Finding Home: A Club Dark Novel

by Reagan Hollow

  I don’t think I’ve ever been this comfortable in someone else’s presence before, at least, not someone that I have only known such a short amount of time. We are each content to just be in each other’s company.

  “So what were you doing before you came to Seattle?” He breaks the silence and I love that he genuinely sounds interested.

  “Mainly, I was self-employed. I love to read and write. Occasionally, the local newspaper would hire me to do a few articles or interview a person of interest. My fiancé took care of all the bills. He insisted actually. Now it just seems like he wanted me solely dependent on him, even though I have a major in business and finances.” Okay, now I feel like I’m rambling. Taking a deep breath, I try to reign it in a little. “Mostly, I just sat at home and did website design for anyone looking to make a name for themselves.” For some reason, I want to make sure he knows I’m a smart and capable person, not just some ditzy girl that goes around getting herself drugged in bars.

  “Wow! That’s pretty impressive. What do you plan to do now that you’re in such a big ol’ city?” he asks and I smile at the last part. He doesn’t really seem like the type of person to use the term ‘big ol’ city’.

  “I thought about designing a website to offer my services. At least that was my intentions until last night, now I’m not quite sure,” I say drawing my knees into my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I’ve never felt so vulnerable in my life. This whole thing has me shaken me up more than I initially thought. Whoever did this was not looking for a date rape; they drugged me with something strong enough to completely knock me unconscious, and quickly. What purpose would they have for doing that? I just don’t understand, and if they went through the trouble of drugging me then why just leave me there?

  I feel Cory’s hand slide along my cheek as he tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Goose bumps break out across my arms at his tender touch and the fire in his eyes tell me he doesn’t miss my body's reaction to him. Leaning in, he whispers in my ear, “I assure you, I will not rest until I find the fucker who did this to you and make him answer for it.” But if I’m being completely honest, I’m not paying any attention to his words. No, my attention is fully set on his lips that are now running a path slowly down my neck, into the hollow of my throat. I feel a throbbing start be-tween my legs and try to squeeze them together just to get some relief. Rationally, I know I should stop this, but the irrational part of me wants to take a few minutes to just forget everything. My breathing picks up, and my body leans into his. It’s like my body knows exactly what it needs and that’s to be closer to him. I swear I can feel him laughing against my throat, but it doesn’t matter to me because all it does is add to the pleasure that’s coursing through my body. This man knows exactly what he’s doing to me and at the moment, I don’t care about anything. At this moment, there are no worries. There’s no cheating fiancé, backstabbing best friends, or people trying to drug me. No, at this moment there is only me and Cory.

  “For now, let me help you forget everything,” Cory says as he climbs to his knees and positions himself directly in front of me before he gently nudges me back, placing his hand on the back of my head and slowly lowering me to the ground. He lowers himself so that the lower half of him is flush against me and holds his upper body up with his elbows. I see the hunger in his eyes and I have to admit, I’m a little scared. The look on his face is all predator and I’m certain that I’m the prey. I’ve never been looked at like someone wants to devour me and along with the fear of being his prey, there is an equal amount of hunger and excitement of my own. My body breaks out in goose bumps, and the most delicious shudder takes over me as he once again trails his lips down my neck. He lifts his hand and trails it down my body, beginning at my shoulder and slowly gliding it further down until he reaches my upper thigh. Part of me, again, wants to ask him to stop; I’m not exactly ready for this considering everything that’s happened this week alone. But the other part of me, you know, that irrational part, is saying shut the fuck up and enjoy the distraction, which is exactly what I do.

  A soft moan escapes my lips and my heart picks up its pace as I feel his hand slide up my leg, making contact with the skin under my shirt. Slowly, he gently glides his hand up the side of my ribcage until he blissfully reaches the place I’ve been so desperately aching for him to touch. The moment his firm hand makes con-tact with my bare skin, he captures my mouth with his slipping his tongue inside to meet mine. He gently rolls my nipple between his fingers causing them to harden and a low moan to escape, which he devours with his kiss. I feel fire heating up my stomach, my body coils tight, eager for what he may do next. I’m certain my panties are drenched right now; my body is ready and prepared for him. Just as I’m about to do something really stupid, like beg him to stop this torturous act and just take me here and now, his phone rings.

  “Un-fucking-believable,” he grunts. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he silences it and tosses it on the blanket above my head. With the sexiest smirk I’ve ever seen, he brings his mouth down on mine with a hunger and more force I’ve ever felt before. Once again, his tongue meets mine and we begin a slow tango, each pushing against the other. Cory breaks the kiss but only long enough to remove my shirt and starts trailing his tongue down the side of my neck. He pulls my ear between his teeth, forcing my entire body to shudder. He continues trailing his tongue down the side of my neck until he reaches my chest. He licks a slow circle around my nipple, not quite touching, yet the act alone causes me to whimper. “Ahh,” I moan as he takes my nipple between his teeth and pulls, causing the ache between my legs to intensify.

  His hand descends, lightly trailing across my lower stomach. He’s so close to where I need him to be when his phone goes off again. “You should probably get that,” I say breathlessly. He looks me in the eyes for what seems like an eternity, but could only have been a few seconds, before grabbing his phone from above me and answering it.

  “Speak!” he barks into his phone while sliding his hand into my pants, slipping his finger between my wet folds and quickly finding just the right spot. Teasingly, he lightly runs his finger in a circle around my clit, causing my entire body to heat up in anticipation. Suddenly, I feel one of his fingers enter me as his thumb continues the assault on my clit. Slowly, he pushes his finger further in while applying just the right amount of pressure with his thumb, causing my walls to tighten around him. I’m panting, and I can feel my breaths coming harder and faster as he pleasures me. I’m so close and from the hunger in his eyes, I can tell he knows. I’m only vaguely aware he’s no longer on the phone as he adds a second finger, stretching me just a little. His pace quickens, sliding his fingers all the way in until his palm slaps against my pussy then quickly pulling them back out, just to repeat it once again. The pressure builds and my core tightens. His mouth slams down on mine at the exact moment I start to come, effectively swallowing my scream. My hips buck and my back arches as my walls tighten around his fingers.

  Slowly, he removes his fingers; our eyes lock, and I watch as he brings those same fingers he just had buried deep inside of me into his mouth. I have to admit, it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen and it instantly causes a need for more.

  “Mmm. While I’d give anything to fully savor you right now,” he says, with that hungry look in his eyes, “It appears that I’m needed back at the club. Apparently, one of the girls has been roughed up by a client and I need to sort this out.” He sighs running his fingers through his hair, and I can’t help the pang of disappointment that courses through me.

  Chapter 8

  The ride back to Cory’s was uneventful, the thrill sucked right out of me at learning that one of the girls at his club had been hurt. I can’t help but feel somewhat responsible. Something tells me that if I had never shown up, he wouldn’t be dealing with all of these issues. That thought alone sobers me up. What am I thinking? I just got out of what I thought was the best relationship of my life, and here I am getting
intimate in the middle of a field with someone I don’t even know. I’m nowhere near ready to move on, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be.

  We arrive back at Cory’s house and he helps me climb off the back of the bike. I can tell he senses a change in me. He’s holding himself back when it’s clear he has something to say. I can’t even look him in the eyes right now, I’m so ashamed of myself. He clears his throat, “I have to head in, but I’ll have Al warm you up some-thing for dinner. I’m afraid I won’t be joining you tonight.” He sounds regretful about it which makes me feel a tiny bit better. “He’s also preparing the guest room for you. It’s likely not finished though since I haven’t catered to guest in a long time. You are welcome to my room for the time being if you would like.” I look up at him then, his eyes are dark and stern, no trace of the heat I witnessed just minutes before in the meadow. It almost feels like I imagined it all. Feeling embarrassed, I’m not sure what to say.

  “Thank you, Mr. Lewis,” I manage. He groans, I’m sure in response to me addressing him by his last name. I’m not even sure why I did, but he makes no move to say anything about it. Instead, he turns around and gestures for me to lead the way.

  As soon as we reach the front door, Mr. Olsen has it opened. “Al, please make sure Miss Carter eats. I’m afraid it’s going to be a long night for me at the club.” And with that, he’s back out the door. Seconds later, I hear the rumble of his motorcycle as he starts it up and speeds away.

  “Right this way, ma’am. Greta has left dinner in the oven. I’ll get you all setup,” he says as he leads me into the kitchen. He pulls a tray from the oven, removes a plate, and then places the tray back inside. He unwraps the plate and slides it into the microwave for a few minutes. I can’t make out what’s on the plate, but whatever it is has my stomach growling so loud that I’m sure the butler can hear it.

  When the microwave beeps, Mr. Olsen walks over to it and removes the plate then places it in front of me. Instantly, my mouth starts to water at seeing a solid portion of roast with little whole potatoes, carrots, and what I have no doubt will be fresh green beans. I’m kind of glad Cory is not here at the moment; I’m a girl who loves her food, and I really don’t need to embarrass myself any further by him seeing me inhale my dinner.

  I kinda forgot the butler is standing there until I hear someone clearing their throat. I look up at him, pretty sure he can read the question in my eyes. “Pardon me, Miss,” he starts, “Mr. Lewis has never brought a woman home, so it’s a bit of an adjustment.” I sit there thinking for a moment, my food completely forgotten. Cory totally struck me as a lady’s man. Surely he’s had a woman here a time or two. In any case, it’s not like I’m an invited guest. “Well then, if you need anything, there’s an intercom in each room.” It seems I take too long to answer.

  “Thank you, Mr. Olsen.” I nod, giving him a smile.

  “Please call me Al, and it’s a pleasure,” he says with a smile of his own and walks away. I quickly finish my dinner, wash my plate off, then head upstairs to try and get some rest.

  Thankful again that Amber dropped off my luggage, I reach inside and bring out one of my favorite books by the talented author, Nicholas Sparks; I’m a sucker for a tearjerker. I curl up on the bed and begin reading.

  I didn’t realize that I had fallen asleep until I’m woke up by the door opening. Trying to clear some of the sleep from my eyes, I glance over at the clock to see that it’s just after three in the morning. Long night indeed. “I didn’t mean to wake you,” Cory says as he walks toward the bed, “I’m going to grab a quick shower, then I’ll take a spot over there on the couch.” He gestures to the couch on the opposite side of the room that I didn’t even notice was there.

  “You don’t have to do that. I’m perfectly content to sleep over there. I don’t want to kick you out of your own bed.” The sleep is heavy in my voice and I try to clear it so he knows I’m serious.

  “Absolutely not. Please just lay back down and get some rest.” He walks to his dresser to grab some clothes and then towards the bathroom. Before he shuts the door, I jump up and place my hand on his elbow. He looks at me, but this time, there’s no heat. He just looks tired. “Are you ok?” I can tell somethings off. He sighs and lets out a deep breath, “I’m good Lacey. Now, please, just go get some rest. We can talk tomorrow.” He steps into the bathroom and shuts the door effectively stopping any further conversation on the matter. Seconds later, I hear the shower going. With nothing left to do, I climb back in bed, almost immediately falling to sleep.

  Chapter 9

  Two weeks. That’s how long it’s been since everything went down at the club, and we still aren’t any closer to learning who drugged me. Cory assures me the incident that took place with one of the girls the night after was completely unrelated. Just a regular client who had one too many drinks and got a little rough with one of the girls without her permission. He says he’s banned him from the club until he seeks help for his issues which makes me feel better for his girls but not any better when it comes to my situation.

  Despite the many times I’ve insisted that he sleep in his bed, he still sleeps on the couch in his room. It’s comforting having him in the same room as me, it makes me feel safe in a way. But I still feel really bad for kicking him out of his bed. I’ve repeatedly told him that I can sleep in one of the guest rooms, but I think he likes knowing I’m close by also. We’ve also come to a mutual agreement that I stay with him until we at least know who slipped drugs in my drink. Not that this never happens, but Cory and his security team feel that I was specifically targeted, and until we know different, this is where I’ll be.

  He’s yet to make any more advances toward me, and part of me is really grateful for that. It’s given me an opportunity to clear the fog in my head and make some sense of what’s left of my life. There is another big part of me who misses the bits of bonding we shared on his front porch. It seems that since the day in the meadow he’s closed himself off from me.

  Today, we are holed up in his room. I’m stretched out on his bed, reading of course, and he’s over on the couch catching up on work, he says. He’s gotta go back in tonight, something about a monthly meeting he holds with senior partners or whatever. The man is a workaholic. I can’t help but notice how hot he looks sitting there in just a pair of sweatpants. I don’t even realize I’m staring at him until his eyes meet mine. He raises an eyebrow and smirks at me. Smug bastard.

  “Yes, Miss Carter?” I lower my head in a lame attempt to hide the fact that I was blatantly staring at him.

  “Nothing,” I quickly say, looking down at my book. When did I become shy?

  “Uh-huh. So do you make it a habit of just staring at people for no reason?” He thinks he’s funny, does he?

  “I’m only thinking about how much you work, surely you deserve a break?” No, I’m not thinking about how it would feel to run my hands up his perfectly toned abs. My body warms and my cheeks grow hot. I’m totally blushing and from the look on his face, he knows it. Oh shit.

  He places his laptop off to the side and stands up. Slowly, he walks toward the bed. I can’t seem to take my eyes off of him. This man screams sex appeal. He’s built, but not in an I’m on steroids kind of way. No, it’s more of a sexy I’ll kick your ass and I have the muscles to prove it kind of way. His skin is the color of a caramel latte, and it’s all smooth and tan with a natural glow. He’s got a very intricate tribal tattoo that takes up his entire chest. It makes me wonder why I never noticed it down in the gym. I’ll make a point to ask him about it later.

  He reaches the bed and this time, I can’t hide the fact that I’m openly gawking at him. Reaching down he takes hold of my book and tosses it to the floor. I no longer remember what it was nor do I care. He bends one knee onto the mattress and leans in close. “Would you like to try that again,” he questions lightly in my ear. I faintly feel him blowing trails on my neck and shoulder, creating chills across my back and arms. This man is driving me crazy, and
the only response I can manage to give him is a quiet moan. “Miss Carter?” he whispers, “You and I both know that’s not all you were thinking. Care to share the rest?” He trails his hands up and down my arms, smoothing the chills he created just moments before. That fire I noticed in his eyes a few weeks ago has resumed, promising to consume me at a moment’s notice. I find it harder and harder to form excuses to stop it. But then pieces of that awful night slip in, effectively dousing my mood and this moment.

  I quickly slide myself out of the bed and race for the bathroom. I grab the door and close it. Once I have the door locked, I slide myself against it and draw my knees into my chest. I’m not sure what’s come over me. I’ve done good the last two weeks with shutting everything out and trying to forget what happened. But now, it’s like everything has come back and it’s hitting me like a ton of bricks. What am I supposed to do? I wasn’t good enough for the man who claimed to love me. I couldn’t even watch out for myself and like an idiot, I ended up passed out and drugged in a city I have no business being in. And while Cory has been great, he doesn’t deserve all the drama I have, and I definitely don’t deserve him. I’m damaged goods with a whole lot of baggage and nothing to offer.

  Cory quietly knocks on the door. “Lacey, what’s going on?” I just sit there, silently rocking myself back and forth. How can I explain this to him? He probably al-ready thinks I’m crazy. “Come on, Lacey. Open the door please.” I hate the vulnerable sound in his voice. Hearing a man as strong and demanding as he is sound so weak and confused causes something to spark inside of me, so I quickly stand and unlock the door to let him in. The moment our eyes lock, it’s like the floodgates open, causing tears to pour down my face. I wish I could say that it’s a dainty pretty cry but it isn’t. I’m a mess, all sobs and hiccups. Nice, Lacey.