I nod with a silly lovestruck grin on my face and she fans herself as she feigns passing out on her couch.
“His declaration took my breath away, Harl. It was so unexpected and so tender.”
“Shut the front door. He confessed his love for you in your kitchen? Holy Jesus,” she says, getting on her feet. “I need to run back to the kitchen and grab another bottle of wine. I want you to spill your guts.”
Harley and I have been eating and drinking for hours. I called and suggested we connect, then waited until we were done with dessert to lay the news on her. I didn’t want it all to be about me given what she was dealing with.
“Hey, Harl, is this the Hotel Cortes playlist I created for you a few months ago?” I shout to make sure she hears me in the kitchen.
“Yeah, it is. It’s the perfect mix of mellow and sexy. I thought it would be the ideal backdrop music for a lazy Sunday amongst friends.”
“This is so old-school. We were so young when this came out, but the vibe is still incredible today. French DJ Stéphane Pompougnac knows a thing or two about music.”
“Damn, the man can mix. No matter how many times I play his music, I can never get enough.”
“Harl, I don’t know if I can drink much more.” I giggle.
“Oh, no, you don’t. Here’s another glass of wine. Start talking.” She comes back and hands me another selection of California red.
“When he blurted out those words…”
“You mean ‘I love you’?” she asks, mesmerized.
“Exactly.” I smile, still unable to believe it. “I understood why he was so angry when he walked in on Bryce and I at the gala.”
“Honey, it’s so sexy he was jealous, don’t you think?”
“I have to be honest, I love that he feels so strongly about me the sight of me with another man would make him so fiercely protective.”
“Gosh, he’d be willing to fight for you,” she says, placing her hands under her chin like a choirgirl. “He loves you, Ci.”
“My sister adores him and he gets along pretty famously with Bryce, now he no longer has any desire to rearrange his teeth.”
“Hold on. He met your sister and brother-in-law?”
“Well, he met my mom and Diego weeks ago.”
“Newsflash. A lot has changed, honey. The two of you were fucking back then. Now you’re a real couple and you’re doing things with other couples. You’re taking things to a whole other level,” she says, widening her eyes and gesturing her hands dramatically.
“Oh. Okay, if you say so.”
“Ciara, when was the last time you took a man to meet your sister?”
“Not for a very long time.”
“My point exactly. You’ve transcended into this whole other world we’ve only been spectators to so far.
I guess Harley is right. She and I have gone out on double dates before, but we knew very well these guys would have a short shelf life. Neither of us would have dreamt of taking any of them home to meet the family.
“Sofia couldn’t stop smiling. She was giddy and she couldn’t stop batting her eyelashes at me as if she had seen an angel. She told me later she had to contain her tears because she was so happy I had opened my heart to a man.”
“Your Danish guy has some power.” Harley laughs. “You must be relieved he gets along with Bryce?”
“Yeah. I am. Their relationship didn’t start off on the right foot.”
“Did you tell your mom you’re in love?”
“I’ve placed both Sofia and Bryce on gag orders until Mom and Diego are back in Barcelona. He took her to Vienna for a little getaway and since Nikolaj had me locked in my own home for three days, I haven’t broken the news to them yet. I’ll talk to them when I get back to my place later tonight. I’m sure it’s going to be quite the conversation and my mom will get all emotional and Diego will already be passing around cigars to his friends.”
“What about your dad? I mean Emilio Herrera?” she adds awkwardly.
Having two fathers is so confusing for everyone.
“I called him this morning before I came here to share some of the big changes in my life and I also made him swear not to tell my mom before I did.”
“How did he react?”
“My dad—I mean Emilio—was my pillar after Luke. I remember locking myself in my bedroom and sleeping for an entire week. When I managed to get up, it was to sit in front of the television with the remote in my hand zapping through channels like a zombie. I had lost all will to live or to do anything with myself. I ached so much, it was like my heart had been ripped from my chest.”
“Shit. I didn’t realize it had been so bad, since we didn’t meet until a few months after the Luke saga.”
“I was so numb after Luke. Emilio took care of me. He’d sit next to me and hold my hand, never asking questions or giving me any kind of pep talk. He allowed me to feel the pain. When I broke the news this morning, he simply said, ‘I knew you’d meet the right one once your heart understood Luke was never worthy of your love.’”
“Wow. Those are profound words.”
“Yeah. Emilio is a man of few words, but when he speaks it’s always so deep. His words made me cry.”
“Damn, girl, in the last few weeks all the men in your life have been colliding. It’s like a meteor shower.”
Things have been moving so fast I haven’t had time to take stock of everything, but Harley is right. In the past few weeks the men in my life have either surprised me or disappointed me greatly and there’s been more drama than on the most-watched reality TV show.
Harley leans in and grabs the bottle of red to top up our glasses. She adjusts her little body against the couch and crosses her legs like a master yogi.
“So… three days of fucking a rich sex god?” she says, shaking her head as she changes the subject. “I can’t believe how lucky you are. I love you, but I’m totally jealous here,” she says, pouting.
“I thought you were getting along with Darius?”
“Let’s be serious here. It’s nowhere near what you have with Nikolaj,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“Things change fast when you meet the right one.” God, did those words jump out of my mouth? I sound like freaking Oprah.
“I doubt it, Ci. I’m the flavor of the month for him—he’s made it crystal clear. He’s not going to drop his life to come to my rescue like your billionaire boyfriend keeps doing.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t worry about it. He has an insanely huge cock and he’s a phenomenal lover. I don’t know where he’s learned how to lick pussy, but let me tell you it’s mind-blowing. I’m good for now—not to mention my sister’s drama is keeping me way too busy to want anything more meaningful.”
“As long as you’re being honest with yourself, Harl, I’m okay with your answer.” Something tells me she’s hiding behind a well-scripted lie, but then again I’ve mastered the art of duping yourself when it comes to love, so who am I to talk.
“What’s happened to you recently has changed me, Ci.”
“What do you mean?”
“The fuck sessions with Darius are starting to leave me empty. I mean, I come like a mad woman and I do enjoy riding his beautiful black cock, but when I get home, I’m alone,” she says, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
“This is going to sound too weird coming from me, but he’s out there, Harl. Since you’re now aware of the fact you want and deserve more from men, you’ll find him,” I say, wrapping her into my arms and covering her face with kisses.
“Stop it. You’re turning into one of those sappy romantics. Enough with the Hallmark moment.”
We both start laughing.
Both Harley and I have been running away from any form of commitment and look at us now.
“Holy shit,” she says, gasping for air with her hand on her chest.
“What now?”
“Do you realize if the two of you get married, both Herrera sisters will ha
ve scored the sexiest billionaires on the planet? Fuck you for leaving the rest of us to hang out to dry.”
“Whoa. Harley, honey, let’s take it one step at a time. Marriage is a huge word,” I say nervously.
“So you wouldn’t accept if he asked?”
“Well… we’re not there yet,” I say, trying to divert the question.
For the first time in years I allow myself to believe I could be the marrying kind after all. When Luke left me, I vowed to never even let the thought enter my mind, but now I could totally imagine becoming Mrs. von Henningsen.
“Do you realize a few months ago this conversation would have been laughable?”
“Yeah. It’s crazy, right? I’m still under the spell of these last four days.”
“Damn, I wonder if there’s a website I could visit or something.”
“Honey, you’re not making any sense. Maybe it’s time to stop drinking.” I smile.
“They must be hanging out somewhere on the Internet. You know, like www-dot-find-a-billionaire-dot-com,” she says, raising her left eyebrow as she pensively taps her chin.
“You can’t be serious.” I laugh. “Honey, there are plenty of billionaires in New York.”
“I’d love to score a hot, sexy black billionaire.”
“You’re crazy.”
‘Tell me something I don’t know, but you love me a little loca.”
“I wouldn’t change a thing on you.”
“When is the boyfriend coming back?”
“He’s not back for a while. I was supposed to already be in Toronto, but since Nikolaj chained me to my bed while he ravished me for seventy-two hours, my superstar team is already hard at work in Canada. I’ll join them for a few days and then my boyfriend”—God, I love those words on my tongue—“is flying me to London for a few days, but he’s being so secretive about it. Afterward, I’ll be in Copenhagen for his dad’s big birthday bash. I’ll end up staying there since his dad’s company is celebrating twenty-five years the week after. I’ll be working from an internet connection and my MacBook Pro.”
“You jetsetter.” She winks. “Why is he being so hush-hush about London?”
“I still can’t figure it out. I lost a bet and London is my penalty.”
She cocks her head and looks at me, confused.
“He was here a few weeks ago and he dared me and I lost. Basically, if he was able to make me come within ten minutes, I’d have to go with him to London.”
“Holy shit, ten minutes?” she says, impressed.
“He got me there in nine—twice.”
“Damn, girl. Never let the man go.”
“I’ve been to London plenty of times, but I’m still not sure why he selected London in particular.”
“I’m going out on a limb here, but since he proposed London after a sex dare, it could be to discover the other side of the British capital.”
“No way. Paris? Yes. Amsterdam? Definitely. Berlin? Maybe, but London?”
“Honey, London is one of the kinkiest cities I know of. The Brits look prim and proper, but there’s a lot of naughtiness to be had in London. I’ve seen and experienced things there you’d never find in the kinkiest spots in New York.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh, take my word for it.”
BOOK 5—SINFUL DESIRES
Chapter Five
It doesn’t matter the time of the day or night, it’s always so chaotic here.
After three hectic days in Toronto, I’m fighting my way through one of the most crowded airports in the world.
Heathrow is such a zoo.
I exit the doors after my immigration check and a chauffeur holding a sign with my name in black marker greets me. After polite salutations he grabs my bags and asks me to follow him to the car.
“Madam, please let me know if I need to adjust the temperature. It’s already late October and alas, it’s getting colder.”
“No. This is perfect, thank you,” I say, holding his gaze in the rear view mirror. “I just flew in from Toronto, Canada, and it’s not much warmer there.”
“Excellent. We should be at your hotel in about forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on the traffic. Mr. von Henningsen asked me to fill the mini fridge with some of your favorites. Please indulge and enjoy the ride.”
I’d relax more if I knew where I was going. “Which hotel has Mr. von Henningsen selected?”
The little devil has been as secretive as a member of the British Secret Intelligence Service about this trip. No matter how many times I’ve tried to seduce more out of him, he’s always found a way to masterfully change the subject.
“The W London, madam. I can assure you it’s a fine hotel.”
W is an international brand of boutique hotels I know very well, but I’ve never been to the Leicester Square location. “Has Mr. von Henningsen already arrived?”
“I’m afraid I’m simply the chauffeur, madam. I believe he’s left instructions with the concierge at the hotel.”
I’m dying to know what he has up his sleeve.
I reach out and open the fridge to find out what he’s asked the chauffeur to pick up for me. I smile when I see two rows of mini bottles of champagne and a little box nestled on the bottom shelf. I grab a flute, pop open a mini bottle of Moët et Chandon and pour myself a glass. I bring the glass to my lips and instantly relax when the fizzy nectar hits my palate.
God, nothing trumps a chilled glass of bubbly. I wonder what’s in the box.
When I slide the box out of the fridge, I read the name of a local cake shop I have yet to discover. Primrose Bakery. When I lift the lid, I marvel at Nikolaj’s attention. He’s always full of surprises.
I lay my eyes on an assortment of six colorful chocolate and vanilla mini cupcakes topped with a message written with frosting on a tiny white sugary canvas. When I turn the box around, I marvel at the message. There’s one word on top of each cupcake, but when I read them aloud, my heart melts like a marshmallow over an open fire.
‘I. Love. You. So. Very. Much.’
God, this man is my reward for having waited this long to find the right one.
I reach out and unfold the little note in the box. It’s a description of the flavors. After pondering on my decision, I sink my teeth into a chocolate one topped with little red beads. Yum, red velvet—my favorite. I sit back and savor every bite of my sugary treats and I wash it all down with delicious champagne.
What more can a girl ask for?
I ride the rest of the journey to the hotel in pure bliss, enjoying the bubbly, the sweets and the sight of London at night.
“Madam, we’ll be there in less than five minutes.”
The chauffeur breaks my reverie. It’s been such a busy and eventful few weeks I’m only now allowing myself to just be—no thinking, no planning, no drama and no unpleasant flashes from the past.
“Thank you. I look forward to arriving.”
“Mr. von Henningsen has requested I be back here to fetch you and your bags at ten this evening.”
“We’re not staying here?”
“According to my instructions, it appears not.” The chauffeur gives me a blank look from the rear view mirror before returning his attention on the road.
This is turning out to be more intriguing than an international spy novel.
* * *
At ten-thirty the chauffeur drops me off in front of a building in a remote London location. I would be nervous were it not for the number of iconic black cabs dropping off other patrons clad in dramatic clothing and hiding behind masks. It’s as if we’re all rushing to a Carnival of Venice afterparty.
Nikolaj’s note said I needed to speak to “the angel” when I arrived. I don’t fully understand what’s awaiting me yet, but I have a sneaking feeling it will all make sense once I walk through these doors.
Nothing could have prepared me for what awaits me once I walk through the heavy metal doors. The sultriest club music is coming through the speakers and a crowd
of masked bodies queues impatiently, waiting their turn. The tall man dressed like a devil behind the welcome desk is bobbing to the music and stops in a diva-like pause you’d expect from RuPaul. Damn, he looks fierce.
As I wait my turn in the line I can’t help but soak in the club’s atmosphere. There isn’t much to talk about in terms of décor from where I’m standing, but the contrast on the walls of harsh silver metal and warm ebony wood is very seductive. There’s something distinctive about this place and if the way the couples behind me are already shamelessly all over each other is any indication, this night promises to be beyond my wildest dreams.
Does that man have his hand down her leather corset fondling her boobs in plain view?
I’m so focused on the bold actions of the couple behind me I don’t realize it’s my turn.
“Welcome to For Your Eyes Only. You look like a goddess, love. What’s your name for the night?” The devil turns his attention to me.
“My name is Elektra King,” I respond nervously. “I’m to speak to the angel.”
Nikolaj’s note explained it would be best not to use our real names tonight. He divulged my secret identity in his note, but he explained I’d find out his once I arrived at the club. This all seems so mysterious and kinky.
“Ah, of course,” the devil purrs, taking me in from head to toe. “Honey, your leather trenchcoat is fierce. It hugs you like a glove. You definitely look the part,” he says, flashing a cocky smile.
“Thank you.” I can’t think of more to say. I’m in uncharted territory here and I still have no idea when I’ll see Nikolaj.
I do have to admit this coat is quite badass. Nikolaj’s taste in clothing, jewelry and fashion is impeccable.
Nikolaj is a masterful player. I only had four items to wear for this party. When I walked into the bedroom at the W London hotel, four boxes and a set of handwritten instructions awaited me. The first box contained a beautiful gold mask with black feathers protruding from the top of my head, adding to the drama of the look. The second box hid a pair of killer red Louboutin heels. Although these are far higher than what I’d normally wear, I’m stunned he guessed my shoe size so accurately. The third box contained a crisp white shirt—his. The shirt is so big it hits me mid-thigh and the draping of the cotton fabric over my naked body only accentuates how turned on I already am. The fourth contained this amazingly cut leather trenchcoat, which suits the part of the James Bond villainess to a tee, and a small vibrator. Nikolaj’s requests were meticulous and there was no room for confusion… especially his most outrageous one.
Sinful Desires Page 5
