by Erin West
What the hell is going on? Two exclusive clubs letting me in without waiting within just a few days. Maybe Mia was right. A smile lights up my face as we walk into The Vault, giggling.
She grabs my arm. “Damn, girl. I’m going to start taking you everywhere with me.”
My laughter melds into the volume in the club. “You’re crazy. That was all you.”
Shaking her head, she yells, “Let’s get a drink and then dance.”
Everything inside the club is some shade of gold. Even the workers are wearing gold. No wonder they named it The Vault. Booths line the walls, and a few tables are spread sporadically throughout the main area. The bar is the length of one wall, and people are surrounding it. Waitresses decked out in gold skirts, shirts, and jewelry walk through tables with trays full of drinks, smiling.
The energy is strong here, too, similar to Club Fetish. I link my arm through Mia’s, so we don’t lose each other in the masses. While waiting to get our drinks, we dance where we’re standing and draw a crowd of men. It’s been a good mix of pop, rap, and hip-hop since we’ve been here.
One of the men steps up and pays for our drinks.
We walk away smiling and waving our fingers at him.
He holds his arms out wide with a grin on his face before moving on to his next prey.
Mia downs her drink and grabs my hand. “Let’s go dance.”
I nod, finishing my drink before she pulls me away.
My body takes over, feeling the beat of the music. All types of emotions run through me. Happiness, rejection, drunkenness, and lust consume me. Lust is the dominant one. My thighs get wet and my breathing becomes sporadic.
Why the fuck am I feeling all this? I need a break from all the bodies. Shit is getting more fucked up by the minute.
I touch Mia on the arm and motion to the bathrooms.
She gives me a thumbs-up.
The bathroom is cooler and more luxurious than any I’ve been in before. I finish up and open the door to head back into the club.
Goosebumps pebble my skin. Someone is watching me. Paranoid, I search the people in my vicinity. Please, don’t let it be Drake or Eli. My heart clenches. I want to see them, but I don’t. Why does everything have to be so damn muddled and confusing?
It’s a good thing my phone is at Mia’s, because at this moment, I’d be tempted to call Drake, and I can’t do that right now. No matter how much my heart wants me to.
Walking back to the bar, a man follows me.
I keep an eye on him as he slides onto a bar stool beside me.
The grin on his face does things to my insides that shouldn’t happen when there are already two complicated men in my life.
Leaning forward, close enough so that he doesn’t have to yell, he touches my hand. Coolness spreads throughout my body.
My body leans in closer, and I’m unable to stop myself. It’s like I already know him. Who is this man?
“Hi, I’m Oren.” His voice is like smooth whiskey on a cold winter night. He smiles, revealing straight white teeth.
I stare, falling into his gorgeous hazel eyes, which are peppered with flecks of gold. My entire being is drawn to him.
He chuckles. “What’s your name?”
The question draws me out of my trance. “Uh, right. I’m Rose.” That was the most embarrassing introduction I’ve ever had. What the fuck is wrong with me?
“Very fitting.” He rubs his thumb over the back on my hand, distracting me again.
“What is?” Could I sound any more stupid? Someone needs to smack me. Damn, everything about him is distracting.
“Your name.” He leans even closer. “Soft and beautiful like the petals, but I sense the thorns that are hiding behind the leaves.”
A laugh escapes. “Wow. Did you seriously compare me to a flower?”
He lets out a deep laugh. “See, there they are. Can I buy you a drink?”
“Sure, I’m suddenly in the mood for a whiskey neat.” I smile at my own inside joke.
Flagging one of the bartenders down, he orders our drinks.
The dance floor is even more packed now, and I find Mia grinding in the middle of a man sandwich. Go, girl.
When I turn back around, he’s holding my drink out.
I grab it from him and swallow it in two swigs.
His eyes widen. “Thirsty?”
“Something like that.” My head starts spinning, so I reach out and grab his arms.
He nods. “All the energy being drawn in can overwhelm the best of us. Just remember to internalize it. It helps immensely.”
What the hell? How’d he know? The one time I mentioned it to someone before, they looked at me like I was crazy. Taking his advice, I pull it deep inside me, which helps.
He grins. “Better?”
I nod. “Yeah, it is.”
He then whispers into my ear, sending tingles through my body, “Would you like to dance?”
Nodding, I stand from my seat and almost fall over. What the hell? I’ve never been drunk in my life, but I’m feeling quite drunk right now.
Chuckling, he reaches out to steady me. “You may not want to drink that fast.”
Leading us out onto the dance floor with his hands on my waist, he turns me to face him, moving to the beat.
Damn, he can dance. That’s sexy as fuck.
Mia catches my eye and points toward Oren, giving me a thumbs-up.
For some reason, that’s funny as shit.
We grind to “Bom Bidi Bom” while his hands roam all over my body. The coolness he elicits is refreshing in the midst of sweaty bodies.
My soul craves the connection we seem to have. Leaning in, I press my lips to his and groan. He feels so good. Everything else fades into oblivion as I lose myself in him.
His arms tighten around me, and I fall into him, letting him support my weight.
I lift my legs, wrapping them around him before I even realize I’ve done it.
Tongue peeking out to touch mine, he moans.
I find myself grinding over a growing erection. Drake and Eli flash through my mind before Oren’s growl centers my attention back on him.
He puts some distance between us. “Princess, it hurts to say this, but maybe we should take it a little slower. I don’t want to rush you into anything.”
What the hell? How is it possible that I want him more?
Taking my hand, he leads me back to the bar. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
I lean forward toward his ear. “I can think of one thing I’d like to try.”
He groans and motions the bartender over. “I need an order of potato skins and a water.”
The bartender nods and hands him a bottled water.
Throwing a fifty on the table, he twists open the lid on the bottle. “Keep the change.” He turns and hands it to me. “Drink this.”
I take a sip then put down the water and slam my mouth onto his.
He takes a step back.
Oh, hell no. “Shut the fuck up and just give me what I want.” I wrap my legs around him again, needing the friction at my core.
He slides me down his body, breathing ragged, and mutters, “Fuck.” His hand rubs the back of his neck. “Want to get out of here?”
The synapses in my brain are no longer working. I nod, eager to be alone with him.
Wrapping his arm around my waist, he directs me toward the exit.
Oh, shit. Mia.
I find her again and motion to the door.
She waves me on without me telling her what’s going on, grinning.
Once we are outside, Oren flags down a cab and we hop in.
Not taking his eyes off me, he tells the driver, “To the Carlton, please.”
That’s a ritzy hotel that I’ve only seen from the outside. People like me don’t usually stay at those types of places.
My body feels like a live wire, burning up from within.
The smoothness of his hand runs up the inside of my thigh. Coolness floods my
system, dousing the fire flaring through my body.
I could get used to this. My legs fall open further, wanting his hand where no other man has been. I crave it.
Throwing my leg over his lap, I straddle him in the back of the cab.
Fingertips brush lightly up the outer sides of my legs, stopping at the hem of my dress.
Gah. Why won’t he touch me where I want him to?
“Slow down, Princess. We have all night,” he whispers against my neck.
The cab comes to a stop, and Oren tosses the driver a couple of twenties, giving him a hefty tip.
The cab driver calls out, “Thanks, man.”
Oren reaches for my hand to help me out of the car and then covers me up when my dress slides up even higher. He picks up speed, walking into the building and straight into the elevator. No one else gets on with us.
As soon as the doors close, he presses me up against the wall, our mouths meeting in a clash of lips and tongues.
One of my legs hikes around his waist again, and I grab the lapels of his black sport jacket.
The doors ding at the penthouse, pulling us out of the kiss. I should have known he’d be in the penthouse suite. No words are needed between us. It’s like we’re on the same wavelength.
We walk down the hallway, stopping at one of the two doors on this floor. He opens the door and we fall into the room, ripping each other’s clothes off before coming together in a flurry of limbs.
He picks me up and slams me into the door, his erection rubbing my throbbing core.
He groans into my mouth and increases the friction. “Are you sure?”
Why does he want to talk now? “Yes,” comes out on a moan. I’m going to resort to begging in a minute.
He enters me in one thrust, stilling.
The pain is almost non-existent before the mind-blowing pleasure builds and my body craves more.
His breath shudders over my neck. “Are you okay? I would have been easier had I known it was your first time. Want me to keep going?”
I nod. “Yes. More.” I’ve resorted to caveman talk.
He delivers, moving slowly at first and then picking up the pace.
My first orgasm slams into me, blinding me as I rake my nails down his back.
Both of our groans fill the room. I don’t give a fuck if anyone hears us, either.
Placing kisses up my neck and back to my mouth, he carries me over to the bed, laying us down in one motion without ever separating. He begins again, with slower thrusts this time, both of us savoring the sensations our joining elicits.
So, that’s what all the hype with sex is about. It’s magical.
He’s insatiable. Each time is a whole new experience that I enjoy even more.
Standing, he walks toward the bathroom in all of his naked glory. Water starts running, and a floral scent fills the room. When he comes back into the room, I study the tribal knotwork tattoo covering his left arm and back.
Our eyes lock together, a smile lifting his lips.
My heart skips a beat.
“You’re so beautiful,” he says while running a hand down the side of my face.
I smile and look down, embarrassed by his comment.
He lays on the bed beside me, and my eyes are drawn to his tattoo again. It’s very intricate, and I’ve never seen anything like it.
“I’m running you a bath. It will help with the soreness. I wasn’t too rough, was I?” He leans his head down to grab my attention.
“No. It was great,” I whisper. I duck my head down. I hope he feels the same way.
He chuckles. “It was for me, as well.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief that I didn’t realize I was holding.
He goes back into the bathroom and turns off the water.
When I stand from the bed, the soreness is already creeping up on me. A bath sounds wonderful.
A ringing comes from the clothes in the floor. I head in that direction when I remember I didn’t bring my phone, because I’m avoiding Drake and Eli.
Fuck. Shit. Damn. What have I done?
He steps into the room, heading toward the ringing. He picks up his phone and starts talking in a language I haven’t heard before. The dialect isn’t even similar to anything around here, but it strikes a chord deep within me.
My ears strain to catch more of the lyrical words, but he walks further away in the suite. Damn. I can’t get closer or he’ll know I’m eavesdropping. I go into the bathroom and get into the warm water mixed with floral and mint-scented bath oils. My muscles relax as soon as I’m immersed. The herbal fragrance has a calming effect on my body.
Oren is still talking to whomever. After a few minutes, he goes quiet and his footsteps come closer to the bathroom. He pushes the door open and leans against the doorway with his pants on, watching me with hooded eyes.
A smile lifts his lips. “I was going to order some room service. Are you hungry?”
“Yes, that would be great. Whatever you order will be fine.” I don’t want him to think I’m here to get what I can.
“Does that mean you’re on the menu?” He stares at me with intense eyes.
“I could probably be persuaded to be dessert.” My body heats up at the thought of him eating me like the sweetest dessert.
He groans, a bulge growing in his pants. “Stop looking at me like that or we won’t be eating.”
A wicked smile graces my mouth before I run my tongue along my top lip. Where is this sultry woman coming from? I’ve never been like this.
He walks over to the edge of the tub and leans down to kiss me. My toes curl and the blissful coolness takes over.
When I open my eyes, he has a white haze surrounding him. That’s strange. Are my eyes playing tricks on me?
“Later, Princess. You need your energy before I take you again.” Our eyes meet again, a promise reflecting back at me. I want him to ravage me again. At the same time, Drake and Eli weigh heavily on my mind.
He closes the door to the bathroom, giving me some much-needed privacy.
The guilt of my actions is eating away at me. Just the thought of what Drake and Eli’s reactions would be kills something inside of me. How can the thought of leaving Oren pain me as well? What the hell is wrong with me?
I get out and dry off, looking around for my clothes. Shit. They are strewn around the suite. I walk into the bedroom, taking in the rumpled sheets and replaying what happened there. Even though I’m struggling with guilt, a ray of joy pierces through at what we shared.
Oren is on his phone again, but he walks over and presses a kiss to my lips. It’s like he can’t get enough.
Neither can I. Our connection thrums to life, and I deepen the kiss, savoring the unique bond between us.
He hangs up the phone without another word to whomever he was talking to.
I laugh.
“I could listen to that all day, every day.” He smiles. “Food will be here soon. I’m going to take a shower.” He walks into the bathroom and turns on the water.
My heart clenches at his words. I want them all in my life. Drake, Oren, and even Eli.
Chapter Eleven
For some reason, the thought of Drake is pulling me, hard. I feel like I’ve betrayed him the most, even though I don’t regret what happened with Oren. It’s so strange, but it felt like we connected without words. Like he understood a deep part of me that no one has. It’s crazy, since we just met and spoke a few words before I got drunk and lost myself in him.
How the fuck did I get drunk? I have never been drunk before, and I once drank a whole bottle of vodka.
I plop down on the bed, not wanting to leave. My hands cover my face as sorrow wracks my body. I fall back on the bed, thinking about the two men that I might have destroyed any possibility of being with. Oren’s earthy smell surrounds me and extinguishes some of the fire that always seems to burn within me. How can his scent affect me this much?
Something shiny catches my eye from one of his open bags. I
t’s strange, because nothing is hanging out, but there is a faint glow coming from inside it.
I stand up and approach the bag. What the hell is that? The closer I get, the more I’m being pulled toward it. I bend down, moving his clothing around until I touch warm silver. The warmth of the dagger feels familiar, similar to the heat that burns within me. I pull it out and am in awe of its beauty.
It’s pure silver with three blue jewels along the bottom that match my eyes. The same white haze that I saw around Oren surrounds it. It’s covered by an encasement of rubies. Breathtaking is the best way to describe it, and it’s all mine. Wait… it’s not mine.
Taking a deep breath, I lay it back down, but panic claws at me. That dagger is mine. I can’t leave it. I grab it again, not able to let it go.
I’ve got to get out of here. I was trying to kill time, but if I’m keeping this, I’ve got to go. I glance at the clock. It’s three in the morning.
I rush out the door, not hesitating now that I’ve got this precious dagger in my hands.
I exit the elevators and walk past the front desk clerks who are busy playing with their phones. I step outside, the southern humidity hitting me hard, and glance around, looking for a cab. One pulls up to me, and I slide in without thinking.
He looks at me through his rearview mirror. “Where ya going, ma’am?”
I take a deep breath and blurt out the first address that comes to mind. Drake’s.
He nods, and we take off toward home.
Well, I think of it as home, but it might not be much longer. He won’t want me after all this, but at least I can get some of my stuff back.
My heart pounds as we get closer to the house. All too soon, we are breaking through the woods and pulling up the long driveway.
As the car idles, the man glances back at me again. “That’ll be fifty-four dollars.”
Shit! All I have is fifty.
My door opens, and Drake squats down and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me close. He reaches into his wallet and pulls out a hundred, handing it to the cab driver. “Keep the change.” His voice is hoarse with emotion.
His woodsy scent fills my nose, and despite everything, I bury myself into his chest. I’ve missed him so much more than I even realized, which seems impossible.