by K. M. Scott
I slid my arm around her and gently pressed my hand against the small of her back to guide her away from Stefan before he announced his opinion on what he thought were my favorite sex positions or how nice we looked together. His act may work for him, but I preferred a smoother style when I wanted a woman’s attention.
“We’ll see you later, baby brother.”
Olivia turned toward me and with a smile said, “I thought there’d be music. Not that it’s quiet in here with people coming in, but I just thought it would be more like clubs I’ve been to.”
“It will be. The music starts later. Stefan likes to get our customers a little drunk before he lets them loose on the dance floor. Plus, people tend to have a better time if they can talk first. Then they get relaxed, get drunk, and tend to spend more money.”
I led her to a lounge across from the bar beside the dance floor, still nearly dark for now. She sat down next to me on a red couch and angled her body toward me, and in the dim light of the wall sconce above our heads I saw a look of anticipation in her eyes.
“Cash, I thought the rooms upstairs were booked months in advance.”
“They are.”
“Then how do people spend more money here? You don’t serve food, so the only items to buy are drinks and the fantasy rooms.”
“Ah, I see your confusion. People hear about the rooms and other members’ experiences and after a few drinks, they want to pay to have one of those experiences for themselves. The rooms may be booked solid, but at that moment when they’re drunk and having a good time, they’ll pay to reserve a room months later.”
“Clever. You March brothers are quite the businessmen.”
A few people passed by and sat down nearby on another sofa. Leaning in so they couldn’t hear our conversation, I revealed the truth of my family’s past. “Only Stefan and I are Marchs. Kane is our half-brother. We have the same fathers but different mothers.”
“You and Kane seem close in age. I’m guessing it wasn’t a case of a child by a second marriage since Stefan is younger than you two.”
She hadn’t said anything wrong, but I was surprised for a moment by her deduction. My hesitation in confirming her guess came across as being offended, and she quickly reached her hand out to touch my arm in a sympathetic gesture.
That look of anticipation that had been in her eyes just moments before was gone, replaced by worry that she’d overstepped the line of propriety with her boss just weeks into a new job. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I didn’t mean to pry. Really, I didn’t.”
The feel of her touch on my sleeve made a rush of heat race up my arm. Shaking my head, I said, “It’s okay. You weren’t being rude at all. You’re right. My father had an affair with Kane’s mother right around the time he and my mother found out they were pregnant with me. So Kane is just three months younger than I am. Stefan is two years younger than us, even though he acts like he’s more like ten.”
“He’s just more lighthearted than you, and especially Kane,” she said with a smile, obviously relieved she hadn’t committed a misstep. “Younger siblings get to do that.”
“I guess. I just wish he’d act something close to his age sometimes.”
“I think he relies on you for that.”
Her delicate way of saying that I was the serious brother only reinforced what I suspected she thought of me—Stefan was the fun-loving one, and I was the somber one. Ordinarily, I didn’t mind that. This was who I was in public. I wore my straight man role comfortably and left the frat boy antics to Stefan, who wore them like a second skin. Now, though, I wanted Olivia to like me as she did him, but I couldn’t change who I was.
If she wanted someone like Stefan, she wouldn’t want me.
I looked down at my watch and saw it was nearly eleven o’clock. The lights dimmed until the room was pitch black, and with the first beats of the bass from the DJ, the club exploded in light and sound. The glass bar and shelves behind it glowed in shades of neon blue and green lights, and the electronic light show lit up the dance floor, encouraging the Lady Godivas to begin their partying.
Olivia’s mouth hung open as she watched the dance floor fill with women well on their way to having the night of their lives and the half-naked men they’d brought with them. The Lady Godivas never left their good time to chance, so they always chose us to host their parties and always made sure they had more than enough men for whatever their members desired.
Leaning close to her, I said in her ear, “Let’s go to the second floor. The sound isn’t as loud up there.”
As the women and their guests gyrated across the dance floor, I took Olivia’s hand in mine and led her up the metal stairs to a secluded area above the action. The acoustics of the building created a pocket where we could watch the party and still be able to hear one another speak.
We sat down on a black leather couch as the party kicked into high gear, neither one of us speaking for a long time as Olivia stared down at the crowd below. It didn’t take long for the women to begin shedding their clothes and soon the only people fully clothed were Club X workers and Olivia and me.
“I didn’t realize this kind of thing happened down there in the club. I thought…” Her sentence trailed off and she returned to watching the action on the dance floor.
I tried to conceal my disappointment, but it was likely written all over my face. I’d hoped the reality of my business wouldn’t chase her away, both from being my assistant and anything else we might be in the future. “If this isn’t something you’re comfortable with, Olivia, it’s better we find out now before either one of us gets too used to working with one another. I understand.”
Her eyes grew wide, and she smiled as she shook her head. “Oh, no. I’m not uncomfortable. I want to see more of what happens here. Don’t worry about me. I’m far more fun than I look.”
I nodded, wanting to believe she could handle Club X—that she could handle the life I led.
Chapter Five
Olivia
I wasn’t being entirely honest with Cash when I said I wasn’t uncomfortable with what was going on one floor below us. Maybe if I was there with Erin and Josie watching half-naked men thrusting and pumping into a bunch of drunken women I would have been into it, but sitting there with Cash made the scene in front of us even more erotic than it already was. I sensed his gaze on me as I pretended to be engrossed in the action, watching me instead of the Lady Godivas.
The brief touch of his leg against mine, his suit coat lightly skimming my arm heightened the electricity in the air, making paying attention to anything but him impossible. He appeared so at home there in the middle of all this debauchery, like he’d lived this life forever, despite how serious he looked each day as we worked together. That man who was all business had vanished leaving one far more sensual in his place. Maybe it was the music and lights, or maybe it was the near sex show unfolding just one floor away, but that tiny spark that had flickered inside me since meeting Cash now grew into a flame of desire that threatened to consume me.
He leaned in and said, “Why didn’t you ever try to become a member here, Olivia?”
I turned my head slightly and felt his lips brush against the shell of my ear. “What do you mean?”
“Your friends are members. Why didn’t you ever apply to be a member?” he asked in a deep voice that made me want to close my eyes and simply enjoy the tenor of it against my skin.
His question took me back to that night Jake had offered to bring me to this very place and why I’d said no. It wasn’t that I was frightened of what Club X may have been. The truth was far more mundane. “I was too busy trying to climb the corporate ladder. While everyone else was having fun, I was working thirteen hour days just to be sent on my way after a few years.”
Cash said nothing in response, even as I waited for him to speak, so I turned my head and saw him smiling at me. “I hear in your voice that you’re ashamed of what you just said. Don’t be. An intelligent woman like you sho
uld never be ashamed of wanting to succeed. Leave the partying to those people who don’t have a world to conquer.”
I felt my cheeks grow hot as I stared back at his piercing blue eyes full of admiration. I’d never met a man who spoke about work like he did yet looked so incredibly sexy. At that moment, there wasn’t a thought in my head about the corporate ladder or anything else but how much I loved the way he looked at me just then.
The music stopped and Stefan’s voice over the loudspeaker interrupted our moment with the announcement that tonight was all about the Lady Godivas. The crowd below erupted into cheers and catcalls as he promised a party to end all parties. Cash’s expression hardened, and he turned his head away from me. When the music began again just moments later, whatever had been between us had disappeared, leaving us as boss and assistant once again.
But I didn’t want to be merely that anymore. I wanted to look into those eyes and see desire instead of last year’s numbers and next year’s projections. Each moment his gaze stayed away from me another chance to get to know him slipped away. My mind spun with how to get him back to where he’d been before Stefan had intruded on us. I didn’t know him well enough to make small talk, but I wanted to say something.
Anything to bring back the man who’d shown himself for that brief moment tonight.
Unsure I should mention the top floor, I leaned toward him and blurted out, “I’d love to see the rest of the club. Can you give me a tour?”
If the music hadn’t been so loud, the pounding of my heart would have been thundering in my ears as I waited for his response. The idea of seeing a fantasy room was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. My curiosity had been piqued the moment Cash mentioned the fantasy area of the club, and even if Kane’s part in it was a little daunting, I still couldn’t help myself from wanting to know more about it.
Cash turned back to look at me, surprised by my suggestion. “You want to see the rest of the club?”
Nodding, I smiled, hoping to see that man from just a few moments ago return. “Sure. I wouldn’t be much of an assistant if I didn’t know all about it, although not knowing gives me plausible deniability just in case any more reporters come sniffing around. It’s not technically lying if I don’t know.”
A slow smile spread across his mouth. “I like that. Okay, let’s go visit the other parts of the club.”
He stood and held out his hand. Looking up at him, I placed my hand in his palm and felt my stomach flutter when he closed his fingers it. His touch was light even though his hand was strong. I didn’t know how I knew it, but whatever this was, it wasn’t about a simple tour around a business.
We walked up the stairs past the third and fourth floors that seemed to function as private areas for club patrons to enjoy drinks and conversation outside the fantasy rooms. The sound of the music still filtered up to those floors, but it was far quieter than on the first two.
Each step we took hand in hand toward the top floor and those fantasy rooms was another step toward something new and exciting. I wanted to see more of Cash and more of the business he owned. As we stepped onto the stairs that would take us to the top floor, I wondered if he visited this part of Club X much. He hadn’t seemed to be someone who would before, but now I could envision him making his fantasies come true in one of those rooms I’d only imagined until this moment.
Thinking about it made me jealous. It was irrational and silly, but I felt jealous. Would I see a room he always used or did he have a private room all to himself? Had he led many women up these very stairs to that room? Silently, I chastised myself for being so stupid. What did it matter if he did? As a grown man who owned a club dedicated to making fantasies come true, of course he’d been to this floor and lived out many fantasies.
My mental tug of war made me pull my hand away as we reached the last step, and Cash turned his head to find my hand again. With a smile, he took it and looked up at me. “We’re almost there. You ready?”
His voice was deep, but it held a hint of mystery in it, like he wasn’t sure what lay ahead for us. I simply smiled and followed him, preparing myself for Kane’s part of Club X. The ruler of this fantasy kingdom stood with his arms crossed leaning against a far wall. Taller and more imposing than Cash, he looked like he belonged here, like being downstairs would have been wrong for someone like him.
The noise from below barely made it to this top floor, and the muffled sound of the music seemed so far away now. The look of this area of the club was different too. No neon lights flashed here. Instead, dim sconces lit the way.
We stopped in front of Kane, who seemed surprised to see us there, and Cash gave him a quick nod. “Everything good?”
Kane nodded in return and gave us a small smile. “Get sick of the madness downstairs?”
I had the feeling he was speaking to Cash more than me. Cash chuckled. “I’m going to show Olivia the floor. I’m assuming most of the rooms are still empty.”
“For now, yeah,” Kane said in his usual raspy voice as he pointed toward the far end of the floor. “I have one room at the end busy now, though.”
“Okay, we’ll stay away from that one.”
Kane narrowed his eyes and grinned. “They like to be watched, so feel free. And there’s always the dancers, if you like.”
I couldn’t imagine where any dancers could be on this floor. The entire area seemed more like a suite of offices than a nightclub. As Cash led me away, my curiosity got the best of me. “What dancers? Where are they?”
“Kane handles this floor, which includes dancers in booths connected to each room.”
“Like a strip club?”
“Not exactly. More like a private show for each room.”
“Can I see?” The words tumbled out of my mouth, and I didn’t care that I sounded almost childish in my enthusiasm.
“Absolutely.” Cash continued walking and stopped at a door. With a smile, he said, “I guess you’ve decided against plausible deniability.”
“I’ve always been a fan of knowledge over ignorance, so yes, I’m afraid from now on I’ll have to actually lie about everything here.”
“That’s the spirit.” The sexy smile slid from his face, and he winked at me. “Time for your education, Olivia.”
A sparkle in his eye unnerved me for a moment, but I was ready. I wanted to see everything here. He opened the second to last door and escorted me in. It was dimly lit, even darker than outside the room, but I saw a couch and coffee table like would be found in a hotel living room. Was this it? It all looked very run-of-the-mill.
“Take a seat and I’ll show you what happens when someone reserves a room like this one.”
I continued to look around at the beige walls and average looking furniture as I sat down and waited for Cash to begin explaining how everything on this floor worked. Instead, he dimmed the lights even more and sat down beside me. The air crackled with excitement as the moments ticked by, but still he remained silent.
Turning toward him, I studied him as he sat with his arms spread across the back of the sofa and his legs open, the picture of confidence. This Cash was everything Josie claimed he was—sexy and sensual. And entirely fuckable.
As every erotic thought I could think of ran through my mind, I could have sworn the room began to close in around me. My heart pounded against my ribs, and the feel of his muscular thigh pressing against the outside of my leg made me want to know what the rest of him would feel like against me.
I struggled to form a coherent sentence, already nearly overwhelmed by this place, but thankfully he rescued me from my embarrassment. With a sexy grin, he said, “Olivia, meet the dancers.”
His gaze traveled to the wall across from where we sat, and I watched as it raised to reveal a window. A soft white light slowly illuminated the space behind the glass, washing over the female who stood there looking out at us. Tall, blonde, and gorgeous, she wore a skin-tight black dress that highlighted every perfect curve of her body. I suddenly felt l
ike one of the ugly stepsisters watching Cinderella step out onto the dance floor. Cash appeared unmoved by her, though.
Soft music filled the room, and just as I braced myself to watch some gorgeous woman strip right in front of us, a man appeared behind her, his hands cupping her shoulders sensually as he trailed his lips up her neck to nip at her earlobe. Was I about to see a sex show sitting right next to my new boss, a man I suddenly wanted more than I should?
My breath caught in my chest as the scene in front of me made taking any air in difficult. Jesus, I was as uptight as all my friends thought! They’d be conducting their own sex show with Cash right now, but all I did was sit there nervously watching for what would come next.
Turning to face me, he said in a low voice thick with sensuality, “Olivia, they’ll do as much or as little as we want. What do you want?”
Cash’s voice caressed my ears like silk gliding over my skin. What did I want? At that moment, I wanted him. I knew I shouldn’t, but I did. I wanted him to kiss me like that man was kissing the gorgeous blonde—like I was the only woman he ever wanted. I wanted to feel his hands sliding over my body as he held me tight to him. I wanted to hear him moan as his desire for me made his cock ache with need.
But I was too timid to tell him any of this, so I mumbled, “I…I don’t know.”
God, I really was lame.
He stared at me, not with disgust like I felt for myself but with curiosity in his eyes, making me wish I was whatever he thought I was. Without looking away, he waved his hand, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man slide the thin strap from the woman’s shoulder before he dipped his head to press a kiss onto the top of her breast. I didn’t know where to look—at Cash or at the erotic scene playing out just feet away from me.
