“Did you ever think about why I was such a jerk to you?” he demanded.
“I figured you’re just a misogynist at heart who couldn’t handle my specific gift.”
“Not hardly. And I didn’t leave because of what you can do.”
“Then why?”
He didn’t answer, but she watched his profile, curious to see how or if she could read him. But the minutes stretched by, and soon it became apparent he wasn’t going to say anything, and she wasn’t sure if it was because they had reached their destination or if he, himself, didn’t know how to articulate what had happened during those two weeks. Because one thing became blatantly clear…there was more to Nash than she had ever thought or ever realized.
Chapter Ten
Music spilled from the dance club, and even this far back in the parking lot, the heavy beat of subwoofers managed to make the air literally hum with vibration. Charlotte could only imagine what it must feel like being inside. God help the fools who found themselves next to the damn things.
They had driven to an industry section of Sikeston, a town about twice the size of Rock Ridge, toward a three-story building that looked like it had been some kind of factory a hundred years ago. The red brick had a weathered appearance, though it was apparent someone had taken great pains to restore the grand structure. The windows were new and polished to a high shine, allowing those on the outside to view the partygoers on the inside. The first floor was an open book. The second and third, however, held nothing but darkened windows.
Danny’s instructions had been clear. Mention the word tiger to the bouncer at the door, and they’d be escorted to a separate floor, their presence already expected.
Nash circled the parked cars before pulling into a nearby alley. He backed up into a particularly dark shadow, allowing them to analyze the surroundings. Charlotte felt her anxiety levels rising, and she really wished she could rescind her agreement to this ludicrous idea.
Nash didn’t say a word as he exited his car and walked around to her side to open the door, holding out his hand to help her out. As soon as possible, she let go but he immediately grabbed for it again. She took a step back, out of his reach.
“Listen,” he rasped, “you have to trust me. We’re supposed to be lovers.”
“And what, pray tell, in our history together makes me able to trust you?”
“Grow up,” he snapped. “This is not a game. We’re walking into a hot situation, and you need to act convincing.”
“I know, Nash. I agreed to this, didn’t I? It’s just…you hurt me so badly,” she whispered. She hadn’t meant to give away her feeling, but that’s how it came out. No use hiding it anymore, she supposed.
The anger drained from his face, and he closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to gain either strength or patience. He took a fortifying breath, planted his hands on his hips, and said, “After our one perfect date, I found out my ex-girlfriend…she sent me an email with a bill. She wanted me to pay for the abortion she had.”
That took her aback. Of all he could have said, she never imagined those words coming out of his mouth.
“Oh,” she said, because she really couldn’t think of anything else to say. She saw him blink a few times in rapid succession.
“That’s how I found out. Because it was more expensive than she thought it was going to be. A fucking bill sent as an email attachment. Not a word from her in weeks, and then out of the blue she wanted me to reimburse her. It was such a…cold reaction to ending a life.”
“Technically, it wasn’t a life,” Charlotte murmured.
“It was to me,” he insisted fiercely. “At the time, I didn’t know how to handle what I was feeling, all the anger and regret and…you happened to be my punching bag. When you broke things off with me, I began to really look at myself, and you were right. I am an ass.”
“Well, I called you that before I knew…this.”
“You asked why, and this is my why.”
She cocked her head. “Most men would be relieved at not paying child support.”
“I’m not most men,” he stated emphatically and then held up his hands. “And before you get all preachy about a woman’s right, I’ll be the first to agree with you. A woman does have the right to choose what’s best for her. But a man…a father…should have the right to know.”
“I would have understood,” she said, her voice tender and soft.
He shook his head. “Looking back, I know I was a bit too old for a temper tantrum, and I’m sorry I hurt you, Charlotte.”
She never thought she’d be able to forgive him for hurting her, but she heard the sorrow in his voice, even if the darkness prevented her from seeing it in his expression. She took a step closer to him and ran a hand over his cheek. He leaned into the caress.
“You shouldn’t do this to me,” she whispered.
“I can’t stay away from you,” he admitted. “Each time Holly mentions your name, I come running.”
“I’m with someone else, Nash. He’s a good man.”
“I could be a good man.”
He placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her into his body. In surprise, her arms came up to keep a wedge between them. Her hands rested on his chest, and she could feel his heat burning through his shirt, his muscles ripping with every breath he took. It rendered her thoughtless, and before she could gather her wits and process what was happening, his mouth swooped down and covered hers.
The kiss was everything a kiss should be, thrilling and hot beyond compare. It took her right back to when she’d first met him, when everything had felt right. His lips were demanding as he licked and softly bit her bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth. She gasped, and that allowed his tongue to swoop in and dance with hers. He tasted like sin, and she wanted more
“Charlotte,” he moaned as he broke the kiss to lick his way down her neck. “I want to do the wrong thing, the bad thing. I want to take you against this wall, hike your skirt up, and fuck you until we both burst at the seams.”
The words sent her up on flames. She wiggled until he was forced to back up until her shoulders hit the exact wall he just mentioned. He claimed her lips again, sliding his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers, the rhythm of the kiss mimicking his hips. His cock was an impressive steel rod rooted against the very spot she craved him. But he seemed to sense what she needed, and his hand traveled down her body, over her aching breasts and puckered nipples, to where her shirt tucked into her skirt.
“Do you see?” he asked, demanded really, his voice heavy with sexual need. “Do you understand?”
His fingers pulled down the zipper, giving the extra room for his hand to slide under her clothes. He traced the elastic lace of her panties and followed it around to where the material cupped her mound. It didn’t take it long for him to find her pussy wet and waiting.
As soon as he touched her clit, she just about jumped out of her skin. As his middle finger pushed into her, his index finger rubbed the nexus of nerves, her hips finding the rhythm as she went up in flames.
“Holy shit, so wet,” he muttered, his breathing hot and heavy against her neck. “So fucking wet.”
“Nash, I need…oh god!”
“I know what you need, baby,” he told her. “Let me give it to you.”
She could no longer contain her climax. She was nothing but tinder that needed a match. He set the spark, and she exploded, riding his fingers as he swallowed up her passionate cry of release.
“That’s it,” he breathed against her mouth. “Come for me, baby. Give me your cream.”
She humped his hand, her vaginal walls milking her orgasm. As she slowly filtered back to reality, Nash removed his hand from her but kept his hard body pressed against hers. Her eyes cracked open, and she watched as he licked his finger. Her heart thumped heavily when she realized he was licking her.
“Nash,” she murmured.
“Shh,” he said, placing his moist yet clean finger against her lips.
“I know the next words out of your mouth are going to berate me, so give me this moment, Charlotte. Because if I could go back and change things, I would be taking you to bed tonight instead of Jonas. It would be me loving you, me taking care of you, me worshiping your body. But all I have is this moment, this stolen time with you, so give it to me, please, because I know this is all of you I’m going to have.”
Their eyes met, and he leaned forward, capturing her lips for one more kiss. But instead of pulling away, she twirled her arms around his neck, pulling him close. She knew that in a few minutes she was going to have regrets and have to face the repercussions of being seduced by her own sexual urges, but for the moment all she wanted to feel was Nash’s kiss.
But all too quickly, they had to come up for air. She could feel he was still aroused, almost painfully by the way his pants bulged out in the crotch. Her pussy contracted, wanting desperately to feel his hard cock driving into her with wild abandon. It was almost like a drug, the craving sharp and intense.
“Am I a terrible person?” she asked and wondered if he could understand that the question had more to do with Jonas than what had just transpired between them.
“No,” he whispered and kissed her forehead. He moved to her ear so she could hear more clearly. “No.”
And then he traveled to her lips, where he once again said, “No.”
He lingered against her mouth. She knew he was stealing time and couldn’t fault him, because she was doing the same. Finally, though, the moment had to end.
“Let’s go,” he whispered and took her hand. This time she didn’t pull away, and instead she gripped back tightly.
Jonas tried to sneak into her thoughts, but she pushed him down. Right now, this moment, it was all about Nash. Even the reality that they were about to investigate in a den of sexuality for a killer didn’t compute. Nash had been her first love, and now she was able to be with him, to imagine a what-if moment in time. If he’d been able to express what he’d been feeling, if his ex hadn’t betrayed him, if he’d only shared with her, then maybe they would have ended up happily ever after.
But that couldn’t happen now because she loved Jonas, too. He had become her rock. It was not time for guilt. That would come later, and she fully intended telling Jonas about this sexual lapse with Nash. It broke her heart, though, that she could never be with Nash, that her love for him would have to be pushed to some far corner of her heart.
And forgotten.
Chapter Eleven
When the elevator opened, Charlotte had a hard time preventing her mouth from falling open in shock. The music from the dance club downstairs had been piped up to a normal decibel, allowing the throng of people mingling in the foyer that also seemed to double as a reception area to talk and flirt comfortably.
And boy, there was a lot of flirting going on. As Nash led her forward, Charlotte eyed about half a dozen young girls, dressed in the provocative outfits from her vision, hitting on twice as many men. It made her want to throw up because there wasn’t any doubt what the girls were there to accomplish.
Yet as debauched as the gathering was, the décor belied any cheap, tawdry dealings. Instead, the posh furnishing brought a touch of suave sophistication. Her appreciative eye took in the rich mahogany wainscoting, the pearl-white walls with elaborate crown molding, and the polished marble flooring. The large mirror that hung over the credenza revealed her shocked face, highlighted by the crystal chandelier overhead.
This was not the shady little sex club she had imagined. No, this was high-class style. This was the result of someone who made a helluva lot of money by displaying and promoting sex and sexual fetishes.
Then, as if by magic, the sea of bodies parted to allow a blonde woman to walk toward them. Her makeup highlighted the paleness of her features and the blue of her eyes, while the deep-red lipstick gave her a vintage Hollywood look, like Jean Harlow or Carole Lombard. She wore a tailored business suit, the slim lines of her skirt forcing her to walk slowly while her four-inch-high stilettos put a sexy swag in her body language. Her cloud of perfume, something light and airy, engulfed them even before she had fully arrived.
It did not escape Charlotte’s notice that she wore Christian Louboutins. As inconspicuously as possible, she wiped the drool off the corner of her mouth.
“Hello,” the woman greeted, holding out her hand. “Welcome to the Here After Club. I’m the owner, Cecelia Duwhite.”
“What a lovely name,” Nash said as he took her hand gently, bringing the back of it up to his mouth. “And the club has an interesting one as well.” He pressed a tender kiss against her lily-white skin, and Charlotte had the sudden urge to punch the blonde goddess right in the face.
Cecelia Duwhite smiled as if she’d just received the biggest compliment in the world. She brought her finger up to her lips in a mock gesture of silence. “Shh. Most of our clients are here after their wives fall asleep.”
“Clever,” he acknowledged with a chuckle.
Charlotte now felt like punching him.
“I wanted to personally come and welcome you,” she said, her eyes never straying from Nash. “To make sure you know all the treats the club has to offer. It’s too bad you’ll only have one night of enjoyment with us.”
“Well, that is extremely nice of you. Do all your guests get…you…to greet them?”
The way he’d insinuated the word you had made it sound as if she was exactly what he wanted. Charlotte couldn’t help herself. She used the pointy heel on her fake Jimmy Choos to crunch his foot. With a large amount of satisfaction, she saw his mouth compress as he tried to smother his grimace.
“Danny wanted you to have the perfect experience,” Cecelia reported, glancing back and forth between them. “Both of you. By the way, thank you for taking care of the buy-in fee earlier.”
When Charlotte glanced at him questioningly, he sent her an I’ll tell you later look.
Cecelia clasped her hands together. “As you can see, this is the relaxed meet and greet. Many of our regular clients require a companion for the night. However, for what we offer, companionship isn’t needed.”
“Just a bonus, eh?” she couldn’t help but ask.
Cecelia gave her a thin, icy smile of acknowledgment. “This is the only place in the club where you can talk and choose a companion, if you so wish it. Once you enter the hallways, you will only be allowed to participate with the Master of the room. And, of course, with each other.”
Charlotte blinked, stunned. Truthfully, there wasn’t one thing she could say because her mind went blank. Usually, she could find some quip or sarcastic comment to cover up any discomfort or lack of information, but in this case, she had nothing.
Luckily, Nash covered for her. “And if Charlotte and I wanted to hire a…friend?”
“That would be an additional cost, of course, but a service we’d be happy to provide,” Cecelia assured.
Nash looked at Charlotte, as if searching for an answer to a question he hadn’t asked. “I think we’ll hold off for now.”
Suddenly, Charlotte felt something touching her elbow. She looked surreptitiously around, trying to find where the feeling was coming from, but with everyone around, as well with the high beat of the music, her ability to concentrate was compromised. It wasn’t a pull, or at least she didn’t think it was a pull. It actually felt like the same thing she had felt in Alice Braddock-Masters’s home, when Zach used the entire house to channel the ability to talk. Charlotte wondered if the entire building fell silent would she hear the voice of a dead girl. No doubt Melody would have been able to pick up on it immediately, but all Charlotte could do was hope the feeling stayed long enough to find out what it wanted.
“Perfect,” Cecelia stated and turned to point toward the back. “As you can see, there are four hallways, two on each side from the meeting area. The first is our voyeur hallway, and each door has a special delight, but touching the exhibitionists is not allowed. This is the only hallway you can go into wit
hout booking an appointment. Voyeurism is an art form that I encourage all to see.” She sent Nash a blatant little smile. “The second hallway is our pain-for-pleasure cove. Each door has a red light, and if that’s on, the room is occupied, much like the Red Light District in Amsterdam.”
Charlotte had no idea what the Red Light District in Amsterdam looked like, and she was fairly certain she wouldn’t need to find out after this evening, thanks to Cecelia Duwhite.
“On our right is hallway three, where our bondage and submissive rooms are located. Danny has booked you for the night in room C, with Master Eyries. The last hallway is our couples’ rooms. Again, just mind the red light.” She turned to face them. “Any questions?”
“You’ll not be staying with us?” Nash asked with a touch of disappointment leaking into his voice. Charlotte’s teeth clenched together.
Cecelia laughed, a sound that was deep throated and sexual. “Tempting, but I’m not on the menu.”
“Pity,” Nash murmured.
“I can escort you to your assigned room, if you’d like,” she replied, shifting her body ever so slightly closer to him.
Charlotte had had enough. She grabbed Nash’s arm and pressed herself against him, making sure her breasts pushed up so they plumped up nicely to view. Nash’s eyes immediately dropped, just as she expected. Two can play at this game.
“We can manage, can’t we, darling? Perhaps we can hit the voyeur hallway before heading to our room.”
One of his eyebrows rose at her endearment. “Certainly…dear. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, after all. The night is all ours.”
And with one last nod to Cecelia, Nash escorted her away, into the mingling party happening around them. She could feel Cecelia’s eyes on them.
Hereafter [McKnight, Perth & Daire 2] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 8