Savage (Park Avenue Kings #1)

16. Lachlan

16

LACHLAN

H OURS LATER AND the penthouse had turned into a madhouse.

Italian tailors with racks of clothing at their disposal commandeered one section of the room, a wig master and his assistant in another, and in the center of it all, Cooper sat getting facial prosthetics and glancing in my direction every other minute. The looks varied from accusatory to curious to resigned at how long and involved the process had become.

Lucien hovered over the woman reshaping Cooper’s nose and shook his head. “No, we want less Pinocchio, more Prince Charming. He still has to look fuckable.”

That earned me another side-eye from Cooper, and I mouthed, Still want to go? as Lucien came up beside me.

“Involving me in your indiscretions. How unlike you,” Lucien said, but his gaze scanned proudly over those he’d assembled to help get us ready for tonight.

“Don’t make me regret this,” I said. “And don’t even think about breathing a word of this to King or any of the others.”

“No one regrets coming to me, Lachlan. You know that.”

That charm, as smooth and sinful as butter, didn’t work on me. I might’ve been one of the few who eluded Lucien Vale, but his legendary skills and connections were exactly why he was the perfect man for this job.

“As for keeping secrets,” he continued, “if you knew even half of what goes on when people think no one is watching…”

“I’m sure you’ve got every juicy detail recorded and locked away if you ever need to get the upper hand.”

Lucien’s grin grew Cheshire Cat wide. “Would I do that?”

“The mayor just resigned after his sex scandal was blown wide open. Know anything about that?”

“Only that the next time he decides to have an orgy free-for-all after hours in City Hall, he might want to check the ages of those he personally requested from a sex shop overseas.”

“Is that all?” I said drolly.

“And perhaps turn off the building’s security feed. Or pay off the guards. Oh, wait. He can’t anymore.” He lifted a shoulder. “Thoughts and prayers to the mayor.”

I couldn’t help snorting at Lucien’s antics. We’d been working behind the scenes to oust Mayor Peterman, who’d done nothing but cause chaos in the five boroughs since the day he took office, and leave it to Lucien to drive him out in such a dramatic way. He was nothing if not entertaining—and resourceful.

That was why he’d been my first and only call today.

“I think a hat would’ve been just as effective,” Cooper called over to me. He shifted uncomfortably in the chair as the artist making him over started on reshaping his jaw.

“World-renowned designers and creators here giving him an alter ego, and this one wants to wear a dingy baseball cap,” Lucien said, rolling his eyes. “Because of course that’s what men at a sex club are looking for. What do I know?”

I went over to check out the progress on Cooper’s transformation, and as he looked up, I realized they’d given him dark brown contacts. That alone made him look altogether different, harder somehow than with the blue.

“Give me the word, and this can end right now,” I told him.

“No. You just didn’t say anything about a nose job.”

“I said we both need to change our appearances if we’re going to successfully scope things out.”

“Okay, okay.” Cooper looked me over and frowned. “You look the same.”

“Wait for it.” Lucien moved in beside me and gestured to the chair next to Cooper. “Time to make you into a sex god. Although”—he pulled up the sleeve of his black silk shirt to check his watch—“I’m not sure we have time for such a metamorphosis.”

“Fuck you,” I said, sliding out of my suit jacket and then unbuttoning my shirt. “Do anything crazy and don’t think I won’t use the shit I have on you.”

“Lachlan, don’t tempt me with a good time.”

“That was a threat, fucker.”

He gave me a slow smile and winked. “To you .”

I didn’t bother kicking his ass right then and there, because Cooper had gone suspiciously quiet. A quick glance proved something had caught his attention, all right, and that something was me.

He was staring, eyes glued to my body as the material parted with every button I flicked free. I shrugged out of the shirt and got a hit of supreme satisfaction when he white-knuckled the arm of the chair.

“Yes, perfect,” Lucien said as he looked between the two of us. “This is exactly the vibe you need tonight.”

Cooper blinked and jerked his gaze away before frowning at Lucien. “Sorry, what?”

“You continue undressing Lachlan with your eyes, he’ll stay hard, and you’ll both fit into the scene just fine.”

Shit. I couldn’t even try to hide the semi that had popped up because of Cooper ogling me, like he was hungry for the rest of my strip show. It didn’t matter to my body that now was not the time to remember how intense it felt to be inside him. I wasn’t that man right now. To Cooper, I was Lachlan, the one he’d called when he was in trouble, not the one breaking the rules and fucking him senseless.

I settled into the chair. “Just fit me with a damn wig or something and get on with it.”

Cooper grinned to himself. “I can’t wait to see this.”

“Keep it up and I’ll make sure he gives you a balding one.”

“Joke’s on you. You’re the one who has to look at me.”

“All right, gather ’round, everyone, gather ’round,” Lucien called out to his team, and seconds later there was a sea of faces staring down at us.

“Luc, what the fuck?” I grumbled as one of the bright makeup lights was turned in my direction.

“We have to create a visual story. Obviously. ” Lucien gestured to Cooper. “Here we find our sexual submissive. I’m thinking blond, I’m thinking leather, I’m thinking cuffs. Something sheer for the top to show off that young body.”

“I’m not that young,” Cooper said.

“For the purposes of tonight, you are.” Lucien ran his eyes critically over me, and I forced myself to remember I was the one who’d invited this. “Now here we have our dom. Strong and sexy, but with a touch of sophistication.”

I smirked. “So just be myself?”

“If I wanted a savage in a business suit, I’d ask for one.” He leaned in toward the tailor, who was taking notes. “Let’s put him in all black. Perfectly tailored slacks. A silk shirt unbuttoned down his chest?—”

“Hey, fucker, that’s what you’re wearing,” I pointed out.

Lucien spread his arms out and did a slow spin to show himself off. “Strong. Sexy. Sophisticated. The perfect combination to have men lining up on their knees.”

“Jesus.” I rubbed my temple, feeling a sudden headache coming on as Lucien turned his attention back to Cooper.

“Oh, Cooper? How do you feel about tattoos?”

“On myself?”

“On your dom.”

Cooper looked at me, and I couldn’t get over the drastic change a bit of makeup and prosthetics could do. “I think that’d be hot,” he said, but then a teasing gleam entered his eyes. “As a matter of fact, I think you should cover his entire body with tattoos. Every. Single. Inch.”

I arched a brow, but kept my thoughts to myself. What I wanted to say was that I knew he didn’t need a visual to get off to. He needed a few choice directives from a man in a mask.

Lucien nodded and said to the makeup artist, “Let’s do a sexy tattoo going up his neck, maybe peeking out of his shirt. Something to give him a bit of an edge.” He clapped his hands to dismiss everyone. “Thank you, let’s make some magic, people.”

As everyone scattered to their respective corners, Cooper settled back in his chair like he was grateful for the momentary reprieve.

“He’s a friend of yours?”he asked.

“Lucien?”

He nodded.

“Are you asking on or off the record?”

“Does it matter?”

“I’m in the security business, Cooper. I can’t have stories dropping about me or anyone I’m involved with.”

“I understand. Don’t worry, you’re not my story. Whatever we find, you won’t be included in the narrative. Promise.”

Did I believe him? Considering I dealt in a world of half-truths, I never trusted anyone a hundred percent. Cooper’s real-world naivety made me inclined to trust him, but that didn’t mean I’d put it past him to do whatever served him best in the end. It was what most people would do.

It was what I would do.

“Oh, Lachlan?” Lucien tossed something in my direction. “Have your sub give those a whirl.”

Cooper leaned over to get a better look. “What are those?”

“Give me your wrist.”

Cooper held his arm out, and I buckled on the first leather cuff.

“Wow, we’re really leaning into the dom/sub thing, huh?” He lifted his wrist to inspect the cuff and saw the silver hook attached. “Wait, what’s this for?”

I motioned for his other arm and then wrapped the second cuff around his wrist. “Are you familiar with the relationship between a dominant and submissive?”

“Can’t say I’ve ever looked into it.”

As I buckled the cuff, I let my fingers linger a little longer than they needed to over his smooth skin. I traced one of his veins and didn’t miss the way he trembled. “In public a submissive follows orders, bites their tongue, does whatever the dom wants and needs from them. It’s something both participants enjoy, but the truth is, the submissive has all the power. Everything is consensual, and at any point if things go too far, if you want things to stop, all you need to do is say the safe word and we’ll leave. No questions asked.”

He swallowed. “What’s the safe word?”

“You tell me. Something you’ll easily remember that would fit into this world we’re about to step into.”

“Okay.” He chewed on his lower lip. “Since everyone will either be high on sex or drugs, how about…‘euphoric’?”

I nodded once. “Euphoric. Done. If that word comes out of your mouth, everything stops. Deal?”

“Deal. But I can handle it. Whatever happens.”

We would see about that. There was no telling what we were walking into without getting a rundown of what to expect beforehand.

“How do you know so much about this? Are you a…a dom?”

I inclined my head in Lucien’s direction. “Let’s just say that people talk. And they have a lot of interesting stories.”

Cooper’s pulse thrumming beneath my fingers reminded me that I was still holding his wrist, and I let go as one of the assistants came over carrying a bright blond wig.

“That better fucking not be for me,” I said, and when she stopped behind Cooper, he groaned.

“This is payback for the full-body tattoo comment, isn’t it?” With a sigh, he straightened in the chair. “Okay. Do your worst.”