Page 2 of Midnight Dissonance

“Well, say hi to her for me.” She liked Emma. The woman was independent and had a good head on her shoulders, in addition to bagging one of the hottest Doms at Eros.

She was better than most of the simpering ninnies who called themselves submissives around here. And she knew she was being a judgmental bitch. Not that she cared; she called it like she saw it.

“Will do, lass,” Xavier nodded before heading off to get someone else a drink.

She sat at the bar surveying the scene, an outcast even in the one place she felt more like herself. Lexi didn’t understand why she never truly fit in anywhere, not even with her family.

Except on stage.

When she stood under the burning lights, strumming her guitar and singing, she felt more alive, more herself, more at home than anywhere else in the world. Performing and playing music was where she belonged. And she was making it happen. Her band, The Celestials, had a decent following and was considered an up-and-coming local band. She knew their big break was around the corner. It was so close she could taste it.

An announcement over the loudspeakers told participating submissives to line up in the Pit to select their marker and, ultimately, their Dom for the night. Lexi tossed back the rest of her tequila. It burned all the way down and heated her belly. She licked her lips, savoring the last bit of flavor. Then she rose and strutted over to the Pit.

The Pit was a circular section of the club that had been walled off and was a good fifteen feet in diameter. The base of the Pit sat about four feet below the floor level. The floor and walls were glossy black. It was where they did public scenes and disciplined misbehaving submissives.

Ronan’s hungry gaze raked up and down her body like she was just the snack he was looking for. She winked at him. A lascivious smirk spread on his face, and he chin nodded in acknowledgment.

Oh yeah, he’d be fun for a night. They’d never scened together, but she would be down if she got his marker.

She filed into line behind subs in red leather and lace. Could they be more unoriginal? If they wanted to stand out, they should have chosen a different color. She realized it was a Valentine’s Day event, but it was those who dared to be different who made their mark and got noticed.

But when Ronan was paired with another sub, she grimaced at losing out on a chance with him. Okay, she still had hopes for Henry and Gage. They were a damn handsome pair. They were in their late thirties but had retained their soldiers bearing from their time in the Navy.

Except the sub in front of her drew their marker.

Shit.

Who did that leave her with the possibility of selecting? How many participating Doms were left?

She didn’t have time to try and figure it out before she stared at a smiling Sophia Ryan. The fashionable brunette was married to the club’s owner, Gabe, who had always intimidated Lexi. Not that she would ever admit it out loud. “Pick your marker, honey.”

With a deep breath, she plunged her hand inside and searched through what was left until a marker slid into her hand. She withdrew her hand, the marker held firmly in her grasp. Before she chickened out, she opened her hand and stared at the name.

No! Not him!

Dear universe, are you fucking kidding me?

It was like she was cursed when it came to men. She’d been saddled with him? The biggest player at the club who went through submissives like the world would run out. The guy that wouldn’t know loyalty and faithfulness if it bit him in the ass. That’s who she’d been paired with tonight?

“Ah, Josh Ryan. He’s down in room seven. Have fun.” Sophia winked, like Lexi would enjoy becoming another notch on his bedpost.

She didn’t want to be just another sub he screwed and forgot the moment the scene ended. Deep down, she wanted that special Dom she could kneel for and serve, who would care for her and wouldn’t mind her flaws. But she was out of luck tonight.

On autopilot, she left the Pit and rode the elevator down one floor to the private rooms level. Her tummy churned the entire way.

She could do this. She could scene with him and move on. She stepped off the elevator. This level had been decorated in the same color motif as the main floor, with black walls and gray floors. But the lighting was even more muted. And there were black doors along the hall, each with a number designating the room. Her heels clicked against the floor. She waltzed to the end of the hall and located the door with the number seven on it.

When she reached the door, she took a deep breath and entered. He wasn’t here yet. Lexi noted he had one of the private rooms with a bed. Not that she was picky. But it rankled that she had been matched with Josh. He was attractive, but then all the Ryans were good-looking men. That family had hit the genetics lottery.

All she had to do was submit. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine it was Ronan or one of the other Doms.

Her anxiety knew no bounds. She tried positive self-talk, but it didn’t work. She should have ordered another drink before coming down. The club enforced a three-drink maximum before a scene, and her two shots constituted two drinks. It was dumb, but those were the club rules. Even so, she bet Xavier would have given her another double even though she’d already had one.

But she could do this. From what she’d heard through the submissive grapevine, Josh was exceptionally gifted and knew how to make a sub scream in ecstasy.

She started to kneel but then thought better of it. Lexi understood far too well that kneeling in presentation was a sign of respect.

But Josh needed to prove he was worthy of that respect.

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