Chapter 4
FOUR
Sophie
Sophie was sitting in her car outside of their little apartment, waiting for Claudia, who would never be on time, and looking through all the goodies she had gotten this morning.
She pulled out the purple fuzzy socks from the basket Aiden had put together for her after last night, a soft smile gracing her lips: Arnica, ice packs, and her favorite, ridiculously expensive dark chocolate.
The basket was waiting for her on her front porch this morning.
Sophie:
Thank you for the aftercare basket.
Aiden:
You're welcome, little one.
Sophie:
How did you know what candy I liked?
Aiden:
A Daddy never reveals his secrets.
Aiden:
Since you’ve been spending more time there, I was wondering what you thought of the club.
Sophie:
It's growing on me. Claudia and I saw some of the dungeon equipment, and it got me… intrigued.
Aiden:
Oh, there’s so much more to show you, little one.
Her cheeks flamed at the thought as the passenger door opened, and Claudia slid in, dumping her purse on the floorboards. “Okay, spill. Don’t you dare leave out a single detail. I’ve been vibrating with suspense since your text.”
Sophie laughed, the sound a little breathless. “It was… intense.”
“Intense doesn’t cover the black-and-blue marks I saw you trying to hide under your makeup this morning,” Claudia said, her eyes narrowing with concern. “Did they cross a line?”
“No, God, no,” Sophie said quickly, shaking her head. “It wasn’t like that. It was all consensual. It was… precise. Controlled.” She struggled for the words. “It was everything, all at once. Pain and pleasure, and then Aiden… he was right there. He was the anchor.”
Claudia’s expression softened. “And the other one? Mister Tall, Dark and Broody?”
Sophie bit her lip, a flush creeping up her neck. “Zack. He was… relentless. A force. But at the end, he wasn't. He was just there. Putting me back together. They both were.”
She told her everything. About the flogger, the spreader bar, the way Aiden had taken her silence as his duty. She glossed over the most intimate moments, her cheeks burning, but the arc of it, the emotional whiplash of it all, she laid bare.
Claudia listened, her expression shifting from concern to intrigue, then to a slow, knowing smile. “Holy shit, Sophie. You didn’t just fall down a rabbit hole. You built the whole damn wonderland.”
“It’s a lot,” Sophie whispered, staring out at the street. “I don’t know how to… be. With both of them. They’re so different. Aiden is warmth and safety. Zack is this beautiful, terrifying cliff face you want to throw yourself off of.”
“Maybe you don’t have to choose,” Claudia said, nudging her foot. “Maybe the point is to have both. The safety net and the thrill of the fall.” She paused, then grinned. “So, on a scale from ‘vanilla bean’ to ‘fifty shades of what the actual fuck,’ where do we land?”
Sophie let out a real laugh this time, the tension in her shoulders easing. “We’re somewhere past the what the actual fuck, and currently enjoying the complimentary aftercare basket.”
“Okay, that’s actually sweet in a deeply twisted way. I approve.” Claudia buckled her seatbelt. “Now, drive. I need carbs and more sordid details before I go back to my life of inventory and Wes’ meticulous bookkeeping.”
Sophie put the car in drive, a small, private smile on her face as she pulled away from the curb. She was still sorting through the emotional wreckage, but for the first time, it didn't feel like wreckage. It felt like a foundation.
Just as she was navigating a tricky turn, her phone buzzed in the center console, the screen lighting up with her brother’s name. With a sigh, she tapped the screen to accept the call, putting it on speaker.
Gage’s face, all cheekbones and a crooked grin, filled the screen. “Hey butt face!”
“Is that any way to talk to your favorite sister?” Sophie shot back, the familiar banter a comfortable balm.
“So you want the favorite title out of default? Damn Soph. You must really be down bad.”
“Oh, hush your mouth, Gage. You’ve missed three phone dates.”
“It sounds like you’re driving, so don’t give me shit about our rules.”
“I’m paying attention to the road and not your ugly mug,” Sophie retorted, glancing at Claudia, who was trying, and failing, to smother a laugh. “So give me the rundown.”
“Rundown on what? Your tragic love life? Please. I’m calling with actual news. I’m coming home.”
Sophie’s foot eased off the accelerator. “You’re what? When? Your semester isn’t supposed to be up for another four months.”
“Graduated early,” Gage said, puffing out his chest. “Walked last week. Finished my thesis. Professor was blown away. Said it was groundbreaking.”
Claudia leaned toward the phone, her voice laced with mock drama. “Groundbreaking, huh? Did you finally solve the mystery of why all the single socks disappear in the laundry?”
Gage’s grin faltered for a second. “Who is that? Sophie, are you abducting strangers again? I told you, that’s a misdemeanor.”
“It's just Claudia, you goon,” Sophie said, a real warmth spreading through her chest. “My friend. My sane friend.”
“Ah, the fabled and wondrous Lidia. Pleasure,” Gage said, giving a little nod to the phone. “And for your information, Claudia, my thesis was on post-war architectural deconstruction in Berlin, so it’s significantly more important than your sock-based existential crises.”
Sophie snorted at Claudia's exasperated eyeroll. “So, when are you getting here? I can’t believe you didn’t let me see you walk. You’re an ass. I’m proud to call you my smart-ass-brother.” Stubborn determination was as inherited as their striking green eyes.
“It was sudden, also like this, I’m crashing at your place. Just for a bit. Until I figure out my next move.” He paused, his expression turning serious. “If that’s okay?”
“Of course! Stay with us.” Claudia chirped in.
“You're the best, sis. I'll text you. Love you!”
Gage hung up, leaving a sudden, ringing silence in the car. Claudia stared at her. “Your brother. The architectural genius. Is staying. At our apartment. When you are currently engaging in what sounds like a high-level, kinky threesome.”
Sophie’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, the knuckles turning white. “Oh, fuck.”
“Listen, you’re not doing anything wrong with them. There’s no shame in enjoying a little pain.”
“It doesn’t feel like that. Before you start, I know, okay? I know with us there’s never any judgment.”
“Well then, stop judging yourself.”
Sophie inhaled a sharp breath, and the car fell into comfortable silence. Sophie was lost in her thoughts while Claudia played on her phone.
They pulled into Surrender's parking lot and cut the engine.
“I can’t wait to see all the new goodies,” Claudia mused as she got out of the car.
Walking into the club felt like walking into a different world. One where all things were possible. Sophie breathed in the smell of polished wood as they headed toward the shop. Her first night here popped into her head, and she couldn’t help but relive the memories.
“You’re quiet all of a sudden,” Claudia huffed. “I thought we were having girl time. That means we’re having fun.”
“I was just lost in thought. Sorry.”
“That’s fine but now that you’re back to Earth, let’s see what’s new on the dungeon floor.” Claudia grabbed Sophie’s hand and pulled her the rest of the way to the shop. A thrill ran through her at the thought of Aiden and Zack using new things on her.
“Hey, Mel!” Claudia chirped. “This is Sophie.”
Melody smiled. “Hey girls. Here to see the new stock?”
Sophie looked around at all the kinky implements, feeling the leather and shade floggers under her hand.
“Wes just brought this in,” Mel motions to the three-hole stockade in the corner.
“Oh,” Claudia squealed. “Wes is a genius. I want to try this one.” She wiggled her eyebrows and trotted over to observe the furniture.
“We’ll just call you the club’s kink tester then.”
“Zack came down here and had a look himself,” Melody mused.
The mention of Zack’s name hung in the air, shifting the dynamic. He was the storm, she’d thought. The one who pushed and tested. But Aiden was the anchor, the one who held her while she weathered it.
A complex system in place for such a casual situation.
Maybe she was deluding herself. But she saw something in him. Something more.
He opened parts of herself that she didn't know existed. The ache of the unknown kept her tethered.
For the first time in her life, she wasn’t scared of the unknown. She wanted to embrace it.
*
Taking a page from Claudia’s book, Sophie slipped on a sundress and ballet flats and headed up the elevator of Surrender to the office area. On Tuesdays, the club was closed to members for deep cleaning and maintenance.
Stepping out of the elevator, she headed to the office. Sophie knocked softly and pushed the door open, spotting Zack alone sitting behind his desk without his suit jacket, looming over a stack of papers.
“I thought I’d come by…”
Zack looked at her over the edge of his glasses. “Aiden isn’t here.”
“I came to see you.”
“I see.”
“I don’t want to intrude if you’re busy.”
Zack set his pen down and pushed away from the desk. He raised his brow and cocked his head ever so slightly. “Is that what you really wanted, Sophie?”
Sophie’s cheeks reddened as she quickly responded to his beckoning finger. She circled the desk and stood in front of him, her hands clasped together in front of her. He stayed seated.
“Sophie?” Her eyes held his briefly, unable to stand his penetrating gaze.
“Look at me.”
His command settled between her thighs and she obeyed.
“Did you miss me, or the things I can do to you?”
Her throat went dry. Sophie mutely followed Zack’s touch as he ran down her arm and over her hip.
A sharp slap to her outer thigh startled her attention.
“I was curious about–” She cleared her throat and straightened her spine, knowing he’d want complete clarity. “I’d like to wear your cuffs.”