Chapter Eighteen
I joined Greyson in the elevator, and it began to ascend quickly.
He moved towards me, his proximity forcing me to back up until I hit the elevator wall with nowhere else to go. His cologne sank into my senses, ascent that whispered of his endless secrets, leaving a sensual haze that made everything else fade—all I knew was him.
He rested his hands on either side of my head. “Interesting decision.”
“You invited me.”
“You invited yourself.”
I tore my gaze away from his intense stare, unable to hide the fact I’d made a reckless mistake.
“We both know you like it,” he said huskily.
“Like what?”
“Danger,” he whispered. “Remember, I’m the one who drove you away from it.”
Or right into it, I silently mused. “So that place is dangerous?”
His lips twitched. “Don’t go back there.”
“Or?”
“I will find you.”
“And kill me?” I smirked, feeling my confidence rise. “Because you know where I live.”
“Certainly do.”
“I will go back—if you don’t tell me why I shouldn’t.”
“You’re not a member.”
I raised my chin, offering my lips to disarm him. “I can feed off the adrenaline the way you clearly like to do, Greyson.”
“Is that what you’re doing now?” He arched a brow.
“Is this how you seduced Amelia?”
A shadow crossed his face, and his gaze became sinister.
“She seduced me. Then used me.”
And it didn’t end well for her.
“What did she do wrong?” I asked.
“Everything.”
“Did she go to your club?”
“How brave of you. Interviewing a suspect inside an elevator. Alone.”
“Greyson…”
“Do you like it?” He leaned in even closer, enough for me to feel his breath.
“Like what?”
“This?”
I blinked up at him, my body shuddering with uneasiness and something else, too—a stark arousal at the risk, my nipples beading beneath my shirt.
I shook my head. “There’s a tracker on the car.”
“Only they’d have to look.”
There’d be security cameras here. My last known whereabouts would be traced to this hotel.
He reached out and his fingers caught a strand of my hair, his touch gentle, stirring a cascade of sensations. He tugged it and that set my very core alight with a longing, dormant yet profound, a need to explore what he seemed to offer.
In the quiet of his intimacy, a tempest of emotions ignited a storm of desire inside me, my heartbeat in tune with each caress.
He moved in closer to kiss me, his lips hovering dangerously near mine, and my lips seem to swell in anticipation, craving it with intensity. I’d hoped this moment would come.
And then he withdrew, taking a step back, leaving behind an echo of electricity that crackled between us.
“You’re afraid to kiss me?” I teased.
“I’m afraid of what I’ll do after our kiss.”
“What would you like to do?”
“Everything your boyfriend wasn’t man enough to do.”
His jab felt like delicious revenge against the man who’d hurt me. Strange how the fear that I’d never be attracted to another man again was fading fast.
The question tumbled out, “Why did you end it with Amelia?”
His brows rose as though only now realizing his epiphany. “I had to break my heart to save my soul.”
It was in the silence that the true weight of his words settled in, as though they hung in the air, slowly sinking into me, their meaning unfolding and causing me to shudder.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Not as much as me. I’ll carry this guilt forever.”
“For what?”
“For not escorting her back to Ohio.”
“You did as much as possible, I’m sure.”
The elevator doors glided open on the tenth floor. If I was going to bolt, now was the time.
Greyson gestured for me to leave, as though letting me know I was free to escape him. Or maybe this was where the chase began.
I stepped out, feeling his gaze on my back, and was calmly mesmerized by the striking view.
I wasn’t expecting it. Moving forward, I approached the window in awe.
Greyson came and stood beside me. “Quite the vista.”
The moon’s caress lingered upon the mountains as it descended behind their peaks, casting long shadows that stretched across the valley. The light softened, painting the sky with hues of silver and gray, as if the world itself had paused to take a breath.
Greyson whispered, “This window frames the world.”
“That’s lovely.”
I peered at the window, studying his reflection in it, reading his expression and watching him watching me.
“Does Chad know you’re a Cole?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Greyson tutted with condemnation. “Sounds like he can’t be trusted.”
“I’m aware.”
“What else did he say?”
“You first. What’s the name of that club?”
He shook his head.
“You’re going to want to hear this…” I folded my arms.
“I can’t tell you the name.”
“Why?”
“It doesn’t exist.”
I started to smile and then realized his insinuation. “What would I see if I went inside?”
Greyson reached for my throat, wrapping his fingers around it. “This.”
“While you…?”
“Fuck.”
“A sex club?” Honestly, I was surprised he’d even tell me that much.
“If sharing what happens in there keeps you out, then so be it.” He shrugged. “It’s not exactly your scene.”
“You have to be a member to enter?”
“Yes. Security is tight. Attempting to enter is futile.”
“What would happen if a person managed to get past security?”
“If you go back, Willa, you will be placed in compromising situations that you won’t be able to escape.”
My breath left me as I blinked up at him, and I felt a flutter in my chest, a thrill I’d never experienced before, making me lightheaded.
“Do you do those things in there?” I asked softly.
“What things?”
“BDSM.”
He nodded. “And more.”
“More?” My shock was obvious.
That made him smile, but then his expression turned serious again. “You won’t find what you’re looking for there.”
“What am I looking for?”
“Tenderness.”
“What if I’m someone who might like that kind of scene?”
“You’ve shown me no evidence of that being true, Willa.” He shook his head. “Quite the opposite. You favor luxury over discomfort. Gentleness over raw passion. Predictability over spontaneity.”
I wanted to blurt out that it wasn’t true—there was a primal need within me that craved what my brother was rumored to enjoy. But it was something I couldn’t confess. Asking for what my body desired was too embarrassing.
And knowing that this man had access to that world left me utterly spellbound.
I asked sincerely, “Does anyone survive you?”
“I could ask the same of you, Willa Cole.”
He spoke my name with a reverence that lingered.
Reaching out, I pressed my hand to his chest so I could feel his heartbeat. He snapped his hand up and gripped my wrist, making me jolt and my clit alight with pleasure.
And all he had to do was hold me still like this, controlling, owning me in a passionate embrace that carried untold danger.
“What would you do to me if I entered your club?”
“What would you like me to do?” he asked, his tone deep and sensual.
My nipples pushed against my blouse, giving away my arousal. The sensation felt hypnotic as it flooded my senses. He did this to me, this man I hardly knew, making me want to explore acts that felt like sin.
“What if I went with you?”
He stepped back and let go of my wrist. “Never going to happen.”
Stepping towards him, I grabbed his chin and rose on my toes, pressing my lips to his.
Greyson was unmovable, his expression arrogant, with both of us keeping our eyes open as we challenged each other.
I ended the kiss, stepping back and staring into his eyes. “I need this,” I said, giving my consent.
“I’m not the man for you.”
“Why?”
“You need someone steady, someone who fits comfortably into your world. But I’m something else—a wild, unpredictable force you won’t be able to tame.”
“I’m the one who needs taming,” I whispered.
He suddenly pulled me close, his mouth covering mine. I relented, allowing his tongue in to explore vengefully. I swirled my tongue around his mouth in return, fiercely letting him know I had more power than he could imagine, even as he retaliated ferociously.
And I liked it, craving more, wanting this to never end.
I came from a dynasty forged through time, leaving a mark so indelible it would last forever. Because of this, I had been taught that anything I wanted I could have.
But until now, there had been nothing I had wanted as much as this .
Greyson’s mouth softened against mine and then he brought his right hand up to grip the back of my head, clutching my hair. It hurt deliciously as he held me against him, stealing his power back.
No words were needed—this was a struggle of passionate revenge. He was reflecting his fury with me for getting close to his secret life, and I was expressing mine for him denying what I needed more than air itself.
Him. I wanted him and yet he was still resisting me—it was in his kiss, his demands, his inability to surrender.
He pulled away. “I just hope you don’t regret this.”
“I want to see you again,” I said, the words tumbling out. “I know you’re innocent.”
His expression was unreadable. “I failed to protect her.”
“Because you loved her?”
“Because I didn’t love her enough.”
“Why?”
“She was merely my submissive.”
I drew in a sharp breath at his confession.
“Have you ever had a woman be more?” I had to know.
“No.” It was spoken with such assuredness that it cut through my confidence, my ability to reason what it is I really wanted from this moment, or this man, or this new life that had flung me into the unknown.
But he had saved me from that club, the one with no name.
“You’re like everyone else,” I said. Every man.
“In what way?”
I smiled. “You’re scared of what my brother will say.”
“Tell him about this, if you like.”
“About what?”
“This.” He crushed his body against mine, against the window, caging me in with his left hand near my head.
He sealed his mouth to mine, forging a savage kiss, and it morphed into something else, something visceral as though our chemistry was rising out of the dark and enveloping us both.
Outside, beyond the glass, the stars twinkled in astonishment at the kiss that went on and on.
I finally broke free and pushed away. “I want more.”
“You don’t deserve it,” he said, his words harsh with cruelty.
“What would I need to do?”
“On your knees.”
I flinched, feeling confused. I leaned back, my body language telling him I wouldn’t obey.
I bow to no one.
He gave me a knowing smile. “You’re not ready.”
“I know nothing about you.”
“My point exactly.”
“Why won’t you see me again?”
“Are you begging, Willa? How provocative.”
I looked away. “That is the last time you will ever kiss me.”
With a low voice he said, “That’s the best decision you’ve ever made.”
“What now?” I whispered.
“I take you home.”
Greyson walked away, pushing the button for the elevator. The doors opened, offering my escape.
I joined him inside and the elevator took us back down to the foyer.
The tempestuous blaze that had consumed me beyond all measure was suddenly over, extinguished in the wake of his ferocity. I couldn’t grasp where I had gone wrong. Perhaps I had asked the wrong questions, or maybe I had asked the right ones.
Regardless, our passionate kiss had forever changed me in ways I couldn’t even fathom.