Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

S elena

"You will be punished severely…"

The brusque statement lingered on one side of my brain, the command that he'd issued on the other.

Master.

The word alone represented so many things I hated. What I learned after only a short time was that it meant something different to every couple.

It also angered me.

However, not enough that I wasn't tingling all the way to my toes.

As Valerio had guided me through various areas, I learned quickly that things weren't always what they seemed. Plus, intermixed with the guests dressed to the nines, as my mother would call it, there were others where the submissive partner was wearing costumes. Some were kitties. Some were dressed as puppies. There were also witches and rabbits but almost all were wearing a collar of some sort, leashes attached to a huge ring.

"How big is this place?" I asked, sounding so innocent I wanted to cringe.

"Several thousand square feet with offshoot locations in a few other buildings for the more… drastically charged kinks."

"Such as?"

Valerio tipped his head, studying me briefly before grabbing our drinks for a bartender who was friendly yet subdued.

"Are you certain you're ready to know? There are some acts many people still consider heinous, even though the practices have been around for centuries."

I wasn't but I refused to allow him to think I was uncomfortable. "You might be surprised how few things bother me."

"Mmmm…" He led us further away and toward a room painted all red. Inside were people watching erotic dancers and nothing more. Their moves were beautiful, highly evocative. For a few seconds he remained silent, allowing me to bask in the moment. "Blood play. Knife play. Breath play. Fire cupping. We cater to almost every kink to be experienced, although with many, we require a true, trained master be used or at minimum be present. We are all about safety at the Royal Players Club."

Okay, I had to admit that all four were fascinating but also terrifying. "All these people have agreed to be here?"

"What do you think, cupcake? That those in collars and on leashes were abducted from their normal lives?"

I glanced up at him, unable to keep a wry smile from my face. "You mean other than present company?"

"You, my sweet treat, are something else altogether. Yes, everyone wants to be here. Some of the resort members bring their own guests, whether it be their wives or husbands, or a submissive they regularly play with. Others prefer to be matched with the perfect choice based on their needs."

"Interesting. I assume you employ these for hire people?"

"We do and they are the most highly trained people in the industry. Only the best for our clients. Are you interested?"

I laughed nervously as I slid my hand through my hair. "I doubt you'd allow that."

"And you would be correct. You are mine. At least for the duration of our stay here." His words were possessive, full of unbridled desire and capable of making my panties wet.

If I'd been allowed to wear any.

I shifted, feeling the dress sliding back and forth across my naked ass. Not wearing any undergarments was filthy and naughty.

And kept me thoroughly aroused.

"So many people. I never knew," I said as I scanned the area. He slowly led us away, milling through the crowd.

"BDSM is a huge industry, Selena. While often still looked down upon, it allows the kind of freedom the most powerful people in the country can find no other way."

I nodded, trying to take in the different people. The submissives never made eye contact with anyone but their masters.

Some were forced to walk on their hands and knees, others simply required to trail behind their masters. I found myself gawking at them, wondering what it was like to be required to crawl on the floor. My behavior wasn't polite, but no one seemed to mind. However, I couldn't help but notice just about everyone in the room was watching the two of us.

There was no doubting who were the most powerful men in the rooms, their aura and their prowess unmistakable.

There were also plenty of female dominants, their submissives hanging on their every word.

"What do you think?" Valerio asked as he led me to one of the alcoves. He'd done so on purpose, the station meant for flogging only.

As a man dressed in an expensive tux reared back with a dangerous-looking four-tailed leather thing in his hand, I sucked in my breath. I didn't notice I was absently sliding the tips of my fingers down the side of my neck, doing my best to keep from hyperventilating.

From excitement.

"What is that?"

"It's called a tawse or a flogger," he answered. "There are many shapes and sizes. It all depends on what you're trying to accomplish."

As the man brought down the tawse down three times, the girl crying out in pleasure, I found myself panting with desire. What was that about? Sure, I'd had fantasies about alphas but I couldn't actually want this. Right?

"You would look beautiful wearing my stripes, cupcake."

His voice was both chilling and enthralling. He shifted behind me, easing strands of hair behind my shoulders.

I closed my eyes, doing nothing more than listening to the sound as the man continued to flog her.

"So beautiful."

What was I supposed to say?

After watching the event for another minute or so, I turned around, breathing heavily.

"Don't worry. You won't be required to experience anything you're not ready for. Come, there's much more to see."

Once again, Valerio took my hand, but we were caught by a man and his kitty cat submissive moving in front of us on purpose.

The woman was very young, easily enough to be his daughter. While dressed impeccably, the man was nothing to write home about.

"Well, well," the man said as he stroked his kitty's hair. He held out his hand for a handshake, giving me a solid onceover. I had a sense it was very unusual for Valerio to be seen with anyone.

I'll be damned if the man's submissive wasn't purring, rubbing her cheek against his leg. That was not something I could do.

"Jameson Gold," Valerio said as he accepted the gesture. "How is your stay?"

"As always, magical. I'm surprised to see you with someone. She is quite the lovely creature."

"Yes, she is. How is business?"

"Amazing. You should come by with your father sometime. I know he's been through rough times with usual enemies and sadly, continuing with his health. Very disconcerting. Maybe when he's feeling better…"

As soon as Jameson made the statement, I sensed Valerio tense.

"Yes," he said. "I'm certain Pops would like that and he's a tough bird. Please, enjoy your evening and let any one of our staff know if you need anything."

Jameson narrowed his eyes. "I will."

Valerio started to pull me away.

"Incidentally, Valerio. I was equally concerned to hear about the threats made to the firm. It's a shame what people need to resort to."

"Yes, it is. Any idea who's behind them?"

Jameson leaned forward. "Rumor mill is that it's one of your dad's oldest friends."

Old friends. I sucked in my breath. Was it possible my father and his father had been friends?

"Fascinating. Good night, Jameson." He led me away, doing his best to act as if what Jameson had said hadn't bothered him.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing to concern you, Selena, just business. Come, I have one of my favorite rooms."

I could tell he was very concerned about both snippets of information. If the person threatening was an old friend, that certainly wasn't my father. Not that my dad would ever be involved in something of that nature. Actual threats?

Why did I have the feeling Valerio had planned on requiring me to surrender to some filthy act? And why were my nipples hard?

He was greeted by a half dozen other guests, but never by any submissive.

"I couldn't be silent that long," I told him as he led me down a wide corridor.

Laughing, he gripped my arm, guiding me toward one of the closed doors. "You might be surprised."

"And being forced to wear a kitty outfit? Or to pretend like I was a dog? Not a chance. How could women do that to themselves?"

"No judging, cupcake. That's one rule you must follow. And as I said, you might be surprised the number of people who find complete euphoria when surrendering to their master in every way."

"But why?"

"Why?" He opened a room, ushering me inside. "The why is easy, my sweet creature. The most powerful people in the world often can't relax. They feel they can't let their hair down, or at least the savvy ones don't. They also need inspiration and often it comes in the form of sexual energy. If they're dominant in the boardroom, many would prefer completely letting go when it comes to their fantasies."

"Is that what you want?"

When he flicked on a series of pinpoint LED lights, I was taken aback by the various apparatuses in the room. I recognized the cross but everything else was foreign to me.

"I'm a dominant through and through."

"Are you sadistic?"

As he closed the door behind us, I had a sense of being taken into a vacuum. "Yes, I am, but only with those women who enjoy being my masochist."

"Why in God's name would they accept that?" I backed further into the room, feeling completely overwhelmed by my surroundings.

"Because for some pain can truly bring the greatest pleasure."

"No way."

"Yes, my cupcake. Trust me."

"Trust is earned." I continued backing away, a lump forming in my throat.

He had no intention of letting me go far, matching every step with a longer stride. I felt pinned in, wanting to run, although I knew that would be silly thing to do. He wasn't planning on hurting me.

Or so I wanted to believe.

"Yes, which is why we're in this room."

"Are you planning on humiliating me in front of your derelict buddies?"

His grin could have lit up the room. "First of all, there are two rules that my brothers and I stick to. We aren't friends with any of the guests, and two, we don't fraternize with any of our employees. That keeps things cleaner. And lastly, I wouldn't share you with any man in this facility or any other. You are far too precious."

"Precious? Ah, plying me with compliments now, I see. I must tell you that whatever you think you're going to accomplish, you will fail. I'm not an easy girl." I was suddenly against a massive wooden cabinet, trying not to stare at the various implements of torture.

At least that's what I liked to think about them.

"I never said you were. You're going to surrender tonight willingly so you can learn that trust can exist between us."

Was he fucking out of his mind?

"Trust? You bring me to this island under false pretenses, have yet to share whatever deal you have planned, but you want me to trust you. Not only am I not certain I could, I wouldn't know how. Besides, you're a sadist."

"That's why I'm here, to help guide you." He gripped my chin, his fingers digging in. "Look into my eyes, Selena. Do you think I'm the kind of man who has any intention of harming something so beautiful?"

He was forcing me to study his eyes and as they burned into mine, I wanted nothing more than to rid myself of the feeling of excitement. "This shit hurts. You can't lie."

"Yes, as I said, pain brings pleasure. Or as some people have expressed, pure ecstasy. Isn't that something you've dreamt about your entire adult life?"

"Never."

"You can't lie to me. Take a look around you. These are powerful moments shared between couples."

"We're not a couple."

"Not yet."

My God. His arrogance was even worse when he was in his element. Maybe he thought he was king of the hill.

Or of the world.

"Never. Get that through your head."

"Tell me you're not interested." He lowered his head much like he'd done before, only this time doing nothing more than breathing in my perfume. At least at first. When he ran his palms down my sides, curling the hem of the dress he'd made me wear in his fingers, I shivered.

From red-hot heat.

"Don't lie to me because I will know it and that's one rule you must follow. You will never lie to me."

I was about to spout off the question of what he thought were the others, but I thought better of it. I dug deep and what I found I didn't like. "Fine. Yes. Maybe. But not with you."

"Yes, with me. Take a leap of faith."

"I don't want to be tied to that ugly cross."

"I have no intention of it. Do you see that swing behind me?"

I flitted my gaze around his arm. "Yeah."

"Does that look particularly harmful or dangerous to you?"

In truth, no, it did not. "Fine. No."

"Good girl," he said and as soon as he did, beads of perspiration tickled the area between my breasts. "Then are you willing to learn the art of trust as well as simple elements of surrender?"

So much of me wanted to say no but why was I hesitating? I had experienced fantasies over the years, times when I'd wanted a rough man to not only be more dominating but to treat me like his good girl. What did I have to lose? "No one is going to be watching?"

"No one would dare enter this room."

He did have this planned. "If I say yes?"

"Then you must go through the simple exercise, but I promise you that I will provide you with incredible pleasure."

"While trusting you."

"Yes."

I closed my eyes. God, I both hated and craved this man. Could there be any more of a dangerous combination? "Fine. Yes."