The sub was tied, securely, to a spanking bench which was strategically placed under one of the requisite bunches of mistletoe and had swirls of tinsel wrapped around the legs. Her buttocks were a bright, rosy pink and almost seemed to glow, even under the dim dungeon lighting. And with every resounding slap of the paddle that Kimika imagined to echo around the cavernous hall, despite it being far too crowded to really do so, Kimi flinched ever so slightly, as she envisaged herself prone and bound in full sight of anyone who cared to watch.
Kimi clenched her butt cheeks where a phantom heat had taken up residence and squeezed her thighs against the dampness she could feel seeping through her skimpy underwear.
Dragging her eyes away from the paddle that was staining the submissive’s ass the same color as Kimi’s flaming face, she instead settled her gaze on the euphoric expression the woman wore. It was only then that Kimika realized, with a start, that the girl bound and being spanked for everyone to see, was none other than Mia Hemmings… well, Mia Johnson as she was now, the island's resident lawyer.
Kimi’s eyes flew to her husband, Dallas, a pro golfer turned coach, just as he ceased the paddling and drew soothing hands over his wife’s heated rump. The look of pure adoration on his face took Kimi aback, and she glanced back at Mia, who was still blissed out, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Kimika’s breath caught in her throat, and she had to swallow past the lump Dallas and Mia’s clear devotion to each other caused her.
This!
This was exactly what Kimi wanted for herself.
She didn’t believe in miracles, Christmas or not, but maybe, just maybe, Kimi could find just a little bit of that special gift while she was here tonight. Even if it was just fleeting.
One thing was certain.
She was never going to find it unless she put herself out there.
But for the first time, Kimika had taken the necessary steps to do it.
CHAPTER4
“So how is anyone supposed to know what scenes are available?” Kimika asked, her voice laced with uncertainty. “It seems a little awkward to have to stop and check each gift tag… especially if it’s something you’re not keen on and someone mistakes you for, you know, standing under the mistletoe to show your interest.”
She looked around and took another step back from the closest station just in case someone did exactly that.
“Stop panicking,” Janae said soothingly. “Nothing happens without your wholehearted consent, remember?”
Of course, Kimi knew that, but that didn’t mean she welcomed the thought of having to explain to anyone that they were mistaken about her intentions. This was hard enough for her without that kind of awkwardness.
More likely she’d end up agreeing to something she really didn’t want out of some misplaced sense of obligation. The thought made her shudder and second guess herself. The same worry that kept circling her mind, like a vulture waiting to pick at the rotting flesh of her broken dreams, invaded her thoughts once again. Perhaps she wasn’t cut out for this after all.
Maybe Janae could see that kaleidoscope of emotions written all over Kimi’s face, because she stepped close, put a supportive arm around Kimika’s shoulders, gave a tight squeeze and gestured her free hand towards a table in the corner. “See over there?”
Janae waited until Kimi had turned her head and adjusted her vision in the dim light to see what she was pointing at.
“The table?” It almost looked out of place in its complete ordinariness, amongst the festive cheer and the kinky apparel that surrounded it.
“Yes,” Janae confirmed. “That table has the layout of the dungeon with each station numbered on it, and it corresponds to a list of the scenes allocated to them. Come on, we’ll go and get one.”
As they crossed the floor, Kimika finally noticed that most people were consulting the document Janae had mentioned. Why hadn’t she noticed that before?
Chikusho!Kimika intoned the swear word in her mind in her native language, just like she always did. She really needed to get her head together.
They each picked up a sheet and spent the next few minutes perusing the contents as they strolled slowly back the way they came.
“What happens if the stations are in use, or you prefer to have your scene in private?” Kimika asked as they walked. This was one of the downsides of not being a regular at the club. There were some things that were taken for granted that Kimika simply wasn’t aware of.
“Any station currently in use, becomes available again as soon as it’s free and cleaned,” her friend explained as they wove their way around a crowd that had stopped to watch a needle play scene which only made Kimi wince. She was familiar with the ‘no kink shaming’ ethos of the club, and that was totally fine with her. Each to their own. But there were some things that she really couldn’t imagine ever being comfortable enough to try.
What? Like everything?The snarky voice in her mind reared its ugly head again and Kimi ruthlessly shoved it down.
Okay, so she was a little… shy. That didn’t mean everything was off limits.
Just most things,the voice said again.
“Shinjimae!”This time she said it out loud. Verbally telling that snarky little voice that always tried to undermine her, and which sounded annoyingly like her ex, to go to hell.