by Stone, Anna
When Ruby finished signing the paperwork, Yvonne ushered her into the club. Ruby looked around in awe. She’d been to high-class clubs before, but this was something else. For starters, it was far more elegant than the clubs in Vegas.
Plus, there were the more unusual elements. The weird bondage furniture scattered around the room. The fact that while half the crowd was dressed in semi-formal attire, the other half was dressed in leather and corsets. And over in the corner, a woman wearing nothing but a thong was strapped to a cross and being whipped by another woman, while others stood by casually, drinking champagne as they looked on. It confirmed what Ruby had suspected from the moment Yvonne had told her where they were going tonight.
Lilith’s Den was a BDSM club.
“This place is something else,” Ruby said.
“There’s nowhere quite like Lilith’s Den,” Yvonne said. “It’s owned by a friend of mine. If we run into her tonight, I’ll introduce you. For now, let’s go find the others. They should be at our usual spot.”
Ruby followed Yvonne through the crowd, trying not to stare at everything around her. They reached a table near the back of the room. There was only one person there, a wavy-haired brunette with model good looks. She gave Yvonne and Ruby a small wave as they approached.
“Gabrielle,” Yvonne said. “This is Ruby. Ruby, this is Gabrielle.”
“Hi,” Ruby said. Yvonne had filled Ruby in on her friends on the car ride to the club. Gabrielle Hall was one of the women Yvonne owned and ran Mistress Media with. There were five in total.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Gabrielle looked pointedly at Yvonne. “I was beginning to wonder whether you actually existed.”
Yvonne ignored the woman’s comment and sat down with Ruby. “Are the others here yet?”
“Lydia said she was busy, as usual. Madison and Blair are on their way. Amber is around somewhere.” Gabrielle looked over their heads. “Ah, here she is.”
Ruby turned to see another woman striding toward them, a tall blonde with an unmistakable air of superiority.
“Yvonne, you’re here. And you brought your wife.” Amber slid into the seat across from them and crossed her arms. “Well? Are you going to introduce us?”
“Amber, this is Ruby,” Yvonne said. “Ruby, Amber.”
The woman fit the description Yvonne had given Ruby of Amber to a tee. Amber Pryce was the heiress to the Pryce family. She was the closest thing the country had to royalty. It showed in the way she held herself.
“Nice to meet you,” Ruby said.
Amber skimmed her eyes over Ruby, appraising her like she was a piece of antique furniture. “So you’re Ruby. I’d tell you ‘I’ve heard so much about you,’ but Yvonne hasn’t told us a thing. She’s been keeping you secret all this time. ”
“What can I say?” Yvonne took Ruby’s hand and drew it into her lap. “I wanted Ruby all to myself.”
Ruby’s skin tingled at Yvonne’s touch. Why was she so jumpy? This was just another pretend girlfriend gig.
A waitress, dressed in a corset and stiletto heels, came over to take their drink orders. As soon as she was gone, Amber sat forward, examining Yvonne and Ruby.
“So,” she said. “How did the two of you meet? Yvonne said it was on one of her trips to Vegas.”
“I already told you the story,” Yvonne said.
“I want to hear it from Ruby. When you talk about the two of you, it’s like pulling teeth.”
Ruby wasn’t surprised that Yvonne had been unconvincing when telling her friends about her ‘relationship’ with Ruby. Fortunately, Yvonne’s friends seemed to think her reluctance when it came to discussing the topic was a personality quirk.
Ruby was a much better actress than Yvonne. And right now, all eyes were on her.
It was time for her to earn her million dollars.
“We met at a bar in Vegas,” Ruby began. “I’d just finished work for the night and was having a drink. Yvonne was sitting at the bar by herself, so I went up and talked to her.”
“Oh?” Amber’s voice was tinged with amusement. “You were the one who made the first move?”
Ruby glanced at ‘her wife,’ who was struggling to hide her discomfort. “I tried to, but Yvonne made it clear she wasn’t having any of it. I had to work hard to win her over.” That much was true. It garnered a smirk from Gabrielle. “Then we got talking, had a few drinks, and one thing led to another. Yvonne flew back here the next day, but we kept in touch, and we started seeing each other casually whenever we got the chance.”
“And how exactly did you end up married?” Amber asked.
“Well, over time, things between us became less casual. Over time, we realized we had serious feelings for each other.” Ruby gazed lovingly at Yvonne for effect. “That was when we decided to tie the knot. It just felt right at the time.”
Ruby glanced at Amber and Gabrielle. It was clear they weren’t convinced.
“Okay, honestly?” Ruby said. “We were both completely drunk when we decided to get married. But once we woke up the next morning, we talked about our feelings and decided we wanted to stay married. We both wanted to be together, but we hadn’t had the courage to do anything about it until that night. The feelings had always been there.”
This time, when Ruby looked at the other women, they were studying Yvonne, who had managed to maintain her usual inscrutable expression throughout Ruby’s story. Nerves flitted in Ruby’s stomach. Could everyone see through the ruse?
After what felt like forever, Amber finally spoke. “I’m happy for the two of you.” She leaned back and crossed her legs. “And I’m glad you’ve found love, Yvonne.”
“I’m happy for you too,” Gabrielle said.
“Thank you,” Yvonne said.
As the waitress returned with their drinks, Yvonne pulled her phone out of her purse, frowning.
“Madison’s calling me. I should take this somewhere quieter.” She looked at Ruby, wariness flickering behind her eyes. “Do you mind?”
“Go ahead.” Ruby didn’t exactly want to be left alone with Yvonne’s prying friends, but what choice did she have?
“I’ll be right back.” Yvonne gave Ruby’s leg an affectionate pat. Was this Yvonne attempting to behave like they were newlyweds, madly in love? At the very least, it was in character for Yvonne. Ruby couldn’t imagine that Yvonne was big on public displays of affection, even with a real partner.
As soon as Yvonne left, Gabrielle looked at her, a sly smile on her face.
“So,” Gabrielle said. “You’re Yvonne’s wife.”
Ruby nodded. She wasn’t sure what else to say.
Gabrielle examined Ruby intently. “Why hasn’t she ever mentioned you?”
Ruby swallowed. “I-”
“Gabi,” Amber warned. “You’re making the poor thing uncomfortable.”
“I’m just curious about this woman who has melted Yvonne’s heart,” Gabrielle said. “You have to admit, this is unexpected.”
Amber scoffed dismissively. “The marriage? Yes. The fact that Yvonne had a secret girlfriend? Not so much. She’s not the type to shout this kind of thing from the rooftops.”
“I suppose you’re right. It would explain a lot. In all the time I’ve known her, I don’t remember Yvonne ever having a girlfriend. Lovers, yes, but that was all. Perhaps it’s because she’s been secretly pining over you this whole time.” Gabrielle swirled her drink in her glass and sipped it slowly. “I always suspected she had a heart under there, despite her ice-cold bitch act.” She looked at Ruby. “No offense toward your wife intended.”
“None taken.” Ruby smiled. “Why do you think I married her? I like that about her.”
Gabrielle’s mouth curled up at one side. “This is all starting to make sense. It seems Yvonne found someone who’s happy to put up with her demanding ways.”
Amber gave her a disapproving look. “Be nice, Gabi.”
“What?” Gabrielle said. “It’s true. We all know how Yv
onne is. I like a little power exchange as much as any other Domme, but Yvonne takes it all so seriously. Where’s the fun in that?”
Ruby’s stomach flipped. What exactly had she gotten herself into? Was she going to regret signing that contract?
She decided to change the subject. “So, how do you know Yvonne? You all run Mistress together?”
“Yes, but we were friends before that,” Gabrielle said. “We spend a lot of time here, actually. It’s how we got to know each other.”
That explained a lot. Ruby had been starting to wonder if there was something in the water over at Mistress Media that had all their execs hanging out at a BDSM club just for fun.
Before Ruby could question them further, Yvonne returned, taking a seat next to her.
“Madison and Blair got caught up with some kind of wedding emergency, but they’re on their way.” She slipped her hand into Ruby’s. “Is everything okay here?”
Was Yvonne worried that Gabrielle and Amber had interrogated Ruby in her absence? Ruby gave her a reassuring smile. “Everything is great. ”
Gabrielle and Amber picked up where they left off, grilling Yvonne and Ruby about their relationship. They were soon joined by Gabrielle’s girlfriend, Dana, as well as Madison and her fiancée, Blair. After a flurry of introductions, Ruby found herself fielding an endless stream of questions about herself and Yvonne.
When the conversation finally moved on, Yvonne spoke quietly to Ruby. “Enjoying yourself?”
Ruby nodded. “I am.”
“And what do you think of this place?”
Ruby glanced around the room. Nearby, there was a woman in a cage while another woman sat casually on top of it. “It’s… intriguing.” It wasn’t just the club that intrigued Ruby. This whole world Yvonne inhabited—one of glamour and luxury, pleasure and power games—was exhilarating.
“What you see before you is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to Lilith’s Den than what’s down here.” Yvonne glanced toward the others, then back to Ruby, a dangerously sexy look in her eyes. “We’re going to play nice for everyone for a little while longer. Then I’m going to give you a taste of what you’ve been begging me for.”
Chapter 12
A fter a couple of hours, the others slowly dispersed, leaving Yvonne and Ruby alone.
“It’s time I showed you the real reason I brought you here.” Yvonne rose from her seat, beckoning Ruby to follow. “Come with me.”
Ruby followed Yvonne toward the back of the club, drawing more than a few glances as they passed through the crowd. Ruby couldn’t help but notice that every time someone’s eyes fell upon her, as soon as they spotted Yvonne with her, they would look away. Was it that obvious that Yvonne was Ruby’s Mistress? Was it that obvious that Ruby belonged to her?
They reached a set of doors which were guarded by a bouncer. Yvonne flashed a key, and the bouncer waved them through.
They continued up some stairs to find a long hallway with an endless number of doors at either side. Yvonne walked purposefully toward one of them and unlocked it with the key .
“Go on in,” she said.
Ruby stepped through the door and looked around the room. It was plain and bare, with only a couple of wooden chairs and a scattering of cushions on the floor as furniture. There were a series of wooden beams along the ceiling, low enough for a person to reach up and touch. The wall at the far end of the room was covered with a seamless mirror, and on all the other walls were tasteful, artsy photographs of nude women bound up in ropes.
Heat rose to Ruby’s skin at the sight. “What is this place?”
“This is The Rope Room,” Yvonne replied.
Ruby looked at one of the photographs closely. The woman in it lay on a sea of silk, red ropes encircling her body in intricate patterns. In the photo next to it, a woman appeared to be suspended from something above the photo, hanging sideways in midair with her limbs bound together, wrapped in a cocoon of ropes.
Yvonne spoke from beside Ruby, startling her. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”
“It’s almost like they’re caught in webs.” Ruby glanced up at the beams above them. “Is that what you’re going to do to me?”
“I’m not going to suspend you up from the ceiling. At least, not tonight.” Yvonne drew the back of her fingers down the side of Ruby’s cheek. “Consider this an introduction. A taste of all the delights to come.”
A shiver rippled down Ruby’s neck. She’d been worried that when faced with the reality of Yvonne’s twisted desires, she’d find herself overwhelmed, just as Yvonne had warned her. And considering everything that had happened with her last client, all this should have scared her.
But instead, the hunger inside her grew.
“Well?” Yvonne said. “How would you like to get caught in my web?”
Ruby gazed back at her, unable to do anything but nod. She was already caught in Yvonne’s web.
“Then let’s get you out of that dress.”
Yvonne took the hem of Ruby’s dress and drew it up and over Ruby’s head. She wasn’t wearing a bra underneath, so she was left in nothing but her panties. Yvonne’s eyes skimmed Ruby’s body approvingly, sending warmth creeping up Ruby’s cheeks. Yvonne showed no sign of stripping down herself. Ruby suspected Yvonne preferred it that way.
Silence filled the air, the club downstairs a world away. Yvonne guided Ruby to the center of the room to stand underneath one of the wooden beams, then opened a cupboard and withdrew several coils of rope.
Yvonne placed all but one of them down on a nearby chair, then took Ruby’s wrists and bound them together firmly, leaving a tail of rope dangling from them. Lifting Ruby’s arms above her head, Yvonne tied the rope to the beam above her. Ruby resisted the urge to tug on her bonds. She was certain Yvonne would see it as a sign of disobedience. And if Yvonne had made anything clear, it was that she required Ruby’s complete obedience.
Yvonne wound the tail of the rope around Ruby’s arms, binding them together tightly in a series of knots. She continued down Ruby’s shoulders, then wound the rope around Ruby’s chest and back, crossing it over and under and between her breasts. The rope was surprisingly soft, caressing her skin in a not unpleasant way.
Yvonne took a step back, surveying her work. While Ruby’s bonds weren’t tight enough to constrict, the firm pressure of the ropes felt immobilizing. The ropes were all connected, so the slightest movement of her body made them tighten and shift in the most delicious way.
Yvonne took the waist of Ruby’s panties and stripped them down her legs, leaving her naked and exposed. Ruby’s heart raced.
Yvonne trailed her hand down the center of Ruby’s stomach. “I’m not done with you yet. Spread your feet apart.”
Ruby obeyed. Yvonne took the rope hanging from Ruby’s chest, slipped it between Ruby’s thighs, and pulled it up at the back, tying it off between her shoulder blades. The slight pressure of the rope between Ruby’s legs made the urge to move unbearable. Ruby shifted her hips, causing the rope to rub against her. She let out a surprised gasp, a dart of pleasure shooting deep into her.
Yvonne’s lips curled up at the corners. “That should encourage you to stay still while I finish tying you up.”
Ruby stopped moving, but it didn’t help. Even breathing made the rope shift, nudging against her most sensitive places, amplifying the heat within her with every second. All the while, Yvonne continued, tying the ropes down Ruby’s stomach, hips, and thighs, all the way to her ankles.
“Now I’m finished.” Yvonne drew her eyes down Ruby’s bound body. “What a tantalizing work of art you are.” She stepped to the side, giving Ruby a clear view of herself in the mirror. “Take a look for yourself? ”
Ruby looked at herself in the mirror. She was bound from head to toe, a ladder of knots running down the front of her body, from her upstretched arms, to her hips, then down each of her legs.
She drew in a breath. She certainly felt like a piece of art, living and b
reathing. The contrast between the dark ropes and her skin was striking, and restrained as she was, Ruby was as helpless as a sculpture. Although her legs were free, with her arms stretched high above her, she could barely move.
Yvonne watched Ruby in the mirror, a ravenous look in her eyes. “Think about all the things I could do with you right now.”
She drew her palm down Ruby’s chest, sweeping it over her breast. Ruby’s breathing deepened, causing the rope between her legs to pull, sending ripples of need through her. A whimper fell from her lips.
“By the looks of things, I don’t even have to do anything,” Yvonne said. “I could simply leave you as you are and watch you slowly come undone.”
Ruby bit back a groan. She was quickly reaching the point where her arousal was becoming unbearable, and Yvonne had barely touched her. This was all Ruby’s own doing, yet she was unable to relieve the ache within herself.
Yvonne stepped in close, pressing her body to Ruby’s, letting her lips graze Ruby’s cheek. “But what’s the fun of having a toy when you can’t play with her?”
She reached down their bodies and tugged the rope running between Ruby’s thighs upward. Ruby gasped, pleasure reverberating through her. Yvonne ran her hand up Ruby’s chest, tweaking a nipple with her fingertips. Ruby bucked against Yvonne. She was already right on the edge.
And it was clear Yvonne knew it. “I’m not letting you come yet. Didn’t I tell you that your pleasure is mine to give?”
“Yes,” Ruby murmured.
“Do you think you’ve earned the privilege of pleasure?”
Ruby hesitated. “No, Mistress.”
“Are you saying that because you know it’s what I want to hear?”
Ruby lowered her gaze. “Yes, Mistress.”
Yvonne let out a soft, velvety chuckle. “I appreciate your honesty. And I’m a merciful Mistress. You’ll get your release, but on my terms, not yours.”
Yvonne took the rope running down the center of Ruby’s body and pulled it aside so it was no longer between Ruby’s nether lips. She let a hand roam down the front of Ruby’s body, skimming over her bare stomach, slipping down the inside of her thigh. Ruby pulsed with anticipation.
