by CR Robertson
My fist bunched at my side, but Cassandra’s hand tightened on my arm.
“What do you mean?” she asked with wide eyes. “Surely you’re not suggesting anything less than business happens in my office, Mr. Larimore? The Twilight Rooms are for consenting adults that want to step away from their normal lives, aren’t they?”
He paled at the tone of her reprimand. Every time that office door of hers closed, I had her pinned to the wall or window or spread on her desk. I especially loved when she wore her dark-framed pretend glasses. My fingers had been bitten more than once when I tried to cover her mouth to stop her screaming her release.
“Yes, of course it is. That’s why we all join!” His jolly tone told me this was his first time here. It would also be his last. I preferred not to have my father’s cronies on my business premises.
“If you’ll excuse us?” I flashed another professional smile that never reached my eyes and steered Cassandra away before he saw her engagement ring.
“You realise at some point that people will know that we’re together?” I hissed, leading her upstairs.
“How will they know?”
“The fact that we’re engaged and you’re carrying my baby might be a giveaway.”
She arched her right eyebrow at me. “Maybe I used a sperm donor or had a one-night stand with some stranger whose name I forgot to ask.”
My hand curved around her hip. “Or maybe your fiancé knocked you up when he bent you over your office desk and fucked you until you screamed.”
Her lips tilted in a sexy smile that made me want to bend her over the bannisters. “Or maybe that as well.”
I linked my fingers through hers and tugged her up the remaining stairs. Each room up here was decorated in a different colour, which led to their popular names among the patrons. Cassandra was silent, her eyes taking everything in. I watched her like a hawk because it gave me an insight into what interested her.
I never realised it could be so much fun introducing someone to my world. After this many years, I’d become immune to some of the practices, but seeing it through Cassandra’s eyes excited me again. I wanted to experience all her firsts with her, introduce her to all the different ways a human could experience pleasure.
She peeked in rooms without doors, watching as both men and women submitted to their partners. There was nothing sordid in their interactions since everyone here was in the pursuit of pleasure. It was a safe environment to experiment since everyone’s phones and personal belongings were locked in safes in the area before the reception hall.
The purple room was for general sex with nothing spicy. “Sometimes people just want a connection. The Midnight Rooms allow anonymous sex that scratches an itch. Here you can look into the person’s eyes and read their reactions.”
We stopped at the blue room, which was predominantly used for spanking and restraints. There was a technique in using crops and whips. You could injure someone if you hit them in the wrong place. Cassandra’s hand slipped into the back of my trousers as she leaned in to me.
“Did I look like that?” she whispered, her eyes glued on a woman suspended while a male behind whipped her and a male in front was on his knees performing cunnilingus on her.
“Baby, you were so much sexier.” Cassandra shivered when I kissed the side of her neck.
The green room involved multiple partners and had restraining beams on three walls. A male hung from the first beam, another male and a female stimulating him. The middle station was empty, but four females were experimenting at the last beam. A male watched from the middle of the room, slowly stroking his dick.
Cassandra nudged me. “Do all men like girl-on-girl action?”
A salacious grin appeared on my mouth. “You have no idea. If there was four of you, I’d be in heaven.”
“You’d still only have one dick.”
“He’d die a happy dick.”
Cassandra rolled her eyes at me, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
I directed Cassandra to the yellow room, which was also known as the orgy room, because no sex club survived without one. People peeled off their inhibitions and let loose in there because ever since the ancient Romans immortalised it in their artwork, people had fantasised about orgies.
My little minx buried her head in my shoulder. “Can we try this in the future?”
It was the biggest bedroom, with three four-poster beds along the back wall. The floor was made of a special foam-based material that allowed bodies to writhe comfortably, moving from partner to partner seamlessly.
A woman on the middle bed had one partner under her, another behind her, and a third with his dick in her mouth. She was being penetrated by three men at once, her body moving in sync with all of them. I’d lost count of the times Ash, Jay, and I had been involved in similar situations.
The scent of sex filled the air to accompany the grunts, groans, moans, and slapping of flesh. Everyone should experience an orgy once in their lives. Our new club was circular with the central room being the orgy.
“Only if no one else touches you but me,” I replied, kissing Cassandra’s shoulder.
Her gaze roved around the room, taking in every detail. She chewed the side of her cheek, her fingers digging into me while her neck stretched to see further into the room.
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I practically lifted her away from the orgy. The orange room began the slope into the darker side of role play. Full bondage equipment was available and anyone who entered here emerged with welts and bruises.
Cassandra froze beside me, her body canting away from the door. She didn’t like the sounds of people being lashed. The normal sex sounds were replaced with whimpers and the crack of whips cutting into flesh.
Moving her quickly away, we arrived at the red room. It was this colour because blood was often spilt in there. The implements in that room had never appealed to me, but some people revelled in causing pain while other enjoyed receiving it. Cassandra moved on rapidly, her distaste obvious.
The remaining rooms up here were available for private fantasy use. All had already been booked for the evening.
The new clubs we were opening had mostly private rooms upstairs. People booked what they wanted before they arrived. We now catered for single people and partnered them up with someone who shared their fantasy.
Cassandra stopped, her hand halting me from going further. She stared at a woman on the large specially adapted rocking horse on the landing. “What is that woman doing?”
My little innocent lamb had only experienced vanilla before she found herself in my world. “That’s a sybian.”
Her head canted to the side before she glanced up at me. “Which is?”
“A female sex toy that you can climb on and enjoy yourself. The settings are located on the neck of the horse.”
“Not to be rude, but could she not do that at home?”
My lips twitched and I leaned down to whisper in her ear. “It’s currently up her ass because she’s getting ready for the orgy room. As you saw, any opening is available for a dick to enter in that room.”
Her head whipped around, and her gaze locked with mine.
“Men and women go in there knowing the rules,” I confirmed.
Her mouth opened in an ‘O’. I closed it with a finger under her chin. “I wouldn’t do that in the vicinity of the orgy room. Someone will be tempted to fill it for you.”
“So, both men and women can have someone shove their cock up their…”
“Yep. In fact, some women use strap-ons so they can join in the anal invasion.”
Her eyebrows hit her hairline.
“Yeah, we’re definitely going to an orgy next time,” Cassandra confirmed.
“Does that mean you’ve changed your mind about your ass?”
“Only if yours is available for me to use.” She quirked her eyebrow suggestively.
I’d discovered a jealous beast lately and he resided deep inside my chest. My hands at her waist
walked her backward until her back hit the wall, and my lips hovered close to her ear. “You need to realise that I’ve experimented a lot in my past. I’m game if you are.”
Her shocked gasp made me smile. I owned and started The Midnight and Twilight Rooms. Did she really think I’d never had a dildo up my ass?
Tilting her head up, I watched her intently as my lips pressed to hers. We were two parts of the one whole, both broken in our own ways but completed by each other. Cassandra opened to me the way she always did, her hands landing on my chest. Only when I felt her acceptance did I realise how much I’d wanted her to approve of my world. She’d ran when introduced to the other shaded part of my life, and this was something that I’d created from the initial concept to what it was today.
“We need to stop, or I’ll end up dragging you into the orgy,” I muttered against her lips.
“I might just let you.” We smiled at each other, our foreheads pressed together.
“Sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem.” Jordan appeared from nowhere beside me.
Groaning, I glared at him. “Seriously?”
“The Michael situation has exploded. We’re needed.”
Cassandra grabbed my hand. “Come on, Mister. You’re needed and I’m tired.”
Jordan automatically fell into step on the other side of Cassandra, the two of us protecting her as we went to collect our phones and belongings. There was no doubt in my mind that Jordan traced me by the tracker in my ankle. If the shit had hit the fan, it meant that the authorities were involved.
I’d put both mine and Cassandra’s possessions in my locker. Jordan hadn’t bothered to hand over his phone, the guy at the reception glaring at him like he was the devil incarnate. If there was trouble in the Council, then Jordan would be on high alert.
Cassandra kicked her heels off as soon as we stepped into our apartment, sighing in contentment. She looked sexy as hell in them, but I never understood how women managed to walk in them.
Jordan poured two glasses of whiskey and handed me one.
“Don’t I get one?” Cassandra asked.
Jordan and I stared at her. “You’re pregnant,” I pointed out.
“Pregnancy sucks,” she bitched before turning her back to me. I automatically unzipped the back of her dress and she wandered toward the bedroom.
“Didn’t take you long to be domesticated,” Jordan snarked.
“We’re not here to talk about my relationship.”
“The police raided a Council-owned business. Michael thought he was out of sight of the CCTV units, but I’d had a few extra installed.” Jordan tossed the amber liquid down his throat in one fluid movement, slamming the glass onto the counter.
Michael was Ash’s younger brother, but he was a massive liability. His execution had been postponed, although something told me that it would soon be back on the agenda. The Council wouldn’t tolerate this. If he continued on this path, it was going to get messy.
“Which business?” I groaned, wincing as the fiery liquid poured down my throat.
“Bartholomew shipping.”
“Fuck! Dad’s gonna be pissed.” That business was squeaky-clean because it had our name on it. Unfortunately, the new information Michael had access to implied that it was transporting illegal products and laundering dirty money. He’d be proved wrong on both accounts and it would discredit him with the police.
Cassandra padded back into the room in her yoga pants and baggy jumper. Her hair was in a messy bundle on top of her head and all her make-up removed. She’d been a sex goddess when she walked in a few minutes ago, but the way she fitted into my life like this made my heart beat a little faster. I hated people in my living area, yet Cassandra made it feel like a home for the first time.
“What’s going on?” Cassandra asked, eying the two of us. “You don’t normally look so serious and start drinking.”
“Business problems,” Jordan snapped.
“The type that involve guns?” Her eyes locked with mine. She didn’t like who I became, but she’d accepted it after what happened to her.
“Yeah, baby. The type that means you sit your ass here where its safe and I know nothing will happen to you.”
“And who protects you?” she demanded, her eyes burning with protective rage. I’d never seen that directed at me before and I liked it. A lot.
“That would be my job,” Jordan intervened. “Zee tends to avoid killing when he can. I don’t give a fuck who I send to the pearly gates. If anyone breathes in his direction, I’ll happily shoot them for you.”
Her gaze moved to Jordan. “You’re the one who fucked Megan in The Midnight Rooms and made her cry.”
I’d never seen Jordan’s expression register shock before. Normally he had all his emotions tied down where no one could find them. His mouth gaped open before he snapped it shut and his jaw tightened.
“She said you paid her a visit when I was gone,” Cassandra continued. “Considering that Zee and his friends all frequent The Midnight Rooms, it didn’t take a genius to put two and two together.”
“Megan used to be my sub in The Twilight Rooms.” Jordan walked across and nabbed the decanter of whiskey, pouring himself another glass.
“Megan’s been hurt in the past. She doesn’t need another asshole breaking her heart.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. No one ever spoke to Jordan like this because he was a scary motherfucker with a trigger-happy finger and a bad attitude.
Jordan deliberately turned his back on Cassandra to ignore her and poured us more drinks. “We need to get a hold on this situation before the Council goes ballistic. Your dad will know there’s been a raid tomorrow morning because I won’t be able to delay news emerging any longer. He’ll demand an immediate recall of the Council.”
“What if that’s what this Michael wants?” Cassandra chirped in, watching us from the sofa.
“Explain,” I said.
She shrugged. “Did they not teach you all this in bad guys 101? When I was studying criminal law, it was usual practice for police to try and flush people out by panicking them with something like a raid or arresting someone in an organisation. Does Michael know where the Council meets?”
Jordan stared daggers at me because I’d obviously told Cassandra about the Council. It had been limited but she needed to know since her dad was involved.
“Technically,” I informed him. “Cas holds her father’s seat.”
“We’re not the bad guys.” He finally spun to study her, his expression contemplative. “I guess she does hold that seat. That won’t go down well, as a female has never held a seat before.”
Cassandra tucked her legs under her. “You shoot people, so you’re both bad guys.”
Jordan rolled his eyes. “You’re sleeping with him and having his baby. Now you’re labelling us as bad guys?”
“I didn’t say that I approved. There are a lot of bad guys, but I’ve decided that your group isn’t as bad as some of the others out there.”
There was no arguing with Cassandra when she was being this difficult.
I nudged Jordan to tell him to let it go or she’d tie him in knots all night.
She grinned as if she’d won. “What if this Michael knows you’re onto him and is trying to make you reveal information yourselves?”
I clinked my glass against Jordan’s. “She has a point. I’ll speak to Dad. He’s already distracted because Uncle Lucas arrives next week.”
“Is he bringing any of your cousins?” Jordan smirked.
“I think Lucrezia has insisted on coming. Should I mention it to Ash?”
Jordan chuckled. “Nah, some things are best left as a surprise.”
“What are you two up to?” Cassandra asked in suspicion, her female curiosity sparked.
“You’ll see next week. Ash and my cousin pretend to not notice each other when they actually have the hots for each other.”
Jordan laughed. “Your uncle will castrate him if he even l
ooks at her.”
Cassandra’s brow furrowed in confusion at our reactions.
“Uncle Lucas doesn’t believe in sex before marriage. He expects anyone wanting to court his daughters to bring a dossier of their worth and a pledge of their intentions.” Her reaction made me join Jordan laughing.
“Why are they coming next week?” Cassandra was a curious little minx, always wanting to know what’s going on.
“He has business over here and I told him I finally took his advice and went and got the girl. He wants to meet you.” I winked at her.
She groaned and rested back on the sofa with her eyes closed. Every time I told her we’d need to tell Dad about us she went quiet. I was sure she’d find a lot to say when I told her she’d probably have to leave her job for security reasons.
“At least you found a way to shut her up,” Jordan remarked.
Cassandra’s eyes flashed open and she glared at him. “What does my friend see in you? You’re rude and arrogant, like to kill people, and are generally a bully and a pain in the ass.”
Jordan grinned, his teeth flashing. “I like her, she has spirit—unlike the mindless drones who try to catch our attention. Your fiancée’s quite the little firecracker.”
Cassandra flung him a one-fingered salute, which made his grin grow bigger.
“Deal with your dad and meet me at work tomorrow. I have information on the other matter we’re dealing with. I’ll text Ash when I get home, I want to try and keep him out of this Michael thing.”
Suddenly weary, I just nodded and trailed my fingers through my hair. “It better not interfere with next week,” I muttered.
He cocked an eyebrow at me. Both Jordan and Ash knew I’d arranged everything for next Friday. The only person who didn’t know was the woman sitting watching us. Uncle Lucas was coming over and I planned on telling Dad in the next day or so. With my name behind her, nobody on the Council would dare even look at her. The best way to protect Cassandra from the dangerous games that were unfolding was to tie her to me every way possible, and that included to my headboard.
***
Chapter Fourteen