“She doesn’t.”
Elliott’s acting almost manic, with jerky movements as he pulls me down a dark hallway and then into what looks like an opulent lounge. People are sitting at tables or at the bar, chatting and drinking. It looks like any high-end cocktail lounge, and it puts me at ease.
This I can do.
There are no naked bodies, no one is having sex. It seems normal. And even better, everyone here is dressed to the nines, in designer clothes and beautiful jewelry. There’s nothing seedy about this place.
“I’ll take an old-fashioned,” Elliott says to the bartender, a stunning brunette with curves for days. Her pretty smile turns to me.
“What can I get you?” she asks.
“Just water, please.”
“A dirty martini,” Elliott replies, shaking his head. “You’ll need the liquid courage.”
The bartender eyes me. “What doyouwant?” she asks me.
“Just water.”
“An old-fashioned and a water, coming up.” She bustles away, and Elliott squeezes my hip, where he’s holding onto me.
“Keep pissing me off and see where it gets you, Tash.”
Julian said he wouldn’t hurt me again.
But I should have known that was a lie.
Elliott knocks back two drinks in fast succession and then takes my hand and leads me to a set of doors.
“It’s time for something a little more ...fun,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
My stomach sinks again, and I hold my breath as we walk inside.
The room is beautiful, draped in white and awash in soft colors. Sensual music tinkles in the air, and there are people having sex, kissing, laughing.
A woman is bent over a bench, and a man is using a leather whip to hit her, and I feel like I’m shrinking in on myself.
I don’t want to be here.There is nothing about this that excites or entices me.
I also don’t want to be hit anymore today.
“Come on. I’ll give you a tour later,” Elliott says as he drags me through the room to another hallway lined with doors. He pushes one open, and we step inside, and I freeze.
It’s not empty.
There’s a king bed, and a woman, beautiful with long dark hair and a slim body, is already lying there, naked, and grins at Elliott as he drops my hand and approaches her.
“Hey there, handsome,” she says as she moves onto all fours and crawls over to him.
He frames her face and kisses her hard, and I want to turn around andrun.
“Come here,” he says, gesturing to me. “This is Miranda, and she’s going to play with us tonight.”
“Us?” I ask, feeling all the blood drain from my face.
“I’ll be careful,” Miranda says with a smile. “Since it’s your first time and all.”
My eyes shoot to Elliott, who’s smirking at me.
