by Faith Starr
Nor did I enjoy his sarcasm. My motives with Jordin Turner were my business and my business only.
“Is there anything else you would like to discuss?” The topic of Jordin Turner was now off the table.
“Yes. I brought some résumés to show you.” He leaned forward, handing me a folder.
While browsing through the stack, I pulled out the ones I thought had potential. I brought them over to the large oak conference table where I took a seat. “Why don’t we go through the qualified candidates together?”
Derek joined me.
“What’re you two looking at?” Mitch strolled casually into the office.
“We’re hiring a bouncer and going through résumés.”
His mouth fell open. “Is there a reason I wasn’t included in this decision?”
“It seems your extracurricular activities are proving to be more important than the club’s, and we have a business to run.” In my world, business was business, even when family was involved.
“Fuck that, Noah. I’m a partner in this club, and I have a right to be included in the decision-making process.”
“In reality, you only hold a twenty percent stake, which we only agreed to because you’re family, and your other career choices weren’t working out too well.” Derek raised his hand to clarify this point.
Personally, he could have ditched the gesture and still gotten his point across.
“I still have a stake, so therefore, I have a say.”
“Then show us your motivation. All we see is you in and out of here without any notice. We have members who pay a fortune to be here. They request certain Doms to partake in their fantasies. We can’t keep making excuses for why you’re not around.” I added in my two cents. Did he not see things the way we did?
“So is this person you’re planning on hiring a replacement?”
“Not a replacement, an addition.” I wasn’t about to jerk his chain, but it was imperative for him to know how important his role was in the club.
“Is he going to do scenes?” He posed the question to me.
“No. A bouncer’s a bouncer and a Dom’s a Dom.”
“And who’s going to fill in for me and Derek, if need be, since you want out of the rooms?”
Oh no. I wasn’t about to let him turn this on me. I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms, pissed I needed to defend myself. “Right now we’d be happy if you showed up for scenes. But we also need a reliable bouncer to man the fantasy suites, so Derek can move around. If it gets to the point where we find we need to hire another Dom, we’ll deal with that when the situation calls for it.”
“Why do I feel like the two of you are trying to shut me out?” He looked back and forth between me and Derek, using his pointer finger to follow his eye movements.
“You’re the only one shutting yourself out.” I leaned forward and rested my elbow on the table, with my head lounging on my fist. This was becoming a fucking therapy session.
“What the fuck does that mean?” He grabbed the empty chair next to Derek, slamming the armrest against the edge of the wood table when he sat. He pulled the chair in, scraping the legs against the travertine floor.
Take it easy! Those chairs cost us a fortune. And so did the floors.
There was no reason to add more fuel to the fire, so I let it be. This song and dance was getting old. “It means you’ve quit every job you’ve ever had because they were too much work for you. As long as Mom and Dad keep bailing you out, you’re never going to get with the program. We won’t make excuses for you here. You have to prove yourself like everyone else. We told you when we agreed to take you on as a partner that you’d only start out with a small percentage of shares so we could see your dedication to the club. It’s already been quite some time, and we don’t see much proof of any.”
“First of all, Noah, they’re not your parents. And second of all, fuck both of you. If Dad didn’t help fund this club, it wouldn’t even be in existence.”
Ouch. His words hurt. I breathed deeply and sat back. His comment hit hard.
“Enough, Mitch.” Derek stepped in, obviously sensing my sudden withdrawal.
“No, man, I’m tired of him pulling all the strings around here.”
He wouldn’t acknowledge me, his focus solely on Derek. Motherfucker. He knew he had shoved a knife into an already deep wound.
“You know damn well he’s the most qualified one of us to run the financial part of the club.”
“A degree doesn’t make you qualified.”
“I’m not going to argue a moot point, Mitch. Either shit or get off the pot.” I rose in frustration and paced in front of the conference table. I was too agitated to sit still any longer. “If you want us to take you seriously as a partner, then prove yourself as one.”
“Fine, I want to see the résumés.” He reached his hand out toward the pile we’d been looking at.
Derek handed him the papers. “Be our guest.”
“If you agree with our choices, we’ll have Tasha call them in to meet with us personally.” I walked over to my desk to grab my can of soda. Not that I needed the caffeine right now.
As far as I was concerned this meeting was adjourned. I sat behind my desk and spun the chair around so I could file more folders.
Once Derek and Mitch finished going through the CVs together, they approached my desk and stood in front of it like two idiots.
“I’m sorry.” Mitch had a tinge of guilt filling his words.
He appeared and sounded sincere in his apology, but it didn’t change the fact that his words still stung. What he had said was the reality of the situation. They weren’t my real brothers, and Phil and Jenny Dorian weren’t my biological parents.
“It’s all good.” Maybe one day it would actually feel that way.
“How about hitting the gym?” It was his way of trying to make peace.
“Sure.” The only reason I agreed was because a good workout would probably help relieve the tension in my body. Tension I didn’t want to feel when Jordin came for her visit, which was only a few short hours away.
7
Jordin
Tasha looked lovely wearing an above-the-knee linen skirt and matching jacket.
“Noah should be here for you shortly. He’s going to attend the service with you so he can answer any questions you might have.” She walked behind her desk and sat down, immediately busying herself with stacks of papers lying on top of it.
“That’s very nice of him.” I took occupancy in an empty chair on the side of it.
“He can be a nice guy when he wants to be, but don’t let him know I told you so.”
Her hushed voice and conspiratorial smile made me smile in return.
“And by the way, you, in that dress, are definitely going to turn heads tonight.” Her eyebrows rose in satisfaction, causing warmth to spread across my face.
“I agree with Tasha’s opinion.”
What? I snapped my head around to find Noah standing in the doorway to his office. Let’s hear it for whiplash. I rubbed my neck while springing to my feet. “I didn’t see you standing there.”
“Here I am.”
The way he stood with his hands tucked into his pockets was frickin’ hot. He truly was a sight to see sporting slacks and a dress shirt. I was glad I had chosen to wear the dress.
“So I’m a nice guy? Why don’t we keep that tidbit of information between us?”
His crooked grin lit up his blue eyes and warmed my rapidly beating heart. And his dimples? Don’t ask. They were adorable.
Take a deep breath.
“I wasn’t quite sure what to wear.” What the hell? My comment was off topic and sounded stupid. I wiped the back of my hand against my neck, feeling a bit clammy all of a sudden.
“It looks to me like you made the perfect choice.”
Obviously so by the way his eyes gave me a thorough once-over.
“Shall we go?” His hand waited for me.
Breathe.
&n
bsp; Slowly, I walked toward him, hoping the warmth in my cheeks didn’t give anything away about my internal state of affairs, which had already passed the dangerously high level on the desire scale.
Instead of placing his hand in mine, he placed it on my back, which sent lightning rods of ecstasy throughout my body. I didn’t think there was room on the meter to get any higher than it already was. He proved my thought wrong. Oh dear Lord, please give me strength tonight.
“You may ask any questions you like after the ceremony. The couple has chosen a few close friends to witness the service. A play celebration will follow. If anything gets beyond your comfort level, all you have to do is say the word, and I’ll escort you out of the dungeon.”
“Like a safe word?”
“Sure. Like a safe word.”
I could tell he was satisfied with my reply by his grin.
We stepped inside a large room where about twenty guests stood in a circle. The submissive was kneeling on a lamb’s wool rug in front of her Dom, who was dressed in slacks and a long-sleeved button-down. She looked lovely in her simple ivory-colored tunic. I studied them for a moment because other than the submissive bowing down in front of her partner, they came across as any other couple.
Noah made space for us in the circle so I could have a better view.
A man standing next to the happy couple began the service by reciting some words, which were followed by both the Dom and sub saying their vows to each other. I sensed the emotional bond between them. I kind of lost myself as they pledged their commitment to each other. Their words were extremely heartfelt. Unexpected tears slid down my cheeks. I wiped them away, others in the group doing the same to their own.
Once the vows were completed, the Dom placed a gold necklace around his sub’s neck, and the crowd cheered. I think I was a little overzealous with my applause, but I didn’t care. It was a celebration.
“Ready for a party?” Noah looked at me with a hint of flirtation.
Oh yeah, the party. I had forgotten all about that part. And why did he have to stand so close to me? His warm breath heated up a body already on overdrive. More importantly, what was it about him that was getting to me this way? Whatever it was, I had to block it. As much as I wanted it to, nothing could come of me and Noah Dorian. We were two different people who lived completely different lives.
There was his touch again. Ah. The things he could do to me with that hand, the one now holding mine. Stop daydreaming and pay attention. I guess focusing on the happy couple wouldn’t hurt since my sole purpose at this event was to learn something, and it wasn’t to find out how attracted I was to Noah Dorian.
Upon entering the dungeon, I took a deep breath. Derek and another man, whom I presumed to be Mitch, actively monitored the room.
Noah still had my hand in his, intentional or not, I wasn’t sure, but man, was his grip strong and protective. The most amazing part was my hand fit perfectly in his, kind of like Cinderella’s foot did in her slipper. Ah. How romantic. Stop fantasizing.
I let go of his hand.
The Dom, sub, and another man stepped over to a bench. I found it interesting to see how the men worked together to tie her down.
“She’s allowed to be with another man after just being collared?” I hoped nobody heard me. I spoke as quietly as I could.
Noah leaned in to respond. Too close actually. His shoulder touching mine didn’t help matters either. It caused my heart to race, like I had just run a mile, my breaths rapid and short. And every time I inhaled, the scent of his cologne mixed with the oxygen in the air, caused me to go deeper into a trancelike state. “If that’s something they both agreed upon, then the answer is yes.”
It was my hope that swallowing would snap me out of this spell—the one he had put me under when his lips grazed my ear while answering my question.
“Do you think they would allow me to ask them a few questions before they leave tonight?” I took a step to the left for my own sanity. And even that wasn’t far enough away to not be affected by Noah.
“I’m sure they wouldn’t mind at all since they agreed to allow you to witness their vows.”
He seemed clueless about me unraveling in front of his very eyes unless it was deliberate on his part. And if it was, he was good. I could only imagine how good he was. Get your mind out of the gutter.
“Aah! Aah!”
A loud chant had me scanning the room to find its owner. A woman partially strapped to a bench screamed out in pleasure as her orgasm overtook her, her body shaking and trembling on top of the table. Her Dom placed a gag in her mouth to silence her then continued to bind her.
Her lids were heavy with desire, her chest rising and falling in anticipation of what he would do next. I, on the other hand, thought his actions looked painful. I closed my eyes, waiting until I faced Noah before opening them.
“Feeling shy?”
I’m glad he found this so entertaining.
“Not used to seeing that type of display is all.”
“I feel confident you’ll inform me if it gets to be too much.”
All joking aside, Noah sounded sincere this time around.
“I think I can handle it.” My false assurance was mostly for my benefit.
My nerves were shot, a result of being both in an uncomfortable situation and feeling somewhat aroused by the displays taking place in front of me.
“From the conversations we’ve had over the phone, you told me this isn’t the only type of clientele you serve here at Hilltops. Is that correct?” A change of subject was in order. A change of scenery wouldn’t hurt either.
“Yes. It is. While we cater to the BDSM crowd, we also cater to couples looking to explore more in their sexual relationships, like Lacy.”
“Hmm.”
“Come. I’ll show you.”
“Excuse me?” I did a double take.
“I know you’ve already seen the viewing room, but let me show you the other portion of the club. Unless you have something else in mind?”
Huh? I definitely wasn’t imagining things. Noah was totally flirting with me. I was in big trouble.
“I would like to see more of the club.” I kept a straight face, not about to give him an inch.
Again, he placed his palm against the small of my back. One would think my body would be capable of building up immunity to the side effects of him doing so. Nope. No such luck.
He led me to the area where I had watched his and Lacy’s scene.
“Is anyone scheduled to be in this area tonight?”
“There are a few rooms occupied, which is why there are lights on above the doors.”
Glancing up, I spotted what he referred to.
“I can show you one that’s empty.”
It looked like a typical living room. There was a black leather couch with a matching loveseat, a glass-and-chrome coffee table, and a bar topped with charcoal-colored granite. A large flat-screen television was mounted on the wall across from the couches. A plush area rug picked up the dark, bold colors in the room. And the artwork? It must’ve cost a fortune. Gorgeous abstracts with glorious colors.
“This doesn’t look like a fantasy room. What’s it used for?” Call me naive, but I didn’t get it. I walked deeper into the room, hoping something magical would happen to clear up my confusion.
“Have you ever seen a fantasy room?” He strolled over to where I stood.
“No.”
“Then how would you know what one looks like? This room can be whatever the guests want it to be used for. If a couple desires a particular fantasy, we set it up for them. We have different rooms set up with a variety of themes, but we can accommodate practically any request.”
“And what if a woman uses her safe word while in a private room and the person she’s with doesn’t stop? If anything can happen, can’t bad things happen as well?”
“Good question. All guests sign safety agreements prior to engaging in any activities in the club. All hard and soft limits
are discussed and agreed upon before play commences. Safety is our primary concern above all else. While we want our members to fulfill their fantasies, it must be done in a safe and consensual manner. Our members are screened and background checks are performed prior to acceptance. We also monitor this area closely. You’ll usually see Derek, Mitch, or one of our security guys roaming the hallway, and there are cameras located throughout the club as well. No guests can enter this area without being checked in, without authorization, or without a reservation. Guests are personally escorted to their reserved rooms where the rules are reviewed and the exit procedures reiterated.”
“Does the staff use these rooms too?”
“Our staff can use all the services we provide. It’s an advantage to working here. Some choose to, while others do not.”
“Do they all engage in this type of lifestyle?” I found it hard to picture sweet little Tasha with her southern hospitality being strapped down to a bench with a gag in her mouth.
“Again, some do and some do not, but it would be fair for me to say that almost all of them engage in some type of play, just to varying degrees.”
“And you?” This was the big question floating around in my mind.
“Are you asking for personal or research reasons?”
If he only knew what his damn cocky smile did to me. Things I would never verbalize to another human.
“I apologize. That question was out of line.” I swiped my brow, feeling somewhat embarrassed by my presumptuousness.
“To answer your question, it all depends on who I’m with and what she favors.”
Good answer.
“How about you?”
Bad question. I took a step back.
“I already told you, I’m not here for personal discovery.” I studied the artwork again, admiring its beauty. And by that I meant the pictures hanging on the walls, anything as an excuse to focus on something other than the magnificent form of art standing nearby.
“And I already told you I don’t agree with you.”
He, on the other hand, looked directly at me, which caused my palms to start sweating again. He took a step toward me. My heart skipped a beat. I felt beyond intimidated.