Body Shots (2 page)

Crystal touched her swollen lip and straightened her spine. “Yeah, it's exactly what I want.”

“You should come home then,” her mother replied. “If only for a few days. It might help to clear your head.”

Living under the same roof as her mother and listening to the woman expound on Richard's many virtues? No way in hell. “Thanks, but I'll be fine.” She sniffled and said, “I need to deal with this on my own.”

“I understand, dear. Call me when you get settled, okay?”

“Sure,” Crystal said, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders for the first time in years. She looked at the clock on the microwave and knew her time was quickly running out. “I need to go before he gets back.”

“All right then. Love you, dear.”

“I love you, too,” she said.

As they ended the call, Crystal looked down at the signed divorce papers. A life without Richard. Without pain and suffering. Without constant ridicule. She sent up a quick thank-you to the heavens for finally answering her prayers, before heading for her bedroom. The sooner she got the hell out of there, the better.

2

 

“Y
our birthday is coming up and I'm taking you out. That's all there is to it.”

Crystal cringed. How pathetic, having her best friend take pity on her on her birthday. It was bad enough that Crystal still lived in Mollie's house after five months of searching for an apartment and coming up empty. Five months working hard as an applications developer had given her a sense of purpose. She'd even taken up self-defense classes and managed to sweat off the extra pounds. The biggest step for Crystal had been making an appointment with a therapist. Opening up about her relationship with Richard had really helped. No doubt there had been a lot of changes in Crystal. Mentally and physically. She was ready to take the final step and get her own place. It would go a long way toward making her feel whole again.

But Lord knew, she didn't want Mollie arranging her nightlife for her. It made her feel like a little lost orphan or something. Even though Mollie didn't mean it that way, Crystal still wanted to crawl under the rug of humiliation. At one time, Mollie had been happily married and well on her way to popping out a baby or two. Three years ago, Alec had come into Mollie's life and the pair had been madly in love. He'd brought life into her friend's eyes. Crystal had been a little envious that Mollie's marriage was such a happy one when hers was such a train wreck. But when Alec had died in a horrible car accident, Mollie had all but given up on love. She hated to see her sweet-natured friend so closed off, even now.

Mollie reached across the table and swatted her hand. “Don't be so difficult. I'm taking you out for your birthday, and that's the end of it. Besides, you know I always enjoy your company.”

Crystal forced a smile to her lips as she picked up her mug and sipped her hot coffee. The temperature was in the eighties outside, and it wasn't much cooler in Mollie's kitchen. As she looked around, taking in the nearly fifty-year-old house, Crystal sighed. It'd been Mollie's grandmother's house until she'd passed away and left everything she owned to her only granddaughter. Crystal knew Mollie wanted to renovate the old two-story, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to change even the color of the paint, much less let some construction crew tromp around getting drywall dust all over everything. No, Crystal thought with fondness, the house would probably never change. Mollie liked it the way it was, well-loved and full of memories.

Crystal took another sip of her coffee and desperately tried to come up with a logical reason why she couldn't spend the evening with Mollie. It wasn't that she dreaded going out with her best friend, but she suspected it would be a pity date. No thanks.

“Have you ever heard of Kinks?”

The question seemed to come out of left field. Crystal shook her head. “Er, what is Kinks?”

“It's a nightclub, but it's not really your average nightclub.”

“What do you mean?”

“It's a bondage club,” she explained. “A place where you can be a submissive and let a man spank you just for the sheer joy of it.”

Mollie was into sex games? “How is it that I didn't know this about you?” They'd been besties for years.

Mollie handed her a business card with the words
Kinks Nightclub
scrawled across it in bold letters. Below that was written,
Get Your Kink On
. “Come on. You'll have a great time, I promise.”

Crystal wasn't sure what to say, except, “No way in hell.” She dropped the business card on the table, and it sat there like a ticking time bomb. “I do not want to be spanked.” She'd never be that vulnerable with a man again.

“Look, you need something to wipe that sad expression off your face. I know Richard's abuse left a lot of emotional scars, but it's time to get back out there, don't you think?” Mollie looked her over, then said, “Besides, you might just like it.”

Crystal shook her head. “Am I required to, like, have sex with someone?”

Mollie rolled her eyes. “Of course not, dork. It's not like that. It's like a regular club with music and a lot of people enjoying a common passion. The difference is that their sexual preferences are sort of out there for all to see. It can be shocking when you see a man spanking a woman. And there's a lot of PDA. But all you need to do is watch and enjoy.” She shrugged. “Hey, who knows, maybe you'll meet a hot, rich guy.”

Crystal covered her face. “Oh God, I can't believe I'm actually considering this.”

“You'll have fun, just wait and see.” Mollie cocked her head to the side. “And don't worry about an outfit. I think I have something that would fit you. Something sexy.”

Crystal's stomach pitched at the idea of putting herself out there again after all the abuse she'd suffered at Richard's hands. “I'm not opposed to hitting the clubs, but bondage and submission? Seriously?”

Mollie bobbed her eyebrows. “How do you know if you don't try it?”

Mollie did have a point. She'd lived in an emotional prison for too long. It was time to step out and have some fun. She smiled and picked up the business card. “Okay, I'll try it.”

Mollie patted her on the hand. “That's my girl.” She stood and propped her hands on her hips. “Now, let's get dressed and go do some ‘therapy' shopping.”

Crystal laughed as she got to her feet, feeling better than she had in months. “Sounds great, but I'm buying lunch. It's the least I can do since you've been letting me crash here.”

Her friend's arms came around her shoulders and Crystal was suddenly being pulled in for a hug. “That's what friends are for, sweetie.”

Crystal knew the truth in that moment. When she'd met Mollie, she'd hit the friend jackpot. She'd be lost without her.

 

It was Sunday morning and the nightclub that Mac owned with his buddy Trent was closed. They'd taken over the running of the club along with their friend Dane over a year ago, after the previous owner had died of cancer. They'd grown close to Leo, and he had confided in them that he wanted the club to go to someone he knew and trusted. Someone who would take care of it. So they'd stepped in and made it happen. At one time they'd run the club on the side, while handling their law practice during the daytime hours. When the long days became too much, Trent and Mac had both willingly given up their day jobs to run the club full-time. Dane had chosen the lawyer route and sold them his third, giving up the club life entirely. Although that had been more about Lydia, the woman who'd stolen his heart.

Kinks now made them a hefty profit. Still, it was never about the money. It was their home away from home. The only place they could truly be free to explore the darker nature of their souls.

It had been in their college days that they'd realized they shared a common passion for the kinkier side of sex. When the club had practically been dropped into their laps, it'd seemed perfect.

As Mac looked at Trent sitting on a stool at the counter, he knew a sense of rightness about the proposal he was about to make. The nightclub belonged to both of them; it was only right that they both took part in taking it to the next stage. “I have a proposal, but it's a big one. And probably a shit-ton of work, too.”

“Make it quick, will ya?” Trent grumbled. “I left a gorgeous woman in my bed and I really want to get back to her.”

“I'm sure she'll wait for you.” Mac looked closer at Trent and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. “When was the last time you slept?”

Trent sat back in his stool and crossed his arms over his chest. “I was sort of . . . up all night.”

Mac glared at his friend, but stayed silent. He'd been doing more and more of that lately. Staying up all night. Drinking too much. Mac was beginning to worry. But Trent was a big boy and if there was something wrong he'd say so. After all, Trent wasn't really known for keeping his thoughts to himself.

Trent yawned. “Why couldn't we just meet at my house? And where the hell is the coffee?”

“Because this is about the nightclub.” Mac rolled his eyes at Trent's pissy mood. He'd always hated mornings. Owning a nightclub suited Trent to a tee. Late nights and sleeping in until noon was right up Trent's alley. “You want coffee, sunshine, then make it yourself. I don't work for you, remember?”

“If you did, I'd fire your ass.”

“Christ, quit bitching and let me talk, and maybe we'll be able to get through this meeting before dinnertime.”

“Fine, talk,” he bit out.

Mac started right in, no sense in dancing around it. “I've had a chance to look over the books. The business is doing great. Better than I expected.”

“Great, now can I go home?” Trent asked, as he started to turn toward the door.

Mac held up a hand. “No, damn it. The thing is, I've been looking at some property across town. I think it's time to expand. Open a second Kinks.”

“That's a hell of a lot of work.” Trent rubbed his jaw. “Are you sure it makes sense right now?”

Mac had never been more certain of anything. “I've been over it several times, and it's a good move financially. Since neither of us has a day job any longer, we have the time to make it happen.”

Suddenly alert, Trent sat up and placed his elbows on the counter. “That will mean hiring a construction crew and interviewing for a new staff.” He shook his head. “I'm sure there's more, but I'm still a little fuzzy here.”

Mac waved a hand in the air. “True, but the payoff will be more than worth it.”

“Another club would gain us a hell of a lot more customers, for sure. But I don't want to end up bankrupt because we rushed into anything.”

Mac was a little worried about that, too. Owning your own business wasn't for lightweights. “I agree. There's a lot to consider.”

Trent nodded. “Staff, uniforms, and do we want the new Kinks to have the same BDSM atmosphere or do we go with something entirely different?” Trent shoved a hand through his hair. “This is big.”

“No shit,” Mac said, as a slight smile appeared. “But I like it. Kinks Two . . . sort of has a nice ring to it,” Mac replied.

They spent the rest of the afternoon making plans. When they got ready to leave, Mac asked, “Okay, before we end this meeting, we're for sure doing this, right?”

Trent sent up his agreement. “I'm in.”

Mac nodded. “Great, I'll contact the Realtor about the property and we'll go from there.”

“Good deal,” Trent said as he stood. “Now, I've got a sexy, naked woman in my bed. Later.”

“Use protection,” Mac called out just as Trent reached the door.

“Always do, Dad,” Trent shot back. “Always do.”

Mac chuckled, feeling better than he had in months. Excitement about the new club sizzled through his bloodstream, and he was more than ready to get the ball rolling. Hell, the day he'd quit the lawyering gig was the best day of his life.

 

The week flew by and Friday night came way too fast for Crystal's peace of mind. Now, as she stood reading through the rules and regulations at Kinks nightclub, and then signed on the dotted line, she had to wonder what had possessed her to say yes to Mollie in the first place. When her friend escorted her to the Great Room, which consisted of a large, comfortable sitting area and several high, round tables and stools along the outer edge of the room, Crystal tried not to go all bug-eyed. But who could blame her? There were couples kissing and fondling each other. Out in the open. It was as embarrassing as it was arousing to her.

A pair of redheaded women seated on the floor next to an overstuffed chair caught her attention. They each had a leather collar around their necks with a metal ring in the front, which attached to a leash. The man holding the pair of leashes seemed big and scary, but when he gazed down at both women with affection, Crystal was taken aback. He said something to one of them, who then immediately started to kiss the other woman. The man petted her and continued to carry on a conversation as if it was all so normal. Another man had his submissive seated on the floor between his thighs. Crystal's jaw nearly dropped when she spied the woman's fingers wrapped around his exposed cock. Crystal quickly looked away, but not before she caught the woman slowly stroke the bulbous head with her thumb. Did these club patrons realize they were in a room full of people?

Crystal's breasts tingled and her pussy dampened. She hadn't expected to react so quickly, but as she let her gaze sweep the room, she noticed several men watching her with desire-filled eyes. Suddenly, Crystal was grateful for the low lighting. It gave her just enough courage to keep from bolting out the door. She stayed close to Mollie as they reached one of the round tables along the edge of the room. Mollie pulled out one of the stools and sat down. Crystal followed suit.

Mollie pointed upward and Crystal's gaze followed until she spotted another level. “What's up there?”

“That's what's known as the Upper Dungeon. That's one of the areas where members can play.”

“Dungeon? That sounds so . . . medieval.”

Mollie nodded. “It sort of is, I guess. There are suspension racks, bondage tables, even a spanking bench. Would you like to go up and see it?”

Crystal shook her head, her heart pounding too fast. “I think I'm good right here.”

“Are you having a fun birthday so far?”

She nodded. “It's different, I'll give you that.” She cocked her head and asked, “How did you get into this scene?”

“Alec turned me on to it.” The light in her gaze dimmed. “It hasn't been the same since he passed away, though.”