An Unlocked Mind (Secrets #2)(4)
The envelope for Secrets still lay in the bin, and the harder Rob tried to ignore it, the more impossible it got. He was surprised he’d been invited, as he’d never had a membership because he’d never be able to afford the fees for a Dom, and no way would he sign up as a submissive. Still, he’d had to give his name and address to be able to get in, and for some stupid reason, had said they could contact him.
“To hell with it,” he grumbled as he stood and retrieved it.
You are cordially invited to attend the grand opening of Secrets. Come meet the new owners and see the extensive renovations. Complimentary food and drink will be provided.
Beneath that was the date and time. This Saturday. Only two days away. His heartbeat raced. I shouldn’t. I haven’t been there for months. I don’t need to go. That didn’t stop him from slipping the invite into his pocket, however. True, he had no money, and there wasn’t going to be any coming in, but he had the chance to go out and have fun for a night. If he didn’t take it, he would end up sitting at home, stewing about situations that he had no control over.
Rob did a quick reckoning. He’d need money for the train, but thank God for saver fares between Manchester and London Euston. Still, he didn’t have any spare….
He thought again. He did have the money he was saving to buy a new laptop. The money that he was determined not to touch, because he was nearly there. That—
Just do it. Don’t even think about it.
Rob had noticed something since Alex had left. He’d been balanced on a razor’s edge. He was angrier than he’d ever been, and right now he needed to blow off some steam. This trip to Secrets would serve that purpose. After all, what’s the point of keeping anger bottled up if you can vent it?
And that was another thing. If you’re pissed off and need to find someone to bear the brunt of it, who better than someone like Alex?
Chapter Two
ROB COULDN’T believe he was doing this again. The last time had been almost a year ago, and he’d been certain he would never return. But the urge rode him hard, and here he was, sitting on a train from Manchester to London, heading to a BDSM club and not totally sure of his motivation for doing so.
I just need a different scene, to leave my worries behind me for a little while and not think about anything but enjoying myself.
Not thinking was definitely a goal.
He emerged from Euston station and caught a taxi to the club. He knew it was expensive, but he’d done the math: he could afford one weekend away from the usual grind that was his life. The new laptop would have to wait a little longer, that was all. Then there was the money he’d set aside for evening classes—in what, he had no idea; he’d been awaiting inspiration. His life consisted simply of living in his flat, going to his job, and coming home. A boring existence, and one that meant every now and then he had to let loose, even if he couldn’t afford to.
Since he and Ella had stopped sleeping together, he’d been spending most of his nights alone. She hadn’t been his girlfriend, more like friends with benefits, but once she started dating Kelly, she’d told Rob they couldn’t have sex anymore. And the rest of Rob’s old friends didn’t seem to be as important to him as they’d once been.
That last realization brought with it the thought of Jamie, and Rob was quick to push that aside. He really didn’t want to think about that right then, especially in light of his destination.
When he got out of the taxi and saw the club, he was surprised. There might have been refurbishments inside, but there was very little change to the exterior of the building that housed Secrets. It was still so discreet, one wouldn’t know there was even a BDSM club there.
If he hadn’t been on the mailing list of Whispers, he never would have gotten the invitation to the grand opening. It was only raw curiosity that drew him. This place wasn’t for him. He wasn’t even sure why he’d visited Whispers in the first place, especially since he knew what went on in there. And a couple of visits had been more than enough. He’d seen them prancing around inside, all trying to act like real men. Well, they could wear all the leather they wanted, it still didn’t make it so, not in Rob’s book.
Once he got inside, another surprise awaited him. There were more people than he’d ever seen at Whispers, a mixed crowd, some older and some younger, people in business suits and some in casual wear. A distinguished man, maybe fifty, greeted him at the door and welcomed him before turning and kissing another guy. Something in Rob’s belly uncoiled and writhed, especially when the man—Jarod—called the other one “sir.” He excused himself and went toward one of the sofas, where he sat and watched the men. They smiled and nodded at him, and a few even tried to engage him in conversation, but Rob ignored them.
Why did I waste good money to come here? Did I really think it would be different? Better? What a joke.
When it was announced that the first demonstration was about to begin, he got up to take a look, unable to curb his curiosity. Then he saw exactly who had climbed onto the stage.
It appeared the joke was on Rob.
“Alex?” Rob stared in horror at his brother, and instinctively he shifted position, desperate to get out of his line of sight. What the fuck is he doing here? Then he noticed Alex was with Leo. That made sense. The two of them had gotten married, after all. Fucking perverts. It was bad enough that Alex had flaunted his life choices in front of his family, but when he’d left them high and dry, with barely a word? That was unforgivable. Not that Rob had any intention of forgiving Alex for what he’d done. Not when Alex had deserted him when Rob had needed him the most.