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I blurt out before I can stop myself, “So you don’t think I’m odd, a nut bar?” There’s an edge to my voice, a mix of hope and a fierce need to not look like a complete idiot in front of him.
He gives me that almost-smile, the one that hints he's not as tough as he pretends. “If you asked me six months ago, my answer would’ve been different. But now, hell, we're walking proof that ‘normal’ got thrown out the window. Besides, I like odd.” He turns my arm over gently, his touch igniting sparks along my skin. “We can deep dive into the whys later. Tonight, it’s all about you.” His focus is so intense it feels like a spotlight shining right on me. And there's something else in his gaze too—a kind of fiery interest that’s new, unfamiliar, and sends my heart racing.
“Any idea how to start figuring out my powers? I should’ve asked Aleah more questions. Shit, there’s so much to unpack.” I pick up the training plan, trying to look like I've got my act together when inside I'm all fluttery and excited like a kid in a candy store.
Jaden’s voice drops lower, a note of command that resonates deep inside me. “Put that down and come here.” I set the papers aside, moving closer to him as he pours two drinks. The aroma of pineapple wafts over, soothing and sweet.
“What’s this?” I take the glass he offers.
He watches me, his gaze analytical yet intense. “Stoli Doli, vodka with pineapple. Good, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is,” I admit, the drink warming me, smoothing out the edges of my excitement and nerves.
“You seem pretty stoked about all this.” Jaden once again proves he’s a master of understatement. But for once, I'm too caught up in this whirlwind of discovery and sheer joy to shoot him my usual are-you-kidding-me look.
“Oh my God, Jaden. How could I not be excited by all this? One minute, I’m this little Black woman who men seem to think is their plaything without a brain in my head because Black people have smaller brains and thicker skulls, don’t you know. And the next minute, I’m some rare breed of witch with superpowers who nobody can call stupid anymore. And I’ve got a fabulous new job and have my own guardian angel.” I stop the verbal vomit I seem compelled to make before I say something else I hadn’t meant to reveal and because I run out of air. Jaden takes it all in and gives me another drink. “And now I’ve got a training program to get through in the next month. I probably should be figuring out what I’ll be doing tomorrow since the letter says I’m on the payroll as of today.” I take another swig of the drink.
“That’s right, and your training starts tonight at the Masquerade Club. There’s a kink event on tonight.” Jaden takes a sip of his drink while he leaps right to the point, those wolfish eyes locked on my face, reading every muscle twitch.
I damn near jump out of my skin when a buzzer goes off on the far wall.
“Ah good, dinner’s here. Let’s eat.” Jaden sets his glass on the dining table before opening the doors to a dumb waiter laden with steaming, dome-covered dishes. I barely have time to ogle Jaden’s fine ass before he’s laid out our meals and tucks into his fish and chips. Slowly, I follow him.
I have no idea what to do with this dark, intense man. I have no idea how to behave. Out of nowhere, I’m on the verge of hyperventilating as a panic attack bubbles to the surface. I. Will. Not. Do. It.
I will be the poster child for self-restraint. I drift off into one of my imaginary stories. Jaden has kidnapped me. He doesn’t bend me to his will with violence; he uses silence. Each night, he dines with me. The finest dark brown silk shirt outlines each muscle...
I sigh. I suck on my bottom lip, then catch myself. Stop that. He might notice. I throw a quick glance in his direction. The tunnel lights dimly light the interior, giving me a startling glance at his chiseled silhouette.
“What’s going on, Rayne?” Jaden's voice, a low rumble, drags me back to the present, away from the dangerous edges of my mind. I can't tell him about the PTSD, the scars that mark my psyche. That I'm not just complicated; I'm damaged. He’ll want to dissect it all, understand every fragment, but I can't let him. Not yet.
I shut my eyes, barricading my thoughts from him, focusing on steadying the erratic dance of my pulse. My body's no stranger to pain, to reactions both fierce and frightening, but this, this electric current zinging through me is alien, unsettling. Jaden, ever the perceptive observer, grants me the space I so desperately need, his silence a balm. He refills my drink and, unexpectedly, places a joint and an ashtray within reach. It's an escape, a temporary reprieve I know I shouldn't take, but the urge to numb the chaos within is too potent to resist. I light up, inhaling deeply, letting the smoke curl through me, loosening the tight coil of tension.
After a few moments lost in the haze, I find my voice again. "Did you say the Masquerade Club is a sex club?" My words are slow, but curiosity pierces through the pleasant haze in my brain.
Jaden pauses mid-bite, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face before he resumes his meal. He fixes his intense gaze on me. "Yes, the Masquerade is a sex club, and yes, I mentioned it earlier. What exactly do you want to know?" His question hangs in the air, thick with implication, a challenge I'm not sure I'm ready to meet.
“Earth to Rayne,” Jaden’s voice, tinged with a hint of amusement, pulls me from my spiraling thoughts. His eyes, those deep pools of mystery, lock onto mine, holding me captive without a touch.
I blink, snapping back to the here and now, my mind a whirlwind of questions and unspoken fears. "Sorry, just... thinking." It's an understatement, a feeble attempt to mask the torrent of emotions churning inside me, but I don’t know what else to say. Too much interest will make me look like a brazen hussy.
Jaden leans back, a slow, knowing smile playing on his lips. “It’s okay to be curious about the Masquerade. I like that you’re curious.” He pauses, the air between us crackling with unspoken words. "It's a place of exploration, Rayne. A place where fantasies come to life, where boundaries are tested, and desires are fulfilled."
My heart hammers against my ribs, each beat a drum of anticipation and dread. The idea of such a place, with Jaden, stirs a dangerous mix of excitement and fear in me. His presence alone is enough to send my senses into overdrive; the thought of being with him in a sex club is both exhilarating and terrifying.
"And you?” My voice is barely above a whisper. “What do you do there?" The question hangs between us, heavy with implications.
Jaden's gaze darkens, a hint of something more primal flashing in his eyes. "I'm a participant, like everyone else. Exploring, experiencing, enjoying." He leans forward, closing the distance between us. "But tonight, I'm there for you. To guide you, to protect you. To show you a world you've never imagined."
Oh dear God. The air is so thick with tension that it’s as if a magnetic force draws me towards him. I'm caught in the gravitational pull of his charisma, his power, his undeniable allure. It's a dance of desire, each step drawing me closer to the edge, to a precipice I'm both eager and hesitant to leap from.
His voice drops to a husky whisper, "Are you ready to explore the unknown, Rayne?"
His question lingers in the air, a challenge, an invitation, a promise of something wild and uncharted. My breath catches in my throat, my body and mind at war. I'm on the verge of a discovery, teetering on the brink of a revelation that could either break me or set me free.
I swallow hard, my heart pounding. There's a part of me, a reckless, daring part, that wants to dive headfirst into this new, mysterious world . . . with this man. To feel, to experience, to lose myself in something so completely foreign and yet strangely inviting.
"Enlightening, huh?" I manage to quip, trying to maintain a façade of nonchalance. But the truth is, I'm anything but indifferent. My body hums with a strange mix of excitement and anxiety like I'm on the cusp of something monumental. Maybe it’s the Stoli or maybe it’s the pot or maybe it’s both, but for the first time in a long time, my rational brain can’t control my emotions. It’s as if something inside me is screaming, “hell yes. This Jaden is my Neo, and I’m going to enjoy the ride.” And everything about his damned presence is sucking me in further—his scent, a mix of musk and something uniquely him, intoxicates me. The warmth of his skin radiates through the inches of space separating us, beckoning me closer. His features, so damned gorgeous, are like a siren's call I can't resist. I probably should try to resist him, but I won’t.
