EMERY
The pinkand blue neon lights outside the club flicker onto the sidewalk, my pulse quickening as I stand there, staring at the entrance. Lux. What the…? I double check the address. No, this isn’t right. This is wrong. This is the wrong address.
I look for my cab, but it’s already gone. I glance back at the shining bright sign, a faint bass thumping from inside. My heart beats to the rhythm of the music, and a part of me, doesn’t want to leave.
Absentmindedly, I float through the front doors, as if I’m being pulled inside by a sinful magnet. I've never been to a strip club before, never even considered it, but tonight is different. Tonight, there's a voice inside my head whispering that this is where I need to be. The dim lights, the heavy scent of perfume and sweat, the sultry atmosphere—it intoxicates me in a way liquor never has.
My heart races as I glance around, overwhelmed by the heat and smoke. Men and women sit around small tables, their eyes fixed on the stage where a beautiful woman is dancing.Her movements are so mesmerizing, sensual and artistic. She exudes confidence and power, unapologetically owning her body and the attention she commands.
I watch her in complete and total awe. There's something liberating about the way she moves, a freedom that I've never allowed myself to experience. For a moment, I'm entranced, forgetting about the fresh scar between my breasts, about all the doctors and machines and probing. About everything. It's as if I stepped into a different world. A world where rules don’t exist and desires are embraced.
I notice a small flyer tacked onto the wall near the entrance. "HIRING: Performers Wanted.” Excitement rushes through me. I haven’t felt excited in years.
I glance back at the dancer on stage, and her eyes lock with mine. She flashes me a knowing smile as if sending me a silent message of encouragement. And a strange voice in my head purrs, “You belong here, Emery. You?—”
“Wakey wakey!”
I gasp, holding my chest as Sophie hovers over my bedside, beaming with extraverted energy.
“Oh, excellent, you’re awake!” She takes a step back, allowing me to breathe and gather my bearings.What is she doing here?!Sophie checks her watch. “You’ve got five minutes to get dressed, Emery. The chopper is waiting for us. We’re already late.”
I blink rapidly at her, still groggy. “I’m sorry, but what?”
“Shop-ping,” Sophie enunciates each syllable as if I were a child learning to speak. She points to my empty closet. “Remember? Yesterday? Wardrobe emergency? No clothes?” She narrows her eyes when I don’t reply. “The Gala? It’s tomorrow. You need a dress. Plus, perhaps some outdoor attire?” She glances at the dress I arrived in last night. “Unless you fancy skiing in satin?”
“I—”
“Five minutes! Chop-chop!” She claps her hands at me. “The boutiques in Perreau Hills open at 10 a.m. I don’t wish to be late.”
“Perreau Hills?”
Sophie sighs. “It’s a charming town not an hour from here. You’ll adore it there! We’ll shop, get some lunch, and be back just in time for supper.”
Dread washes over me. “You want to spend the whole day…shopping?”
Her smile damn near blinds me. “Precisely. Plus, it’ll give us somealonetime.” She wiggles her brows. “I have many questions for you. Soverymany.” She doesn’t let my deflated reaction ruin her mood. “Right. I’ll see you in the courtyard in five!”
When my bedroom door slams shut, I toss my legs out of bed and storm toward the adjoining room. This is ridiculous. When did I agree to this? She can’t just?—
“Wake up!” I rattle Quinton’s shoulder as he lightly snores. “Quin!” Nothing. Not even a twitch. Damn, he’s a sound sleeper. “Quin! Wake the fuck up!” I shove his shoulder aggressively until his eyes spring open, alert and startled. “Quin!”
“What?!” He jerks out of bed, fists curled and ready for battle. Idiot. This is a battle he’ll lose. “What’s wrong?!”
“Your sister,” I cross my arms, glaring at him, “wants to go shopping forninehours. Just the two of us.” I pause, refusing to let my gaze linger on his bare, muscular chest. I clear my throat. “Fix it.”
“What?” Quin rubs his eyes, processing. “Shopping? That’s the reason for this dramatic wake-up call?” He shakes his head at me, pretending to be frustrated, but I can see that stupid cheeky grin. “Christ, darling, I thought there was a fire or some sort ofrealemergency.”
I glare at him. “Thisisan emergency. Nine hours, Quinton. Nine! You may not know this about me, but I’m not fantastic with people.” I pause, slightly embarrassed. “Let alone women. So, yes, nine hours with your sister? Definitely an emergency.”
Quin tilts his head, his lips curling into an amused smile. “Emery, my sister is harmless. In fact, she can be quite endearing once you get to know her.”
“It’s notherthat I’m worried about,” I admit, sitting down on the edge of his bed. “I’m not particularly a friendly person. I know my strengths, and people aren’t one of them.”
“Nonsense.” Quinton reaches over and caresses my hand. “You’re an excellent people person.” He flashes me a disarming smile. “I’m people, and I find you incredibly charming.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s because you want to fuck me, Quin. I doubt your sister shares the same intentions.”
“First of all, I alreadydidfuck you,” he coos, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on the back of my hand. “And I want tocontinuefucking you.” My thighs naturally press together from his low, rumbling tone. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t get on just fine with Sophie. You have a way of drawing people in, even if you don’t realize it.”
