They certainly pay a high premium for it.
She smiles and the darkness around us lights up.
I smile back.
“I’m Shade,” I confirm. “And you must be Allison.”
“You can call me Alli,” she says. I can see she’s nervous. Another rule: Always make your date comfortable.
“Well, Alli,” I tell her with a confident grin, “Welcome to the best night of your life.”
She smiles back radiantly, but I can still see a little of her shyness lurking there. It’s charming and I hold my arm out.
“Shall we?” I ask.
She nods, her lips tightening just a bit. She’s definitely nervous.
As we walk, I lean in, my lips grazing the sensitive skin by her ear. She smells of a classy perfume. I don’t know what it is. Whatever it is, it makes me want to lick her.
“Relax,” I murmur to her. “You’re going to enjoy yourself. I promise.”
She looks at me, her hazel eyes meeting mine.
“I have no doubt.”
We thread our way through the thumping, noisy club. Allison’s fingers are resting lightly on my arm and I guide her through the crowds. When we get to the private back hallway, Chaz and his date stop while he blind-folds her. She waggles her fingers at Allison, calling “Enjoy yourself, love!” over her shoulder.
I turn to Allison with the blindfold in my hand.
“Is that really necessary?” she asks uncertainly.
“What?” I ask. “Blindfolding you?” She nods and I step behind her.
I trail my fingers over the skin of her br**sts slightly. She sucks in her breath and I lean in once again to whisper in her ear. “Trust me. You’ll like it.”
I tug the blindfold until it is tight, then wrap her fingers once again around my arm as I lead her through the halls and to a private room.
This is going to be fun.
Chapter Three
(Or: Am I Really Freaking Doing This?)
Alli
Holy freaking Hell.
I’m internally having a panic attack because I’ve never been blind-folded before. And here I am, letting a beautiful gigolo blindfold me and lead me away to his sex nest.
“Breathe, Allison,” the beautiful gigolo tells me in my ear. His voice is husky and rich, like hot caramel or warm maple syrup...or even better, like melted chocolate. I swallow, instantly hungry and turned on at the same time.
“Okay,” I agree, trying to force my traitorous lungs to fill with air.
They are having none of it though and I gasp like an idiot, even though the blindfold is velvet and satin. It’s hardly uncomfortable, but it still makes me anxious. What is waiting for me that he needs to blind me for? Weird whips and chains? Hand cuffs and ben wah balls?
Holy freaking hell.
I am practically panting when I hear a door being unlocked with the swipe of a card. I hear it click and then a doorknob turning. Then I am being gently pulled into the sex nest.
Oh my god.
Oh my god.
What have I done?
I’m in a freaking sex nest!
I’m too old for this shit.
Then the blindfold is taken off.
And I am surrounded by luxury. By heavy, expensive furniture. By thick and cushiony duvet covers and pillows. By opulent decorations in crystal and mahogany. By sheer normalcy in this room.
Sheer.
Freaking.
Normalcy.
I’m shocked.
And I must look it, because Shade turns to me and laughs.
“What?” he grins. “Were you expecting something else?”
“Yes,” I admit. “I don’t know what. But not this.”
“Perhaps this?” Shade suggests and pushes a button on the wall. A door on the ceiling slides silently open and a sex swing drops down, dangling at the edge of the bed.
I gulp as I realize that it looks like a noose… a noose that I’m probably going to hang myself with.
“Maybe,” I answer.
I examine it closer. It’s terrifying. It looks like a contraption of torture, like something out of Morticia and Gomez Addams’ bedroom. The harness is lined with cushiony velvet. But it still doesn’t look comfortable. And maybe not even legal. I gulp again.
Shade laughs again.
“Nervous?”
I nod.
“Don’t be,” he tells me, his voice buttery smooth. He moves closer to me and I unconsciously step back. He grins again. And I suddenly feel like a lion and its prey. “We don’t have to use it. Yet.”
Shade throws back his head and laughs and I am once again reminded that I am the visitor here. I am the prey, he is the lion. This is his stomping ground, his Serengeti. He knows what he’s doing and I don’t, even though I’m almost twenty years older than he is. Probably.
I narrow my eyes.
“How old are you?” I ask.
Shade stops laughing and examines me.
“Oh, now, Alli,” he murmurs, taking a step toward me. “Age is just a number, you know. I promise you that tonight, my age or even your age, will be the last thing on your mind. In fact, hopefully, when I’m finished with you, you’re going to have a hard time remembering your own name.”
I have to smile at that, right after I pant for a second. But I gain control, turn to Shade and grin what I hope is a calm and confident grin.
“Oh, really? You’re that sure of yourself?”
Shade shrugs. “I have to be. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will do it for you.”
“That’s a good point,” I nod. “Very mature.”
“I’m very, very mature. Now come here,” he instructs. “Tell me what you’d like.”
My heart pounds so loudly that I’m sure he can hear it from there. Hell, Canada can probably hear it. I blink hard then take a step.
“I was married for fifteen years to a guy who was luke-warm in bed at best. I honestly don’t know what I like.”
Shade puts one beautiful finger against his mouth, which is also beautiful, and appraises me silently for a moment.
“Hmm,” he finally says, his cobalt eyes twinkling. “It sounds like you need me to show you want you want. And you’re in luck. Because here at Utopia, we have a 100% Customer Satisfaction policy. That means that I must do everything in my power to make sure you’re satisfied. In every way.”