Steven Read online

  "If you enter the number written inside this card on the keypad then press reset you can enter a five-digit code of your choice. Once you've done that, press ‘set’ and it's all yours."

  She nodded her thanks and went through the door he'd indicated. Too nervous to look around, Avril only concentrated on finding the correct locker. She then put her bag inside and locked it. As she was heading back to the desk, Stan gave her another lovely smile.

  "All ready?"

  She nodded.

  "If you go through that doorway on the left, it leads to the offices and to the small conference room. Take the first door on the right and you'll find a few other people in there for the information night. Enjoy your evening."

  "Thanks, Stan."

  Following his directions, while trying to look calm but shaking inside, Avril went through the doorway and into a long hallway. The door Stan had indicated was open, and she entered a medium-sized room. There were about two dozen chairs scattered around and several couples, who all seemed to be in their twenties or thirties, plus a couple who she thought were in their forties. All stood around, and Avril got the impression they were as unsure as she was. Avril almost lost her nerve and walked out, but as she went to turn aside door opened and two men entered.

  There was no way they would ever be missed. Both were tall—very tall and attractive. Avril thought one was in his mid-forties, while the other appeared older, maybe in his early fifties. They were both dressed in black shirts and black leather pants with well-worn, clean, heavy black boots. The older man seemed like the sort you wouldn't pick a fight with, a firm body with a hard glint to his eyes. She was surprised at the instant magnetism she had to him. He had scruffy dark hair, graying at the sides with piercing gray eyes and looked in need of a shave, although Avril thought maybe it was done on purpose. Avril got the impression those eyes wouldn't miss anything as he surveyed the room. They focused on her.

  She stood still, frozen to the spot under his unblinking gaze. She knew she'd blushed as she dropped her head to look at the floor. He scared her a little, but at the same time she thought he was one of the most attractive men she'd ever seen. The other man cleared his throat.

  "If you could all take a seat, we'll begin."

  Avril would have taken a seat at the back, but one of the couples smiled at her and indicated a seat near them, right in front of the older man. She had no choice but to take it. Feeling self-conscious, she sat primly, her hands folded on her lap, her legs together with her feet tucked neatly under the chair. He quirked an eyebrow then turned his head away for a moment.

  "Right, good evening, everyone. I am Master Peter, and this is Master Steven."

  Avril gave a little start. That was the name those two women had mentioned—Master Steven, the sadist. Actually, they'd mentioned both men, but this Steven had intrigued her.

  "As you guessed we are both Doms, actually Masters. During the course of the evening you will hear a lot of terms—Masters, Doms, Mistresses, subs, slaves, et cetera, and we'll try to ensure you understand a little about them all by the end of this evening."

  He smiled warmly at everyone, but Avril’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking as she held them tight together. She could actually hear her blood pounding rapidly in her head as she tried to appear cool and calm.

  "This club was started to cater for the needs of people who do not adhere to what we refer to as a quote, 'vanilla lifestyle'. We are extremely selective in our membership and have been operating for almost thirty years. The requirements to join are strict from only accepting people over twenty-five to insisting on lodging regular medical tests. The fees are very high, and we make no apologies for that. But it does mean your safety is uppermost in our minds. We do not tolerate any type of abuse—verbal, physical, or mental. Anyone violating any of our rules would be immediately banned. There are no second chances. And to reinforce our displeasure, we would contact several other prestigious clubs about the behavior of the person concerned. Safety for all is paramount. Everything here is safe, sane, and consensual."

  Avril wondered exactly how much the fees were if he admitted they were very high. She was gratified to hear of the safety aspect, and she gave a quick glance at Master Steven but quickly dropped her gaze self-consciously again as he caught her look.

  "So as to the various forms of BDSM we cater for at the club, there's very little we don't accommodate. Let's start at the beginning." He held up his hand and with each term counted with his fingers. "The term BDSM covers, one BD—Bondage and Discipline, two DS—dominance and submission, and three SM—Sadism and Masochism. So, basically it means those who enjoy being tied up, those who like to be disciplined, from others who enjoy a little light spanking to heavy pain, right through to those who indulge in the more extreme forms like auto-eroticism and some knife play. We have people who like to bind others, those who enjoy wielding a crop, and so on. You must always remember, BDSM is a consensual exchange of power between two people.

  "We do not allow breath play, urolagnia—that's golden showers—or coprophilia—scat, feces play—for several reasons, mainly the health and safety aspect of them.

  "The three terms cross over, which means a person into SM may also be into bondage, or someone who is a Dominant may also be into discipline, and generally are, and so on."

  He gave his audience a moment to think about what he'd said before continuing, and Avril was extremely glad she didn't have to see people playing with poop or pee!

  "We like to think we are very much on top of the safety aspect. We have all our Masters, Mistresses, and experienced Doms and Dommes assigned as Dungeon Masters, or DMs. We work on a roster system, and there are always several DMs patrolling throughout the club continually. They wear a distinctive armband so you can pick them out easily. All the while they ensure no one breaks any rules, there's no hint of abuse and that everything is safe, sane, and consensual. You'll hear the term—SSC a lot."

  It gave Avril a great sense of relief to know that people weren't able to do whatever they liked without any sort of rules or someone to oversee and enforce them.

  "If you aren't accustomed to the lifestyle, I can assure you that you will see things which will shock you." Master Peter gave a grin and winked at Steven as if sharing a joke before he spoke again. "Things that to the uninitiated will seem like abuse but know that every single person is here because they enjoy what happens to them or love what they do to others." He stressed the next sentences rather forcefully. "No one, and I mean no one, is forced to do the things they participate in. It is an agreement they have chosen to accept. This is not abuse; this is consensual enjoyment."

  Master Steven hadn't spoken. He looked formidable as he leaned against the front table, his long legs stretched out in front and his arms and ankles crossed. Avril thought that, although he seemed relaxed, he was like a panther, alert and ready to strike at the slightest whim. Avril got the impression he viewed them all as potential prey, and she gave a shiver. He caught it, and once more that mocking eyebrow rose. She pulled her attention back to Peter and tried not to keep glancing at Steven.

  Peter then talked about various types of BDSM in a more in-depth way, and Avril wanted to squirm in her seat but somehow resisted when he began talking about flogging and whipping before going on to discuss bondage. After he finished, he asked the couples what they were interested in.

  "Well, my girlfriend and I like being tied up. I mean she does, but I'm frightened I'll hurt her. We thought someone here could teach us how to do it safely."

  "Very smart of you. Nothing turns a person off faster than being tied too tightly or the wrong way. We have several people who teach rope work. I'm sure we can accommodate your desires easily."

  Peter pointed to another couple, the older ones.

  The husband cleared his throat and glanced at his wife, who nodded, "I have a high-pressure job. I—I'd like to be able to come home and know my wife has everything under control, if you know what I mean."

  "
You mean you'd like to be her submissive?"

  "Er, yes, I guess that's the word. I want to do everything I can to please her while she gives me orders. I don’t want to have to make any decisions about our um … our sex life."

  "And what about you, do you want to control your husband?"

  "Very much indeed. I get such a kick when he lets me take charge."

  "Sounds like you both have discussed this and now want to take things further."

  "Most definitely. We've been trying things at home. We’ve enjoyed it very much, and now we'd both love to learn more."

  Another couple were also interested in bondage and discipline while the final couple, the Ryans, admitted they wanted to see if a “little smacking” in the bedroom would be exciting.

  Avril wanted to shrink down in her seat as she hoped Peter wouldn't ask her, all the while knowing he would.

  "And you, Miss?"

  "I … I don't know. I'm not sure."

  "Surely you must have some idea of the reason that drew you here." He consulted a clipboard on the desk, then dropped it down again. "Ms. Thompson?"

  She nodded. Hell, this was horrid. Everyone was now looking at her.

  "Maybe." Her voice squeaked, and she felt herself go red and hot as blood rushed to her face. She cleared her throat and sat up straighter. "Ah, pain, I want to explore pain and being hit."

  Steven quickly turned his interest to her, and she thought she saw a tiny quirk of his lips. They were nice lips, full, and Avril licked her own as she admired them, then tore her gaze away from him.

  "Then in that case, Ms. Thomson, we can certainly accommodate you."

  Avril didn't know whether to be pleased or terrified.

  "Right. Now we're going to take you into the club proper. Please be aware, we will not take any of you through the entire club tonight—we don't want to scare you away." There was a titter of nervous laughter, and Avril's pulse raced. "Tonight is kind of a sneak peek at only the things you've expressed interest in, the milder aspects of the lifestyle. Then we'll have a drink together and something light to eat in the lounge to discuss things further."

  He picked up the clipboard again and referred to it, scribbling something. Steven pointed out something on it, and Peter looked at him in seeming surprise.

  "Really?"

  Steven nodded, and for some reason it got Avril extremely nervous. Peter then assigned the couples out. Peter took three couples—the ones who were interested in bondage, another who'd thought they'd like to learn a little discipline, and the Dom-sub couple. Avril watched Steven as he pushed himself casually off the table. The guy scared her, and she thought he found her amusing and perhaps naïve, but at the same time she couldn’t ignore the attraction she had for him.

  Avril thought she'd drawn the short straw as Peter spoke, "Ms. Thomson, you will go with Master Steven along with Mr. and Mrs. Ryan."

  Oh, double fuck!

  Chapter Three

  Steven had noticed her as soon as he and Peter walked into the room. She would be hard to ignore in any situation. Beautiful but with a definitely unapproachable demeanor. He wondered what had drawn her to the club. He couldn't help his reaction when she'd sat perched on the chair, her hands held tightly in her lap. His cock had twitched. He got the impression she was as nervous as all hell and, if she could, she would have run from the room. He caught her looking at him a few times and once thought she'd given a start when Peter introduced them both.

  It was when Peter pressed her and she admitted she wanted to explore pain that his cock gave an even bigger twitch. It had surprised him. She didn't seem the type to be a pain slut. Of course, Steven thought her idea of pain would probably be a few gentle little love pats on the bum. All the same what had really surprised him was his own reaction.

  Steven hadn't been in a relationship for years, preferring to use the unattached club subs for a few nights rather than get involved. His last relationship had ended over twelve years ago when out of the blue his sub of five years decided she no longer wanted to live in the lifestyle. She wanted to get married, have children. As she put it, she wanted to be “normal”. Steven had been shocked. He certainly hadn't been in love with her but had cared for her deeply. Because he hadn’t seen it coming, it had shocked him to the core and actually knocked his self-confidence for a while.

  He decided rather than risk his heart, even though it hadn't been broken, he would remain on the fringes from then onward. Now he'd seen a woman who ticked all the boxes for him.

  She appeared curvy and lush, beautiful but unapproachable, and the highlight was she wanted to explore pain. Steven thought she was around the late forties mark, but she had that clear skin that made it hard to tell her exact age. Her hair was twisted in some sort of complicated fold thing. Her lovely green eyes were staring ahead, but every now and again he caught her glances. He enjoyed looking at her because she was a plus-sized woman, and Steven loved larger women.

  Steven was a sadist like Peter, and he did enjoy taking a woman to the edge. Flogging her, whipping her, inflicting enough pain to ensure she slipped into pleasure. But most women didn't like to take the amount of pain he enjoyed giving, and for that reason he'd been forced to “tone down” his sadism, much to his regret, until he could find a true sexual masochist.

  He knew Peter had been surprised when he indicated he would take charge of her. Peter had obviously thought to instruct her himself and allow her to speak with his wife about the lifestyle as he usually did with those interested in pain. In fact, Steven was surprised in himself. He didn't want to get involved with anyone, but she was like a challenge—unapproachable, cool, and haughty. And if there was one thing Steven liked it was a challenge.

  She'd appeared shocked when Peter assigned her to Steven, and he had to hide a grin. Nodding to her, he led her and the Ryans out through the door and into the main part of the club with the other group. Peter pointed to the lounge area near the bar.

  "That is the lounge, and we also serve food. There is a small dining area alongside the lounge where members can have a light meal—finger foods, and sweet treats. And here's the bar. There is a limit of one alcoholic drink but as many soft drinks or juices as you wish."

  Peter moved away with his group as Steven went on to explain to his little bunch that the cost of both light foods and drinks was covered in the membership fees. He showed them the large lounge area and the dining room alongside. The lounge was already half filled with members. He wondered how Ms. Thomson was coping with seeing all the naked flesh on display. Several Masters had their subs kneeling before them, and most wore clothing that left little to the imagination. A Domme walked past leading her leashed sub. He was naked except for a cock cage. She greeted Steven then continued on her way.

  He led his charges through the lounge and turned right into the first scene area. For the nights when there was an information evening, club members knew the first three or four stages either side downstairs would only be used for the “gentler” aspects of the lifestyle. So this one was mild by BDSM standards—it was a spiderweb. On it, a naked woman was being repeatedly tapped very lightly with a flogger. He heard the swift intake of breath from his student.

  Mm, that’s intriguing. He stood behind Ms. Thompson as several more soft blows landed on the woman's breasts and smiled to himself when he heard Ms. Thompson's tiny whispered groan.

  They walked between the couches set around the stage. On one a naked woman was sucking a man's cock while on another a naked man knelt on all fours on the floor, his mistress resting her feet on his buttocks while she chatted to another dominant.

  Steven took the three of them into the next scene area to see their reaction. This time it was a St. Andrew’s cross with a woman tied face down on it. The woman screamed—loudly, shouting for the man hitting her to stop. She begged as each strike of the leather crop left an angry red welt across her ass cheeks. Steven snuck at glance at the beautiful woman beside him. Her eyes had dilated, her nose widened, mouth
slightly open. The other couple seemed a little shocked, and Steven got the impression their idea of a “little smacking” would only be limited to hands or maybe the gentle caress of a flogger.

  He would show them one last scene to be sure—the fuck bench. He wouldn't take them any further along or upstairs where some of the more intense scenes would be playing out. They never liked scaring off potential members by overwhelming them too quickly. Instead here he knew Evan had his sub on the bench tonight with Simon to help. It would appear to be an intense scene as far as newbies were concerned. This would give him an idea of how much pain the three charges wanted. When they arrived, he stood between Ms. Thomson and the Ryans, listening and watching carefully to their reactions.

  The sub, Denise, was lying face down on the bench with her ass in the air, her wrists and ankles restrained. Simon was hitting her hard with his flogger, much harder than the two previous scenes, and already her back was bright red. Steven knew Denise was no true masochist, although she did enjoy a certain level of pain. Except for Peter's wife, Renata, there were no true sexual masochists in the club. Steven knew there was no way Denise could handle the volume or strength of the pain he longed to inflict.

  They watched as each strike landed. Denise would scream, begging for mercy in between panting loudly. The couple beside him turned away, and he thought the woman looked ill.

  Right, they definitely only want to indulge in light spanking.

  He glanced down at his other side. Ms. Thomson had leaned forward, seemingly subconsciously. When each hit landed, she gave a shudder, but it wasn't of fear. At least judging by the increase in her breathing and the flush to her face, she was becoming excited.

  Evan had been playing with Denise's pussy, and now he rammed his condom-covered cock deep into her. Ms. Thomson's groan was much louder this time. He was sure she was unaware of her reaction as Steven's own cock swelled tightly, and uncomfortably, in his leathers. He waited until Denise's screams for mercy became screams of delight as she climaxed. The woman alongside of him had been subconsciously panting softly in time with Denise.