“Dimitri.”
“I’ve always wanted to come here.”
“I know this club well. Allow me to be your guide tonight. I promise to make it a night to remember.” I raise her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. She smells like sugar, sweet enough to eat. My fangs sharpen. “We’ll drink, we’ll dance, we’ll talk.”
She giggles, the sound like champagne bubbles. “That sounds good.”
I pull her close, then, and whisper into the silken shell of her ear. “And then, if everything goes well, I’m going to seduce you.”
Chapter 2
Gwen
His voice rolls over me, more potent than rum. I sway on my feet, and he holds me closer.
“Is that all right, little Gwen?”
I duck my head to the side. “I’m not that little,” I mutter, to stall.
“You are to me.”
The DJ changes the song to a new sexy single, and the bass throbs through me. I tuck myself closer to him. And, just like that, we’re dancing together, as natural as anything.
“Are you supposed to tell me you’re going to seduce me? Aren’t you supposed to just do it?”
He cocks a brow. “Is that what you’d prefer?”
I’m about to say hell yes, when I catch sight of Chad and his new lover talking to two tattooed bouncers in the coat check area before disappearing.
Dimitri twists to follow my line of sight.
“Where are they going?” I ask. “Is there a gay bar down there?”
Dimitri chuckles. “So innocent. Something like that.”
“Can anyone go down there?”
“No. You have to be invited.” His dark gaze entices me. “Do you want me to invite you?”
My hands tighten on his arms. “Can we?”
“Are you sure? There are some things you can’t unsee.”
“Yes. I want to see.”
“You’ll need to stay close to me. And do as I say.”
“Okay.”
“This is important, little one. I need you to promise to be good.” His finger traces my lips. It should rub me the wrong way, his possessive touch, but I love it.
“I’ll be good.” I whisper.
“Good girl. Come.” His hand slides down my arm and grasps mine. “Stay close.”
We’re halfway down the stairs when I think of something.
“Dimitri?” My voice comes out small. “Are you gay?”
“No,” he turns toward me, and I can tell he’s smiling in the dark, “I’m not. This isn’t a gay club.”
“Then what is it?”
“Wait and see.”
I feel like Alice following the white rabbit. Except Dimitri is no rabbit. More like a demon from the dark, come to lead me straight to hell.
There’s a red glow at the bottom of the stairs. I halt. Dimitri stops with me, waiting politely for me to gather my courage.
“Ready?” he asks, his deep voice caressing my raw nerves.
“I’m ready. I can do this.”
“Good girl. I’ll take care of you.” His thumb rubs the back of my hand, promising all sorts of things. I’ll take care of you—quite the double entendre.
Yes, please.
We reach the bottom step and emerge into the reddish light. This part of the club looks totally different from the dance floor and bar and booths upstairs. The first thing I see is a man in a suit lounging in a large leather chesterfield. He holds out his hand, and another younger man approaches and drops to his knees in front of the man in the chair. The younger man is totally naked. My mouth drops open.
Across from them, another couple sip from wine glasses and chat like nothing’s weird. The man in the suit leans back and pulls the naked man between his legs.
I gasp.
“You’re staring.” Dimitri chuckles.
I realize I’m clinging to him, but when I go to step back, he drapes an arm across my collarbone, turning my back to his front.
“Look all you want. They’re all right with it. If they didn’t want you to look, they wouldn’t be out in the open. There are a few private rooms available.”
I look long enough to see that the naked man kneeling on the floor is doing exactly what I guessed he would be, his head bobbing over the seated man’s lap. The man in the suit leans back, his eyes closed. “Oh. Oh my.”
“My goodness.” Dimitri loosens his hold enough to tuck me into the curve of his arm and see my face. “I don’t think I was ever so innocent.”
“I’m not that innocent, I’m just surprised.”
“Mmm.”
“I am,” I insist. “Chad and I did all sorts of things.”
“Did you?” Dimitri puts a finger to my cheek, turns my face to him. He studies me for so long, I flush and drop my eyes. His chuckle makes my belly flip. “My sweet innocent, lies will get you punished.”
I bite my lip, shocked at the flare of arousal singing through me.
“Would you like that? Or do you want to see more?”
“I want to see,” I say, though I’m curious about punishment. I want to see. I want to experience punishment. I want it all.
Dimitri tours me through hell. There’s a huge wooden cross in the shape of an X. As we watch, a woman in red leather sashays towards it, leading two curvy subs on a leash. I tear my eyes away from them to a table where a naked redhead is strapped down and being worked over by two men. One is flogging her pussy. The other is dripping red wax over her breasts. As we watch, the man drops the small flogger and kneels. The table is the perfect height for his mouth to reach her sex.
“Master, please,” she cries. The man at her pussy doesn’t stop eating her. The man with the wax pauses to run a possessive hand over her breast. “Not yet, pet. Not until I say.”
A shudder runs through me. I curl into Dimitri, and he holds me close.
“Seen enough, little Gwen?” Dimitri’s arm is a steel band tightening around my waist.
No. I want more. The redhead’s cries reach my ears and I peek out. The man between her legs stands now, and slowly fucks her. Her head turns to the side and her mouth opens to accept her master’s cock.
Need flashes through me and my knees buckle. Dimitri reacts like he was waiting for this. He scoops me up, easily breaking into a stride. When I can face him again, we’re in a comfy chair in a quieter corner by the bar. There are a few murmurs over my head, and a server brings him an unopened bottle of water.
“Drink, little one,” he commands, and I do.
“What is this place?” I ask when I catch my breath.
“It’s a club. A place for deviants like me to give in to our perverse desires.” His tone is mocking.
“I think it’s wonderful.” I raise my head. I’m sitting in his lap, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Maybe it is. It certainly feels right. To our left, the couple sits a bit closer, their wine glasses empty and set aside. The man in the suit and his naked sub are gone. “I want to do it.”
“All of it?”
“Y-yes.” But there’s a wobble in my voice.
“My sweet innocent. Exploring this world can take a lifetime.”