CHAPTER1
“Are you sure this is all right?”
Kim Langley halted right outside the door to Serpent’s Kiss. There were no signs on the outside of the building. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought it was a warehouse used for storage. She knew better, however. Inside was a private club where those who were into BDSM could indulge in all their kinky fantasies.
Two weeks ago, she’d been hanging out with her best friend, Ali. They were in Ali’s apartment eating rocky road ice cream and commiserating about Kim’s latest bad date. It was that night, by accident when she’d been searching for a shirt in Ali’s closet that Kim had stumbled on a bag full of her friend’s ‘toys’. It had led to a discussion about Ali being a submissive and what all that meant. Kim wasn’t sure what to make of it, and she’d left with more questions than answers.
Throughout the next week, Kim couldn’t forget what Ali had told her, so when they’d gotten together the following weekend Kim brought up the subject again. By the end of the night, Kim was wondering if that was what she’d been missing in the guys she’d been dating. They were all too…nice.
Not that she didn’t want a nice guy—she did—but she also wanted someone who wasn’t afraid to push her up against a wall and kiss her until she was breathless. She wanted a man who went after what he wanted, including her. And all the other things Ali told her about—being held down or tied up—didn’t sound half bad either.
Which brought her back to tonight.
“Of course it’s okay,” Ali said. “I talked to Mistress Katrina. She said it was fine as long as you stayed with me the whole time and that you agreed to keep what you see, and who, confidential.”
“Are they going to know I’m not…” Kim tried to get a hold on her nerves. She had no idea what was behind that door.
Ali turned toward her friend, placed both hands on her upper arms, and looked her in the eye. “We don’t have to do this if you’re not sure. We can go back to my place and gorge on ice cream again.”
Kim grinned. “If we keep doing that neither one of us is going to be able to fit into any of our clothes.”
Her friend shrugged. “It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”
As tempting as it was to take Ali up on her offer and forget about the thoughts she’d been having, she didn’t want to. If she could find the answers she’d been seeking inside the club, then she needed to face her fears and go for it. It wasn’t like her to run and hide. She’d learned long ago that if she wanted something she had to make it happen. “I love you for offering, but I want to do this. I need to do this.”
Ali nodded and dropped her arms. “Let’s get this party started, then.”
Kim took a deep breath and followed Ali through the front door. She was a little shocked, however, to find they were now in a small foyer no bigger than the bathroom in her apartment. Her friend shot her a smile before swiping a card through a reader beside another door directly opposite the one they’d entered. A light turned green and then there was the sound of the door unlocking. Ali took hold of the knob and opened it.
Again, the room they entered wasn’t what she’d been expecting. They were in another foyer, but this one was much larger. It was long, and on one end there was what looked to be a coat check. There was a woman standing inside and she greeted them as they approached. “Hi, Ali. Who’s your friend?”
“Bridget, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Kim. Kim, this is Bridget.”
“Nice to meet you.” Kim didn’t miss the curious look the woman gave her. It made her wonder how often nonmembers were allowed into the club and just how many strings Ali had to pull in order to allow Kim to come with her. It was a private club, after all. She knew there were background checks and membership fees. Ali had explained it all to her the previous weekend.
“Thanks.” Kim felt as if there were a big sign on her forehead that said newbie on it.
“Bridget, could you buzz Katrina for us?” Ali asked. “She wanted to meet Kim before we go inside.”
“Sure.”
The woman reached below the counter and smiled.
“Thanks.” Ali grinned back at Bridget.
There seemed to be something going on that Kim didn’t understand. Then again, she was sure that would happen a lot tonight. She knew very little about BDSM outside of what Ali had told her.
A minute or two later, a blond woman who looked to be in her forties strolled into the room from a door Kim hadn’t even noticed only a few feet away. Kim thought she heard some noise on the other side and wondered if that was the club.
The new arrival approached them with a warm smile. “Good evening.”
Ali cleared her throat. “Mistress Katrina, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Kim Langley.”
Unlike before, there was no introduction of Mistress Katrina to Kim. She wondered if that was intentional.
“It’s nice to meet you, Kim,” Mistress Katrina said. “Ali here tells me you’re curious about our lifestyle.”
“Y-yes. I am.” Why was she so nervous? Oh yeah. She was about to enter a club where who knew what happened and she was standing there talking to the owner of said club. Nothing at all to be anxious about.
The club mistress chuckled. “Relax. I’m not planning to use my whip on you. You’re perfectly safe here.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Everyone’s first time is nerve-racking. It’s to be expected.”
That made her feel a little better. “Thank you.”
Mistress Katrina nodded. “Ali went over the rules with you?”
“Yes. I won’t say anything to anyone and I’m pretty sure I’ll be plastered to Ali’s side the whole night.”
“Very well.” Mistress Katrina seemed amused by her answer. “Relax. Have fun. If you want to try anything, let Ali know and I’m sure we can find someone willing to give you a demonstration.”
Kim swallowed. “Um. Thanks.”
The older woman shot Ali a look before extending her hand to Kim. “It was nice to meet you. I need to get back inside. Please take whatever time you need.”
Once they were alone again, or sort of alone—Bridget was still there but she was typing away on her laptop—Kim leaned over to whisper in her friend’s ear. “She was intimidating.”
“She can be.” Ali turned to face Kim. “You ready to go inside?”
“Now?”
Her friend laughed. “Were you wanting to stand out in the lobby all night? I thought you were curious?”
“No. I mean, yes. I am. Curious, I mean.” Kim took a deep breath to calm herself. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Ali looked doubtful, but began walking toward the door Mistress Katrina had disappeared behind a few moments before. Kim followed. It was now or never, right? Better to jump in with both feet and get it over with.
She wasn’t really sure what she’d expected to find on the other side of the door, people chained to walls maybe? Instead it looked a lot like any other club she’d gone to. There was a bar, a dance floor, and places for people to sit and talk. The room had a small stage even though there wasn’t any sign of a band.
“Doing all right?” Ali asked.
“Yeah. Fine.” She was just trying to take it all in and reconcile it with her preconceived notions.
“Good. Let’s get something to drink and I’ll introduce you to Brandon.”
As they made their way toward the bar, Kim continued to look around. While at first this looked like a regular club, she was beginning to see some differences. The main one was that there were quite a few people sitting on the floor, even some with their heads in another person’s lap. That certainly wasn’t something one would normally see at a nightclub.
The other thing she observed was the clothes, or lack thereof. She blinked as she saw a guy being led up the stairs by a leash attached to his penis. That wasn’t something you saw every day.
“Good evening, ladies. What can I get for you tonight?” The man behind the bar grinned at them. He was cute. Maybe five to ten years older than they were, but Kim had always liked her men to be a little older. At thirty-two, she had no desire to mess around with some twenty-year-old who didn’t know what he wanted or what to do with a woman. The guys her age were bad enough in that respect. She was ready for different, which was why she was here.
“Brandon, I’d like you to meet my friend Kim.”
The smile Brandon shot her made her belly do a little flip-flop. Oh yeah. She could get used to that. “Nice to meet you, Kim. Is this your first time in a kink club?”
“Yes. I mean, yes, sir.” That was right, wasn’t it? Or was he not a Dom?
His eyes twinkled with amusement as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the bar in front of him. “No need for formalities. At least, not yet. But I’m sure we could arrange something if you’d like.”
Kim’s eyes went wide.
“Maybe another time, then.” He smirked, and turned his attention back to Ali.
She ordered them both sodas and while he went to fill their order, Kim took a few moments to catch her breath.
“You okay?” Ali whispered.
“I think so.” Kim paused as she tried to organize her thoughts. “He’s a…a…”
“Yes, Brandon’s a Dom.”
Kim nodded.
“Remember you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Brandon’s a good guy, though, and he seems interested.”
“I just think—”
They were interrupted when Brandon returned with their drinks. “Here you go. Oh. And Kim?”
“Yes?” The question didn’t come out as confident as she would have liked.
“Come see me if you change your mind.” He winked at her, and then moved down the bar to help someone else.
When she looked over at Ali, her friend was trying to suppress a giggle.