SEXT ME

by Layla Valentine

  I also wanted to be very careful not to do anything that might harm my sister’s reputation. It was clear that Maddy had wanted to come to the last party she had been invited to, and to now selflessly allow me to come in her stead—all in the hopes of finding a man who very likely wouldn’t even remember me—seemed downright ludicrous.

  Then, I got another glance. Over in the corner of the room, I could see Kyle, surrounded by several incredibly attractive women. My stomach dropped instantly, and I considered turning around and walking right out of the club.

  But when I looked closer, I could see that the women were all doing their best to get his attention, but nothing they could do seemed to be working. He would talk to one or smile at another, but each time they tried to get close to him, it was clear he was brushing them off in some way.

  I felt a surge of confidence as I began wading through the sea of people. I kept my eyes on Kyle the entire time, not wanting to lose sight of him in the darkness of the room. I did my best to keep an eye on the floor as well, not wanting to surprise anyone else as I made my way over to him.

  Then I noticed something else remarkable: Kyle wasn’t bidding. Many young women were being brought up to the stage, and though he looked at each one with interest, I didn’t get the feeling he was looking with any intention to bid. It was almost as though he were looking for something in particular, and that something wasn’t coming forth with any of them.

  Suddenly, a woman cut right in front of me. I almost snapped at her, but I held my tongue, not wanting to draw attention to myself. To my horror, she walked directly over to Kyle and promptly put her arm around his shoulder. I watched as Kyle looked down at her and said something, and my stomach sank even further when she laughed and didn’t move her arm.

  I didn’t know whether she was being incredibly forward with him, or if there was something more going on between them. I thought of the tabloid I had seen a couple of weeks prior, and those familiar feelings of jealousy began to creep back into my mind. I began to walk through the crowd with a purpose, formulating what I was going to say with every step I took.

  To my dismay, someone else stepped in front of me, completely blocking them from my view. I nearly ran into the man, and profusely apologized, doing everything I could to ensure he was all right.

  I wanted to find Kyle more than ever now, and glancing over to where he had just been standing showed that he had once again moved somewhere else. I sighed as I watched the man I’d run into straighten his tie and his suit, then I looked at his briefcase.

  “I take it you’re a lawyer?” I asked with a smile.

  The man stared at me suspiciously.

  “What’s it to you?” he snapped, and I put my hands up, showing him that I didn’t mean to offend in any way.

  “Apologies, I’m looking for a friend,” I said as I pushed past him.

  It was difficult to get around him, as he refused to move out of the way at all, but I managed. Once I was on the other side of the crowd, I felt a mix of triumph and embarrassment, but refused to think too much about it. I was bound to make several more mistakes before the night was over, but that didn’t matter.

  All that mattered was that I was going to find Kyle, and I was going to tell him exactly what I should have told him the night we’d met.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kyle

  I walked up the path toward the door, adjusting my watch and the sleeves of my suit as I went. I didn’t make a habit of going to two Gatherings in a row, but for some reason, I’d felt compelled to come to this one.

  I had only been back in L.A. for a few days, but the city seemed to be lacking in luster. I needed something that would spark my energy, and this was the best thing I could think of doing.

  I had tried going to bars to pick up girls, and I had tried going to more sophisticated venues when I’d found that I wasn’t satisfied with the bar scene. I had done the same thing in New York, and Tokyo. But the end result had always been the same.

  Each girl that I hooked up with had the same story as all the other uninteresting girls I had been with in the past. They were all looking for something or running for something, and I had no interest in giving it to them or saving them from whatever it was. It seemed that the sex I was having was lacking something—something I didn’t know it was lacking before.

  It didn’t seem to matter who my partner was—even finding the hottest girl in whatever venue did nothing to make me feel wanted, even when we were in bed together.

  Even when the sex itself was fantastic and we both got what we wanted out of the session, I found myself lying awake and staring at the ceiling, thinking that there had to be something more to life than what I had.

  It wasn’t my job; my company was doing better than ever, and its success looked set to continue. If my next deal came through—and I was confident that it would—I would become one of the wealthiest individuals on the planet. I would have my pick when it came to anything in life—there would be nothing to stop me.

  But yet, every night when I thought about what that really meant, it seemed so pointless.

  Not long ago, I’d had another battle with the tabloids over some girl I had been seeing in New York. The entire situation was rather entertaining, I thought, as the girl had meant nothing to me except someone I could meet in a hotel room when I was bored in town. Of course, I never brought her back to my room; I would always secure some location where we were less likely to be caught by the photographers.

  But the paparazzi were getting smarter and more determined, and regardless of my biggest efforts to keep things under wraps and out of the public eye, it wasn’t long before the photos were published.

  Usually, such things didn’t bother me, but lately, something had changed.

  For some reason I didn’t quite understand, I felt that I should hide the story or somehow discredit it. I knew I could file a lawsuit against the paper, but that would only add to the scandal and make me all the more the object of public attention, which was the last thing I wanted to happen.

  Breaking out of my thoughts as I reached the mansion, I gave the doorman my name. The bouncer looked at me for a moment, pretending to be unimpressed that I was standing there in front of him. Of course, I counted all the judgement I received from the bouncers as jealousy, because everyone knew me, and no one knew them. Anything in the world that I wanted was mine.

  I walked through the hall toward the large doors at the end, already hearing the music coming from the main room. For a brief moment, I was sent back to the last time I had been in this building, and I thought of Emily.

  The girl who had been so timid as she stood on the stage in front of everyone. The girl who had rocked my world that night—from the moment she stepped off the stage, to the moment I kissed her lightly on the forehead as I bid her goodbye the next morning.

  The thought of seeing her again sent chills down my spine. I remembered so clearly the dress she had worn—and those boots that made her legs go on for miles.

  I thought of her nervous laugh and the innocent aura she had. I thought of how she had reacted to witnessing her first orgy, and how I had just wanted to take her at that very moment.

  I paused with my hand against the door, thinking of Emily and wondering where she was that night. It was unlike most people to come to these Gatherings often, though many of the same people returned over and over.

  It was the purpose of the Gathering—to connect people to others who were on the same playing field. Money was the name of the game, and power was flaunted across the board. There was no end to the ways these people tried to show each other up, and nothing would stop them from trying to be the wealthiest show-off in the room.

  Of course, in the past, I had done my fair share of showing off, and more than once I had earned the respect and awe of all those who were present with the lavish bids I would throw out there.

  I had developed a reputation for myself that showed the world I didn’t care, and it was one
that I had been proud of. But as I stood there at that moment, waiting to build up the courage to walk into the room, I couldn’t help but marvel at how much something inside of me had changed.

  I didn’t like it. I wanted the old me back—the man who didn’t care who was in the room, who he hurt, or what he did. I wanted to be the man who only looked out for himself—not the man who was nervous to go into this room because he hoped against hope there would be one particular woman there.

  At last, I sighed and gave the doors a shove. I knew it was a dramatic entrance, but I didn’t care. Some of the other guests glanced my way as I walked into the room, but they were quick to go back to their champagne and conversations. If there was another thing that was known about me, it was that I preferred to keep to myself, and I wasn’t going to walk into the room and start up a conversation with anyone.

  I walked straight over to the bar and set some money down. I didn’t care what it was I was going to drink, all I cared about was getting that drink—and now. I needed to have something in my system to take the edge off of how I was feeling, or I wasn’t going to make it through this night with any of my dignity left.

  I could hear Cora in the background talking about the lots and the starting bids, and I downed the drink the bartender handed me. I could feel the warm swirl of the alcohol in my stomach as I walked to the other side of the room, preparing to watch the girls walk out and attempt to show the crowd that they were worth the thousands of dollars that were going to be spent for the privilege to spend time with them that night.

  I shook my head slightly, thinking of the moment I had seen Emily for the first time. She had looked so quiet and sweet up there on the stage—a stark contrast to the girl who had just been brought out. Sure, this girl might have known what she was doing, but her attitude lacked the innocence Emily had exuded onstage.

  I watched as the bidding began, then noticed that several women in the crowd had taken notice of me.

  They were coming over, each clearly trying to get my attention. I didn’t want to be rude, but I did my best to brush them off and send them on their way. One woman, however, came through the crowd suddenly, and put her arm around my shoulders.

  I didn’t want her hands on me, and I told her so.

  The girl looked up at me with her flirtatious eyes, and she laughed as though she had never heard anything more hilarious. I fought the urge to shove her off, and told her once more to back off. To my surprise, she reached up and ran her hand down my jawline.

  Shaking my head, I told the woman I wasn’t interested, and pushed her hand off my shoulder. She stood for a moment, looking at me in surprise before she turned and stomped off, disappearing into the crowd. I didn’t bother waiting to see if she had gone for good. I turned on my heel and walked back over to the bar.

  I knew drinking away my problems wasn’t the answer, but I had to do something. I wasn’t sure what this feeling was in the first place, and I certainly didn’t know how to handle it.

  Suddenly, Cora gave the announcement that the girl had been sold to a gentleman in the crowd, and my heart felt heavy.

  I knew that Emily was no escort—I’d known that the minute I set eyes on her—but for some reason I’d left the cash anyway. Why had I done that? Why had I pushed her away, the second I realized there might be something genuine between us?

  I sighed as I ordered another drink and sat down at the bar, knowing it was only a matter of time before another young woman came and sat next to me, doing her best to impress me. I knew none of it was going to be enough. There was something inside me that told me no one else was ever going to be right for me again.

  I wanted one person and one person alone—and I had no idea if I would ever see her again.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Emily

  I could see him sitting at the bar. His back was toward me, and it didn’t look like he was with anyone. I wasn’t sure where the girl I’d seen him with earlier had gone, but I knew that now was my chance.

  Pushing through the last group of people, I was finally free to get to him. Some guests were already out on the dance floor with their partners, swinging and moving to the beat of the music, but my eyes were on Kyle, and Kyle alone.

  When I reached him, I wasn’t sure what to say. So many things came to my mind at once, and I desperately wanted to blurt them all out. I wanted to ask him questions, I wanted to tell him how I felt, and I wanted to convince him that I was the right person for him—that I wanted to be with him.

  I wanted to tell him that I was willing to do anything it took to have a chance at making him happy, but before I said anything, doubts began to creep back into my mind.

  I had told him that I was a model. I had told him that I lived an exciting life full of friends and adventures, and that I had all the experiences one could ever wish for under my belt. I had told him so many things just because I had so desperately wanted him to be impressed.

  But, now, standing only a few feet away from him and knowing that I had to tell him the truth, I felt horrified. I wanted to take it all back, to go back to the beginning and show him the real me.

  A little voice inside me urged me to talk to him, knowing that it was only a matter of time before he either turned around or someone else came into the picture and made it harder for me to make my move. I cleared my throat, counted to three in my mind, then walked over to him.

  “Mr. Cunningham?” I asked with as much confidence as I could muster.

  He whirled around in his chair, clearly surprised to see me, but almost looking relieved, in a way. I was caught off-guard, not knowing how to respond, so I simply smiled and extended my hand.

  “It’s been a while, but I saw you sitting over here and I wanted to say hello.”

  I hoped I didn’t sound as nervous as I felt, and to my relief, he gave my hand a light shake. He was about to let go of me, when I suddenly had an impulse. I had never been one to act on impulses, but since that night, I had taken the liberty of being my sister, I was feeling a lot bolder.

  Instead of allowing him to let go of my hand, I gave him a light tug. He looked at me in surprise, but I insisted.

  “Come on, let’s dance. It was such fun the last time we did it.”

  At first, he hesitated, but I was insistent, pulling at his arm and smiling, doing everything I could to get him to dance with me. This wasn’t part of the plan—the last thing I’d thought of doing was dancing with him—but right now, it seemed so natural.

  After a few seconds, he finally got up and followed me.

  “You know I never have two-night stands,” he murmured.

  Though he sounded serious, there was a look in his eyes that made me think he’d missed me more than he was letting on.

  “I would like to challenge that,” I replied with a wink.

  As soon as we hit the dance floor, everything changed. It was as though we had known each other for years. Our bodies moved in perfect unison with each other, following the beat of the music like we’d practiced for days at a time. We didn’t need any guidance; our hands and bodies were guiding themselves, moving with the beat and making the most of each other all the while.

  The music was beating fast at some points, slowing at others, and we were right there with each other throughout it all. It was at that moment that the questions I had been so nervous to ask started coming to my mind, and I began to speak so freely, I didn’t know why I had worried at all.

  “I’m not an escort, you know,” I told him.

  Kyle was right behind me, moving with the same self-assurance that I was used to seeing in him.

  “I know,” he murmured in my ear.

  I looked at him, surprised, and he continued.

  “I watched you all that night, and I have to admit that I was captivated by your presence. There was something about you that was so genuine, so sensitive…there was no way you could have been faking that. I saw a raw side of you that I have never seen in anyone before, and I found it simply irr
esistible.”

  I danced for a few moments in silence, allowing the loud chorus of the song to cover my trying to formulate my thoughts into words. Finally, I knew what to say.

  “Then why did you leave me money the next morning? I mean, I didn’t expect you to be there to make me breakfast or anything, but when I walked out of the bedroom and you were gone but the money was there…I didn’t know what to think.”

  The more I spoke, the more passion grew in my voice, and the more powerfully I moved to the music. I could feel Kyle behind me, and it was evident he was feeling the same things I was.

  “It was me doing what I always do,” he admitted, and his brow became heavy. “I was pushing you away.”

  I was silent for a minute as that revelation filled me. Then I realized I’d neglected to tell the truth, as well.

  “There’s something else I need to tell you,” I said as he whirled me around. “I’m not a model.”

  He raised his eyebrows at that, waiting for my explanation.

  “My twin sister is the model. I’m just a nurse. I kind of stole her identity to come here, wanting some fun for myself,” I admitted sheepishly.

  “What do you mean, ‘just a nurse?’ Being a nurse seems pretty amazing to me. Your job has meaning, integrity—no wonder you seemed so shy up on that stage. I knew something about you didn’t add up. I’m just glad you finally told me,” Kyle said as we fell into step in some kind of improvised tango.

  We moved together almost like we had done in his bedroom, and I could feel that same throbbing between my legs as our dance became more intense. Suddenly, he threw me out into a spin, rolled me back in, then dipped me…and the music stopped.

  The sound of applause filled the air, and we both looked around in surprise. The other dancers had stopped and were now watching us, applauding the beauty of our steamy, lust-filled dance. I felt my cheeks flush and looked up at Kyle, who gently took my hand and led me away from the circle.