“Is he going to be a problem?” Max inquires.
I shake my head. “No, he doesn’t know me personally. Has no idea who I am. It’s fine. It’s just kind of awkward seeing him here.”
“I’ll go into the dining room to make sure everything is set with the service staff,” Max says. “And I will see you later, Raina.”
It’s a promise.
4
RAINA
Once the dinner service is over and I’m content with the glowing reviews, I go back to my room for a hot bath and a deep sleep. I’m tired but energized by how well everything turned out. Matty surprised me with his finesse and attention to detail. If only he were less morose about being under me, I think we’d make a great team.
I bask in the rose-oil-fragranced hot water for a while, letting the heat seep into my body and relax every muscle. The bathroom window gives me a view of the mountainside, and the estate’s outdoor lights make the snowflakes look like tiny diamonds falling from the sky.
The stars are gone, but the snow keeps drifting downward.
Wrapped in a plush towel, I settle on the edge of the bed and massage a nice dollop of jasmine and honey lotion into my skin, smiling as I remember to enjoy the little things again.
Then, there’s a knock on my door. I remain still for a moment. The guests are all downstairs with their hosts, probably enjoying an after-dinner sherry before they retreatto their playrooms of choice, or the Grand Room, as Alex called it, which is where they all come together for the dirtiest and most decadent kind of fun.
“Raina.”
Alex’s voice stirs me. Moving as if I’m remote-controlled, I get up and open the door. Standing in the hallway in just their unbuttoned white shirts and suit pants are Alex, Max, and Vincent. The hungry looks in their darkened eyes cause my core to tighten once again.
“Aren’t you supposed to be downstairs entertaining your guests on their first night?” I ask, one hand clutching the front of my towel, worried it might come off, or eager for it to come off, I’m not quite sure.
“That’s what the hosts are there for,” Alex replies, “and they’re generously paid, as well.”
“You, on the other hand, won’t go a single night without us, Raina,” Max adds. “It’s part of the deal we made, remember?”
“Oh, I remember,” I mumble.
Vincent offers me his hand. “Come on, there’s something we want to show you.”
“I should put some clothes on.”
“No.” He tightens his grip on my hand, and I’m hypnotized by the look in his eyes. “That towel won’t be on much longer either.”
Without any resistance, I let them take me out of my room.
Most of the service staff has withdrawn for the evening, leaving one or two stewards in charge of the night bar in the reading room, where guests can come down for a shot ofrare whiskey. The hallway is dimly lit and empty as I follow my bosses—my masters—through to the main stairs.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“You’ll see,” Alex replies.
The ground floor is bathed in a soft, amber light. I hear laughter and glasses clinking from the main dining room. A few of the guests and their hosts must’ve stayed behind. I assume the others went into the west wing, where the playrooms await.
We reach their joint office, with its familiar ebony furniture and leather seats. My curiosity is piqued as Alex walks over to one of the bookshelves and presses a hidden button hidden. I’m already aroused, the anticipation makes my pulse race and my lips curl into a smile.
“Through here,” Alex says, then pulls the bookshelf open. It’s a hidden door to another room.
“Oh, wow,” I chuckle as I follow the men inside.
I freeze for a moment once I’ve stepped inside. It’s a private bedroom with a giant double-sided mirror that gives us a full view of the Cinnamon Playroom. I recognize it from my first tour of the mansion. I committed its distinctive cinnamon-colored, plush furnishings to memory. The only furniture in the room is a bed with black satin sheets just begging to be ruffled.
“What’s…?” But before the men can answer, my attention is turned to the mirror, where I see the Cinnamon Playroom filling with guests and hosts.
