“Why?”
“Because that man clearly still loves you.” He says it like he somehow knows Noah.
“He’s engaged. Or have you forgotten?”
“That’s because he can no longer have what he wants.” He smirks again as the car slows to a stop.
Soren gets out of the car and holds a hand out to help me. “Leave your bag. You won’t need it.” I follow his instructions, and slide out. When I look up, I notice a red door. Soren leads me to it, opens it, and then motions me to enter before him. A lady is standing at a desk, and her eyes go wide, her lips curving in a flirtatious smile as she looks at him.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Nixon. Jake told me he’d be expecting you.” She motions for us to follow her down a short hallway to a door at the end. When she pushes the door open, I see it’s dimly lit inside, almost like a club. At first, I’m confused. I hear soft music mixed with other sounds I can’t immediately identify. But as my eyes adjust, I see beds. And on those beds are people.
And all I can do is stare.
My gaze lands on a couple who are engaged in the sixty-nine position, the woman on top with her legs spread over the man’s face as he eats her. Her head bobs up and down as she sucks his cock. My cheeks flush, and I can’t help but feel a mixture of embarrassment and awe at the same time.
I jump when Soren takes my hand and then leans in to whisper, “Don’t want you to get lost down here, now do we, Hurricane?” He tips a grin and then pulls me farther inside.
“Whatisthis place?” I ask as he leads me to a bar where a man is sitting with a stack of paperwork in front of him.
“Jake, care to tell Miss Knight what this place is?” Soren says.
The man, Jake, looks up from his paperwork. And I immediately think he doesn’t look like someone who would work in a place like this. He’s handsome, dressed much like Soren,though he appears to be more relaxed and laid-back than the man at my side.
“You’ve never been to a club like this?” Jake asks me.
“Can’t say I have,” I reply.
“If you look around, do you notice something all the people here have in common?” Jake waves a hand at the room, and my gaze slowly scans the space. There are beds everywhere. Some are out in the open, some in rooms with glass windows, and others are in private rooms with no view available once the doors are closed. And the clubgoers are all naked except for one thing—a colored wristband.
“What do the bands mean?” I ask, turning back to Jake.
“To enter, you have to have a band,” Jake explains.
Neither Soren nor I are wearing a band. Noticing my confused expression, Jake says, “Soren likes to waltz in and break the rules. But don’t worry, this establishment isn’t really his thing. No fighting happening here, right, Soren?” Jake smiles at him before he looks back at me.
“My establishments focus on pleasure with consent. I just opened this location. My other club is bigger and better known, but I wanted something moreintimatefor this place.”
“Each wristband color has a meaning. Yellow means you’re interested in playing but might not be ready yet. Green means you’re up for anything. And red indicates that you’re off-limits.”
“I wasn’t aware these places existed,” I whisper.
Soren squeezes my hand and then turns back to Jake, asking, “What do you need help with?”
Jake glances at his paperwork and then shoves it toward Soren. Releasing my hand, Soren picks up the stack of papers, skims the top sheet, then says, “I’ll be in contact.” He nods to Jake, retakes my hand, and turns to lead me away.
“Pleasure meeting you,” I call over my shoulder to Jake.
“Come back anytime.”
I smile and take one last look around.
“You will not come back anytime,” Soren says with a hint of annoyance and…possessiveness?
“Sure, Dad, whatever you say.” I roll my eyes as he pulls me out of the club.
TWELVE
SOREN
