The room felt very close and hot. “Maybe I just have an eye for detail,” Archie said.

Another song started playing. It had a disco beat and lyrics Archie couldn’t understand.

Rachel closed her eyes, and stood very still for a long moment. Her breasts lifted as she breathed. Her hands were at her sides and she slowly slid a finger along the edge of one of her stockings. And then she opened her eyes and started to dance.

Archie sat quietly, unsure how to react.

Rachel’s eyes remained trained on him as she moved, her hips undulating. She ran her hands over her breasts and down her belly and moaned. Her fingers moved over her pelvis and she gyrated under her touch, and Archie felt blood rush back to his groin. Rachel’s mouth was open. Her tongue flicked over her bottom lip. All the while her hips kept swinging. Archie’s breath felt hot in his mouth. He didn’t know a lot about lap dances, but it was clear that Rachel was good at them. He didn’t know how she managed not to fall in those heels.

Rachel smiled as she put a hand on each of his knees and then pushed them apart. She stepped between his legs so that her breasts were at his face and Archie strained against the handcuffs, breathing hard. Rachel turned around and, hips moving in circles, lowered herself slowly onto his crotch. She made him wait, moving in exquisite slow motion, so that by the time she made contact he was so hard that every muscle in his body felt coiled.

Her blond hair was in his face as she writhed against him. Archie could barely breathe. Every movement of her body sent a shudder through his solar plexus. His legs felt weak. His head was light.

She lifted off him and slowly turned to face him. One of her bra straps had slipped over her shoulder and hung loose around her upper arm. She unhooked one of the hook-and-eye closures of her black corset. Archie licked his lips, which suddenly felt chapped. Rachel unhooked another. The corset started to spread open. Archie curled his toes. His pelvis was on fire. Rachel unhooked the last hook and the corset split open around her and dropped to the floor.

The skin of her abdomen bore faint red seams where the wires of the corset had pressed against her flesh. Her nipples were hard pink pebbles under the black lace. The small silver key was visible, pressed against the flesh of her left breast under the lace.

The heat in his groin was almost unbearable. Archie dug his wrists against the cuffs, to distract himself from the discomfort.

This was its own kind of torture, not being able to move his hands, not being able to touch her.

His scalp itched.