finally make quick work to catch up to him. Grabbing him by the wrist, I pull hard but he pulls harder as he twists me around, pinning me against the wall of the dark hallway.
“What the fuck do you want, Sarah?” he growls low in my ear. We’re all alone away from the people and the allure of the club. This space is more intimate, more private.
“I want answers, Leo! Why the hell do you keep running away from me? I think I deserve that much since I’m not getting answers about anything else.” A sly smile forms on Leo’s face making him look sinister.
“You can’t get involved with somebody like me, baby cakes. I wouldn’t be good for you,” he tells me, which pisses me off even more.
“I don’t think that’s up to you to decide. What aren’t you telling me? What is this place? I want answers and I’m not leaving here until I get them.” Leo presses himself harder against my sensitive skin and I smile, feeling the roughness of his suit against my erect nipples. Why does having an almost complete stranger pinning me against a vacant hallway wall turn me on so much?
“Is that so?” Leo mumbles low and I feel it all the way to my belly. He knows what he’s doing to me. “Why do I get the idea answers aren’t the only thing you want from me right now, baby? I know you want something else from me, don’t you?” he asks as he brings his hands down and places one to brace himself on the wall then the other is running down the length of my body, making me tremble. God, I picked the wrong day to wear this damn short skirt.
“I…umm…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Without warning, he hikes my skirt up to my waist and slips a single finger into my panties and into my soaked pussy.
“I know what you want.” He leans in and mumbles against my neck as his finger swirls around my throbbing clit. “You want me.” Leo speeds up as he slips another finger inside me, and the action has me squirming against his hand.
Soft moans fill the small space around us. “Please,” I beg. I don’t even recognize my own voice.
“Please, what?” Curling his fingers upward, he dips in deeper hitting that spot he knows will make me crumble. My eyes shut in pure ecstasy as his fingers make work to bring me over the edge.
“Please, I’m so close.” God, I’m like some sex-crazed maniac. My whole body is humping his hand and he’s barely touched me. I am panting heavily as his magic fingers make quick work on my aching center. The orgasm is so close, I can fucking feel it. All he has to do is keep up that tempo for a few more seconds. This has been building since earlier today. The release I so desperately need is right there. God, so fucking close.
“Ask my permission for you to come. Beg for your release, cupcake. You know you want to come all over my fingers, don’t you? I want my name on those delicious pink lips just like I want those lips wrapped around my cock,” Leo’s dirty talk has me bucking wildly against his hand. My hands instinctively reach out to grasp onto his shoulders as I ride his rough, calloused hand all the way.
“Yes I do. May I come, please? I need to come.” I beg. Begging was beneath me. I never begged for anything. But fuck if his dirty mouth and his fingers didn’t have me begging for sweet relief.
“Yes, come now. I can feel you clench around my fingers. So fucking wet for me.” With those final words giving me permission, my orgasm hits me like a tidal wave and I’m screaming out my release but Leo quickly covers my mouth with the hand that was inside me and I smell myself on his hand. Strangely, it turns me on.
“Quiet now, wouldn’t want anyone to know what we’re doing down here, don’t you?” He asks while releasing his hand from my mouth, smiling wickedly.
As my body fights to come down from the orgasm Leo just gave me, I lean against the wall catching my breath while he straightens up his suit that appears to not be wrinkled too much. His perfectly tailored suit is flawless and I’m standing here a ball of quivering mess. How the fuck is that fair?
“Good girl, now let’s get back out there. Your friend is probably wondering what happened to you.” Since the only thing I can do is nod, he smirks as he takes my hand and leads me back out to the main area of the club. Leo leans into my ear once again to say something. “And those were just my fingers, just think what it will be like when I have my cock buried deep inside you. Or better yet, my tongue. I can taste your sweetness right now.” To demonstrate, he brings his fingers up to his lips and sucks on them, making my eyes go wide with shock.
He leads us the rest of the way until we’re in public again. Anna comes rushing up to me just as Leo escorts us to a table in the back.
“Where the hell have you been?” Anna puts both hands on her hips in an authoritative stance.
“In heaven,” I say smiling. Leo chuckles softly beside me as we slide into the booth one at a time. The soft lighting hides my flushed cheeks thank god. I don’t want this whole club to know what Leo and I just did.
“Okay, ew. Too much information, you slut,” Anna says shaking her head. I smile at her nonsense. Like Anna is Miss Prude all of a sudden.
“Hmm, not a bad name if you ask me,” Leo whispers to me but Anna must have heard him because she starts gagging. “Don’t even go there. Gross.”
Leo and I start laughing at her prude behavior, if there even is such a thing.
“So what’s the deal? You’re the Leo Sarah has mentioned but what the hell are you doing here? And what’s with the mask?” Anna is asking a million questions which I can tell make Leo uncomfortable by the way he clears his throat and looks down.
“You ask a lot of questions and seem so tough for somebody so small,” Leo jokes, making Anna blush red. I stifle a giggle under my breath. He slips the mask off his face, revealing the beautiful chiseled face I saw back at the café.
“The mask is simply a staple, part of the theme.” He says. Of course, the logo on the card was a lion but I never put two and two together until now.
“That’s Anna, always asking questions. Giving everyone the third degree,” I say that last part in an agitated tone directed towards
her. She quickly rebuttals and backs down.
“Well, he can at least answer one of my questions,” she mumbles under her breath. The waitress walks up to the table and smiles at all of us but when she gets to Leo, her expression changes and she bows her head. “Good evening sir, would you like your usual?” she asks.
“Yes, Sandra, that would be great. And get these lovely folks anything they want on the house.” He gestures to Sandra. I don’t like the way he is smiling at her. It makes a tiny sliver of jealously run through me.
“Of course, sir.” Sandra scribbles quickly on her notepad. “What would you all like?” she asks.
“A glass of red wine for me,” I say, leaning in a bit closer to Leo.
“Scotch on the rocks for me,” Anna speaks up. I look at her shocked as hell. Scotch wasn’t usually her drink of choice. She shrugs when she catches me staring. A few minutes later, Zac returns to our table looking very much out of breath.
“Where the hell have you been and why are you out of breath?” Anna asks curiously.
“I was in the gym on the third floor working out. Order me a beer, I’m going to go wash up.” I nod and watch as Leo and Zac exchange looks then Zac disappears again to only god knows where.
“There’s a gym here?” I ask turning to Leo, and he only nods.
“Yes, there is a gym here. Now will you stop with the questions?” He says a little more irritated than before. Nodding slightly, Sandra arrives with our drinks and I ask her to bring a beer for Zac and she complies before disappearing off again.
“Only when you start answering them,” Anna says, crossing her arms over her chest.
Leo looks at her with a challenging gaze in his eyes, takes a drink of his whiskey then glances down at the glass and begins his story.
Chapter 24
Anna
Keep the Faith (Bulletproof #1.5) Page 9