Obsession: Seven Vices Series

by Blythe, Emily

  “And the other component?” Julian asked.

  The woman smiled. “The Gold Room. Follow me.” We followed the guide through the greeting room to a huge painting that hung in a thick gold frame on the far side. The picture was a landscape portrait of the house, and it’s surrounding land from a long time ago. She pushed on the edge of the frame, and to our surprise, the painting was a secret door. It swung inward, revealing a darkened passage on the other side.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Lola

  Our guide led us through a dimly lit passageway. At the end of the corridor was an opening. Warm, flickering light flooded through the doorway, lighting up the dark floral wallpaper of the passage. Before we stepped into whatever lay beyond the threshold, our guide stopped. “This is the Gold Room.” She stood aside, allowing us to walk in ahead of her.

  When I stepped into the room, I was hit by the confronting sight of exposed flesh. Naked men and women were strewn about the place in all manner of positions, some coupled, others in groups as they explored each other’s bodies. Some sat dressed on the sidelines as they watched and chatted.

  The only light source was the hundreds of candles clustered throughout the room. The space itself was adorned with gold gilding and luxurious jewel-tone fabrics. Ottomans, beds, and various soft furnishings were distributed throughout. Seating around the edges of the room was perfectly positioned for admiring the view.

  It was a scene more suited to an ancient harem, from a far off time and place, than a mansion in upstate New York. It was intoxicating, and so wildly out of my comfort zone that I was partially frozen. I couldn’t keep my eyes on what was unfolding in front of me, but I dared not look away. I dared not look at Julian.

  What would he be thinking?

  What on earth did we get ourselves into?

  The guide continued with the tour. “In here, there is no pressure to take part. Everyone is free to experiment as they please. There is no such thing as possession, although consent is mandatory.”

  At the front of the room, a thirty-something redhead stood before a row of naked men who seemed to be vying for her attention. She walked down the line, evaluating each one like she was perusing the aisles of a department store.

  “What is she doing?” I asked.

  “That’s The Ritual. It’s a tradition from the early days of The Reunion. Back when this event first started, it was a little more difficult to encourage women to attend. Society was more conservative. Not to mention, women were often subject to unpleasant advances and felt very little control over their ability to choose or deny their mate. So, The Ritual was created to give women that power. Inside this room, they choose.”

  She continued on. “Should a woman choose to participate, she can ask a guide, like me, to adjudicate The Ritual. Any eligible man who desires her lines up so that the young lady can make her choice. No one can question her decision. She is in charge.”

  The redhead stopped in front of a muscular man at least ten years her junior. She raked her eyes over him and then nodded to a woman standing to one side.

  “Our staff are available at all times to cater to the needs of guests.” She looked between Julian and I. “Should you need me, I’ll be in the main foyer, but any of our ladies will assist you. Just look for the blue dress.”

  With that, our mysterious guide left us standing alone in the Gold Room. For the first time since we’d entered, I dared to look at Julian. He seemed to have kept his cool, but I couldn’t help but notice the red hue which crept up his neck, causing a flush in his cheeks.

  He let out a long, controlled breath and then turned to me. “I suppose we should see if Cole’s in here somewhere. Although I’m not too excited about seeing his saggy balls in all their glory.”

  I tried to laugh, but it was hard given the intensity of the surrounding atmosphere.

  “Let’s get on with it. We should--” Julian opened his mouth to speak again, but he was distracted by a couple just a few feet away.

  A tall, slender woman was on all fours, giving enthusiastic head to her male partner.

  He jerked his head away as if he’d been lost in a trance. There was a slight twitching in his jaw. “Maybe it’s a good idea for us to split up. Let’s wander around and see what we can find and then meet back here. If Cole isn’t here, I guess this whole thing is a bust.”

  I nodded. That was a good idea. It was uncomfortable enough being in there with all those naked people, let alone being within arms reach of Julian while looking at them.

  We split up, and each took a side of the room, wandering slowly around the outside. Occasionally, my eyes met with Julian’s from across the room. He was focused on finding Cole, but at the same time, he seemed fascinated. Or maybe, like me, he was trying to take it all in. All I know was that when our eyes met, it sent a flutter of heat down my core, and I had to look away.

  Once we had done a full circle of the room, it became apparent that Cole was, in fact, a no show.

  As I was preparing to go find Julian, I recognized the face of a woman seated on a sofa nearby. She nursed a glass of wine, and unlike those around her, she was fully clothed. She was absorbed in watching a group of three in front of her, who were pleasuring each other with their mouths.

  It was Yasmin, an escort from the agency and Cole’s favorite. I sat down next to her. A waiter came by and offered me a drink, and I gladly took it. I threw the red wine down my throat in one gulp.

  “I think you’d have to get me drunk as shit to do that,” I said to Yasmin, as we watched one man lapping at a woman’s breasts, while another had his head between her legs. The woman arched her back, moaning wildly.

  Yasmin glanced at me with a flash of recognition in her eyes. “Not me. I don’t think I could ever do it.” She took another sip of wine. “I enjoy watching, though…”

  We exchanged a knowing smile.

  “It is.… hard to look away,” I said.

  Yasmin smiled. “You’re new, aren’t you?”

  I nodded.

  “You’re here with Julian?” She glanced toward Julian, who was observing our interaction from the back of the room.

  “Yes, it’s our first time.” I gestured to the waiter to bring me another drink. “I understand that you’ve been on a few dates with Cole Gallagher? I recently went out with him too.”

  Yasmin grimaced. “I honestly can’t stand the guy.”

  “Is he here tonight?”

  “No. He went to Boston. I’m sure he’ll be at the next one. He usually comes to these things.”

  “Look, I know this will probably sound kind of weird, but you don’t know anything about a girl named Hannah, do you? An escort that Cole used to know about ten years ago.”

  Yasmin looked at me, quizzically. “No, the name doesn’t ring a bell. Why?”

  “Nothing serious. She’s a friend who I’ve lost contact with. Thought you might have heard of her through Cole.”

  “Well, no…” She looked thoughtfully. “But I know someone who probably does.”

  “Who?”

  “Cole’s old personal assistant. He fired her a few weeks ago, but when she was still working for Cole, I met her several times. She was super nice to me. Which was surprising… I still have her number. You can probably get in touch with her to find out about your friend. She knows everything about him and who he sleeps with.”

  I grinned. “That would be amazing. Thank you.”

  Yasmin pulled out her phone and gave me the number, which I promptly programmed into my cell phone.

  Yasmin rose from the sofa. “It was nice to meet you, Lola. I better go find my client, he’ll be wondering where I am.”

  We exchanged warm smiles, and then she sashayed away.

  Once she left, Julian took her place beside me on the sofa. “What happened?”

  I explained to him what Yasmin had told me. “Maybe we can meet the personal assistant. If anyone’s going to know about his life, it’s probably her.”

 
Julian nodded. “Good work. That’s a solid lead.” He seemed relieved, which made me feel more relaxed too. It had been a disappointment to us both when we realized that Cole wasn’t there.

  A waiter came by with champagne. Julian declined at first until I convinced him that we got what we came for, and he should just relax. After a moment of hesitation, he took a drink. We sat back on the sofa, discussing what we might ask Cole’s former personal assistant if we got the chance to speak with her.

  With a little help from the alcohol, we both loosened up. The conversation eventually petered out, and we found ourselves merely taking in our surroundings. The threesome in front of us was now fully underway. The woman sat on top of one of the men, grinding her hips into his as she rode him. The other man kneeled beside her, kissing her passionately. It was hypnotizing.

  It wasn’t like watching pornography, because this was one hundred percent real. Real people, with real attraction and desire — and absolutely no inhibitions. I envied the woman’s lack of self-consciousness, and even more so, her ability to give in to her passion, no matter the consequences.

  “You like watching.” Julian’s voice sounded deeper than usual.

  I took my eyes off the threesome and looked at him.

  “Well…” I didn’t know how to answer.

  He chuckled. “It’s okay. You’re allowed to be curious. You’re even allowed to like it. I’m not judging you.” He took a gulp of champagne and switched his attention back to the woman’s bouncing breasts as she gyrated on top of the man’s hips.

  “Seems like I’m not the only one,” I said, regarding his own inability to look away.

  I almost couldn’t believe that I’d said it. How much wine had I had?

  Julian smiled but didn’t take his eyes off the scene in front of us. “Do you think I’m a monk, Lola?”

  I bit my lip. “I assume you find ways to satisfy yourself. But if it’s not with the escorts, and you haven’t been in a relationship…”

  Julian leaned back into the sofa, turning his attention back to me. “I find ways of satisfying myself. Just not through the agency. I could never pay a woman to have sex with me. That doesn’t turn me on. If I’m having sex with someone, I want to know that she wants me just as much as I want her. Whether or not the escort is into me, it’s still a transaction, and that’s just not my style.”

  Muscles deep in my abdomen tensed. I felt the urge to squeeze my thighs together. I squirmed, hoping it wasn’t apparent that I was turned on by the thought of him satisfying his sexual desires.

  “So, one-night stands. I take it?”

  Julian took another drink. “Yeah. It’s not the same, but it satisfies the beast.”

  I swallowed. The beast? Was that what his sexual appetite was like?

  I can’t say I hadn’t thought about it… whether he was a timid lover, or headstrong. Whether he liked it soft and sensual or hard and passionate. It was a thought I’d kicked around more than once in my mind.

  We held each other’s gaze for what felt like a minute without speaking. His eyes were unreadable. It reminded me of the night he kissed me in the design studio. But this time, instead of letting go like he did that night, he dashed all hope immediately.

  “We should get going. We have what we came for.” He got up from the sofa and offered me his hand.

  I looked at him, hesitant. He just wanted to leave? The atmosphere in the room was so heady, and sitting here with him, was such a seductive idea that I almost didn’t want to go.

  That’s when Minty’s words from just a few days earlier repeated in my mind.

  “Don’t get your heart involved…”

  “Every client is a little bit broken—all of them. Otherwise, they wouldn’t need us.”

  She was right. I took Julian’s hand and let him lead me out of the Gold Room.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Lola

  It was past midnight by the time the driver dropped me back to my apartment building.

  We were both quiet on the ride home. My mind swirled with the sounds and images of sensuous bodies lost in their pleasure. I wasn’t sure if that was why Julian was preoccupied too, but one thing was for sure, all I wanted to do was to curl up in my bed and be alone. Away from all that stimulation and sexual tension.

  As we said goodbye, Julian and I agreed to set up a meeting with Cole’s former personal assistant sometime that week. We had our hopes pinned on it.

  I exited the vehicle and walked toward the entrance of my apartment building. I stopped in my tracks when I saw a lonely figure leaning up against the brick wall outside.

  “Noah, what are you doing here?” I asked.

  Noah pushed himself off the wall and came toward me. “Hey, I just wanted to come say hi. We haven’t spoken in a while.” He seemed downcast. His eyes were dull, and his voice monotone. Something was off.

  He took in my appearance, the gown, the makeup, the hair.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Where have you been?”

  I adjusted my dress, so my thigh wasn’t so exposed. “Just an event for work.”

  “Oh… The real estate agency.”

  “Yeah.”

  I wanted to change the subject as quickly as possible. I couldn’t help but notice he was taken aback, seeing me like this. I wasn’t known for dressing sexy. My style was more relaxed than that, so I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking.

  “Do you want to come upstairs?” I asked.

  He nodded and followed me inside.

  When we got inside my apartment, Lillian and Aspen were asleep, so we went into my room to avoid making too much noise. I grabbed a change of clothes and tiptoed into the bathroom to get out of the dress and remove my make up.

  When I came back into my room, Noah was sitting on the bed. He glanced up at me. His eyes were a distinctive red as if he’d been crying. Something was wrong. I sat next to him. “Hey, Noah, what’s going on? Something’s up with you.”

  Noah cleared his throat. “It’s nothing.”

  “That’s a lie.” I shoved him in the shoulder. “Come on, tell me. I’ve never seen you like this.”

  He slowly looked up at me, his eyes becoming glassier by the second. “It’s Nina and I. We broke up. Well, technically, I caught her giving a blow job to the pianist from her band when I dropped by her rehearsal space unexpectedly. That was sort of it for me.”

  “Shit.” My heart ached for him. He truly cared for her. I’d never seen him this broken up over a girl before.

  I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and brought him close to me. We stayed like that for a few moments, before Noah lifted his head and looked me square in the eye. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been around much lately. With Nina… I guess I kind of lost myself in her.” He rubbed my forearm.

  “You don’t need to be sorry. I’m here for you, no matter what. You can’t drive me away,” I replied, in an effort to comfort him.

  Noah’s expression warmed as he moved his hand up to my jaw. “You’ve always been there for me, Lola-pop.” His eyes were unreadable.

  Without warning, he leaned in and took my mouth into a kiss. Not a friendly kiss, but a deep kiss. His tongue begged for entrance into my mouth.

  I couldn’t process what was happening, it was so unexpected. Noah was kissing me. It was everything that I’d always wanted…

  So how come it felt so awkward? So uncomfortable.

  I jerked my head away, pushing him lightly off me with my palm against his chest. “What are you doing?”

  “Isn’t this what you want?” He leaned in again, but this time I held him back so he couldn’t get close.

  “I… don’t think so.” I stuttered. “No.”

  Noah looked confused and pulled back.

  “Shit.” He stared at the wall behind me. I could tell he was embarrassed.

  When he looked back at me, he seemed more uncertain than ever.

  “I should go.” He grabbed his jacket and headed for the bedroom door.

>   “No, Noah.” I tried to stop him. “Don’t be like that.”

  “It’s fine…” He looked at me one last time before he walked out, a look of regret etched on his face. “I’ll see you around.”

  There was nothing I could do. I knew his ego was bruised.

  Deflated, I crawled into my bed and tried to comprehend what just happened. How had things become so complicated, so quickly? And why did that kiss with Noah feel like I was kissing my brother?

  Why did it feel flat when he was something that I’d wanted for so long?

  I couldn’t help but wonder if it was because I was comparing it to something else.

  Another kiss. One that was far from flat. A kiss that made me throb between my legs and made everything around me inconsequential.

  A kiss I might never get again… because the man who gave it to me was far too broken to ever be mine.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Julian

  I didn’t know why I was nervous.

  Was it because I was finally meeting with Cole’s former personal assistant? Or because I was seeing Lola again for the first time since The Reunion? That night was wild. Something I’d never forget. I’d been to some crazy parties in my time… but that place was a trip.

  If Lola wasn’t there and if I hadn’t had a job to do… might I have been tempted to join in? I didn’t know. Though, something didn’t sit well with me—the fact that it was even more exciting because Lola seemed to enjoy it too. She couldn’t take her pure eyes away, and I swear I saw her squeezing her thighs together. Before that, I would never have imagined she’d be into that kind of thing. She always seems so… innocent, I guess.

  The thought of her giving in to her base instincts… Let’s just say it had entered my mind more than once since that night. Particularly when I was alone in my bed, trying to sleep. Why the hell did she come to my mind then?