Make Me Shiver

Chapter Fifteen

Michael arrived at her doorstep at eight sharp. Lacey had done exactly as he asked. She was in the red corset and garter set she’d purchased when she made the trip into town. The black stockings she’d donned contrasted nicely with the blood-red satin and lace, although Michael hadn’t stipulated she could wear those. She’d finally decided stockings were underwear, especially when they were paired with four-inch red high heels.

Deciding how to do her hair and makeup took hours. In the end she went for simple and refined. She left her hair long and straight, allowing the strands to flow down her back. She decided against fake lashes, obnoxious blush or darkly kohled lids, choosing instead to bring attention to her green eyes with brown shadow, liquid liner and good old-fashioned mascara.

The cold wind caused her nipples to pebble through the lace as she opened the door. She quickly stepped aside and Michael walked in.

Sweet Mother of God.

He had on leather pants, a pressed white dress shirt, a black trench coat and a pair of boots that showed no signs of wear. With his shoulder-length hair and slightly battered face, he looked like a damn pirate straight out of a romance novel, only better.

He didn’t say a word as he wrapped his arm under her elbow and escorted her to the bathroom.

It was almost surreal, remaining silent when there was so much she wanted to say. He guided her inside, flicked on the light and looked at her through the mirror.

“Tonight you’ll address me as Master. You won’t speak unless spoken to or asked a question, and you’ll be wearing this.” He pulled a blindfold from his pocket. “At any time, if you realize this isn’t what you want, you can remove this,” he shook the black object in his hand, “or say red. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master.” She was as aroused as she was terrified. Tonight she’d literally be going in blind.

“Before we can go any further, you’ll need to sign this.” He produced a folded document from his coat along with a pen. “You can’t enter the club without knowing and consenting to the rules.”

As she accepted the papers with trembling hands, she read over the legalities of entering Fantasia. There were so many things she had considered, but some of the items gave her a small amount of comfort. Everything was safe, sane and consensual. No one was allowed to do anything without the express consent of the person in their care. Rules were laid out in black and white. The penalties for breaking them were harsh.

Michael stood just behind her the entire time, remaining silent, allowing her to make the decision on her own. After reading over everything, she held out her hand for the pen. The signature she’d normally create with a flourish was uneven and sloppy when she finally mustered up the courage to sign and date the last page.

“Put your hands on the counter and close your eyes.”

She did as he asked and he put the blindfold on, taking his time as he adjusted the fit. There was a shuffling sound behind her and she felt his hand on her lower back, urging her upper body toward the sink.

“I’m going to pull your panties down and insert a plug in your ass.” A tremor shot through her and he ran his fingers down her spine. “I won’t hurt you, angel. Just lean forward and relax.”

The sink was cold as she rested her abdomen against it. She felt him unbuckle the clasps attached to her stockings just before he pulled her panties down. He stopped when the material was beneath her knees.

“Spread your legs as far as you can.”

She broadened her stance until the underwear prevented any further movement. He pressed against her back until she went flush against the counter, her breasts flat against the surface. A click echoed in the room and she waited as he did something she could only visualize. She imagined him gliding his lubricated fingers up and down the toy, making sure it would slide easily into her ass. In a way, she was grateful she couldn’t see. If she saw whatever it was he planned to place in her rectum, she was sure she’d balk—or at least say yellow.

She gasped when she felt his finger slide between her cheeks. He rotated the tip against the sensitive area before he slipped his finger inside. It didn’t hurt but felt odd, especially when he removed his finger only to return again with more of the slippery substance.

“Here we go. Take a deep breath and bear down. This plug is small, so you can get used to being stretched. If all goes well we’ll keep replacing them until you can take me without any discomfort.”

Something cold and hard prodded against her anus and slowly eased inside. It wasn’t bad at first, but as he kept going, she was tempted to ask him if he was certain it was the smallest size. Despite the lubrication it burned and was far from comfortable. She wasn’t sure anal sex was something she was interested in after all. He stopped and caressed her lower back.

“All done.”

He pulled up her panties, fixed her garters and moved her aside to wash his hands. She tried not to squirm but the thing deeply inside her ass was impossible to ignore. It wasn’t painful but definitely noticeable, creating fullness in a place she wasn’t accustomed to.

When she felt his hand at her elbow, she followed and tried to place one foot in front of the other without stumbling. It was more difficult to walk in the dark than she’d thought it would be.

Thankfully, Michael steered her perfectly. They stopped, he released her arm and she heard clothes shuffling.

“Stay still, angel. I’m going to wrap you in my coat.” He slid a garment around her shoulders.

“You’ll wear this when we’re outside but once we enter Fantasia it comes off.”

Panic arose, suffocating her. How in the world could she face a room full of people in nothing more than a corset, panties, garters, stockings and heels?

She struggled to remember the party at Brian and Trevor’s home. The submissives had been almost completely naked. Michael had allowed her to choose what she was comfortable in, which left her partially clothed but covered for the most part. He’d also said he wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want.

“Are you having second thoughts? If you are, now’s the time to say so.”

“No, Master.”

He closed the coat, slowly brushing his fingers against her skin as he slid each button into its proper slot. She could feel his breath against her face, so much closer with the heels that made her come past his chest. When he finished, she waited until she heard the door open and he wrapped an arm around her waist to walk into the cold winter air. The car he arrived in was directly in front of her house. She heard the door open and was seated in seconds. As he slid in next to her, keeping her close at his side, she realized she was in a limousine again. The door closed, the car started moving and an unexpected tingling in her ass caused her to gasp and jerk.

Holy shit.

“Relax,” Michael murmured into her ear. He pulled the coat aside and placed his hand on her thigh. “We’ve got a long ride ahead of us.”

Relax? Was he insane?

If Michael had asked her minutes ago how she felt about a vibrating plug, her answer would have been less than enthusiastic. Now, when she was stuck in the back of a car with Michael who was dressed to kill and smelled so good she wanted to straddle him and take him for a test drive? The humming in her backside was doing something she would have never thought possible.

The evil, torturous device was turning her on.

Michael’s hard-on had finally subsided by the time they arrived at Fantasia. The entire trip he’d watched Lacey writhe in the seat as he played with the controller that stimulated the untouched nerve endings in her beautiful round bottom. Each time he’d upped the vibration she’d bitten her lip in an effort to remain quiet. He’d teased and tormented her until they were about ten minutes away before he shut the plug off and slipped the remote into his pocket.

She was nervous, he could tell. When she wasn’t wringing her fingers she was fiddling with the buttons on his coat. He had to give her credit. From the moment he’d entered her home, she’d done exactly as he’d instructed. Even though he’d sensed her hesitation when he warned her about what she could expect at the club, she’d accepted what he said without question. That alone told him she wanted this to work, which was a step in the right direction.

He almost didn’t want the ride to end. Once they crossed the threshold to the establishment he’d see how far her resolve went. Tonight he’d push her as far as he thought she would go, testing her limits. If she could trust him enough to take care of her, she’d see the risk was worth the reward.

If she couldn’t…

He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

If Lacey removed the blindfold and walked out the door, he’d have no choice but to watch her go. He couldn’t change who he was to keep her. They either shared the same interests or they didn’t.

His parents had always had a level of trust he envied. If his father told his mother to do something, she never hesitated. The same went for his old man. Their loyalty and dedication were unshakable, even in death.

That was the kind of future he wanted for himself and the woman he shared his life with. The kink didn’t mean shit in the larger scheme of things. It was about the ability to place everything you were—heart and soul—in the hands of someone else and know they would never do anything to betray you, hurt you or use it against you.

The car stopped and he waited for Jacob to open the door before he urged Lacey to step out.

Jacob assisted her and moved back when Michael wrapped his arm around her and guided her toward the steps. He could feel her shaking but he wasn’t sure if it was the cold or fear that caused the reaction.

And there wasn’t any sense in trying to interpret which. As soon as they stepped inside, he’d know for certain.

“We’re going up stairs. I’ll count them off for you.”

He started counting as they climbed—one, two, three, four, five and six—and righted her when they reached the entrance. The building was understated. There were no lights or signs to indicate you were at a BDSM establishment. The location and purpose were a closely hidden secret. You only got into Fantasia with a direct invite, and those who were fortunate enough to become members were extremely picky about who they trusted with the address.

The moment they stepped inside, he waited for Lacey to reach for the blindfold or indicate she was having second thoughts. Aside from taking a deep breath, she didn’t imply in any way that she wasn’t ready to go through with what he had planned for her.

“Hello, Mike.” Anthony—the large Dom situated behind the desk—nodded at him. “It’s busy inside but Vaughn reserved a table for you. It’s the back booth next to the bar.”

“Thanks.” Michael walked to the desk and handed Anthony the consent form. “Have a good night.”

Anthony glanced at the papers, grinned and looked at Lacey. “You too.”

Michael walked Lacey to the door that would take them to a narrow hallway to the club. He opened it with his free hand, led her inside and stepped into place beside her. They walked in silence until they reached the final door, and he held his breath.

This was it. The moment of truth.

As they entered the club multiple voices, a few soft cries and the normal sounds from the bar rushed to greet them. There were four floors. The first was the basement, which had been remodeled into a dungeon where various scenes took place. The second was the floor connected to the main entrance, which had a bar, seating area and a couple places for open play. The third contained an assortment of rooms, some of which were themed and available for multiples play or private sessions.

The fourth and final level—off limits to most visitors—was Vaughn’s private floor.

Only a handful of people had been invited the owner of Fantasia’s private abode. Although Vaughn owned a large cabin near the river, he worked so often he practically lived inside the club. His space was personal and off-limits.

“There’s a dressing room, but since you can’t see, I think we’ll make do with the coatrack tonight.”

He started unbuttoning his coat, gauging Lacey’s reaction, studying her face. Her chin was quivering slightly but there were no frown lines on her forehead or anything else to indicate she was ready to put an end to the evening. As he pulled the clothing from her shoulders, he continued watching her. He almost expected her to try to cover herself but she didn’t. She remained still, waiting for his next instruction as he placed the coat on a hook in the wall.

“The heels you wore are sexy as hell, but since you can’t see I think it might be better if I carry them for you.” He grasped her wrists and brought her hands to his shoulders. “Hold on to me. I don’t want you to fall.”

He took the right shoe off first and caressed the length of her leg before he did the same with the left. She kept her hands on his shoulders when he straightened, despite the fact that she was staring directly at his chest.

“Lift your chin.” She did, but not enough. “Higher.”

When he could reach her mouth, he skimmed his lips across hers. A chaste kiss, considering where they were, but it was more than enough. The muscles in his torso went tight as his cock began to swell. He pulled away, wrapped his hand around her arm and walked toward the floor.

Several people nodded in welcome or offered a polite greeting. That was the good thing about being a regular at Fantasia—everyone around him knew he was selective and he was possessive. Since he’d never come to the club with someone they didn’t recognize, Lacey’s presence was bound to cause attention.

He made it to the booth Vaughn had reserved for him and waited until Lacey’s feet touched the large cushion on the floor used by submissives. “On your knees, right here.”

She didn’t comply immediately and he thought she might resist until he saw she was trying to get her bearings. He held her arm as she lowered herself to the cushion.

“Make sure you’re comfortable.” He waited until she adjusted her position before he stroked her head and praised, “That’s my good girl.”

“I see you finally made it.” Vaughn approached the booth from the floor of the club. He was a big son of a bitch, a former football player who ended his career his senior year in college due to a knee injury. He glanced at Lacey and smiled. “This must be the sub Trevor told me about.”

Michael noted the way Lacey’s shoulders tightened and her jaw clenched. He wanted to take Lacey upstairs then and there. Yes, it would test her in ways this didn’t compare to. It would force her to realize just how far he’d go to respect her wishes. But looking at Vaughn, who had that fucking know-it-all gleam in his eye, caused Michael to question his decision.

“She’s been instructed not to speak.”

“Punishment?”

“Conditioning.”

Vaughn sat in the booth and arched a brow. “Without a gag?”

“That’s your cuppa,” Michael said, throwing Vaughn’s earlier remark back at him. “Not mine.”

“Only when necessary. A mouth is so much better when it’s accessible.”

It was impossible not to notice Lacey wringing her hands. Michael leaned over and ran his fingers over the back of her head, keeping each glide slow and smooth, until her fingers stilled and she took a deep breath.

“I can see why you’re taken with her.” Vaughn studied Lacey and smiled. “She’s not only beautiful but she calms at the slightest touch.”

He didn’t stop stroking Lacey’s hair. “Did you ever get in touch with Shiloh?”

Vaughn’s smile vanished. “She’s off tonight.”

One of the submissives who worked as a server to pay her annual fees approached the table and Michael shook his head when she asked if he wanted anything. Vaughn did the same. Alcohol was served but the amount was limited. Two drink maximum. If Lacey hauled ass and told him to fuck off, Michael had a pretty good feeling he’d need both of those drinks and then some.

“Have you spoken with Brian or Trevor?” Vaughn inquired casually.

“Not since I left.”

“They wanted Conner’s membership revoked. I told them no.”

“I’d say that’s fair.”

Vaughn glanced at him. “They don’t think so.”

“You have to look at it from their point of view.” Michael sat back and put his hands on the table, keeping his eyes on Lacey. “A woman they both want was hurt, and they’re angry about it. When some time passes they’ll be able to see things with clearer heads.”

“Or they’ll stop coming here and remove their financial interests in Fantasia.”

“Is that what they told you?”

“Not in so many words.”

Talk about a threat. Vaughn might own Fantasia but Brian and Trevor backed the D/s workshops held twice a year, as well as the fundraiser in the summer that went toward abused women and children.

“Give them a few days. Brian is hotheaded and when Trevor is distracted he usually allows that mentality to influence his decisions.”

“Topping from the bottom?”

“You said that. Not me.”

“Vaughn!” someone shouted from the bar. “Phone call.”

“That means my time is up.” Vaughn slid from the booth and moved to the front of the small circular table. He stopped just inches from Lacey and bent at the waist. “Enjoy your evening, little sub.”

She didn’t make a peep, although she did lean away from his voice. Vaughn laughed and looked at Michael. “You don’t like to share, and it appears she fully endorses the sentiment.”

“Good night.” Michael ran his knuckles down Lacey’s arm and smiled at the man with the smug grin standing across from him. “Say hi to Shiloh for me.”

As he expected, the grin became a scowl and Vaughn muttered, “Smartass,” as he vanished into the crowd.

The night was picking up and more people were entering the building. Michael had thought he’d remain in the public area for at least an hour, giving him time to mentally prepare for what he was about to do. In retrospect, when faced with the prospect of numerous conversations about Brian, Trevor, Aly and Conner, he wanted to get as far away from the regulars as possible.

“Lacey.” He bent until his mouth was against her ear. “We’re about to go upstairs. Since it’s a steep incline, I’m going to carry you.”

She nodded and he gave her one final out before there was no going back.

“If you don’t want to do this, you can remove your blindfold and say red. I won’t hold it against you. I’ll take you back to the limo and you can go home.”

When she shook her head and lifted her arms, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. He held her longer than he meant to, rocking from side to side, creating a mental snapshot of how perfectly she fit against him. Sadly the moment—no matter how fondly he looked back on it—couldn’t last forever.

He nuzzled the top of her head as he carried her from the club, hoping like hell that it wouldn’t be the final time, and walked toward the stairs.