“Follow me,” Vanessa said.
Mel followed Vanessa toward the double doors. Half-naked in this huge, empty space, Mel couldn’t help but feel exposed. Vanessa pushed open the doors. They made their way up the stairs and were greeted with a long corridor with rows of doors on either side.
Vanessa opened a door at random. “Go ahead. Have a look inside.”
Mel peered into the room. The entire floor was essentially one giant bed with pillows thrown around haphazardly. It wasn’t hard to figure out what that room was for. Mel opened another door. It looked like a normal bedroom, with a king-sized bed in the middle. But one of the side walls was made up entirely of mirrors.
“They’re one-way mirrors,” Vanessa said. “There’s a viewing room next door. Some people like the taboo of being watched. Others like to watch. All parties have to consent, of course.”
Mel wandered down the corridor, opening door after door. There were rooms designed to fulfill every fantasy, from the common to the unusual. There was a classroom, a doctor’s office, a jail cell. It was like some sort of kinky hotel.
They reached the end of the hall. Mel stopped in front of a door. Unlike the others, it had a nameplate above it. The Scarlet Room. Mel reached out and turned the door handle. It was locked.
“I see you’ve found The Scarlet Room.” Vanessa walked up behind her. She had a key with a red tassel hanging from it in her hand. “You’ll get to see what’s inside in a moment.”
Mel was practically bursting out of her skin. She wanted to see what was behind that door. But she wanted Vanessa even more.
“Before we go in. What’s your safe word?”
“Velvet,” Mel said.
“Good. Remember, using your safe word isn’t a sign of weakness. When you need to use it, use it.”
“Okay.” The seriousness of Vanessa’s expression told Mel that this command was more important than any of the others Vanessa had given her.
“One last thing. Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“The most important part of all of this is trust. You, trusting that I will keep you safe. And me trusting you to communicate honestly about your limits and what you’re thinking and feeling. Do you promise to do that for me?”
“Yes, Vanessa.”
“Good. Trust me. Listen to everything I say. And know that I’ll be right there by your side the entire time.”
Mel nodded. Vanessa unlocked the door, and they entered The Scarlet Room.
Chapter Eleven
“Welcome to The Scarlet Room,” Vanessa said.
Mel looked around. The room resembled a Victorian parlor, complete with red vintage wallpaper and ornate furniture, but with the inclusion of a large four-poster bed. What was on the walls told a different story. The shelves, hooks and cabinets, all held a vast array of BDSM equipment.
What interested Mel the most was a rack on the far wall. It was a cornucopia of whips, including a long, thin riding crop. Unlike the others, the crop had a crimson handle. It was the same one that had hung from Vanessa’s bed at The Lounge and had haunted Mel since the day she stepped into that room.
“See something you like?” Vanessa asked.
Mel stared at the rack. “Are you going to use one of these on me?”
“Do you want me to?”
Mel nodded, her pulse quickening.
Vanessa sidled up behind her and draped her arms around Mel’s shoulders. “Say it. Tell me exactly what you want me to do to you.”
“Please, Vanessa. I want you to use the riding crop on me.”
“Okay. But I plan to do far more with you than that.” Vanessa walked to the center of the room and beckoned Mel with a finger. “Come here.”