Page 12 of Exquisite Temptation

Katie and I trail inside and shove our handbags in the lockers before popping to the ladies’ room. Running my fingers through my long tresses, I wondering if Christopher will recognize me with my newly restored natural chocolate brown hair. I throw one last glance at the black rubber eyelet lace dress barely covering my ass. I look sexy as fuck, if I say so myself. Pushing the door open, we step inside the fantasy world, leaving the reality of the daily grind behind us. The dark atmospheric sound of Velvet Acid Christ’sSlutpulses through the giant speakers, making the small hairs on my skin prickle with excitement. I inhale the familiar scent of leather, perfume, and perspiration as we slip among the crowd and stop at the bar to get drinks. When we get to the alcove, I scan the room, searching for Christopher. My eyes lock with Emma, who again eyeballs me with open dislike. Ignoring her, I exchange brief greetings with Master Dan, Mistress Sam and her submissive Ben, Master Julian, and Zoe.

Just as I collapse on the bench next to Master Dan, Christopher walks in with a large bottle of water in his hands. He does a double take when his gaze lands on me. I don't miss his obvious examination and approval, which makes my pulse skip a beat. He stalks in my direction and settles on the chair next to me. Emma throws a hateful glare at me. What is her problem? It’s not my fault Christopher isn’t interested in her. I give her a death stare, forcing her to avert her gaze. Bitch! Tilting his head towards me, he leans over and gives me a heart-stopping smile. An intense physical awareness of each other chokes the air from the alcove, leaving me breathless. I stare at him, fighting to calm the storm brewing inside me as his warm, spicy scent wraps around me.

"You look stunning, pet." His deep, melodic voice melts my insides. A blush of embarrassment burns on my face. Thank you, baby Jesus, for the low lights, otherwise everyone would notice me flashing like a red traffic light.

"Thank you, Sir. It’s probably just the hair," I mumble. His dark eyes roam over my body, making my flesh tingle.

The lyrics of ‘Hot in Herre’, bounces around my head, and if he continues staring at me as if he wants to lick and bite every part of my body, I’d be definitely taking my clothes off.

As if he can read my mind, he curves his mouth into a smirk. "The dark color suits you and brings out your blue eyes, but this dress—"

Before he can continue talking, I interrupt him. "You must be right, because one kid at school told me my frizzy blonde hair reminded him of a scarecrow."

Maintaining eye contact, he nods and chuckles. "Kids say the funniest things. What grade do you teach?"

"Third to fifth grade. I'm a special needs teacher, specializing in autism and learning disabilities." A genuine interest radiates from the depths of his expressive eyes, sending warmth through my chest. "What do you do, Sir?"

"You are full of surprises, pet. It’s an admirable job. I co-own the club with Sebastian and Dan and have a private property development business on the side." He unscrews the bottle cap and takes a large gulp of water, prompting me to have a sip of my mocktail.

Placing the glass on my knee, I answer, "Thank you, Sir. It’s the reason I can never give up my job and work full time as a boudoir photographer." For the second time, his eyes flash with a mixture of surprise and amazement.

"Ah, I have a vintage camera collection at home that’s been in the family for generations. My grandpa taught me the technical side of photography and encouraged me to become a professional photographer, but life took in me a different direction. I call myself an amateur landscape photographer because I don't show my photos to anyone."

As the conversation progresses, the world falls away, and we get wrapped in our own bubble. This is how our first meeting should have been, not me acting like a complete idiot.Given a chance, you would not change your birthday spanking,my bratty self reminds me.

"That’s amazing, Sir. I'm so jealous of your collection and your grandpa. I'm the black sheep of my family and stand out like a sore thumb. To my knowledge, no one has ever been interested in any form of art or creative pursuits."

"Trust me, to this day, I'm the black sheep in my family. Going through my rebellious goth phase with straight-laced parents was a total shit show. My father called me a Satan worshiper—among many other things—and threatened to disown me." He tips his head, laughing out loud.

"Oh, my God, Sir. You're kidding, right?" I point my finger at myself, giggling like a schoolgirl. "You can take the girl out of the goth scene, but you can’t take the goth out of the girl. What were your favorite bands?"

"Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, Velvet Acid Christ to name a few. I leaned towards the darker industrial music and still do." I squeal inside when he names my favorite bands.

Now, I want to know his star sign.Go on, ask him. You know you want to know.Oh, what if he thinks I'm a crazy astrology chick, and he runs away? I'm one hundred percent sure he is a Scorpio, with some Gemini thrown into the mix somewhere. Out of the corner of my eyes, I watch Emma approaching us.

"Master Christopher, sorry to interrupt your conversation, but our needle play demonstration starts in ten minutes." She clasps her hands in front of her, keeping her gaze lowered as an almost imperceptible smirk dances at the edges of her lips.

Bitch, you can’t fool me. I can see through you and the games you play. And if you think being the club’s pain slut would scare me off Christopher, you have no idea who you are dealing with.

"Thank you, pet. I’ll be there in a minute." Nodding, she fucks off. He trains his attention back to me.

"I know needle play is one of your hard limits, but you are welcome to watch the demonstration, little girl." Cold shivers run up and down my spine at the thought of needles being stuck on my body. I don't mind watching, but, hell, no one is coming near me with one.

"Thank you, Sir." He curves his lips into a grin, before rising to his feet and strolling off.

I crane my neck in Katie’s direction, who sits on Dan’s lap and moans as he nibbles her earlobe. They look so cute together. Draining my mocktail, I stand up and wander around the club, watching rope and puppy play scenes. Various Doms and Dommes eye me up with their greedy, lustful eyes, but it means nothing to me. I'm here for Christopher. All I can think about is his hands caressing me, stripping off my clothes, and fucking me until my throat is raw from screaming. As I'm about to walk away, an older distinguished-looking Dom, dressed in black jeans and a tight T-shirt accentuating his broad shoulders, approaches me.

"Good evening, beautiful. Do you want to scene with me?" His hungry eyes travel up and down my body, making me cringe inside.

"No, thank you. I was on my way to watch the needle play demo." I smile at him before scurrying towards the play area Christopher uses for his demos.

When I arrive, Emma stands with her ankles and arms restrained, hands above her head. Christopher puts on surgical gloves and cleans her back with an alcohol spray. I screw up my eyes as he pinches her skin and slides the first needle through. He continues to insert them one by one on both sides of her back, from shoulder blades to her hips. She keeps her body impossibly still, but I can't see her face to see if she enjoys it or not. Allie told me she is into extreme pain, so it makes sense she volunteers with the club's demonstrations. So far, I have not seen a single drop of blood, making me wonder if I could overcome my fears and try it in the future.

Taking the red ribbon from the table, Christopher threads it around the needles, lacing the strip into a corset pattern. When he finishes, he moves away and gazes at her back. It’s gorgeous, almost stealing my breath away. The crimson color stresses her pale skin beautifully. He picks up the purple and black suede flogger, striking her buttocks and thighs gently to warm her up. Emma sways her body, moaning loudly as he alternates between tapping the ends of the needles lightly with the leather tongues and smacking her ass cheeks fast and hard. Coming to a stop, he caresses her buttocks and whispers something in her ear. Lowering his hand, he dips his fingers inside her pussy while twisting the needles.

I stare at her, writhing her hips and pressing against his fingers as he pumps them in and out, unable to tear my gaze away. Bile rises to my throat, threatening to choke me as the green-eyed monster socks me in the stomach.Walk away, my mind screams. I pivot on my heel and thunder through the club, straight to reception. Grabbing my belongings from the locker, I shoot a quick message to Katie to let her know that I've left. I race across the parking lot towards my car and take off without a second thought. Gripping the steering wheel, I clench my teeth and brace myself against the harrowing headache pounding in my forehead. He is mine. I can’t bear the thought of him touching or fucking someone else.It’s only a scene, Heidi. It means nothing.

I park my car in the drive and let myself in, mindful not to wake Allie. Closing the door of my bedroom, I go through the motions of getting ready for bed. My bedroom is my sanctuary, my safe space, where I can finally let go of my control. I jump into bed, switch the light off, and pull the duvet over my head, curling into a ball. I blow out a harsh breath, letting the tears slip down my cheeks.

---