Spiked Roses: The Complete Top Shelf Series

by Alta Hensley

  I had done too many as it were. Though my bank account was happy, each time I engaged in sexual play with a stranger, I chipped away at my soul. And I worried I didn’t have much more of my soul left to chip at.

  “Who’s Afraid of the Dark?” He smiled with a mischievous sparkle in his eye. “I might let you wear a black dress so you can be that vampire gothic chick you are begging to be.”

  “Go fuck yourself,” I said playfully. Taking a second to think about it, I finally flicked the good angel who sat on my shoulder off and allowed the Devil to take its place. “Yeah, I’ll do it. Not like I have anything better to do. Who knows, maybe Harley Crow will be at this Tasting.”

  I knew that wouldn’t be the case. Harley didn’t go to any Tastings. Since working at Spiked Roses, I had gone to every single one I thought he would attend, and was always disappointed that he never walked into the room. He didn’t seem to have an interest in any of the women who worked at Spiked Roses. And I was pretty sure he wasn’t in a relationship because he spent almost every evening at the club alone. It was always just him and his vodka unless he sat and chatted with the other owners of the place.

  “Actually,” Tennessee said, “he may. I heard from Kenneth that this is going to be one of their larger parties. It’s a Spiked Roses recruitment event for new potential members to test the waters, so to speak. Last I heard, all managing members will be present. Now, whether they all participate or not, is a different story.”

  My heart skipped, and I nearly dropped the tray I was holding. “He’s going?”

  “Girl, don’t make me ban you from the Tasting,” Tennessee warned. “If you embarrass yourself by acting like a pimple popping screaming fan at a boy band concert—”

  “I’ll behave,” I said a little too quickly, trying hard to not act like a giddy schoolgirl. I knew Tennessee really would prevent me from going if he felt I wouldn’t follow Tasting protocol.

  His eyes narrowed, but then he gave a nod. “Okay, I’ll add you to the list. But if you act like a bubblegum pop groupie and fan girl all over his Diablo ass, I’ll pull you from the event. And then I’ll give you a switching like my mama did to me when I acted the fool. Ya hear?”

  It was hard to take Tennessee seriously when his southern twang grew to epic levels, but I kept myself under control. “Understood,” I said with a serious face, knowing that there was a time to show him some respect, and this was it. Anything to not fuck up a chance of maybe being noticed by the man I literally hungered for.

  Tennessee shook his head as he turned to walk away from me. “Miss Marlowe Masters, I do not know what I am going to do with your crazy Mexican ass.”

  Tennessee Charles was one to talk. Watching him walk to the iron railing staircase to go to the second level, I took in his choice of attire for the evening. It was always a smoking jacket made of the boldest yet classiest material. Tonight was burgundy velvet accentuated with his classic trademark cravat that you would never find him without. He was… dapper. Dapper seemed to be the word that fit his style the best. But that man had no room to talk when it came to over the top actions. He lived and breathed the brink of crazy. He was right there with me on the nut case train.

  Walking back to the bar in red pumps that I wished were black, I resisted the urge to look at Harley again. I needed to focus. Get it together. Tomorrow night in The Tasting Room could be my chance. Maybe. I thought about the theme and what it would mean.

  Who’s Afraid of the Dark? Clever. Dark and twisted sex acts, no doubt. And I was completely fine with those. I preferred the darker Tastings over most. The kinks always seemed to dip deeper into fantasy rather than reality. I liked to escape under the cloak of darkness. Hiding there kept me safe.

  What that said about me, I wasn’t sure. But I had given up trying to analyze the way I was wired.

  You had to like my fire. I was the type of flame that burned with thick black smoke swirling around it. The kind that burned your lungs and watered your eyes. I was the flame that most wanted to extinguish rather than stoke.

  But Harley Crow…

  I felt he would dance naked around my fire with wild abandon. Naked and howling at the moon as he did so.

  I just needed a chance to show him where I burned.

  Chapter Three

  Harley

  “We need everyone sitting in this room to be in The Tasting Room tonight,” Kenneth Saxon said as he started the meeting with the six other managing members lounging around the large conference table. “It’s not your normal Tasting.”

  The man could be a real pain in my ass at times since I wasn’t one who liked being told what to do, but he was good for the club. His type-A, strict personality helped keep the doors open, and I had to appreciate that fact. Each man brought something of value to the club, but my only contribution was that I brought fear. Enough people feared me, so, therefore, feared messing with Spiked Roses. A win in my book. I would use my fucked up notoriety if I needed to. At least my past was good for something.

  “What’s the theme for tonight?” Victor Drayton asked.

  Victor enjoyed a good Tasting, so I was pretty sure he didn’t need Kenneth to coax him into attending. He always found new participants for his Dollhouse in The Tasting Room. That fucker had some shadowed kinks I didn’t even want to try to comprehend, and I was a dark motherfucker myself. But even I was no match for what I had heard about Victor and his dolls. His world-renowned art galleries were secret little fuck fests from the tales that were told about them.

  “Who’s Afraid of the Dark,” Kenneth answered. “All about the fear, gentlemen. I’m sure this fits with many of your tastes. You don’t have to engage or contract with any of the ladies if you don’t want to. However, since we have invited several new potential members, Matthew believed it would look good to have all the managing members present. I agree. Part of what we sell at this club is the idea of brotherhood. So we want all of us in the same room to show it is present here at Spiked Roses and they, too, want to become part of it.”

  Matthew Price nodded. Besides Kenneth, Matthew also was crucial to the running of the club. His ruthless CEO experience caused him to run a tight ship. That rich fuck made more money in the first five minutes he was awake than most made in a lifetime. When it came to business advice, we all knew to follow and do exactly as Matthew directed. I sure as hell knew nothing about running a business. I was along for the ride and would follow the marching orders from the experts.

  “What are the basic terms of the contract?” Alec Sheldon asked in his twangy Georgian accent. “I’m not sure my dirty old ass rolls that way. You gentlemen may have to do this Tasting without me.”

  I wasn’t alone in rolling my eyes because we all knew Alec was just as sexually depraved as the rest of us. Having heard him talk in the past over a few drinks of rye—his cocktail of choice—that southern man, rooted in deep country traditions, made him a master not to be messed with.

  “The weekend or a long weekend tops. Not long term. Knife play, breath play, ropes, cages, chains, etc. This theme is a boundary pusher for sure.” Kenneth looked directly at Alec. “Like I said, you don’t have to contract out, but come and have an aged whiskey, network, and lay on that southern charm of yours. There is a Saudi Arabian oil tycoon attending tonight, and I’m sure he would love to talk business with you. You oil men can talk about money and mud all night for all I care, but show the fuck up.”

  “All right. Fair enough. I’ll be there,” Alec agreed while everyone else seemed to be on board with attending as well.

  It would be my first Tasting. Not that the idea didn’t fascinate me, and even tempt me at times, but I wasn’t about connecting with a woman to that intense of a level. Engaging in a contract for days, putting rules in place, and interacting more than just a fuck and leave was way more than I was interested in. It was far more intimate than I was comfortable with. I also didn’t believe in shitting where I worked. These women in The Tasting Room were technically my staff. It just
felt wrong to even consider one of them for a plaything.

  But I would follow the marching orders and attend as I had promised Kenneth a couple of nights ago. And the theme of the night did intrigue me. It was exactly the flavor I would want to taste if I were to actually engage in one of the events. So, I had promised Kenneth earlier when he spoke to me before the meeting to keep my mind open, not scare off the members with my moody self, and even consider contracting out with a woman. He believed that maybe I would find a girl who interested me. I doubted it since it really did seem too close to home and far too suffocating for my tastes. I didn’t wake up in the morning with the women I fucked. Cuddles and kisses were definitely not the beats of the drum I marched to.

  We continued the meeting discussing the finances, general staffing issues, orders, late shipments, and all the other normal topics a business meeting would cover. I loved it. There was no talk about death, killing, revenge, bounties and all the subjects of my past life. Spiked Roses was my normal… or as close to normal as I was going to get. I felt as if I could loosen up and even joke around from time to time. It was a breath of fresh air in the polluted world I lived in.

  “Also,” Kenneth said, “I will be leaving next week for the long overdo vacation I’ve been promising Anita I would take her on. We’ll be in Venice first and then take in the rest of Europe from there. She’s never been, and I haven’t been in ages since all I do is fucking work all the time.” He nodded at Matthew. “I have gotten Matthew up to speed on my duties around here, but he isn’t a fucking lawyer. So can you assholes please stay out of legal trouble while I’m gone?” He smiled, though I knew there was some truth in his statement. Spiked Roses had managed to not get sued for a while, but we were bound for something to pop up any minute knowing the crew who sat around this table as well as the other members of the club.

  “You knock that filly up yet?” Alec asked.

  “Hell, Kenneth hasn’t even popped the question,” Lennon Wolf said. “We all know I have a reputation for stealing things.” He gave Kenneth a wink. “He better act fast, or I may steal her and take her for my own.”

  I’d known Lennon Wolf long before owning Spiked Roses. That lying, thieving fuck came damn close to swallowing the barrel of a gun many times, but somehow always mastered his way out of hot water. I hadn’t liked him at first, but the man had grown on me. I realized that he truly was the smartest fuck who sat at this table of formidable men. There was so much beneath the surface, and that was what made me extra cautious when it came to him. Plus, I wouldn’t put it past the shithead to steal my wallet.

  “Are you all done discussing my personal life that is none of your damn business?” Kenneth asked, trying to hide the smile that lurked in the corners of his mouth. “What goes on between Anita and me is none of any of your damn business. She doesn’t work here anymore.”

  That fucker was one happy man, though he tried to play it off as if he wasn’t always walking on cloud nine. His new love life with the lovely Anita Kyle had changed him. He was still the uptight prick we all loved running our joint, but we could now see that he was one happy uptight prick. I think each one of us who sat around the table envied the man in a way. We wouldn’t admit it, of course. But I do think we envied him.

  “Last I checked,” Kenneth continued on, “we have a business to run. I just want to make sure that you all don’t get our asses sued while I’m gone.”

  “Ah man, where’s the fun in that?” Prince Roman said with a chuckle. He leaned back in his chair. “It’s been boring around here lately. I think it’s time we mix things up. And what a better time to do so then when the cat’s away.”

  I liked Prince Roman Cassian and that was saying a lot. I usually hated royalty, and I had met quite a few. Their world revolved around dark and twisted secrets with candy-coated exteriors. And though Roman had his dark secrets and got whatever he wanted in life, he was, by far, the most stand up man I knew. I would choose him for my side any day.

  Kenneth glared his way but didn’t respond. He continued the meeting with, “We have some power players coming tonight. Quite a few.” He looked at me and added, “Harley looked into all their backgrounds when the invites were sent, and though some are a bit shady, they aren’t any shadier than the rest of us. Harley cleared them all in regards to what we will and won’t accept. We did up security, however, just in case. I don’t see there being any issues, but we don’t know these assholes yet.” Kenneth paused, took a sip of his whiskey, and then continued on. “We didn’t have enough staff of our own interested in participating in this Tasting. Not for the number of men coming. So, Victor has been gracious enough to lend us some of his dolls to help. I think we should be staffed enough for all to contract out if they desire. Though my guess is that not all will. I think this night will be more about them seeing what we have to offer and what we are all about rather than bringing someone home to get kinky with.”

  “Also, next meeting,” Matthew said, “we need to discuss the upcoming jazz festival coming into town. We normally don’t allow drop-ins, but maybe we want to open up one night for it. Just a thought for you all to think about. The mayor is breathing down my neck on this one. He thinks we need to be a little less mysterious and exclusive and extend our civic duty more. I’m not sure about his angle on this fully, but I did tell him I would bring the topic to the table.”

  “I know there are some musicians performing whom I plan to bring as my guests,” Lennon said. “But that could be a good idea. That festival blows up New Orleans. Might as well profit off it.” He shrugged. “And keep the mayor happy if that’s what he wants.”

  “Okay, well if there isn’t anything else,” Kenneth said, pausing as he waited for someone to speak up, “then I’ll adjourn this meeting.”

  “Actually, yes, one more thing,” Matthew cut in. “Tennessee has had a suspicion for a few weeks that Ivy Adams may be using. Since we enacted the no drug policy, I ordered mandatory drug tests for all the ladies. I didn’t want to single her out in case Tennessee was wrong.” Matthew took a long swig of his drink. “He wasn’t wrong. She tested positive for several substances.”

  “Then she’s terminated. Simple,” Kenneth announced.

  “Ah come on, man,” Roman chimed in. “Maybe she just had a good time at a party or something. We can’t just fire her ass and kick her out on the street. She’s a sweet girl, and doesn’t strike me as a junkie. She’s been with us for a while now. I like her.”

  “And she’s a hot one,” Lenny added.

  Kenneth shook his head. “No. We have these rules set for a reason. We break them for her, and then we break them for all. I’m not going to allow us to become a drug den again. We’ve worked hard to keep our place clean, and I plan to keep it that way. I don’t think I have to remind you guys that we had to clean house before, and once we allow one sick person in it, the disease will spread.” Kenneth looked at Roman who had his arms crossed and was glaring. “We aren’t a fucking rehab center.”

  “She doesn’t appear to be a junkie to me,” Roman argued again.

  “Yet,” Kenneth retorted. “Rules are rules.”

  “You and your goddamn rules! Pull that stick out of your ass sometimes, my friend. This is a woman’s life we are talking about. I don’t want to be the hard ass who always fires people.”

  “You don’t have to. I will,” Kenneth said, looking down at a stack of papers, signaling in his own way that the conversation was over.

  “I’ll take her,” Victor chimed in, surprising us all with his words. “I’ll add her to my doll collection. I have a bunch of broken dolls, so even if she is a junkie…”

  Kenneth shrugged. “Fine by me. That’s your mess if you want it.”

  “I have a way of fixing my broken toys,” Victor said with an evil smile.

  “Go ahead and ask her if she wants to. We’ll present her with her options after the Tasting,” Matthew said. “But I agree that she broke the rules of Spiked Roses, so she has to go.”r />
  “Don’t worry, Prince. I take good care of my toys. Ivy will be in good hands.” Victor smirked as he casually sipped from his scotch.

  “All right. Anything else?” Kenneth asked again. When no one answered, he said, “See you gentlemen later tonight.”

  Marlowe

  “All right, ladies,” Tennessee began. “The rules of The Tasting Room are like any other. Most of you are familiar with what they are, but for you sweet dolls visiting for the evening, I want you to read them over carefully.” He passed a stack of papers around to each woman standing in the staff room before the event. “Unlike the art shows in Mr. Drayton’s galleries, no, and I repeat no, sexual acts are to be done in The Tasting Room tonight. This is not a sex party. All that dark licking and nipping is to be done back in the gentleman’s place of residence or in one of the hotel rooms we have upstairs if it’s been rented out for the night. The men know the rules, but I want to make sure you all understand that I don’t want to see a hand job, a blowjob, or even a peek of your ready little coochies. Save that shit for later.” When the dolls just stared at Tennessee with their emotionless faces, he added, “Read the rules right now. We aren’t in the safe little dollhouse anymore, ladies.”

  I didn’t need to take a paper, but still did for show. This wasn’t my first rodeo, and I knew what would be expected of me. So I took the time rather than reading to check out the infamous Drayton’s Dolls whom we had heard rumors of. They belonged to Victor Drayton and worked his art shows at his galleries throughout the world. Not only did they act as the waitresses, the hostesses, and every staff member for the shows, but they also posed for most of the art as well as were part of live exhibits that people traveled around the world to see. And here they were. In this room. About to be my colleagues for Who’s Afraid of the Dark?

  I wondered if they were afraid?

  “They’re dressed like dolls,” my friend Ivy leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Like the ones my crazy aunt gave me for Christmas every year when I was a kid.”