‘Very good, Miss Anderton,’ he said, with a disapproving look. ‘I said, shibari. Rope bondage. From Japan. What did you think?’
I didn’t answer straight away. I looked back at the girl, spinning slowly in the air, her naked crotch on view, her bare breasts too small to hang, but bulging from the rope wound so tight around them. What did I think of it?
The pulsing of my clit answered the question for me. The girl was practically naked, after all, her body exposed to anyone who cared to look. She had no recourse to modesty, no way to hide herself if she wanted to. I felt my breasts swell and my nipples tighten as my clit continued to tingle, the leather crotch of the thong growing wet at they did so.
I turned back to him. He was watching me consideringly, and raised an eyebrow as I met his gaze.
‘Well?’
‘Yes,’ I said, my voice betraying me with its breathlessness. ‘I…like it.’
‘Would you like to experience it?’
I nodded.
He smiled, looking satisfied. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘You’d look stunning. Another time, though. Tonight is more an…exercise in acclimatisation.’ He put his hand to the small of my back and steered me towards one of the gothic-style arches, set into the wall in front of us. ‘Here, we have the playrooms.’
His touch sent thrills of longing up my spine. Every part of me was already on fire with anticipation – being in the club, especially in my state of undress, was like sensory overload. I could already hear moans of pain from within the playroom, followed by the crack of some sort of whip and, for the first time since we’d arrived, I felt truly apprehensive.
‘Don’t be shy.’ He steered me forward, until I was looking into an ornate cell-style room, the greystone walls pierced by metal shackles. Her face to the wall, a woman stood, her hands manacled above her. Her head was tipped back, her hair flowing like molasses down over the pink and patchy skin of her back. It looked sore.
‘Stick that ass out.’ It was the man who’d been talking to Nathaniel, when we arrived. ‘And spread those legs.’
The woman did as she was bidden, leaning forward as far as she could and pushing out her even sorer-looking, ruddy buttocks.
The man drew back the instrument in his hand, before swiping it forwards again, bringing it down with a resounding crack across her bottom.
She arched her back still further, letting out a small gasp of pain which was barely discernible over the music coming from the dance floor behind me. Then she moaned – a sound of purest pleasure.
I couldn’t help turning to look at Nathaniel. He was smiling, in an almost fatherly way. He leaned his head into me, not taking his eyes from the spectacle in front of him. ‘Thoughts?’ he said.
I hesitated. ‘I…don’t know. She seems to be enjoying it,’ I added doubtfully.
‘Oh, she is,’ he said, turning to look at me. ‘She’s most likely entered what they call sub-space. It’s like...’ He paused, as if searching for the right words. ‘…being high, in a way. She probably isn’t even aware of us right now.’
I wasn’t sure that was a good thing.
‘Should we be watching, then?’ I said, feeling even more uncomfortable.
‘Of course.’ He gave a laugh. ‘This is a demonstration. A lot of these watching are here to learn techniques. There’s a fine line between pleasure and pain, Angel. Believe it or not, Christo isn’t a pain slut.’
‘A wha…?’ I tailed off. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
‘It’s a general term, not meant to be offensive.’ He moved his hand around to my waist and pulled me in front of him. ‘Some people – men and women – get off on pain. Real pain, I mean. Not like this.’
Not like this? It seemed real enough to me. I could feel him, hard, against me, and I couldn’t help but press backwards against him. My heart was racing. I could hear my own blood, rushing in my ears, but I wasn’t sure if it was due to his proximity, or his blatant disregard for the suffering of the woman in front of me.
‘You’ve a beautiful ass,’ he murmured in my ear. ‘I may have to claim it at some point.’
I think I must have frozen at that, because he laughed softly. ‘Not tonight. Sometime soon, though, with your permission. Nothing you don’t want, Angel, remember? What do you say if I push you too far?’
‘S…stop,’ I managed to stammer.
‘Good girl,’ he said, putting his other hand to my chin and tilting my head up. He kissed my cheekbone, then the hollow of my cheek and finally my jaw – light, fluttering kisses that sent thrills down my neck. I couldn’t help but tip my head back further, eager for more, and he turned me to face him, his lips seeking out mine. He’d obviously shaved while I was asleep because his skin was smooth against mine as he kissed me, softly at first, but then harder as my mouth opened under his.
‘Are you up for some fun, Angel?’ he murmured, in between kisses. ‘Because I think it’s time for your punishment.’
I turned and looked back at the woman. She did seem to be enjoying it, moaning with each crack of the…what was it anyway? It wasn’t a whip, anyway, that much was for sure. It was more of a crop, if anything. Maybe my concern was misplaced, after all. Maybe I just didn’t understand. What harm would it do to try it? I could always say stop…couldn’t I?
‘Yes,’ I said, palpitations fluttering in my chest like his kisses across my face. ‘Go on, then…punish me.’
‘I should do it here, really,’ he murmured, pulling away to stare into my eyes. He had a wicked smile on his face. ‘In front of everyone.’
I thought I was actually going to come at his words and I drew back, alarmed by my body’s betrayal of my desires. He must have thought he’d pushed me too far, because he relented, his smile softening. ‘It’s okay,’ he said, stroking my cheek. ‘I was only teasing. I want you all to myself tonight.’
He put his arm round me and walked me back around the club, towards the exit. As we passed the other archways, I was dimly aware of crowds clustered around each one. I wondered what they were watching, and the very thought made me ache with desire, in spite of myself.
‘I’ll always push you, though, Angel,’ he remarked, as we passed the last one.
Inside it, I could just make out a man, staked out on a diagonal cross. He was practically naked, except for a mask over his face. I wondered who he was, and if he was a public figure. Nathaniel had mentioned over dinner that the clientele of Dominion were mainly the rich and famous. I hadn’t recognised anyone, though, apart from Max. I felt myself flush again at the recollection of it. I had to face him in the morning.
‘One day, that’ll be you in there,’ he said, indicating the man. ‘Or even on the stage. You mark my words.’
I hadn’t even noticed the stage. It was at the far end of the dance floor, furthest from the entrance. It was empty, but for a cross, much like the one the man was shackled to.
‘It’s a St Andrew’s cross,’ said Nathaniel, conversationally, as we walked over to the cloakroom. ‘Great for keeping subs…well…subdued.’ He shot me a wink. ‘And their legs spread, of course.’
I flushed again but, this time, it wasn’t from embarrassment but, rather, the anticipation of what was to come.
Thirty Two
Him
I should have known better than to take her to Dominion. I hadn’t opened up to a woman like this since Aimee and, once I’d started, I didn’t know when to stop. I wanted her to know everything, to see everything about me, but now I wondered if I’d pushed her too far, too soon. Knowing her most secret longings, I suppose I’d expected her to be more understanding of my sexual proclivities. I now realised there was a world of difference between her fantasy of being used as a slut and my growing desire to use her as my sub.
She’d actually pulled away from me, when I’d playfully suggested using her publicly at the club. I hadn’t been expecting quite such a negative reaction and now I wondered whether she’d really enjoyed Dominion at all.
We got into the lift, my coat wrapped tightly around her. She was looking at the floor, her face pinched again, and she was almost hugging herself. I felt bad for putting her into a situation which had so obviously left her feeling awkward and uncomfortable. I hadn’t realised I could be so selfish.