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It felt like crossing into another world. I gave myself over to the feeling. Here I was not Jasmine VanDoren. Here I was a siren. A sensual being who could express any and every single desire I felt.
And when my car finally emerged from the dark tunnel of the Avenue of Oaks, I was met with the brilliance of the Oleander Manor, lit up like a bright beacon of sensual delight in the darkness. Again, cars lined the front parkway.
I grinned. My intuition had been right. They were having an event tonight.
I backed up a little and parked off to the side amid the oak trees, then hustled over to the side entrance of the manor where I’d been hurried inside last time. Since I was earlier tonight, there were other girls at the door, and I joined them as if I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
When I glimpsed a woman who could only be Mrs. Hawthorne ahead, I ducked and kept my face angled to the side. I didn’t know much about the woman. Mostly just what Sully told me. While sons played at the Oleander as children, girls were never allowed. That didn’t mean she didn’t know who I was though. From what I understood, she took it upon herself to know everything about every Order member. And my father had been one, back when he was alive.
But luckily, there were enough other women being hurried into the mansion then ushered into some changing rooms that she didn’t see me. It was definitely my lucky night, because there were masquerade masks set out on a table for us to adorn ourselves... in addition to jeweled nipple clamps, pearl-string panties, and stilettos.
Even pulling the slinky panties up my legs made me feel slick and sinful. They were more sex-toy than undergarment. Ha. What would Walker say when he saw me in this? He certainly couldn’t think me prim or proper.
I’d never in my life worn nipple clamps, but all the other girls clipped the dangling little jewels on like they were nothing. I watched surreptitiously and then picked up a pair for myself. I winced a little when I accidentally clamped the clip on my fingertip. Jesus, that pinched! And I was supposed to put this thing on my—!
But there was nothing for it. All the other women were putting them on and— Holy shit! I all but dropped the clamps when I saw that Mrs. H was back, inspecting each girl at the door before she went out onto the ballroom floor.
I put the clamps to the side and hastily grabbed for a mask that seemed to have the most surface coverage area. It was gold and covered from my forehead to just below my cheekbones, including my nose. I felt clumsy as I secured the mask behind my head, and my heartbeat ratcheted up several more notches. It wasn’t fear though.
It was adrenaline and pure thrill.
“If you girls missed it,” Mrs. H said, “Tonight’s theme is Absinthe and Acid, so you and any man who chooses you will be drinking absinthe laced with LSD. Be aware, be safe, and give the gentleman a good time.”
I blinked. Whoa. Last time being in this position had been accidental, but this time I was going in with eyes wide open. Tonight I was choosing every bit of this. And it was delicious. Doing the wrong thing. Breaking the rules. Sneaking where I wasn’t supposed to go and taking what wasn’t supposed to be mine?
It was completely intoxicating.
So, without another pause, I opened the small claws of the clamps and clamped the suckers right on my perky nipples. I huffed out a surprised breath of air.
Wow. I definitely felt that. I looked down at the small sparkly emeralds that dangled an inch and a half from my nipples. Gravity alone had them tugging on my nipples, but what if someone flicked them? Someone like… Walker?
“You lasses are slower than my nana Rona and she had double arthritis and a leg amputated from diabetes!”
Anyone could tell by that tone Mrs. H was not in the mood. So I shoved my feet in the ridiculous heels and strapped myself in. Luckily mother dearest had made sure I could walk in all sorts of the most ridiculous couture, so I had no difficulty strutting over to Mrs. H and presenting myself.
I kept my eyes down, though, not quite bold enough to look her in the eyes. Sully always told me she was known for her uncanny knack of spotting shenanigans. Tonight she must have been overly stressed or tired, though, because she just gave me a quick once over before waving me on.
“Next, next,” she said hastily, continuing to gesture.
I only grinned once I was out of her sight and heading down the small walkway to the ballroom. We poured into the large white room. I took several steps inside and then paused a moment to really look my fill.
