Chapter 58: FIFTY - EIGHT

CELESTIA

I made Alec drive me down a few kilometers away from the infamous Vegas strip while I followed the navigation discreetly on my phone. Once or twice, he might have doubted the route as he gave a glance one from the rear mirror, but constant assurance did the trick.

I wondered if Raffaele would have called on my lies within a second, and perhaps I did not have much resistance to fib to him as well.

“Are you sure this is the place you want to take a walk?” Alec asked, pulling up in a non designated parking place.

“I have been here with Oscar before,” I lied. “By the way, you will find parking behind that building. Why don’t you drop me here and come back?”

“Miss, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Look, I’ll be right there, waiting for you,” I said, pointing at a seating arrangement. Then, without giving him a chance to reply, I hopped out of the car.

Once I was entirely out of his line of sight, I dashed away to haul the nearest cab and disappear before he could track me down. My escape was not very well thought because I had no idea what reason I could conjure for this disappearance act. But indecision was the new normal of my life. And so was playing with danger.

Heaving a deep exhale, I slowly righted the dress and stepped out of the cab. My heart pounded as I stared at the door of BDSM Club — Club Eclipse. It’s probably nothing, I tried to pep talk myself.

As someone who lived under the thumb of a parent and has never done anything remotely adventurous, how did I land up here?

Pushing aside the turbulent thoughts, I shoved open the door. Unlike other clubs, there were no bouncers around or an insane crowd. Instead of the den of sin as I had expected, the small entry was dismally bland. A handful of people strolled about, some in skimpy clothes and leather outfits. Only there was a short queue of three people who were paying a woman behind the desk and signed some papers.

“Hi, welcome to Club Eclipse. I need the membership card for signing in,” a short-haired blonde receptionist beamed brightly than the red highlights on her head.

“Umm. I am not exactly a member.”

“Oh. In that case, do you want me to give you the membership form or visitor’s form?”

Now, what is that supposed to mean?

“If I take the visitor’s form, what am I going to miss?”

She propped her elbows and leaned into the desk? “Well, for starters, no dungeon or impact play. But you can definitely see around, socialize and have fun.” She threw me a saucy wink and slid a paper. “Fifty bucks, and I am going to need to see an ID.”

“Right.” I reverted the smile, with all the details she required, and breezed further into the place.

Christ. The view revealed and almost took my breath away. The air was redolent with cologne, leather, sweat, and sex. It was everything I had read online and seen pictures of, only the live experience was twice startling.

People were unapologetically half-naked, presumably submissives, while their dominants were remarkably bold.

I walked around the place, slowly, trying very hard not to gawk. It was difficult, though, when a man strolled past wearing nothing but a harness around his crotch and a leash, handled by a woman.

A few feet away, dark wooden tables and chairs dotted the center of the long room. Even the provision of a small dance floor was made in the corner, while the bar was to the left.

Somewhat normal. A well-balanced interior of both kink and general stuff.

In another corner, a station was where a man flogged a petite woman who took great pleasure in her whipping and moaned like a cat in heat. The scene flared a vision of the night when Raffaele’s stinging slaps reddened my backside. Involuntarily, my thighs squeezed together to accommodate the flair of surging heat between my legs.

Shaking away the thought, I darted towards the bar and ordered a drink. Alcohol might just be the perfect thing right now.

“Andrea, I’d like an Auchentoshan Three Wood, neat, please.” A deep baritone reverberated through the mildly crowded place as my head snapped in that direction.

A man, in an old fashioned white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and washed-out jeans, whose gaze magnetically locked with mine, smiled. For someone in a BDSM club, he looked both charming and slightly out-dressed.

“How’s the place for the first time?” he asked with a confident smirk on his lips that reminded me of Raffaele again.

“I am not—what makes you think it’s my first time?” I quipped.

The corner of his eyes crinkled. “Other than your quick defensive answer? I am also one of the club owners, and I happen to know the members, both submissives and dominants, quite well.”

“Oh. All of them?”

“All of them,” he agreed. “So what brings you here, Miss?”

“Jessica, Jessica Woods,” I quickly supplied.

“Right. So what brings you here, Miss Woods? You are quite brave if I must add.”

I gave a nervous look around and shrugged, trying to seem casual. “I was just intrigued. You didn’t tell me your name, Mr. Owner.”

“Jay.”

“Nice to meet you, Jay,” I said, tipping up my glass.

“I can assure you the pleasure is all mine.” The bartender served him the drink as he provided a quick effusive thanks. “So, did anyone refer the club to you?”

“Not exactly.” I shook my head. “I looked it up online. Since I am in Vegas, I thought I’d give it a try. By the way, for a BDSM club, this place has quite a review.”

Jay laughed boyishly at the compliment. “What can I say? A PR team pays off.” He took a slow sip of his drink and conversed. “I stand by my earlier statement, you are quite a brave woman, Miss. Abigail Woods. You looked for a kink club online and popped in without care and alone. That’s gutsy, even for a city like Vegas.”

Gutsy? Hmm. Trying falling for a man you cannot ever have.

“Well, there is no harm in trying,” I replied.

A moan intervened into the conversation, followed by the splash of a piece of equipment—is that a flogger?—as we collectively watched a man flanking a woman’s bare ass. Occasionally, he would stroke her inner thighs with the leather strands, up and down, each time moving closer to the V between her legs. She moaned and wriggled relentlessly.

Setting down the drink, I inhaled slowly, trying to damp the excitement sizzling through me.

“So did you have a tour around, or would you like one?” Jay’s voice brought me back to the surface as I exhaled. “Relax, you may refuse if you are uncomfortable or bail out any time you want. For a first-timer, the place can be a little overwhelming.”

Overwhelming would be an understatement. What the hell was I thinking?

But what was the harm in seeing? Besides, this guy, Jay, seemed harmless.

“I would actually like to see around,” I acquiesced brightly.

Getting off the barstool, I followed his suit and strolled towards another section of the club.

And we talked as we explored.

“Have you ever tried BDSM? At home, perhaps?” he asked. “Having the boyfriend restrain your hands and spanking your ass?” My breath sped up with the flood of memories.

I shook my head wildly. “No, no.”

“Very new then.” He nodded. “There is no need to be ashamed, Abigail. Modesty has no place in our lifestyle.”

As he said that, a woman passed by—collared, leashed, and wearing nothing but something kind of jewelry on her…nipples. Oh, my.

“Everything is a little too…strong.” I gave a small nervous laugh.

“It’s alright. Come, I want you to meet the other owner of the club,” he said, reaching a floor above with lesser whimpers and moans. “He is a childhood friend and a gentleman beyond measure. And he will definitely appreciate your presence.”

When he reached a heavily polished door, a flash of déjà vu crossed my mind. It reminded me of that time at Club Cosmos when I bumped into Raffaele.

Get him out of your damn mind, Celestia.

Jay pushed the door and held it open for me to enter first. And when I did, the blood in my veins froze, muscles twitched, and a voice in my head told me to run. But I couldn’t. As if my legs were cemented to the ground.

Raffaele.

He was there.

Behind a large office desk, he sat all proud and regal.

“Welcome to Club Eclipse, Celestia.” The rich baritone echoed.

RAFFAELE

The sight of her took my breath away.

She looked...beyond perfect. A strong woman who pranced into my life with spark and fire threatened to burn my very existence to the ground.

I slowly stood from behind the desk, almost wincing at how fucking hard it made my cock ache. The damn woman had cast a spell on me.

Celestia blinked. Watching those intoxicating bambi eyes, my heart was full. There was extreme happiness and hurt mingled in her expression, and all I wanted was to obliterate those.

Celestia was mine.

She could exist anywhere across the world, transported to another fucking planet, and she would still remain mine.

I slowly smiled. “Welcome to Club Eclipse, Celestia.” I turned to my friend slightly. “Did she like the tour, Jay?”

“She did,” he confirmed. “But I would insist on a practical demonstration, Rafe. And also there is a matter of her punishment. Faking ID into the club? You know we have strict rules about that.”

I appreciated him playing along when I had already anticipated the arrival of Celestia. Turned out, Amadeo’s plan of hacking into her system and men stationed outside her door worked out very well.

Nodding, I chuckled mildly. “I will take care of the matter, thank you.”

“Now, you are in good hands,” he told Celestia, who was too unnerved to speak, and left.

When the door closed, it was just us like it was meant to be.

Rounding the table, I crossed the distance in a few strides and cupped the sides of her face. The feel of her silken skin under my touch, the caress of her neck and throat, and across the top of her push-up bra—it was beautiful.

Smiling, I brought my lips to her ears and felt her shiver. “Before I strip you down and redden your backside for being so stupid and brave, I need to tell you something. I have missed you, Celestia. I have missed you more than anything else in the world.

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