Chapter 8
EIGHT
Aiden
“You slipped in early this morning.” Aiden watched Zack through the bathroom mirror. He snickered and continued shaving. “Couldn’t stay away, I see. I know we're irresistible.”
“A man can come home and crawl into his bed after spending too many hours in a metal box filled with co-workers.”
He watched him quietly, noticing the way Zack looked less guarded in the dim morning light. There was a weariness that had nothing to do with travel. “We missed you.”
Zack grunted, turning around to stare out of the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city stirring below. “Business was profitable. That’s all that matters.”
“Is that all that matters?”
The question hung in the air, sharp and clean as the scent of Zack’s aftershave. Aiden rinsed his razor, set it aside, and turned to face him fully, leaning back against the marble counter. He wasn’t going to let him retreat into that fortress of silence.
“When are you going to think of me as an equal?” His words held no malice.
“I do.”
“In business, but not your bed.”
Zack paused at Aiden’s words. The realization was clear and he hadn’t seen it in that way.
“I didn’t know.” He stepped closer until Aiden pressed against the wall. Zack’s eyes blazed.
“Watching you dominate our little one is as hot as watching you kneel.” He touched Aiden’s jaw, his thumb digging into the underside of his chin, smudging the shaving cream.
“I only kneel for you,” Aiden vowed, pulling Zack’s tie and crushing his lips against him, hungrily.
Between them, two sets of hands scrambled for flesh. Aiden dug his fingers into Zack’s shirt and pulled roughly, scattering buttons. Zack’s movements stretched the neck of Aiden’s shirt.
“Fuck.” With a growl, he pulled it over Aiden’s head, then shed his own ruined shirt and jacket.
Zack forcefully grabbed Aiden’s wrists, pinning them above their heads. “That’s right, as much as she is ours, you’re mine. You always have been.” Zack kissed him hard, Aiden’s fingers tangling in Zack’s that held him tight.
“I don’t kneel for anyone, Aiden, no matter how much I love you.”
“I nev–” He shot Zack a lopsided grin. “You love me?”
“I do. I’m an asshole, it’s something you should have known.”
Aiden’s eyes darkened, emboldened to be honest. “I love her, Zack. I have tried not to, because it was all supposed to be no strings attached. But here we are, three tangled hearts.”
“Three?”
“Loving her has been the second easiest thing I've ever committed to.”
“What was the first?”
“Falling in love with my best friend.”
Sophie
“I can’t wait to see this outfit on you!” Claudia ushered Sophie and Violet into the glass elevator at the club, heading toward the Submissives’ Suite to get ready for the evening.
“I don’t know why we couldn’t get ready at the house. With our own towels to disassociate in.”
“Because between your work, my clutter, and your brother’s growing mountain, there’s no room!” Claudia’s tone was playful even though they were true.
“We made a promise to get together with some of the other girls at the club. Well, wish granted.”
“Don’t make me any more nervous than I already am, okay, Lidia?”
“She remembers we could see her titties across the pit, right?” Violet turned to Claudia and jerked her thumb over her shoulder at Sophie.
“Yes she does.” The elevator doors opened. “Oh, look, we’re here!” Sophie ushered Claudia past them.
Violet led the way down toward their destination, pushing the door open, breaking the hall's silence.
“Hey! There you are!” Mia called out, sitting at one of the side vanities next to Melody, Wes’ submissive.
Sophie pushed down her nerves and smiled at her growing friend circle.
The suite was a sanctuary, a soft, feminine counterpart to the club’s raw energy.
Plush velvet couches in deep jewel tones were arranged around low tables laden with cosmetics, hair tools, and a truly impressive stock of snacks.
The lighting was warm and flattering, and the air smelled of hairspray, expensive lotion and champagne.
“So,” Mia began, expertly applying a winged eyeliner in the mirror. “Spill. We heard the Sadist King and the Gentleman Giant officially claimed you. The gossips are working overtime.”
Melody looked up from polishing her nails, a knowing smile on her face. “‘Claimed’ is such a strong word. More like they finally realized what they were missing.”
Sophie felt a blush creeping up her neck. “It’s… new. All of it.”
“New and intense, from the look in Aiden’s eyes when he watches you,” Claudia added, unzipping a garment bag to reveal a slinky, silver dress. “And the look in Zack’s when he’s trying not to watch you.”
“That’s Zack’s ‘I’m contemplating the structural integrity of this building’ face,” Violet supplied, pulling a bottle of rosé from an ice bucket. “It means he’s either about to make a million dollars or fuck somebody against a wall. Sometimes both.”
They all laughed, the sound easy and genuine, and some of the tension in Sophie’s shoulders eased.
This was what she needed. The camaraderie, the unspoken understanding that came from shared experience.
They were all navigating the same complex, beautiful, terrifying world, just with different guides.
“Oh, this was left for you.”
Sophie turned to see Melody holding out a stiff, cream-colored envelope. It was expensive, heavy paper, with her name written on the front in a sharp, confident slant that she recognized instantly. Zack. Her heart gave a little lurch.
Her fingers felt clumsy as she took it. The other women’s eyes were on her, a collective, held breath. She slid a nail under the seal and pulled out a heavy card stock. The message was brief, typed, and utterly devoid of warmth.
Second floor. 8 sharp.
There was no signature. There didn’t need to be. The command was a signature in itself.
“The second floor is the private lounge,” Mia said quietly, her tone shifting from playful to serious.
“I’m not one for gossip,” Melody spoke up, her red ponytail swinging as she leaned in closer to Sophie and Mia. “I hear there’s a new Daddy in town.”
Sophie looked away, unable to hide her blush.
“Yes, this girl managed to bag a Daddy and a Sadist.” Claudia teased loudly.
“Don’t worry, Claudia, we’ll find you your Prince of Pain.”
“Okay, okay, but I need to know more.”
“Melody! What would your Daddy think?!”
The redhead stuck her tongue at Mia and pointed her finger.
“What our Daddies don’t know won’t hurt our butts!
And we’re being friendly. We don’t do spiteful things in this friend group.
” Melody’s reasoning was enough to erupt in more laughter while the girls changed into their club gear to meet their partners at the pit.
“Bound between them is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. The noise is gone.”
“Nolan once said that pushing my limits keeps his boundaries in check. The rope work he does takes time.”
“Relax,” Violet said, though her own smile had tightened. “It’s just an invitation. A terrifyingly hot, non-negotiable invitation.”
Sophie took a deep, steadying breath. She could feel the flutter of nerves in her stomach, the familiar, thrilling precursor to the storm. Zack. This was Zack’s arena. Precise. Controlled. Unforgiving. And Aiden… Aiden was the calm eye in that hurricane. She needed to be ready for both.
Kneeling for him might have been the loudest thing she’d done to her body. But it was the quietest for her soul.
She found tranquility at his feet.
And safety in his arms.
*
True to their word, Zack and Aiden were waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs on the second floor. The bass from the club’s main floor was a distant, heartbeat thrumming through the walls as Sophie approached Zack and Aiden, her own heart beating a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
Sophie wrung her hands as she closed the gap.
Excitement buzzed just beneath her skin, mixed with a familiar nervousness that made her fingers tremble.
She raised her hands, feeling the confident strength of their dominance on their chests.
She stretched up, first giving a soft, lingering kiss to Aiden’s lips, tasting his calm reassurance.
Zack’s kiss was fueled with urgency and raw need, which he quickly took over, his tongue claiming hers with a possessive growl.
“You are beautiful.” The reverence in his tone reminded her of their quiet moment this morning.
“Thank you, Sir.”
Zack wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed his lips against her temple. “I can’t wait to watch you come undone.”
Aiden led her to the play area surrounding the pillory, his hand a steady guide on the small of her back. Zack went to a table laden with toys, his fingers trailing over the implements with appreciation.
“Wes outdid himself,” Zack said, testing the smooth glide of the pulley. “This’ll hold you up nice and pretty, Sophie. Let everyone see what we do to our good little toys.”
Aiden touched the crafted wood and allowed Sophie to inspect it closer. There were six holes in three pairs of varying sizes for wrists, ankles, and what she was nervous to think was appropriate for a submissive's neck.
“If you notice how the curve of the wood aids in supporting a leather or fur-lined cuff. There's no amount of detail that man doesn't cover.”
Sophie offered her wrists, and Aiden guided them to open mid-size circles for capture. He carefully closed the hinge and ran his finger along the edge, ensuring they weren't too tight against the leather cuffs.
“How does it feel?”
“Good, the wood is heavy.” Sophie couldn't imagine having a submissive locked with both wrists, holding the full weight without the chain.
He leaned close, his breath warm against her ear. “You’re going to be so perfect for us. Just focus on us. Nothing else exists.” His words were calm, even though they knew the intention was to keep her in a state of sensory overload.