Now, with this sexy fucking man, wasn’t the time for regret. That could come later, when the shame kept me awake. He fell against me on the bed and I turned my head to look at him. His black hair was wet with sweat and stuck to his forehead. Smiling at him, I watched as he caught his breath from the hours of frantic sex we just had.
Leaning up on one elbow, he turned his naked body toward me and offered me his hand. I slipped my fingers into his and he tugged me off the bed. With a quick motion, he had me in his arms and was walking toward the bathroom. He sat me down and started filling the jacuzzi tub as he disposed of the used condom.
“You don’t have to do this. I’m okay with heading out.” I explained, the intimacy of the situation becoming more than what I wanted tonight to be.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m offering you a hot bath after some incredible sex. Not my hand in marriage.” He winked and stepped into the tub, leaning against the end and spreading his legs.
Sighing loudly, I stepped into the hot water and settled between his spread legs, my back pressed against his toned, tattooed chest. His strong hands began to rub my aching muscles and I groaned, the tingling in my neck and shoulders reminding me how much stress I carried around. His touch reminded me how lonely I was and for a moment, I wasn’t on my own.
We didn’t speak as the water grew from hot to cool. We just stayed resting against each other, small touches and gentle kisses giving me a false sense of affection. Allowing the moment to fill the empty part of me. I relaxed as he carried me back to bed and slipped in beside me. I slept deeper than I could remember, his arms wrapped around me, keeping me safe and protected.
I woke the next morning to the unfamiliar room and it took a minute to remember the amazing night I had with him. His suitcase was gone, and I flopped back in the bed, relieved we didn’t have to do the morning after routine.
Slipping on my clothes from the night before, I was walking out of the suite when I found a note taped to the door.
Alex,
Thank you for the amazing night. I’ll see you again. Very soon.
Gideon
Chapter One
Alexandria
1 year later
“He’s here again.” My assistant remarked as she handed me a glass of red wine.
Glancing up from the mirror, I smirked, trying to push my nerves down and not let her see how much the news affected me. Setting the red lip stain on the counter, I swiveled in my chair. For a year, he had been showing up once a month, sitting at the same table in the center of the room, openly eyeing me as I made my rounds with my guests.
He never spoke and I never acknowledged him, yet I could feel his eyes caressing me with each moment he was there. I could feel his fingers gripping into my skin as he pressed his thickness deep into me, touching places no other man had. I remembered every filthy whispered word, every mind shattering orgasm.
Just his presence was unnerving me, showing the cracks I had fought for years to hide. I didn’t know why he was here and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t push down the butterflies that took flight every time I saw him. I had tried to not want him, but every month, like clockwork, he showed up and parked himself in the middle of my life. In the middle of my club, Perception.
Gideon Mathews.
“Make sure he’s taken care of tonight. Drinks are on the house.” An evil grin broke out on my face as she nodded her head and turned to leave. Just as she reached for the door handle, I remarked, “And move him to my booth. It’s time I introduce myself properly.”
“Are you sure?” Maggie asked as she turned toward me with a worried expression on her angelic face.
Standing, I walked to her and gently caressed her cheek. Leaning into the embrace, I kissed her, a gentle brush of my lips to hers. Pulling back, I watched as she blinked a few times, her eyes heavy with lust and need. She bit into her pouty lip but never made a move to deepen the embrace.
“It’s time he finally met the Mistress.”
Stepping back, I opened my robe and allowed it to whisper to the floor at my feet. Maggie eyed me up and down, my bare pussy throbbing with unfulfilled need as she licked her lips and sighed deeply. I had been attracted to men and women since I was a teenager but pronouncing yourself bi-sexual usually came with explanations I didn’t feel the need to justify.
“Why do you torture me like this?” she asked, and I watched her squeeze her legs together. I knew she was fighting the lust growing in her, but she also knew my rules.
I never played at Perception.
I would discipline, but never experience the pure unadulterated desire that you could experience inside the walls of my safe haven. It was my personal penance for a lifetime of misplaced guilt and shame.
“Because I can.” Winking, I turned and took my dress off the hanger, effectively dismissing her.
Maggie chuckled as she closed the door behind her, leaving me in my dressing room alone. Exhaling deeply, I fell back into the chair and turned my gaze back to the large mirror adorning the back wall. The reflection staring back at me looked nothing like the scared young woman who climbed off a bus almost six years ago, dreaming of a new future.
After six years, I got a future I could have never dreamed of and along with it, the isolation that accompanied it. For almost four years, I’d spent four evenings a week surrounded by the admiration of my members and spent every night alone in my huge house, the solitude of my life reminding me of what I did to survive.
Shaking the depressing thoughts off, I slipped on my favorite red dress, the deep v in the front pushing my natural double d’s together and lifting them to perfection. Smoothing the tight material around my hips, I smoothed the imaginary wrinkles out and slid my feet into a pair of four-inch Jimmy Choo peep toes.
Glancing back at the mirror, I saw Mistress Alexandria standing where naïve Alex once stood. Running my hand across the intricate tattoo swirling across my chest, neck, and shoulders, I smiled, the reminder that my ink was my armor. My arms, legs, back, and stomach all were adorned with various pieces of art, but the design on my chest was my favorite. Flowers and vines, black and grey that looked like steel, wrapped around a wounded heart with a dagger sticking out. It was the visual reminder of who I was and what I had become.
Licking my lips, I exited my dressing room and walked down the small hallway leading to the front lobby of Perception. My usual hip sway helped center me as I fully became Mistress Alexandria with each step. She was the illusion that I had built my business from and I fully allowed her to take over as I entered the front lobby. Maggie was behind the counter, her curled black hair pinned to perfection. Bright red nails and lipstick stood out against her flawless pale skin and a black dress clung tightly to her curves.
I had been training Maggie to replace me when the time came, only I used the advice as a guise to teach her. I would never leave Perception, but my time as Mistress of the House felt like it was coming to an end. For over a year, I had been melancholy, waiting for the rest of my life to start. Wondering if my current reality was what I had to look forward to.
After a visit from my ex-girlfriend Annalise last year, watching her safe in the arms of her fiancé Sebastian, seeing her loved and cherished, made me realize there had to be more to life than what I was experiencing. After they left Las Vegas, knowing they had married and were living their lives, I went onto the Strip, an area I avoided at all costs, and had allowed myself to be vulnerable for one night.
Shedding the safety of Mistress Alexandria and allowing Alex a moment to be free. I pulled my hair into a messy bun, and my make-up subdued as I walked into the casino. My usual skintight dress was gone, and I was wearing a comfortable pair of distressed jeans with a soft off the shoulder shirt paired and my three-inch black leather knee boots. I wanted to blend into the tourists and get lost in the bright lights of Las Vegas.
The sounds of the slot machines rang in the background as I made my way to the bar in the middle of the casino, in need of a drink.
I found an empty booth and settled in to watch the people as they won and lost their fortunes. I felt someone sit down next to me and lean over, taking a deep inhale from the side of my neck.
I turned, ready to give the asshole a piece of my mind when I was met with the most amazing emerald green eyes and a sexy smirk. Jet black hair, a strong jawline, and hypnotic cologne had invaded my personal space and for once I was glad to be around a man who wasn’t intimidated by me.
Of course, I looked nothing like the Mistress I portrayed to my guests. I was just me, Alex, the lonely woman who hid herself away. Appraising him with lustful eyes and a smile on my lips, I realized I didn’t recognize him, and I knew all the major players in the city. He had to be a tourist hoping to get laid while on vacation and at that moment, I decided I would let Alex have her fun.
I let him buy me a drink and we slowly closed the space between us until our legs were resting against each other’s and we were each taking the liberty with soft touches and subtle exchanges. When he asked me to accompany him to his room, I followed, eager for a night of freedom. He fucked me on every surface of his suite and when he was finished with me, he carried me into the jacuzzi tub, rubbing the soreness from my aching muscles. It was unexpected and made a memorable night even more so.
I fell asleep and when I woke the next morning, I was alone in the suite with a note from him thanking me for an amazing night and a promise to see me again. I laughed it off, knowing it would never happen. He lived somewhere else and I wasn’t the person he thought I was.
I went back to my normal life, happy with the memories of my night with Gideon. The following month, I walked into Perception and saw him sitting in the middle of the room, a sly grin on his face. He patted the chair next to him and I shook my head as I retreated to my office. Anger overtook me. I had let him push me from my club and I refused to cower to anyone.
Walking back out with my head held high, I ignored him all evening. The following month when he returned, I started to wonder who he really was. That’s when I reached out to my head of security to run a background check. No one got inside the walls of Perception without showing an ID and signing a non-disclosure agreement.
I was astonished to find out my one-night stand was the new owner of the Double Down Casino that was scheduled to open on the Strip. Mortified at my rotten luck, I continued to ignore him, hoping he would get the hint and leave. After half a year, I started to look forward to his monthly visits. I wasn’t sure what changed, but tonight, I decided to find out why he kept lurking in my club and what he wanted from me.
I needed to know why my vulnerable moment had come back to bite me in the ass and was now sitting in my booth, waiting for me to arrive. I would never admit it, but I had looked forward to seeing him, even if it was only from across the room.
“Has he been attended to?” I asked Maggie as other guests entered, each greeting me before they entered through the heavy wooden doors and into my inner sanctum.
“Yes, Mistress.” She smiled softly and I winked at her.
“I’m going to make my rounds before I check on him. I want him on edge before I finally go to him.”
“Always keep them on edge. It gives you the upper hand.” She remarked, remembering one of my many rules.
“That’s right, my pet.” She beamed at me with pride clear on her beautiful face.
Pushing open the doors, I walked into the club and watched as all eyes turned toward me. With a subtle nod of my head, my guests went back to their conversations, some with their pets on leashes and others looking for their evening’s fun. Perception wasn’t a BDSM club, per se, but more of an open-minded club where people are free to express their individual kinks in a safe place.
I had gained a reputation of being a stern Mistress, but I was fair. Allowing my guests to play, giving them a safe outlet to express themselves, left little discipline to be doled out. With the constant flow of tourists and eager locals, there was always a full house.
Moving through the crowd, a newer guest walked up, bowing her head slightly as she approached. “Mistress, may I speak with you for a moment?”
“Of course. Let’s get a drink.” I instructed, needing the liquid courage before I approached Gideon. I couldn’t let anyone see how he affected me, or I feared they would all see through the unsteady foundation I had built my life on.
Listening to her ask a few questions and proper protocol for approaching a new partner, I slipped my hand into hers and walked her down the hallway to the closed door at the end. With a single knock, the door opened, and I handed her off to the Dungeon Master, relaying my instructions to them both and watching as she approached the man she was interested in spending time with. I might be shit at my own love life but helping someone else open themselves up so they could experience the true pleasures of life had been my motivating factor when I opened Perception.
After quick introductions, she was guided into one of my private playrooms and I turned to leave the Dungeon. Just as I stepped out of the doorway, I walked face first into a solid wall of muscle and brought my hands up to catch myself from falling. Strong hands gently gripped my upper arms, steadying me.
Looking up, my eyes met the sexy smirk of Gideon Mathews. I should have dropped my hands and sent him back to my booth, but as hard as I tried, I couldn’t seem to remove my hands from his toned chest. His intoxicating scent was surrounding me, reminding me of every moment we spent together, exploring each other.
“If coming in here was what it took to get you back in my arms, I would have followed you a year ago.” He husked, his eyes alight with lust and need.
I could feel his thick cock pressing against my stomach, and I wanted nothing more than for him to sink himself balls deep inside of me and help the loneliness disappear. I pushed back from him and he released his grip, allowing me the space I needed. I refused to let him, or anyone here, see the vulnerable part of me I kept hidden, using Mistress Alexandria to cover the wounds.
“It would take more than a little stalking to get me back in your arms.” I replied and walked to my booth.
I could feel him following me, all eyes in the club watching us as I slid into the booth and he followed, dropping the gossamer curtains over the front, giving us the privacy we would need. Locking eyes with him, I sat there, waiting for an explanation on why he was here.
Chapter Two
Gideon
Watching her thick, juicy ass sway in her tight red dress had my cock throbbing with need. Every time I looked at her, I remembered her moaning my name as she came apart, bouncing and writhing on my length. After our night together, I wanted more but soon realized; she wasn’t exactly who she said she was.
I had been staying in a suite at my cousin Anthony’s casino, looking for a way to make my fortune in Las Vegas. This town was made for easy money and I was ready to make my mark. Having been raised as the illegitimate son of Frankie Morellis meant I was clean, but my money wasn’t. My mom had sent me away when the Feds started breathing down my father’s neck and with me, the bulk of the cash he had given to her throughout my life.
I didn’t know about his illegal activities growing up, only that he rarely came around and Mom said I was better off without him in my life. I never understood what she meant until she got sick my senior year of college and he explained his absence in my life. She had been a mistress of his and when she became pregnant, he promised to take care of us but would never be a part of our lives. He already had a family. His words. Bastard.
After he explained he wouldn’t be there, she moved and raised me alone, while she struggled for everything we had. I never understood why she didn’t spend the money he gave her and she refused to answer the question. No one knew I was connected to him and that kept me free of the legal trouble that swirled around him and my two half-brothers. They didn’t know about me and when I disappeared, so did the money.
Anthony wanted nothing to do with the cash until I explained to him how I was trying to start
fresh and as far as I knew, the money was clean. His father and my mother were siblings and with some hesitation, he agreed to help me. Reinventing myself, Anthony introduced me to the right people who helped me establish myself in the casinos.
He and a few of his friends helped me gamble the cash to clean, factoring in the amount the IRS would flag and staggering the payouts to look legit. I worked full time making my mark on Las Vegas, and with it, I rightfully gained a reputation for being a ladies’ man.
It took close to a year for me to become respectable in the eyes of the right players in the city and after some research, I was presented with an opportunity to buy some land on the Strip for a steal. With a little money in the right palms, they handed me my building permits for my casino in record time and I was on my path to riches.
I had a few financiers who wanted to invest, but I refused. The Double Down might not be the biggest or the flashiest casino on the Strip, but when it was finished, it would be all mine. The plans were drawn up and I was eager for the construction to start. My mom gave me a chance to have a real life and I was grateful for every sacrifice she made. I was still hopeful she would move out here with me, but she insisted the retirement community she lived at down in Florida was paradise.
It was my last night in town before I went back home to finalize some last pieces of business. I was looking to blow off some steam after the crazy ride I had been on with watching the Feds arrest my family. Not that any of them would claim me if they even knew about me. Heading down to the hotel bar, my eyes were immediately drawn to the Latin beauty with the amazing tattoos sitting alone, nursing a drink. She turned her head and I was struck by her amazing brown eyes, the color of an autumn leaf shining in the waning afternoon sun. She had a sad smile on her face, and I knew I had to make her happy, even if only for a minute.
Call My Bluff Page 35