by Nikki Sloane
“Next,” I demanded.
“Your parents said they’d pay for the wedding.”
I practically snorted. “See, we’d be saving them money.”
He ran a hand over my hip, then fingertips traced in the hollow of my back. “You could invite everyone from the club.” The way he delivered the statement was odd. There was some sort of meaning I wasn’t picking up on, and his expression turned devious. “I thought you’d love that, your ultra conservative parents footing the bill for dinner and an open bar for a bunch of high-class escorts.”
“Oh my God.” I couldn’t stop the grin. “You’re right, I do love that. Fuck, I’m such a bitch.” And I wasn’t even sorry about it.
“Don’t get me wrong, devil woman.” The fingertips skimmed up over my shoulder blades, all the way until he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and cupped my face. “You know I want to give you whatever you want, and I’m so fucking glad that happens to include my last name. But I think I want the party, and the dress, and all that shit. I want everyone there to celebrate with us, and see how incredibly lucky I am.”
I felt warm and giddy inside, but I couldn’t let on how much his words affected me. Whenever things grew serious, my immediate response was sarcasm to cover my vulnerability. So I faked disdain. “You’re such a romantic.”
“And maybe I just want a wedding so afterward I can tear the dress off of my wife on our wedding night and fuck her like the dirty girl she is.”
I closed the space between us, kissing him sweetly. “Shit, Dominic, you should have led with that. If that’s what you want, that’s what I want, too.”
The alarm on Dominic’s phone began chiming at seven, and we stumbled to the shower together, bleary-eyed. Even though it was nine in the morning tomorrow in Japan, the three-hour nap hadn’t done much to recharge.
“I saw a Walgreens a block away,” Dominic said as he scrubbed shampoo into his hair. “We can grab some Red Bull and slam it in the cab on our way to the restaurant.”
“Can I mainline it?”
We hurried to get dressed. Dominic pulled on a French blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled back and black pants. The shirt matched the color of his eyes and showed off the watch I’d bought him.
I tugged the hem down of my seafoam green dress and slipped my feet into a sexy pair of nude heels. Then I donned my chandelier earrings and tousled my hair once more. “You ready?”
“I’m waiting for you to ask me something.”
What . . . ? Oh. I loved this game. How the fuck had I forgotten? I strolled over to him, hooking my fingers through his belt loops and pulling his lower body tight against mine. “Do I have your permission to wear panties tonight . . . Sir?”
His expression was victory mixed with desire. “I’ll allow it for now.” His kiss was hungry and over too soon. “You look beautiful tonight,” he whispered.
His compliment threw me off balance, but in a great way. I struggled to recover and cracked the joke, “I always look beautiful.”
“That’s what I love most about you.”
“How humble I am?”
It came out serious. “No, that you look almost as good as I do. Your personality’s not important.”
I flicked him on his hip, hitting his tattoo that matched mine.
We did exactly as Dominic had suggested and drank Red Bull on our way to the Italian restaurant, which was packed with people. I clung to his thick arm as we wove through the crowd and headed up the stairs to where Logan had texted us the table was located.
Evie looked flat out gorgeous. A pre-wedding glow, perhaps. Her excitement at marrying Logan was like a filter, making everything seem brighter and better. Would I be like this the final days before marrying Dominic? I already felt that way.
I hugged her fiercely. “Fuck, I missed you.”
She smiled as she pulled back. “Right back at you.”
We turned to watch our fiancés shake hands, which seemed too formal, but I had the feeling Logan wasn’t the hugging type. Which was exactly why I stepped up and wrapped my arms around him. He went rigid in my embrace and his gaze shifted to Dominic, worried. It made me choke back a laugh. Yeah, I’d had sex with Logan, but I knew Dominic was comfortable with this. I’d made it crystal clear to my future husband that he was all I ever wanted. And it was so much fun to see typically composed Logan uncomfortable.
I squeezed a hand on Logan’s shoulder. “You remember what I said?”
“That if I’m late to the wedding, you’ll rip off my dick and shove it up my ass?” Logan’s intense eyes blinked, unfazed. “No, I’d forgotten. Please tell me again.”
“If anyone’s going to be late,” Evie said, “I think we know who that’ll be.” She gestured to herself.
Logan gave me a serious look. “I’m counting on you to get her there on time. She has this way of making you think she’s on schedule, and then drops the bomb ten minutes before departure that she wants to take a quick shower.”
Evie snorted. “One time, Logan. And why, exactly, did I need the shower?”
Logan’s gaze drifted up to the left as he recalled the memory, and a half-smile bowed on his lips. He tugged her close to him and whispered something. It was hard to hear in the noisy restaurant, but sounded like, “Because you were dirty.”
We sat, ordered drinks, and chitchatted about random things. Our flight, their jobs, the wedding. Dominic’s arm rested comfortably on the back of my chair, his thumb brushing patterns on my shoulder.
Evie wore a sleeveless black dress that draped in the front and hung low to give a peek at her cleavage. She was a beautiful woman, and although Logan was attractive, he was lucky to have her. Evie fucking rocked. When I’d quit my job at Rosso Media Group and began working at the club, she hadn’t judged me. Nor did she abandoned me, or try to talk me out of it as some of my other friends had. Evie got me.
And that was probably what I liked most about Logan. He treated her as if she were everything, even with the way he looked at her. She was the center of his goddamn universe. My final night as a working girl at the club, I’d been on the table wishing I could find a connection to someone just a fraction as strong as what they had.
In walked Dominic, and boom. Done.
The conversation floated from topic to topic easily, like no time had passed with us being apart. There was a pang in my stomach. I already knew I’d spend my first week back in Tokyo being fucking homesick. Just three more months.
“What are the plans tonight?” Evie asked, her attention focused on me. “Or do we not get to know them?”
An evil grin warmed my face, and beneath the table, I squeezed Dominic’s knee. We spoke at the same time. “It’s a surprise.”
I dug into my purse, pulled out the tiara I’d bought, and set it on the table. It was decorated with plastic penises, and everyone stared at it, the peach colored cocks on springs waving comically.
“Don’t worry, Logan,” Dominic deadpanned. “That’s for Evie.”
“Evelyn,” I corrected, but Dominic just smirked.
Logan raised an eyebrow and his attention swung to his fiancé, his voice teasing. “Still remember what they look like?”
Evie’s face flushed as she clenched the tiara in her hand and set it in her lap, hiding it from view. “Ha, ha, boss.”
Well, that was weird. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” My friend’s voice was high and rushed. Apparently she hadn’t gotten any better at lying since I’d left Chicago.
“Oh, no. Tell me, or you put the Princess Penis crown on right now.”
The men chuckled, but I was entirely serious, and it was obvious from Evie’s nervous look she knew. A deep breath was sucked in. She tucked a lock of hair behind an ear, straightened her shoulders, and gave me a plain look.
“I told Logan no more sex before the wedding.”
chapter
THREE
For a moment, sound fell from the room. I could
n’t focus my thoughts. “What the fuck? Why?”
“Because,” she snapped, “I want our wedding night to be special, okay? I liked the idea of building the anticipation, and I thought no sex or nudity would do that.”
“Shit, no nudity either?” Dominic’s voice was thinly veiled horror. Was he worried I’d like this concept and want to do something similar? It sounded like fucking torture.
Logan had a pained smile, as if it were humorous and awful at the same time. “Yeah. She changes in our bathroom or the closet with the door shut.”
“When did the rule go into effect?” I asked Evie, who stared at her shrimp appetizer.
There was no hesitation from Logan. “Thirty seven days ago.”
Oh. My. God. Dominic and I exchanged glances. How was this going to affect our plans?
Her voice was soft. “I didn’t make the rule to punish us.”
Logan shifted in his seat, leaning into her as he radiated concern. “Hey, I know that. I . . . I don’t know if like is the right word, but I understand the rule. You know I won’t break it.” His fingers curled under her chin and tilted her up into a soft kiss. “I did think you’d cave by now, though, naughty girl. You hardly ever follow the rules.”
Their intimate moment forced me to turn to Dominic. “No sex for thirty-seven days. I might die.”
He scowled. “That’s nothing. Try going a fucking year.”
I pressed my lips together to hold back the giggle. He’d gone that long without sex when he’d first moved to Japan, before we met. “Oh, yeah. Poor Dominic. We made up for lost time, though.”
“We’re still making up for it. There are at least a dozen inches in our apartment where I haven’t fucked you yet.”
“It’s so spacious,” I said of our microscopic place. “I don’t know how we’ll get it done in the next three months.”
Our server delivered our dinners, and once she was gone, I went needling for clarification. “The no nudity rule only applies to you two, right?”
Logan glanced to Evie, probably trying to conceal his hopefulness.
“Yeah,” she said. “If Dominic wants to take Logan to a strip club, that’s—”
I giggled. “Slut, I wasn’t asking for him.”
We finished dinner, and although Evie pried for more information, Dominic and I stayed tight-lipped. He received the text message we were waiting for just a few minutes after he’d paid the bill, and we escorted the bride and groom toward the lobby.
“You drive?” Dominic’s question was directed to Logan.
“No, is that a problem?”
I shook my head as I pushed through the front door. “Nope, it’s perfect.” I strolled toward the black stretch limo that was pulled up out front, and enjoyed the curious looks of the people on the sidewalk.
The stout driver wore a black suit and a friendly smile. “Mrs. Ward?”
I grinned. “Yeah, someday. Are you Saul?” When he nodded, I added, “Awesome. Hope you’re ready for a wild night.”
Saul smoothed a hand over his dark hair and flashed an easy smile. “Whatever you say, ma’am.”
“You got a limo?” Evie’s eyes were wide, scanning the length of black tinted windows.
“Fuck yeah, we did,” I said. Saul hurried to open the back door, and I gestured to my best friend. “In you go.” She ducked inside, and I glanced at Logan. “Now you, Stone.”
Logan’s dark eyes narrowed the slightest bit before he followed her. Yeah, he didn’t like being bossed around, and he probably didn’t like being in the dark about the plans. I stifled my chuckle. He was about to be a whole lot more in the dark.
I climbed in, sliding across the back bench and Dominic’s impressive form was beside me a moment later, seated on the black leather. The ceiling was lit with silver LED lights, which sparkled and winked like stars. Logan and Evie were perched on the side bench, facing the bar where a bottle of champagne was holstered in the ice bucket.
“You guys didn’t have to do this,” she said, playing it cool, but I could tell how much this meant to her, and I was thrilled. She deserved it.
And even though it was Dominic’s money that was paying for the night, I’d helped him plan. This limo had been my suggestion, as had been our first stop, so I dug into my purse and found what I was looking for.
Dominic reached for the champagne when the limo eased its way into traffic. “Of course we did,” he said. “It’s not every day Logan decides to get married.” His gravel voice had an upswing of teasing to it, then dipped back into serious territory. “I didn’t think he’d ever get hitched, but obviously he was waiting for you.”
A warm expression flitted through Evie’s eyes as my fiancé popped the cork on the bottle with a dull thump. Logan looked pleased, grabbed a crystal tumbler off the bar, and held it ready. Golden champagne was poured. The glass was passed to Evie, and as soon as it was done, I tore open the plastic wrap in my hands and handed her something else.
Her blue eyes scanned the black blindfold and she licked her lips. Was it in anxiety or excitement? Or was she thinking about the last time I’d handed her a blindfold, and the scorching hot threesome that had ensued? Her fingers brushed mine as she took it. It was impossible not to think about, but it had to be worse for her. She was the one who’d gone more than a month without sex.
“And for you, Logan.” I tugged open the second wrapper and held it out for him.
He stared at the blindfold as if wary, and his gaze flicked to Dominic, who shrugged like he had no idea what was going to happen, even though he did.
The soon-to-be newlyweds locked gazes, communicating through a wordless conversation. Evie let out a breath, then slipped the blindfold on, tugging it over her closed eyes. Logan hesitated, but Dominic’s indifferent attitude while he continued to pour drinks seemed to do the trick.
“I feel like a fucking idiot,” Logan said when he had it over his eyes.
“Well, you look great,” Dominic joked. “And don’t worry, Payton and I aren’t going to get naked and fuck or anything now.” Even under the blindfold, Logan didn’t seem thrilled. “I’m handing you your champagne—”
A hand reached for it at the exact moment Dominic moved, knocking the glass and champagne sloshed over the side, splashing Logan.
“Fuck, watch it.” Dominic’s voice was amused. He used his other hand to guide Logan’s to the glass.
“It would be easier if I could see.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” I said.
It was a short ride to the Baton Lounge, but probably felt longer to Evie and Logan. After the initial uncomfortable moments wore off, it seemed to relax both of them. Like it did to me, putting a restriction on them made them feel more open. No pressure to do anything. Just sit back, I thought, and let me and Dominic take charge.
Maneuvering them out of the limo while they were still wearing the blindfolds was fun. As Evie stood on the sidewalk, I set the crown of cocks on her head, working to get it to sit right.
“Yeah,” she said. “Make sure it’s on straight, because it would be so embarrassing if it was crooked.”
I looped my arm through hers and urged her forward, keeping her from stumbling as we went in through the open door. There was a loud bang, a noise of pain, and I turned to see Logan backing away, as if he’d run into the pane of glass beside the entrance.
“Oh,” Dominic said. “Watch out, there’s a door ahead.” He grinned, clearly enjoying busting Logan’s balls.
“What the hell, Dominic?” Logan demanded.
Evie’s face contorted with worry. “Are you okay?”
“He’s fine,” I said.
It was muttered by Logan, but still loud enough for me to hear. “Asshole.” His hands searched, then grasped a shoulder, letting Dominic guide him.
The large room had tiered seating with tables, and a stage along the back wall. The woman just inside the door scanned the tickets on my phone, and didn’t seem to care about Evie’s tiara or blindfold. She did,
however, stare at Dominic like he was naked. It was both annoying and kind of an ego boost. This stranger lusted after him, and could I really fault her for that? That night I’d met Dominic, I’d thought he was crazy good-looking, and time only made him hotter.
“You’re in the front row,” she said, her glittering eyes never leaving him. “Your server can help you find the table.”
Like it was really that hard.
We had our friends seated at the table and ordered drinks before we let them take off their blindfolds. “Give them back to me,” I said over the din of the crowd. “This is just our first stop.”
“Where are we?” Logan glanced around, evaluating his surroundings. “And why are Dominic and I the only guys here?”
He was right, the audience was ninety-nine percent female. I laughed. “Trust me, you’re not the only guys here.”
It was at that precise moment the plus-sized host took the stage, wearing a sparkling blue dress and a heavy coat of makeup. She strolled up to the microphone, brushed her long dark red hair over her shoulder, and gave us a sexy look.
“Good evening, ladies. I’m your host, Ginger.”
If the glitzy dress and overdone makeup hadn’t already done it, the deep voice was what clued Logan in.
“Is that a—”
“Drag queen?” Dominic answered. “Oh, yeah.”
Logan’s gaze bounced between the performer on stage, to Dominic, and back again. He had to be wondering what the hell they were doing here.
“I made a deal with Dominic,” I said. “We stick together tonight. This is what I wanted for Evie, and we’ll get to yours later. Sorry.”
The truth was I trusted Dominic, and hell, I trusted Logan too, to keep their dicks in their pants during their bachelor party. But who I didn’t trust, was other people. I’d had bachelor parties come through the blindfold club, and I’d seen things escalate beyond what anyone intended. Plus, the girl drooling over Dominic when we first walked in only affirmed my decision. It would be easier for him to brush off any unwanted attention if I was right beside him.
