by Vivian Wood
The center of the large ballroom was packed with sweaty bodies gyrating to the heavy thumping bass of the music. She blushed when she realized most of the women were wearing much less than her and Lily. Some were even wearing what appeared to be nothing more than strategically placed strips of leather and latex, and she tried desperately not to stare.
Be happy you’re in a dress.
A masked waiter passed them by, and Meredith was more than happy to quickly down a shot of tequila. A little liquid courage couldn't hurt, right? She turned to ask Lily if she wanted a shot, but her friend was nowhere to be found. Looking around, she slowly realized Lily was already dancing with a masked stranger, looking for all the world like she was having the time of her life.
Damn Lily.
“Hey!” Lily called out, waving at her as if she'd only just now remembered they'd come to the party together.
Meredith pointed at herself with a wry grin before shaking her head. Dancing while sober was something she had never done in her entire life. She wasn't up for a dance – not yet. Maybe after a few more shots she'd be ready.
She staked out a seat at the bar, content to sit and just observe her surroundings for the moment. Her eyes never left Lily's figure as she gulped down shot after shot of vodka.
Damn, girl. You know how to drink, she thought, praising herself.
When the alcohol finally hit her, Meredith was more than ready to party. She rose from her seat and grinned when a tall blond guy made eye contact with her and took her hand in his, pulling her toward the dance floor.
“I’m Luke,” the blond guy introduced himself, resting both of his hands on her waist before they moved to her back, caressing her skin.
“Meredith,” she said, moving closer to him and dancing seductively, pressing her body to his.“It’s nice to meet you, Meredith,” he whispered huskily.
Meredith moaned when she felt his hand slip under the hem of her dress. She knew he was crossing the line when he touched her bare ass, but she loved what he was doing. The shots had made her bold.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she murmured as she rubbed against him.
Pulling Luke even closer, she caressed his hard chest, enjoying the feel of his strong muscles underneath her hands. She felt like she was close to shedding her inhibitions, but in a good kind of way.
Just when she was about to suggest moving to a booth to continue their fun in private, Luke was pulled away by another stranger. A woman wearing a red leather corset, black satin thong and black fishnets shoved him down onto the nearest chair before straddling him and giving him the bitchiest lap dance she had ever seen, glaring at Meredith when their eyes met. Luke, on the other hand, looked more than happy to be in his current position.
I should have known he was taken, she thought glumly as she marched back to her seat from earlier at the bar.
Her eyes roamed over the crowd as she searched for Lily, but she couldn't find her. Her best friend was probably already having the time of her life. At least one of us is, she thought.
Just then, Meredith realized that over half of the females in attendance were wearing nothing but lingerie.
“Unbelievable, right?” the female bartender said after noticing Meredith's obvious staring. She poured her another shot of vodka without prompting. Like everyone else, she was wearing a mask.
“Are they hired performers? Or are they guests?” Meredith asked, genuinely curious.
“Everyone here except for the staff and security are guests,” the bartender answered with a knowing smile. Meredith could tell the woman knew exactly what she was thinking.
“So these women are basically taking advantage of the masquerade to hook up,” she said haltingly, since she'd just pieced everything together. She remembered the furnishings she'd noticed earlier in the booth, and blushed.
“You bet.”
She tipped her shot back, wincing as the vodka burned her throat on the way down, warming her chest. She looked back at the writhing throng of people on the dance floor. These women were from prominent, wealthy families, just like her.
Her gaze came to rest on Luke, who was now making out with the woman from earlier. She grimaced when she saw the woman openly caressing the evident bulge in Luke's slacks.
Fuckers.
“I did not bring you here to watch couples making out,” said a familiar voice at her side. She swiveled around to find Lily, looking like she'd just come down from heaven.
Maybe she really had.
“Where were you?” Meredith asked, looking closely at her best friend's face.
“Somewhere over there – having a little taste of heaven.” Lily had a sly smirk on her face.
Rolling her eyes, Meredith examined Lily carefully. If she was already trashed, it was going to be a real buzzkill. Lily glared at her.
“Mer, will you just relax and enjoy yourself already? What's so wrong about kissing a few guys and having some fun? Besides, you're wearing a mask. You could finally have sex without anyone even knowing who you are,” Lily said matter-of-factly.
“I was enjoying myself. But someone stole my guy from me,” she retorted, crossing her arms across her chest as she remembered how easily Luke had been whisked away.
“So steal him back. Whoever she was, I know she's got nothing on you. Be confident. And follow me,” Lily said with a wink. She downed a shot of tequila before taking Meredith by the wrist.
Meredith found herself being dragged into the crowd once more, dancing with Lily like there was no tomorrow. Her best friend was right. There was nothing to worry about. All she needed to do was let loose.
Tonight, she could be the most carefree version of herself.
Chapter Three
Elijah and Jack stretched as they exited Henry's car, parked several yards away from the mansion. As per usual, they were attempting to keep a low profile in order to avoid the prying eyes of the media. This was their first night out in ages.
Having worked nonstop for months now gearing up for his presidential campaign, Elijah Scott finally had a couple of hours to spare to catch up with his friends. And by catching up, he meant partying and letting loose like the bachelor he was. He didn't intend to waste a single second.
It’s going to be a wild night, he thought.
“Hey, don't forget your masks,” Henry called out from the driver's seat while checking his reflection in the rearview mirror.
Right, the only real rule about tonight's party was that everyone had to wear a mask. And truthfully it was the only reason he was even able to attend.
Tonight, he was free to party without being judged.
And he could be as bad as he wanted.
“I never thought I'd be asked to hide my good looks under some ridiculous mask in order to attend a party,” Jack joked sarcastically, a smirk spreading across his handsome features.
“Fuck off, Jack,” Henry said amicably, with no real heat in his voice. “Guess you'll just have to rely on your winning personality for a change,” he quipped as Jack chuckled.
Ever flirtatious and charming, women loved his friends. But Eli also knew the idea of hiding who they were was more than a little foreign to them. Shrugging at the hilarity of the situation, Elijah put on his mask.
He didn’t have a choice, did he?
Concealing his true identity was the only way he'd be able to attend a party like this one. His opponents would stop at nothing to discredit him, and if the media knew about this, he'd never be elected. But he couldn't help wanting to enjoy just one night with his friends. It had been so long.
Walking toward the glamorous mansion, Elijah couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been at a wild party – the days had all started to blend together once he'd decided to run for office.
“Hey, are you still going out with Jessica?” he heard Henry ask Jack as they got closer to the entrance.“You'll have to be more specific,” Jack replied smugly.
“Just how many Jes
sicas are you dating?” Elijah asked, shaking his head and giving Jack a playful grin.
“No, Jessica Garner,” Henry stated in between frustrated groans. He was obviously interested in her, which was unusual. The women Jack tended to date weren't often Henry's type.
This Jessica must be different, Eli thought.
He laughed as his friends exchanged a confused glance. God, how much he envied them for being able to date around so freely.
So why don't you date someone then? It's not like dating is prohibited for politicians, said a voice in his head.
Dating and marrying had always been part of his plans. But as the only single presidential candidate, he was subjected to intense scrutiny of his personal life, something his opponents didn't have to worry about. And jeopardizing his high approval ratings was something he couldn't do. He needed to remain single, and he needed to be discreet.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” greeted a masked usher standing at the entrance of the lavish mansion. They nodded as Henry stepped forward.
“Austin,” Henry said quietly, then inclined his head toward Elijah and Jack. “And Dallas and Houston.” Elijah half expected the usher to smirk at the obvious fake names Henry had given him, but he just smiled politely and nodded as he scanned through the list on his clipboard. Elijah couldn't leave any kind of paper trail behind tonight, and he'd been counting on Henry to make the proper arrangements. Henry, ever reliable, had come through no problem.
The usher quickly led them to a grand ballroom that looked to already be at capacity. Studying the crowd for a moment, Elijah released a deep breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
This was exactly what he'd expected.
This is just what I need, he thought.
Even though it had been awhile, he was no stranger to the party scene. But this was something else entirely. The crowd was filled with people who formed the upper echelon of society. Which made it all the more scandalous that all the women in attendance seemed to have forgotten to get dressed for the occasion, save their sexiest lingerie.
Though he wasn't hard yet, he had no doubt he would be soon. And he was free to hook up with no strings attached, and no one being the wiser about who he really was.
“Looks like we've got our pick tonight, eh boys?” Jack said with a wink as they hit the bar.
“Cheers,” he said, toasting his friends before they knocked back their shots. He signaled to the female bartender for another round before directing his attention back to his friends.
“You sure you remember how to do this?” Henry asked suddenly. Elijah blinked, momentarily startled, then glared as Henry and Jack began to laugh. Before he could come up with a snappy retort, Henry piped up.
“You've been working your ass off ever since we graduated. Hell, even way before that. As long as we've known you, you've always been a workaholic,” he said. Jack snorted.
“What Henry's trying to say is that we're worried your dick doesn't work anymore,” he crudely added.
“What the – Are you being serious right now?” Elijah exclaimed incredulously. Sure, maybe he hadn't gone out with them in ages, but it wasn't because he hadn't wanted to.
It's just that fun was a luxury for someone like him.
“Dude, relax. Drink up and enjoy yourself. Once you win the election, you're never going to be able to do this kind of thing again,” Jack said, chuckling as he handed him another shot of vodka.
They hit the dance floor, moving in time with the music until they found a slightly less crowded area.
Looking around, Eli saw Jack dancing with a redhead only a couple of feet away. She wore a glittering silver dress which was conservative compared to what most of the other women were wearing, but would still be considered risqué anywhere else.
He always appreciated a good tease.
Jack was clearly doing just fine, mask or not. Elijah looked for Henry next. He found him quickly getting intimately acquainted with a woman wearing a sheer ivory teddy with. Yep, the masks hadn't adversely affected their ability to pick up women one bit. He grinned.
This place was crazy. And he loved it!
It wasn't long before he found himself going with the flow, dancing with a group of women who looked like they were celebrating a bachelorette party. One woman even kissed him, but he soon found himself eyeing a petite blonde across the room. He noted she was wearing the same dress as the redhead from earlier, but in a shade of blue that looked beautiful on her.
He excused himself from the bachelorette party, smiling apologetically when the women pouted. He couldn't keep his eyes off the hot and sexy blonde. Instantly he was hard. He headed toward her, and as he passed Jack and the redhead, she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled them both toward the mystery blonde. He ended up in one of the private booths alone with her before he knew it.
He looked around for his friends, a tiny part of him feeling like he'd been set up. But they were nowhere to be seen.
They're probably enjoying their own private shows, he thought as the blonde slammed him down into a chair and started dancing sexily in front of him.
The music could still be faintly heard within the booth, but it was rapidly drowned out by the sexy sounds coming from the woman who was currently giving him the hottest lap dance he'd ever had in his entire life. She was so bold, rubbing her breasts against him and moaning, and he loved every second of what she was doing.
She straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressing her breasts against him. It was taking everything he had not to just grab her and kiss her passionately.She was so fucking sexy. And he wanted desperately to be inside her.
Immediately.
But he couldn’t.
A presidential candidate like him knew better. And a random hookup should have been totally out of the question.
He knew all this, yet his self-control was rapidly disappearing. Suddenly she pulled him close for a kiss. Her lips were soft and inviting, and when he felt her playfully nip at his bottom lip, he couldn't help but respond in turn.
Flirting with his hands and mouth was the best he could do, so he decided to make the most of it. He was shocked when she suddenly removed her mask, pulling his head into her cleavage.
“Mmm,” she moaned as he started licking her sweaty skin.
Jesus! She tastes so fucking good, he thought, unable to suppress the urge to get a little taste of heaven.
“You taste so fucking good, babe,” he said, slightly raising his head to try and see her face. But she kept his head pressed down against her breasts.
“Make me feel good,” she murmured in between moans as she rubbed against his crotch.
Eli continued to nibble on her, moving from her neck to her breasts, and back again. He couldn't believe how good she was making him feel. She was driving him insane, and she wasn't even stripping yet!
Lifting his head, he studied her face. She had deep set blue eyes, and full, pouty lips. Her high nose had a thin bridge that matched the rest of her delicate, petite features.
She was easily one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.
He realized his pulse was pounding. This definitely wasn't normal for him.
He'd met and dated plenty of women in the past. But none of them had affected him like this, and certainly not within such a short time span. Sure, they'd all gorgeous, but his heart racing like this was certainly a first.
Was it because he hadn't hooked up with someone in awhile? He didn't know.
But the one thing Eli did know, was that this woman was not only young, but also drunk. Getting involved with her right now was the last thing he needed to be doing.
“Good girls should be in bed, babe,” he whispered.
What little self-control he had left was rapidly eroding, but he was afraid if he made a move now he wouldn't stop until things were too late.
She gave a soft chuckle in his ear. She was alternating between nipping and sucking at his earlobe, and he groaned when he felt her hot breath
on his neck.
“Is that an invitation?” she asked sensuously, making his cock pulse with need. Her lips felt so fucking soft, and he wanted to taste and feel more of her.
You're wearing a mask. She'll never know who you are. Eli heard a voice in his head, urging him to give in already.
Right. He was there to have fun. Why was he fighting this? He could tell that she wanted him.
It was mutual.
It didn't have to be as complicated as he was making it, right? They'd hook up, no strings attached, and go their separate ways.
There was nothing wrong with it.
“The bed is here for a reason,” Eli spoke huskily, having finally decided to let his monster take over.
“Oh,” she said, then giggled. Rising from his lap, she swayed unsteadily on her feet. He was quick to grab her by the waist and keep her from falling over.
Growing impatient, Eli stood up, preparing to scoop her tiny body into his arms and just carry her to the bed. But he'd scarcely entertained the thought when the redhead came bursting into the private booth, dragging the blonde away despite her protests.
“Let's go!” the redhead yelled, earning a scowl from the blonde.
“What?”
“We need to go. Come on!”
They were gone before he could react, but part of him felt an incredible sense of relief that circumstances had stopped him before things had gone too far. As much as he'd wanted her, he'd known it wasn't a good idea to sleep with her.
“Where did she go?” Jack questioned, coming out of the booth next to Eli's.
“Gone,” Eli responded with a shrug, patting his friend on the shoulder.
Jack looked simultaneously frustrated and amused. “Is everything okay?” Eli asked. Jack gave him a pained look in response.
“She puked on me!” he cried in disgust as he checked his pants. Eli burst into laughter. No wonder the redhead had been in such a rush. She must have been embarrassed.
