by Anna Stone
“And in exchange? You’ll be mine, body and mind.” Vanessa slid her fingers up and down, pushing Mel’s panties between her lips.
Mel stifled a gasp. Was Vanessa going to do this here? As Vanessa’s fingers stroked faster under the bar, she found that she didn’t care.
“That’s right. You belong to me now. And I don’t like to share. Which means no one but me is allowed to touch you. Not even yourself. The only release that you’re going to get is at my hands. Do you understand?”
Mel nodded, fearing that if she opened her mouth, she wouldn’t be able to control what came out.
“Good.” Vanessa leaned over and kissed Mel, her lips soft and tinged with whiskey. Then she drew her hand back down Mel’s leg, sat back in her chair, and picked up her glass.
Mel blinked. She didn’t want Vanessa to stop. She was practically throbbing.
“Unfortunately, I have to go. I have a business trip tomorrow and need to prepare.” Vanessa drained the last of her drink. “Which means we won’t get to see each other for a little while.”
It took a moment for Mel to realize that Vanessa had gotten her all worked up and left her hanging on purpose. And now Vanessa was going to disappear on her?
“Don’t look so distraught,” Vanessa said. “I promise you, when I get back, the fun will really begin.”
“When will you get back?” Mel asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. I have a lot to do. It could be a few days. A week. Maybe even longer. And don’t forget what I said. No one is to touch you.” Vanessa shot Mel a stern look. “I’ll know if you break my rules. And I don’t want to have to punish you.”
Punish me? Mel immediately pictured that crimson-handled riding crop in Vanessa’s room. She was sure that whatever punishment Vanessa had in mind would be sweet torture. But Mel wasn’t going to defy Vanessa. There was an intrinsic part of her being that needed to obey. And Vanessa knew it.
Chapter Nine
Mel flopped down onto her bed, unconcerned that she was still wearing her sweaty running gear. Since Vanessa had gone away, she and Mel had been texting nonstop.
Mel pulled out her phone. Sure enough, there was a message from Vanessa.
How was your run? Did you work off all that pent-up frustration?
Yes, Vanessa. Mel let out an exasperated sigh. She had been in a state of fevered arousal all week. Vanessa’s constant reminders were not helping. In the past, Mel could go for weeks, even months without masturbating. But somehow, Vanessa forbidding Mel from touching herself made her want to do so even more. And Vanessa kept sending Mel vague but suggestive hints about what she had planned when she came back. It was maddening.
Mel’s phone vibrated in her hand.
Good. Now, where were we? How about hair pulling?
That was an easy one. Yes.
Okay. Nipple clamps?
Mel paused and thought for a minute, then replied. Maybe. And I’ve thought of another limit.
Yes?
Fisting. Mel finally wrote.
Which kind?
All kinds! Hard limit!
Okay. Fisting is a hard limit. Another message. How about whips? Floggers? Paddles? Crops?
Yes, yes, yes. And definitely yes.
So my suspicions were correct.
Mel smiled. So Vanessa knew how much that riding crop had occupied her mind.
Strap-ons? Vanessa didn’t bother to add which end of the strap-on she expected Mel to be on.
Yes. But I’ve never used one before, she admitted. She’d never done any of this before. Kim, her only ex-girlfriend, had been disgusted by the idea of using even the most vanilla of sex toys. Mel had had other casual partners since then, but she’d never felt comfortable enough with them to ask for what she really wanted.
Noted. I have to go prepare for a meeting. But you’ve earned a reward for your obedience. You’ll receive it shortly. V.
What did that mean? Was Vanessa finally back? Mel wanted to ask, but she knew better. The first time she had asked, Vanessa had told her to be patient. The second time, Vanessa had threatened to punish her if she asked again. Mel wasn’t sure whether or not she was joking.
Mel put down her phone and walked into the bathroom. She stripped off her clothes and turned on the shower. Cold water only. As she washed the sweat from her skin, she wondered: did Vanessa expect her to crack? Should Mel want to disobey her to see what Vanessa would do? She was torn between her growing need and her strong compulsion to obey Vanessa.
As Mel was drying herself off, there was a knock on the door. Mel’s heart leapt. It had to be Vanessa’s ‘reward.’ She wrapped her towel around herself and hurried to the door.
“Hello, Melanie.” The well-dressed woman from the other week stood in her doorway.
“Hi.” Mel’s eyes were drawn to the package in the woman’s hand.
“From Ms. Harper.” The woman handed her the box.
“Thanks.”
Did this woman know what was going on between Mel and Vanessa? Did she know what was in these packages? She constantly maintained a professional demeanor, so it was hard to tell. She and Vanessa had that in common.
The woman nodded and turned to leave.
“Wait,” Mel said.
“Yes?”
“Is Vanessa back from her business trip?” Mel didn’t even know who this woman was in relation to Vanessa, but there was a chance that she knew.
“Not yet.” The woman said, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
“Oh.” Mel considered asking if she knew when Vanessa would be back, but thought better of it. “Thanks.”
The woman gave Mel a cordial nod and walked off down the hallway.
Mel raced back into her apartment and sat down on her bed, the black box on her lap. She still felt slightly uncomfortable receiving expensive gifts. But if the last gift was any indication, this one would be as much for Vanessa’s benefit as Mel’s.
Mel untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. The scent of leather rose from the box. She ripped back the tissue paper. Unsurprisingly, the box contained another set of lingerie. But sitting on top of it were two thick leather cuffs. Mel picked them up. They were black with red lining, and each cuff had a metal ring attached to it. They were the perfect size for Mel’s wrists.
Mel’s phone buzzed. Did you receive your reward?
Yes, Mel wrote back. The timing of the text suggested that Vanessa already knew the answer to her question. Had the woman informed Vanessa that she had made the delivery?
Another message came through. Try them on. The cuffs too.
Mel had forgotten all about the lingerie. She pulled the matching bra and panties out of the box. They were made of black lace, so delicate that Mel feared that they would tear at the slightest touch. Both the bra and panties had several thin straps attached at various points around the top and sides. Mel removed her towel and put the lingerie on. It wasn’t easy with all the straps. She buckled the cuffs around her wrists snugly.
Mel turned to the mirror. She was surprised by what she saw. Her long dark hair, still damp from the shower, was tied up in a messy bun, leaving her shoulders and chest bare. The straps on the bra crisscrossed across the tops of her breasts. The Brazilian panties covered only the tops of her ass cheeks.
Mel liked the way the lingerie looked on her. She liked the way it made her feel. Sexy. Powerfully so. Would Vanessa find her irresistible in it? There was something exciting about the idea that she could drive Vanessa wild in her own way.
Another text arrived. Send me a picture.
Mel smiled. She snapped a photo in the mirror with her phone and sent it to Vanessa. She waited. A minute passed, then two, then five. Her impatience got the best of her. Did you get it?
Yes. You look ravishing. I’m going to enjoy making you come apart. V.
Mel sprawled out on her bed. What naughty things did Vanessa have planned for her? If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel Vanessa’s fingertips running along her curves. She could almost sme
ll her perfume and taste her soft lips.
No. The last thing Mel needed was another cold shower. She glanced at her phone. Nothing more from Vanessa. Mel wasn’t surprised. That “V.” at the end of Vanessa’s texts always meant one thing: this conversation is over.
The message came the following Sunday morning. Mel had slept in after a late-night shift at The Lounge. She rolled over in a daze and picked her phone up from the nightstand.
Tomorrow night. 8 pm. I’ll pick you up. Wear my gifts. And only my gifts.
Mel’s heart jumped. Finally! Her stomach dropped as she read it again. Only her gifts? Did Vanessa expect Mel to leave the house in nothing but lingerie? And that lingerie? It barely counted as underwear.
Another text followed a minute later.
You may wear a coat. And shoes. But nothing else.
Mel rolled onto her back, a smile on her face. Finally, her torment would end. Vanessa’s mind games were far more potent than any whip.
At least, that was what Mel thought.
Chapter Ten
Mel left her apartment at 7:55 p.m. the next day, keenly aware of how naked she was under her long coat. The leather cuffs peeked out from her sleeves. The day had passed with excruciating slowness. She’d barely been able to concentrate in class.
She stepped out onto the sidewalk. A large black Mercedes Benz was parked out in front of her apartment building. Standing next to it was the sharply dressed dark-haired woman who had delivered Vanessa’s gifts. So she was Vanessa’s driver. Something told Mel that hand-delivering gifts to her boss’s lover in a dodgy part of town wasn’t part of the job description. Perhaps Vanessa’s expectation that everyone cater to her whims went beyond her sex life.
The driver opened the back door.
“Hello, Melanie.” Vanessa sat in the back seat, her legs crossed in front of her. She wore a long, dark coat, and black stockings and heels.
“Hi.” Mel hopped into the back seat next to her.
“Thank you, Elena,” Vanessa said to the driver.
Elena nodded and shut the door. Shortly afterward, the car pulled out and joined the slow stream of traffic. It was a much smoother ride than Vanessa’s convertible.
“Where are you taking me?” Mel asked Vanessa.
“I’m going to show you one of the other clubs I own,” Vanessa said.
They were going somewhere public? Mel barely had a thread of clothing on her.
Vanessa read her mind. “Don’t worry, it’s closed. We’ll have the place to ourselves.”
Mel sat back. Why would Vanessa be taking her to an empty club? She remembered something that Vanessa had said in her room all those nights ago, that not all of her clubs were as ‘respectable’ as The Lounge. Was Vanessa taking her to one of those?
Mel looked out through the tinted windows, vainly trying to see where they were going. The privacy screen between the front and back seats blocked her view of the windshield. She sat back in defeat.
“So, Melanie,” Vanessa said. “Have you been following my rule?”
“Yes, Vanessa.” Mel didn’t know when she had started to answer to Vanessa like an obedient schoolgirl. But it seemed to please Vanessa.
“Really? You didn’t slip up? Not even once?”
“No, Vanessa.” Mel couldn’t tell whether Vanessa was pleased or disappointed.
“But did you want to?”
“God, yes.”
“That must have been agonizing.” Vanessa slid a hand underneath Mel’s coat and up the inside of her thigh.
The ache deep inside Mel grew. She closed her eyes.
“Did you think about me while I was gone?” Vanessa brushed her fingertips all the way up between Mel’s legs. The thin panties were no barrier to Vanessa’s probing fingers. “Did you imagine all the things I’m going to do to you?”
“Yes, Vanessa. Every single day.”
“It will be worth the wait. I promise.”
Mel bit back a moan. She didn’t want to test whether the privacy barrier was soundproof. But Vanessa was doing everything she could to derail her efforts.
“Now I know that you’re telling the truth about not touching yourself.” Vanessa pressed her finger into the wet spot on Mel’s panties. “This is far too easy.”
Mel whimpered. If Vanessa wanted to, she could make Mel come in seconds.
The car glided to a stop.
“We’re here.” Vanessa withdrew her hand and sat back.
Mel flattened out her coat and slowed her breaths. She was beginning to realize that Vanessa torturing her like this was not going to be a one-time occurrence. Elena opened Mel’s door. Mel thanked her and stepped out onto the sidewalk. At some point during their drive, they had crossed into a nicer part of town. Mel scanned the shop fronts before her. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for.
“Here we are,” Vanessa said.
Mel followed the path of Vanessa’s eyes. Nestled between two boutiques was a small, black door. There was a sign above the door with a name written on it in red cursive script: Lilith’s Den.
“It’s closed on Mondays. But I have a key.” Vanessa pulled a key out of her purse and unlocked the door. They walked inside. “This is it. Lilith’s Den.”
Mel looked around in awe. The large space looked like any other nightclub, but in addition to the tables and barstools, there were some unconventional furnishings scattered around the room. A seven-foot-tall wooden cross with small metal rings at each of the ends. A bench that resembled a horse with leather cuffs attached to it. A long, wide table with padding on the top and rings all along the sides which Mel assumed were tie points.
“What is this place?” Mel asked.
“It’s a place where people can let go of their inhibitions and explore all of their wildest, darkest dreams,” Vanessa said.
Mel’s eyes widened. “So, it’s some kind of sex club?”
“More of a BDSM club.” Vanessa strode into the middle of the empty room. “This is why I’m so private. This is a big part of my lifestyle. Well, not so much these days, but at one point it felt like it was my entire world…”
Vanessa looked off into the distance. For a moment, Mel caught a glimpse of what lay behind Vanessa’s veil, but then the usual self-possessed expression returned.
“This is my ‘secret.’ In addition to a few clubs like The Lounge, I own Lilith’s, and several similar establishments in other cities. All separate from my investment firm. I’m not ashamed of my interest in BDSM. But there are a lot of intolerant people out there, especially in my line of work. The gossip and rumors are a distraction. And quite frankly, what I do in my leisure time is no one’s business but my own.” Vanessa smiled. “So, what do you think?”
“It’s nice,” Mel liked it more than The Lounge, which she had always found a bit too glitzy. “Really nice.”
“Lilith’s isn’t your average BDSM club. Only the best of everything. Lilith’s caters to the same sort of clientele as The Lounge. It’s no surprise that the rich and powerful like to exercise their power in other ways.”
Mel surveyed the room. There was a set of heavy wooden double doors toward the back of the club. “What’s behind those doors?”
“That leads to the private rooms upstairs. And that’s where we’re headed.”
Vanessa took off her coat, revealing a black, form-fitting dress that was cut low enough to be tantalizing while still leaving something to the imagination. And Mel’s imagination was running wild.
“But before we go up…” Vanessa looked Mel up and down. “I want to see how my gifts look on you.”
Mel untied her coat and slid it off her shoulders. Her skin prickled under Vanessa’s smoldering gaze. For a moment, Mel thought that Vanessa was going to tear off the little clothing that Mel still had on and take her then and there.
But Vanessa restrained herself. She wasn’t going to deviate from her plans. And it was clear that she did have plans. Mel fiddled with the cuffs at her wrists as Vanessa’s eyes did one
last lap over Mel’s body.
“Follow me,” Vanessa said.
Mel followed Vanessa toward the double doors. Half-naked in this huge, empty space, Mel couldn’t help but feel exposed. Vanessa pushed open the doors. They made their way up the stairs and were greeted with a long corridor with rows of doors on either side.
Vanessa opened a door at random. “Go ahead. Have a look inside.”
Mel peered into the room. The entire floor was essentially one giant bed with pillows thrown around haphazardly. It wasn’t hard to figure out what that room was for. Mel opened another door. It looked like a normal bedroom, with a king-sized bed in the middle. But one of the side walls was made up entirely of mirrors.
“They’re one-way mirrors,” Vanessa said. “There’s a viewing room next door. Some people like the taboo of being watched. Others like to watch. All parties have to consent, of course.”
Mel wandered down the corridor, opening door after door. There were rooms designed to fulfill every fantasy, from the common to the unusual. There was a classroom, a doctor’s office, a jail cell. It was like some sort of kinky hotel.
They reached the end of the hall. Mel stopped in front of a door. Unlike the others, it had a nameplate above it. The Scarlet Room. Mel reached out and turned the door handle. It was locked.
“I see you’ve found The Scarlet Room.” Vanessa walked up behind her. She had a key with a red tassel hanging from it in her hand. “You’ll get to see what’s inside in a moment.”
Mel was practically bursting out of her skin. She wanted to see what was behind that door. But she wanted Vanessa even more.
“Before we go in. What’s your safe word?”
“Velvet,” Mel said.
“Good. Remember, using your safe word isn’t a sign of weakness. When you need to use it, use it.”
“Okay.” The seriousness of Vanessa’s expression told Mel that this command was more important than any of the others Vanessa had given her.
“One last thing. Do you trust me?”
