“No,” she says, her voice dropping lower. She gives me a flirty smile. “I like to dominate.”
SIXTEEN
ATHENA
“Hey, neighbor.” Ruby opens her door. She’s wearing a black bikini, partially covered by an emerald silk robe. The contrast between the dark swimwear and her pale skin is striking. “Come in, I’ll make coffee.”
“I brought sweets.” I follow her into the kitchen, trying not to focus on the way the silk clings to her curves, and set down a silver platter on her counter. “Fresh dates from my private supplier in Dubai, and melomakarona from Greece—they’re honey cookies.”
“Thank you. These look delicious.”
I watch as she examines the walnut-studded sweets dusted with cinnamon. “You left rather abruptly last night.” I’d walked her out, watching as she paused to collect herself before heading up the stairs to the library. She’d seemed dazed, overwhelmed perhaps, but not upset.
“Yeah… It was a lot so I told myself I was tired, but when I got home, I couldn’t sleep.” She moves to her espresso machine to make us coffee, and I’m enjoying this glimpse of domestic Ruby. “My mind kept…” She trails off, busying herself withthe grinder.
“Replaying?” I supply, leaning against her kitchen island.
Her hands tremble as she tamps the grounds. “That’s one way to put it.” The machine hisses and steams. “All the naughty stuff aside, I never imagined…” She shakes her head in wonder. “A state supreme court justice, three Fortune 500 CEOs, that hedge fund manager everyone’s terrified of…”
“Impressed by the guest list?” I can’t help but smile at her obvious fascination.
“More like shocked. They were so…normal. Friendly. Nobody was trying to network or make deals. It felt genuine.” She froths almond milk, pours it on top, and hands me a cappuccino.
“That’s the point,” I say. “No business allowed in the club. But if you ever need a favor from a certain judge or want to pitch to that hedge fund manager…” I shrug. “You know where to find them. Many lasting partnerships have started over shared secrets.”
“It’s brilliant, really.” Ruby pours her own cappuccino. “A space where powerful women can just be. No agenda. And how did I not know they were queer?”
“Hence the NDA.” I grin. “Well…there’s that and the fact that some can’t be seen tipsy or stoned or even just dancing in public.”
Ruby studies me over the rim of her cup. "So how did it all start with the club?
"It actually started as something much smaller,” I say. “When I still lived at the Olympus, I used to host these intimate gatherings in my suite—just a handful of queer women looking for connection. We talked about how nice it would be to have a real space where we could all come together without worrying about being seen or photographed orending up in some tabloid. I thought about creating something within the Olympus itself, but that was too risky.” I take a sip of my coffee. "When I was house hunting, one of the main selling points of this place was actually that underground space. It used to be a wine cellar."
"So you bought the house specifically for the cellar?" Ruby asks.
"It was a major factor. All I had to do was renovate the space and the rest is history."
Ruby chuckles. “And here was me thinking you were running an illegal gambling ring.” She takes a bite of melomakarona, her eyes widening as she chews. “Mm…these are good.”
“An illegal gambling ring?” I shoot her an amused look.
“Yeah. I had this whole narrative in my head—casino boss Athena, making shady deals in her underground lair, probably keeping someone’s kneecaps in a trophy case somewhere.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “Sorry to disappoint. No kneecaps, though I do have an impressive collection of designer hats.”
“The hats!” Ruby exclaims, tapping the brim of my fedora. “I love them, by the way, but they slotted right into that dangerous stereotype. Meanwhile, you’re just running a very exclusive…what do you even call it? A social club? A sanctuary?” She dips another cookie in her coffee.
“A sanctuary. I like that.” I take a sip of my cappuccino. “Speaking of sanctuary, shall we move this outside?”
Andreas has truly transformed the poolside with white loungers arranged around the clear water and desert plants in terra-cotta pots. I have to give it to him; he’s got a good eye for detail.
Ruby drops onto a lounger and her robe falls open. Theblack bikini reveals more than it conceals, and I force myself to look away. I’m fully dressed, as I’m heading to the Olympus soon, but even if I wasn’t, I’m not one for sunbathing.
“So,” I say, taking the adjacent lounger that’s shaded by a parasol. “Anything you want to talk about?” I need to address what she witnessed last night. Watching women together, seeing scenes of domination and submission—these aren’t things one generally encounters on a Saturday night at their neighbor’s house. “How did last night make you feel?”
A blush creeps onto Ruby’s cheeks. “I felt alive,” she admits. “For the first time in…God, I don’t know how long. Watching those women together, so free, so uninhibited… It was incredibly sexy.” She absently runs her finger around the rim of her coffee cup. “But I also felt guilty. Like I was betraying Claire by having those feelings again.”
“But you know that’s not true. Claire would want?—”
