Indebted Heart (Windy City Book 3)

by Measha Stone

  The cab pulled up to the Hotel Indigo on Dearborn and promptly required payment. She barely managed to look out the window at the deep blue yawning and the expansive height of the hotel before she was thrust onto the curb with her bags at her feet. She took in her surroundings with a deep breath. When she had booked the hotel for a week, she had worried the low cost of the room would equal the low quality of the building, but the appearance from the outside calmed her worry on that. The lobby was stunning compared to any motel she had ever stayed in before. The wood flooring shone, and the wonderful contrasts of blues and greens provided a soothing atmosphere.

  The lady at the front desk checked her in and offered assistance with her bags, which she declined. She only had the two bags and her pockets weren't brimming with tip money at the moment. The room surprised her even more than the lobby had. The deep vibrant colors of the room swept her away from the dreary morning she had awakened to in Smithton just southeast of St. Louis. It reminded her of the art galleries her grandmother used to take her to during her visits. She tossed her bags onto the bright orange armchair and tossed herself onto the lush bed.

  "This is the starting line, Alyssa." She announced to the empty room. "This is where it begins." A large grin crept over her lips, and she found herself staring up at the ceiling like a loon. She leapt up and threw back the curtains and drew in her breath at the sight before her. The lakefront was only a few blocks away, within walking distance for sure. Her cell buzzed, alerting her to the fact she had an appointment to look at an apartment within the hour.

  Several hours later, Alyssa sank into the tub of her hotel room and let the bubbles reach the tip of her nose. The afternoon, however productive, had left her exhausted. After viewing six apartments she did manage to find one that was clean enough to live in and within her budget. The size wasn't very impressive, a tiny studio apartment rarely is, but it was available and it was cheap. She would be able to move in by mid-week, after a background check was completed and her deposit was put down.

  The next item to deal with was employment. The landlord hadn't been excited about starting the paperwork on her apartment without a job to back her up, but the three month's rent she was going to put down seemed to appease the little man well enough. The bar she waitressed at in Smithton was miniscule compared to the clubs of the city. She wasn't fooling herself about that, but she didn't have any other skills to work with.

  Growing up with a single mother who thought more about where to get her next sugar daddy than making sure her little girl received a well-rounded education left her with few skills. Alyssa had managed to get through high school barely hanging on to the honor roll with no help from her mother.

  "You need to pull your own weight," her mother had told her time and again. Alyssa worked at the food court in the mall to earn enough for clothes and bus fare. Whatever little extra she had, her mother took to pay the rent if she was between boyfriends.

  Most of the 'dates' her mother brought home ignored her. She stayed quiet in her room while they carried on with her mother in the living room. But there was one man.

  She'd wandered into the living room after having a nightmare. He surprised her by showing her kindness and comfort before sending her back to her bedroom. As she drifted off she heard him telling her mom he'd made a mistake and was leaving.

  He didn’t stay away forever though; he came back to town once a year. When he did, he’d stop over to check on her and bring her a bundle of clothes. Her mother sat with them at first, probably hoping to still snag him. Once it was apparent his only concern was to see Alyssa had the things she needed, her mom stopped paying them any attention, leaving them on the front porch to talk. His visits didn’t last long; just long enough to give her the presents he brought and make sure she was safe. Alyssa was always sorry to see him go. She looked forward to his yearly visits; it was the one time someone cared about her the way her friends were cared for by their parents.

  When Alyssa entered high school, she learned why he only came to town once a year and why he never truly hooked up with her mother. He was married. He came to town for an expo show each year. Her mother had been a mistake, a lonely night and too many beers. He seemed grateful to Alyssa for having been there that night. He told her it was her innocence that made him shake himself loose of the idiocy he'd allowed to creep into his heart. She had saved his marriage.

  His visits ended when he retired, having no need to travel to their small town, but they continued to keep in touch. It was at his urging that she made an attempt at college. But her mother wouldn't let her live at home anymore if she wasn't paying the rent, so she had to get a job. Wanting to put space between herself and her mother, she tried to move into her own place. After seeing her mother unable to pay her own rent month after month, and being unable to pay both her own and her mother’s rent, Alyssa moved back. It was only after a long battle with liver disease that her mother passed away, and Alyssa was free to be on her own.

  The dancing of her cell on the toilet bowl lid brought her back from where she zoned off to, she grabbed it and answered the call.

  "Ms. Sanders?" A deep voice came through the line. "This is Bradley from Top Floor. I noticed we have you down for your interview in the morning. However, I've had a scheduling conflict arise. I was hoping you'd be free this evening?"

  She sat straight up in the tub. Tonight? Her hair was sopping wet, she hadn't unpacked anything and her nerves were just starting to unravel. "Um. Sure." She hoped her voice was sturdier than her stomach. "I just got in, how soon would you like me to arrive?" She quizzed, hoping he'd give her at least an hour.

  "I will be here until closing. At your earliest convenience would be fine." Music played in the background.

  "Great. I look forward to meeting you, Bradley." She clenched her phone with both hands. They said their goodbyes and clicked off. Letting out a long breath and putting the phone back on the lid, she sank deeper into the bathwater. After reigning in her nerves and anxiety, she leapt from the tub and started to ready herself.

  Top Floor was the new club in the area, and it was the only club she truly wanted to work at. It was not openly advertised, but she knew a girl who knew a guy, that informed her that Top Floor was an exclusive club that revolved around the kinkier side of life. The only part of herself that she hadn't allowed her mother to warp or tarnish was her sexual side.

  A boyfriend in high school had introduced her to light spanking play. One evening when they were going at it in the back of his car, her riding him valiantly, he slapped her ass. Enthralled with the sensation, she told him to do it again. And again, until a flurry of spanks drove her to the edge of orgasm and shoved her over. She acquired a soft leather paddle the following day.

  Top Floor wasn't some dingy dungeon bar like the one's she'd been in back home. Its membership was exclusive – by invitation only. Wanting to impress, but not look desperate, she decided to wear a black cotton dress, strappy sandals that increased her 5' 2" stature by three inches, and a thin red blazer. She hoped there would be air conditioning in the cab, as well as the club, otherwise she'd be dripping with sweat shortly after arriving. She had left her hair down, whipping it around her shoulders with large curls, and had donned the deep red lipstick she loved so much. It went perfectly with the blazer, and pulled out the deep color of her eyes.

  The club looked like any other nightclub when the cab dropped her in front of the entrance. It consisted of three floors. The first two were open to the general public for drinking and dancing to the techno music played by the DJ on the floor. The third floor, Top Floor, catered only to private members.

  The line to enter wrapped around the corner, and loud music could be heard as she walked closer to the doorway. A few whistles, catty remarks and crude comments were thrown at her as she walked past the line and went straight to the doorman.

  "Hi. I'm Alyssa Sanders. I'm meeting with Bradley?" She gave a smile that she hoped passed as confident. She was sure she could be
seen trembling. She had no doubts about her skills as a bartender or a waitress; it was where she was applying to perform those tasks that had her a bit shaken. She was no stranger to the BDSM realm, it was the place she felt most at home, most at ease. Almost all of her friends back in Missouri had been in the scene, and she had met several of her boyfriends at clubs similar to, but not as nice as, Top Floor. She doubted her feet would stick to the floor as she walked through it.

  "Good Evening, Ms. Sanders. Yes, Bradley is expecting you. Here is the key code that you will need to access the floor. The elevators are straight back through this main hall and to the left." The large, stocky man grinned at her. She was only mildly surprised that he had all of his teeth. He had a boxer's body, and she was sure he'd seen a fist or two in his day.

  The mirrored doors slid open as she approached, and she stepped aboard, wondering if anyone else would try to sneak up with her. Luckily, no one seemed to notice the doors open besides herself. Silence filled the space when the doors shut, and she opened the small envelope the bouncer had given her. She pulled out a piece of paper no bigger than a post-it note and read the three-digit code she needed to punch into the elevator's panel in order to make it take her up to the third floor.

  Elevator music would have been preferable to the silence that echoed in her ears as she glided upward toward her interview. A loud ding signaled her arrival, and the doors whooshed a bit as they slid open. She took a calm breath and stepped out of the elevator and smiled warmly at the gentleman standing just outside of the doors. He gave a polite nod and held out his hand. She handed him the slip of paper and he nodded again. "Right this way." He gave a sensual smile and led her to the door that served as the actual entrance to the floor. Even if someone had managed to get the elevator up to the floor, this man was in charge of seeing that they did not make their way into the main room.

  She stepped into Top Floor and sucked in her breath at the sight before her. The walls glistened with gold embossed wallpaper. Not only did her sandals not stick to the marble flooring beneath them, but she worried that she may scuff the beauty of it. A large bar stood in the center of the room, a rounded centerpiece to the room. Deep mahogany wood made up the bar, more marble for the countertop, and beautifully carved pillars wrapped around the bottom. Upon further inspection she noticed the carvings were of people. Different positions, different sizes, different groupings, each carving depicting a scene of dominance. A kneeling woman. A hogtied male. It was beautiful.

  "Bradley's office is right this way." A woman she hadn't noticed when she entered waved a hand in front of her. "I've informed him that you've arrived." Alyssa walked behind the perfectly shaped woman, trying not to let the beautiful sway of her hips distract her. She had never been one to question her own attractiveness, but the nervous state of her mind could easily be swayed into doubting herself and she couldn't afford that. She needed to be at the top of her game, get the job, land the apartment and start her life.

  Her escort brought her through the large room. At first glance it appeared to be like any other club. Couples talking, groups of men eyeing groups of women. Waitresses walking through the crowds with trays of drinks. But this was not like any other. She took note of several naked women kneeling beside their men, one woman stood in the middle of a small group of men, naked, arms tied behind her back, a thick neck collar holding her head as the men pinched and tickled her. The squirming and giggles she bestowed on them played like music throughout the air. She did her best not to stare at the man standing beside the door on which her escort knocked. He stood tall, naked, his nipples were adorned with diamond-studded clamps, his balls, hanging low beneath his caged cock were bejeweled as well. His mouth, where a long strand of saliva hung, was propped open by a metal O gag. The redness of his face gave the impression that he was embarrassed to be put in such a state, but Alyssa knew the expression in his eyes well enough to know the man was having the time of his life.

  "Ms. Sanders." A deep voice greeted her. She stood in the doorway, gripping her purse and staring at the large man in front of her. He towered over her by a solid foot. She suddenly wished she'd gone with the higher heel. Her eyes traveled from his very muscular looking chest up to his stern chin and further up to the darkest blue eyes she'd ever seen. He was a large man. A firm looking man.

  "Yes, hello." She blinked herself back to the present moment and extended her hand to shake his. "It's very nice to meet you." She finally blurted, and he smiled. A nice, genuine smile. She relaxed a bit.

  "You as well. Thomas has told me a lot about you, actually, so it is nice to put the face to the name." He released her hand and offered her a chair. Alyssa met Thomas during an evening out with a small group of friends who had braved entering a dungeon party with her leading them. What began as flirtation quickly evolved into her first serious relationship as a submissive. Thomas was her first dominant and now a long-time friend. When he'd heard her plans to move to Chicago, he put in a word for her at the Top Floor. She hadn't known Bradley was the friend he spoke of, but she was glad now that it was.

  "Thanks. Thomas has always been very generous when it comes to me, so I hope I can live up to the expectations he's placed." Alyssa took the seat that was offered, slipping her purse between herself and the back cushion of the chair and crossing her legs elegantly at the knee.

  Bradley took his seat behind the desk and leaned back in his chair. His chest flexed against the taut black t-shirt he wore. "Well, I already know you have some experience in the lifestyle, so I don't really need to worry about you running off in fear during your first shift, or that you'll openly gape at those playing in the open areas." His smile was as pleasant as the rest of his physique, but she didn't feel the attraction she would have thought she would, given his good looks. It made the interview a bit easier to swallow; business she could handle with extreme ease. Love, not so much.

  The conversation moved from her background in working in bars and nightclubs to slightly more risqué talk about her experience in the lifestyle. Although he didn't ask specifically about her sex or love life, he did inquire in a roundabout way about her experience as a submissive.

  "Thomas mentioned that he was your first dominant." Bradley steepled his hands as he peered across the desk at her. "Are you currently under the protection of a dominant, now?" he questioned.

  Alyssa's spine stiffened in response to the forward question, and her left eyebrow rose before she could stop it. "No. But I don't see how that plays into my position here." She attempted to keep her voice steady, but she could hear the heat in her words.

  The door to the office flung open before Bradley could respond to her. She twisted in her chair and saw a blonde man burst into the room. His eyes caught hers instantly, and she sucked in her breath for the second time that evening. He blinked, frowned and moved his gaze to Bradley.

  "Sorry. I didn't realize you were in a meeting." The tall, blonde stranger gave his apology, still holding the doorknob in one hand.

  "No problem. We were just finishing up here. A new hire." Bradley stood from his desk. Alyssa heard him stand, but her stare hadn't left the new man in the room. "If you can start Saturday night, I'll have Cassandra get you the paperwork you need." She broke her stare just as the man swung his eyes back to her, a sandy blonde eyebrow slowly arching in her direction. She shook her head, and leapt from her chair.

  "That would be awesome." She blurted out and then closed her eyes with a sigh. "I mean. That would be great. Saturday works great." Bradley moved around the desk and placed a large palm on the small of her back, and with a little pressure he began to lead her from the room.

  "Wonderful. Cassie will help you with the details." With that she was ushered from the room. She bit the inside of her cheeks as she passed the blonde in order to keep from grinning like an idiot right in front of him.

  An hour later she found herself back on the elevator headed down to the main floor of the club. She had been given the usual HR packet, an apron and
her own key card that would allow her up to Top Floor. Cassie had gone over the pay scale, and Alyssa was extremely excited to have not only gained a position at the very club she aimed to, but she had managed to get a few extra dollars an hour in the process! Although all of that was great, and wonderful, and she was happy as a fat kid at an ice cream shop, only one thought dominated her mind.

  Who was that man that with the sparkling blue eyes and finger ready blonde hair?

  Chapter Three

  His father was hiding something. Alex could tell by the way his eyes would only meet his momentarily before fluttering to his shoulder, or his ear, anywhere other than straight into his eyes. As a child, when suspected of lying, his father would crouch down and tell Alex to look him deep in the eyes. "A man telling the truth never wavers in his stare," he had instructed him. The previous night Paul had kept his eyes everywhere else.

  Whatever the secret was, Alex knew his father would come clean eventually. It was probably something silly, something only Paul would see as a grievous indiscretion, and Alex decided to put the worry aside for another time. Larger fish needed frying.

  Top Floor opened its doors six months ago, and so far membership was solid, profits were beginning to be seen. All in all, everything looked wonderful. Alex, of course, was suspicious of such appearances. The club didn't have much to compete against, as the handful of dungeons in the area weren't geared to such a high-end clientele. The memberships were open to the public, and anyone that wasn't considered a threat was entered into the ledger books. Top Floor however, had a membership by invitation only policy. Each member was screened before being extended an invitation, and even more thoroughly once the applicant approached the club with interest. Although Alex believed that anyone interested in kink should be allowed to play where and how they chose, he and the other owners wanted only those that were serious about the lifestyle to frequent their club.