Chapter 1
Summer
I don't get out much. My roommate’s solution? Drag me out to Club Red, a sex club. Skye and I read many of the same books, which in her head translates to me loving this club as she does.
But I have to admit I am interested. I mean, how can I not be? After all, I read about these things in my books, yet to go to one in person? A completely different ball game.
This is so far outside my comfort zone that I can't even see it from here. But I must admit that the whole idea of the club excites me. So I let Skye dress me in this skintight black dress which is no more than a slip from under another dress.
It barely covers my ass, and my breasts are almost popping out. I can't wear a bra, and the built-in one is just an extra layer of fabric. Skye promised I could wear her long sweater over it, but I stick out like a sore thumb in the hot Chicago summer.
I second-guess myself as we stand outside the door of what looks like a warehouse. I trust Skye, and we were friends for years before becoming roommates, but we’re different people. I have so many “what ifs” floating around in my head. What if I want to leave and can't find her? What if I hate it?
"Take a deep breath,” Skye says. “You can leave at any time. Here are my car keys, so if you want to leave early, I'll catch a ride. I know plenty of people here."
Skye has always been good at reading my mind, especially when it starts to spin out of control. It's why we fit even though we’re so different.
Taking another deep breath, I take the keys from her and step through the glass door you can't see from the street. I have no idea what I expected, but the clean, bright lobby we step into isn't it. It looks like any other lobby in any other waiting room across the country. You would never know that on the other side of the big leather double doors sits one of Chicago's most notorious BDSM clubs.
Skye knows the receptionist, but I don't hear much while they chat. Skye takes the paperwork from my hand she had me fill out before we came. She's sponsoring me for a thirty-day guest membership, which means we had to get a doctor's physical, an STD test, proof I'm on birth control, and fill out a series of consent and liability forms.
I look over the rules form. Don’t interrupt other people's scenes. Stop doesn't mean stop; red means stop. There are plain-clothed monitors everywhere marked security. Paragraphs detail what to do if a scene goes wrong. The consequences for breaking the rules and everything in between are clearly stated.
As weird as it sounds, the paperwork makes me feel calmer about the situation. A few minutes later, the lady at the desk takes my ID and photo and hands me my discreet membership card. It's a deep red with the word “membership” at the top and a member number. On the back is a barcode with no mention of the club, nor is my name included.
"All right, let me give you the grand tour,” Skye says. “You can find the restrooms and locker rooms through that door, but you can also get there from the main floor. The club office is down this hall."
I follow her while she puts our stuff in her locker and shows me the code, the same one on our alarm at home.
"But now, on to the main event," Skye continues as we walk back into the lobby and up to the big double doors at the end.
The security guys on either side open them for us, but neither speaks. Instead, they nod hello to Skye.
I’m not prepared for the room we step into. It has an old warehouse feel with black cement floors in the wide-open space.
"There's a two-drink maximum, but you can get all the water you need, and they have finger food snacks at the bar." Skye points to our right at the massive bar with at least twenty barstools around it.
In front of us is the largest sectional couch I've ever seen. It could easily hold twenty people. Large ottomans are scattered between the sectional and the bar, big enough to hold five people lying down—more if everyone is sitting up.
The seating area is decorated in black leather with red accents. The lights are low, and as my eyes adjust, I see a stage beyond the sitting area where people are performing.
"The archway to the left of the bar leads to the voyeur hall, with all sorts of different themed rooms. If the curtains are open, you’re free to watch. The second floor has more themed and private rooms. Again, if the curtains are open, you can watch. But there's also a more intimate lounge setting, which you can see from below." Skye points up to the row of glass above us.
It's almost like a hotel lobby where you look up and see the row of rooms, except there's no hallway, only glass walls up to three stories.
"What's on the third floor?" I ask, staring up at the glass walls.
"Those are the VIP suites. They're the ones who pay every month to have a private suite. You can't get there unless you're invited, so only worry about the first and second floors. Now, let's get you a drink because, trust me, you’ll need one."
Skye tucks a strand of long curly hair behind her ear and steers me toward the bar, where she orders us a drink.
Now my eyes have adjusted, I turn and stare at the vast space again. Couples are scattered everywhere, many without clothes. On one of the ottomans, a man has a woman held down with one hand and is playing with her under her skirt with the other. The sight turns me on. It’s like watching a live porno, but much sexier.
"I see you found something you like. You can watch anyone out here. You can join in only if they ask, but they won't be offended if you don't. Text me before you leave. I’m going to go meet a friend." Skye grins and heads off toward the stage at the back of the room.
I scan the room again, and a woman on the couch catches my eye. She smiles as her man kneels with his head between her thighs. They’re right in the open, and the sight makes me hot. I sit on one of the bar stools, trying to relieve the tingling in my core.
"Summer?"
I look over to see my best friend Gemma's dad. "Knox?" I ask in shock.
Of all the people to run into my first time here. To have to explain this to him. So much for not having to tell anyone about tonight.
"What are you doing here?" He looks as shocked as me.
"My roommate thought I needed to get out, and she's a regular, so here I am." I give him the shortened version.
Gemma's dad also happens to be the man I’ve been crushing on for longer than I want to admit. I've been infatuated with him for as long as I can remember and have mixed feelings about seeing him here. Is this why Gemma and I never see him date? Because he’s here instead?
He sits on the barstool next to me, and his eyes land on the glass in my hand. "How many drinks have you had?"
"Just the one." I hold up my half-finished drink.
Taking the glass from me, he orders water and hands it to me, falling right back into the caretaker role. I've been best friends with his daughter for years, and he's always taken care of me when I've been at his house. I feel bad he thinks he has to do that here in what should be his safe space. But not bad enough to get up and leave because I feel safe with him next to me.
He looks at me as he sips his drink, and I see the same war in his eyes that’s waging inside me. Walk away like we should, or keep talking to see where it goes. When I sip my water, he speaks again.
"See anything you like?" He points to the room.
His words shock me, and I fall silent. He smirks and waits for me to answer.
Stalling, I look out over the crowd again, and for a moment, I don't see anybody. I'm trying to wrap my head around my best friend's dad sitting next to me, asking if I like any of the sex scenes playing out in front of me.
I nod to the couple I saw earlier, where he's still holding her down on the ottoman.
Knox’s eyes follow mine, and he nods in approval. "What about them?" He nods to a couple on the other side of the ottoman.
The man has a woman tied to a Saint Andrews cross and is roughly having his way with her. My body heats as I watch them. I turn back to find Knox looking at me. Once I turned eighteen, he insisted I call him Knox since we were both adults. It shifted our relationship slightly as if he saw me as more of an equal. Of course, it could all be in my head.
"I dare you to forget the walls between us and let me help you experience the club for one night."
Damn, this man knows I would never turn down a dare.
