The Dom's Deal: A Dark Contemporary BDSM Romance (The Pleasure Wars Book 1)

by Harper West

  Apparently that was what I had to look forward to when it came to this 'marriage'.

  Still, I'd gotten a check out of it, and a big one at that. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had so much money not spoken for. I deposited it the very next day and wrote Evan a check for that month's rent and the next.

  I took great pleasure in walking right up to him and handing it over with a smile.

  He looked at the check and then looked at me, squinting like he was confused. "Is this a real check?"

  "Yes, it's a real check," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Why would I give you a fake check?"

  "If I cash this, it's not going to bounce?"

  "No, Evan, it's not going to bounce. I got a bonus at work, so I'm paying rent early for next month. That's good, right?"

  "Of course it's good," he said. "I'm just surprised. I wasn't expecting you to be able to do it."

  Probably he'd already been thinking about relisting my apartment for rent, the bastard. Well, whatever, that was taken care of.

  I paid all my bills early, too, and still had plenty left over to treat myself to some fancier things at the grocery store and two nights in a row where I ordered delivery from my favorite restaurants instead of having noodles or rice and beans.

  I could breathe. I could afford to treat myself. And when this money was gone, Killian would just give me more. It was amazing to think about.

  I'd feel worse about the whole thing if he wasn't getting something out of it, too. It wasn't charity, it was an arrangement. I was playing my part, and there was a whole list of shit I had to do to be his wife, so it all worked out in the end.

  I tried not to think too hard about the kinky sex stuff. A blow job here and there wasn't a big deal, and I was even prepared to let him fuck me if he wanted to because I was pretty sure he was going to be good at it.

  The bondage and domination or whatever was a whole different story, and I'd tackle that when we got to it.

  Before I had to worry about any of that, there was the actual marriage to deal with.

  Killian wasn't exactly a public figure, even if he was filthy rich. He came from a long line of rich people, but he hadn't invented anything or been on TV much or anything like that. So, it wasn't like we had to have a big, fancy wedding.

  In fact, the actual marriage was pretty unremarkable as these things went.

  I met him at the courthouse on the thirty first of the month, and we had a small ceremony that was mostly us saying 'I do' and then signing things to make it official.

  It was more of a business transaction than a wedding, which made sense considering our whole 'marriage' was a business transaction.

  I opted not to change my name, of course, and we were in and out in a little over an hour.

  I expected to feel... I don't know. Different.

  Marriage was one of those things that was supposed to change a person, I'd heard, but I felt the same. I was a married woman for the next year, but I still felt like me, which was both as relief and a little bit of a letdown.

  "Oh," Killian said as we walked out of the courthouse, heading for the car. "I almost forgot. Here."

  He pulled a small velvet box out of his jacket pocket and held it out to me.

  "What's this for?"

  "You're my wife now," he said. "You have to have something to show for it."

  I flipped the box open, and there nestled inside was a ring. It was beautiful and nowhere near as ostentatious as I would have expected from someone like Killian.

  The band was platinum or maybe silver, bright and polished, and there were three glittering stones set into it. They were a pale green color, instead of diamonds, and I glanced up at him, confused.

  "Peridots," he explained. "You don't strike me as the type to be traditional, and your birthday is in August. And they sort of match your eyes."

  "That's... surprisingly thoughtful of you," I said, lifting the ring out of the box and sliding it onto my finger. It felt odd to have it there.

  Killian shrugged. "You have to have something to make it clear you're taken, and I figured you'd accept this easier than a collar." He grinned wickedly at me, and I was right back to wanting to punch him in the face.

  Still, it was nice of him to consider my preferences. He could have stuck me with anything, and I'd have to wear it as part of the arrangement.

  I'd leave the ring at home when I went to class or work, but if he wanted me to go out with him, I'd slip it on. It would be easy.

  For the first few days, it was easy.

  Killian left me alone for the most part. Aside from a text here or there calling me 'Mrs. Abernathy' just to be annoying, he didn't seem to have much to say. I went to class and to the coffee shop, and my friends and coworkers all commented on me being in a better mood.

  Laura beamed when I told her I'd figured a few things out, and she raised an eyebrow and leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. "Does it have anything to do with Mr. Silent who was in here the other day?"

  I blushed, giving myself away before I could even come up with a lie, and she clapped her hands, clearly delighted.

  "I knew something was going to turn around for you," she said. "You don't have to tell me any of the details."

  "It's nothing weird, Laura," I insisted, even though it definitely was.

  She just kept smiling, not bothered at all. "I don't need to know, Ash. I'm just glad you seem to be doing better."

  Having fewer things to worry about did great things for my mood.

  At least until the afternoon Killian came walking into The Jumping Bean looking too smug for my liking.

  Luckily, it was during the lull, and Laura was in the bathroom for her millionth bathroom break that day. Being pregnant seemed hard.

  I glared at him, all ready to hate whatever it was he was going to say.

  "Is that the face you show your husband when he comes to visit you at work?" he asked, grinning widely.

  "Shut up," I hissed. "What do you want?"

  "Are you busy this weekend?"

  "I don't know. No. Why?"

  "Because there's somewhere I want to take you."

  "And you couldn't have texted or called me to tell me this?"

  He shrugged, looking unbothered. "I could have, but I had a meeting in the area, and I wanted coffee."

  I rolled my eyes. "What do you want?" Somehow, I got the feeling I was going to be asking him that a lot.

  "A medium latte," he said. "And for you to wear something nice on Friday. Something sexy."

  He was lucky I didn't throw coffee all over him.

  "Wear something sexy,” he’d said. He used that tone he got when he expected to be obeyed, and I was half tempted to put on a pair of jeans and a ratty old t-shirt just to spite him. But clearly, he was taking me somewhere fancy enough that I'd stand out too much if I did that.

  When I'd reminded him that I didn't exactly have a wardrobe suited for the types of places he liked to go, he'd given me a considering look at then handed me a credit card.

  Just like that.

  It was burning a hole in my pocket all the way home, and I had no idea what he expected me to do with it. Well, I mean. I knew what he wanted me to do with it, but I'd never just been handed a credit card before.

  I was sure the limit on it was something absurd. Twelve times the limit on mine or something. He hadn't laid down any ground rules or said anything about what I was supposed to buy, so I figured the least I could do was pick out an outfit he'd approve of.

  Or something.

  Sexy for me usually meant black. Leather was always in, at least I hoped so, and mesh topped it all off. There was a dress I'd seen online a time or two. Ordinarily I'd never have bought something like it, but this was a special occasion, and if Killian was as kinky and weird as he claimed to be, there would be plenty more occasions like it.

  So, I bought the damned dress.

  I had to admit, I looked good in it. It was floor length and black, with a leather top and mesh sle
eves. The skirt part was a loose, flowy black fabric that had slits up the sides showing off my legs all the way up to my hips.

  The top plunged down in front, and I wore my best bra, pushing my breasts up until even I got distracted looking at them in the mirror.

  I left my hair down and did some light makeup, throwing on a pair of heels to complete the outfit.

  When Killian picked me up, he gave me a slow once over and then smiled. "Acceptable," he said, and ushered me into the car.

  I rolled my eyes.

  "Oh, thank you so much for your approval," I grumbled, arranging the skirt of the dress as I sat next to him. "Where are we going, anyway?"

  "To a club I like," he answered, and didn't explain any more than that.

  God, he was infuriating. There was a smirk on his lips that made it clear he was expecting me to ask for more details, so I folded my arms and resolutely did not do that. I'd just find out when we got there.

  It was a longer drive than I was expecting, but in a little less than an hour we were pulling up to what looked like a factory of some kind.

  I was a long, squat building, all one level from what I could tell, and aside from lights leading to the parking lot and up to the front door, it was almost completely dark.

  It looked like the kind of place you went to get murdered, and I felt a shiver run down my spine when Killian got the door for me. I kind of wished I'd asked more questions.

  My heels clacked on the paved ground as I followed him up to the door, and he gave me one more once over before we reached it. "Try not to embarrass me," he said. "And if you see something you like, feel free to point it out. Tonight is about you learning what it's like to be in my world."

  It was so pretentious I just rolled my eyes again.

  We made it to the door and there was a tall man in all black standing there, a leather collar around his neck.

  "Mr. Abernathy," he said, smiling and ducking his head. "Welcome back."

  "Thank you," Killian replied. "I have a guest with me tonight. My wife, Ashlyn." He gestured to me negligently, like I was a pet he might have been talking about to a friend.

  "Oh, congratulations, Sir," the man said. "I didn't know you'd gotten married."

  "It was a private affair. This is her first time here."

  "Welcome," he said to me, doing the same little bow with his head. "I trust Mr. Abernathy has explained all the rules?"

  "I'll take care of her membership," Killian said before I could respond that he hadn't told me shit. "She'll be a model member of the club."

  "As your wife, I'd expect nothing else," he said. He knocked on the door twice and then opened it, and suddenly the sound of music heavy with bass could be heard from inside. That was some impressive sound proofing. "Have a good night, you two."

  Chapter 7

  Ash

  We stepped through the door, and it closed behind us before I could get a good look around. The music was louder inside, and we were standing in what looked like a lobby area, red carpeted and empty.

  There were rows of lockers and coat hangers along one wall, and Killian walked toward them quickly, leaving me to hustle to keep up.

  "Listen to me," he said. "I know you take some kind of pleasure in rebelling, but this isn't the place to do it. I have a reputation and people's safety and privacy are very important."

  "Okay," I said, caught off guard by his sudden seriousness.

  "Don't take any pictures of record anything. Don't touch anyone who doesn't want to be touched. If a scene is going on, you may watch but not engage, unless you're invited to. Understand?"

  "Sure," I said, nodding. My heart was racing as I put it all together. This was some kind of exclusive club that catered to people who liked the same sort of stuff Killian liked. And it wasn't about just sitting around drinking cocktails and talking about what weird stuff got them off, apparently.

  There were going to be scenes. Whatever that meant.

  I swallowed hard and put my purse in the locker with Killian's things, letting him lock them up with a key he slipped into his pocket.

  "Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm to me, and for once, I took it. Just so I had something to hold on to.

  We stepped out of the lobby and into a sprawling space that was unlike anything I'd ever seen before.

  The lighting was dim, like a regular club. There were a few tables scattered here and there, and a bar along one side where a pretty woman in a leather bustier was flipping bottles, but that was where the similarities ended.

  There were people milling about everywhere. Some of them were dressed in expensive suits or nice dresses, but a greater number were barely wearing anything at all.

  A woman skipped past us with nothing on but heels, pasties, a thong, and what looked like a pink silicone dog bone strapped between her lips. Some kind of gag, maybe?

  The music that played was a low, thrumming EDM beat, and it made everything feel... sexier, I had to admit.

  I didn't know where to look first. Past the people, there were little areas, sectioned off by velvet rope, and all the way at the back there was a stage that was currently empty.

  In the area closest to us, a girl was bent over a bench, and tall woman dressed all in red was strapping her down.

  I couldn't help but watch the scene play out as leather restraints were wrapped around each wrist and ankle, and then a belt went around her waist.

  There was no way she was getting up from that before she was let out. I caught a flash of green eyes before a blindfold was settled over her face, and the woman in red squatted down to say something to her that I couldn't hear.

  The other woman... her sub, I was guessing, nodded and smiled, and the woman stood up. She caught me looking at winked, before going over to the table set up behind her. It was neatly organized with all kinds of things, only a few I recognized. One was definitely a whip, and there were a couple of crops, and a few paddles. Things to hurt people with.

  My mouth felt dry, and I couldn't look away while the woman took her time choosing an instrument to work with.

  She was beautiful, with long dark hair. The red dress was tight in all the right places, and she moved with a confidence I was pretty sure I had never felt in my life.

  Her fingers touched each implement on the table, and he picked up one of the paddles finally. It was just wood from what I could tell, and she took it and stood behind her sub.

  I knew she was going to hit her with it, and still somehow the sound startled me. I jumped as it connected with the skin of the bound woman, and then my eyes flew to her face, somehow needing to see her reaction.

  I couldn't see her eyes with the blindfold on, but she was biting her lip, looking like she was in heaven.

  The woman in red warmed her up with a few firm swats of the paddle before she started laying into her, hitting her harder and harder until the submissive woman was crying out in pain and pleasure.

  It was almost like she could get off, just from this. She struggled in her restraints, pushing back into some swats and away from others, and when she was given a break, she sagged a bit, breathing hard.

  It wasn't over yet. The paddle went back on the table, and the woman picked up a crop.

  She walked the length of the sub's body, trailing the leather down her back. I watched her shiver and try to arch into it, only to be held back and held down by the restraints.

  The woman in red laughed and snapped the crop down right on the curve of her ass. The sound was different from the paddle, not as deep or thuddy, and there was no mistaking the low moan the other woman gave in response.

  It was weird, seeing it from this angle. All I ever saw in porn and from the way Killian had described it, the whole thing seemed like someone using a woman's pain to get off. Hurting her, using her, just for their pleasure.

  This woman was clearly getting her own pleasure from what they were doing, and it was hard to look away.

  Killian was still next to me, and honestly, I'd forgotte
n about him until he cleared his throat, making me jump.

  "I didn't expect this to be what caught your eye," he said, watching me with a curious expression on his face. "What was it you said before about how there was nothing sexy about suffering?"

  Leave it to him to throw my words back in my face and ruin the moment.

  "This is different," I told him. "She's enjoying it."

  "I know this goes against the narrow view that you have, but some people enjoy suffering. Look at her. Look at her face. She's in heaven right now, but also in a considerable amount of pain, I'd bet."

  He wasn't wrong, and it irked me that I could see it. Her ass was going to be so sore with the way her domme was currently snapping that crop against it, but she was clearly enjoying herself.

  "Come on," Killian said, steering me away from the scene. "There's more to see."

  There were more scenes like the one with the two women as we walked through. And every possible configuration of people acting them out. Men and women, men and other men, a woman and two men, and a man and three women. Sometimes the subs were female and sometimes they were male. Most of them had on collars or wrist cuffs, and my neck tingled at the thought of having a band of leather wrapped around it.

  It seemed so demeaning, but no one here seemed to have an issue with it. I didn't know what to do with that.

  "What all is allowed here?" I asked, glancing around. Everyone was pretty much clothed in some way, even if it was skimpy clothing. There were no dicks out or anything. And no one was outright fucking in the middle of all these people.

  Killian smirked, looking amused. "Out here on the main floor, mostly just this. Impact play, anything that doesn't involve bodily fluids or insertion."

  He made it sound so clinical and I made a face. "So, no sex," I clarified.

  "No sex. But downstairs, anything goes. With consent, of course."

  "Anything?"

  "Anything. As long as it's properly negotiated and it isn't illegal, you can do whatever you want."

  That blew my mind. The idea of coming to a place like this and letting others watch you have sex seemed so... I didn't even have a word for it.