Page 9 of Exquisite Temptation

I bob my head in agreement. "You are both right. It’s very easy for a submissive who enjoys intense flogging or whipping to lose themselves in the pain, and for you to lose yourself in the power you hold over them. If you aren’t self-aware, and if you don't keep your eyes and ears open, you can cause them a permanent injury or death."

Grabbing my water bottle from the table, I take a large gulp. All the talking has made my throat as dry as the Sahara desert. I wrap up the first part of the workshop by explaining the importance of warming sessions, aftercare, and self-care. I also remind them that every submissive is unique, and he or she comes into the relationship with different motivations, fears, traumas, and expectations. Before we start the practical session, I walk them through the different types of floggers and techniques, trying to keep it simple as most of them are beginners.

Chapter 6

Heidi

Iflipthepenthrough my fingers in dizzying spins to calm myself down as excitement spikes through my body with adrenaline. The memories of the last time I went to a fetish club come back with vengeance, but I push them away. Nope! He is dead to me! I’ll never ever let him rent a space in my mind. If you think karma is a bitch, wait until you betray a Capricorn. While I'm a great believer in forgiving others to set ourselves free from a self-imposed prison of suffering and pain, it doesn’t mean that I’ll forget what the cheating asshole did.

Pulling in air sharply, I do a visual sweep of Dominion’s elegant reception, decorated with large black leather sectionals, dark oak floors, and scattered erotic black and white photographs on the crimson walls. Tonight, I have every intention of celebrating my twenty-fifth year of living on this earth with my two amigas—dancing and getting a birthday spanking, preferably from Sebastian's hot Dom friend.

The club is exclusive, members only, which means all members go through background and medical checks before they approve their membership. Most dungeons don't have the time or resources to screen their members, so you need to be careful who you play with. Getting my head back in the game, I whizz through the welcome pack as I have already done this before when I joined Decadence.

"Girls, are you done yet?" Katie tilts her head to the side, arching her right brow inquiringly and gazing at Allie and I.

"Damn, I didn’t have to sign this many forms when I applied for my mortgage." I chuckle, handing her the stack of papers. "Allie, are you okay? You look like you need some help."

Shaking her head, she answers, "All done, but for the record, it made me uncomfortable disclosing personal information."

"I understand, but thankfully, you won’t need to do it again." Katie gives her a reassuring smile.

After returning the paperwork and getting our guest wristbands, we follow Katie to a spacious, dimly lit room that, on a first glance, resembles an ordinary nightclub but with one big difference. Club Dominion smells like hot, dirty sex. Closing my eyes for a moment, I inhale the intoxicating scent of arousal, sweat, and lust lingering in the air. The slow, seductive rhythm of "This City Never Sleeps"by Eurythmics ignites sparks of desire inside me, making my blood rush to my throbbing clit.

Allie stays behind while Katie, and I make our way to the busy bar to get mocktails. Pity they don't serve alcohol. I’d give anything for a Cosmopolitan. Katie walks behind the bar and whips up our drinks like a pro. A busty brunette dressed in a French maid uniform stops Katie, and they hug each other with grins on their faces. I gather they will want to catch up, so I mouth "see you later"and saunter back to where we left Allie.

I hand her the frozen strawberry daiquiri. "Katie stayed to chat with a friend. She'll join us on the dance floor." She nods, taking a large sip of her drink.

"Any sign of Sebastian?" I have told no one about the ‘imprinting moment’ I had at the bar with Sebastian’s friend.Nothing to tell. It was the cocktails making you imagine things. Sure, blame it on the alcohol if that makes you feel better.

"Nope. This place is massive. Katie said there are two open play areas, theme play, and private rooms, a large socializing section, and a private chill out space. Anyway, let's dance before someone throws me out for gawking." She bursts into laughter. Damn, this is a massive club. You can easily lose yourself here, unlike in Decadence, which is half the size.

"Ask Katie. I'm sure she'll know where he's hiding, Allie," I offer, my gaze darting from her to the bar.

Shaking her head, she replies, "Not now, Heids. Dancing first."Spoilsport!I'm dying to know if my blond Viking is here.

You also need to come clean again. Hiding stuff from your friends has become a habit,my unhelpful conscience buts in.I'll tell them,stop nagging me like a scorned wife, I argue with myself.

"Okay, but later I want to mingle and see if I can find a hot Dom to play with me." I bite my lower lip suggestively.

"Why not? A birthday spanking sounds like as good a present as any." She lets out a naughty giggle and tugs me towards the dance floor.

We melt into the small crowd, dancing and laughing, completely losing track of time, just like back at college when life was simpler and carefree. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Katie dashing in our direction with bottles of water in her hands.

"Hey, girls. Sorry, I haven't abandoned you. I had to help at the bar while one of the girls went on her break. Here, it's time for water and rest."

"Thank you, babe. No need to apologize." Unscrewing the cap, I take a big swig of the water.

She motions us to follow her. After passing a large socializing area, she leads us into a wide alcove with ambient lighting, comfortable L-shaped couches, and small coffee tables. The chatter dies, and all eyes turn to us. I spin my head inhisdirection at breakneck speed. My heart beats like a drum, ready to vacate my chest as our eyes meet in an impenetrable lock. His hungry gaze slowly moves up and down my body, caressing me with invisible fingers. Heat uncurls in my abdomen, dampening my panties. I force myself to look away. Utterly distracted, my eyes bounce around the room as Katie introduces us to the Doms and their subs, whose names I forget as soon as they tumble out of her mouth, but my attention perks up when she mentions his name.

Master Christopher. His name swirls in my mind like a mantra.Congratulations, girl, you found your Kryptonite. You are in deep trouble now,my inner submissive whispers.Shut up,I snap back.Holding me captive with his stare, he points to the empty spot, giving me a silent command to sit next to him. The thought of parking myself beside him makes my pulse skyrocket. I stand rooted to my spot, unable to move a muscle. The bleach blonde submissive sitting next to Sebastian, with a square chin and wide mouth, stares at us, her unblinking, prying gaze darting from me to Christopher. A cold knot coils in my stomach. She gives me the heebie-jeebies. I shift my attention to the sexy specimen still waiting for me to comply with his order. I drag my feet and plonk my ass on the couch.

"When I command you to sit down, you obey without hesitation. Is that understood?" His deep baritone voice sends electric shivers up and down my spine.

"Why should I? Last time I checked, you were not my Dom, and I'm only a guest at this fine establishment."Don’t be a dick, Heidi. You agreed to follow the club’s strict rules.But this is so much fun, my inner brat argues.

"I’ll give you a minute to rephrase that and try again," He pins me with an unblinking glare that promises retribution if I continue goading him. I roll my eyes purposefully as my inner brat gets ready to play.

"What’s the problem? You seem a bit mad,Sir!" I emphasize the last word for obvious dramatic effect. His left brow rises a fraction as he continues glaring at me with a mixture of utter disbelief and amusement, telling me he must enjoy our verbal sparring at least a little bit.

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