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I laugh, downing my drink, moistening my parched mouth. “Not even very small, Mario.” I slide the glass toward him. “And if she asks for another one this evening, leave out the...” I trail off, frowning. “What do you put in those things, anyway?”
“Ah,” he sings, laughing. “That is secret. Like Luigi and his lemon pasta.” He taps his nose. “Secret family recipes.”
“Right,” I say, pulling my phone out when it vibrates in my pocket. “Well, whatever it is, leave it out.” I look down at the screen and a message from Coral telling me she’s arrived at the hotel and checked in. I spin my phone in my hand, thoughtful. I thought she’d been cut off?
“Hey, Jesse.”
I turn and find Niles slumped on a couch, looking slightly roughed up. “All right?” I ask.
He grins, and when I look over my shoulder, the reason for his chirpiness becomes clear. Sarah, clad in leather from her tits to her toes, snaps her whip, making me flinch. “I’ll leave you two to it,” I say, skirting past her and heading for the summer room. “Enjoy.”
“Oh, we will.”
I stop and turn back, remembering I have a bone to pick with her. A whole fucking graveyard of them. “Why the fuck did you tell...” But...what’s the fucking point in calling her out? She doesn’t give a fuck, and I’m long past trying to make her care. I just need to make sure I don’t give her any ammo. I back away, Sarah watching me, her head tilting, a fraction of smugness being lost. “Never mind,” I say. “Have a good night.” I walk away and make it to the edge of the dance floor. The music is booming, and I spy the boys. I smile. What the fuck is wrong with those two? I see Kate and Ava, dancing like normal girls would dance in a bar. In the whole time I’ve owned this place, I don’t think I’ve ever seen two women dancing together like friends. Only perhaps with a man wedged between them.Foreplay. That was me once. Searching for anything that would make me feel...empty.
I shuffle my way through the crowds and make it to them, cocking an interested look at the boys that goes over both their heads. Has there been a change of plan? Kate’s bailed? Sam’s admitted he’s catching feelings? Drew’s told them to go it alone?
I move in on Ava and plaster myself to her back, greeting her, feeling her. “I’m going to dirty you up,” I declare, lowering and taking her dress at the knees, lifting it a smidge so she can stoop with me, and when I start circling my hips into her arse, she’s right there with me, laughing, comfortable, and happy.
Just us, the music, our moves, how easily my body moves with hers, and how effortlessly she follows. How perfectly she fits against me. Simply...dancing. “Oh God, I love you.” I drown her face with kisses, noting the track coming to an end, so I send her out on a twirl before pulling her close again, gently swaying us. “More dancing?”
“Drink,” she says.
“You can’t keep up with your god, sweet temptress.” I keep us exactly where we are, hardly moving, just touching, while the rest of the floor go wild for Stevie Wonder. “Are you happy?” I ask, wondering where that question came from. Unease? Worry after taking her upstairs? She’s happy now, dancing, being relatively normal, being swooned all over, and I take immense comfort from the fact that I, Jesse Ward, Lord of the Sex Manor, can give her that. I can give her anything.
“Deliriously,” she says, hauling me into her.
“Then my work here is done.”
She lets me snuggle for a while in her neck, holding me like I need to be held, and I feel comforted by that. Her holding me. “Your temptress is dying of thirst.”
“God forbid,” I whisper, tearing us apart. And isn’t that apt? Because nothing could tear us apart. Only me. “Come on, I don’t want to be accused of neglecting you.” I put her in front of me and guide her off the floor, making it only two paces before I feel someone’s hands on my shoulders. I tense.Oh no. No. Don’t do it.
I’m hauled back onto the floor, with what feels like dozens of hands on my body, all dirty hands, all not meant to be there. “For fuck’s sake,” I mutter, trying to see who’s ambushed me. “Get the hell off me.” I wriggle and writhe, my ears bleeding, caused by the sounds of their delighted cackles. One’s Trisha. One’s Mandy. I look to my left, spying Marina too. Jesus Christ, she’s barely over her orgasm and searching for her next. “Get o—” I still when I see Ava coming toward us. “Oh fuck,” I breathe, feeling the hands still grappling at me. She looks livid. Disgusted. I expect her to lash out. She doesn’t. I don’t know if it’s a message or something, a lesson perhaps, one Ava wants me to take note of, but she simply offers her hand, looking at me to take, which I do. Of course I do. And she gently pulls me toward her.
Mine.
She leads me away, confident, owning it. Owningme. And it’s sexy as fucking hell. I swoop in and sweep her off her feet, ravishing her. “I love it when you’re all possessive.” I’m ignoring the fact that she did that without any bloodshed. It was definitely a message to me. “Kiss me.” She shakes her head, rolls her eyes, but she indulges my demand and lets me indulge her mouth as I walk blindly back to the bar with her in my arms.
“There.” I sit her down and give Mario a look,thelook, as he wanders over, smiling, getting two bottles of water and passing them over with a ready prepared glass of his specialty. Minus the alcohol.
“Mario, how’s the stock?” I ask, taking a seat and watching in astonishment as Ava downs the water ravenously before I check the shelves and fridges.
“Ah, Mr. Ward, you have thirsty members this evening. I’ll do stocktake tomorrow. We have a delivery arriving on Sunday.”
“Good man.” I return my attention to Ava and the glimmering diamond around her neck. She looks tired, has lost some of her sparkle. It’s been a tumultuous day. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” she says over a yawn as I tweak the diamond.
“I’m taking you home. It’s been a long day.” Of which we could have saved a few hours looking for a Scotch that was at The Manor the whole fucking time. I jolt when the unmistakable hand of the big man meets me shoulder.
“You good, girl?” he asks, as Ava yawns again, nodding. She’s hit a brick wall. God, I cannot wait to spend the rest of the weekend without any interruptions. In bed. The bath. The kitchen. Eating, kissing, cuddling, vegging.
“I’m taking her home,” I tell John. “Everything okay upstairs?”
“S’all good. I’ll call for your car.” Going to his phone, John looks at me, nodding, peeking over the top of his glasses. Talking to me without talking to me. And I hear him, loud and clear.Do this right.Fine. Tomorrow, I’ll push to meet her parents.
“I need to see Kate,” Ava mumbles, slipping down from her stool. Fucking hell, she’ll face-plant if she walks anywhere. I quickly reach for her and stop her going, and John laughs.
