The universe has a really fucked-up sense of humor.
CHAPTER ONE
HANNAH
My heart beats uncomfortably in my chest.
The number of times my nerves have made me want nothing more than to turn my ass around and walk away from this whole plan is getting ridiculous.
But I told him I’d show tonight.
I made a promise, and I have no intention of breaking it.
Not to him.
The day Asher Cane walked into the Scarlet Lounge, the exclusive sex club we’re members of, I knew I had to have him.
He’s an enigma. The type of man you think is a myth.
Six foot four and pure muscle, the years of fighting have given him a physique that even the most dedicated guys at the gym would be envious of.
The first time I saw him across the room, I thought I was out of my league. He’s an ex-MMA fighter, for god’s sake, and the first time he spoke to me, I was hooked.
He’s like a drug I don’t mind being addicted to.
After scening at the club a few times, he asked me on a real date, and we’ve been almost inseparable ever since. I didn’t think I had a hope in hell of landing a man like him, much less moving to the exclusive phase, but when he brought it up lessthan a month into dating, I jumped at the chance to call him my boyfriend.
There was just one catch.
A catch that will play out tonight.
And one I’m not entirely sure I’m ready for.
But love pushes you out of your comfort zone, tests you, and makes you do things you never could have seen yourself doing in the past.
I secure the mask at the back of my head, tying a neat knot to hold it in place as I look myself over in the mirror.
The black masquerade mask does little to protect my identity, but it’s not really meant to. Ball nights are an opportunity for members to mingle in a way we normally wouldn’t. Usually, we come to the Scarlet Lounge with one thing in mind, but social nights like this give us the chance to get to know other members, find common ground, and sometimes we find new partners to scene with.
Hell, I’m pretty sure some of our more mature members met at an event just like this one when Wyatt and Elias first opened the club a decade ago.
But that’s not to say there won’t be scenes tonight, because there will be. One of which I’ll be participating in.
I toy with the hem of my dress, something I wouldn’t ordinarily choose for myself, but when Asher delivered it this morning with a bouquet of roses and my favorite coffee, I couldn’t help but wear it tonight.
The slinky red fabric hugs my generous curves, ruching in all the right places to hold my insecurities at bay. I’m not normally self-conscious about my body, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t days I wish my thighs were skinnier, or my arms had more tone, or that my stomach was flatter.
We all have those days, right?
The deep plunging neckline sits perfectly against my tits, and a small smile tips up the corners of my lips.
I’m being silly.
I’ve worn much less than this at the Scarlet Lounge.
I’ve been naked and on display for the whole club, so why am I bothering to allow my insecurities in now?
I smack my full lips together, spreading the nude gloss across the soft pillows as I readjust the long auburn hair curled around my shoulders.
