Chapter 2
FLEX
“Scotch on the rocks, Eli.”
“I thought you left.”
“I was just walking Jenna home. I’ve got some work to catch up on.”
“Did you strike out?” he says with a chuckle.
“She’s not my type.”
“Aren’t all women your type?” Eli and I have become friends since he took over as bar manager.
“Very funny.”
“I’m not kidding. She’s hot, smart, and super sexy. What’s not to like?”
“If you like her that much, why don’t you ask her out? She’s not into kink. You guys could be vanilla together.” I fight to keep a straight face.
“There’s nothing vanilla about the way I fuck. I’ve had no complaints.”
“Then you’re perfect for each other. She doesn’t want to get tied up and punished. She just needs some good D.”
The furrow of his brow tells me I’m about to get the third degree. “Eli, before you start the Spanish Inquisition, I need more alcohol.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” When you read people for a living, even micro body language is assessed in a split second.
“Just ask already.”
He slides a fresh drink across the bar before leaning his hip against the dark ebony. “Why do you want to torture women? Surely, you can get it up and enjoy a more conventional hookup.”
“We’re going to come back to your incredibly offensive word choice in a minute. Yes, I have one-night stands. At times, I get an urge for vanilla if the woman is stunning. I can appreciate a quick fuck every now and then.”
“And what’s the difference? As a guy who just likes to meet a woman, exchange phone numbers, and chase an orgasm or two together. An orgasm is an orgasm.”
“My poor friend. There are so many flaws in your thinking.”
“I think like ninety percent of the population.” His jaw tightens.
“I’m going to school you right now, Eli. I do not ‘torture’ women. I engage in consensual kinks that include pain. Everything is agreed upon in writing prior to stepping foot in my playroom.”
“You inflict pain. I don’t understand why you would get off on that.” He seems genuinely interested rather than judgmental, so I continue.
“Has there ever been a time when you needed to get laid so bad your balls are fucking blue?”
“Yeah.”
“And when you finally get your rocks off, it feels so damn good?”
“But we’re not talking about that. That’s normal.”
“I wanted to give you a comparison that you could relate to. That relief and intensity you feel when you come is magnified exponentially when you straddle that fine line between pleasure and pain.”
“So when a sub is… I don’t know… spanked… paddled… caned…”
“Good boy. You’re learning your terminology,” I say with a sly grin. First, it was Jenna. Now Eli. Why have I become the oracle of kink tonight?
“Whatever. So the sub gets some pain to make the pleasure more?”
“Exactly.”
“What do you get out of it? You’re the one inflicting the punishment.”
“I get off on their response. It’s so fucking sexy to witness someone submit. And while I give them what they need, I revel in the anticipation. Kink is like foreplay. Sex is always better with foreplay.”
“Don’t you ever just want to skip to the good part?”
“You’re a handsome guy, so why are you wasting it being so basic? Skip to the good part. It’s all the good part. By the time I take a sub, she’s fucking begging for it, slick and ready for me. Don’t knock it till you try it.”
“I couldn’t hit a woman.”
“Number one, I don’t ‘hit’ women. You make it sound like I’m abusive. You are completely misunderstanding the power dynamic in a scene. I do what a sub asks of me, never pushing her beyond her limits. She says ‘stop,’ and I stop. Number two, I wasn’t putting you in the role of a Dominant. I can spot a Dom from a mile away.”
“So you think I’m a pussy?”
“Definitely not. It’s hard to explain. I just hate the thought that you believe I’m capable of ‘hitting’ a woman in a sinister way.”
His face contorts at the realization. “No. God, no. I’m sorry, man. Not what I meant. I’m just trying to understand this place. I wasn’t trying to be accusatory.”
“Who are we accusing of what?” Her voice is dripping with sex, and I’d know it anywhere.
“Evening, Celest. Eli was just asking me why I do what I do here. Any thoughts?”
She sits beside me and smiles at Eli, who immediately sets about making a drink for her. “So many.”
“Feel free to share with the class,” I say with a sly grin. She looks hot tonight .
“Do I get specifics? I’d hate to disappoint you, Flex.”
“Why I indulge in punishment. Why would I want to, and why would you want to be on the receiving end?”
“From you specifically?” The way she runs her fingers through her long, wavy hair, licking her lips like the cat that got the cream. “I don’t know. I’d need a demonstration to adequately offer an answer.”
“Feisty tonight.”
“I think you mean always .” She looks to Eli with the smile of a siren.
“If you’re trying to make me hard right now, it’s working.” She knows exactly how she affects men and women. I’ve watched her putting on a show for the voyeurs before. Everyone’s eyes go to her.
“So, Eli, what do you want to know?” She seems at ease with him.
“Are you into pain?”
She laughs a sweet little sound. “Don’t beat around the bush or anything.”
“Sorry.” There’s a slight blush on his cheeks. She makes him nervous.
“I love pain. It’s such a rush. And the pleasure that comes after is mind-blowing… with the right Dom.”
“When did you realize that you were into that stuff? The pain.”
Her face sobers, and I see her visibly shut down. “That’s a long story.”
“Are you okay?” I ask, noticing the extreme change in her body language.
“Always. I just don’t feel like I need to justify what I want.”
Eli looks horrified. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“You should know by now I don’t have feelings.” She downs the rest of her drink. “I’ll leave you two to your conversation.” She stands to leave.
I instinctively reach for her, my hand grasping her wrist. “Wait. I don’t think you have no feelings. I would never say that about you, Celest. We’re friends. I would never pass judgment on anyone in here. You know me. ”
“And yet, you know nothing about me. No one does.” Her eyes are glassy with unshed tears as she yanks her wrist free and heads to the staircase up to the voyeur floor.
“Shit,” Eli sighs, “I didn’t mean to upset her.”
I look to where she disappears upstairs. “It wasn’t you. She’s normally up for anything.”
“Are you going up there? Please let her know I wasn’t slighting her at all.”
“Why don’t you go up there yourself?” I already know the answer.
“Not my scene.”
“Fair enough. Well, I have work to do. I’ll be in my office if anyone needs me.”
As I walk across the bar to my office, I hesitate at the bottom of the stairs, wondering if I should check to see if Celest is okay. I’m not her Dom, so I think better of it.
I work late going over the plans Jenna and I were discussing earlier. Fuck. That feels like days ago. I’m not doing too well with the women in my life tonight. Jenna wants to explore the club, and for some reason, she gravitates toward me. I’m the worst Dom she could choose to dip her toe in the proverbial waters of kink. Nadia would flay me alive if I touched her best friend.
Before I leave for the night, I’m going to check on the progress of the training floor. Work is almost complete, and I’m psyched for the new addition. As I head toward the elevator, I think better of it, opting to take the stairs and stop via the voyeur level. I’m always up for a little distraction.
Celest sits on the far side of the room in a dark corner. It’s unlike her to sit on the sidelines up here. I approach her, my hands up in a show I’m not here to berate her. I just want to know she’s okay.
“Can I join you?” She keeps her eyes trained on a couple writhing against the wall directly across from her.
“Sure.” I’m pretty certain she meant that as a ‘fuck off,’ but I’m worried about her, so I plant myself firmly at her side.
“What was that downstairs? ”
“Nothing.” She folds her arms across her chest.
“Bullshit.”
“I’m not in the mood, Flex. I just want to sit here quietly for a while before I head home. If you don’t want to sit in silence, then go find someone to fawn all over you.”
I nudge her shoulder. “I just wanted to check on you. You seem a little out of sorts.”
“I’m not your problem. I’m not anyone’s problem right now.” There’s a tinge of sadness in her voice, but I don’t want to push her too much.
“I thought you’d be enjoying a ménage à trois.”
“You came up to watch me masturbate while other people have sex and punishment?”
“As delicious as that sounds… no. I genuinely wanted to see that you’re okay before I head up to take a look at the progress upstairs.”
Her eyes light up. “The training level? Can I come with you?”
“Yeah, you can give me your thoughts on whether I’ve overlooked something. Obviously, I’m looking at it from a Dom’s perspective, and as much as I hate to admit it, I don’t know everything.” I give her a sly wink. “If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it.”
“I’d expect nothing less.”
We leisurely make our way up to the training suite, and my hard work is rewarded with a squeal of joy from Celest. “Oh my God, Flex. This is stunning.”
“Really?”
“Yes! I love it.” She wanders the space, trailing her fingers over the canes lining one of the training stations. I made sure that everything is luxurious and elegant but also functional.
“I tried to incorporate as many practices as possible. We want to ensure that everyone is indulging in safe ways. We have grown lately, and there are Doms and subs who haven’t had any training here at Venom. I think it’s imperative that we enforce the rules.”
“You? Adhering to rules?” She chuckles.
“Depends on the rules.”
“That’s what I thought.” She continues to walk the space, and I follow her gaze to the Shibari ropes in various colors encased in an extravagant display.
“Do you use Shibari with your submissives?”
“I have at times, depending on the sub. Logan is the real expert. He and Pierce worked with me on this floor. Logan will do a demonstration with Vittoria when we open.”
“That’s exciting. He usually keeps to himself.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t teach the way he used to. He doesn’t want to share his wife and her body with anyone else. I get it.”
“Really?”
“No, but I respect his decision. She’ll have lingerie on, but the way he crafts the Shibari ropes on her is breathtaking.”
“Are you going to train up here?”
“Do you think I’m lacking in some way?” I tease.
“I meant, are you going to teach other Doms some of these disciplines?”
“I’m not a teacher. I’m too selfish for that. I want my subs fully trained when I take them on. What about you? Is there something you want to learn?”
“I’d like to see if Shibari is something I would enjoy.” She looks almost bashful as she continues. “I…”
“Don’t be shy. It’s just us up here. What do you want to try? If I don’t have a station set up for it, I’ll make one. I don’t make that offer to just anyone, but we’re friends, so lay it on me.”
“Anal.”
“What about it?”
“I’ve never done it before.” She smooths down the front of her dress, her eyes cast to the floor.
“ What? ” I’m genuinely gobsmacked. She’s got to be screwing with me.
“Don’t be so surprised. The Dom who trained me didn’t like anal, and the Dom I had here wasn’t exactly great in the training department. It was a bit of a one-way street with him, hence why we no longer have a contract.”
“Holy. Shit. What was wrong with them? You could bounce a quarter off your ass. It’s ripe for the taking. ”
“They didn’t think so.”
“Then they’re fucking idiots.” I lead her to a sleek cabinet with the perfect training plugs, remove a set, and hand them to her. “Here.”
“Why are you giving them to me? I don’t have a Dom.”
“You don’t actually need one for this. It’s just a process of starting small and slowly getting your ass prepared for a good fuck when you’re ready.”
“How do I know when to change them out for the next size?” There are three in the set.
“If you have any questions, you can text me. Start with the smallest, make sure it is covered in lube, and bend over your bed with your legs spread. Ease it in. You don’t want to hurt yourself. Do that for a week before moving to the next one.”
“When and for how long in a day?”
“I make my subs wear it all day long, so they are on the edge of orgasm every time they move. By the time they get here, they are wet and ready to detonate.”
She clears her throat, and I can see she’s a little flustered at the thought. “That sounds…”
“Look at me, Celest.” She does as she’s told. “I want you to take this home and start tomorrow. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it, and so will your next Dom.”
“Have you ever had one used on you?”
“If you were my sub, you’d be getting a good paddle for asking that question.”
“But we’re friends, so it doesn’t count.”
“Sorry, my nosey little friend, I don’t share those details with subs.”
“Oh, come on! I just shared a kink, and you gifted me with butt plugs. I deserve some juicy gossip on you.”
I step toward her, close enough that she’ll feel my breath on her cheek as I lean in. “Nope.”
A sly grin creeps at the corner of her lips, “You’re mean.”
“What’s with everyone tonight? I’m not the bad guy.”
“Everyone? ”
“Eli basically said I beat women for shits and giggles. Jenna was here, acting like I was trying to corrupt her on the voyeur floor.”
“Were you trying to corrupt her? She’s not a sub, is she?”
“Not yet. She’s curious, though. Why else would she spend so much time here? It’s the old adage. The lady doth protest too much.”
“And you want to corrupt her?”
“No. Maybe.”
She continues around the room, so I take the opportunity to ask her some questions. Everyone seems set on grilling me tonight.
“Why do you settle for putting on a show downstairs instead of finding a new Dom?”
“I have my reasons.”
“No shit, Sherlock. What are the reasons?”
She shrugs me off, but I catch the tightening of her jaw. “None of your business.”
“Were you the one to end the relationship?”
“No. And before you ask, I have no desire to share the reason he dumped me.”
“He’s a tool.”
“Yeah,” she says wistfully.
“There are Doms who would be lining up to satisfy your every whim.”
“Funny, I haven’t been approached. Seems I’ve got a reputation now. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.”
“Well, fuck being the bride then. Are you happy to be a free agent right now? That’s the only question that matters.” I consider her as she carefully chooses her words.
“I’m happy that I don’t want to settle for anyone who shows an iota of interest in me.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“I guess.”
“Don’t be so emphatic about it.” It makes her laugh.
“Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy every scene I join, but…” She waits for me to interject, but I give her the space to tell me in her own time. “It can be lonely sometimes. ”
“We’re surrounded by people in this place. You have friends. We’re friends.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yeah. Dalton is preoccupied with Nadia. Pierce is here, but not the way he was before. I always enjoy sitting around, shooting the shit with them down in the bar.”
“Don’t you want what they have? They found ‘the one.’ Isn’t that what everyone wants?”
She can’t be serious. “Fuck no! I like my life the way it is. Soon, they’ll be popping out babies and start spending less and less time here. They will end up having boring-fucking-vanilla sex. I can’t imagine anything worse.”
“Don’t hold back, Flex. Tell me how you really feel.” As she wanders around the rest of the floor, I watch her delight as she takes it all in. It just confirms my vision for this space was the right way to go.
“So, am I missing anything?”
“Does all of this apply to the various polyamorous Dom/sub dynamics?”
Holy Shit. Why didn’t I take that into consideration? “You’re a fucking angel, do you know that?”
She giggles. “I’ve never been called that before.”
“It didn’t even cross my mind. I was assuming that everyone is trained when they enter into a poly contract. That’s so short-sighted. You’re a genius. All of this needs to be adaptive for more than a Dom and sub.”
“I was just thinking about Freya. She came to train from scratch. She enjoys having a third person. Me. As part of a scene. Sure, I don’t go near Pierce, but you get what I mean.”
“Are you in love with her?” It’s a valid question. I’ve seen her on the voyeur floor, and she and Freya have something special.
“No. Sexually, I’m fluid when it comes to joining a scene, but I’ve only ever had romantic feelings toward men.”
“Would you mind sitting down with me this week to go over some adaptations up here?”
“I can’t be here during the week. ”
“Is Dalton that hard of a task master? You still work for him, right?”
“He’s a great boss. I have other commitments, so I can only be here on the weekend.”
“He couldn’t spare you for a few hours?”
She bristles at my comment. “No. Can we just drop it? Text me if you want to talk shop.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You haven’t. I’m fine.”
I rest my hand on her arm. “Are you sure?”
She shrugs away from me. “Yeah. I should get going.”
“Don’t rush off on my account. We can grab a drink downstairs.”
“I can’t. Maybe some other time.” She doesn’t wait for me, rushing toward the stairs. I’m not accustomed to women running in the opposite direction.
“Wait. I’ll come down with you.”
“I’ll see you later, Flex.”