“Okay, so…” Chloe took a breath before getting to the heart of what she wanted to talk to Porter about today. “Can you and Kenzie take me to the club without Sawyer knowing?”
Porter’s brows shot up. “You want to go to a BDSM club?”
She shrugged again, trying to appear casual, even if she felt anything but. “I want to see the lifestyle for myself. The only BDSM I’ve seen is from the cases I’ve worked, which involved a mistress who treated the married man like a horse.” The exact reason she needed to understand Sawyer’s type of BDSM was that what he said seemed different. “Sure, I could read about it. But I’m thinking that seeing it for myself is easier.”
Porter took a sip of his coffee. “Why don’t you ask Sawyer to take you?”
“Because that’s…well, awkward.” Chloe flipped her hair over her shoulder, gathering the strands in one hand. “I don’t even know where things are going with him. But I want to understand what I’m getting myself into.”
His head tipped to one side. “Why are you asking me to take you?”
“Because I trust you and I don’t want to go by myself.”
“You trust me?” At Chloe’s firm nod, he added with a smile, “I’m happy that you do.” Softness filled Porter’s eyes as he continued, “I want you to know that you’re right—the only reason I don’t involve you in my private life is because I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about my lifestyle.” His tone of voice told her that the BDSM lifestyle made him proud. “It’s kind of a relief this is out in the open now, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I suppose it is.” It almost seemed as though in this moment she’d gained a friend that she’d wanted for two years, and she couldn’t help but smile in return. “But I don’t know why you didn’t think you could tell me this.”
Porter gave her a measured look. “What if it bothered you? You do work for me, Chloe.”
She half shrugged. “I guess you’re right.”
There was another pause as his eyes became curious. “But my lifestyle doesn’t bother you?”
“No. I’m not bothered at all,” she replied easily. “It makes me curious, which is why I’m asking you and Kenzie to take me to understand it all better.”
Porter inhaled a deep breath, then let it out slowly; the sunbeams from the window highlighted the blond in his hair. “How does Sawyer feel about you going to a BDSM club? Have you talked about it?”
“Kinda.” She told the half-truth breezily. “He said he didn’t expect me to go.” She left out the part where he’d said he didn’t want her to go to a club.
“If you’re curious Chloe, I don’t mind taking you.” Porter rose from his seat, pushing the chair into place. “But let me run it by Sawyer first.”
“God, no!” Chloe exclaimed, jumping to her feet.
He raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because how embarrassing is that?” Chloe’s voice was high and rushed. “ ‘Oh, yes, let’s date, but can you take me to a BDSM club because I have no idea what it is and want to know if I can handle that side of you?’ No, Porter, I don’t think so.”
Porter barked a loud laugh. “I suppose I see your point.” He regarded her in his intense way, then tapped his fingers on the desk. “Be ready at eight tonight. Kenzie and I can take you to a public club here in Vegas.”
“Why not your club?” Chloe asked.
“It’s exclusive, I’m sorry to say.” Porter smiled at her before walking away.
Nerves fluttered through Chloe. Am I really going to do this?
“Oh, and Chloe…” Porter stopped at his office door and turned to her. “When attending a BDSM club, tight, revealing clothing is best.”
Hell yeah, I am!
—
Something has come up that I need to do tonight. Shane called to say that Travis was searching on his computer for how to make meth. That’s all he’s got right now. I’ll text ya when I’m on my way to your house, okay? I won’t be long. Promise.
The message from Chloe earlier in the day still grated on Sawyer’s nerves. Hours later, driving alone at night, he didn’t like the fact that he didn’t know her whereabouts. Nor did he enjoy knowing that it wasn’t his place to ask her.
The Dom in him wanted to know where she was right now. The man in him told him not to come on too strong. Yet even that concept seemed foreign to him. He hadn’t been in a vanilla relationship in so long that he had to remind himself that Chloe wasn’t a submissive who had signed a confidentiality agreement to allow him to dominate her.
As much as his thoughts spun, he couldn’t stop thinking about how he hadn’t minded vanilla sex with her. Not to say that kinking things up with her didn’t interest him, but vanilla sex with her hadn’t bored him.
In fact, he’d enjoyed his time with her. A lot.
Forcing himself to put her out of his mind for the time being, he took a hard right and drove past wrought-iron gates up the circular driveway. Club Sin, with its grandeur, was a sight to behold. The redbrick Queen Anne mansion with its large windows and impeccable gardens sat well back from the road.
Sawyer wasted no time parking his truck behind the other cars and entering through the front doors. Richly designed, the mansion showed off the extent of Dmitri’s wealth. Sawyer understood why Dmitri lived for the finer things in life, but Sawyer had never wanted that life. Sitting behind a desk didn’t appeal to him, no matter how much money a man could make.
His shoes clicked against the hardwood floors as he entered through the hallway. Surrounded by stone walls, he trotted down the stairs until he encountered the wrought-iron door. Jaw tight, he wrapped his hand around the cool door handle and opened the door.
The moment he entered Club Sin, the sounds of pleasure, pain, and everything in between breezed across him like a gust of warm air. Instant guilt followed. Not the feeling he’d expected as he walked through the doors of his beloved club.
The BDSM stations remained the same, the black couches still were at the center of the dungeon, and Club Sin members were engaging in kinky sex. But he knew that he’d let the members down by not stopping by last weekend, even though with his sister in the hospital he’d had a good reason. The members counted on him. As one of their leaders, he had an obligation to them.
With a heavy feeling in his gut, he headed through the dimly lit space, spotting a very pregnant Ella on one of the black couches in the center of the dungeon, with her husband, Kyler, sitting on the armrest. His gaze slid past them to the dark-haired Aidan and the brunette, Cora, sitting on the opposite couch. Next to them on another sofa sat Dmitri along with his submissive, Presley. As far as friends went, his were a close-knit group, and a good-looking bunch. The men were fit, handsome in their own right. And the ladies were lovely, dressed in very little.
When Sawyer followed their gaze toward the stage area of Club Sin, he understood what held their attention. The submissive Amanda hung from the ceiling in suspension bondage. One leg was arched back, her foot touching her head, while the other leg had been bound at her knee. Bound and locked into pleasure, she was spread wide as the Dom Max thrust between her thighs.
Not long ago, Sawyer would’ve been that Dom suspending a woman in the air. He smiled to himself, pleased that the Dom he’d mentored, Max, had used the lessons Sawyer taught him. Amanda’s skin was red in the places Max bound her, but her circulation wasn’t cut off—which would have given her skin a blue tone—since the ropes evenly supported her.
As Sawyer approached the couches circled around the coffee table, Dmitri’s sharp blue eyes focused on Sawyer and crinkled in the corners. “Good to see you, Sawyer.” He was an imposing man, always had been. His features were strong and chiseled, giving him the air of a leader. “How is your sister?”
All eyes went to Sawyer as he took a seat beside Dmitri, while the pretty Presley, with her long dirty-blond hair, slender figure, and stunning emerald eyes, remained perched on the armrest. “I went to see her before I came here. She seems better.”
&
nbsp; “I’m so sorry about what happened to her,” Presley said, her long locks covering her bare breasts.
Sawyer wondered what Presley had done tonight to annoy Dmitri. It wasn’t often she was bare-breasted in the club, which indicated she was receiving a punishment. He smiled at her. “Thank you. My sister is a tough girl. She’ll get through this.”
A low grunt caught Sawyer’s attention. He turned, spotting Max bucking and jerking with his orgasm. Just another night in Club Sin, he thought happily to himself. His attention turned back to the group when Ella said, “Kyler said her injuries were terrible. Is she healing well?”
Sawyer nodded at her, pleased that his friend Kyler had found himself such a beautiful wife. Ella had old-soul, expressive eyes and soft honey-colored hair. Sawyer was thrilled for them and anticipated holding their baby in his arms. “It’ll take some time. I think the most painful thing for her now is her broken ribs.” Her heart would have been the truth, but he had no business sharing that.
While that thought weighed on him, he also knew his baby sister. She’d bounce back from this and somehow be stronger because of it. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been here.” He paused, then added for good measure, “I suppose I’ll also apologize for not being here tomorrow night, since I suspect I’ll be busy trying to find Travis.”
“Oh, stop it.” Dressed in dark green lingerie, the brunette, Cora, flicked her hand. “Your sister comes first. Everyone understands that. I think it’s sweet you came by at all.”
He smiled and bobbed his head in thanks, appreciating the compassion in Cora’s blue eyes. She was a looker, and Aidan had garnered himself a stunning wife. Yet somehow all the sympathetic expressions offered him only made him feel shittier. He felt he was letting them down by not being here. They depended on him.
Dmitri was watching Sawyer’s expression, and he said to the group, “Ladies, please excuse yourselves for a few minutes.”
Kisses were exchanged before the women left the sitting area, traveling across the room toward a scene between a young submissive and the only other single Club Sin Master, Miles. Yet Sawyer knew the only reason Miles had been single for so long was because he worked too much. As far as Sawyer had heard, Miles was looking to sell his construction business and focus more on his private life.
“What’s with the guilt?” Dmitri asked sternly.
Sawyer looked at his friends, finding all the Club Sin Masters watching him curiously. “Nothing.”
“Liar,” Aidan snorted, shoving his fingers through his jet-black hair. Tall, muscular, and stern-faced, he had the air of a Dominant. “You look like you’ve swallowed a nail.”
“Like I said, I felt bad that I haven’t been here,” Sawyer said. “I know this weekend was supposed to be my weekend.” Which meant he had been required to play with a submissive and show off his skills as a Dom, both to give the crowd a good show and to teach them.
Kyler narrowed his eyes, staring in the way he usually did when he wanted to prove a point. “Well, as the saying goes, better late than never. Put on a show now. I’m sure any of the submissives would be happy to be your sub for the night.”
Tension filled Sawyer’s chest. “I’m not…” Chloe’s smile flashed through his mind, as did the sensation of having her lush body beneath his. “No. I can’t.”
Dmitri grinned. “Ah, so that’s what it is. Porter’s little employee has stolen our Sawyer away.”
The men laughed, yet somehow Sawyer didn’t feel amused. Instead, Dmitri’s words had only increased the tension swelling inside him. “I’m not sure where things are going with her,” he said, instead of saying he thought only of her. “Chloe isn’t knowledgeable about our lifestyle yet. She wouldn’t understand that if I played with someone it wouldn’t be sexual, only a flogging or bondage.”
Kyler waggled his eyebrows. “I remember having one of those new girls myself and bringing her here. Do tell, is that in Chloe’s future?”
Sometimes Sawyer wished Kyler knew how to shut up. His good friend often had a way of getting a point across through very annoying questions. “I haven’t figured that out yet.”
“Is she kinky?” asked Aidan.
“Right now she’s too innocent to be considered kinky.” Sawyer liked her that way, too. He found her innocence endearing. “But she’s sexually submissive, that much I do know.”
Dmitri smiled in his confident way. “Then there is hope for her after all. You’re more than welcome to bring her into the club whenever you want.”
No one said, She must be special if you’re dating a vanilla girl.
In all the years that Sawyer had known these men, which was about as long as he’d been in the BDSM lifestyle, he’d never had a serious girlfriend. And now he began to understand why that was: his heart craved a woman who couldn’t be found in a BDSM club, because any woman there simply wouldn’t be innocent enough. “Thanks for the offer. But I’m going to see how things with Chloe develop. I don’t want to rush her into this.”
Kyler barked a laugh. “Buddy, say goodbye to your single life. You’re talking like a man who might as well go buy a wedding ring.”
Loud masculine laughter filled the air around Sawyer. This time he laughed with them, realizing how amusing it was that he was so wrapped up in a vanilla girl. But he also realized there was nothing wrong with that.
When the laughter faded, he began to glance around the club, trying to picture Chloe there. Her beauty and light would bring more warmth to Club Sin. Her lush body would look perfect in lingerie like the kind the submissives were wearing. Even seeing Presley, Ella, and Cora over by Miles’s scene made Sawyer think Chloe would fit in there fine, because he knew she’d get along with them well.
Yet somehow he couldn’t see Chloe becoming a member of Club Sin.
He continued to scan the club, and only then did he realize two people were missing. “Where are Porter and Kenzie?”
Kyler answered, “Porter called me earlier and said he wouldn’t be able to make it until later tonight. He had an obligation to take care of.”
“An obligation?” Sawyer frowned.
Aidan nodded. “He texted us, too, saying that he and Kenzie needed to do something for a friend.”
Sawyer glanced from Kyler to Aidan, seeing that neither of them knew anything more. But Sawyer’s instincts flared. Porter and Kenzie wouldn’t miss Club Sin unless they had a very good reason. He also knew Kenzie had no other friends outside of Club Sin. Porter, on the other hand, was close to one person who didn’t belong to Club Sin.
A swell of anger rose up. Sawyer reached for his phone in his pocket and texted Porter: Is Chloe with you?
A few seconds passed before Porter replied: She is. Is she not supposed to be?
Sawyer’s jaw clenched, his fingers tightening around his cell phone. Where are you?
A pause. Then: Chains.
Sawyer’s red-hot anger turned into something much more personal: raw jealousy.
Chapter 10
Dominant eyes burning with passion. Rope. Naked flesh.
A cold sweat washed over Chloe as the atmosphere at the BDSM club Chains closed in on her. There didn’t seem to be anything special about the club—it resembled a typical nightclub. In the center, tables and chairs were like those you’d find in any casual nightclub. Off to the left, couches were scattered around with couples cuddling on them. And at the very back, a bartender served alcohol to the crowd. The difference was the BDSM equipment set up around the room.
Most women in attendance opted for tight clothing, which Chloe thought of as gothic-inspired, while the men wore black, with the occasional guy in jeans. As much as she tried—and hell, did she try—she couldn’t absorb all that was going on around her: a station where the tips of needles were inserted into a woman’s breasts, another where a woman was being caned on her bottom until it was purple and bloody, a third where yet another woman was lying on a table as an older gentleman dragged a knife down her stomach.
Chloe didn�
��t like this. Not any of it.
“Don’t worry, Chloe.” Porter’s soft, reassuring voice came behind her. He nudged her forward, directing her to follow Kenzie toward the sitting area. When she sat down he raised his voice to be heard over the heavy metal music coming through the speakers. “Sawyer isn’t into edge play that I know of.” He smiled kindly. “It’s pretty obvious you aren’t, either.”
“That’s…” Chloe swallowed, glancing at Kenzie and seeing her relaxed posture. Porter’s girlfriend was a stunning, fiery beauty. Spice lived within her, Chloe thought. The dark red of her hair matched her quick wit and sassy attitude, and her hazel eyes reflected spunk. And by all appearances, Kenzie, dressed in a tiny skirt and short top, seemed bored.
To Chloe, this was anything but boring. It was eye-fucking-opening.
She admitted to them, “To be honest, I didn’t know you could go to a club to do this. I mean, from work I understand a Dominant and submissive relationship.” She’d investigated a few of those relationships throughout the years. She understood that sometimes letting go and allowing someone else to be in control could free a person. But what she saw now—the knives, the blood, the needles…“I’m having a hard time with this.”
Kenzie’s brows shot up for a moment, and then she burst out laughing. “Jesus, you look like you’re going to pass out.” She reached out and grabbed Chloe’s hand. “You’re fine here with us. No one is going to steal you away to do wicked things to you.” With her smile still in place, she released Chloe’s hand and rose. “I’ll grab us some drinks. Wine okay?”
Chloe nodded, unamused. She’d never thought of herself as pure, but she was beginning to see what Sawyer meant. In his world, she was practically a virgin. She looked at Porter. “If Sawyer isn’t into edge play, I take it you’re not, either?”
Porter shook his head. “Edge play isn’t part of our club and it’s not why I’m in the lifestyle. But others here do what we do, so I thought that’s what you’d like to see.” He gestured across the room. “See that scene going on over there?”
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