“Some guy I met at that club, Nirvana. I think he’s a bouncer, or at least, he was big enough to be one.” Lana made a beeline for the hotel door, anxious to get to the party. Her long, dark hair was swinging down her back as she hauled ass like a woman on a mission. She looked like a disco ball in her silver dress, its huge-ass sequins reflecting the night lights from the city. As outrageous as she looked, it suited her personality perfectly, screaming “life of the party.”
She was my only friend in New York. I had met her when I first moved here three years ago. We met randomly on the subway when a homeless guy was being too friendly with her. I went over and cursed the guy out in French and got him to leave her alone. After that, it was a match made in heaven. She was the good cop to my bad cop. She was overtly friendly to everyone, scoring us free drinks at bars and invites to parties. And I was the tough one who made sure no one took advantage of us. I didn’t put up with shit from anyone. I didn’t have time for it when I was just trying to survive.
Lana was more fortunate than me in the sense that she had a support system back home in Minnesota. Both of her parents were still alive and had high hopes for their daughter to become a lawyer, but instead, she had dropped out of NYU and registered for fashion-design courses at a local community college. She was talented at making her own clothes, even if I didn’t understand most of her designs. She referred to each of her designs as haute couture and was adamant that the women in Paris were wearing the same thing. I hadn’t been back to Paris for years, but I could guarantee they weren’t wearing disco-ball dresses.
“You need to stop meeting randoms and promising them you’ll accept their invites. What if they turn out to be serial killers?” I asked, catching up to her as we entered the same hotel mentioned on the business card that the bouncer had given her.
“Oh my God, Claire! Would you stop? He’s not a serial killer! People do this all the time. How do you think anyone ever gets invited to these big ass parties with tons of famous people?!” she ranted as our heels clicked on the marble floors of the hotel lobby. The space was uber contemporary and boasted complementing sleek décor—the type of place where young rich people would hang out.
“Why is it at a hotel, though?” I was still skeptical, despite Lana’s attempts to persuade me that this was perfectly normal. The parties we had been invited to before were in public places like clubs or bars, never a hotel room. What if we arrived there and some crazy madman was waiting for two twenty-something girls in skimpy outfits? He could murder us, and no one would ever come looking for us…at least not until Lana’s parents realized she was missing days later.
“Would you rather it be at a stranger’s house?” she shot back, trying to get me to shut up.
She teetered on her heels all the way up to the concierge. The man behind the counter raised an eyebrow at us as he took in our clothes, mainly Lana’s “Studio 54” getup.
“We’re here for the party,” Lana announced with the confidence of an elite socialite as she slid the business card the bouncer had given her to the man.
He sighed in annoyance, as if he had dealt with one too many of us for the evening.
He handed Lana a guest keycard. “Use this to access the private elevator on the left and it will take you to the penthouse.”
My jaw dropped. “Penthouse?!” What kind of party was this? I had assumed it was just in a regular hotel room, hosted by some pervy guy who was trying to impress ladies because he was insecure about his one-bedroom apartment and part-time job at some club.
Lana took the card and rushed over to the elevator without thanking the concierge. I grinned apologetically at the man, who probably didn’t get paid enough for this, before following her.
The whole way up in the elevator, Lana was doing some happy wiggling dance because she couldn’t contain her excitement. I was still sure a serial killer would be waiting for us as soon as the doors opened—albeit a rich one with a penthouse view.
The elevator binged and the doors opened. To my relief, no serial killer was waiting for us. Instead, there were hordes of people who couldn’t even be bothered to notice our arrival.
We both stood stunned, taking in the scene before us…a sea of women, gorgeous yet scantily clad. I thought some might have even been paid to attend, with how little they wore and the way they danced on various platforms around the room with poles attached to the ceiling. Men were there too, but they weren’t young and lean like the women. Instead, they were more on the beefy side. Maybe the bouncer had invited his other bouncer friends?
We pushed our way inside. It was a beautiful penthouse, though no one would even notice through the bacchanal taking place. Women were perched on top of men’s laps, fawning over them. Some were on other women’s laps with their tongues down each other’s throats. A few men were huddled by the bar doing body shots off a brunette in her underwear lying on the bar top.
The music was blaring over the speakers, so I did my best to shout over the sound. “This is a fucking stripper party!”
Lana cringed next to me, grabbing her stomach, as the same conclusion punched her in the gut.
“Did that guy think you were a stripper or something?!” That would explain why he had invited her in the first place.
She smashed her head against her hand in embarrassment.
Turning to her, I grabbed her arm ready to shake the life out of her. “What the fuck, Lana?!”
“Look! She seems normal like us.” She pointed hopefully to a girl who was decently covered up, unlike the others. She held a bottle of champagne in her hand. Before I could register what she was about to do, she poured champagne down the body of another woman dressed in lingerie as an ogre of a man bent down to slurp the liquid up from under her tits. Jesus.
No, thanks. “I’m out of here.” I turned on my heels to leave.
“Come on.” Lana moved in front of my way to stop me. “Let’s just find my friend and stay for five minutes.” The desperation in her wide eyes yet again succeeded in softening my heart.
I couldn’t just abandon her. This party was way too wild for her gullible self to handle alone.
“Ugh, fine. Five minutes!” I repeated.
She searched the room desperately since the imaginary timer that was her best friend was already counting down the seconds until it was time to go. “See! There he is!” She bolted for her friend without even waiting for me.
I was already so over this night that I didn’t follow her. I’d just hang back, and then drag her out of here when her time was up. And yes, I was keeping track of the time.
Noticing a flight of stairs that led to what seemed like a quieter level of the penthouse, I squeezed through the crowd to get to the far end of the room. It was stuffy inside from all the people around me, so I took off my jacket to allow my skin to breathe. My arms and chest were already sweaty from all the body heat that enveloped me.
A large hand on my ass stopped me in my tracks. “Where are you off to, sweetie?” a voice so thick and revolting sounded in my ear.
I made a note of his position in reference to my body from the way his hand fell on my ass. As a dancer, I could figure out the position of a partner without even seeing them, based on a single touch. It was my area of expertise, understanding placement and anticipating the next move. Even if I couldn’t see his whole body clearly, I could sense how tall he was from how his rancid breath fell on my neck. I painted a picture in my head of how he must have been standing behind me.
Before the disgusting excuse for a man could get in another word, I spun around and used the force from the right side of my body to swing forward and clock him right in the nose. My aim was impeccable, and my punch was strong enough to leave him stunned. He’d fucked with the wrong girl. I left him in a crowd of his friends hooting and hollering at the show I had just given them.
I took the stairs up to the upper level. Maybe I
could just find a quiet room and play that farming game on my phone and hide from Mr. Hands until it was time to go. With less people up here, I instantly felt my shoulders relax.
There were a few doors along the hallway to choose from, but they were all closed. I didn’t want to intrude any more than the guests downstairs already had, so I opted for the farthest door, at the end of the hall, which was half-opened.
I was about to knock on the door just in case anyone was inside, but a soft moan stopped me—or rather, two. They both sounded feminine. Like it was a car accident that I couldn’t avoid watching, I quietly pushed the door in and stepped over the threshold.
The luxurious room was dimly lit by lamps on either side of the bed. A woman knelt on the oversized bed. She was naked except for a black G-string that barely covered the flesh between her legs. Her breasts were perfectly shaped—too perfect. The way they rested, roundly inflated on her chest, and her small nipples pointed at an unrealistic angle led me to believe they were the result of an expensive boob job. Her long, dark hair flowed along the sides of her chest. She ran her hands through the roots of her locks and down through the length before smoothing them over her tits. Her fingers moved lazily lower, to the fabric covering the flesh between her legs.
Another figure sat up on the bed, clad in a red satin bra and matching thong. Her brown hair was shorter than the other woman’s and styled into an angular bob that framed her high cheekbones.
Both women were insanely beautiful, like the type that posed for one of those high-end men’s magazines. My body was lean and muscular, nowhere near as curvy as the bodies in front of me. My breasts were miniscule from training over the years, so I envied the fullness that belonged to the women, even if it was natural. Grass is always greener…
The woman with the short hair planted her hands on either side of the long-haired woman’s hips. Short Hair moved in to press kisses over her partner’s belly, right above the waistband of her G-string. Her hands moved down Long Hair’s thighs, stroking smooth skin that shined in the light.
Short Hair rose to her knees, so that the two women were eye-to-eye. They closed the distance between them, locking their lips together. They were a mess of lips and tongues in a way that I had only ever seen in pornos. I shouldn’t be here, but still, I couldn’t look away.
Long Hair slid her hands behind Short Hair’s back and undid the clasp of her bra, then threw it behind them. Both women burst into a fit of giggles as they turned their heads toward the headboard. When they moved apart, I saw who they were putting on a show for.
A figure so tall and broad that it could only belong to a man laying between them. I hadn’t seen him because his legs were under the white sheet that now covered only up to hip level. His tanned torso was on full display, boasting an impressive six-pack that was so chiseled, my mouth watered as I traced each firm groove with my eyes. The muscles on his arms were too defined for someone who was lying back and not exerting any effort.
His face wasn’t disappointing either. A wash of dark facial hair covered his angular jaw. Thick black hair sat mussed on his head. But his eyes…they were the most captivating thing about him. Dark, like the night, and just as mysterious. Behind them hid the kind of wickedness that only came out to play after midnight, when the rest of the world was asleep.
God, I should have left. My eyes weren’t prepared to witness this. But I couldn’t tear them away from the powerful figure that lay before me, like a king waiting to be entertained.
The women focused their attention on the god between them. Long Hair moved up to his face, shoving her tongue between his lips, while Short Hair sprinkled kisses along his abs.
I shouldn’t be here, yet the pulsing between my legs kept me from moving. All logic said that I should have been appalled that one man needed two women to get off. However, the voyeur in me begged me to stay.
Short Hair pushed the sheets down his hips, revealing the massive length that had been hidden by cloth. I couldn’t see the fine details of the work of art just below his lower abdomen, but I could see the size from where I stood. My legs wanted so badly to move forward to examine it, but the damn throbbing below wouldn’t permit it.
Long Hair was busy assaulting his mouth when his hand roamed down her neck. Her shoulder was in the way, but I could see from the way his arm was bent that his hand lingered on her tits. I was sure that his hands were even larger than her breasts, enveloping them in warmth. I imagined how it would feel on my own breasts—strong, calloused hands delicately massaging my small breasts. How would those hands feel against my skin as they moved down my belly, finding the flesh between my thighs?
I leaned against the door frame, needing extra support to keep me up on my wobbly knees.
Short Hair smoothed her finger over the head of his dick, like she was spreading something around. Her hand pumped his shaft twice before her head swooped in, her lips sealing around him.
The man broke his kiss with Long Hair to let out a moan so deep that I felt the low grumble of his voice all the way across the room, vibrating my sex in response.
Short Hair worked him deeply, her head bobbing up and down at a quick pace. He grabbed Long Hair by the back of her head and pulled her in for another kiss. A hint of silver flashed across the room from the ring that he wore on his finger.
Long Hair pulled away giggling, which came out more like a high-pitched shrill. She moved down his chest and licked her way down to help her friend, taking her position by his balls. Her head moved in and blocked my view, but I could only guess she was sucking on the firm sack in front of her.
He tipped his head back with his eyes closed, groaning in pleasure. I let out a quiet gasp at the erotic scene playing out.
As if he had heard me, he tilted his head forward and opened his eyes, staring straight at me, locking me into his sight. Instead of being startled by the intruder watching him, he stared at me with such intensity, daring me to keep watching. He might have been far from me, but I could feel the fire of his gaze singeing my skin.
Unaware of our silent interaction, the women worked him harder, but his eyes never strayed from me. Not even when his jaw twitched as he reached the precipice of an explosion.
Panting through parted lips, I felt my eyelids grow heavier with desire as I pressed my back flat against the door frame, my breasts heaving as I longed for touch. His touch. My touch. Hell, I would even have taken Short Hair or Long Hair’s touch right now. Anything to alleviate the burning sensation at the apex of my thighs.
His upper body shook as he watched me. I could see the veins that ran alongside his muscles straining through his skin from how tense his body was. His strong hands grasped the bed sheets as he held out as long as he could from finding release.
Eyes that would haunt my dreams tonight burned brighter than before. Suddenly, he let out a beastlike cry as he came. Gasping for breath to bring himself back down, he continued to stare at me, challenging me to make the next move.
Completely unaware they were being watched, the two women resurfaced, wiping their mouths with the backs of their hands, and giggling in hysterics, subsequently breaking the spell and snapping me out of the trance I had been in. Realizing what a mistake this had been, I ran out of the room as fast as I could, never looking back.
Chapter III
Jai
My workout had been shit this morning. Marco, my trainer, kicked my ass. I could barely keep up with the intervals he drove me through on the tread, let alone the arm shreds on the ropes.
Last night exhausted me. The party had been out of control—and the perfect way to let off steam after my stressful trip to Russia. One of my bouncers at the club I owned with my brother, Nirvana, had brought the hottest women I’d seen in a while. He must have worked overtime finding them, because the penthouse had been packed with tons of new blood. These parties were almost a weekly tradition and the turnout had been s
tale the past few times, with many of the same in attendance. Most of the guys didn’t mind because they would fuck anything that could walk, even if they already had twice. But that wasn’t me. I liked new pussy.
My brother and sister-in-law kept ragging on me to settle down. They thought thirty-six was an appropriate age to find a wife and have kids. I disagreed. With my line of work, a family of my own placed an instant target on my back. Today’s ally could easily become tomorrow’s enemy, which could only mean people would be lined up to hurt me in the worst way possible, by going after my family.
As of late, my brother, Shyam, had conveniently forgotten his own past. It wasn’t too long ago that he was in my position, the leader of a drug empire and an unapologetic bachelor unwilling to commit. He had been living life as if he were a king with no one to answer to, not even my now sister-in-law, Amelia, who he was hooking up with at the time. She used to work for our family cartel business, helping us track down an enemy who had been destroying our business.
Shyam hadn’t wanted to commit to her for the same reasons I didn’t want a family. Our mother had been brutalized and killed by the same enemy, and my father had never gotten over it, taking his own life in the end. Neither of us wanted to become him, so Shyam should have understood my position. But since he had stepped away from the criminal life and traded it all in for a wife, two kids, and an SUV—okay, it was a nice-ass Range Rover, but still a “family van” in my book—he thought I should do the same.
But I wouldn’t. The underworld was the only place that made me feel like home. Sure, I had graduated first in my class with my master’s in computer programming and had worked for the family tech company, Sethi Tech, as CTO before Amelia took over my role. One would think that I’d want a life of projects, deadlines, and board meetings, but darkness suited me better. I was free to use my computer skills to hack even the most secure databases used by my enemies, which gave me an edge over them. Red tape and following rules in a corporation wasn’t my thing. I answered to no one and I liked it better that way.
Control: Power Series #3 Page 2
