Prologue #3
My attention snapped to the beautiful woman in the corner, wearing a stunning red dress, and playing elegant music at the piano, the lilting notes echoing around the space.
Instead of paying attention to where Ted was leading us, my gaze was focused solely on the piano. My mama had taught me how to play from the age of three until she died. After, Papa had sold our piano, and told me that he didn’t want me to play or sing at home because it reminded him of Mama.
I’d continued to have lessons at every school I’d attended since, and while I may have been lonely at my school in Italy, I could at least spend hours losing myself in playing and singing, something I wouldn’t be allowed to do when I returned home.
“Wow, this place is incredible,” I said, dragging my wide-eyed stare from the piano and taking in the rest of the VIP area.
“Yeah, now you see why I tend to stay here most of the night. Here, take a seat,” Ted replied as we reached a circular booth.
He placed the champagne bucket and glasses down before lightly caressing my lower back as I passed him to slide in.
“Four glasses?” Kat asked, her brows pulled together as she slid into the booth next to me while Ted took the other side.
“Yeah, my friend will be joining us shortly,” he replied, checking his watch and missing the way Kat’s face lit up.
I knew where her mind had gone. If she wasn’t going to get anywhere with Ted, she’d take a chance on his friend.
Ted poured the champagne into the flutes before sliding one to Kat and then handing one to me. Our fingers brushed as I took it from him, and my stomach lurched from the heat blazing in his eyes.
I had a horrible feeling that Ted was hoping for something to happen between us. Guilt began creeping into my body, knowing that even if I was attracted to him, nothing could happen.
“To making new friends,” Ted said, holding his glass up to mine.
I clinked my glass against his, unable to hold his gaze.
“What are we celebrating?” a deep voice rumbled.
My eyes flashed to the man standing by our table, and the delicious champagne I’d just drank turned to acid in my mouth, almost making me choke as I tried to swallow it.
Deep in the pit of my belly, a thousand butterflies started to flutter wildly when I met dark eyes staring at me.
Dark eyes that had been staring at me not that long ago with a look of burning want, but now, they were as cold as ice.
“Ah, perfect timing,” Ted said, holding out the final glass to the man. “Ladies, let me introduce you to my very best friend. This is Milo.”
***
Miles
My earlier good mood had rapidly dwindled in the last two hours. I’d gone from being in a post-orgasmic high to wanting to murder any cunt who pissed me off, namely my cousin, and the way he kept flirting with her.
His hand had dropped to her bare thigh a few minutes ago, too close to the hem of her short black dress, and I was doing everything in my power to not reach over and break every bone in his hand.
What the fuck was wrong with me?
It wasn’t like I hadn’t met beautiful women before. I was a regular at this club; meeting women, fucking women. None of them had held my interest for more than one session.
But there was something about her that had hit differently.
Sophie White.
That was what she’d introduced herself as. I wasn’t sure if it was a fake name; if it was, she was a good liar.
I’d never seen her in the club before, but the way she stared at me on the stage while I was balls deep in a woman whose name I didn’t know, I hoped she’d become a regular.
Fuck, she was beautiful.
Long brown hair that fell to her waist, toned legs that would have looked perfect wrapped around my head as I ate her pussy for the audience to watch and wonder how she tasted. Perfect tits that would have looked incredible covered in my come.
But it was her eyes that got me. Gorgeous aquamarine eyes, framed by thick dark lashes which appeared to see right into my darkened soul whenever she looked at me. From the way Theo was struggling to tear his gaze away from her, I knew he’d been suckered in too.
Theo was my cousin. My best friend. My confidant. There were only three months between us, so we’d grown up as if we were twins, helped by how similar we looked.
I would have died for Theo, but right then, I wanted to hurt him. Hurt him for getting to her first.
And despite my instant attraction to her, I hated her for making me feel that way toward the one person I needed in my life.
I’d intended to seek her out as soon as I was done on stage.
I didn’t just want to find her to see if she would be a willing partner in the voyeur room.
Usually, I didn’t bother to find out a woman’s name before I’d stripped them naked in front of a crowd, but with Sophie, I wanted to know everything about her.
“So, what’s your plan for summer?” Theo asked the two women.
“I plan on hitting up this place as often as possible,” Kat said, annoying the fuck out of me, especially when she scooted closer and whispered, “I saw you on the stage, you know?”
From the minute I sat down, she’d been trying to flirt with me but failed miserably. I didn’t do flirting. I didn’t do romance and dating bullshit. I liked to fuck, preferably with an audience watching me.
I’d never really understood why the thought of fucking a woman, or several at once, while a crowd looked on got me as hard as it did. I’d long given up trying to work out how my brain worked.
Besides, I had Theo. He knew how my brain ticked, and he always knew what was needed to keep me in check.
I ignored Kat, looking over to where Sophie was giggling, before she lightly tapped his shoulder and called him Ted.
Ted and Milo.
Those were the names we gave to people who didn’t know us whenever we came to the club.
Sure, certain people knew we were Theo and Miles Wolfe, heirs to the city of Hollows Bay, but they knew better than to approach us when we were busy socializing.
Discretion in Exotique was fundamental to the club’s success, and any attempt to conduct business or cause problems would result in an instant ban.
Or a bullet to their head if they pissed us off.
When Kat’s hand landed on my thigh, and Sophie’s plump lips pulled into a coy smile aimed at Theo, I knew I had to get the fuck away before I snapped.
“I’ll get us another bottle,” I huffed, ignoring the flash of hurt on Kat’s face as I yanked her hand from my leg and abruptly stood.
I shouldn’t have bothered going to the bar. I should have gone straight back to the voyeur room and found a willing woman to take my frustration out on, but as soon as that thought entered my mind, I was shoved back into the moment my gaze had fallen on Sophie watching me.
I was completely mesmerized. I couldn’t look away, and as I thrust into the woman I was fucking, I’d let my imagination take over.
It was Sophie bent over in front of me, her cunt gripping my cock as I pounded into her. But it went deeper than just wanting to fuck her in front of an audience.
I wanted them to know she was mine. That I was the only fucker who got to put his hands on her and know what it felt like to be deep inside her. And when she came, it would only be my name she cried.
I had no clue what it was about her that stirred feelings no one else ever had, like I said; I’d long since given up trying to figure out how my brain worked.
But they were undeniably there, warring with the envy searing me every time I glanced over at her, only to find my cousin inching closer to her, ready to make his move.
Ready to claim her.
Ignoring the jealousy swirling like a raging storm through me, I ordered another bottle of champagne, wishing the club would allow weed to be smoked inside.
I was finding more and more that weed was the only thing I could use to quieten my mind. There were times when I couldn’t stop my brain from churning, trying to stay ten steps ahead of everything. It was exhausting, but weed helped me to switch off.
Thankfully, one strand of the Wolfe business was in supplying a variety of drugs, cannabis included.
I had a never-ending supply whenever I needed to relax.
I hadn’t moved on to heavier stuff; weed was enough to take the edge off, but right then, I wished I had something stronger that would make me blackout and forget this damned night.
When the barman went to grab the bottle I’d ordered, I made the stupid mistake of turning back to the table. Relief at finding Kat had disappeared quickly turned to fury. My hands balled into fists, and the urge to hurt Theo was never more powerful than it was right then.
He was kissing Sophie, one hand cupping her cheek as she rested her hand against his chest. He was finding out what it felt like to have his lips pressed against hers. What she tasted like as their tongues twirled. How it felt to explore each other’s mouths.
I had to get the fuck out of the club.
How the hell was someone I barely knew having this much of an effect on me? She was making me lose control, and I fucking hated it.
Paying the bill, I snatched the new bottle off the bar and stormed over to the table, reaching it as Sophie was sliding out and telling Theo that she was visiting the restroom.
Meeting my eyes, she gave me a shy smile, her lipstick slightly smudged, and as she brushed against me, the scent of cinnamon hit me like a tidal wave, causing the muscles in my stomach to tighten in a way I’d never felt before.
“I’m going to find another woman,” I growled, almost slamming the bottle on the table.
“You good?” Theo said, his brows furrowing in concern.
“Yeah, fine. Just got some things to get out of my system.”
His frown deepened. Theo always knew when something was bothering me. He knew when I was losing control, and he was always by my side to keep me calm. That was why he came to the club with me. He didn’t particularly enjoy it, but he always insisted on coming with me in case I needed him.