Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
I sucked in a breath of frigid air and walked toward the grand estate up ahead. It loomed threateningly atop a minor hill—three stories, no neighbors nearby. It might as well be a haunted house, complete with the old Victorian look. And it was painted black too.
Mclean House or House Mclean. It depended on who you asked.
There was a debate going on in the internet forum. Officially, it was Mclean House, but many of the younger members, primarily brats and subs, insisted House Mclean sounded cooler.
Frost-covered grass crunched softly underneath my shoes as I crossed the large front lawn.
Even on a slow Wednesday night, I heard music pumping from the nightclub on the first floor. The lights were on in several playrooms on the remaining floors too, so…crap, maybe people had carpooled.
My stomach tightened, and I passed the pillory just off the porch steps.
I’d clearly been born to have more boring dreams. For how chickenshit I’d become the past few years, I should work in a basement somewhere, never see the light of day, eat the same thing every day, and have zero hobbies. That was the kind of lifestyle that fit my personality.
I had no business joining a kink community and fantasizing about group play and Daddies and Masters and…whatever.
I sucked. I was such a freaking coward.
Task of the day—
Oh, shut up.
I was going to speak to a Dom. Platonically, of course. I’d already decided who my target was. Reese Tenley. He’d posted online that he was keeping office hours tonight, so yeah. Plus, he had to be nice to me. He was one of the eight founding members of House Mclean, and they were all polite. Except maybe River, Reese’s twin brother. He never said much.
Kit kept insisting that River was just a teddy bear in wolves’ clothing, but seeing was believing.
Sometimes, not even that. I’d once thought Caleb was nice. Perfect, amazing, wonderful…
Here we go.
I opened the door and stepped inside, and I was immediately met by heavy, industrial metal blaring from the speakers.
I glimpsed a handful of kinksters in the club area; it looked like they’d set up some bondage furniture where people usually danced on weekends.
Despite the house’s dark colors and ominous feel, it was so clear that the people here were close. Even out here in the lobby, where the walls were plastered with photos of kinky fun times. Moments frozen in time, mid-laughter, mid-scream, brats dancing, Sadists scheming, Tops chugging beer together, masochists scowling. They were family.
Having mainly experienced the online community, I’d stumbled across several cliques too, from the bondage crowd and the Little community to the founding members and their closest friends to the watersports lovers. The online forum had plenty of groups with specific topics, but even there—I mean, they crossed over. Nothing was set in stone. People seemed to get along very well, and conflicts were handled swiftly by involving a founding member or a web admin.
As I hung up my jacket, I saw a few guys in the club area I’d spoken to a little bit. Corey was here with his Daddy Dom, Sloan. Corey was great fun. I hoped I could get to know him better. He’d been very nice to me; I was the one who kept shying away.
Tate was here with his Master too, Kingsley. Tate had even invited me over for dinner with a few other subs, and I’d stupidly canceled last minute.
I avoided the club for now, not ready yet. Instead, I trailed along the front of the house, past the stairs, past the dressing room, past the kitchen… Eventually, I reached Reese’s office, and I hesitated.
I did have a question, but it was one I could ask anyone. I had no real reason to single out a Founder for my awkwardness.
He was safe, though. Intimidating but safe.
I’d contemplated asking Lucas West, one of Kit’s Daddy Doms—my friend was lucky to have two—and both were Founders. Lucas was much nicer than Colt. Another thing Kit kept saying wasn’t true. Colt was just a hell-raising Sadist, and that was why some were afraid to approach him.
I wasn’t sure. I’d observed Colt online. He got very loud in the group where they discussed a certain flight simulator game. Also, I’d been to their house once, to hang out with Kit, and when Colt had come home from work, he’d cursed out a client, obviously in a bad mood, and his vocabulary was colorful.
Either way, asking Lucas wouldn’t be much of a challenge. And I had to challenge myself.
With another deep breath, I righted my shirt and knocked on Reese’s door.
“Yeah?” he said on the other side.
Fuck. All of a sudden, I was so nervous that I bordered on frazzled, and that was when I started stammering. Goddammit! Shit! Fuck! I opened the door and swallowed hard, and Reese looked toward me.