It's been 10 years...
I can hear the music bumping from the open door of the club. I tighten the belt of my jacket. It wouldn't do for it to come open on the street and reveal what's underneath.
The line is much longer than it used to be. I stuff my hands in my pockets and stand with everyone else. When it's finally my turn, the bouncer asks for ID without even looking up. I slip it to him and watch his expression change as he realizes who is standing in front of him.
"Well I'll be damned if it isn't Miss Kit Vega! You better come here and give ol' Dom a hug."
I laugh as Dominic wraps me in his big arms and brings me in for a hug. The man is huge. His biceps are easily bigger than my head. A jagged scar mars his face--from the right of his forehead, across his eye, and ending just below the left side of his lip. No one really knows how he got the scar, but it certainly helps keep unruly club patrons in line.
As big and scary as he is, he will melt for a woman with a whip and a stern voice. I've always admired him as a submissive.
"Here's the sub sign-in, little lady, you know the drill."
"Oh... um... I don't sub anymore, Dominic. I'll need the other one."
Dominic just stares at me, like my head has detached from my body and is floating in midair. I wait patiently for him to register what I'm saying and sign my name on the clipboard he hands me--the one for Doms.
"You go on in and have a good time, Kit... hey, does Jake know you're here?"
The mention of my ex has way more effect on me than it should, ten years after we broke up, but I shake it off.
"Dom, I haven't spoken to Jake since I left Raleigh in that beat-up Chevy Impala. I'm not about to start now."
An odd look crosses his face, but I don't have time to sort it out, and there are people waiting to get in, so I just walk inside.
I look around, impressed at how nice the club is. Ten years ago, this place was just a run-down old nightclub with chipped tile floors, a wooden bar, and a few stools that had seen better days.
The sleek black tile, the stainless bar placed right in the center of the club, and black leather barstools are a stark contrast in comparison. As impressive as the club is, it's the stage that catches my attention.
Soft lights hit the man in the center. He is completely naked except for the ball gag in his mouth and the straps around his wrists and ankles binding him to the chair.
A tall and lean woman in a black bustier drags her fingers up his thigh towards his hard-on as she whispers something in his ear.
The tables in front of the stage are full of people watching. I find myself looking for Jake, and feel a slight pull in my stomach when I don't see him.
Get it together, Kit... you caught him with another woman's hand down his pants. Fuck him.
I decide to get a drink. If I'm going to be moving back to Raleigh, this is the only blasted BDSM club for 200 miles--I better get used to it.
The anxiety of running into my ex and watching the D/s display on stage has me itching to play. Hopefully there are still playrooms in the back.
"Vodka Tonic, with a splash of cranberry?"
Jake's voice startles me out of my head, and my heart drops to my feet when I see him behind the bar.
He's changed in the last ten years. His shaggy brown hair is clean cut and combed back, his shoulders are broader, his arms stronger and covered in tattoos.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, wincing at the anger present in my voice.
"I own this place, Kit. I thought you knew that."
"Why would I know that? I've been in New York for ten years, and I sure as hell didn't keep up with what Jake Toller was doing. What happened to Frank?"
"Easy there, firecracker, no need for hostility. Frank retired about five years ago, and I bought the club from him. So, how about that Vodka Tonic?"
"I don't drink those anymore. A bourbon, neat, please."
I can't help but watch his large hands as they pour my drink. I remember those hands and the way they felt on every part of my body. Then I remember the way they looked wrapped around Allison Blackmon's arms as she groped him in the stock room the night before I left for New York.
"You looking for someone to play with tonight? I'm just covering for Blake while he's out on break. I'll be on the floor in about 20 minutes."
I stare at him incredulously. "I don't sub anymore, Jake--and if I did, you'd be the last person I'd let touch me."
I can't get away from him quickly enough. I hear him call out to me as I grab my drink and make my way into the crowd, but I ignore it.
What was I thinking?
I thought I was over Jake Toller is what I thought. I knew I'd see him here eventually, but I didn't know he owned the place, and I sure as hell wasn't expecting him to be twice as sexy as the last time I saw him.
I make my way to the back where the playrooms used to be. I'm thrilled to see they're still here--updated, but still here.
I look around to see if there is an occupied room with an open door indicating the couple doesn't mind being watched.
As I move through the hallway, I can hear the screams and moans of both pain and pleasure. My blood thrums through my veins, and my nipples harden against the mesh shirt I have on under my coat.
I shrug my coat off and hang it on one of the hooks along the way, before moving toward the only open door in the hallway.
I step into the room and find a chair in the corner. I'm surprised to see a woman alone in the center of the room. She is kneeling, her knees spread wide so that her cunt is on display, and her eyes are cast to the floor.
She's fucking beautiful.
I should stay in my seat, but I need to see more of her, so I slowly walk around her, admiring her ability to keep her eyes downcast despite a stranger entering the room.
She's incredibly curvy, with a small waist and slight shoulders. Her long black hair hangs forward, grazing her tattoo-covered thighs.
She's exactly my type, and I wonder where her partner is.
"Why are you here alone?" I ask.
She keeps her eyes toward the floor, but answers me. "I have no partner."
Curious.