It tore him up inside, the thought of what she must have gone through after their wonderful night, when she found Beverly in his bed the next day. Anderson had to get to her right away and explain. He couldn’t lose her over a misunderstanding.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Every time someone walked into the parlor room Alice thought it was Anderson. Her nerves were on edge and she ordered a glass of red wine from the bartender to calm them down. Sunday nights appeared to be slower than the rest of the weekend, and Alice felt like she stood out in the thin crowd. Eyes were on her. Tonight, of all nights, she’d rather be a little fish in a big sea.
She checked her watch for the fifth time since she’d entered Damsels. It was already 9:45 and there was no sign of Anderson. Did he know the truth about her already? Her stomach churned. Somehow it was very important that he hear it from her. Alice had no delusions about a relationship after that, and it really wasn’t why she was doing this. She desperately wanted one thing to be real between them, even if it was the confession about her masquerade.
No sign of Brax, and that was a blessing. Once Anderson told him of her deception, the game would be over. For all of them. Her heart twisted at the thought, and she gazed at her refection in the wine as she swirled it around in the glass. Though she’d been drinking for a while, the globe never seemed to empty. The bartender must be refilling it and she hadn’t noticed.
The minutes dragged by with slow agony. Well, this was it, then. It was quite a bit after ten o’clock. Clearly Anderson wasn’t coming. It would be easy to feel sorry for herself, but Alice had to find the strength to take responsibility for this one hundred percent. She’d wanted the experience and had taken the chance willingly. She’d done it. She’d gone out and lived.
Her only regret was not telling them who she was. Alice thought she had to be someone else to step into their world, but now she knew she’d been herself all along. She just finally found the courage to come out of her shell.
“Good evening, darling.” A soft voice whispered close to her ear and she nearly dropped her glass. Chills ran up her spine as she turned to look at the newcomer.
Cherise. Beautiful and pale, draped in rich silks and velvet. Alice remembered her from the first night at Damsels and she found herself in awe of the exotic beauty all over again.
“Are you meeting anyone tonight?” Her sultry voice purred out the words and Alice was mesmerized by the cultured tone.
“I suppose I’m not.” She tried to keep the disappointment from her tone, but it must have come through because Cherise pouted with concern.
“Well, whoever it is that left you alone will surely regret such a decision for the rest of their lives.”
She couldn’t help but smile at the sentiment, and Cherise cocked her head to the side, regarding her carefully. When Alice held her gaze, Cherise reached up slowly, suggestively, and ran her fingers down the length of Alice’s arm again. Her hands were bare this time, and her perfectly manicured nails grazed the delicate skin of her forearm.
It felt good to be touched. Alice was sensitive to things she’d never noticed before. Subtle sensuality seemed to permeate everything around her and she was attuned to it all. Anderson Cain had woken her heart and Julian Brax had exposed her passion. It was all so raw, vibrating through her body until she felt like she might burst. She needed to learn to control it, or use it, somehow.
“Would you like to meet my master? He has desired an audience with you for quite some time.” Cherise lowered her eyes and regarded her with a smoldering gaze. “As have I.”
Alice was nervous. Should she do this? The previous chapter of her old life had closed. When Anderson failed to meet her tonight, she knew it was over. That was surely why Brax wasn’t there as well. Cherise said her master wanted an audience, that was all. How far could that possibly go?
“Thank you. I would like that,” Alice said, gracefully slipping off her chair. When she reached for her wine, Cherise restrained her with a firm touch.
“There will be more inside. I promise, you will want for nothing.”
Cherise took her by the hand, and although it felt a little odd, Alice allowed it as she led her down a dark corridor. It was a maze of twists and turns, the walls decorated with gilded art like a palace or museum. She tried to commit the corridors to memory but lost track as they progressed deeper inside.
“Here we are.” Cherise released her hand and opened a door on the right. They stepped into a small room with plush furniture and fresh flowers on the tables. Alice noticed two doors on the far side, one ajar.
“What’s in there?” Alice wandered in that direction as Cherise answered.
“You have not been here before?” Her escort failed to hide her tone of surprise. When Alice shook her head, she explained. “This is one of the observation chambers. See here?”
Cherise walked through the open door and Alice saw a couch inside, facing a large rectangular window. She could see a large room through the glass, smoky with incense and littered with silk pillows.
“Observation?” she asked casually, trying not to sound too innocent.
“You don’t like to watch?” Cherise tilted her head once more, noting the expression on her face.
“Watch? You mean…” Alice opened her eyes wide. “Oh! I see. Well, not like that. What I’m trying to say is…”
“This will be a delightful audience, I think. Come with me.” Cherise extended her hand once more and drew Alice out of the observation chamber.
The sweet scent of heavy incense enveloped her as they entered the darkened room. It was rich and musky, like ancient spice and sandalwood. Her head felt light as she breathed it in and her eyes adjusted to the minimal illumination. The chamber itself was incredible. It resembled a sultan’s harem suite, filled with silk pillows and thick Persian rugs. Alice was so overwhelmed by the grandeur of it all, she didn’t see the figure on the heavy golden throne at the end of the room until Cherise gently propelled her in that direction.
Her stomach clenched as they drew closer and she got a good look at the man waiting for them to arrive. He watched attentively, one long leg crossed on top of his knee. He was tall and lean, chest muscles accentuated by the tight black shirt he wore. His face was pale, beautifully sculpted, and his eyes tracked her movements like a hawk’s.
She felt like she was being presented before Ming the Merciless in his court as Cherise reverently approached. Cherise stopped at the foot of the dais and lowered her head as the commanding man stood.
“My Master, may I present Alicia?” Cherise raised her eyes and stepped slightly in front of Alice. “She is new, my master. I am not sure—”
The darkly clad figure held up a hand and Cherise fell silent, lowering her head once more.
“Indeed.” His voice was smooth and cultured, laced with an unfamiliar accent. “Heel, kitten.”
Alice startled when Cherise left her side to kneel next to the man who was keenly observing her. She could feel strength and control radiating off him. His black eyes glittered with some kind of emotion, but she couldn’t tell what it was. The whole scene felt surreal as the incense swirled through the room and candlelight flickered.
She wasn’t going to meekly lower her head. He wasn’t her master. It took every bit of her newfound social skills, but she looked him straight in the eye and held contact. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time, her willfulness with such an imposing presence.
The corner of his mouth turned up slightly, the only hint at any reaction to her defiance. He reached down and slowly stroked Cherise’s silky black hair, his features pensive.
“Perhaps you girls should get to know each other a little better. Cherise, serve our guest.” The way he said the word serve made Alicia shiver a little, but Cherise returned to her side immediately.
“Yes, my master.” Cherise deferred to him and laced her fingers tightly through Alice’s. “Come this way, my darling.”
She led Alice to the far end
of the room and gently pulled her down onto a colorful arrangement of silk pillows. When she was settled, Cherise reached for a silver tray bearing a delicate glass decanter filled with dark liquid.
“What is that?” The fluted, slender crystal goblets sparkled in the candle light as Cherise poured.
“This is a rare liquor in my country, a delicacy most will never become aware of in their lifetime. My master shares it with only his most special guests.”
Alice was dazzled by the graceful movements of her new friend as she served, and she accepted the small glass gingerly. The sweet perfume of the delicacy overwhelmed her senses before she raised the glass to her lips and she knew it would be a powerful drink.
One small sip of the liquor burned like fire in her throat but left a sweet coating on her lips. Warmth spread though her chest and she knew her cheeks flushed; she could feel the heat coming off them. Alice hoped it was dark enough that Cherise wouldn’t see her ridiculous reaction to a little taste.
“It’s all right, my darling.” The dark-haired beauty lowered her voice slightly and leaned in close. “I was like you, once. New to the world and innocent about who I was, who I could be.”
Her words rang true, and Alice hoped she’d found a kindred spirit who could maybe guide her on her own journey. She wanted to learn more, but didn’t know what to ask.
“How long have you been with your…master?” Alice took another sip and the warmth spread to her belly. Cherise nodded approvingly and it encouraged her.
“We have been together quite a while. Once, long ago, I thought I had love, but I have since discovered that my master is the best match for me.” There was a hint of sadness in her voice. Alice knew what it was. She’d felt the same about Brax and Anderson.
“But that is all in the past, no? Another page turned in the glorious novel of our lives.” Cherise smiled. She was strikingly lovely. And right. Alice should move on, too.
The tiny glass of liquor raised her temperature and she felt beads of sweat on her forehead. She tried to dab inconspicuously at her brow with the back of her fingers, but Cherise missed nothing.
“I know, it is warm in here with all the candles. Let me put your hair up for you.”
Cherise slid behind her and Alice felt fingers on her neck, gathering wild tendrils together.
“Is that better?” she asked quietly and then blew on the damp skin of Alice’s neck. Goose bumps covered her arms as her skin reacted to the woman’s breathy caress. “Yes, I suppose that is better. Why don’t you let me help you relax a little?”
“How?” It was all Alice could manage and her voice was ragged.
“Have another drink and I will show you, my darling.” It was a good plan. Alice was going to have another drink anyway, so that played right into her wheelhouse.
After she’d done just that, Cherise reached from behind and gently removed the glass from her fingers, setting it on the silver tray next to them. The feel of Cherise’s skin as it brushed her bare arm left her feeling a little dizzy. Alice had all but forgotten they weren’t alone in the room.
Next to the decanter was a small vial she hadn’t noticed before. Cherise uncorked it, slowly working a thick oil from the container into the bough of her open palm. Alice strained to look over her left shoulder as Cherise rubbed her hands together, intensifying the scent of sweet almonds.
“I am just warming the oil with my body heat,” her friend said, accent thicker now. “You will like this.”
Cherise put her hands on her shoulders and trailed them slowly down her back. Her touch tingled and warmed Alice’s skin as fingers explored the curves of her spine. A slight moan of satisfaction escaped Alice’s lips and she tried to suppress it. Her entire body swayed with Cherise’s expert machinations and she barely noticed as the top of her dress slipped away from her torso. Firm fingers came back to her neck and chest, circling outward farther and farther until Cherise crested the top of her breasts, pulling away her bra.
Alice arched her back, aware her exposed nipples were painfully hard. She felt the need again, the ache between her thighs that she’d only recently come to know as desire. She realized Cherise had pressed her body against her back and Alice leaned into her for support as the woman controlled her reactions masterfully.
Soft lips pressed against the back of Alice’s neck and Cherise ran her slick fingertips quickly over her swollen nipples. Alice gasped and felt the cleft between her legs throb. Oh God, was she going to have an orgasm right there? Cherise captured her breasts firmly, squeezing her ample flesh as she massaged her engorged nubs.
Her head was spinning with pleasure. The experience swept her away to a place where there was nothing but this desire, this castle of passion that held her captive with sensation. Fingers touched her thigh. She couldn’t open her eyes. Was it Cherise? They were stronger, commanding, as they worked their way up her flesh to the place where she hungered for contact. This touch was different; it claimed her, inch by inch, and her body surrendered to it.
They reached her cleft and strong fingers split her wet slit. Her muscles grasped hungrily for more. On the brink of orgasm, Alice cried out.
That was when the room exploded, and Julian Brax snatched her up into the brilliant fire of his anger as he leveled the room around them all.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“What in the hell do you mean she’s been there for two hours and you’re only calling me now?” Brax gripped the phone so tightly the plastic molding on his case began to crack. He didn’t care that Sebastian had just come on shift and found out Alicia had been there half the night already.
He knew he never should have left the bar, but after the weekend he’d had, he needed a shower badly. A cold one. Now his insides turned at the thought of Alicia at Damsels, and in the hands of Marius, no less. He’d never liked that pompous jerk—always using Cherise to do his dirty work for him. There was a time Brax thought he might have had feelings for the dark haired girl, but that was clearly in the past, because all he could think about was Alicia and how vulnerable she was to the manipulating ways of that bastard.
Black thoughts clouded his mind as he flew through the Quarter on his bike, roughly cutting corners and putting the lives of tourists at risk. Nothing else on the planet mattered except Alicia and his need to retrieve her before she got herself involved in something she didn’t understand. Marius played him for a fool once before with Cherise. It wasn’t going to happen again.
Damsels was thinning out and Brax had no trouble spotting Sebastian behind the bar, pale face apologizing to him before he reached earshot.
“Where?” He growled out the word, one hand slammed down on the polished bar top.
“In the Persian Observation Chamber. I’m sorry, I didn’t know…”
Brax had heard enough. He ran through the twisted corridors in the depths of the building until he reached the room. There was no knocking, no hesitation. He didn’t even try the doors to see if they were locked. Brax burst through, pulling the wood off the hinges and leaving a path of destruction in his wake.
* * *
Alice was stunned.
Brax appeared out of nowhere and plucked her from the cushions like she was a feather. She couldn’t breathe. Her head was spinning so sharply she wasn’t sure she could stand and sank down into the corner where he’d deposited her. The cessation of pleasure was so abrupt it was almost painful. Blinding white room lights flickered on overhead and she squinted against their assault.
“I warned you to stay away from her, Marius,” Brax roared, his fists clenched as he came face-to-face with Cherise’s master. Who was he talking about? Cherise? Alice was having trouble thinking clearly.
“Have you claimed pair-bond with her yet?” The tall, cultured man leaned forward, getting right back into Brax’s face.
“That’s none of your damn business.” Brax raised his chin defensively. The tension was thick, and Alice was uncomfortable. She saw Cherise still sitting where they’d been, and tears rol
led down the girl’s cheeks.
“I didn’t think so.” Marius smirked. Even though he turned away from Brax, Alice sensed he was the triumphant one in the exchange. “I suggest you use it, or lose it.”
The handsome figure looked directly at Alice and she shivered. There was no mistaking the lust in his eyes now. It left her feeling vulnerable and confused.
“I can’t.” Julian was tight-lipped with his reply and he backed down.
“Can’t…or won’t? You wouldn’t want to keep repeating your mistakes, I’d imagine.” Marius glanced at Cherise with that comment and snapped his fingers. Her eyes were streaked and she raised them, but not to look at her master.
“Brax?” Her rich voice wavered with emotion. Alice recognized it right away. Oh my God. It was love. Alice understood who Cherise pined for, then.
Marius snapped his fingers again. Somehow, Alice knew it wouldn’t happen a third time as her friend scurried to his side.
“It was an enchanting evening.” Marius raked her over with his eyes, and every word he spoke seemed to caress her as she held her dress top tightly across her chest. It didn’t last for long because Brax stepped between them and blocked his view. She heard a short laugh and the sound of footsteps retreating into the corridor. Thank God it was over.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Brax turned on her with a white-hot fury that burned her senses. He grabbed her firmly by the upper arms and pinned her against the wall so she could see his face. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing in this place and the kind of trouble you could get in?”
“I don’t understand, OK? I don’t understand any of this!” She burst out with all the frustration and passion that had been building up inside her for days. Here he was, acting like he cared, when she knew damn well it was all just a game.
“Listen, cher. There are rules at this place. Do the wrong thing with the wrong person…and well, you might belong to that person afterwards. For a very long time.” His features were serious. His jaw clenched and he hovered inches away from her face. “I can’t possibly express to you how terrible that could be.”
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