Page 9 of Tormented Dreams

The equipment was second to none. She could see at a glance the quality and cleanliness. This alone might be enough to have her completing those membership forms, despite the exorbitant fees. Not to mention the comforting number of very obvious dungeon monitors she could see, carefully scrutinising the area. And finding out Xavier was a sadist really was the icing on an already decadent cake.

She could feel the heat of his body searing her bare back as he stood behind her, and had to close her eyes for a moment just to compose herself. A composure that was hard won whenhe clamped a bold hand on her shoulder and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Like what you see?"

Grace canted her head so that she could look at his striking face. "Oh, yes!" she murmured huskily, although she wasn't entirely sure if she was referring to the club or him. Maybe a little of both.

Her eyes, heavy-lidded, caught and held with his and she could feel the electricity thrumming between them like a living entity. No way that could be one sided.

Xavier bent his head, and for a moment, she thought he might kiss her, but to her profound disappointment, he instead feathered his hot breath across her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Me too!"

Just the sound of his voice had her panties dampening. Oh, damn! Did he mean her?

She sure as hell hoped so because she couldn't remember the last time she'd been this attracted to somebody.

The sad truth was that you came to a certain time in your life—and Grace knew this, first hand, because it was where she was, herself, right now—where the term 'left on the shelf' seemed to be regrettably accurate. It was nothing to do with looks or appeal or even age—well, maybe age, in an indirect sort of way. It was all in the irrefutable fact that by the time you reached forty, and let's face it, she was as good as there - just a few more months to go - all of the eligible bachelors had been snapped up.

Looking around the club was testament to her belief. There were the baby Doms, all fresh faced and starting out. Then there were the late twenty and early thirty-somethings who had already started to pair off to some degree. Finally there were the elders,experienced in the lifestyle and invariably all in committed relationships.

And then there was her… Single, a whisper away from hitting forty, and with a body clock ticking loudly enough to scare most men away.

She was doing well for her age and wasn't upset with how she looked. Another thing she'd developed with age was confidence. Grace knew she looked damned good. But she didn't kid herself either. She was no longer as pert, perky and toned as she had been twenty years ago…or even ten. She loved her life, her pleasures, and her career, but the honest truth was that time was running away from her, and so was the opportunity to have the children she yearned for.

She managed to put those thoughts aside, for the most part, and simply enjoyed what she had, because she knew she was blessed in so many other ways. But that damned clock was always ticking in the background and it seemed the more time passed, the more aware she was of the hourglass through which the sands of time were slipping away.

And suddenly, here was Xavier. A sexy, handsome,singleman who matched her kink interests and was a similar age. Was it any wonder she was already contemplating his suitability, not just as a sadist, but also as a baby daddy?

Good grief! She seriously needed to pull herself together. She'd only just met the man and already, she was planning their future. Now there was a sure-fire way to have him running for the hills. She needed to chill and get her head back into the present before he decided she was some kind of nut job.

"Your club is very impressive," she told Xavier, taking a step inside the cavernous space so she could look around a little more.

"It impressed me enough to convince me to become a member," he told her as they continued to look around. "I didn't used to be, before the new owners took over. I made a one-hundred-mile round trip to another club, much like you're doing. I have to say, it's great having somewhere local to visit, and the security makes me feel confident I don't have to worry about being outed."

Grace nodded, his words resonating with her, being so close to how she also felt about her friends and colleagues finding out about her own very personal fetishes. She imagined, as a doctor, Xavier must have equally valid fears. It was good to know he had such confidence in this place.

"I'll show you everything and then introduce you to a few people. We really are like one big family. The membership is so privileged you inevitably get to know almost everyone. There are still the occasional guests, of course, but in general, we’re a very exclusive bunch."

A shudder of anticipation travelled through Grace. It was a bit like getting on a roller coaster, the highs, the lows, the exhilaration and that feeling of your stomach bottoming out. There were a whole host of new experiences to be had here, along with an exciting new playground full of toys and playmates, and she couldn't wait to try them all out. It was downright delicious!

Xavier introduced her to several of his friends. The whip-wielding Master Jake and his wife, Cha-cha. Master Night, partner of Trinity, the club's assistant manager, whom she’d met earlier. Mistress Erin, with her girlfriend and slave, Lucy, andfinally, Master Micah, the club's manager and psychologist, and his submissive, Melody.

As she expected, they were all early thirty-somethings who had recently started to settle down.

There were a few singletons, Master Storer, a larger-than-life dwarf with an exceptionally acrobatic tongue and a rather lewd sense of humour. And also Masters Flynn and Cameron, who were actively looking for a permanent submissive open to a polyamorous relationship, although Grace couldn't quite get a handle on whether they were gay and looking for a third or bi and looking for a female sub. If nothing else, then at least Grace felt like there were others whose search was likely as difficult as her own, if not for the same reasons.

And amongst them all was Master X, as Xavier was addressed by his peers.

Grace couldn't help but find her attention and speculation drifting toward him whenever she wasn't otherwise diverted. Was he interested in a relationship, or did he just enjoy the freedom and diversity of the singles lifestyle? Had he recently split from a wife or submissive, so he was now back on the market, or had a similar set of circumstances made him commitment shy? Was he, like her, still on the search for somebody to share his kink, or did he simply enjoy playing the field?

So many questions. She just hoped she had the opportunity to get to know him well enough to find out the answers.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Xavier was completely smitten. He knew it without a doubt. He hadn't realised just how much he'd still been anticipating her arrival. He'd been trying to play it cool, but now Grace was finally here, he felt a lightness and a liberation from a gravity he hadn't even realised was weighing him down. Now he just had to judge things sufficiently that he didn't scare her off, because in Grace he could imagine the possibility of all the fantasies he harboured for his own personal vision of a 24/7 slave coming to fruition, and he was itching to find out whether they were compatible. The only thing holding him back from his usual forthright manner, was her seeming reluctance to become a member of a club so close to home. Well, that and the fact she still wasn't completely healed from her previous scene. Even as a sadist, he had his own set of ethics and they didn't include flaying open old wounds.

If her only concern was discretion, then he could have told her she had nothing to worry about. Nobody here would out her because they all valued their privacy in exactly the same way. Still, he was wise enough to understand she'd need to come to that conclusion herself. But he could help her out a little byhaving her continue to attend as his guest. That would give her one more layer of anonymity until she felt comfortable enough to take things further.

In the meantime, there was no harm in inviting Grace to explore some of the subtler alternatives to a harsh thrashing. Something a good sadist should be able to provide to those with even the most profound of masochistic tendencies. After all, there was definitely more than one way to skin a cat.

And there was no time like the present to get started. In fact, he considered, it would be more unnatural, and make things far more awkward, if it was left to another time.

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