“Good,” he said, sliding the other shoe on. “I’ve played like that before, Lo. It’s fun but it’s not what I want us to be. We’re not pretending to be other people tonight, we’re just being a different side of ourselves. Wiggle your toes.” I did and he nodded, satisfied that the shoes fit. Whether I’d be able to walk in them was another matter.
I tried to stand but Alfie took my hips, keeping me still. He remained kneeling between my legs.
“Tell me what you liked during this research of yours. I’m sure you found something.”
“Nope.” I shook my head. That was a lie. I had found something but I was damned if I was going to say it out loud.
“Lola, it doesn’t make you a freak or a fiend to desire something out of the ordinary. What were you curious about?”
I shook my head again, too embarrassed. This was ridiculous. This man was going to be my husband, if I couldn’t tell him about this then who could I tell.
“Alright, I’ll help you. Did it involve your mouth?” He took my jaw, brushing a thumb over my lips. I kissed the pad of his thumb. His gaze darkened when I nipped his skin with my teeth.
I shook my head.
“Lower?”
I nodded.
“Ah, I know.” His hand dropped to my breasts, covered by emerald green silk. The same thumb I’d just kissed, now brushed over one nipple, turning into a hardened pebble. “I’ve alwaysloved how sensitive these are. I put cufflinks on them once, remember?”
Oh, I remembered. The memory made me dizzy. He caught my nipple between thumb and finger and tugged it.
“Yes, I remember,” I answered him, breathless.
“Would you like me to pay extra attention to these tonight?”
“Yes, please.”
He smiled, so proud of me. Then he drew me in for the deepest kiss. “Time to go.”
He pulled me up, holding me steady as my head spun. That was the second time in ten minutes that he’d teased me. It was going to be a long night.
He turned to the mirror giving himself a final once over before taking my hand and leading me out of the bedroom.
“Will any of the Tellers be there tonight?” I asked as we walked down the hall. I’d never had to allow time to commute from the bedroom to the front door before. Living in a house this size was an adjustment.
“Maybe,” he answered. “Cas is out of the country but there’s usually at least one of them around.”
I hesitated before asking my next question. “What about Julia Whitmore? Will she be there?”
He arched an eyebrow. “I have no idea. Would you like me to find out?”
I held onto his arm as we took the stairs, tottering in my high heels. “No. I just don’t know how I feel about seeing her. I’m probably being paranoid.”
At the bottom of the stairs, he turned, taking my hands.
“You don’t want to mix your worlds? Is that it?” he asked and I nodded. “I don’t like mixing mine either. If she is there, she won’t approach unless I say. If she does see you, she won’t mention it outside of the club. It’s against the rules.”
“The rules? Really?”
“Yes. You read them when you signed that contract the first time you came to the club, remember?”
I did remember. Keira, Maia and I had all signed it. I just didn’t remember exactly what it said.
“You only signed a guest contract, a members contract is more involved but as far as discretion goes it’s basically the same thing. A member is not allowed to do anything outside of the club that might jeopardise another member's real lifestyle. No gossip, no blackmail, so on. Some people do talk about it if they’re friendly enough to not mind the conversation, but the general rule is that what happens at the club, stays at the club.”
It sounded to me like she had already broken a rule by bringing it up at work, even if no one else had been around to hear it. I was so tempted to tell him but I didn’t want to ruin our night or make a big deal out of something that was probably harmless.
