City of Sin

by Ivy Smoak

  "Well, right. But it's anyone who donates a ton of money. And I mean a ton. Way more than just the cost of the dinner."

  "Wow." I looked down at the dress I was wearing. How much did it cost?

  "So, did you meet anyone?" Marie asked.

  "I met a few of Mason's friends. And his brother."

  "Meeting the family already? That's a big step."

  "Mhm." My mind was wandering back to Mason's parents. They weren't speaking. My mom always used to tell me to find a boy who treated his mother right. That was how you could tell if they'd treat you well. If Mason wasn't speaking to his mom, that probably wasn't a great sign.

  "Is everything okay with you?" Marie asked.

  "Yeah, I just..." my voice trailed off as I looked down at his note again. What would Marie think of this invitation? I wasn't going to ask. Because I had already decided to go. It felt like this was an opportunity of a lifetime. Even if it wasn't going to be a lasting thing, I'd regret not going.

  "You just what?" Marie said.

  "It was weird. At the gala, I ran into Patrick."

  "How the hell did he get tickets? Did everyone have tickets to this thing except for me?"

  I laughed. "I don't know. I'm sure he didn't buy them himself if they cost $3000."

  "Probably not. So what happened?"

  "He was asking why I wasn't willing to give him a second chance. And I got to say a lot of stuff that I wished I had said before. I think he might have been trying to get back together with me. But I said no. A few weeks ago, I probably would have said yes. It was different seeing him this time though. It was like I was actually seeing him for what he was."

  "Does that maybe have anything to do with the guy you were there with?"

  I couldn't help but smile. "Yes. Mason even comforted me afterward. He came back here and we talked and laughed all night." And kissed a lot. "He's such a sweet guy."

  "Really?"

  "You sound surprised."

  "Oh, no. I mean, I don't know. I can't really picture Mason doing that. He seems so...macho. I feel like panties drop whenever he enters a room. I never would have thought someone would describe him as sweet."

  I laughed. "Macho? Well, I think maybe he's softer than he lets on. Not that he isn't sexy. Because he is...really, really sexy." I was rambling just thinking about his abs. My words were greeted by silence. I pulled my phone down to see if the call was still connected. The seconds were still ticking by. I put the phone back to my ear. "Marie? Are you still there?"

  "Bee, are you falling for him?"

  Was I falling for a guy who knew every secret underground strip club in the city? Was I falling for a guy with a reputation for one night stands? Was I falling for a guy who had inadvertently ended my engagement? "I think I am."

  Marie squealed into the phone. "Kendra can suck it! I knew setting you up with him was a good idea."

  I laughed. "Yeah, I really owe you one."

  "Maybe I should quit my job at Blue and start a matchmaking service."

  "Maybe you should."

  "I'm sure Carter would love that. You should call Kendra and tell her that you're in love with Mason and that she was completely wrong."

  "I'm not going to do that. You just love being right about stuff. I'm sure you're going to call her as soon as we hang up anyway."

  "You're right. I am."

  "And I never said I was in love with him." I was falling for Mason Caldwell. But I wasn't in love with him. I couldn't be in love with him. I wasn't ready to be in love again.

  "Right again. You didn't. But Kendra doesn't need to know all the details. I'm going to call her now. Bye, Bee!"

  "Bye, Marie." I was pretty sure Marie had hung up before I had even said goodbye. I looked down at the note Mason had left me. I couldn't be in love again. Because I wasn't ready to be hurt again. And Mason was the type of guy who didn't stick around for long. I needed to remind myself of that. If I allowed my head to catch up with my heart, then I'd be back at square one, alone in this horrible city. That was what love always led to. I just wished I was better at compartmentalizing.

  ***

  My mind had flitted back and forth all day. But here I was, standing in front of the veranda with Trump International Hotel And Tower written in huge gold lettering. I felt like I had been standing still ever since I had given the ring back to Patrick. Mason made me feel like moving again. And if tonight was going to be the last time I saw him, I was going to take advantage of it. I was going to spend the night in a hotel that I would never be able to afford to come back to, with a man that was way out of my league. And I was going to sleep with him. Because I was an adult. And that's what adults did.

  Sleep with rich men for one night? Slut! I shook the thought away. I refused to stand still anymore. I wanted to live again. I walked up the stone steps.

  "Good evening, ma'am." The doorman said as he opened it.

  I had spent so much time standing still that I had become a ma'am instead of a miss. "Good evening," I said and walked into the building. The entrance was breathtaking. The floor was marble. And all the walls were adorned with mirrors with gold accents. I instantly felt out of place in my worn wool coat and boots that were knock offs of Steve Madden. And where was I supposed to go? I pulled out my phone.

  "Can I help you, ma'am?" The man at the front desk asked.

  I should have called Mason while I was still outside. This was awkward. I put my phone back in my pocket and walked up to the front desk. "Hi, sorry, yes. I have plans with Mason Caldwell. Dinner plans. Nothing weird. He lives here somewhere. In the building. Not the hotel part. The condo part I think? I just don't know what room his is." What the hell was that? Does he know I'm here for sex?

  "You're here for Mr. Caldwell?"

  "Yes?" Why did I just say that as a question? "Yes, I'm here for Mr. Caldwell."

  The man frowned. "One moment please." He lifted up the phone and pressed a few numbers. "Mr. Caldwell, there is a young woman at the front desk who is here to see you." There was a pause before he continued. "She doesn't seem like the normal..." He had clearly been cut off. "Oh." He cleared his throat. "Sorry. Very well, sir. Have a good evening."

  I didn't seem like the normal what? Women he usually dated? I probably wasn't. Mason was rich and I was just me.

  "Sorry for the confusion, ma'am. I will need to see your I.D., though."

  I wanted to ask why. But I didn't want to seem out of place. Maybe visitors always had to show their I.D.'s at fancy places. I pulled my driver's license out of my purse. It still said I lived in Delaware. I hadn't taken the time to switch everything over yet.

  "Bridget Cowan?"

  "Yes, that's me."

  "Very well." He hit a bell on the front desk and a bellboy magically appeared. Magically because I hadn't seen him before and there didn't seem to be any doors nearby. "Adam will take you up to Mr. Caldwell." He handed me my driver's license back. "Sorry again about the confusion."

  "What exactly was the confusion?"

  "Nothing, ma'am. Have a good evening." He looked away from me, even though I was standing right there. Oh my God, did he think I was a prostitute?

  I quickly walked over to Adam who was waiting by the elevator. When we stepped on there was actually elevator music. Like in all the old movies I used to watch with my mom. But I wasn't really focused on the ornate details. I turned toward Adam. "What kind of women does Mr. Caldwell usually entertain?"

  Adam turned away from me. "Mr. Caldwell doesn't usually entertain."

  I laughed.

  Adam looked uncomfortable. He probably hadn't lied. The women that came to Mason probably entertained him, not the other way around.

  "How often does he have visitors?" I asked.

  "I don't know, ma'am. I'm only part-time."

  "I see. Who was the last visitor that you escorted up to see him?"

  Adam seemed relieved. "His brother came over a week or so ago."

  "Oh." Mason had told me he hadn't gone to an
y of those clubs or anything since we had met. So maybe that meant no late night visitors too. Maybe the guy at the front desk just thought I didn't look like a normal guest at Trump International. It really seemed like he thought I didn't look like one of Mason's normal hookers though.

  But it didn't matter either way. I wasn't going to get in my own head tonight. It was time I enjoyed myself. This was what single people did. Especially single girls who really wanted to start dating the man they were about to see. Stop it.

  Chapter 46

  Mason

  I opened up the lid to one of the pans on the stove and oil splashed onto my t-shirt. "Shit." I quickly pulled off my shirt and tossed it onto the floor. I didn't know why I had offered to cook. I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Dinner didn't really matter, though. Tonight was only about one thing. And we both knew it. But it was more than just sex to me. I needed to hold out until she begged me. If I could stick to the game plan, I could have her for as long as I wanted. Which meant she most likely had to eat this meal before I fucked her. Hopefully it was edible.

  I opened up the oven door and looked at the casserole dish. It looked like it was cooking nicely. The broth was bubbling and it smelled good. I closed the door and leaned against the kitchen counter.

  Bee was refreshing, but she was also torturing me. Ever since I had started attending the gala I had always gotten laid afterwards. Bee had ruined my perfect record. And I was mad at her. I had talked with her all night. Talked. And tonight wasn't just about finally having her. It was about punishing her for all the hell she had been putting me through. The waiting was unbearable. I could feel my erection pressing against my jeans. Even thinking about her made me hard. Or maybe it was just because I hadn't cum in over a week.

  A knock sounded on the door. I took a deep breath. I just needed to stick to the plan. And hopefully she didn't catch on that the front desk thought she was a prostitute. That would not be a good start to our evening. I ran my hand through my hair and opened up the door.

  I don't know what it was, but she seemed to look even sexier every time I saw her. She didn't say anything, she was just staring at my abs. It was a good thing I was a messy chef. This was a pretty good start to the night. I had the urge to kiss her. But we weren't in a relationship. I didn't need to kiss her hello. Stick to the plan.

  "You're not wearing a shirt," she said, without looking up at me. Her eyes seemed to be stuck on my abs. She was horny. Maybe even as horny as me. It was written all over her face.

  "I got oil on it while I was cooking. I can go put on another one if you want."

  "No, that's okay." She finally looked up at my face. "Maybe I should just take mine off so we're even?" She laughed and then looked away from me, clearly embarrassed. "I was actually debating whether or not I should wear any clothes at all. You know, the whole naked under the trench coat thing?" Her face was bright red. "But I'm not, see." She took off her jacket. "Fully clothed." She closed the door and her eyes gravitated back toward my six pack.

  She was so innocent, yet somehow kinky as hell. There was no debate about what was on her mind. She looked nervous and excited at the same time. Wasn't that enough? She clearly wanted me. Screw dinner. Screw the plan. I needed her now. I pressed myself against her, pinning her against the door. I grabbed her arms and lifted them over her head. She didn't resist my touch at all.

  "Keep your arms up," I said. I pushed her sweater up her waist, over her breasts, and up her arms. I threw her sweater down on the floor.

  She kept her arms raised and blinked her long lashes at me.

  I had never been tempted to abandon a plan before. What was this girl trying to do to me? I moved my hand to her back and unstrapped her bra. I tried not to think about the fact that I was the one caving in as I pulled her bra slowly down her arms, exposing her ripe breasts. Her nipples were hard, making her arousal even more evident. She looked embarrassed, standing in the middle of my foyer without her top. She moved her hands to cover herself, but I grabbed them.

  "Turn around." I couldn't wait to tie her up and have my way with her. I could still make this happen under my terms.

  She shook her hands free and placed them on my six pack. I lowered my eyebrows. No one ever defied me. She was pushing all my buttons. She lowered her hands down my stomach and touched my belt. I looked down at her as she unhinged the clip and pulled my belt out of the loops. Her fingers were shaking as she unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. Everything she did was so sexy and it had me on edge.

  "Turn around," I repeated.

  She bit her lip as she looked up at me.

  Fuck it. I grabbed the back of her neck and brought her lips to mine. If she wasn't going to listen to me, I'd just fuck her until she screamed my name. I was done playing games. I needed to be deep inside her tight pussy. I grabbed her ass and lifted her legs around me.

  Chapter 47

  Bee

  I wrapped my legs around him and grabbed the back of his neck, deepening the kiss. My resolve had started to disappear when I saw his perfectly sculpted body. And any resolve that may have remained had evaporated as soon as he removed my bra. I didn't know what I expected to happen tonight. But this was what I had wanted. My plan was to be sexy and I'm pretty sure I had failed. But it didn't seem to matter. We had barely said five words to each other before he had started undressing me. I had never felt so wanted in my life. And I had never wanted something so badly in my life.

  Mason held me against him and set me down on the edge of the kitchen counter.

  "We'll do it your way then," Mason said. His voice sounded tight. He was so wound up. He grabbed one of my boots and pulled it off, quickly followed by the next.

  "My way?" I panted. I couldn't help it. I was so aroused. He was so sexy and domineering. And his words were so dirty. I wanted his tongue back in my mouth. No. I wanted his tongue down there. I swallowed hard.

  "Vanilla." He undid the button of my jeans and quickly unzipped them.

  I had no idea what he was talking about, but I no longer cared. Everything he did was so sexy. I wanted to do whatever he wanted. But I was nervous, because I had no idea what that entailed.

  "Mason." My voice sounded breathless. I put my hand on his chest.

  He pulled back and looked at me.

  "You promised me a tour." I was chickening out. I had only ever had sex with Patrick. And he cheated on me. I wasn't good at this. I wasn't experienced like Mason was. I couldn't make him feel the way he was making me feel.

  "You're killing me, Bee." It seemed like he was undressing me with his eyes. It was unnerving and exciting.

  "I'm not very experienced," I blurted out.

  "Is that what this is about?" He smiled at me seductively. "I know that." He kissed the side of my neck. "Baby, I was the first person to ever make you come." He kissed the side of my neck again.

  "Mmm." God. I put my hand on his chest again. "I just think that maybe this is not going to be as good as you're thinking." I was so embarrassed.

  He sighed and placed his hands on the counter on either side of me. "I like that you're inexperienced. Trust me, you're not going to disappoint me. You couldn't possibly disappoint me."

  I wasn't sure if that was true. He said he was going to do it my way instead of the way he wanted. Wasn't that disappointing? I didn't want that. I wanted all the dirty things he talked about. I wanted him to do unspeakable things to me. "I don't want to do this my way. I want to do it your way."

  He lowered his eyebrows slightly.

  "I want you to do whatever you want with me." I put my hands out in front of me. He had talked about handcuffs before. I think I wanted that. "Whatever you want." God, I'm such a slut.

  "Fuck, Bee." He grabbed my waist and lifted me up over his shoulder.

  "Mason!"

  He slapped my ass hard.

  Oh God. I liked how that felt. His palm stayed pressed against the back pocket of my jeans. He was carrying me somewhere, but instead of paying attention, I was looki
ng at his ass. I had unzipped his jeans, so they were hanging slightly lower than the waistband of his boxers. His ass looked good in jeans. Even better than it did in his suit pants. I ran my hand down the muscles on his back and traced the waistline of his boxers. I could get used to this view.

  As soon as I thought it, he threw me down onto his bed. When I looked up at him, he had an unfamiliar glint in his eyes. He looked like he had me right where he wanted me, like I was finally giving him what he needed. I swallowed hard. The sheets smelled like his cologne and it was arousing me even more. I wasn't sure how many other girls had laid just like this in his bed before, but he was looking at me like I was the only thing in the world that he wanted.

  "Get in the middle of the bed," he said as he stared down at me.

  I didn't want to move. I wanted to revel in this moment.

  He grabbed my wrist and pulled me to my feet. His grip was tight. "If we're doing this my way, it means you have to listen to me."

  "Okay."

  He put his hand on the side of my face. "Trust me, baby, you're going to like this."

  "And why do you think that?"

  "Because you're tired of making decisions. You want someone to take control for you. That's why you're here. You want me to show you everything that you've been missing. You want to surrender to me."

  "And that's what you want? You want to take control of my body?" I never wanted him to stop looking at me the way that he was right now. He was right. I was so sick of making decisions. I wanted him to make them for me.

  He smiled down at me. "I just want you."

  "Okay." It seemed like he always knew exactly what to say. Maybe he'd still like me even if I wasn't good at this. I wanted to surrender to him. And maybe I could learn how. "Show me."

  "Turn around." His voice was more authoritative than before. It was like how he got me to stay on our first date. I liked how demanding he was.

  This time, I turned away from him. He pushed my hair to one side and ran his fingers down my spine. The feeling of his fingers on my skin made my heart race. Something glimmering caught my eye. I looked over at his headboard and spotted two sets of handcuffs. He hadn't been joking. And I couldn't wait to feel the metal around my wrists.