Page 4 of Gilded Lies
“Making their way toward us right now.”
He gestures to the opposite side of the ballroom. Two men in similar suits cut a path through the members. They are gorgeous, have shoulders made of granite even from this distance, and the one with the midnight-black braid down the middle of his head is interesting. They don’t take time to enjoy the sight of the dancers or other members. Their focus lasers in on their friend.
I turn back to the stranger at my side. I need to step away. And yet…
I tilt my head and lean in a little, so we don’t have to raise our voices to be heard. I shouldn’t do this. Nor should I place my hand on his chest for balance, but it’s dark, and no one is paying attention to me. My brain plays a dangerous game ofwhat ifand I give it a little rope, hoping I don’t end up hanging myself. I have no business entertaining a member, but a little harmless flirting before I excuse myself can’t hurt. It can help fuel my fantasies for when I’m alone in my apartment tonight.
Eyes black as coal caress over the slope of my exposed neck. “I have no desire to seek pleasure in front of a crowd. What I do happens behind closed doors.” He traces the edge of my neckline. “I have a feeling you would prefer the same. Will you join us?”
My heart clenches along with the rest of me.
Yes! Yes! I want to know what it feels like to have multiple men pleasure me. To be obsessed with me for just a single night.
Heat flows through my body, stopping at each point of pleasure before moving on. I draw in a shallow breath and let it out slowly.
His gravelly voice sends a thrill racing through me. Hidden behind my mask, I feel emboldened and I’m not one to waste an opportunity often. I lick my lips and raise my lashes until my eyes are level with his.
Thick, dark locks of hair glide through my fingers as I pull him impossibly close. The man is already invading my space enough to where I feel his heart rate matching mine beat for beat. The bulge in his pants throbs against my hip.
He circles my waist with a powerful arm. I mold myself against his front, feeling every inch of his hard body with mine.
God help me. This man feels savage. Like unfiltered lust when his lips dip to brush over mine. And when he takes a woman every ounce of his energy must feel raw and exhilarating to experience.
He’s gentle at first but the second his tongue dances over mine, he takes it deeper. Harder. There’s no denying something sparks between us in that second. He presses me against the glass wall behind us. Its cool surface is a stark contrast to the heat pouring off his massive body. My pulse matches the deep thumping tempo of the music. Around us the crowd of members have fallen into a lust-filled haze. I want to say it’s because of our surroundings that I’m so freaking horny, but the truth is more blunt. I’ve wanted to know a man’s touch long before tonight.
I feel the moment his two friends join us. Their energy is dark and powerful.
Before I lose all my good sense, I break contact and step away. Difficult when all three of them take up so much space. My foot falters and the one with the sexy braid reaches out and takes myelbow. Nothing too intrusive and I want to cry. Why can’t they just take the choice away from me and ravish me like wolves?
My gaze roams over our sole connection. The inked black roses covering his hand stands out against the backdrop of tanned skin. He moves his touch and takes my small hand in his larger one, raising it to his lips. Holding my gaze in the low light, he places a kiss atop each knuckle just like his friend did.
I wonder what those lips would feel like wrapped around my nipples?
“Don’t rush off on account of us.”
The man’s voice is smooth as smoke over dark wood.
I swear I’m broken somewhere inside because I would give him my virginity with a simple crook of his finger. My heart pounds. I nervously look between them, my body buzzing with anticipation.
“Thank you for catching me.” I glance up briefly to find the third man considering me beneath his black mask. His hands are at his side. Low lighting keeps his features a mystery, but his eyes tell me I could easily become this man’s prey.
The air in the room pulses through me. It would be so easy to let them take me away and fall into a fantasy. But the sight of a gold mask weaving through the members tells me my time is up. One of the owners is making his rounds and checking to make sure all members and their guests are accounted for. If he spots me with a member, it’s game over.
“I don’t mean to pull a Cinderella here and run off, but if you’ll excuse me, I must be going.”
My heart squeezes. I’m giving up my one chance at a one-night stand. But I can’t afford to lose my job. It’s the only thing that keeps me safe fromhim.
The man with the black mask eyes the magnolia inked over my right shoulder. The way he caresses the fine edges is distracting, but I don’t shy away like I normally would. I like his eyes on me.
The stranger holding my hand exhales, giving me an understanding yet sad smile. He slowly releases me, and I step from the heat of their bodies. “As you wish, petals, but know that you are ripping our hearts out. It’s not something my brutish friend said, is it?”
His voice is commanding. Strong. Bold. He gives me a once over—a slow lingering caress of his fierce gaze along my curves before his eyes settle on mine.
“Not at all.”
Petals.I carry the husky endearment and my stolen handkerchief with me as I weave through one empty corridor and then another until the sounds of sex and low thumping music is nothing more than dull noise.
I don’t dare look behind me to see if they follow. I half hope they do. I feel scandalous for the first time in forever.