“C’est magnifique,” I whisper.
Thayer inclines his head gratefully. “Merci.”
Gleaming mirrors, sparkling chandeliers, shining marble floors beside plush carpets in front of the main desk. The water I heard last night is an actual waterfall lined with silver and white stones along a wall. Gorgeous chairs enrobed in matte white leather surround a grated, modern gaslit fireplace.
I am dying to know what the rest of this place looks like.
Several people give Thayer a wide berth as we walk through the lobby and head toward another hallway. I look above us to see a second floor above the first, wrapped with a balcony. I can’t see much because Fabien and Thayer walk so quickly, everything passes by us in a blur. I wonder where they’re going and what they’re going to do.
It appears that this main floor is mostly outfitted for community. We pass the dance floor, then a spa. I see a few women and men in thick white robes sipping tea in a waiting room of sorts. Mirrored doors and hallways make it feel as if we’re in a maze. I am dying to know what’s behind those closed doors. Who goes here. What a private club like this really has to offer.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a dimly lit room, another with velvet drapes that hit the floor, and a third with a half-open door, sunlight filtering in through slats in the shades. Thayer takes me to the last room at the end of the hall and guides me in. He looks as if he’d rather put me in a cage with lions than leave me alone.
“You’ll stay here.”
I look around. We’re in a small, cozy, private library of sorts, complete with leather furniture and bookshelves lined with hardcover novels. Oooh, I could enjoy myself in here. “D’aw. I don’t get the room with the velvet curtains?”
Fabien frowns, his lips turning downward. “This is not a game, Savannah.” Ouch. I didn’t expect Fabien to scold me, too. He turns to Thayer. “Let’s go.”
Thayer hangs back behind Fabien and lowers his voice. “You’ll be safe in here. I won’t be long.” He pauses. “Don’t test me, Savannah.”
The door shuts behind him, leaving me with a pounding heart and enough curiosity that could kill not just the cat but the entire damn zoo.
I turn around and look the room over.
So maybe this isn’t exactly a library. At first glance, that’s what it looks like but now that I see details, I realize this is more ofa… game room. From a quick scan, everything looks normal, like something you might find in a high-end resort. A pool table in one corner, table with a checkerboard in another. But normally, checkerboards don’t have leather straps hanging from them, and pool tables definitely don’t have stirrups.
Yikes.
The books along the wall feature titles I’ve never heard of before, but that catch my interest.
A Night with Master.
Power Play and Sexual Exploration
Subtle Mastery
Tied up and Taken
The Art of Submission
I pull outA Night with Masterand look over my shoulder. Is this room recorded? I know this is one of the secure rooms, but does that mean it’s private?
What would Thayer think?
I don’t know why I care. Herunsthis place. What would be wrong about me reading a book in his library?
Against one wall there’s a drink station of sorts—a small mini fridge with a glass door. Inside, there are little bottles of wine, shots, sparkling water, and other drinks I don’t recognize. Next to the fridge, there’s an espresso machine, mugs, and everything else one would need.
I make myself a cup of tea, take my book to the bench, and sit down to read. It feels proper enough.
But of course I can’t focus.
I hear low voices in the hall outside the door. They pass, but I can’t help but wonder who it is. A car pulls up outside the window and two people, whose faces I can’t see, exit. They’re accompanied by scary-looking tall men I assume are bodyguards. I wonder why Thayer put me in this room to keep me safe when it seems like such a central location.
I wish I could somehow explore this place without anyone realizing I’m here.
Wait.
