Lalisa,Mine.

Chapter Two

The woman placed her hand on Lisa's arm and guided her toward the back of the club. Lisa's head was spinning. All this time, the woman had never given any indication that she was anything but another customer. And Lisa wasn't sure how to feel about being 'rescued.' She wasn't some helpless damsel. Lisa could have dealt with the customer herself, yet she couldn't deny how this woman's hand on her arm sent her pulse racing.

      The woman led Lisa into a dark corridor tucked away in the corner. As far as Lisa knew, all that was down there was a fire exit. To her surprise, there was another door to the right of them that was barely visible in the dim light. The woman opened the door. Lisa followed her up a flight of stairs to another door. The woman typed a code into a keypad and the lock on the door clicked open.

      Lisa followed her into the room. It resembled a generously-sized hotel room, with a large bed at one end and some seating arranged around a coffee table in the center. With minimalist décor and the clean, sharp angles of the furniture, the space both looked and felt immaculate.

      "Sit." The woman gestured toward a leather couch.

      Lisa sat down. The woman's tone made her wonder if she was in trouble. "Is this about the broken bottles? It was an accident, he-"

      "I didn't bring you in here to reprimand you. The loss of a couple of bottles of champagne won't make the slightest dent in the club's profits."

      "Oh." That didn't make Lisa feel any less restless. "Then why did you bring me back here?"

      "I want to make sure you're all right."

      "I'm fine," Lisa said. "I could have handled it myself," she added.

      "I'm sure you could have. Show me your arm."

      Lisa held her arm out. The woman took Lisa's wrist and pulled it closer to the light. The brush of her fingertips against the inside of Lisa's wrist made the hairs stand up on her skin.

      "Does anything hurt?" The woman inspected Lisa's arm.

      "No. He didn't grab me very hard."

      She released Lisa's wrist, apparently satisfied. Her face clouded over. "That man. I'm going to make sure he and his friends never set foot in here again." The woman clenched her fists. "I should have had him arrested for manhandling you like that."

      "It wasn't as bad as it looked." Lisa wondered if the woman had seen the entire incident, or just Lisa standing in a pile of alcohol and glass with a large, angry man's hand around her arm. "He knocked my tray out of my hands by accident and got mad. That's all. I'm used to dealing with difficult customers." Lisa was supposed to be serving said customers right now. Had anyone cleaned up all that broken glass? She stood up. "I should get back to work."

      "You're not going anywhere until I'm sure you're okay, Lalisa."

      "I'm fine."

      "Indulge me then." It was clear that there was no point arguing with her.

      Lisa sat back down. As she looked around the room, she spotted a few personal items. A silk robe hanging from a hook on the wall. A fluffy white towel on the back of the door to the bathroom. A bottle of whiskey and some glasses on the counter. It was the same whiskey that the woman always ordered downstairs. The space didn't look lived in enough to be more than an occasional hideout, but it was clearly hers.

      Lisa's eyes wandered over to the bed. As she admired the black satin sheets, something caught her eye.

      Hanging from the bedpost was a black leather riding crop with a crimson handle.