Welcome to Serpent's Kiss (Serpent's Kiss #0.5) (3 page)

To the casual observer, the entire first floor looked like any other club. There were couches, chairs, and coffee tables on one side. On the other was a space for those who wanted to dance, a bar, and higher tables for members who preferred to stand and talk. Along the back wall was a raised platform that could be used as a stage, a set of stairs to the second floor, and a short hallway that led to the bathrooms, the locker rooms, and a storage room.  There was a doorway near the front entrance that opened to a long hallway, which contained her office and rooms she was currently using as storage. One of these days, she was hoping to turn them into theme rooms, but so far, that hadn’t happened. They were too separated from the other areas to be convenient.

“And how is our club mistress this evening?”

She turned to find Daniel, a Dom in his fifties. “Thirsty, actually. I was heading over to the bar to get something. Care to join me?”

He followed her over and ordered a whisky, neat. She stuck with water.

They found an empty table not far from the bar and stood with their drinks.

“So, what’s on your mind?” she asked.

“Ah. You know me too well.”

“Yes, well. . . it’s not often that you seek me out. At least, not this early in the evening.” She took a sip of her water and waited for him to talk.

“Have you seen Ali tonight?”

So that was it. Was he the one who’d upset her? If he were, Katrina had been wrong earlier. Daniel wasn’t the Dom she’d seen Ali eyeing for the last few weeks. “She and Brandon prepped the club tonight.”

He nodded and took a drink of his whisky. “Something’s bothering her, but she wouldn’t tell me what. Did she say anything to you?”

“Daniel, you can’t make her tell you something she doesn’t want to.” Hopefully, he wouldn’t pick up on the fact that she hadn’t answered his question.

Katrina should have known better.

“So she did talk to you.” He appeared to be lost in thought for a few moments, and then he leaned in and met her gaze. “Do I need to have a conversation with someone?”

She guessed that answered her question. If Daniel had been the one to upset Ali, he wouldn’t be offering to address the situation with the other party. “No. You don’t. And I think you should let Ali handle it. If she wants your help, she’ll ask for it.”

“I just worry about her. Ali’s a good girl. I’d hate to see someone mistreat her.”

Katrina raised her eyebrows and stared back at him.

“What?” he asked.

She snorted, although she doubted he could hear her over the music. “If you’re so concerned about her, then why haven’t I seen you pursuing her?”

He took another swig of his drink—this one larger than the last. “Ali’s young enough to be my daughter.”

“But she’s not.”

“That’s irrelevant.”

“If you say so,” Katrina said.

Daniel shifted as he scanned the room. “What about you? When are you going to settle down? You certainly have enough suitors. Or you would if you showed them the least sign that you were interested.”

“Been there. Done that.” Even as she said it, Ryan came to mind, and she had the urge to look for him if only to confirm that he’d made it back to the club. She tried to tell herself that she was just being a good top. They’d played earlier, after all. It was her job to make sure he wasn’t experiencing any type of subdrop, but she knew that explanation was far from the truth.

He tilted his glass in her direction. “So have I. Remember that when you want to start playing matchmaker.”

A couple entered the club, and Katrina excused herself. She needed to put some distance between her and the current line of conversation, and Allison and John had been listed as references on Drew Parker’s application for membership. Although references weren’t required, they did help. It made the whole process go faster if another one of her members knew the applicant.

“Allison. John. How are you both tonight?”

“Ready to have some fun. This week has been stressful,” Allison answered.

“Nothing major, I hope.”

John wrapped his arm around Allison’s waist, offering his Domme comfort, as she responded. “My dad was admitted to the hospital Wednesday night. I spent most of Thursday helping my mom get things squared away.”

“Is it serious?” Katrina asked.

Allison rolled her eyes. “No. He fell off a ladder. Gave himself a nice bump on the head and broke his arm in two places. They just wanted to keep him overnight for observation, but then it was a matter of making sure Mom had what she needed at home to take care of him. This is one of those times when I’m glad I live an hour away. My dad is a bear when he’s sick. Listening to him complain about having to spend the night in the hospital was bad enough. I think I’d slowly lose my mind if I had to stay in the same house with him for any length of time when he’s like this.”

Katrina smiled sympathetically. “Why don’t you and John grab one of the rooms upstairs before things get too busy? You can release some of that stress.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Allison said.

They started to walk away before Katrina remembered her original reason for waylaying them. “Oh. I almost forgot. If you have a chance later, I wanted to speak with you both. Your names were listed as references on an application I received.”

“Drew?” John asked.

“Yes.”

Allison nodded. “We’ll come find you after our scene.”

For the next two hours, Katrina weaved her way through the club, catching up with various members. She’d made sure to avoid Ryan at all costs. He was a complication she didn’t need or want.

As she moved from group to group, she couldn’t help the surge of pride she felt. One of the things she loved about Serpent’s Kiss was that it had become much more than a place to play. Members came to hang out, relax, and be themselves without having to worry if their dynamic would bother those around them.

Around ten o’clock, Allison and Jeff approached her. “Let’s find somewhere quiet.”

She led them to a seating area near the front. Most of her patrons liked to stay toward the back near the dance floor and the stairs leading up to the play areas.

“You’re both looking much better,” Katrina said once they were all settled.

Allison and John were a very affectionate couple in general, but after a scene they were even more so. She was sitting on his lap, her head on his shoulder. Their hands were entwined together, resting in her lap. He was rubbing his thumb along the inside of her wrist as she nuzzled his neck with the tip of her nose. It was sweet and loving and. . . Katrina felt a pang of loss. She always made sure she gave the subs she played with aftercare, but once it was over, it was over. Anything else might get their hopes up.

Her husband hadn’t been a big cuddler, but there were moments when he’d give her a look or a touch and she’d melt. No man since had been able to do that to her—not that she’d given any of them a chance to try.

“Playing helped. It always does,” Allison said.

Katrina grinned. “I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to get your opinion of Mr. Parker.”

John tore his gaze away from Allison to look at Katrina. “Drew’s a nice guy. He’s new to the lifestyle but very interested in learning.”

“His application says he’s a sub.”

Allison nodded. “He is. Although he’s never had a Domme or even played before. I’ve offered, but he said he doesn’t feel right about it.”

Interesting, Katrina thought. “How did you meet?”

“He came to a munch about two months ago, and we made him feel welcome, introduced him to some people,” John said.

“How well do you know him? Being new, does he understand the nature of the club and what goes on here?” Katrina asked.

“He and John have met a couple of times outside of the munches. Everything we’ve found out about him says he’s an honest guy. He’s a little lost when it comes to what he wants out of the lifestyle, but we were all there at one point,” Allison said.

Katrina wasn’t sure how she felt about Drew being so new to the lifestyle. If he’d never had a Domme—never played—then how sure was he that this was what he wanted? How would he react to seeing subs being spanked or flogged right in front of him?

It was difficult to say. Sometimes it took people time to adjust to seeing the dynamic unfiltered. Others took to it quickly. Everyone was different, and there was no guessing how any one person would react.

“Anything else you can think of that I need to know?” Katrina asked.

“Drew was a bit concerned with privacy. Working for the city, he didn’t know how being a member here would be perceived by his superiors. . . let alone the guys he works with. We tried to reassure him, but I’m sure he’d like to hear it from you just the same,” Allison said.

“I’ll keep that in mind when I meet with him.”

Katrina didn’t want to interrupt anymore of their time. She had what she needed for now. “I’ll leave the two of you alone. Did you need anything?”

Allison wiggled her way further into John’s embrace. “No, thank you. I think we’re good for now.”

Satisfied that the couple was content in their own little world, Katrina went to check on everyone else. . . including Ali. Even though Katrina had downplayed it to Daniel earlier, she was concerned about the woman. At thirty, Ali had had her heart broken more than once by men who didn’t appreciate her. She needed a good man. A good man like Daniel.

Ali was sitting down reading a book when Katrina peeked into the lobby area. You couldn’t hear the music out there, and the club’s patrons tended to come in waves. It was an excellent opportunity to read or get work done. Katrina half suspected that was one of the main reasons why Ali liked manning the station so much. That, and her membership fees were waived since she worked for the club.

“Oh. Hi, Katrina. Sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“Good book?” she asked.

“Yeah. I sort of got sucked in. The hero is amazing.” Ali looked a little guilty.

Katrina smiled, letting her know that she wasn’t upset. There were cameras out here. She knew what Ali, Bridget, and Karen did during their downtime. If Katrina had a problem with it, she would have said something a long time ago. “If it’s that good, you’ll have to let me borrow it when you’re done.”

“I can do that.”

“Everything else good out here?”

“Yep. I’m expecting another wave soon. Then, it will slow down until people decide to start heading home.”

“Typical Friday night,” Katrina conceded.

Ali nodded.

“Are you doing okay? No one’s been giving you a hard time tonight, have they?”

She knew what Katrina was asking. The guy, whoever he was, was a member of Serpent’s Kiss. “No. He—he hasn’t been in tonight.”

“Well if you have any issues, radio Cooper or Michael.”

Ali nodded. “I will. Thanks for checking on me.”

Katrina headed back into the club and she tried not to worry too much about Ali. She had a good head on her shoulders. Hopefully, one of these days, she’d find a man worthy of her. For the time being, though, she had the radio and a panic button if things got serious. And, of course, she had her book. Something told Katrina that the ‘amazing hero’ would do wonders for improving Ali’s mood.

Making a circle around the first floor of the club, Katrina checked that Brandon didn’t need anything at the bar before ascending the stairs that led to the second floor. Michael was posted outside one of the first rooms—the same one she’d played in earlier with Ryan. Michael was watching a bondage scene.

“Everything all right?” she asked.

“Just making sure. I noticed he’d tied the ropes a little too tight earlier and had to redo them. Why he’s trying something more complicated now even though he doesn’t have the experience is beyond me.”

Katrina observed for a few moments before agreeing with him. “Maybe afterward you can offer to help. We both know you have a love affair with rope.”

Michael’s chest and arms vibrated with his suppressed amusement. “I’ve never heard any complaints.”

“Pfft. Most of the subs around here love you, and you know it. Didn’t you have them lining up to volunteer the last time you gave a demonstration?”

He grimaced. “I think more than a couple had trouble sitting down for a few days after that.”

She laughed. It was true. Michael had a gift for rope bondage. There wasn’t much he couldn’t do with a solid rope and a willing, flexible submissive. The club’s subs knew it, too. Even the ones who knew their Doms wouldn’t allow them to volunteer had a yearning in their eyes that Katrina doubted their significant others missed.

“Other than the rope issue. . .”

“It’s been pretty quiet. Cooper’s at the other end, but beyond having to help find some supplies, it’s been a slow night so far.”

Katrina nodded. “Just the way I like it.”

Confident that Michael had things under control, she went to find Cooper. She found him in the last room talking to a Dom and sub. The conversation appeared to revolve around the use of a pinwheel, but since Katrina stayed out in the hall, she couldn’t hear the specifics. Cooper was well versed in most of the equipment they had in the playrooms. She had confidence he could handle the situation on his own.

When he exited the room, he noticed her standing there. “Hey.”

“Everything good?”

“Just the usual. How are things downstairs?” he asked.

“Lively.”

Cooper smiled, revealing his dimples. “Maybe later you can save me a dance.”

She chuckled. “You’ll get the rumor mill going.”

He winked. “Gotta keep it interesting.”

Katrina shook her head. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

As she walked away, she could hear him chuckling. Why neither Michael nor Cooper had subs was beyond Katrina’s comprehension. They both dated, but it never led to anything long-term. She guessed they just hadn’t met the right women yet.

Nothing much had changed on the first floor in her absence, so she got herself another drink—one a little stronger than water this time—and set out to find some good conversation.

***

It was nearly noon before Katrina rolled out of bed Saturday morning. The club had closed at two the night before, but she’d been too pumped when she arrived home to sleep, so she’d opted to work on the club’s website. She tried to keep everything as up-to-date as possible. Some days she succeeded better than others.