He grins. “First time?”
“Yeah.” I look around again. “I already lost the people I came with.”
“That happens here.” He starts pouring things into a shaker. “It’s kind of like going to an art gallery. Everyone has their preferences, so groups rarely stay together.”
“How many rooms are there?”
“Ten if you count the pools.”
My eyes widen. “There are pools?”
“Indoor pools, but they’re not for swimming.” He winks. “There’s even a little forest outside. No animals, of course, but if you’re into the whole ‘caveman, catch me if you want to fuck me’ vibe, it’s available.”
“What the—how big is this place?”
“Big enough to fit approximately one hundred and fifty guests without having them run into each other. We cap it at eighty, though, so reservations are highly encouraged.” He shakes the drink and pours it into a small tumbler with ice. “Don’t waste your time looking for your friends. Go have some fun!”
“Yeah, I will.” I thank him as I take the drink and walk away.
They couldn’t have gone too far. If I’m being honest, I’m more upset with Livie than I am with Tate. We have a buddy system, and no one is supposed to get left behind. I walk into the next room, and the next, and then over to some that are locked. I whirl around and gasp, almost crashing into a blonde woman dressed like a bunny. She’s gorgeous, has a name tag that says Scarlet, and beams a smile that puts me at ease.
“Can I help you find something?”
“I lost my friends, so I went looking, but now all I find are locked doors.”
“Those are private.” She points up at a red light on top of the door. “If it’s red, it means it’s completely private. If it’s green, you’re allowed to watch or join if they give you permission. Most of the time, they’re red.”
“Oh.” I look down the hall and see a series of red and a couple of green lights. “That makes sense.”
“The doors have small windows, like in a classroom.” She walks over to the door behind me and presses the screen next tothe door, which illuminates with the word “private.” “This window is shut since it’s private. The green ones will be open, so you can peek in without actually going inside.”
“That’s so helpful.” I smile wide. “Thank you so much. They should really say all of this at the door.”
“They assume you’re already a member or are with one,” she says. “If you need anything, ask for me.”
I thank her again, and we walk in opposite directions. I go straight to the first door I see with a green light up top, and sure enough, there’s a window. I look inside and see a man with a black mask on his face. There’s a woman kneeling between his legs pulling his pants down, and another unbuttoning his dress shirt.
My heart pounds hard when I see the cursive Carpe Diem tattoo on his right pec, confirming that it’s Tate. I’m not sure if it’s jealousy or anger for not telling me about this, but my heart plummets just the same. He did say he wasn’t interested in playing, didn’t he? I take a step back and crash into someone behind me. I automatically start to apologize as I turn around, but the person presses up against me and keeps me from moving.
5
JOSSLYN
“Ihave a private room if you just want to watch,Josslyn.”
His roughly whispered words skate through me, causing a shiver to go down my spine. I turn around quickly, my breath catching when our eyes lock. He’s not wearing a mask, which doesn’t really surprise me. Finn doesn’t seem like the type to care about others discovering his hidden kinks.
“I…” I set a hand on my heart, willing it to slow down before it punctures a hole in my chest. “How do you even know it’s me? I have a mask on.”
“I have my ways.”
My mouth opens, shuts, and opens again. “I thought you were leaving?”
“I was.” He looks down the hall and back at me, his eyes falling to the wristbands for a second before meeting mine again. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have a ‘boyfriend?’”
“I … yeah. It’s complicated.”
“A two-day-old relationship is complicated?” His brows raise. “That sounds promising.”
