Chapter 15

GRACE

PRESENT DAY

I couldn’t stop thinking about the Scarlet Rope. More specifically, I couldn’t stop thinking about Brady enjoying himself there. Because that meant there was a part of him I didn’t know about, a part of him that I was now desperate to understand.

It was a Saturday evening, a week after the first time I’d gone to the club. My parents were at dinner tonight, so there wouldn’t be any awkward explanations if I left for a few hours.

And I really, really wanted to understand why Brady had decided to join the club. He’d said he wasn’t into BDSM like Mac was, but I’d seen Brady with a whip in his hand. Had he just not wanted to be honest with me? Was he embarrassed about this newfound fetish?

I didn’t let myself think too hard. I got in my car and drove over to the club, arriving a little after 6:00 p.m. I hoped that it was early enough that there wouldn’t be a lot of people inside yet.

I also hadn’t worn anything scandalous this round. Would they even let me inside, wearing just jeans and a boring black blouse?

The man at the door gave me a look that told me that I wasn’t in the right place at all. “A&B Marketing is on the second floor,” he said, turning away.

“I’m not here for a meeting,” I stammered. “Um, I have a password.”

The bouncer looked me up and down. “Well?”

“Pineapple.”

He just gave me an annoyed look. “Incorrect. Have a nice evening, ma’am.”

“No, no, wait!” I stopped myself from grabbing the guy’s arm. “I know Brady Carmichael. And Mac Mackenzie. The Blades hockey players.”

The man rolled his eyes. Seeing I was serious, he said, “Prove it.”

I fumbled for my phone, glad I’d taken a selfie with Brady a few weeks ago to send to Kelly. I showed it to the bouncer, then showed him a few of Brady’s texts to me. I also showed him that I knew the Blades coach, although I didn’t feel inclined to mention the coach was also my dad.

“Do you believe me now?” I asked, a little frustrated.

The bouncer gave me one last look and then let me inside. “Ask for Serena,” he said as I walked past him.

I let out the breath I’d been holding as I made my way to the club’s entrance. The bouncer must’ve messaged someone inside because before I knew it, I was being ushered into a back office and told that Serena would arrive shortly.

I had no idea who this Serena person was. Was she the owner? Or was she going to call the cops on me and have me thrown out?

When a gorgeous woman entered the office wearing a pencil skirt and blazer, I was extra confused.

She looks like an accountant. Albeit a sexy one.

“Ms. Dallas,” Serena said, her voice smooth as honey. She held out her hand. “Lovely to meet you.”

“You know my name?”

Serena sat down across from me and opened her laptop. “We make it a point to know who everyone is that comes through our doors. Now, I hear that you know a few of our esteemed patrons. Although we appreciate referrals and new membership trials, please know that to enjoy everything we have to offer, you’ll have to eventually join and pay a membership fee.”

“Oh. That makes sense.”

Serena typed something and then glanced at me. “What brought you to our club? Anything in particular?”

I felt a little like I was at a store and being asked if I needed help picking out curtains. “Uh, I’m not sure. I’m just exploring my options.”

“Of course.” Serena typed for a moment. “At the Scarlet Rope, we pride ourselves on offering a variety of kinks and fetishes for our members to enjoy. Truly nothing is off-limits, as long as everyone consents beforehand.”

Her expression turned serious. “We have a zero-tolerance policy here. Anyone caught harassing or disregarding another member’s boundaries will be placed on probation and thoroughly investigated. If the member is found to be in violation, they will be removed and banned from the club entirely.”

I was impressed—and intimidated.

Serena brought out some paperwork and explained more about how the club worked and how much it would be to join. It also involved signing an NDA that she assured me was backed up by some pretty powerful attorneys.

“You guys don’t mess around,” I said jokingly.

Serena’s smile was catlike. “Indeed.”

After some more discussion, I decided to sign up for a thirty-day membership at a discounted rate. Serena assured me that if I decided the club wasn’t the right fit for me, there would be no hard feelings.

In all honesty, I wasn’t even sure I really wanted to enjoy the club as a real patron. I just wanted to understand why Brady liked this place.

After I signed what felt like a hundred documents, Serena shook my hand again and said, “Welcome to the Scarlet Rope. We’re so happy you’ve joined us.”

“Although you can wear whatever you like,” Serena had said as I was about to leave, “we usually recommend something other than jeans.”

She’d winked at me, even as I’d blushed at the gentle criticism. I drove straight to a sex shop nearby. I wondered how many club patrons also went here, but after signing that ironclad NDA, I knew I had to keep my mouth shut.

I’d never been to a sex shop before. After going inside, I nearly started giggling like an idiot at the wide array of dildos on one wall.

Some dildos looked just like penises in a variety of skin tones. Some dildos were more colorful. I picked up a sparkly purple one that seemed absurdly large.

How did anyone get that inside them? I wondered.

“Do you need help looking for anything?” the store clerk asked. She had pink hair, a bunch of piercings, and arms covered in tattoos.

I placed the purple dildo back. “Uh, just some lingerie. I think.”

The clerk showed me to their clothing section. I was impressed at the sheer variety: not just lingerie, but all kinds of costumes. Sexy maids, sexy nurses, sexy teachers, sexy scientists, and even sexy clowns.

I went through the racks, wondering what Brady would like. I ended up picking out a skimpy leather dress, lacy black panties, and some stilettos with spikes on the heels.

If I wanted to join a sex club, I needed to look the part.

But with my purchases in hand, I didn’t want to go home. The last thing I needed was my parents asking me questions.

I called Kelly. She’d been so busy with grad school that we hadn’t seen each other in weeks. I also hadn’t told her about all my recent exploits.

Fortunately, Kelly was free and told me to come straight to her place for some wine and a nice long chat.

When I brought my purchases inside, Kelly pulled them out of the bags and gaped at me. “Girl, what the hell?”

I just laughed. “I have so much to tell you.”

I then told her all about Brady, the Scarlet Rope, and everything in between. Kelly was so focused on me that she didn’t even drink her glass of wine. When I’d finished, Kelly was shaking her head.

“Holy shit, woman,” she kept saying. “This does not sound like the Grace I know.”

“The Grace you know was boring,” I groused.

Kelly chuckled. “Maybe. And I’m not criticizing you either. I’m just impressed.” Kelly picked up her glass of wine and proceeded to drink it in a few quick gulps. “Want another glass? Because I need one.”

After a little more wine, we were both tipsy and laughing like lunatics. Kelly and I had met back in high school and had stayed in touch through college. She’d always been way more adventurous than me.

As teens, Kelly had been the one getting caught smoking and drinking. When she’d gotten suspended for spray-painting the side of our high school, I’d nearly had a heart attack. Kelly had been unfazed.

“I get to stay home from school? Awesome,” she’d said with her usual grin.

Fortunately, she’d given up her criminal ways when she’d gone to college. When she’d decided to get a master’s in psychology right after undergrad, I’d been shocked. That decision had seemed so ... grown up.

But this Kelly, laughing and making inappropriate jokes? This was the Kelly I recognized.

“You need to try this on!” Kelly said, holding up the dress I’d bought.

“I already did at the store.”

“So! I want to see it.” Kelly shooed me into her bedroom and told me not to come out until I’d put the outfit on.

I did as she said, coming out and giving a little twirl.

“Are you wearing granny panties?” Kelly demanded.

“I never wear new underwear without washing it first,” I replied primly.

“What a Grace thing to say.”

At that, I suddenly felt self-conscious. “Is it too much? Do I look stupid?”

“What? No way! You look hot as fuck. If I were gay, I’d hit on you.”

“Thank you. I think.”

Kelly’s eyes widened. “Do you think you can get me an invite? I’ve never been to a sex club.”

“Maybe? I can ask.”

Kelly was giddy at the thought. Strangely enough, I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted Kelly to join.

The Scarlet Rope was my thing. Did I really want to share this new adventure with my best friend?

I knew I was being selfish. But Kelly was also the type to do something just because it would make a hilarious story later. The club wasn’t a joke to me.

The club was a place where I could get to know the man I’d been obsessed with for the past ten years. A place where I might be able to unlock why he was so insistent that we could never be together, no matter how attracted we were to each other.

The next time I entered the Scarlet Rope, I was a member. Wearing the outfit I’d bought at the sex store along with a mask Kelly had given me, I felt confident.

Sexy. Alluring. And not at all the shy virgin I was used to feeling like.

I could feel gazes on me—both male and female—and instead of feeling awkward, I felt empowered.

Was this why Brady liked coming here? I’d been so focused on what Brady liked that I hadn’t considered what I liked.

Maybe I’d discover some things about myself that I’d never expected to find.

But I also knew I needed to be careful walking in these stilettos. I nearly face-planted when I started walking toward the long hallway. I caught myself in the nick of time, laughing it off when a man and a woman stopped to help me.

“I didn’t see that bump in the rug,” I said, waving a hand.

The woman cocked her head to the side. “A bump?” She looked down at the floor and frowned. “I don’t see anything.”

I didn’t stay to explain. The last thing I needed was to gain a reputation as a total klutz instead of the sexy, mysterious woman I wanted to portray.

I was soon distracted by all the scenes. I passed by a large orgy, and then I saw a man tied up and hanging from the ceiling as another man sucked him off.

I stopped in front of a threesome with one woman and two men. I watched as both men fucked the woman: one man under her, one man on top of her.

The woman was moaning and writhing as two huge dicks pounded into her. A flush rose on my cheeks as I watched.

I’d never even considered doing something like that. It was hard to believe people enjoyed threesomes like this outside of staged porn.

The two men kept fucking the woman until she started shaking. The man on top had to pull out when the woman came so hard that she squirted.

“Oh my God!” the woman kept saying over and over again. She started coming again only moments later. Her entire body was flushed. The man underneath her pulled her hair back and sucked on the side of her neck as his hips moved faster and faster.

Standing there, watching this, I felt like I was feverish. I pressed a hand to my cheek. When a man next to me caught my eye, he shot me a devilish smile that, to my surprise, went straight to my pussy.

Christ, I’d had no idea I could be so horny. And, of course, the thought of sex inevitably made me think about sleeping with Brady, and I had to tear my gaze away from the threesome scene to catch my breath.

My heart was pounding so hard that I felt a little dizzy. I found a quiet, dark corner to take a few deep breaths. I felt overwhelmed, confused, and, most of all, extremely turned on.

I went to the bathroom to press a cold paper towel against my forehead. After washing my hands, I returned outside, telling myself that I should definitely get a drink before things got too out of hand.

As I passed by what felt like hundreds of people, I wondered how everyone could seem so cool and collected. Or had they been here so many times that they weren’t discombobulated by what they saw?

I went to the bar and ordered a vodka cranberry, my latest obsession, along with an ice water for good measure.

After drinking the water down so fast I gave myself a brain freeze, I started sipping my cocktail, and a man sat down next to me.

He was dressed in black pants and a white shirt, the collar open. He looked like he’d come straight from his office and had just taken off his tie before he’d arrived.

He also didn’t wear a mask. He was handsome, his jaw chiseled, his dark hair curling a bit. When he smiled at me, I couldn’t help but smile back.

“I’ve never seen you here before,” he said smoothly. He glanced at my drink. “Would you like another drink once you finish that one?”

“Maybe. We’ll see what happens.”

His eyes flashed at my flirtatious tone. He leaned closer to me, and I could smell his cologne, a woodsy scent.

“I’m into pain,” he said, nearly making me choke on my drink in surprise. “Do you have a favorite kink?”

“Um. I’m not sure. I’m still discovering what I like.” After a pause, I asked, “You like giving pain? Receiving?”

“Giving. Definitely giving.”

I cocked my head to the side. “I’m curious. How did you figure that out? Was it something you were always interested in, or did it surprise you when you decided it was your kink of choice?”

The man chuckled. “Is this an interview?”

I flushed. “Sorry. I’m just insanely curious.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. I think it’s adorable.” His smile was warm, with an edge to it that made me want to shiver.

“I’ve always liked being in control,” he said. “But it was an ex that introduced me to BDSM. She was into it, and then one day, she told me we should try it. That was when I realized that I liked giving pain and hated receiving it.”

“Do you ever feel like you’ve gone too far? Or like you’ve tried one thing, and now you have to level up?”

His expression was thoughtful. “When I was younger and wilder, yes. But I’ve learned to appreciate that it’s not about leveling up. It’s about everyone receiving pleasure and fulfillment through pain. And that takes a lot of practice and self-control to master.”

He continued, “Would you be interested in a demonstration? We’d start slowly since you’re new at this. Perhaps we could see if you like the Saint Andrew’s cross.”

I was about to ask him what that was when my companion was suddenly pulled backward in his chair. A forearm was pressed against his throat.

And then Brady’s voice said, “Put one fucking finger on her, and you’ll wish you’d never been born.”