Lost and Found: The Curve Masters (2) Read online

  Lost and Found

  The Curve Masters (2)

  Olivia Rigal

  Introduction

  Lost and Found

  The Curve Masters

  I drifted to a place in my mind where Leo always loved me as sincerely as I loved him, a place I never wanted to leave.

  I was far away, yet I felt his lips on my neck, his teeth grazing my shoulder, his breath in my ear, and I heard his voice.

  "You are mine, Diana, all mine."

  My skin burned as his hand moved forward to explore a new territory and claim it.

  Invited to Laura’s Dungeon, Diana hoped to mend her broken heart in the arms of a stranger.

  Instead of falling into oblivion she stumbled onto the man she wanted to forget.

  Foreword

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  Chapter 1

  "Diana, what you need is a Dom." Elise closed the empty ice cream container, licked her spoon clean, and tucked the fleece blanket around her legs.

  Tabitha emerged from my small kitchen with a second, or maybe a third, pitcher of margaritas.

  "She's absolutely right."

  She squeezed her tiny frame next to me on my ancient leather sofa and proceeded to fill our glasses with the mix that had made her a legend when we were in college. She set the pitcher precariously on the pile of books that served as my coffee table.

  "You girls are silly. Having a man in my life won't change anything," I answered, playfully moving the pitcher to the relative safety of the floor. Unless he was a magician he wouldn’t change the fact that I was a chubby college drop out stuck with a lousy job.

  Elise pointed her spotless spoon in my direction like a schoolmistress reprimanding an inattentive child. "I didn't say a man. I said a Dom, and that's definitely not the same thing."

  "Yeah, yeah." I waved dismissively. I didn't believe in a perfect, model relationship and hadn't bought into the D/s legend. My glass raised in a mock toast as Tabitha brought hers to her lips. I was about to drink when I thought to add, "I'll grant you that having someone taking care of everything does sound like heaven, in theory." Tequila had washed away the filter that usually stopped my thoughts from spilling directly into my mouth, so I continued, "Well, aside from the orgasm denial routine I keep reading about. Seriously, I had enough of those to last me a couple of lifetimes."

  Tabitha choked on her margarita. My intention hadn’t been to make her laugh while she drank but to convey my serious misgivings about taking a submissive role in a relationship.

  While Tabitha caught her breath, I carried on. "Frustration is the reason why I gave up on men in the first place. I refuse to toss and turn next to a snoring man, who falls asleep totally satisfied while I'm left wanting. That time is over for me. I'm perfectly happy with my vibrator."

  "You mean vibrators." Elise's emphasis on the plural would make anyone listening believe my nightstand served as the local sex toy store's storage unit.

  Well, I supposed it kind of was. While some endlessly searched for a new pair of shoes, I was on a quest for a perfect vibrator. What made the search difficult was that they were online purchases and Elise knew about them because her bladder was the size of a thimble. To access my bathroom, she needed to walk through my tiny bedroom, and she had often commented about my favorite toy of the moment when I had forgotten it charging on the nightstand.

  Tabitha swirled the colorful liquid in her glass without spilling a drop on the blanket we shared. The feeble heat my building provided wasn't enough to counter the chilly draft from the windows. She took another sip and looked at me way too seriously for someone who’d already drunk so much. Oh no, she was about to go in lecture mode!

  "There are two different types of orgasm denial," she explained. "You’ve only experienced the first one, which is just about the most frustrating thing on earth."

  I nodded. Work-related frustration didn't compare to sexual frustration, and I’d had enough experience in both fields to write an interesting comparative study.

  "But before you take a stand on this, you need to experience the second type," Elise said. "Edging is absolutely mind-blowing."

  "Mind-blowing doesn't even begin to describe it." Tabitha's dreamy expression confirmed their premise. "Yeah, because in D/s, the denial is the means to an end. Of course there's frustration when your Dom takes you to the door of ecstasy a few times then slams that stupid door in your face. But it's a frustration that you learn to savor because you know at one point, he'll push you through the door, and the pleasure you’ll feel will be magnified by the anticipation."

  I tilted my head against the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling. I dearly loved my two friends, but I often thought we didn't live in the same universe.

  Elise lived on the planet Couture. She ruled a lovely little kingdom she’d carved out for herself on Plus Size Chic Island. Aside from adoring their voluptuous blond goddess, her devoted subjects had two things in common: an ample behind and a padded wallet. Since I had the former but not the latter, I worshiped her from afar.

  Tabitha resided in the Art Market Constellation. "Two hundred thousand dollars for that piece of glass is a steal!" wasn't an unusual statement for her to make. She was probably right, but it was really weird listening to her say stuff like that. As far as I knew she was doing okay but the only reason she could afford her large midtown apartment was because she was the fourth generation in a rent-controlled building.

  On the other hand, I lived on planet Earth with both feet deep in the mud of a fancy law firm's pro bono department. The good conscience of the Merger and Acquisition department, the team of attorneys I worked with as an admin acquired indulgences in the Temple of Justice.

  And, at times, no matter how hard the team tried though, we couldn't do anything right. Tonight's failure topped off a disappointing streak. The reason why I’d left the office in tears? Social Services was placing a client's twin children in different foster homes. The associate I worked for was as devastated as I was. As if it wasn't bad enough that their mother was back in jail, the poor kids had to be separated too!

  "She's thinking about them again," Elise said softly.

  "I can see that. That's why she badly needs a Dom to take her out of her head," Tabitha said.

  I sat on the edge of the sofa and looked at my girls. What did they mean by getting me out of my head? "You mean there are times when you stop thinking?" I always wondered if that was possible.

  Elise nodded. "Absolutely. I stop thinking and worrying and just feel."

  "What if we took her there?" Tabitha said.

  Elise wrinkled her pretty nose and frowned as though she didn't have a clue about Tabitha's suggestion. "You wanna top her?"

  Tabitha shook her head. "Of course not, silly. That would be too weird! We're going to get her an invite to the Dungeon for the next costume party."

  "Yes, what a cool idea! That will be the best present ever!" Elise clapped like a delighted child. "And I know precisely what she's going to wear."

  "Would you stop talking about me as if I wasn't here?" I protested, half amused and half
annoyed.

  "I'm sorry, dear," Tabitha said. "I thought you had gone back into your head and were no longer listening."

  Tabitha turned to take my hands. The contrast between her dark and my milky white skin always fascinated me, and I tried to paid attention to what she was telling me.

  "You're celebrating Mardi Gras with us, and we're taking you to a very safe and very clean Dungeon. Elise will dress you up in something lovely, and you're going to have fun." Her tone left no room for discussion.

  I smiled when I realized she’d used her Dom's voice. From listening to their tales about their favorite hangout, I knew enough to understand that some people could switch from top to bottom, and Tabitha was proud to be one of them.

  "Okay, I promise I'll do my best to have fun." The words were barely out of my mouth when I realized I wasn't certain I knew how to do that anymore.

  The fun carefree girl I was in college was missing in action.

  All that for a stupid broken heart.

  I so wanted to be her again.

  * * *

  Chapter 2

  On Wednesday, I couldn't remember what had possessed me to say yes. The tequila probably had something to do with it. Even if I was no longer all about gloom and doom as I had been for a couple of years after dropping out of college, I was still no party girl. I was trying to figure out a polite way to cancel when Elise texted me that I should be home at seven for a fitting. If Plus Size Chic Couture's queen took time preparing something special for me instead of working on a Scala de Milano star's gown for a charity recital all the magazines would cover, I couldn't back out.

  Tabitha left work early and joined Elise to supervise the fitting. As I opened the door to let them in, I decided it didn't matter how daring Elise's dungeon attire was. I would dress it up later and have something chic enough for a formal event if I ever needed to attend one.

  Elise issued a warning as she opened her bag. "Now, you have to realize that this is not your dress. It's just a measuring device I created to take very detailed measurements in record time."

  I nodded and released the breath I’d been holding since I discovered a corset was the only thing in the bag.

  "Strip!" Tabitha's bossy voice commanded before she walked away.

  The girls and I had spent enough time together sharing a tiny beach rental and getting ready for yoga classes that I didn't mind being naked in front of them. After I stripped, I obediently lowered my head to allow Elise to pull her measuring device over it. She quickly pulled various strings to mold it to my shape.

  Soda in hand, Tabitha called from the kitchen, "When you're done, we'll need to give you the basic laws of the land."

  "She has to give you the lecture," Elise said softly. "It's one of the conditions Master S put on our inviting you to the party."

  Master S and Master J were the affectionate nicknames Elise used when talking about Steven Goldsmith and James Evans. In the day time the two men ran Goldsmith and Evans Auctioneers, an upscale auction house. But that wasn’t all. At night they ruled over Laura’s Dungeon, their own very selective sex club. Both men were drop dead handsome and totally devoted to the same woman.

  A whiff of oregano hit my nostrils sweeping away all my questions about the dynamics of a ménage. The bang of the oven door slamming shut confirmed my guess, pizza was on the menu. The twins loved the pizza I ordered for them before the social worker came to pick them up last week. I shook my head to shake off my frustration and get back to the present.

  "What are the other conditions?" I asked, worried about stepping into a universe in which I didn't know the codes.

  "That you respect the rules Tabitha is going to tell you about," Elise said. "Laura's Dungeon is very special. It's a safe place. No one can attend before being thoroughly vetted."

  "And they’re going to let me in?" I raised an eyebrow. With a family filled with loonies, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t pass any sort of background check.

  "Of course! We vouched for you, honey," Tabitha cajoled, coming out of the kitchen with paper plates and napkins. "And I don't want to hear you say that we couldn't possibly belong to a club that would have you as a member! You're a wonderful person, and our bringing you there doesn't mean our standards are lax."

  I tried to inhale deeply to ease my tension, but Elise's device caged in my ribs. I was frustrated and anxious, and tears sprung from my eyes. There was so little I knew about their world, how could I possibly fit in? I didn’t want to goof and embarrass my friends.

  "Don't even think about it." Elise's scolding derailed my train of doom. "You will look amazing, and you will rock the party. I promise."

  Shaking my head slowly, I swallowed hard. "What do I need to know?"

  "You're a guest of Steve, James, and Laura, and no one can force you to do anything," Tabitha explained while inspecting the list of my measurements that Elise gave her. "If one or several Doms wishes to play with you, then they have to ask Master S or Master J, and one of them will confer with you."

  Elise opened the front hooks on the corset, and I once again breathed freely. Oxygen returning to my brain allowed me to think with more clarity. If I stayed put no one would notice me. It wasn't as if admirers would swamp me with requests to perform scenes.

  "What happens if no one wants to play with me?" I asked.

  From the kitchen, Tabitha answered, "Then we'll hang out in the disco part of the club and dance the night away." She returned with pizza and shrugged off my insecurity. "No big deal."

  Elise let out a big sigh. "Right, as if that would happen. With what she’ll be wearing, I'm ready to bet my weight in Godiva chocolate that her biggest problem will be choosing which one to test."

  "But what if I don't like any of them?" I protested. I knew the club was very selective, but I had trust issues and by definition, the men who picked sex clubs as hunting grounds had to be a bit special. They would probably all be too kinky for me.

  "Then you won't play, and no one will pressure you," Tabitha said. "But we want you to promise us one thing."

  "What's that?"

  Tabitha put a finger on my lips to silence me. "If you do feel even a tiny bit of attraction for anyone, then you will be brave enough to give it a try. It's up to you if it's public or private, but you will try."

  What did I have to lose, besides a few hours of my time, if I accepted? Finding a new resolve, I nodded.

  "Say the words," Elise said gently.

  "I promise!"

  I thought that the worst that could happen was a new frustrating experience.

  I should've known better!

  * * *

  Chapter 3

  When I reached the lobby of my building on Saturday night, I saw a very long limousine parked by my door. Someone in my building was going out in style!

  I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Wrapping my arms around my body I shuddered. Was I afraid of hating it or, on the contrary, of falling in love with the life style? The idea of letting go and submitting to a man was tempting and terrifying. I would not panic—I was just going to a club. Tabitha promised that if I didn't go in the back, once I exited the locker room, it would be just like a regular night club: a dance floor and a bar with a two-alcoholic-drink limit. If I really got cold feet, I would stay there.

  But how did the expression go? In for a penny, in for a pound. Since I was going, I should really give the dungeon a try. Who knew, maybe I could recapture the free spirit I’d had before I quit college. How long had it been since the last term of my senior year? Six years already?

  I cut ties with everyone I knew, even Tabitha. We reconnected after a chance encounter at a party that I helped organized for the law firm in honor of some charity. Tabitha claimed she was delighted to have found me again, and she refused to take no for answer when she insisted on seeing me again. Without her, I would probably still have no life aside from work. Being betrayed my the man who held my heart and soul had left me shell shocked.

&nb
sp; Opening my eyes, I noticed the door of the limo was open. I peeked in and saw Elise waving at me. Hey, the someone going out in style was me! I hopped in and hugged Elise and Tabitha.

  "How's my girl doing?" Elise asked looking at home in the luxurious ride.

  "Nervous, a bit." I wrapped my arms around myself despite the comfortable temperature in the car.

  Both my friends were dressed casually, jeans and sweaters. They looked relaxed, why couldn’t I be like them and take it easy. This was just a party, no big deal.

  "Don't worry," Tabitha said. "Everything will be just fine."

  I just needed to think of the night as some sort of ethnological experiment I was participating in. I was Doctor Livingston. Their local customs were to be studied, and tonight, I was going to visit their place of worship. I smiled at the thought. My friends did talk about the sex club with the same passion that some used when they spoke about their church. The club was a place where they belonged, and I felt a little pang of jealousy. It had been a long time since I felt I belonged anywhere.

  "Ready to party?" Elise asked as the limousine slowed down.

  "Is this it?" I asked. “Isn’t this your auction house?”

  "Yes, we've arrived."

  Before the chauffeur had a chance to open the door for us, Tabitha slid out of the car and moved to the trunk. Catching up with her, I watched her pick up a large bag, and I followed her to a side entrance while Elise paid their chauffeur. A bouncer opened the club door for us. While waiting for an elevator in the small hallway, I asked Elise what my share of the limo was.

  "Don't even think about it. It's a present from one of the club members who's already crazy about you," she said with a mischievous smile as we entered the lift.

  "Elise!" Tabitha snapped. Turning toward me, she said with a softer tone, "Don't listen to her. She's nothing but a tease, and tonight she's basically delirious because John Parker should be here. She has a schoolgirl crush on the guy."