Chapter One
Lydia
Lydia shivered despite the warmth in the room. The source of the goose bumps covering her limbs wasn’t the temperature, but rather pure anticipation of the night ahead. It throbbed through her body in great beating waves. Beneath the silk robe wrapped around her body, her thighs were wet with the promise of what lay ahead.
Stepping farther into the room, she surveyed the space to make sure everything had been set in place just as she liked it. The walls were painted a midnight blue, giving the space a cavernous feel, and recessed lights throughout were dimmed except for one wall. Three spotlights focused on the platform where she would spend the next few hours.
Lydia approached the wall and smiled in satisfaction. As always, the club had followed her specifications to the letter. Seven feet off the floor, a single carabiner clip hung from a bolt. She gripped the cool metal in her hand and tugged. The simple system held strong; it would need to for the fun she had in mind. On the floor, a small raised platform would put her on display for the entire room, making sure everyone would have a view whether they chose to participate or not. The leather ankle cuffs bolted to the wall exactly four feet apart just above the platform had blood rushing to her clit.
Five months without a visit to Club Zion was far too long. No wonder she had made three interns cry that day. She needed her fix to find her balance.
“Ma’am, are you satisfied with the accommodations?”
Lydia turned to find the club owner, Stephan, striding in from the main hall. The man was tall and lean, and his inky black hair hung down to midback. He had delicate features for a man, but she knew from experience not to be fooled by them. Stephan could be ruthless in his kinks. His pretty looks had been known to lure playmates into a false sense of security, one he took pleasure in stripping away as he worked them over with his toys. Lydia took no pleasure in the more painful pursuits Zion offered, but she didn’t judge those who did. Stephan included.
“As always, everything is perfect, Stevie.” She fought the desire for her lips to curve into a smile. The shortened version of his name always set the man on edge. Very few people could get away with teasing him and not walk away with a flaming red bottom, but she was one of his most loyal members, and they had grown close over the years.
“Every time I see you, my hand twitches with the need to work you over. Have you changed your mind yet? The pain I could bring you would feel better than any of the pleasure you’ll find here tonight.” Without fail, each time they saw each other he tried to convince her to join him in the lower levels of the club where those who craved a more ... intense experience went to fulfill their needs. But each time she denied him.
“I think you know my answer to that.” She allowed the small smile she had been fighting to show on her face.
Stephan simply nodded in reply, his disappointment plain as day. Behind him one of the guardians entered the room. “Ronin, I’ll take care of assisting Angel here into position. Please recite for us what the rules of her room are while we get into place.”
Ronin grunted, obviously not happy his boss was taking over the responsibility of locking her into the restraints. Lydia recognized the guardian immediately. He had assisted her a few times before, and he would be hard to forget. A few inches taller than Stephan, he seemed to loom over everyone. The uniform of black slacks and a tight black T-shirt did nothing to hide the mounds of muscle lining every inch of his frame. His nose had obviously been broken more than a few times and seemed to zigzag down his otherwise extremely handsome face. But rather than detract from his attractiveness, the flaw seemed to only add to it. He had a hard, rugged beauty that sent a rush of moisture to between Lydia’s thighs. She liked knowing he would be watching her all night.
“After you, Angel.” Stephan held out his arm, ready to receive her thin robe.
She took one last look at Ronin and held his gaze as she untied the sash holding the silk garment in place. It slithered down over her shoulders and arms, exposing her body to the two men. Ronin held his stony expression, but she didn’t miss the fire that ignited in his eyes as they swept down her body. Her nipples tingled with pleasure, puckering under his intense scrutiny. It disappointed her that Ronin would not be allowed to play. His role in the room was to ensure visitors didn’t go too far, that Lydia was safe at all times. But she longed to know how the mountainous man would use her body for his own pleasure.
“Ronin, the rules of the room. Now,” Stephan barked at his employee.
“Apologies, sir.” Ronin brought his eyes back to his employer, though he obviously didn’t want to. “The safe word for Angel’s room is ‘red.’ Should Angel say the safe word, all play will stop, and all visitors will be escorted from the room. No visitors will allow Angel to climax unless she says ‘green.’ If Angel is approaching climax, she will say ‘yellow’ and visitors will be instructed to cease touching of all erogenous zones. Visitors may use manual stimulation, oral stimulation, and toys present in the room. However, no intercourse is permitted. No pain play is permitted. No more than five visitors are permitted to play with Angel at one time. Observers are permitted to masturbate and to climax in Angel’s presence.” Ronin paused, his dilated eyes tracking back to Lydia’s naked form. “Visitors and observers are permitted to come on Angel. All play stops three hours from the opening of her room.”
Lydia fought the smile trying to inch onto her face. She always found the reciting of the rules amusing, partly because her name while inside the walls of Zion was so opposite her true personality. Her alter ego, Angel, was a sweet, meek woman put on display for the enjoyment of others.
Lydia was a high-powered billionaire bitch who didn’t take shit from anyone.
Angel had streaks of pink and purple weaved through her hair, which cascaded around her back and shoulders. Lydia wore her golden-blonde hair in a tight French twist every day.
Angel allowed herself to be strapped to a wall completely naked while countless people paraded in and out of her room, playing with her body and leaving her begging for satisfaction. Lydia covered her body in conservative power suits. She made sure her pleasure came first in the bedroom, and her partners knew better than to leave her wanting.
In truth, Lydia was not a true submissive. She did not wish to live the lifestyle of a Dominant/submissive relationship. But occasionally she liked to no longer be in control. Or at least have the illusion she was no longer in control. Club Zion was where she went on such occasions.
“Very good, Ronin.” Stephan handed the robe to the guardian, who hung it on a hook by the private entrance. “After you, my dear.” Holding out his hand, Stephan escorted Lydia to the platform and held her steady as she stepped up.
Lydia turned around, spreading her legs more than shoulder width apart. Stephan secured her ankles into place, the smooth leather of the cuffs sending shivers along her pale skinn. After tugging the restraints to ensure they would hold, Stephan trailed his fingers up the inside of her legs from her ankle to just below the junction of her thighs.
“Perhaps I will watch for a bit tonight. You are always exquisite in your desperation, Angel.” He traced her slit with his finger in a touch so light Lydia almost thought she imagined it. “Already you are squirming with the need to be touched.” Stephan pushed his finger past her folds, giving her clit one quick sweep.
Lydia’s hands had not yet been secured, and they flew out to steady herself on his shoulders.
“Tsk, tsk, Angel. No touching.” Stephan removed his finger from her warmth and sucked the juices from his digit. “Mmm, so sweet.” He winked at her, then grasped her left wrist and lifted it off his shoulder. He toyed with the leather cuff that she wore every day. “Such a beautiful adornment. I admire you wear a symbol of your kink even outside these walls.”
“It’s a good reminder that everyone has their secrets.” Lydia panted through the words, the need for release already building in her core. The cuff consisted of two circles of leather fashioned to look like a collar. The two circles were connected by four silver chain links. In her everyday life, it looked like nothing more than a piece of statement jewelry. In reality, the piece had been constructed by the most sought-after bondage artist in the world. The leather was soft enough to not leave a mark on her skin, but strong enough to not break no matter how many hours she hung from the restraints. The metal links were stronger than even handcuffs carried by law enforcement. There would be no escaping the cuffs, no matter how much she fought them.
Stephan removed one of the loops from her left wrist and secured it around the right. Next he brought her arms up over her head, connecting the carabiner to the chain links connecting her two wrists. Once he was satisfied the restraints were secure, Stephan stepped back to admire Lydia stretched out and on display. “You are a vision, Angel.”
A normal girl might blush at his praise, but Lydia was no normal girl. She took on men twice Stephan’s age and three times his wealth on a daily basis in the boardroom. Over the years, she had stepped on more people than she could count during her ascent up the ladder.
