Chapter Two

Finley

" W ho's that?" Finley elbowed Lucy, his eyes glued to the man, his jaw slack.

"Master Kage. He works as a Dom here. I told you it's your lucky day. From all the wonderful Doms who come here regularly, Master Kage is one of the club's favourites."

"Right. I can see that." The cloth in his hand squeaked against the spotless glass he was mindlessly cleaning. But his gaze followed the man in low-slung leather trousers and a black shirt so tight the buttons were threatening to pop. Master Kage acknowledged the people around him with a nod, greeting the bouncers and the floor security as he reached the raised platform. On it stood a rolling table and a padded bench screwed to the floor. A woman in a pink corset and a high blonde ponytail was busy organising items on the table. Master Kage approached her, tilted his head, and inspected the laid-out instruments. With a nod, he thanked her and said something quietly. A blush crept up her cheeks and she cast her gaze down as she replied, then promptly left the stage.

Finley's only experiences with the BDSM scene were several house parties in his early twenties, but he'd never taken an active part in the kinky stuff. He was aware that every professional came in different shapes and sizes, but he still expected a Dom in a club like this to be a big, snarling bloke with a mean expression on his face.

Master Kage was as far from that schema as possible. The confidence of his movements, coupled with the impeccable respect he showed towards patrons and fellow workers, put him in a league of his own. He dominated the room with class and style, without a hint of arrogance. The way the crowd looked upon him with awe, stepping aside with a smile and bowed heads, showed that he'd earned his reputation.

The most mesmerising thing about this man was his eyes—their shape indicative of his Asian lineage, and with a look so piercing Finley's skin broke out in goosebumps when Master Kage's passing glance landed on him from across the room. His expression was serious; nearly business-like as he prepared the stage, checking the leather belts attached to the bench, and rolling the table closer. He reached for a pair of black surgical gloves from a box atop it and snapped them on. His forearm muscles flexed as he folded his sleeves up to his elbow.

A young man ascended the platform, his gaze cast downwards. This shy gesture defied the sure steps he was taking towards the bench. A white corset adorned his waist, and the only other item of clothing he wore was a pair of white knee-high socks.

The music had been discreetly lowered in volume, yet was still loud enough to afford them an illusion of privacy. Although, Finley imagined that might be the last thing on someone's mind as they were preparing for a scene in the middle of a club. He couldn't hear what Master Kage was saying, but the young man was blushing all the way to his ears. Without hesitation, he took his Master's hand and lay back on the bench as instructed. The Dom kept talking to his Sub throughout the process of strapping his ankles to the legs of the bench, then securing his wrists above his head with a rope. He threaded it through one of the steel hoops embedded in the wall. The result was a beautiful display of the Sub's lean body and the Dom's gentle manner. Finley didn't know which aroused him more.

Lucy appeared next to him and he startled, suddenly realising how hypnotised he'd been by what was happening onstage. Fuck. He was at work. Frantically, he swept his gaze over the clientele, only to see no one was queuing.

"Don't worry," Lucy said. "When Master Kage is on stage, people don't think of getting drinks often. Just watch. Enjoy it. I'll keep an eye on the bar."

"Thanks." Finley cleared his throat and reached for a glass of water. Fucking hell, he was parched.

"You need to get used to the sight if you'll be the floor security too." Lucy winked at him and swivelled on her heel.

Finley downed half of the glass as he watched Master Kage adjust steel nipple clamps on the Sub. His long fingers teased the dark buds and the young man arched his back, his eyes fluttering closed. The groan Finley heard filled him with embarrassment as he realised it had come from him.

"He's something special, isn't he?" Lucy smirked with a knowing look.

What the hell? Was he so sex-starved that watching other people turned him on so much? Then again, he'd always enjoyed sneaking a peak at people gyrating at a club, or snogging and groping at a party. But those events had been few and far between in the last two decades. He'd been turned on by men before, even if he'd rarely followed through with that attraction. But the pull towards the Dom was so intense, it was downright scary.

"Uh huh," Finley agreed without moving his gaze from Master Kage's hand, reaching for a riding crop.

It was like watching a play in the theatre—him leading the scene, the Sub reacting to his every move, a conversation based on touch rather than words.

Master Kage walked around the young man, tracing the riding crop over his clamped nipples, then on the inside of his parted thighs. Finley shifted his stance wider as his hard cock hurt in his tight trousers.

A lock of Master Kage's black hair fell over his forehead, shining in the overhead lightning of the stage. How soft would his hair feel sliding between Finley's fingers?

With gentle movements, the Dom smacked the Sub's thigh with the riding crop several times, and he writhed in his bindings, his cock bouncing on his abdomen, pre-cum shining at the tip.

Master Kage leaned down and whispered into the Sub's ear while massaging his balls with the flat leather of the crop. When he straightened up, he wrapped his fingers around the man's dick and stroked at a languid pace. The black glove added to the aura of power and distance, helping define the roles of the people onstage. When the young man's breathing grew ragged and his body strained, the Dom smacked his balls with the crop in rapid succession. He stopped stroking, but kept up a clock-like rhythm, landing the crop on the inside of the Sub's thighs, then on his sac.

The young man arched on the bench, taking a gulp of air before he let out a wail so loud it reached Finley's ears. He was coming, shooting into the air and over his chest, his cries carrying over the music.

Master Kage let the crop clatter to the floor and massaged the Sub's balls with one hand while unclamping his nipples with sharp pulls. The young man cried out again and jerked his hips up as far as his bindings allowed. He wasn't protesting though. Quite the opposite—he moaned as his eyes rolled back only to follow his Master with an unfocused gaze.

Fucking hell, Finley was at work and he would have to return to tending the bar any moment, but he was also human, and the display of Master Kage's skill weakened his knees and hardened his cock.

The way the Dom took his time and kept communicating with the Sub, and how the Sub seemed to be having the most erotic experience of his life showed the complicated mental aspects of a scene. Finley hadn't realised before that raw dominance wasn't the only way to treat a submissive. Witnessing Master Kage's calm demeanour and sure movements opened his eyes to how planned and well-executed the scene was.

Master Kage released the Sub from his bonds, wrapping his arm around the young man's slender waist. Spent and visibly exhausted, the sub's slack body slid into his Master's embrace. They descended the stage, and the crowd parted for them to pass, some watching them with awe, others heading towards the bar.

"Where are they going?" Finley turned to Lucy.

His leather trousers squeezed his cock with the movement and he bit his lip not to squeak. Fuck, he was so desperate for a wank he felt his balls might explode.

"To the back rooms," Lucy said, not hiding her smirk at Finley's discomfort. "Some are for hourly rental, well-stuffed for private scenes, others are designated for aftercare. People can choose to receive it from the Dom with whom they had the scene, or have their partner take care of them. Today, it will be Master Kage. He usually uses room fifteen. He has his own room too, but no one except the cleaning staff has seen the inside of it."

"What's aftercare?" It sounded like post-surgical rehabilitation.

"Whatever the Sub needs. It can be a gentle cuddle, soft words of comfort, a warm bath, or just a chat. Depends on whether the scene led to a sub-drop or not, and how the Dom is feeling as well." Lucy shrugged as if what she was saying was obvious. "Master Kage is so famous for a reason. His job doesn't end with walking off the stage. It ends with a happy Sub leaving the premises, as it always should."

Finley hadn't pondered what happened to the subs after a scene, but he couldn't think of a better place to recuperate than in those luxurious rooms while wrapped in the arms of a sexy dominant. He needed to do more research about the lifestyle, not only the club. It was a completely different world, and he hadn't expected to be drawn into it so quickly. He had so many questions.

"Right. How do people sign up?" Finley passed over a fresh glass for Lucy. "Is there a waiting list? Can anyone do it?"

Lucy gave him a knowing look over her shoulder, her hands automatically making a screwdriver someone had ordered."There's a form on his website. He's not employed by the club—he rents the space whenever he needs it. So everything, including who comes for the session and what happens during it, is up to him." Lucy passed the drink over and took payment from the customer.

"Isn't it risky from the club's point of view?" Finley prepared a set of shots for an awaiting couple. "Him doing whatever he wants?"

Lucy shook her head, her blonde strands shining in the lights above the bar. "He's been using the club for six years now, Finley. Jagoda trusts him. Besides, you'll learn soon enough that we're all a bit of a family here. Wonky, weird, and defective, but a family nonetheless. Give it some time. Besides, I hear you already know some of the fam." She winked. "Mat doesn't visit often anymore, but he told me to take good care of you."

Finley's brain was overloaded with the new information. He mulled over the technicalities as Lucy turned to a client dressed like a cowboy in a very draughty outfit. They exchanged a laugh and Lucy took his payment as she handed him a set of colourful drinks with umbrellas.

"He chooses the people personally, then?" Finley asked, when Lucy was free again.

"Yeah. He prepares bespoke scenes based on the information the Sub provides. And holy hell, his hands can do wonders." Lucy sighed, her expression dreamy before she snapped out of it and waved to someone in the distance. "Take out six shot glasses, please," she instructed and reached for a bottle from the bar.

"You sound like you're speaking from experience." Finley fumbled to arrange the glasses on the counter, his mind full of images of Master Kage.

"I am."

Finley's head whipped so hard to the side his neck cracked."Really?" He didn't hide the surprise in his voice.

"Do you think I've been working here for four years and managed to refrain from applying? Oh, love, I had to find out how it feels to fall apart under Master Kage's hands." She patted Finley's cheek. "He's unlike any Dom I've met before. Many of them don't require that amount of paperwork and prep. As you know, all playing members of the club are screened in advance and given appropriate wristbands or cuffs, so some doms pick people on the day to do scenes. But not Master Kage."

During the training, Jagoda had told the new employees about the cuffs and their significance. Doms who demonstrated different techniques on stage or took part in scenes wore a black cuff. The most treasured participants, the service subs who were willing to play at any moment they were at the club, wore a steel, gold-painted band around their wrist—their golden handcuffs.

Patrons could have more than one bracelet as their preferences could be a mix of many, like service tops, power bottoms, and the biggest crowd—freelance subs. They had a neon-green cuff to signal they were inexperienced in the lifestyle and their membership not established enough to wear a gold one.

Finley glanced at the purple steel bracelet on his left wrist. Those were for non-participating subs, or staff who didn't want to engage because they were on duty, or because they were not in the mood. It didn't mean he couldn't participate on his day off though…

"Why does he screen people like that?" Finley asked.

"I don't know. He made up the rules and the system and sticks to it. The preparation, the anticipation, and the fact that Master chose you, adds to the thrill." Lucy winked. "It did for me."

"Right." The very idea sent a tingling of excitement through Finley's insides. He had a host of questions swimming in his head like little worms of curiosity. He picked the most harmless one he could fish out. "What happened in the back room with him? Did you… chat after the scene or what?"

"Yes, and no." Lucy shrugged, clearly not minding sharing any details. "We weren't close friends back when I had my first scene with him so I talked, he didn't. From what others told me—and people share a lot with the bar staff—he never talks about himself. He's as mysterious as they come. I've known him for years and he still keeps to himself a lot. But as a Dom, he has a way about him. He knows how to listen and comfort after a session, just like he can tell what you'll enjoy when you're on his stage and how far to push you without it being too much. If that makes sense." Lucy waited for Finley to nod and continued. "I've had someone say that experiencing a scene with Master Kage is like going to Disneyland for the first time. You've heard about it and you think you know what to expect, but once you're there—it's magical beyond belief." She imitated throwing fairy dust in the air and Finley laughed. "You should apply," she said in all seriousness, clapping Finley's shoulder.

"I... no. That's… No." Thoughts, images, so many ideas. Master Kage's hands on him, his gaze focused on Finley's body… "That would be a bad idea."

"Suit yourself. His website is called ‘The Light and Darkness of Kink' in case you change your mind." She released a high giggle and swivelled on her heel towards a customer.

After Master Kage's scene, the line to the bar was constant until the end of the evening. Finley took his hands-on-training seriously, trying to glean as much as he could from Lucy's wisdom.

Knackered after the shift, Finley crossed the threshold of his flat and headed straight for the shower. The single evening was akin to a week of gaining new knowledge, seeing activities he'd never dreamed of, and wanting things done to him in a way that sent blood to his dick at the mere thought. Falling in love had never been in his cards, and he wasn't planning on staying on this plane of existence long enough to give it a shot again. But enjoying himself in kinky ways could fill his days and his mind enough to make living day-to-day less of a chore. Yes, filling his mind with a sexy Dom was just what he needed.

As the water cascaded down his back, he closed his eyes and saw Master Kage on the stage, his erection clear in the outline of his tight leather trousers, his forearms flexing as he wielded a riding crop.

Finley fisted his cock and used the soap suds to stroke himself. He came hard and fast within seconds, his lips soundlessly forming Master Kage's name.

He did that again when he lay in bed before falling asleep. Then once more first thing in the morning, after he woke up with a hard-on from a dream of Master Kage—those mesmerising eyes looking at him as Master beckoned him with a crooked finger.