Playing with Temptation (2 page)

Two weeks later…

R
aina wasn’t sure
what to expect once she arrived at The Players Club, but as she stared up at the huge, sprawling, three-story mansion that had been built on the side of the mountain and overlooked the city of Fallbrook below, she was certainly impressed by the gorgeous, majestic-looking house. At night, the place was illuminated by low-profile lighting, and the Mediterranean architectural style was warm and inviting. From the outside, there was absolutely nothing to indicate that this place was actually a club that catered to those who preferred taking a walk on the wilder side of sex.

Excitement and anticipation swirled inside of her as a young valet took the keys to her car, slid into her vehicle, and drove away. Holding just her invitation in her hand, she inhaled a deep, fortifying breath and climbed the stairs that led to a luxurious open courtyard, where a few couples were standing around, conversing and enjoying the cool summer evening before heading inside for more illicit indoor activities. One of the men in the group glanced at Raina as she headed toward the entrance, and their gazes met since she’d been casually looking his way, too.

As a woman who owned a sex shop, she’d learned to look people directly in the eye, without shame, embarrassment, or judgment. It also showed confidence, and that skill came in handy now. The man staring back at her was nice-looking enough, and though she wasn’t attracted to him in any way, she gave him an amicable smile, the kind she’d offer a customer in her store to break the ice and let them know she was friendly and approachable.

A lascivious grin curved his mouth as he gave her a very thorough and blatant once-over, his gaze raking down the little black dress that hugged her curves and ended mid-thigh. His appraisal kept going, traveling all the way down her long legs to the rhinestone-studded strappy stilettos on her feet and back up again to the thick, blonde hair she’d left down in soft, tumbling waves around her shoulders.

His gaze, when it returned to hers, was heated and undeniably interested. Unfortunately, he didn’t do a thing for her libido and didn’t even register as a tiny blip on her sexual radar. It was then that Raina decided that if she was going to have any kind of physical contact with a guy tonight, she wanted off-the-charts combustible chemistry to accompany it. The kind of instantaneous lust that made her hot and wet with just a glance. The kind of excitement that made her entire body sizzle with electricity before he even touched her.

Not just anyone would do. Yes, she was setting her standards extremely high, but she’d rather go home to her battery-operated boyfriend than settle for a mediocre encounter that left her wanting more, anyway. Tonight was all about going for the gusto, taking risks, and reaping the kind of pleasure she’d denied herself for much too long.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her here before,” the man who’d been ogling her mused to the other couple with him, loud enough for Raina to hear as she walked past. “And you know how I enjoy breaking in the newbies.”

The woman snorted inelegantly. “Contrary to what you might believe, not every woman enjoys being bound, gagged, and flogged.”

“I’ve been known to change a woman’s mind,” he drawled arrogantly. “And just for the record, I use the softest, most supple leather available on the market. Women love the way it feels on their skin. I’ve yet to have anyone complain.”

The man clearly had a giant-sized ego, and if he’d intended to excite her with his knowledge of whips and floggers, she wasn’t at all impressed, considering she sold those items in her store. Truthfully, she wouldn’t mind a man who gave a bit of calculated pain with her pleasure, but there was a level of trust that needed to be established first, and she’d never allow a stranger that kind of privilege.

With that in mind, she was grateful that The Players Club abided by the safe, sane, and consensual rules, which had been stated in the guest contract she’d signed, including a two-drink maximum and zero-tolerance policy on drug use of any sort to ensure decisions were made without any undue influence.

The standard safe word to stop any sort of sex play was
red
, and if it was ever ignored, the person who didn’t heed the warning was immediately expelled and banned from the club. Jillian had assured her that there were attendants throughout the place to maintain all aspects of a guest’s safety, and then there was also the confidential background security check and health screening everyone had to pass before their first visit. The discreet guidelines were set in place to maintain and preserve the integrity of the club, and they took those rules very seriously.

Raina continued toward the entrance, and just as she reached the giant-sized double front doors to the mansion, they opened, and a young woman greeted Raina with a smile. Once she was inside the gorgeous and elegant lobby, Raina handed the young woman her invitation.

The hostess introduced herself as Lise, and once she’d checked Raina’s name on the approved list, she proceeded to give her the first-timer’s spiel about
what
was located
where
. From the viewing rooms upstairs to the open playrooms and themed fantasy boudoirs to the dungeon and the Thursday evening
Rave
party down on the lower level of the mansion, and everything else in between.

“You can start in the Player’s Lounge, where you can mingle, which is right that way,” Lise indicated with a wave of her hand. “Or you can go ahead and explore the mansion, stop where you want, and indulge as you wish.”

Raina wasn’t one for small talk and pickup lines, not in a situation like this. Whatever happened, with whomever it happened with, she wanted it to develop naturally, so she opted for the latter. “I think I’d like to explore and see what my options are.”

“Go right ahead,” Lise said, then turned toward another couple who’d just entered the club, leaving Raina on her own.

Just as she stepped into the main entry hall, a neatly dressed waiter arrived with a tray of champagne flutes. “Would you like something to drink?”

Champagne sounded lovely, and she accepted one of the glasses. “Yes, thank you.”

She took a sip of the sweetened sparkling wine as she contemplated the split staircase that led toward two separate wings of the house, along with the directional signs informing patrons that the public viewing rooms were to the right, and the private rooms were to the left. Another wide stairway led down to the area below designated “The Dungeon,” where tonight’s Rave party was also being held.

She headed up to the public viewing rooms first, taking in the plethora of sexual activities going on all around her, fascinated by everyone’s lack of inhibition. Couples were openly having sex while others watched, and some even joined in on the fun. There were public spankings and orgies going on, and different themed rooms offered to fulfill fantasies that involved all sorts of kinky scenarios. She viewed some interesting fetishes, including watching as a dominatrix made a tied-up man drop to his knees and lick her leather, spike-heeled boots while she whipped him with a crop.

Men and women walked by her, some even touching her bare arm or back—a light caress that expressed interest without aggression. Even though her senses were saturated with all things sex-related, no one in particular appealed to her enough to accept their silent offers, though she did find all the various scenes and sights highly arousing.

Maybe she was more of a voyeur than an exhibitionist, she mused as she finished her champagne and set the empty glass on a table before deciding to see what the dungeon was all about. She took the stairs to the lowest level of the mansion, and it did, indeed, feel very much like a dungeon down below, with wall sconces providing a muted red illumination. Shackles and chains hung from the walls and ceilings, and the darkened chamber was also equipped with a few St. Andrew’s crosses, along with all sorts of benches, cages, stocks, and swings.

Currently in progress were bondage scenes, slavery, and resistance play, and each scene drew a crowd of onlookers, while dungeon monitors stood nearby, supervising scenes to make sure everything remained safe and consensual. A man in leather chaps used a rope on another well-built man, tying his wrists and arms together behind him in the most intricate way, almost like an art form, before grabbing a handful of the bound man’s hair and forcing the guy to suck him off.

Riveted by the erotic sight of two such masculine men together, Raina felt a flush of heat suffuse her entire body. The act was primal and raw and wholly sexual, and holy shit, the man’s dominance over his partner was so freakin’ hot it left her breathless.

Between the glass of champagne and the scene she’d just witnessed, her body was buzzing. Her sex throbbed, and her nipples peaked and scraped against the lace of her bra. It was like watching live porn, the scent and sounds echoing off the chamber’s walls adding to the titillating and X-rated atmosphere.

She moved on to another less-crowded performance, showcasing a gentleman in a tailored suit bringing his “secretary” to heel. The woman was bent over a large desk, her arms bound, a ball gag in her mouth, and the man was smacking her ass with a wide leather paddle. Her skin was a bright stinging shade of pink, but with every swat of the paddle, she moaned and thrashed in the throes of pleasure, clearly loving the punishment.

“Like what you see?”

The low, masculine voice so close to her ear startled Raina. She turned her head and met the steady brown gaze of the man she’d seen out in the courtyard. She couldn’t help but wonder how long he’d been following her throughout the club, watching her…and didn’t care for the unsettling sensation in her stomach—even though he hadn’t done anything to pose any kind of threat to her.

“Umm, I’m just…browsing,” she said as noncommittally as she could manage, even as she realized how silly that sounded in a
sex club
.

He tipped his head, his interest in her unmistakable. “Maybe I could persuade you to participate in a scene of our own?” he suggested.

She shook her head and gave him a placating smile. “No, thank you.”

He raised an arrogant, dark blond brow. “I can give you a whole lot of pleasure to offset the pain,” he persisted and stroked a hand down her bare back.

She sucked in a breath, not appreciating that he’d taken such an intimate liberty when she’d made it very clear she wasn’t attracted to him or his offer. Looking him straight in the eye, she said the word
red
very firmly and loudly enough for a nearby dungeon monitor to hear.

The too-cocky man immediately obeyed the safe word and stopped touching her. With an irritable scowl on his face, his raised his hands, and the supervisor stepped away again, satisfied that he’d complied.

His jaw clenched indignantly. “Jesus, that was a bit extreme.”

“I just wanted to make it very clear that I have no desire to be gagged, bound, and flogged,” she said evenly. “By you or anyone else here.”

“You really should try it. You might like it,” he said and smirked. “In fact, I’d bet money I could make you come better and harder than you ever have.”

Oh, puleeze
. She just barely refrained from rolling her eyes. Obviously, she’d bruised his fragile ego, and he felt the need to compensate. “Gamble your money elsewhere,” she said very sweetly. “I’m really not interested; therefore
you
making me
come
, in any capacity, isn’t going to happen.”

His gaze narrowed ever so slightly at her wisecrack, but he’d pushed and he’d deserved the verbal smackdown. Unwilling to engage with him further, she walked away and headed down an adjoining corridor, following the sound of electronic techno music until she reached the opposite end of the mansion, where the Thursday night Rave party was being held. The huge, open area was designed to look like an underground warehouse, with laser light shows, erotic images projected onto the bare walls, and smoke machines adding to the sultry, sex-infused mood.

She glanced behind her, and satisfied that Mr. Bound and Gag wasn’t anywhere to be seen, she moved into the fray of people. A lot of the men were shirtless, the women scantily clothed, making her feel overly covered in her dress and heels, even though she had plenty of skin showing. Most everyone was dancing like bohemians, without modesty or propriety. This was where the epitome of dirty dancing was defined, with men and women grinding and writhing against one another, unbridled in their passion and pursuit of pleasure.

A few men and women reached out to touch her, to draw her into the ribald revelry, but she managed to evade getting swept into the gyrating, groping mass of people. Because she didn’t want to get caught up in one of the many orgies going on, she veered off toward a stage, where half a dozen adult-size, gold-gilded bird cages were displayed and overlooked the rest of the room. A few of them were occupied, mostly with couples dancing and humping and groping one another. Feeling like she’d be the safest in one of those barred enclosures by herself, Raina made her way to the stage, then up the five small steps to enter one of the vacant gilded cages. She latched the lock from the inside, just to make sure she had no surprise visitors.

She took a moment to look around, to take in her view from her perch above everything and everyone. Besides the enormous dance floor, there was also a large lounge area with private chairs and couches for those who wanted more creature comforts, and right below the stage was a bar serving guests their two-drink minimum and bottles of water.

Feeling secure in her own little coop, it was easy to let the pulsing beat of the music infuse her body, inviting her to let go of her own inhibitions. She loved to dance, and she grabbed on to the stripper-like pole in the center of the cage and did a little dirty dancing of her own. She’d taken pole-dancing classes with her girlfriends, and it was incredibly liberating and freeing to wrap her calf around the pole, arch her back, and execute a graceful, sensual twirl that made her feel confident and incredibly sexy.