Page 4 of Sanctuary After Dark

"These are our playrooms. We themed each playroom to a different kink, and some are larger than others, depending on what you seek. There's impact play, medical play, needle play, watersports, sensory play, pet play, ABDL, wax play, TPE, and interrogation. We have some basic rooms as well, with beds, toys, and kink furniture. But those tablets on the doors are the sign-up sheets, the schedule, and the rules for each room. Inside the room is a panic button too, in case anything goes wrong and someone needs help from a monitor."

Listening to Lucas as he talked about the different rooms they had was a bit overwhelming, but I was also happy to see that they took safety seriously here. They seemed to be open to a lot of different kinks. My brow furrowed for a moment, though, when I had a thought. "What about ropes?" Before what happened to me, I loved rope bondage. The feel of the ropes wrapped around me was like a warm hug, calming my mind. I hadn't done a lot with rope bondage, but I had wanted to explore it more. My head turned to Lincoln as he laughed and put his arm around his brother, making Lucas roll his eyes again but smile softly.

"That's because this one right here loves rope so much that he didn't want just a small room to do it in. There's a large room downstairs that used to be a ballroom, and he renovated it to be his rope haven. You can literally find anything you need for shibari in there."

I couldn't help but smile at the sheepish look on Lucas's face before he was shoving his brother off.

"Logistically, it made sense. I needed taller ceilings and more support for suspension bondage, and the bondage web is a bitch to take down and put back up all the time. So I wanted a place where it could stay up permanently. Plus, with the amount of different types and colors of rope, I needed a proper place to store them all, so I needed more space."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that, Luke. You're just a nerd when it comes to ropes." Lincoln leaned in and left a smacking kiss on his brother's cheek, which made me giggle a bit. I was so surprised by the giggle that I covered my mouth with my hand and blushed as I looked away. I didn't giggle anymore.

"Hey, no hiding, little one. One thing we love the most here? Giggly little boys." Lincoln smiled at me before he led us up another flight of stairs to the third floor.

Lucas walked a little ahead of us down the hallway to the left. "These are our guest rooms. People can book them at the reception desk or online on our website. Yours is down this way. The last one on the right. You have a corner room. We thought you would like the extra light." Coming to a stop, he pointed out the door before motioning to the one next to it. "This one is mine and Lincoln's room. If you ever need anything, day or night, just knock on our door." Taking a key, he unlocked the door and pushed it open, motioning for me to walk inside. Stepping past him, I walked into the room, and my eyes widened as I took everything in. I was not expecting to get something this nice and this big.

The same theme of warm browns and creams followed me into the room, and the first thing I saw was a pair of double doors leading out to a balcony with trees in view. On the balcony was a single lounger and a small wrought-iron table with a chair.

As I walked further inside, I looked down at the plush rug under my feet before looking at the large king-sized bed that was off to my right. It had a cream-colored comforter and a pile of pillows in different shades of brown, with even a few orange ones thrown in. It looked like a cloud, and I couldn't wait to bury myself in all of those pillows.

At the foot of the bed was a faux-fur blanket that looked super soft, and I just wanted to wrap myself in it. There were nightstands made from a warm wood on either side with lamps on them. In the corner between the one large window and the double doors to the balcony was a soft-looking lounger chair with more blankets and pillows on it. Turning to the other wall, there was a long dresser with a large television mounted on it and a door on each side.

Stepping forward, I opened one door to find a walk-in closet. Closing it, I went to the second door and opened it to find the ensuite bathroom. Stepping inside, I noticed that they also used the stone from downstairs on the walls, which almost made it seem like a hidden grotto instead of a bathroom.

The shower was large and had multiple shower heads; I would need to figure out how to use them. It also had a bench seat and looked like it could fit at least four people in it. The bathtub was a spa style with jets, and it had a little waterfall feature on it I could see. The spa-style bathtub also featured the same stone. A large, black-framed window was next to it, looking out onto the backyard. I was already longing to fill the bath with bubbles and light some candles before sinking into it.

Across from the bathtub was a single vanity sink with a mirror. Around the bathroom were a bunch of plants as well, completing the feeling of being in a hidden grotto. It was the most gorgeous bathroom I had ever seen. The entire bedroom suite was more than I had expected, and it made me a little emotional as I took everything in.

I stepped out of the bathroom to find the three men who were with me in the bedroom waiting.

"This… this is really nice. Thank you."

Lincoln and Lucas smiled at me as Alec was setting my bag on the bed. Alec stepped forward and squeezed my shoulder. "We'll let you get settled. We're thinking dinner around five thirty tonight, so just meet us in the kitchen then. It's to the left of where we came in. You won't miss it."

I nodded and smiled a little, thankful for the chance to collect myself and recover from so much change. I appreciated that Alec was giving me that because with everything going on today; I didn't want to people right now. I just needed a moment to breathe.

Lucas left the key to my room on the dresser, and they all left. Once I was alone in my room, I went to my bag and dug my bunny stuffie out. Hugging her close, I kissed her head and set her in the middle of the pillows on the bed so that I could unpack the rest of my things.

"Well, we're here, Whisper. We did it. The first step."

Before

Lying in the grass of Deacon's backyard, I hummed happily, feeling the warmth of the sun soaking into my skin. There was laughter in the distance mixed with music from the pool party that Deacon was throwing, and it was a perfect day. He was one of the original doms who started my small community, and he often let us use his house for events since he had so much space. Today was a kick-off to summer with a cookout, and I was deliciously warm soaking in the sun after playing a game of keep-away in the pool.

Rose and Nick were chatting away next to me, making plans for the big Pride event in the Northside that was thrown every year. It was a multi-day event with a picnic, prom, vendors, performers, and a parade. The area was a gorgeous park where we usually had a large group, with food and blankets to sit on, while we hung out and just enjoyed the festivities. Deacon mentioned that our community would also have a booth this year to recruit new members. We were all excited about that. Having more members would bring in more money from their fees, which we could then save to buy a location. Something we had all been hoping for.

"Eli, are you even listening to us?" Rose giggled as she poked my cheek, making me scrunch my face. Squinting against the brightness of the sun, I looked over at them with a lazy smile. They were my two best friends. I spent more time with them than anyone else, well, besides Jack lately. We had spent so much time together lately, and I was so happy. He treated me as if I were a prince. Even just thinking of him had me feeling all kinds of giddiness.

"Yeah, I am. You were talking about having a face-painting station at the booth for people. I can sunbathe and listen at the same time. Multi-tasking at its finest, my friends!" I stuck my tongue out at her while Nick just laughed and popped a grape into his mouth.

"It's going to be so much fun! Ask your Daddy if you can help us."

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. "He's not my Daddy. We've just been playing, that's all."

It was a bit of a sore spot because we hadn't yet labeled what we were. I mean, I called him Daddy, and he really liked that and I loved pleasing him. We just hadn't had the official conversation about what we were to each other. If it was just a play dynamic or if we were boyfriends.

The unimpressed looks from both of my friends just made me pick up a grape and throw it at them, which made them fall into a giggling fit. Nick sat up and wiped his eyes as he got his giggles under control.

"If he's not your Daddy, then I'm a strict Master. Come on, Eli! That man adores you. He's had heart eyes ever since you met him at the egg hunt. He waits on you hand and foot."