Obsession (Forbidden #2)

by Michelle Betham

  ‘And you. Just you. I want pictures of you, out there, on those walls.’ He pulls me back into his arms and kisses me again, and I swear he has some kind of beautiful toxin on those lips of his because one tiny touch is all it takes to floor me. ‘Pictures of you, naked, and wet… I want everyone to see you like that.’

  Sometimes it feels as though I’ve been thrown into some kind of parallel universe where living out your fantasies all day every day is perfectly normal. Because that’s my life now. One big fantasy. And I’m just a little bit scared that it won’t always be that way. ‘And what exactly are we going to be doing in these photographs, huh?’ But I’m slowly learning to stop worrying about a future that hasn’t happened yet, and just enjoy the present I’m living.

  He smiles, the sexiest, dirtiest smile and I’m wet, I can feel it. I’m wet, and he hasn’t even touched me in that way yet. ‘We’re gonna be fucking, darlin’.’

  I groan, and he kisses me again as the sound of whistles and voices, both male and female, filter in from the club outside.

  I pull back from him and smile. ‘Looks like Kandi’s here.’

  He lets go of me and goes to open the door, just as Kandi saunters in, all long dark hair and endless legs.

  ‘I think I might have pulled,’ she laughs, winking at me as she throws her bag down on to the couch by the door. ‘Three of them threw their number at me, and one said he’d be willing to give up everything he owned for an hour between my legs.’

  ‘They bothering you?’ Neal asks, hovering in the doorway, hands in his pockets.

  Kandi turns to look at him, smiling. ‘No way, babe. That’s the kind of bother a girl thrives on.’

  He laughs and bows his head, pushing a hand through his hair. He’s getting used to Kandi-Ann. Slowly. She’s a bit more upfront than me, more forward, but that’s why I love her. When I first met her she was everything I wished I could be, but she taught me how to be a kick-ass version of myself.

  ‘I’ll go get rid of them, OK?’ He looks at us, and knowing that I’m about to have sex with him in front of my friend, again, for photos that are going to be hanging on these walls for everyone to see, it’s kind of exciting. In our world this is normal now. ‘I think they’re done for the day. They can finish off tomorrow.’

  I watch him go before turning to Kandi-Ann, who’s fishing her camera out of her bag. She studied photography at university before working as a fashion photographer at a modelling agency in Newcastle. But when she hit hard times, financially, that’s when she turned to a more lucrative line of work, alongside me, as an escort.

  ‘Joey didn’t say anything to you, did he? Before you came down here.’

  We have to come through Bam-Bams at the minute, to get to The Playroom, but only until our own entrance is finished and ready to open. Once that’s done, The Playroom will have its own exclusive access through a very private door. Discretion. It’s going to be a very important part of what we do here.

  Kandi looks at me. ‘He doesn’t have to, babe. I know what he thinks.’ She walks over to me, laying the camera down on Neal’s desk. ‘But that’s all behind us. Everything’s purely professional now. Well, as far as that side of things is concerned, anyway. Although, I do miss us sometimes. The private us.’

  ‘Kandi…’

  ‘I know.’ She sighs and throws her head back, running her fingers through her dark curls. ‘I know you and handsome out there are pretty full-on. And I’m more than happy to just play our games in public now.’ She shrugs before reaching out and tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. ‘It still means I get to touch you, doesn’t it? And if we have to have an audience… hey, that’s fine by me.’

  I smile, but I also take her hand and pull it away from my face. We’re not playing now.

  ‘So, Mr Cannon wants you naked. And wet.’ She returns my smile, and I feel an excitement I shouldn’t be feeling work its way through me until it hits my stomach and sits there, taunting me.

  ‘Mr Cannon wants her any way she comes, sweetheart.’

  We both turn around to see him standing in the doorway, a slight smirk on his face, and I almost breathe a sigh of relief. His timing is perfect.

  ‘OK. Well, do you guys want to get ready? We’re taking the photographs out there, right?’

  ‘Yeah, we are.’ Neal holds out his hand and I go over to him, taking it as he pulls me against him. ‘I’ve told Joey we’re busy. So he won’t disturb us.’

  Like he won’t find out what we’re doing. He knows I’ll tell him anyway.

  ‘You alright with this, Kira?’

  ‘What did I used to do for a living, Neal?’

  He smiles, and I fall in love all over again. ‘OK. Come on then, beautiful. Let’s go do this.’

  Neal

  I stand at the side of the stage and watch as Kandi-Ann snaps away at a naked Kira, her body arched against the steel pole, her legs impossibly long in skyscraper-heeled, thigh-high leather boots.

  Not all of these photos are going up on The Playroom’s walls. I’m having Kandi take a lot, because I want some for myself. I want them on my walls at home; in our private playroom as well as here, in the office. Only a couple will be going on the walls of the public areas. The bulk of them will be for my eyes only.

  I watch as she slides down the pole, her eyes locked on mine and I know she’s giving me a show. I never knew she’d worked a pole before, not until we got them fitted here in the club. But it seems she’s no stranger to them. And I can only hope we work that into one of our role-plays very, very soon because I’m getting one fitted in our own playroom back at the penthouse. It’s already in hand. I can make things happen pretty quickly in my world, and I want to watch her writhe around that cold steel, her legs open and her back arched. I want that. Here, and in private.

  ‘You ready now, Neal?’

  Kandi-Ann’s voice breaks into my personal, pole-dancing fantasy and I look at her. She’s pretty, in a different way to Kira. She looks almost Mediterranean even though I know she was born and raised in north-east England, just like Kira. But I’m not attracted to her, even though I’ve seen her naked; watched her fuck my girlfriend. And I want to watch that again, don’t get me wrong, Jesus! Do I want to watch that happen again. I just don’t want to fuck her.

  ‘Baby?’

  It’s Kira’s voice that pulls me right back into the room and I don’t move as she walks over to me, swaying those incredible hips, and I want her. So much. ‘Just give me a minute, OK?’ I whisper, catching her waist and pulling her against me. ‘Go lie down, on that couch over there.’

  She lets go of me and I head back into my office, shower quickly, and wrap a towel around my hips before I go back outside.

  Kira’s on the couch, propped up on her elbows as Kandi shows her the photos she’s taken so far. And I love the way she isn’t ashamed of her body; she isn’t concerned with covering up or hiding away and I thank God I found this woman. Every fucking day I thank Him.

  Kandi gets up the moment I arrive, and Kira lies back, her eyes fixed on mine as I pull the towel away. And the way she bites down on her lip as she drops her gaze to my cock, man, that does it for me.

  ‘Come on, guys, hang on a sec, will you? I’m not ready yet.’

  Yeah, well, I am. And Kira knows that. She’s ready, too.

  ‘Let’s take a few of you just lying together, OK?’ Kandi suggests, and I kinda like that idea. ‘On your stomach, Kira. And let’s have handsome here lie over you… You know what to do, right?’

  She directs that question at me, and I nod, because I know what’s gonna look good. I can picture it all in my head.

  Kira turns onto her stomach, her head to one side, and I lie over her, our fingers threading together as I lean in to kiss her neck. I feel her shiver beneath me and my cock is aching to be inside her, but it’s gonna have to wait.

  ‘Beautiful,’ Kandi gasps as she clicks away. ‘You guys have no idea just how beautiful you really are together… OK. On your ba
ck, babe. Time to give handsome here what he quite obviously wants.’

  I sit up as she turns over, and as her eyes once more meet mine I’m lost, for just a few seconds. Lost in this crazy world where I’m having sex in public and opening clubs where others can do the same. But I like it here, in this new, warped place I inhabit.

  I take hold of her hands again, and our eyes stay locked as I slowly push into her, drawing tiny, quiet moans from her as she takes me deep. And all the time I can hear the camera clicking away, and it excites me even more, the idea that someone’s watching. Others are gonna watch, too. They’re gonna watch me and my beautiful girl fuck and play, and that’s messed-up, I know. In my old life I would have balked at that idea. I may have spent all that time sleeping with escorts, but the sex was still private.

  I don’t need it to stay that way now.

  I don’t want it to.

  Now everything really has changed.

  Seven

  Kira

  The music’s pounding, the atmosphere’s electric, and all I can do is watch as Joey and Benni welcome everyone to Bam-Bams, New York. And I couldn’t be more proud. It’s like a little bit of back home has been transported here, to my new home. It feels familiar and friendly, vibrant and exciting. Just the way Joey wanted it. I’ve found my second home, here, in Manhattan. And I’m already in love with everyone at this new Bam-Bams. All the new acts Joey and Benni have managed to snare for the club, they’re incredible. And they’re all such beautiful people, inside and out. I have another little Bam-Bams family right here in New York, and that’s more than I could have asked for when I uprooted my entire world and moved here, to Neal’s. He’s allowed a part of my old life back in; he made that happen.

  ‘You look gorgeous, darling!’ Fran, Bam-Bams’ manager – also known as Lady Frankie – kisses my cheek and hugs me gently, and I breathe in the most gorgeous-smelling perfume. And I know that it’s more than likely something hideously expensive because some of these guys are way more glamorous than I’ll ever be.

  ‘You’re looking pretty hot yourself, babe.’

  And he does, in a form-fitting long white dress that shows off his caramel-toned skin to stunning effect. It sports a huge slit up the front, showing off legs that are almost better than mine, and he’s wearing stupidly high white shoes, the platinum blonde wig that hangs down around his shoulders finishing everything off. I have no doubt he took a lot longer to get ready tonight than I did.

  He throws me the widest, brightest smile as he smoothes down his dress. ‘Why, thank you, angel.’

  They all call me that now. And I love it. My new family are just amazing, and I love them all, even though we’ve only been together a matter of weeks. They all know my past – or the bits they need to know, anyway; they know about me and Neal, and of course they know what’s going on downstairs. Although, The Playroom doesn’t officially open for a couple more hours yet.

  ‘So, are you ready for your own opening night, honey?’

  I take a sip of the champagne that’s been flowing since the doors opened an hour or so ago, because, if I’m being honest, I don’t know if I am ready. It all feels real now – scary, and real. But still so fucking exciting! ‘Yeah. I think so.’ He looks at me, and I throw him a wide-eyed look back. ‘What?’

  ‘Joey warned me about that face.’

  ‘You don’t actually listen to him, do you?’

  Fran laughs, and it’s so deep and dirty it’s almost at odds with his glamorous, feminine appearance. ‘Honey, we all gotta listen to Joey. Nerves taking over though, huh?’

  ‘You could say that.’

  ‘That man of yours downstairs making sure everything’s ready to go?’

  I nod, and take another sip of champagne as the butterflies in my tummy start to turn cartwheels. ‘I should really be heading down there myself in a bit. I just wanted to be here, for Joey.’ Fran reaches for the bottle of champagne on the counter behind us and fills up a glass for himself before re-filling mine. ‘I should be keeping a clear head. I’m performing later.’

  ‘Is that what they’re calling it now,’ Joey sniffs as he appears at my side.

  ‘I swear that man can smell bubbles,’ Fran mock-sighs, sashaying off to greet a crowd of people who’ve just walked in.

  ‘You alright?’ Joey asks, eyeing me over the rim of his purple champagne flute.

  ‘Why wouldn’t I be?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact you’re about to open an underground sex club with a kinky art dealer who likes to hang photos of his naked girlfriend all over the walls for everyone to see and doesn’t mind her fucking her ex-girlfriend in public on opening night? Hmm? Could that be it?’

  ‘I could go off you sometimes.’

  ‘That’ll never happen.’

  ‘I wouldn’t be too sure.’

  ‘Where is Brunette Barbie, anyway?’

  ‘If you mean Kandi, she’s over there.’ I jerk my glass in the direction of a group of people near the DJ booth.

  ‘Hmm. Looks like she’s made a few new friends already. But then, she always has been rather accommodating.’

  ‘Have you not got a club to run?’

  ‘I’m just concerned, Kira.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘About you… Are you deliberately trying to be irritating?’

  I poke my tongue out at him.

  ‘You should probably put that away. You’ll be needing it later.’

  ‘What’s the matter with you?’

  I really am irritated now. I’m here to support him, the least he could do is try and do the same for me.

  ‘It just feels like… I don’t know. It feels like you’re going back to your old ways, Kira. That’s all.’

  ‘My old…? It’s not a frigging brothel we’re running down there. There’s no sex for sale, Neal isn’t renting me out. Come on, Joey. Sex – it’s all I’ve ever known. It’s an industry I understand. I don’t really know anything else.’

  He looks down into his glass, and I actually think he’s genuinely sorry now. ‘I just don’t want you to get hurt, Kira.’

  ‘I’m gonna be just fine, Joey, OK? Neal, he… he looks after me. Everything he does, it’s for me.’

  Joey looks up. ‘I thought you said you didn’t need looking after.’

  ‘Yeah, well, sometimes it’s a nice feeling.’

  ‘Don’t let him make you do anything you don’t want to, kiddo. You hear me?’

  ‘You know me better than that. Everything I do, everything that’s gonna happen downstairs, I’ll be in control. Alright? Tonight, when Kandi and me are up there, doing our thing, it’ll be me in control. Not her. Not Neal. Me.’

  He smiles, and it’s weak, but I’m taking it. ‘Good. That’s my girl.’ He leans in to kiss me quickly. ‘I’m just glad I’m here to keep an eye on you.’

  ‘Yeah. I’m kind of glad you’re here, too.’

  ‘Kind of?’ He raises an eyebrow, and I laugh. For some reason this conversation has actually made those nerves I was feeling before disappear, and I feel more than ready to tackle The Playroom’s opening night now.

  I drain my glass and kiss Joey one last time. ‘This place is amazing, Joey. And you’re going to kill it out there on that stage tonight.’

  ‘Hmm. I could say the same about you.’

  I throw him a sideways smile before I head off downstairs. The entrance we’d used to use via Bam-Bams has been closed off now. No members of the public can move between the two clubs internally, but for those of us in the know there’s still a set of stairs that lead down from the corridor where Joey’s office is to the corridor that houses Neal’s office and The Playroom’s dressing rooms. And that’s what I’m using. The Playroom’s own private entrance is finished and open for those that are coming tonight, but I don’t want to go back outside.

  I can hear the music the second I step into the corridor. And it’s different to the music Bam-Bams was playing upstairs; this is darker, dirtier, sexier.
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br />   I walk past Neal’s office, but the door’s locked so he must be out in the club and I head off to find him, the music growing louder the closer I get.

  The club itself feels slightly strange empty, with just the staff pottering about making sure everything’s ready. But any minute now The Playroom doors are going to open and this place is going to be full of people who are all ready to lose their inhibitions and live a different kind of life, even if it’s just for a few hours. And that excites me. I feel my heart start to race and I smile. Yeah. I can’t wait to get this thing started now.

  I look up as the lighting changes, dipping low, and the atmosphere suddenly becomes heady and expectant and I feel some of those nerves come filtering back, hitting me with the force of a tidal wave, almost winding me, and I glance over towards the main stage in the centre of the room. There’s a bed there, just waiting for me and Kandi-Ann to start writhing around on, and I have to swallow hard to ease those growing nerves. Should I have agreed to this? But then, it’s not like we haven’t done what we’re about to do for an audience before. So many people have watched me and Kandi play. Just not as many all at once. And then I remember I don’t live in a normal world. I live in a world very different to the one most people understand. Not everyone will understand mine; the way it works, the rules that are broken every day within its confines. And I look up at the stage again and I know that I still want to fuck Neal up there. In front of everyone. I have to do that, I need to do that. And it’s safe, we can do it, if we both want to. Mobile phones and cameras are banned from the premises – part of the discretion policy we have going on. Whoever comes in to the club, we need them to feel like this is a safe place. A welcome place. We don’t want the people who come here to feel as though there’s a risk of their visit becoming public knowledge. So discretion is extremely important. Hence no photographs. No filming. No chance of anything popping up on social media. Neal has someone who handles our publicity – someone who knows how to find the kind of people who need a place like The Playroom. And he has people who are trying their hardest to make sure that discretion policy is upheld at every level, so all we have to do is be the front of house couple we need to be. The performers we’re about to become. And my stomach dips and dives at the thought of us – performing.