Ella

Swallowing hard, I follow Mistress Lynn through the heavy oak doors into the dark hallway beyond. She walks with powerful steps, owning each inch of the club, and pauses midway down the hall.

"We have a strict privacy policy here," she says, opening a locker. "No phones or cameras past this point."

"Oh, right." I take my phone out and pass it to her. She sets it on the top of the locker and reaches for my coat.

I turn and slip it off, suddenly unsure about my outfit. I straighten the dress and tuck my hair back behind my ears.

Lynn hangs my coat up, shuts the door, and pulls the key. She holds it hostage as she rakes her keen, green gaze over me.

"Club appropriate, a good start," she says, handing me the key. "Don't lose that."

I take the key and say a silent thanks for the dimly lit hallway to hide my blush. My heart hammers in my chest as she turns towards the far end where a man waits and curls her finger for me to follow.

"Normally, you wouldn't be allowed in without a membership, but Mr. Anthony's membership level allows him and his guests a certain level of privilege." Lynn pauses and gives me a pointed look, driving the point home. "I trust you will not abuse this privilege?"

"No Ma'am... er Mistress?" I slap my hand over my mouth, afraid to embarrass myself further. I really didn't think this through, but to be fair, I never expected to have the club owners' full attention!

Mistress Lynn lets out a throaty chuckle. "You really are as green as spring grass, hmm?"

My cheeks feel like they may burst into flames at any moment. I might as well wear a flashing neon sign at this rate.

She pauses, crosses her arms over her chest and looks me over once more. "You know, it's not too late. You could still turn back."

I chew on my bottom lip, mulling over my options, but shake my head. "I need to know," I whisper, more to myself.

Mistress Lynn nods, satisfied by my answer, and looks at the man standing by the door. He presses a button on his podium and the door cracks open, flooding the hallway with sensual deep base music.

The area that comes into view is crowded with people of all shapes and sizes. My gaze snaps down when I land on a nearly naked woman. Even keeping my gaze low, I notice a person dressed head to toe in a shiny black body suit, complete with a hood, crawling after their companion.

Sweet jeezus, where do I look?!

Mistress Lynn lets out another throaty chuckle. "It's okay to look. People come to places like Ecstasy to see and be seen. Come."

She walks forward, and the crowd parts without her saying a single word. I quickly fall into step behind her, acutely aware of the eyes on us.

"The club is divided into four parts." She gestures to the left. "The play floor is strictly off limits for nonmembers, but then again, so is most of the club. Ahead of us, down that hallway, are the VIP playrooms. Only VIP membership has access most times."

We make our way away from the play floor, past the forbidden hallway and up a couple of steps to what appears to be a bar of some sort. Aside from the patrons, its cozy, mood lit atmosphere could pass as any regular bar.

Mistress Lynn pauses and spreads her arms wide. "This is the lounge. Consider it the relaxed social atmosphere of the club. This is where you can seek your answers, but stay on this side of that door."

I can't help but look at the double red doors nearest the play floor. As if fate wants to temp me further, a pair of men walk in, the first holding the door wide for the second. Inside, I catch a glimpse of a woman dressed similarly to Mistress Lynn, cradling a nearly naked male.

Mistress Lynn moves to block my view and arches a brow. "The recovery room is reserved for aftercare and is a private place."

"Understood," I mumble, studying the image of the two that's seared in my mind. Him with his tear stand cheeks, but her with such tenderness. I feel guilty for glimpsing such an intimate moment.

I follow her over to the sleek black wood bar and take a seat when she gestures. Like any other bar, I see multiple servers flitting around from table to table, though their dress code is far different.

"Keesha?" Mistress Lynn calls, summoning the bartender.

A stunning woman with soft ebony skin and high afro puff pigtails saunters over. The dark blue corset she wears accentuates her assets, but the collar around her neck catches my attention. A silver LV dangles from the center.

"Miss Ella is here on Mr. Anthony's tab, and is going to check out the lounge." Mistress Lynn nods over at someone else and a petite raven haired woman walks over. She wears a simple black dress with a silver choker, though JF dangles from the center.

"Samantha, this is Ella." She smiles fondly at the server and motions to me. "Ella is new and has some questions. Maybe you can help her?"

Samantha smiles at me, her sapphire blue eyes sparkling in the low light. "I'd be happy to help." She sets her tray down and takes a seat next to me.

"I'll leave you ladies to it. Duty calls," Mistress Lynn says, slipping back into the crowd.

I sit there, at a total loss for what to say. I spent so much energy psyching myself up to get here, I never thought about what to do when I got here.

"It's okay to be a bit overwhelmed," Samantha says, as if reading my mind. "I'm pretty sure I stood on the front landing for a good thirty minutes before I made it to the front check in."

Her admission helps me relax some. "And yet here you are, looking right at home." My statement almost sounds like an accusation, but it's just a fact. Before Mistress Lynn called her over, she was gliding from table to table with as much ease as if she was at home.

"Ecstasy is a little like my second home," Samantha replies unfazed. "But it took a bit of time to get to this point."

My gaze drifts to the silver necklace collar once more. I remember them being a sign of claim from my research.

Samantha's fingers trace the initials tenderly and she smiles to herself. "It's beautiful, eh?"

Upon closer inspection, it's a silver flat chain woven together in a way that almost makes it look alive and seamless. "It is," I admit. It's the kind of jewelry she could wear elsewhere and people would never know.

"Jason gave it to me." Pride and love shine in her eyes, leaving me at a loss.

"Not master?" I ask.

Samantha shakes her head and laughs. "No, though I call him Sir. He also says he likes to hear his name, too."

A second server comes over and hangs on Samantha's shoulder. She's dressed in a baby blue and white school girl outfit with her curly brown hair in ringlet pigtails.

"Who's your friend Sam?" she asks, eyeing me up.

"Lydia, play nice," Samantha warns, giving her a pointed look. "Ella is new, and a bit unsure—"

"Unsure?" Lydia asks, quirking a brow. "Unsure of what?"

Samantha pinches her nose and sighs. "Lydia..."

"What? It's an honest question." She shifts her gaze from her friend back to me. "Let me guess, new to the lifestyle? Oh, wait!" Lydia leans in closer and scans me over like the answer will be on my forehead. "I take that back. Your partner is in the lifestyle... I'm close, aren't I?"

There's no point in lying, so I nod.

Lydia squeals and jumps up and down while clapping. "Oh, oh!" She bites her lips and furrows her brows as she stares at me. "Your boyfriend is a mobster with a kinky dark side he unleashed one night in the middle of passionate lovemaking and you're left feeling some kind of way—"

Samantha covers Lydia's mouth and cringes. "I'm so sorry. Lydia has been reading too many romance novels lately! Seriously?" She hisses to her friend.

Lydia laughs like a maniac and nods behind me. She pulls Samantha's hand away and wiggles her brows. "Can you blame me? Look what I have to work with!"

My heart stops and I turn in my seat to follow her gaze. Liam stands in the entrance to the lounge with Mistress Lynn, who holds a whip of some kind to his chest. As if the gods wish to punish me further, his green gaze finds mine.

"Oh god," I whisper, feeling panic tighten my chest. "What on earth am I going to say to him?! I can't do this."

Samantha takes my hand in hers and gives it a gentle squeeze, drawing my attention to her. "Relax, everything's going to be okay, I promise."

I take a deep breath, somehow knowing she's right.

Lydia snaps her fingers. "Tom? A little help, please."

A mountain of a man seems to appear out of the shadows. He's well over six feet tall and as thick as a brick house. "On it, little miss," Tom says as he steps between us and Liam, blocking his view. As if his sheer size isn't enough of a deterrent, Tom crosses his arms over his chest, making himself look even bigger.

I tilt my head, surprised that Liam gave up so easily. A moment later, Mistress Lynn ushers him to a booth that Tom moves to block from view once more.

"I don't understand," I murmur more to myself, furrowing my brows. "I thought he was the one calling the shots?"

"Girl, we do not mess around with safety here," Kesha says, sliding over an ice water. "A blind man could see you weren't ready to talk to him, and you don't have to until you're comfortable."

I look from woman to woman, left utterly stunned. The more I see, the less I understand.

"I don't know what you're thinking. I would never want to assume, but I can't help but think you've got some confused notions?" Samantha asks with such gentleness.

"I don't even know where to start." I sigh and palm my forehead.

"Well, what's the deal with Mr. Mafia King pin?" Lydia asks, nodding towards the booth.

Her ridiculous notion makes me laugh. "He's not in the mafia, he's in business. Liam."

"Business front for the mafia?" Lydia asks, rubbing her chin.

"Girl, your table needs a refill, shoo." Keesha waves Lydia off and, when she lingers, snaps her butt with the bar towel. "Bless her heart. She means well, but that woman can be a lot."

Not wanting to upset anyone, I keep my mouth shut, silently agreeing. Samantha lights up and waves to a man who grins back. He's dressed in a suit and could have come out of any board room.

"So this Liam, is he just your boyfriend, or dominant too?" Keesha asks. She leans over the bar, resting her weight on her elbows.

"Um?" How do I even answer that? "Boyfriend, yes? But I don't want to be a slave." Saying it out loud just makes it ten times worse.

"Is that what he wants?" Samantha asks, with a knowing look in her eyes.

"Isn't it?" I scrunch up my face, unsure what she's getting at.

Keesha catches on and grins. "Is that what he said?"

"Well..." I can't stop my cringe, knowing we never really talked.

"Master and slave dynamic is just one of many," Samantha says. "It takes a lot of trust and special people."

"Special alright," Keesha says, rolling her eyes. "This bitch could never!"

Samantha brushes her hand over her mouth to hide a laugh. "I don't think that even I could do that," she admits.

I drop my head into my hands. "I'm so confused. The internet—"

Lydia crashes back into our conversation. "I'm gonna stop you right there. Half of the internet is written by virgin guys with mommy issues, and half of the remaining internet is written by those not really in the lifestyle."

Keesha cracks up, soon joined by Samantha.

"I don't know about that, but take what you see with a grain of salt." Samantha pauses and chews on her bottom lip. "Let me ask you this; has Liam ever done anything that made you uncomfortable?"

All week I've racked my brain, going over every exchange we've shared. "The opposite, really. I've never been with a more attentive man."

"So, if he hasn't forced anything on you, and he's been good to you, why are we over here and they're over there?" Samantha tilts her head towards the booth where the man she smiled at now sits with Liam and Mistress Lynn.

I drop my gaze. "Because I don't know how to face him," I whisper.

Samantha gets up and holds out a hand for me. "Sometimes the easiest way out of an uncomfortable situation is through."