by Piper Rayne
I’ve never been one for clubs. Especially not one that I don’t own. I have no control here, no say. This is someone else’s turf, and it very much feels like I’ve stepped into a foreign land. At least back at The Grandiose, I’m surrounded by employees who are at the ready to do as I ask. I’m by no means a micromanager, but there’s a sense of security that comes with knowing I can have whatever I want done whenever I want it.
We’re allowed to bypass the long line that wraps around the exterior of the club because Ace is one of the most well-connected men in Nevada and the west coast. There isn’t a door he can’t open. Naturally, it helps that King’s highly recognizable, too. King even stops a couple of times to take pictures and sign autographs with a few guests in line. It doesn’t take very long before people start pulling out their phones to snap pictures of him. He soaks up the attention like the sponge, which Lake seems to find very amusing.
Inside, the music is so loud that I can barely get a word out without having to scream at the top of my lungs. Not exactly conducive of good conversation, but Lake doesn’t seem to mind. Instead, she talks with her body, taking my hand to pull me out onto the dance floor without a hint of hesitation. It’s crowded here, hot and sweaty, but it’s the perfect opportunity for us to get up close and personal.
She moves like a dream. It’s almost ridiculous how amazing she smells. I find myself drunk on the scent of her light perfume, high off her gentle touch. The heat of her body radiates off of her, soaking into my own skin and setting something within me ablaze. Lake fits in my arms perfectly, slotting into place like she was always meant to be here. Every time our eyes lock, adrenaline is sent shooting through my veins.
When Lake circles her arms around my neck and pulls her chest up against me, I realize just how badly I want her. I think I’ve always known, somewhere deep down in my subconscious. But now it’s impossible to refute. I want her, and no one but her. Lake seems to be reading my mind because the second the lights dip down and the lasers start to go crazy, she tilts her chin up.
And then I kiss her.
Our lips find one another like magnets, snapping into place, no longer capable of resisting the pull. She tastes heavenly, her breath sweet and warm against my cheeks. I press my tongue forward, teasing her lips apart for better access. Lake takes my cues with ease, opening wider to allow my tongue to slip over hers. I comb my fingers through her hair as she clutches to the collar of my shirt, leaving absolutely no space between us.
Heat pools in the pit of my stomach, the desire I have for her slowly unraveling into something wild and untamable. I’m vaguely aware of my friends observing at a safe distance, but I don’t care. Right now, all that matters is the sensation of Lake’s fingers against the back of my neck, the gentle scrape of her fingernails against my skin, the way she literally moans into my mouth like I’m something delicious.
When we finally pull apart, it’s much too soon. I miss the heat of her lips, her absence suddenly creating a vacuum that I desperately want to fill with her warmth.
“Do you want to get out of here?” she yells over the music at me.
I don’t even bother saying goodbye to my friends. I take Lake’s hand and guide her out the door. I’m fairly certain that King has the audacity to wolf whistle, but he’s honestly the least of my concerns right now.
I hail a cab the second I step out onto the curb, Lake clinging close to me against the cool Nevada evening.
9
LAKE
We go crashing through the door of my hotel room, and I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. Kissing Asher is like preparing to jump out of an airplane. My heart won’t stop pounding, I’m totally breathless, teetering on the edge in anticipation of what’s next to come. I’m not going to fall, though, because Asher’s hold on me is strong and secure. When his hands slide down my sides, rough palms grabbing greedily at my curves, I don’t put up a fight. I want him to touch me. In fact, I want Asher to do whatever he sees fit.
He’s the one in control.
I’m totally and willingly at his mercy.
Asher pins my back against the nearest wall as he ravishes my mouth, sucking at my lower lip as I roll my hips against him in a desperate attempt to rile him up further. We’re both breathing hard. Panting against one another. Starving for touch. I want to spend every second admiring his sturdy frame, but I’m honestly so overwhelmed with the gruffness of his stubble and the strength of his arms and the massive size of his chest and shoulders that I can’t drink in his details fast enough.
He’s just so big. A part of me has always known just how much taller he is in comparison, but it never really occurred to me until right this section. Asher’s able to lift me up, hooking his hands around my thighs, picking me up like I weigh nothing at all. The sheer power he contains has me trembling, not out of fear, but out of pure rapture.
Asher carries me over to the bed and places me down with the utmost care. I almost drag him with me, restlessly trying to undo the buttons of his shirt. I’m too flustered, though, too excited and nervous for my fingers to work properly. Thankfully, Asher seems a lot more composed as she slowly lifts the skirt of my dress up, exposing bare legs and lace panties.
He kisses a line all the way up from my ankle, nibbling at my inner thigh before teasing the most sensitive part of me through the thin fabric with his tongue. A hot, slick heat pools between my legs as his breath warms my skin, his hands grabbing at me as if in search for an anchoring point. I watch, hypnotized, as Asher pulls down the delicate fabric with my teeth and tossing it to the side, leaving me totally bare.
I’m overcome with a sudden shyness, but I don’t get a chance to blush because his devilishly sly tongue licks a stripe up against my entrance. Electricity arcs through my system, knocks the air from my lungs, has me seeing stars against the back of my eyelids. Asher gets to work, drawing tight circles against my clit with an amused, low rumble of a chuckle. His voice sends vibrations shooting through me, pleasuring filling the void that it leaves in its wake.
I thread my fingers through his luscious dark locks, hoping for a way to hang on tight as he unravels me with his tongue alone. This wasn’t how I expected my night to end, but I’m definitely not going to complain either. I have never felt this alive before, so appreciated and adored. And to think this never would have happened if I hadn’t found Asher’s wallet.
Maybe Lady Luck’s on my side, after all.
When a cathartic shiver races up my spine, Asher chuckles and asks, “You like that, do you?”
I can’t contain my moan. “I do. I really, really do.”
“Your pussy tastes fantastic. I want to see you come on my fingers. Would you like that, sweetheart?”
His filthy words resonate inside my skull. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more. “Yes,” I mumble helplessly. “Please, yes.”
Asher presses the tip of his finger against my entrance. The stretch of his fingers is delicious. There’s a tight pressure, but I easily settle into it as he begins to curl his finger at the knuckle, sweeping over my sweet spot with surprising accuracy. Every inch of my body overheats, lava flowing through my veins as I’m pushed further and further to the brink of insanity.
Before I know it, a bright, blinding pleasure erupts from within me. Fire consumes me, electricity arcs from nerve to nerve, my vision momentarily whites. A languid groan rips from my throat, a string of incomprehensible nonsense falling from my lips. Whatever I’ve said seems to spur Asher on, because he sits on the edge of the bed and pulls me into his lap in one swift motion.
His nimble fingers undo the back of my dress, slipping the luxurious fabric from up and off of me. Our lips clash, domineering one another as we try to savor the moment. Asher works me out of my bra and I suddenly realize just how comfortable I am. Totally nude, but also totally safe in his arms. Asher dips down to mouth at my breasts, sucking at the crook of my neck and teasing at my nipples like he wants to wolf me down. I comb my fingers through h
is hair and grind up against him, amused by the stiff bulge in his pants.
I’m not usually impatient, but the fact that he’s still very much dressed is a huge sticking point for me —no pun intended. As we kiss, I drag my hands down his chest and attempt to undo the buttons of his shirt. My attempt is more of a struggle, if anything, and Asher takes notice. He smiles against my mouth and lets me flounder a bit longer. I’m not even ashamed when I let out a pathetic little whine.
“Clothes. Off.”
“What’s the magic word, sweetheart?”
“Now.”
Asher laughs, circle my waist with his arms. He spins us around and pins me against the bed, rising onto his knees to undress before me. “Touch yourself,” he instructs as he pulls off his shirt, exposing a chiseled chest and hard abs. “Show me how pretty you are.”
I do as he asks, reaching between my legs to play with my tender clit. It drives me absolutely wild the way his dark eyes grow that much darker, pupils blown wide with desire and hunger written all over his face. Asher undoes the buckle of his belt and makes quick work of the front of his pants, pulling the remainder of his clothes down in one swift motion to reveal his long, throbbing cock.
My mouth waters at the sight. He’s big. Just like the rest of him, so I honestly don’t know why I’m so surprised. I get up onto my hands and knees and crawl over, grasping at his hips as I return the favor and tease him with a flick of my tongue against the head of his cock. I relish the way he shivers as I take him into my mouth, hollowing my cheeks so that I can take more of him in. I swirl my tongue around, temporarily ignoring the wet heat once again pooling between my legs.
“Lake,” he grunts my name as I take him to the back of my throat. “Fuck, your mouth feels so damn good. You like sucking this cock?”
I hum in lieu of a response, starting to bob my head rhythmically up and down his throbbing shaft. The sounds he makes are divine, powerful like thunder and just as mesmerizing. I can feel him tensing, holding back from fully fucking my mouth. When I chance I look up at him, all I see is how he observes me with something akin to reverie.
“Lake,” he bites out. “Lie down.”
“But I’m having fun,” I reply coyly.
“Trust me, sweetheart. You’ll definitely have fun with what I have planned next for you. Be good and lie down for me.”
I don’t argue. I do as I’m told, lying flat on my back with my legs spread obediently for him. Asher shifts through his clothes, retrieving a condom from his pants pocket. I arch a brow at him, though there’s no denying my smirk.
“A little presumptive, don’t you think?” I tease.
Asher grins. “A boy scout always has to be prepared.”
I laugh. “You were a boy scout? I need pictures, please.”
He chuckles. “Maybe later. If you’re good.” He rolls the condom down his shaft and comes back to me, settling between my knees. “Is this OK?” he asks.
“Absolutely. Come here.”
Asher presses into me. It takes me a moment to adjust. He’s a lot thicker than his fingers, so the stretch burns just a little longer. Asher gives me the time to get used to the feeling, distracting me with slow kisses, wrapping me up in his arms as I hook my ankles over his hips. He smells like expensive cologne and trace amounts of whisky. I adore the feel of skin against skin, the heat of our bodies mingling to become one.
“You all right?” he asks me, his voice husky against my ear.
“Yes,” I say, throat dry. “Please, just move. I want to feel you inside me.”
Asher starts slowly at first, picking a beat that only serves to rile me up further. The head of his cock hits my sweet spot again and again, and as his pace starts to increase, I can feel myself coming apart at the seams all over again. Asher snaps his hips against me, over and over, mouthing at my neck and claiming my mouth and taking everything that he wants. I welcome the soreness, hold onto it in an effort to distract myself from the thought that this will eventually have to end.
A tight coil of liquid fire deep within my core grows tighter and tighter with each pass. It isn’t very long before I grow desperate, the need for release too urgent and overpowering to focus on anything else other than the sparks Asher sends flying through me. I’m drunk on the taste of his tongue and the scrape of his palms against my back and the way he tugs at my hair in just the right way that makes me crazy.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” he growls against me. “Fuck, your pussy’s so nice and fucking tight. Are you going to come for me? Am I giving it to you that good, sweetheart?”
“Yes, Asher. Yes. Mmm —Fuck, right there!”
“I wish you could see how gorgeous you are. Do I make you feel good?”
“So, good. Oh my God, Asher, so good I—”
“I’ve wanted to do this since I first laid eyes on you, you know that? Look how fucking perfect you are.”
“Asher, I think—”
“Don’t think. Just come, sweetheart. Come for me.”
I dig my nails into his hard back as I do. An explosion erupts inside me as I gush, whole body trembling with ecstasy. Asher thrusts into me a few more times and comes undone, too, our heated breaths ricocheting off of one another. We kiss deeply as we ride the high together, eventually coming down to settle into an exhausted, yet satiated calm.
I’m not sure how long we end up lying there. All I know is that the next time I bother to check the clock, it’s four in the morning and this is officially the latest that I’ve ever stayed awake with someone before. We’re cuddled close, a tangle of arms and legs as I draw mindless circles against his chest and Asher plays with my hair.
“Do you want me to go so that you can sleep?” he whispers.
I shake my head and pull in even closer. “Can you stay?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Whatever you want.”
Asher presses kisses into my hair as I listen to his heart beat, a steady, soothing beat that my own eventually matches. Sleep ends up taking him first, but I can’t say that I mind. It gives me the chance to admire his sleeping face. I study his strong brow, the fullness of his lips, the line of his jaw. He looks like a different person asleep, someone who’s totally at peace and vulnerable with all of his defenses down for the night.
My heart skips a beat at the thought that I’m one of the few privileged enough to see it.
10
ASHER
I don’t want to leave. I’d much rather take the day off and stay in bed with Lake.
She’s remarkable. I honestly didn’t plan to sleep with her when I first asked her out. My intentions were perfectly innocent, though I have to admit that sex was a very welcome surprise. Lake’s just too irresistible, too hauntingly hypnotic to deny. I’d be perfectly happy to spend the morning watching her sleep, admiring the curl of her lashes and her cute button nose.
Unfortunately, the fifteen missed texts and six voice messages that Todd left for me aren’t going to answer themselves. A brief glance at my phone alerts me that the head of my security team has uncovered another ring of colluding cheaters at the craps tables, as well as an issue with an entire row of slot machines on the first floor, several of the waitstaff have quit without two-weeks notice, and that the breakfast buffet has apparently already run out of ranch dressing.
I have to put out several fires, and it isn’t even 8:30AM.
Lake is sound asleep next to me, snoring softly with her hair a glorious halo about her head. The morning light streams in through the tinted hotel windows, painting her soft skin gold. We were out incredibly late last night, so I decide against waking her to give her the chance to catch up on sleep. I get out of bed as quietly as I can and get dressed, picking my clothes from up off the floor. I decide I need to head upstairs to my penthouse to check on Scooter and slip into a fresh suit.
With pressing matters waiting for my much needed guidance, I leave Lake to rest.
Scooter jumps on me the second I’m in through the door, yapping away with his ta
il wagging wildly behind him. Much to my relief, it doesn’t appear that he’s had any accidents anywhere, and the furniture isn’t all scuffed up and gnawed on like I was worried would happen. Mary rounds the corner from the kitchen area, a big smile on her face.
“Good morning, Mr. Chase.”
“Good morning. All was well last night, I take it?”
“Oh, yes. Scooter’s been a very good boy.”
I bend down to pat the dog on the head, scratching behind his ear. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“Can I grab you something to eat, Mr. Chase?”
“A cup of coffee would be great. I’m going to hop in the shower and get to work. Lots to do.”
Mary doesn’t have to roll her eyes. I can hear it in her words. “There’s always lots of work to do. When are you ever going to take a break, Mr. Chase? It’s not good for your health, you know.”
“I’ll take it under advisement.”
Mary scuttles off to prepare some coffee. I head to the bathroom to sneak a quick shower in before heading to work. Scooter patiently waits for me, sitting atop the closed toilet lid. I can’t say that I hate the unexpected company. Scooter’s surprisingly cute and more than welcome to hang out as long as he doesn’t cause much trouble. It doesn’t take me very long to dry off, get dressed, and down a cup of black coffee.
When I get downstairs, things really are as chaotic as the messages on my phone make it seem. I’ve never seen The Grandiose this disorganized before. There’s a line of upset customers extending all the way through the gambling floor, wrapping around the corner for what I assume is the breakfast buffet. There seems to be some sort of minor scuffle with an old lady at the slots machine and two of my security guards over machine tampering allegations. We’re very noticeably short on staff today, as well, judging by how many irritated guests with empty drink glasses there are.
