Chapter 18 #3
“Why down here by the ports?”
“Cost for one, probably. The building is forty-five thousand square feet. I’d guess secondly, a kinky club isn’t going to get permit approval just anywhere.”
“But God,” I said, “The place looks like a Victorian mansion. Hardly revolting.”
Gawping at the massive building, I was thrown by the sprawl of flowering trees and plants, fountains, and several seating areas of wrought iron furniture.
“Come on.” Gabby approached the massive antique front doors.
Over each panel were the words in branded script on metal, Hard Limit.
She keyed in a second code, pulled open the door, and strode in ahead of me.
She looked sexy in black leather pants, riding boots, and a V-neck top in leather and lace with low cleavage that showed off her impressive body.
All she needed was to be cracking a whip to add to her badass Dominatrix demeanor.
“Hey Roger,” she said to the tank of a man inside the entrance.
“Hello, Mistress,” he said. “It’s been a while.”
“Too long.” Sniffing at the air, she teased, “Smelling my kind of sweat and pain.”
He snorted at her obvious joy to be there.
“Roger, did you happen to see Ethan Fuller? Gorgeous dark-skinned man with green eyes.”
“Hey,” I muttered under my breath, jealous of her stating the obvious about how stunning Ethan was.
Gabby elbowed me.
“I know who you mean.” Roger said. “But I just came on duty. Manny was on before me.”
“Okay, thanks Roger.”
Taking a few steps into the interior, she stopped at the front desk with me in tow. “Hello, Caleb.”
“Good evening, Mistress.” Caleb dipped his chin toward me. “Are you playing tonight?”
“No, Jude’s a friend wanting to check out the place. Would you give him the appropriate wristband, please.”
Caleb placed a purple band on the wooden surface, then he handed me a tablet. “Sir, please fill in your personal information—name, address, phone number, and email address.”
After typing my name and phone number, I said, “I’m new to Long Beach and staying with a friend. Should I put down his address?”
“Is he a member?” Caleb asked.
“Yes, Ethan Fuller.”
“That works,” Caleb said.
“Have you seen Ethan?” Gabby asked the young man.
“I saw him about an hour ago with Master Liam. He reserved the saltire on the mezzanine level.”
I supplied Caleb with his information and handed him back the tablet.
Gabby grabbed my hand and we made our way through bodies in all modes of dress from nudity to full body leather gear as well as all kinds of sounds from sexy moans to grunts of pain and the low hum of conversation, laughter, and an occasional directive from a Dom.
Even the air appealed to me with a lingering pungency of incense—frankincense and lavender mixed with a hint of…
not quite sweat, but bodies being used and cherished.
One particular Dom was feeding his submissive chunks of fruit from his fingers, punctuated by kisses.
The display of affection reminded me of when I fed Ethan by hand.
As we made our way to a second level, Gabby remarked, “We’re heading to a secondary area set aside for private impact demonstrations.”
I was confused. “Does that mean we won’t be able to see what’s going on?”
“No,” Gabby corrected. “The main stage is for demonstrations hosted by the club. The secondary stage is when a Dom wants to show off his submissive.”
We jogged up the stairway to a mezzanine level. But our approach was from the side, behind pillars.
My chest was clenched in fear at what I was going to see when we rounded the last pillar when a voice rang out, “Red.” Not just any voice—Ethan’s.
His use of a safeword was followed by the loud thud of something dropping to the wooden floor.
I ran to within a few yards of Ethan with muttering from the gathered spectators as I blocked their view.
I didn’t care. The Dom had his hands raised and the bullwhip was at his feet.
Then he dashed to Ethan and quickly released him from his ankle and wrist cuffs.
Covering him with a light cloak, he disappeared behind a black curtain that took up the length of the stage.
I was ready to run after them when Gabby grabbed my arm and held me back. As spectators left their seats, she pulled me down on a chair.
“Jude, the Dom needs to know why Ethan stopped the scene. It’s a big deal when that happens, since all efforts are made prior to the start of the scene to assure that the Dom and submissive are of the same mind with the shared goals.
More importantly, the submissive has to voice his hard limits and any limitations that the Dom should be aware of.
Lastly, the submissive has to share his safeword.
Most submissives who don’t have a regular Dom they scene with will use the traffic light system. ”
“As soon as Ethan called red the Dom dropped the whip. Was the Dom required to stop?”
“Absolutely,” Gabby said. “As a Mistress who’s played with my share of submissives both men and women, I’d put the fear of God in them regarding the use of their safeword if necessary.
As for the scene itself, sometimes submissives want to be told ahead of time what the Dom has planned.
Others, like Ethan, would rather be surprised.
But even then, the Dom is aware of his hard limits. ”
My brain wasn’t absorbing what Gabby was saying as I kept my eyes glued to where the Dom had disappeared with Ethan behind the black curtain. Fifteen minutes went by, and then half an hour. “How much longer?” I asked Gabby.
“Let’s wait five more minutes and then I’ll knock on the door.
” Just then, her phone must’ve vibrated because she slipped it from her tight waistband and read the text.
When she put her phone back, she said, “Mom and Dad are going home. They want you to remind Ethan that they love him and for us to be safe.”
“I’ll make sure,” I promised. “You’ve clearly had an amazing role model for a mother.”
Gabby didn’t reply and I thought I caught her wipe at her eyes before quickly retracting her hands. I didn’t want to remark because maybe she’d had issues with her mother, and I internally kicked myself for assuming based on being with the woman only two times.
A few minutes later, the Dom walked across the stage to me and Gabby. We were the only two people left. He stepped off the stage and leaned against it. “Hello,” he said and extended his hand to Gabby. “I’m Master Liam.”
“I’m Gabby,” she said and I wondered why she’d left out her honorific.
Addressing me, he said. “You must be Jude.”
“Yes, what’s wrong? I want to see Ethan.”
“You will, Jude. Ethan spotted you when he called a stop to the scene. But before I send you back, I wanted to thank you for your patience in waiting. I had to make sure that Ethan wasn’t in physical distress before I left.
You have a courageous man, Jude. Not for taking the lashes of my whip but for stopping the scene.
That took guts. I told him that I’d be happy to play with him again. ”
“Thank you, Liam. Can I go back now?”
“Sure thing, just keep in mind that I have to clean my equipment and the room before I leave.”
“All right, I will.”
I glanced at Gabby. “Are you coming?”
“You go ahead, Jude. I’ll see Ethan when you come out. And no hanky-panky. You heard Master Liam,” she called out loud enough that the entire club must’ve heard.
I heard the Dom snort along with Gabby’s laughter.
Paying them no mind, I parted the curtain and stepped through.
To the left, I immediately noticed signage on a door that read, Aftercare Room.
I pushed it open just enough to stick my head through.
When I did, I held in my gasp. Taking a breath, I said softly, “Ethan,” wanting to let him know I was there. His back was to me.
“I’m sorry,” he said in a low, shaky voice.
“May I come near?”
When he nodded, I moved toward him slowly. “What are you sorry for, baby?”
He didn’t answer until I was sitting on the bed. He’d scooted forward so I sat behind him at his waist. I braced my hand on the bolster so I could ease forward and see him, if only in profile. “For running away. But the way your mother kept calling me a… a ra…”
Tears tracked down Ethan’s cheeks as if he was trying to say the word, rapist out loud. But he couldn’t.
“She knew what happened with Luca,” he rasped. “I don’t know how but the realization…” He turned his head to look at me. “I had to find relief, Jude. I’m sorry.”
“Ethan, stop apologizing. I’ve never seen my mother so vile. Frank thinks she did find out about your past.”
Ethan’s eyes widened. “How?”
“After you left and I realized you didn’t have your phone, I called Frank for help.
” My eyes watered at their kindness. “He and Mamma immediately came to your apartment. When I told them what my mother said, Frank figures that they hired a PI to find me, which led them to you.” I bent low and rested my face on his hip.
“I’m the one who’s sorry, baby. She said those things because she blames you for me leaving the church. ”
“Did Frank suggest calling Gabby?” Ethan asked.
“Yes, and she knew where you’d come.” I pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Being with your family is like being in an alternate reality where love abounds everywhere. She was at work and left to come and get me within ten minutes.”
Ethan’s smile didn’t last long. “When the Dom and I talked through the scene, I told him that I wanted him to use the bullwhip and give me all he had. He refused at first, skeptical of my motivation. I told him that I liked to challenge myself. Still unsure, he asked what other Doms I’d played with.
When I mentioned a couple of names, he agreed. ”
I winced at the marks on his back. “What made you stop?”