“True.” Dante tugged his suit jacket, his one sign of tension he’d never gotten rid of. He stared past Harper, his expression thoughtful. “We’ve talked to a few people. Stood at the bar theway we usually do. No one has approached us and everyone seems to be having a great time.”
I followed his gaze to the couples dancing in whirls of brightly colored dresses and muted suits and ties. Men and women stared into each other’s eyes, their gazes heavy with lust and liquor.
“Will all three of you leave together?” Harper took another sip and fanned her face with her free hand.
“Yes. That’s what everyone expects.” I fought the urge to pull her into my arms while lowering my head to whisper in her ear. “To everyone looking, it will appear like I’m telling you goodnight. You should look disappointed. But I’m far from done with you. Wait a little while. Talk to a few more people, then use the key Dante sent you and meet us upstairs.” My lips grazed the shell of her ear, and she shuddered, her breath hitching.
A flash popped to my left. I jerked my head in that direction, fury crashing through me. Pictures were off limits at our galas. We invited employees only for a reason. The one time we allowed paparazzi to attend our very first gala, it turned into a PR shit show that took us a year to recover. I scanned the room, but no more flashes happened.
Maybe someone had merely turned on their phone to check it. I made a mental note to request all cell phones be left at the check in during our events.
A problem for another day. I straightened to my full height and gave Harper a polite smile. “Good night.”
“Night.” She wiggled her fingers in my direction, a sloppy smile in place as she took a step backward and wobbled. “Whoa. Sorry.Guess I’ve had a little too much to drink. I think I’ll head home soon too. Just want to chat a bit more first.”
Julian’s snort was followed by his shoulders shaking. Dante shoved Julian ahead of him, out through the main door and toward the glass and chrome elevator. The three of us piled in and Dante swiped his keycard.
Excitement swirled in a rush through my veins. Harper might change her mind and leave without coming to see us.
Might. But I highly doubted it. Her reactions to us, the disappointment I’d seen in her face as she left us that first night and in the elevator the next day when I gave her the cold shoulder told me she’d join us.
Soon.
9
HARPER
I fully expected the nervous butterflies that slapped around in my stomach as Dante and the others left. What I didn’t expect, but should have, was the incredible rush of anxiety that sent my heart flying into my throat and beating so fast it rivaled the spinning couples whirling in and out of focus. I thought I knew what to expect, but I’d never had a clandestine encounter before.
The one in Dante’s office didn’t exactly count. No one had been around to catch us.
Here, it felt like every single person in the room watched me. They didn’t, of course, and I tried not to be obvious as I made a slow circuit around the room. I stopped to talk to Bethany and a few others I knew from the marketing team. We struck up a casual conversation about work that drifted to something about the decorations and the amount of alcohol being consumed.
Sensing my out, I pretended to stumble for the second time and placed a hand over my heart. “Goodness. I’m so sorry.” I took a step back and patted my chest. “I’m going to head home. I don’tfeel so well. Too much alcohol for me.” I tried my best to keep up the facade all the way to the doors, and then to the elevator.
My hand shook as I extracted the keycard from my clutch and swiped it over the glowing panel. The button for the penthouse lit up, and I began my ascent into heaven.
Seconds later, the doors opened and absolute silence greeted me from the steel gray carpeted hallway. A single door broke up the long expanse. My last chance to change my mind lingered on the edge of my consciousness.
What kind of fool would walk away from what Dante, Julian, and Alexander offered? I licked my suddenly dry lips and rolled my shoulders back. The carpet muffled my steps, and I swiped my card again over the keypad beside the door. It clicked and I nudged the door open a crack.
My pulse flew higher. Much more of this and I might die of curiosity and excitement.
A single light shone in the room, the glow soft but welcoming. It touched the edge of a large four-poster bed and outlined all three men who stood to greet me.
Naked. Three naked men. I gulped air and rushed inside, slamming the door behind me and falling against it with my chest heaving. “Holy shit.”
“Damned fucking right.” Julian stroked his cock as he prowled toward me. He waved a hand toward a low table where they’d been sitting. “We’ve been waiting for you. Waiting and planning.”
“Planning?” My dry mouth hindered my speech enough to make my voice squeak.
Dante picked up something from the table and held it in his outstretched palm. “We’re going to treat you to a proper dining experience.”
“One whereyouare the experience.” Alexander took the chocolate covered strawberry from Dante and approached me.
Julian reached me first and leaned in to kiss the side of my neck. “I hope you’re prepared, sweetheart, because we have enough plans to keep you busy all night.”
All night. Good god I loved the sound of that. I whimpered and dragged my hands through his hair when he dipped his head to kiss the valley between my breasts. I forced my eyes to stay open and take in the entire room. My body heated at the sight of Dante still by the table. His thick cock hung low and heavy, and he stroked it slowly. A flash of pink and red on the table beside the strawberries drew my gaze. Handcuffs and a blindfold.
