Chapter 6
SIX
Sophie
“Hey, Cass, do you have the papers for the Hamilton account?” Sophie called across the room to her co-worker on a video call. She pulled off her sweater and picked up the file folders on her kitchen workspace.
“No, but it should be the last file from Wednesday.”
“Okay, I’ll pull that up.” Sophie sat back at the desk. “Did you send the updated projections to Mr. Mackay?”
“Yes, I also got your request to BCC Mr. Kincaid as well.”
“Great, thank you. Do we have anything else going on this week?”
Sophie looked around the cluttered apartment. Since losing her last workspace, she’d resorted to taking over the kitchen table. Her phone chimed in her pocket, alerting her to a new message.
Aiden:
I haven't seen you in a few days.
Aiden:
Did we scare you away?
Sophie:
Sorry! I've been so wrapped up in work.
Sophie:
We've been looking for a new office.
Sophie:
Sorry, Daddy.
Aiden:
Have you grown out of your current establishment?
Sophie:
If you're talking about the beauty that is the apartment I share with Claudia, then yes.
Aiden:
I can connect you with my agent.
Sophie:
No, no. The aftercare baskets of goodies are more than enough.
Aiden:
Our girl deserves to get spoiled.
Aiden:
Don't forget I left you my office key since we will be back and forth the next week or so.
Sophie:
I remember.
Aiden:
You aren't imposing, and you'd be utilizing an empty office.
Aiden:
I like the idea of you in our space.
Using their office for a bit would be better than the cramped situation she was looking at, but she couldn’t do that, could she? She typed out her reply.
Sophie:
When would be a good time for me to come get settled?
Aiden:
Tomorrow morning.
Sophie:
Thank you, Aiden. I appreciate this.
Aiden:
Anytime, little star.
Sophie put her phone down, and a wave of heat rushed over her as she remembered the nights with them. The sting of the flogger, the taste of Aiden, the demanding control in Zack’s gaze. She pressed her thighs together, a dull ache starting between them.
*
The next morning, Sophie navigated the sleek lobby of the Club Surrender building, her heels clicking on the polished marble floor.
The elevator ride to the top floor was a silent, weightless ascent.
When the doors slid open, she stepped directly into a spacious reception area, the city sprawling out behind a massive wall of windows.
“There she is,” Aiden murmured, his voice a low rumble. He didn't touch her, but his gaze was a physical thing, a warm weight on her skin. “Ready for the grand tour?”
Sophie smiled. “Will I make it through this one with all my clothes, Mr. Mackay? We have a track record.” She teased, slipping her hand in his. “Lead the way.”
He showed her through the main office, a space of clean lines, dark wood, and powerful technology. He led her to a smaller, private office tucked away at the end of a corridor. “This is all yours for as long as you need,” he said, pushing the door open. “My sanctuary when Zack’s being a tyrant.”
It was perfect. Minimalist, with a large desk and the same stunning city view. It already smelled faintly of Aiden—clean laundry, expensive coffee, and something else that was simply him.
“It’s… amazing, Aiden. Thank you.”
“Anything for you, little star,” he said, his eyes lingering on hers for a moment longer than necessary.
Aiden pulled her in and she wrapped her arms around his waist. The emotional upheaval of the week faded away to the steady beating of his heart against her ear.
She could get used to having a Daddy.
*
Lidia:
SOPH!
Sophie:
You rang?
Lidia:
Hey, so those boxes your brother sent, is the big one still by the door?
Sophie:
You mean the box that we unpacked to put in the closet that you were taking out on your way out…?
Lidia:
Uh yeah. Oops. That one.
Sophie:
Yes, it's still there.
Lidia:
Can you be my favorite person and bring it to the club?
Sophie:
Ugh, yes, I can. I’ll run home and grab it.
Lidia:
Thank you, thank you! We need a box to send Mia's dress to Brides in Need.
Sophie:
Okay, okay, I'm coming, you don't have to sweet-talk me.
Sophie turned to Aiden, a wry smile on her face. “Duty calls. Apparently, I’m a delivery service for a bride’s dress donation.”
“A noble quest,” Aiden chuckled. “Need an escort?”
“No, I can manage a cardboard box,” she said, already backing out of the office. “I’ll see you later?”
“I’ll be counting the minutes.”
The door to Club Surrender was like a vacuum seal, the thumping bass of the main floor hitting her the moment she stepped inside.
The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume, sweat, and something metallic.
Lights pulsed in a hypnotic rhythm, turning the moving crowd into a sea of anonymous, writhing bodies.
She found Claudia near the bar, holding court with a small group. She was laughing, her head thrown back, a glass of something amber in her hand. She spotted Sophie and lit up, excusing herself from her friends.
“You survived!” Claudia shouted over the music, pulling Sophie into a tight hug that smelled of gin and hairspray. “I was starting to think they’d locked you in a sex dungeon.”
“Close,” Sophie yelled back, a grin spreading across her face. “They gave me an office instead.”
Claudia’s jaw dropped. “An office? Like, with a desk and a 401k?”
“A desk, definitely. The 401K is still pending.” Sophie laughed as she set the heavy cardboard box on a small, empty table. “Delivery for ‘Brides in Need’.”
“You’re a hero,” Claudia declared, taking a sip of her drink. “Come on, let’s get you something that’ll burn the taste of responsibility out of your mouth.”
They navigated through the throng toward the bar, but stopped short.
On a slightly raised platform, cordoned off with a velvet rope, a scene was in progress.
A man dressed in a sharp, impeccably tailored suit stood with his hands behind his back, watching as a woman in a stunningly intricate corset performed a slow, deliberate striptease.
She wasn’t dancing for him so much as for herself, her movements fluid and confident.
She unhooked her stockings with practiced ease, her gaze never leaving the man’s, a silent, intense conversation passing between them.
“See?” Claudia said, nodding toward the platform. “It’s not always about the floggers and chains. Sometimes it’s just… that. The look.” She gestured with her glass. “That’s power. She’s got all of it, and he’s just… getting to watch.”
Sophie watched, mesmerized. It was a different kind of energy than what she’d experienced.
The intimacy was subtler, a slow burn instead of a wildfire.
She could see the woman’s chest rise and fall with a controlled, deliberate rhythm, the slight tremble in the man’s hands as he fought the urge to reach for her.
“Different kind of storm,” Sophie murmured, mostly to herself.
“Yeah,” Claudia agreed, linking her arm through Sophie’s and steering her the last few feet to the bar. “But the aftermath is probably just as pretty.”
The bartender slid them two glasses of something bright pink and fizzy. “On the house for our local hero,” he said, nodding at the box.
“See?” Claudia grinned, clinking her glass against Sophie’s. “The universe rewards good deeds. Now, for real, spill. Every last detail. Don’t you dare hold out on me this time.”