SEXT ME

by Layla Valentine

  I was proud of my accomplishments, and I wasn’t afraid to show it. As the CEO of KC Holdings, I knew what it meant to handle money. KC Holdings was one of the largest financial institutions in the world, and I was on top of my game.

  If I were being perfectly honest with myself, I had to admit that it could be a lonely life at times—jetting all over the world, darting from one meeting to the next, never staying anywhere long; long nights in luxurious hotel rooms, telling myself that I was happy and fulfilled with the life that I was leading.

  Sure, there were times when I wondered what would happen if I were to find a steady girlfriend, but I honestly couldn’t see such a thing working very well for me.

  All the women I knew were the same. They looked good, they were good in bed, and they were crazy about money. They didn’t care so much to get to know me; they cared about what was in my bank account. I had taken home women from all over the world—in every kind of situation possible. There were those who had textbook daddy issues, others who were looking for a fling with a guy far better-looking than their ex was.

  There were some who, stupidly, were convinced that they were going to win me over with their skills in bed—doing anything and everything they could think of in order to make that happen.

  Yet, in spite of how hard these women tried to win my affections, the end result was always the same: I had no interest in having a relationship with any of them. All I cared about was getting what I wanted out of them for a night, then turning them loose in the morning. I had built quite the reputation as a playboy, and while I wasn’t proud of the title, I certainly wasn’t bothered by it, either.

  When I reached the bar, I ordered a shot of whiskey. I always enjoyed having a nice, warm shot in my stomach when the bidding began; it made me more daring. Not that I needed any more encouragement to get what I wanted off the stage—I just felt like being selective with the woman I chose that night.

  After paying the bartender and leaving a generous tip, I walked over to a dark corner at the edge of the crowd. A redheaded woman was being led to the center of the stage, and I could immediately see that she was new to the club.

  It was odd, I thought she looked rather familiar in the face—I was certain I had seen her somewhere before. But the way she looked nervously at Cora, then turned her attention to the crowd, revealed that she had no idea what she was doing.

  Still, I couldn’t help but let my eyes travel over her body. She was wearing a lace cocktail dress that hugged all her curves in all the right ways, as well as boots that reached high above her knees—nearly to the top of her thighs.

  The dress left little to the imagination, and I couldn’t say that I was upset by that. She had been given lavish jewelry that looked like it belonged on her, though the way she carried herself on the stage gave her away as a newbie.

  I became so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear when the bidding began, and once I turned my attention that way, I realized that the bids were rising quickly. Though it was more than obvious that this girl had no idea what she was doing, she was clearly a crowd favorite right from the beginning.

  I was used to seeing all kinds of women at the Gatherings, and I had grown used to seeing them all looking nervous as they stood on stage. However, there were clearly some who were more nervous than others, and those were the women I had a tendency to pass on. I had no interest in a woman who was too nervous to hold her head up high, and I was very particular about that.

  However, there was something about this girl in particular that caught my eye. The “first lot”, as she had been referred to as, stood out from any other woman I had seen in the past. Though I wouldn’t know her name unless I was the highest bidder, I was intrigued from the first moment I laid eyes on her.

  The way she clung to her clutch; the way her eyes scanned the crowd, looking from one face to the next but not focusing on any one person in particular; the way she clearly was forcing herself to stay put, though it was clear that she would rather be anywhere else than on that stage right then—these were all things that I ravenously enjoyed.

  At last, the bids began to dwindle, and I could see that Mr. Boerner was looking rather smugly around the room as he settled into the confidence of thinking he was going to be the highest bidder. That was when I made my move. I didn’t have anything against the older man, but I wanted to meet this girl for myself; if he won, that opportunity would be lost to me.

  I had every intention of leaving L.A. as early as possible the next morning, which only added more pressure to the situation; if I wanted to have a hope of catching this girl, I was going to have to be the highest bidder—something that just so happened to be what I did best.

  After a light flick of my hand, Cora looked over and saw me place my bid. I listened with satisfaction as the murmur swept through the crowd. They all knew that, once I entered the ring, it was going to be impossible for anyone else to win. The girl standing up on the stage looked as though she were wondering about the murmur that ran through the crowd herself, but there was so much going on in the room, she didn’t have much time to focus on that one thing.

  A few others tried their luck, but everyone knew that the moment I started the competition, I had won. They were quick to subside and allow me to take over, which I proudly did. It was music to my ears when Cora announced that the girl—Miss Shadows—would be mine for the evening. But, even then, I knew that my battle was only half over.

  As I walked over to greet her, coming off the stage, I felt a twinge of something in my stomach. Part of me wondered if it was nerves, but I was quick to brush off such an absurd notion. I never got nervous around anyone, and certainly not around a girl I had just paid good money for.

  I put on my most charming smile as she stopped directly in front of me, eager to break the ice. I could see she was still on edge, but it appeared to me that the attraction I had felt for her was reciprocated.

  After asking her if I could buy her a drink, we headed to the bar. This was going to be an interesting night, indeed.

  Chapter Five

  Emily

  “Please, call me Kyle.”

  The man they’d introduced as Mr. Cunningham sat at the bar next to me, sipping on his whiskey and smiling at me as though I were the only girl in the room. Every now and then, he would turn his attention to the other guests, but I never felt like he was focusing on anything but our conversation.

  “But that really is enough about me. I’d love to hear about you; I don’t recall seeing you here—or in any other club around here—for that matter,” he said, looking down at me as he lifted his glass to his lips and took a drink.

  I immediately felt flustered and began stumbling over my words. I had kept up my sister’s identity throughout the entire evening, but now that I was with a man who not only found me attractive, but didn’t recognize me as my sister, I felt I had the opportunity to drop the act and tell him the truth.

  “My name is Emily Shadows. I’m a model.”

  So much for telling him the truth.

  Kyle looked at me for a moment with raised eyebrows, as though he were both impressed and somewhat incredulous. I began to feel as though he were judging me, or that he doubted the truth behind what I’d said. I quickly pulled out my phone.

  While there had been many times when I’d been jealous or annoyed about my sister’s career, the sisterly side of me hadn’t been able to resist saving a few photos from her social media accounts on my phone. If there was any work I admired that my sister did, it was the more artsy, avant-garde stuff, and those were the pictures I saved.

  After all, there were times when I had to show off another side of me besides ‘sensible nurse’, and having an international model for a twin sister was a great conversation starter.

  I quickly pulled up the photos, grateful that Maddy’s name didn’t appear on any of them, and smiled nervously as he took my phone. Part of me was dying to hear what he had to say, but another part of me wanted to stand up and be
proud of what my sister had done—and what I was now claiming I had done.

  Yes, there was a feeling of guilt in the back of my mind for impersonating my sister, but at the same time, I felt she owed it to me after the way she’d treated me.

  If this job was so important that it took the place of me in her life, then it ought to at least give me some small payback for what it did. And that small payback was going to come in the form of attention from this handsome billionaire.

  At long last, he handed back my phone, and I was once again glad that I had taken care of myself enough to pass for my sister.

  “That is most impressive, Miss Shadows,” he said as he picked up his glass once more.

  I breathed a silent thanks of relief as I took my phone back—both relieved that he had fallen for my little trick as well as relieved that Maddy hadn’t called at that moment. The last thing I needed was to have her name and picture flash across my screen when the man of my dreams was holding my phone and looking at her photos, thinking it was me.

  “Thanks, I’ve been at it for a few years now. It’s nothing really major, but I have to say that I am proud of what I have accomplished.”

  I knew it was a lie as I said it, but that didn’t stop me. The more I could get this man to be impressed by me, the better my chances were. He gave me a smile that made my heart pound, then he looked over his shoulder.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay with being mine for the night? I’m sure a pretty girl like you would be hoping for someone in particular in the crowd, and here I came along and threw in my two cents’ worth and stole you for myself.”

  Though he spoke with a lighthearted and teasing tone, there was something about Kyle that was so charismatic, so domineering, that I was instantly captivated. I giggled like a schoolgirl and instantly chided myself for doing so.

  “I would be most honored to be your date for the evening,” I said, hoping that I didn’t sound lame or offensive.

  Kyle gazed into my eyes with a look that made me feel as if he could see into my very soul. He once again glanced over his shoulder, and this time, I looked, too. All the other “lots” had been auctioned off, and people were scattered about the club.

  Some were standing against the walls talking to each other, others pressed up against the bar, each vying for the solo bartender’s attention. The music had been turned up without me even realizing it, and as I looked around now, the room reminded me of a club that I’d see downtown, rather than the posh mansion it was.

  “What do you say we hit the dance floor? I’ve just gotten off a long flight, and it would be nice to stretch my legs a bit.” Kyle winked at me, which made me a little lightheaded again. How was he so ridiculously sexy?

  I eagerly agreed to the idea, though at the same time, I felt a flutter of nerves within me. I did my best to remind myself to maintain the same aura I had upheld since walking into the club, but it was a real battle.

  You’ve got to get a hold of yourself. He’s going to see right through you if you aren’t careful, and you’ll not only get dismissed from him, but you’ll be thrown out from this club entirely!

  I had never felt such attraction to a man in my life, and I felt as though I were doing everything wrong. What was meant to be laughter came out as weak giggles, only making it look all the more like I was desperate for his approval.

  Kyle led me out to the dance floor, holding my hand in his like a gentleman in the romance movies I had seen. Of course, a brief moment of panic swept over me as I thought we may be preparing to dance in a way I had no idea how to accomplish, and I was going to make a complete fool of myself in front of everyone.

  I quickly glanced around the dance floor, not finding much solace in the different dance moves that were being utilized across the room. To my surprise and pleasure, Kyle planted me directly in front of him, facing away from him. His hands were on my hips and I could feel his body press against mine.

  I watched the other girls, and I did my best to mimic them in spite of my inexperience of dancing in a club. I swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the music, doing my best to cut loose from the careful behavior that had been so strongly engrained into my mind.

  For a brief moment, I could almost hear the sound of Maddy’s voice whispering in my ear, telling me that I looked ridiculous. I could picture her dancing on the floor in front of Kyle, and for that moment, I imagined how incredible she would look.

  With a sudden surge of resolve, I thrust my hips back and began grinding against Kyle. My dress and his pants offered little interference to the sensation, and I felt a shock run through me as Kyle put his hands around my hips and helped guide me as I swung with him to the beat of the music.

  Everything around us seemed to fade away as the music engulfed us. I could feel the hard beat of the bass hanging in the air, and I could smell the sweat of the other dancers as they swirled around us, but none of it mattered. I was encompassed by Kyle and every move he made.

  The song changed to another faster, more intense track. The energy on the floor increased dramatically with the beat, and the sound of everyone’s feet hitting the hardwood floor made a dull thud with the sound of the bass. I could feel my heart beat in time to the beat of the music, and with each sound of the drum I felt it skip a beat and sync with the next.

  Faster and faster, Kyle and I moved across the floor amidst the sea of moving bodies, and the longer we danced, the more sensual our movements became.

  Suddenly, I could feel Kyle’s warm breath on my neck as he used his finger to gently pull the hair away from my ear. He was still pressed up against me, and I now reached my hands behind me and placed them on either side of his hips, continuing with the grinding motion.

  “I want to have you so badly right now,” he whispered, his hot breath full of passion.

  I felt an electric sensation on my neck as goosebumps rushed all the way down my spine, and an excited shiver fluttered in the very pit of my stomach. I wanted him, too, more than I could put into words. The practical side of my mind told me to be careful, and that I should be mindful of the message I was sending to this man, but then, another thought of Maddy slipped into my mind.

  If Maddy were in my shoes, she wouldn’t hesitate to do anything she felt like with Kyle. In fact, there appeared to be more to Maddy than I ever thought. Evidently, she had made a habit of doing these kinds of things, and if she could do it, I could do it, too.

  I leaned back into Kyle, allowing the full length of my back to press against the front of him. I could feel the definition of his muscles as I did so, and felt a rush of arousal at the sensation.

  “I was hoping you would say that,” I replied, in my most seductive voice.

  I wasn’t sure how Maddy would handle such a situation, though she was a professional at this sort of thing by now. I closed my eyes, doing my best to rid my mind of my sister.

  “I’ll tell you what. I thought we could get another drink, then go see if there is another part of this party that is of any interest to us.”

  Kyle smiled as he put his hand on the small of my back and led me back toward the bar. I felt proud to stand by his side—and full of anticipation for whatever was coming next.

  Chapter Six

  Kyle

  I kept my palm on the small of Emily’s back as we headed for the staircase, fresh drinks in hand. There were a few men and women scattered along the way—some engrossed in conversation, some busy watching the events on the dance floor.

  As for me, I had come to the conclusion that if you’ve seen the dance floor once, you’ve seen it a thousand times, and I felt I wasn’t missing out on anything taking her away from it.

  I knew this was her first time at the Gathering, but Emily seemed to be enjoying herself, in spite of the nerves she must be feeling. I had to hand it to her, she did manage to fit in with the rest of the guests, though it was evident she hadn’t done anything of this sort before. I could feel a slight tremble in each step she took as we mounted the s
tairs, and I added gentle pressure to my palm on her back.

  There was no doubt in my mind that she was going to be fun in bed, but I didn’t want her to feel nervous taking this next step in her night. She was so beautiful, and though I could believe the fortune I’d had in winning her over the other bidders, I still found it amazing that she was the one who was spending the evening with me.

  The winding staircase continued to rise in front of us, and Emily managed to ascend each step perfectly, even in her incredibly high heels. I did my best to keep my eye on the top of the stairs, though it was difficult not to watch the delicious sway of her hips with every step she took.

  Emily reached the top of the steps with her hand on the banister and my hand at the small of her back, and she took a second to turn and look back at me.

  I extended my arm to her, and she quickly slid her hand in the crook of my elbow. We meandered down the carpeted hall toward a large set of doors at the end, where a sliver of warm, amber light met the gloomy shadows. I glanced down at her as we continued to walk together, and I could see excitement and anticipation glittering in her eyes.

  I could tell that she wanted to be with me as badly as I wanted to have her, and I was pleased.

  Perhaps it was the way we had danced together that had caused her to want to take things further; perhaps there was something between us that she could feel as well. Regardless of the reason, I was thrilled that she was the person I had by my side as we made our way toward the doors.

  Emily stopped suddenly, waiting for me to open the doors for her. I knew that it wasn’t often in the real world that women waited to have doors opened for them these days, but this wasn’t the real world. For someone as spirited as Emily, I could imagine that it was difficult to conform to the standard rules of doing things. Yet, rules were rules, and everyone in the Gathering was required to abide by them if they wished to remain.