She riffled through her bag then threw it across the room when she remembered she didn’t have a change of clothes. Maybe a previous guest had left something behind in the dresser. The top two drawers came up empty, but she struck pay dirt on the next where she found a man’s button-down shirt. A pair of jeans in a size too large were in another drawer and she whooped in jubilation before changing into the clothes as quickly as a seventh-grade girl after gym class who had yet to hit puberty. The pants were two inches too short but were covered by her boots as she zipped them up then stumbled out into the hall and down the stairs while the sound of furious fucking trailed after her.
The noise traveled into the living room and forced her to seek shelter in the kitchen, but that too was no safe harbor. Above her head a light fixture swung back and forth like a metronome, keeping time with the couple’s shouting until they spiked in a crescendo like a diva hitting the high note on a hit record.
Ari wilted against the counter as the groans faded. Whoa. That was intense. No wonder they looked so bright and happy. Who wouldn’t be when engaged in a relationship as intense as that?
Creak. Creak. Creak.
She looked up and saw the light begin a slow sway back and forth that grew as another round of moans filtered through the floor.
“Oh my God.” She covered her face with her hands. “What are these people on?”
The longer she remained privy to their marathon sex session, the more difficult it was going to be to look either of them anywhere near their face come morning. Ack— No, not come-come. She shook her head. Gah, just at dawn.
Hell, she didn’t think she’d even be able to stand in the same room with them without her cheeks flaming. Ah, the curse of being a redhead.
She ran out of the apartment and the elevator doors stood open as if anticipating her need for escape. She ran inside and pushed the Door-close button and released her first easy breath as silence descended. Seconds later the door slid open, revealing the parking garage.
Hmm. Right. She crossed her arms with a frown. Where to now?
She eyed the elevator’s display panel. Bale had told her the upper floors were apartments. The lower floors businesses. Next to the Number-two button was a placard. The Cavern was printed in a bold font.
The Cavern? Where had she heard that name before? Oh yeah, earlier when she had been researching Bale’s employers she had seen the Kilsgaards owned a restaurant and another business called The Cavern. When she asked Bale about the name, he had quickly changed the subject. Much in the same manner that he had all but forbidden her from going to the second floor.
What was it about The Cavern he didn’t want her to know about?
A smile curled her lips. Now was as good a time as any to find out.
Chapter Three
The elevator car traveled in a smooth glide as Ari’s heart picked up speed with the anticipation of adventure. When the doors opened a small alcove and a dark doorway covered by a red-velvet drape awaited. The residual beat of a solid bass line echoed through the corridor and pounded louder as she walked closer. With each step she worried her lip as she crossed the threshold and prepared to walk into the unknown.
“Can I help you?”
She turned toward the voice that had greeted her the second she stepped through the entry and into another dimly lit hall.
Security. Definitely security. The man was tall and broad-shouldered and wore a dark suit complete with an earpiece and a curly wire that disappeared into his collar. While his demeanor wasn’t unfriendly, there was a definite “don’t fuck with me” vibe in the straightness of his posture and the furrow in his brow.
Suddenly the notion to explore didn’t seem like such a good idea.
“Hi.” She forced a smile and hunched her shoulders forward in a move she hoped conveyed a sultry innocence. “I’m sorry if I wandered into a forbidden area. I’m new around here and staying with the Kilsgaards.” Yes, and a little name-dropping never hurt.
His smile transformed his stern features into dangerously handsome. “You must be Ari. I heard you were a new arrival. Welcome to The Cavern. I’m Jax.”
“Thanks.” Wow, news spread fast around here. His welcome loosened her apprehension. “This might sound like a stupid question, but where exactly am I?”
“You mean about The Cavern itself or your specific location here in The Cavern?”
“Both.” She laughed. “As I said, I’m new to town and I forgot to ask Amaryllis.”
“The Cavern is a place where everyone is welcome and all who enter get exactly what they need. As long as it’s legal, of course.” He winked.
“Like a nightclub, with dancing and stuff?”
“Sure.”
“Seriously? Then why was Bale so squirrely about telling me?”
“Bale’s here?” His smiling mouth fell into a frown while his eyes narrowed.
“Um, yeah.” She swallowed against the sudden tightness in her throat. “He brought me here. He said I wasn’t allowed on the second floor, but never said why.”
“Did he now?” The tension left his mouth and he smiled with a devilish light in his eyes. “Well, I think we need to give you the grand tour, then.”
“Are you sure? I’m not really dressed for a nightclub.”
“May I?”
She leaned back. “May you what?”
“Relax.” He chuckled with a husky edge. He reached for the hem of her shirt and released the bottom buttons. With quick fingers he tied the tails into a knot above her midriff. “Plump up the girls a bit there. A little flash of skin goes a long way around here.”
She adjusted her breasts to reveal an enticing amount of cleavage. “Ah, so you cater to those kinds of patrons.”
“They’re the best.” He winked again and lifted his arm so the cuff of his jacket was near his mouth. “Donovan, this is Jax. Our special guest has made an appearance and I’m showing her around.” There was a pause while Donovan responded. Jax’s eyes swept up and down Ari with an appreciative light. “Ten. Most definitely a ten.”
Oh good gravy. She forced down a smile as the redheaded curse kicked in and heat flamed across her face. What was with the men of this town? Were all of them handsome and seductive?
Now more than ever she was convinced that the powers that be had a vendetta against her. Why else would they see fit to surround her with sexy men who wanted to touch and tease when her focus was supposed to be on getting her life onto the path of normalcy? Some women might think she was insane to lament the situation, but she knew better when it came to men. The sincerest of smiles could hide the most devious of hearts. She refused to fall so easily again.
Jax held out his arm. “Shall we?”
“Lead the way.” She waved away the offered arm and motioned for him to go first.
“Right.” He smirked and led her down the hall, still managing to touch her with a light press of his hand on the small of her back. “This is the top floor of the club. At this level is where all the playrooms are located and Amaryllis’ private suite, which is through that door over there.”
“Playrooms?”
“Playrooms,” he assured with a suggestive wiggle of his brows.
No way. He was teasing her, he had to be.
At least that was her conviction until they passed an open doorway and got a gander at the tableau taking place within the shadowed interior.
A woman was laid stretched out on what looked like a massage table. Above her head her fingers curled over the edge in a white-knuckled grip. Her dark hair spilled over the end and swayed as she thrashed about while a man stood between her naked thighs and thrust with wild abandon. Since his pants hung loose about his hips and her skirt was rucked up to her waist, Ari had no doubt as to what she was witnessing.
Two other men stood by the woman’s sides. They had her blouse open and her bare breasts bounced with each lunge of the man drilling away. With one hand they pinched and stroked bits of her flesh as they fisted their cocks w
ith the other.
In the far corner of the room Ari saw a man hanging suspended from chains that fell from the ceiling. A woman was on her knees before him, her head bobbing back and forth as another women dressed in full-out dominatrix gear took a whip to his back.
“Holy. Shit.” Ari jumped back and looked to Jax, who watched her with a knowing grin. “This a sex club?”
“I guess that’s what you can call this part of the club. As I said, here you get exactly what you need. And for these people, what they need is a good fuck. See anything in there you want to give a try?”
“Not with you.” She smiled sweetly.
Bale, hmm, now that was another story.
At the thought of Bale her mouth twisted. That sneaky bastard knew exactly what went on in this club, yet he didn’t say one word. Why was that?
She had an idea and it soured her stomach.
This must be his go-to place for a booty call and he didn’t want her cramping his style. As if his sex life had anything to do with her. If he had his little kinks and trollops holed up here, so what? It didn’t matter to her if he had a sexual past, or present. They were complete strangers.
Well, it kinda mattered. Just a little. Even though it shouldn’t. But she’d get over it. Even if it killed her.
“So, Jax, what else goes on around here?” She wound her arm around his elbow and stroked his biceps. If Bale was allowed to have a good time, then she was too.
“Down this way is what we call the alcove. You can still hear the music from the dance club, but the space allows for more intimate conversation.”
They rounded a corner and entered an area with curved couches sprawled in random patterns, sectioned off by maroon curtains that hung from tracks in the ceiling that allowed them to be splintered off in myriad directions. People clustered in groups from two up to ten in their own little semiprivate areas as they laughed and flirted while sipping from glasses filled with colorful liquid.
Ooo, and it looked like fun times were allowed here as well as Ari spotted a couple off to the side. A man had a woman draped over the arm of the couch as he took her from behind. The fact that the group of men seated next to them watched as if enjoying a dinner show spoke of how commonplace such an event was.
“Whoa. I guess people feel really free with their bodies around here.”
“Some more than others. It’s like with anything new. The unknown is frightening, but once you dip your toe into the water and realize nothing but pleasure awaits you, you become more than willing to dive right in.”
She tore her eyes away from the fornicating duo. “And what happens in the morning when faced with the light of day?”
“Since we have a lot of repeat customers, I think the morning after only whets their appetite for more. Follow me. This might be more your speed as a newcomer.”
He led her down a grand staircase onto the main floor of the club that looked more like what she expected of a nightclub in the city. Before her lay the dance floor, crowded with partygoers who surged and rolled to the beat of the tracks spun by the DJ. To the right of her was a stage where two men dressed in red metallic Speedos performed an intricate fire-dance routine. On the left stretched the main bar lined with so many bottles, Ari couldn’t fathom the amount of time it would take to do inventory. In the pub where she worked there had been three shelves behind the bar, and the bottles that had lined the top shelf of the hole-in-the-wall were considered house brands in The Cavern.
“Are you thirsty?” Jax asked.
“No. Not really. Besides, I didn’t bring any money down with me.”
“No worries.” He rapped his knuckles on the bar twice. “Hey, Noah. This is Ari, Amaryllis’ friend. Whatever she wants, all right?”
The cute young thing behind the bar nodded and flashed her a killer white smile. “Sure thing.”
“For real? Whatever I want?” There had to be a catch.
“You’re a friend of the boss lady. Whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want?”
Both men nodded.
This was a theory she had to test. Her gaze went right to the top row and she smiled when she saw a full bottle of Johnny Walker Blue. She pointed. “Has that been opened yet?” It wouldn’t do if the bottle had sat too long and gone stale.
“Not yet. A single or double?” Noah asked.
“Why the hell not? Let’s have a double.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Noah turned and expediently climbed up the stepladder and retrieved the blue-labeled bottle. Within seconds he set a tumbler of amber liquid and a glass of ice water before her.
She reached for the glass of water and took a sip, then slowly went for the tumbler of amber liquid, fully expecting one of them to reveal that this had all been a joke and they weren’t going to allow her to imbibe a whisky she knew retailed for fifty bucks a shot. When the glass touched her lips, she paused and breathed in the fumes, tasting the smoky fire on the back of her tongue. Both men watched her with bated breath and she noticed Noah’s mouth part along with hers, his tongue peeking out to touch his lips as the first drop of whisky hit her palate.
She held the fiery liquid on her tongue for several heartbeats before swallowing with a loud sigh. “Smooth.”
Jax laughed and shook his head. “You’re going to be quite the troublemaker, I can tell. No wonder Bale is trying to keep you on a short leash.”
“Bale’s back?” Noah asked, going visibly pale beneath the dim lighting.
“Yep. If you’re cool here, Ms. Ari, I’m going back to my post. Noah will see to any of your needs.”
“Thanks, Jax.” She settled onto a barstool and leaned over the bar to be heard better by the bartender. “Okay, Noah, spill it. Why does the mention of Bale’s name make y’all nervous?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he shrugged and began to load the glass washer. “Have you met the guy?”
“Yeah, he brought me here.”
“Really?” He looked as if she had slid ice down his back. “Are you two like a thing?”
“No. We’re friends. Kind of. Sort of.” She shook her head. “Whatever.”
“I thought he was a loner.”
“I’m pretty sure he still is.” When no more information came forth, she pressed on. “So what’s the deal?”
Another shrug. “I don’t know him that well, but he has a reputation of being something of a badass.”
“Lucian seems to be somewhat of a badass too. So does Jax.” She took another sip.
“Yeah, but at least they can crack a smile, or at least, Jax can. Lucian is a pretty somber guy, but he’s like Barney the fucking Dinosaur compared to Bale.”
“Why do you say that?” Damn, this was fine whisky.
Focus, brain. Intel on Bale.
“I’ve never seen him with any expression other than a scowl. And I’ve only heard him talk once, and my vocal cords hurt just listening to him.”
Oh, but she liked his raspy voice. Especially her nipples. They seemed to peak to attention whenever he spoke.
“And I’ve heard,” Noah continued, “that if anyone asks him a question he just stares at them until they walk away, and if he does answer, it’s only with a grunt.”
“Yeah, he does seem to enjoy the single-syllable responses. But he’s not that scary.” Unless, of course, you were a potential rapist, and then he was downright pants-shitting frightening. “Did anyone stop to think that maybe he was lonely, or perhaps homesick?”
“Homesick? Maybe. Lonely? Only by his choice. There are a lot of ladies who’ve come through here and tried to break through his ice. I haven’t heard of one who’s been successful.”
Interesting. She twirled the last of the whisky in her glass and fought back the bite of jealousy that was also stirred with the confirmation that other women found the brooding hunk of maleness as desirable as she did. At least he was discreet about his relationships, or at least that was how it sounded. She didn’t believe Noah’s story that Bale never
took anyone up on their offer. Just because Noah didn’t know about it didn’t mean it never happened.
She tipped the last of the whisky down her throat and hopped off the stool. “Thank you, sir.”
“Do you want another?”
“Not if I want to make it back to my room later. Another time, maybe.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
“Right now, I need to burn some energy.”
Even with the hour being well past her bedtime she wasn’t ready to return to the main house. Now that she knew Amaryllis and Lucian owned a sex club, who knew how long those two would be at it? If she was going to survive a night under their roof, she needed to run herself to the point of exhaustion before attempting to venture back.
The dance floor beckoned and the JWB helped her float on a cloud of mellowness and heightened her excitement for this unexpected pleasure. She loved to dance, but the only establishments back in her hometown were for Texas two-step or line dancing. The techno clubs were in the city and she never had the opportunity to spend the night sweating to the latest beat.
“Well, girl, you wanted new and exciting. Here’s your chance,” she murmured and rubbed her hands together as if she were taking a running start off a diving board and prepared to step onto the dance floor.
She bobbed back and forth, matching the sway of the crowd then slipped between the backs of two dancers and then shimmed around another pair. A few steps later she reached the middle of the floor and felt the press of bodies all against her and the thump of the bass beating inside her chest.
Yes. This was exactly what she needed. Complete mindlessness as she rode the wave of humanity, gyrating in syncopated beats as flesh rubbed against flesh and her heart beat in an accelerated rhythm. Her head tipped back and she lifted her arms in the air and closed her eyes. Hands came from nowhere and everywhere to brush across her shoulder, the small of her back or the curve of her ass in touches that ranged from gentle caresses to full-on groping. If a hand strayed too close to her breast or her crotch she gently moved it away and was delighted when her silent request was obeyed. This moment was only about her and dancing.
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