“She blamed you?”
“Yes, the stress she’d been put under. But then it came to light, the father of her child, who wanted nothing more to do with her, was her cousin, Daniel.”
“Her…”
“Yes, her cousin. So, the Addison you met? Don’t be fooled by her for one minute. She’s a money-grabbing whore, who’ll do whatever she needs to do to get what she wants. She’s jealous of everyone, which is why I tried not to acknowledge you at lunch. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I wanted to shield you from her poison.”
“But you seemed so friendly together.”
“Yes, I know what her father is up to if I string her along a little. I throw her a bone and she gives me information. It’s how it’s worked since we divorced, ten years ago now. She wants a rich man, and when she’s bored and without one, she tells me that she loves me. I don’t fall for it.”
“How often do you see her?”
“Once or twice a year, this is the first time she’s been to the U.K. though. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid her. Vivienne, Gabriella’s mother, and her aunt, likes to torment her, so she’s occasionally invited to family events,” he said with a laugh.
“What is your relationship with Gabriella?”
He smiled before he answered. I heard him take a deep breath and exhale slowly. “She loved me, she didn’t tell me that in the beginning, but she was there for me when Addison and I split. She was there all the way through the worst times of my life, when I wanted to end it all. She was the one who picked me up and dusted me off. We’re great friends, Lauren. She’s someone who will always be in my life.”
“Loved?”
“Yeah, she’s in love with Alex and his move is causing her pain.”
“Why is he leaving?”
“Because I want him to run my U.S. operations, so I don’t have to spend so much time abroad. Of all the people on my team, he’s the one I trust the most. I want her to go with him. She doesn’t want to leave me.”
“I thought you liked flying back and forth.”
“I did, I do, but there’s something wanting me to stay put for a while. Most of my businesses are back home, Lauren. I need someone there on a permanent basis.”
The fact he’d said something led me to assume he meant the merger or perhaps another larger business deal.
“I’m glad you told me all that. Thank you.”
He stood to refresh our coffee cups. “So, you have questions,” he said.
“They don’t seem so important now,” I said.
“All questions are important. What is it you want to ask me?”
I sat and looked at him for a moment.
“How often do you visit your club?”
He smiled, “I was waiting for that one. Not as frequently as you imagine, maybe once a month. I haven’t had time to form a relationship, Lauren. And as I said, not being able to father a child has always stopped me. But I still have needs.”
“Have you…since we…”
“No. That was the first time. I wanted you to experience something in a safe environment.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“This?”
“What we do, why?”
“Because I want to, because you want to. I want you to love yourself again, to explore and discover who you really are.”
“The Facilitator, huh?”
“No, just Mackenzie Miller. A man who wants to be alongside you while you explore.”
“What if I don’t like what I’m discovering?”
“Such as?”
“Friday. What if there’s a part of me that says I should not have enjoyed that as much as I did?”
“Then it’s that part of your brain you need to work on. I don’t enjoy watching two men; I get nothing from that. I enjoyed watching your reaction to it. There is nothing wrong in what you, we, did.”
“I guess I’ve just not been around that level of, I don’t know what the word is, sex, maybe?”
“Which is why it fascinates you, isn’t it? Which is why you get so aroused by it.”
His voice had lowered, that gravelly tone was back. My hand shook slightly as I held my coffee cup.
“I’m scared, Mackenzie. How far do I go? Where do I stop? What happens when those experiences aren’t enough?”
“Then you find someone who’s able to give you what you want on a regular basis,” he whispered, as he pulled his stool closer to me.
I blinked back the tear that had formed in my eye. He’d made it clear there would be no relationship between us and my heart broke a little. In light of what I knew, the age difference, and despite trying to convince myself otherwise, I was in love with him.
“Now, BDSM,” he said.
“I don’t want that, I couldn’t be submissive, call you Master, and all that,” I said.
He laughed. “There are so many elements to what you call BDSM, Lauren. You can explore part or all of it.”
“I liked what I saw, the cross thing,” I whispered, trying to quell the embarrassment.
“You like restraint, you’d like for me to control your body, when you come, how hard you come?”
“Yes.”
“Then we have to discuss this. I need to know how far I can push you.”
“I don’t know. Have you done that?”
“Flogging?”
I nodded. “Yes, and much more,” he said.
“Do you enjoy it?”
“I don’t enjoy hurting people, that doesn’t turn me on. I don’t get a kick out of whipping a bare ass. I get my kick out of the reaction. It’s an intense experience, Lauren.”
“Who have you done that to?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“Yes.”
“Veronica.”
I wasn’t expecting that, although I wasn’t sure who I was expecting him to name.
“From the club?”
“From my club,” he smirked, and I watched as he slowly swiped his tongue over his lower lip.
“Your…?”
“I invest in lots of businesses, Lauren. She came to me with a proposition, a way to save her ancestral home. Although, I suspect the ancestors would be turning in their graves if they knew what went on. I liked her idea and ran with it.”
“I’d like to go there again, to know what goes on.”
“You’re curious, aren’t you? I like that about you. You’re not afraid, although you’re scared to learn more. That makes you very brave.”
“I’m not sure about brave.”
He looked at his watch and picked up his phone. I watched as he sent a text.
“Come on,” he said.
“Where?”
“No time like the present, is there?”
“Whoa, I’m not going to…”
“You’re not going to do anything, other than be shown around and have someone explain exactly what goes on. I want you to know about my businesses, Lauren, all of them. I have plans for you.”
****
Veronica met us at the front door, like before. Mackenzie left his car in the driveway, and unlike before, there was no valet to park it. He pocketed his keys and we walked up the stone steps.
“Mr. Miller, Miss Perry. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” She opened the door and we walked in. “Would you care for a drink?” she asked.
“Coffee would be good. We’re not here for pleasure today, I don’t think,” he said with a chuckle.
She laughed, smiled over at me, and asked us to follow her to her office. We entered a vast room, immaculate, with a large carved desk in the middle of bay windows.
“Please, take a seat,” she said, gesturing towards a collection of sofas at one end. She made a call, requesting coffee.
“Lauren would like to know a little more about the house, its origins and what it has to offer,” Mackenzie said. The formality of using our surnames had been dropped.
“Of course, I’d be delighted to show you around. Let me tell you
about it first. It was my childhood home, handed down through my father’s side for generations. It dates back to my great-great-grandfather, who was given the house for services to the queen.
“My family couldn’t afford its upkeep and put it up for sale. I couldn’t bear to lose it. I’ve lived here all my life and with no older sibling, the house should have been passed to me. I knew Mackenzie, he’d had dealings with my father, so I approached him for help.”
“Why did you decide to offer it as a club?” I asked.
“There were none around at that time, none as exclusive and high end, I should say. There are plenty of clubs, especially in London, but I wanted something different. A hotel that offered the facilities I enjoyed.”
There was a knock on the door and a young woman holding a tray opened it. She placed the tray on the small coffee table, and Veronica poured the coffees.
“We decided to make it a members-only club. They pay an annual fee and in return are allowed to use the facilities. We have cottages in the grounds, a mini spa, and indoor pool. And then we have the function rooms. We hold events, parties for like-minded people. A member can hire the whole venue if they wish, we've even had a wedding.”
“So it’s run like a regular hotel?”
“Yes, but for people who wish to experience what we offer. We don’t take outside bookings, can you imagine the shock a little old couple would get if they stumbled into one of our playrooms?”
I laughed at the thought.
“You said you wanted a facility for people who enjoyed what you do?”
“I did. I’m very much into the BDSM scene, Lauren. It’s a lifestyle that I’ve practiced for many years.”
“Do you have a master? Or is that too personal a question?”
She chuckled, “Sometimes, although I don’t use that word. I also like to dominate. It’s very liberating to give control to someone else. Likewise, it’s very empowering to take control.”
I sipped on my coffee, thinking how surreal the whole conversation was. A month ago, I couldn't have imagined sitting there discussing a stranger’s sexual habits.
“I’m interested in learning more, Veronica. I don’t think BDSM is for me, but there are elements I’ve researched that I’d like to participate in. But I don’t know exactly what, or how far I’m willing to go.” I thought there was no point in not being honest.
“Then you are in good hands with Mackenzie,” she said, smiling over at him.
“Veronica taught me all I know,” he said.
Veronica raised her eyebrows at him. “She knows,” he said.
“Okay, then yes, I taught Mackenzie to give me what I needed. He was a reluctant student. He’s not comfortable with inflicting pain, but we found a balance that suited us both.”
“I'm not sure about the pain part,” I said.
“There are levels, Lauren. As I said, I’m hard-core, that’s not for everyone. You will find a very enjoyable balance. If it’s something you wish to explore, then Mackenzie is absolutely the right person to start that journey with.”
She placed her cup on the table. “Shall we do the tour?”
“Are there people here now?” I asked as I stood.
“Yes, although only a few.”
“Will they mind us walking around?”
“Of course not, the guests we have at the moment would love nothing more than to have you watch,” she said, with a laugh.
She led us from the office and we crossed the hall to the bar I’d visited before.
“As you know, this is the bar area, it’s where our guests can relax if they choose to. We have strict rules; the area towards the back is for couples only who do not wish to engage in swinging. If you wanted to meet up with another couple, or more, you’d opt to sit on the sofas, that’s a clear invitation that you’d like company.”
“Do you have singles visiting?”
“Yes, we have single members. All our guests are vetted prior to admission into the club. We ask for personal details, marital status, and even financial data. We don’t allow admission to anyone under the age of thirty, as we want mature adults only. Our annual fee ensures we rule out those seeking a quick thrill.”
“Can I ask what that is?”
“Thirty thousand pounds per year.”
“Wow!”
“It’s higher than it needs to be, but ensures we attract the right members,” Mackenzie said.
“For that, remember, they get use of the cottages, the spa, whenever they want. So if someone wanted a weekend away, every weekend of the year, it represents value for money.”
We walked back out of the bar and into the hallway.
“Along the corridor we have a restaurant, there are industrial kitchens in the basement. Over on that side: we have the library, my office, of course, and security. There are no sexual activities allowed on this floor. I have a private wing where I live, that’s accessed through that door.” She indicated with her head.
“Security?”
“A safety feature. We need to know we have someone on hand should, and it’s only ever happened once, a patron take things a little too far. In each bedroom there is a camera and a panic button. There are some that like to engage in role-play, and on that one occasion, it got out of hand. My guys will step in and stop whatever activity is going on if they feel it’s getting out of control. There are microphones in all rooms, if we hear a safe word being used, we will check to see activities have ceased.”
“How do you know their safe word?”
“The women are given one, discretely, upon registration. It’s the same word for everyone. That one word will activate our security system.”
“Do the guests know there is a camera?” My mind was immediately taken back to what could be on film when I was there.
“Yes, when they join they are given an information pack. They are also assured that the camera is not routinely connected to any form of backup system; no copies are made. Nothing is watched unless a trigger is activated, the panic button, for example. Only then will it record, and that’s to ensure there is documented evidence should police or lawyers become involved.”
“Has that ever happened?”
“Not to date.”
We climbed the stairs to a long hallway. “There are ten rooms on this floor, five more on the floor above.”
As we walked towards one, I noticed a very small discrete light above the doorframe was lit.
“That means this room is occupied, I take it?”
“Yes, when our guests arrive, they are given the key to the room they booked. Although that room can’t be accessed unless you have a key, it has been known for a member to forget to completely shut their door.”
We walked to one end of the hallway. Veronica explained what each room contained, some were just bedrooms but the guests could request a range of equipment or toys to be available for them. One room was set out like an office, and another was a massage room. One held the cross that I’d seen and next to it, the viewing room that I’d been in.
She opened the door to a vacant room. In the centre was the largest bed I’d ever seen.
“This is a groups room, obviously. The TV has a selection of DVD’s pre-programmed in.”
“I guess that won’t include Toy Story,” I said, with a chuckle.
“You’d be surprised at some requests,” she said with a wink.
The next room was very clinical; instead of the plush carpet it had a rubber floor that extending part way up the walls.
“Now this room is fun. It’s our ‘messy’ room. You can do what you like in here, food play, naked painting, mud wresting; you name it.” Both her and Mackenzie laughed.
I was a little dumbstruck.
Finally we reached the last door along the corridor. Veronica paused before opening it. “We have guests, please remember that, and try not to react to what you see.”
She slowly opened the door. It was the largest room on the floor and housed what I could only descr
ibe as a torture chamber. There were three women trussed up in various ways and two men. One was hooded, bare-chested and in jeans, another wore a suit. He smiled over to me, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to walk in just as he was about to bring a bamboo cane down on a woman’s arse.
We shuffled to one side, and I cursed as my back hit a wall of chains, causing them to rattle.
I stared at the women. One was chained between two poles, her arms and legs outstretched and she was naked. Another was tied so intricately with light coloured rope and was on her knees. It must have taken hours to tie her arms and legs that way.
The third, the one who got the cane, had a blindfold over her eyes, a ball in her mouth, and she was lying across a bench in the centre of the room.
“There’s no bed?” I whispered.
“No, this room isn’t for fucking. They may, or may not, do that during aftercare, but always in another room.” Veronica whispered. The word ‘fucking’ seemed so alien coming from a woman with such an upper class accent.
I watched the hooded man. He was very well built, muscular. He hadn’t looked over and was stroking the head of the woman trussed up and kneeling at his feet. It seemed such a tender thing for him to do. A pang of disappointment hit me when Veronica turned to walk back out the door. Our visit had been too short, and I had to remind myself we were interrupting playtime.
We climbed another staircase hidden behind a wooden panel to the attic. One room was a smaller version of the dungeon, another was a room with one wall and the ceiling mirrored, two further bedrooms, and the last, another group room.
“All the rooms are soundproofed. I would have liked to have kept the group rooms on this floor, but as you can imagine, with the age of this building, it was a case of make do within the existing structure.”
We made our way back downstairs. “Perhaps you’d like to show Lauren the cottages, number seventeen is free,” she said.
With a smile, she left us and we walked into the library, a stunning real library with floor-to-ceiling shelves, holding what must have amounted to thousands of books. At the rear of that room were French doors that opened to a terrace with tables and chairs. A man sat with a cigar at one, he was reading a newspaper but raised a hand in greeting as we walked through. Mackenzie nodded to him.
The Facilitator Page 20
