Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Serena
I blinked, biting my lower lip, fingers clenching and unclenching.
A sex club.
My instincts were right but hearing him say it out loud made it so much more real. While I knew places like this existed, I never expected to find myself in one. My gaze drifted back to the dance floor. Bodies moved together in ways that blurred the lines between dancing and foreplay, charging the air with heat and unspoken invitations.
Strangely, I wasn’t scandalized. One would think all that Catholic guilt would come rushing back, but it didn’t. I held no judgment for the people who indulged in this kind of thing. If anything, I was fascinated by the freedom of it, the sheer abandon with which they gave in to pleasure. But that didn’t mean it was for me .
I turned to Anton, who was watching me carefully, reading my every reaction.
“This isn’t my scene,” I admitted. “I don’t mind that it exists, but it’s just…not my thing.”
“Don’t be so quick to dismiss it. There’s a stigma surrounding this lifestyle, but it’s not always the way some might imagine it.”
My heart rate kicked up another notch. I wasn’t sure what he was hinting at.
Before he could elaborate further, our server returned, setting down a crystal bottle of Louis XIII cognac alongside a silver tray of mixers. Anton didn’t acknowledge her beyond a nod, already reaching for the bottle. He poured himself a measure of the dark amber liquid. Then he poured mine, but instead of leaving it untouched, he added a generous amount of ginger ale before sliding the glass toward me.
“Thank you,” I said, picking it up and talking a long gulp. The warmth of the cognac mixed with the crispness of the ginger ale slid down my throat. It was smooth, expensive, and did nothing to ease the tension building in my body. I downed the rest of the drink quickly.
When I lowered the glass and set it back on the table, Anton’s brows raised in surprise.
I shrugged. “I was thirsty.”
His expression didn’t change, but there was a new warning in his eyes.
“Slow down,” he said. “Inebriation in a place like this isn’t good for anyone. I want you to have a clear head.”
“I know my limits,” I insisted.
He pressed his lips together in a tight line, appearing to mentally deliberate the situation before standing and extending a hand to me. “Come dance with me.”
I hesitated, glancing behind him at the crowd, then back into his onyx eyes. Things were happening on that dance floor— things I wasn’t sure if I was ready for—yet I still found myself reaching for his hand.
Anton led me toward the mass of people, his grip just as firm and possessive as it had been when we’d entered the club. The thrumming bass matched the beat of my heart as we stepped into the crowd, pushing through the press of twisting bodies. The air was thick with the scent of perfume, alcohol, and sex. Hands roamed freely, and lips brushed against necks as fingers tangled in hair. The atmosphere was spellbinding—dark, primitive, and erotic. I was suddenly hyperaware of everything around me. The heat of it all was suffocating yet intoxicating.
And then there was Anton.
He turned to face me, his hands settling at my waist, pulling me flush against him. My breath caught as his body pressed into mine, strong and unwavering. He didn’t move right away but stood there. Waiting. Watching me. Testing me.
“You’re tense,” he murmured. “Relax your hips. Let me control the pace.”
I let out a shaky exhale and forced myself to loosen, looping my arms around his neck. Then he started to move, his grip guiding me into the rhythm of the music. His pace wasn’t fast. It was slow, deliberate and commanding as the DJ mixed into a new song. The melody was equal parts obsession and confusion, matching the storm of emotion raging through me.
I followed Anton’s lead, my body molding to his in a way that felt incredibly natural. The heat between us quickly grew, spiraling into something dangerous until every move—every press of his hips and slide of his hands on my body—was charged with a sizzling energy that compared to nothing else. A part of me hated how effortlessly he made me forget my reservations. But I also relished it. I liked who I became when I was with Anton.
Every move he made felt like both a tease and a challenge. Each rotation of his pelvis against mine made me forget who I was, and I found myself thinking about the couple who’d disappeared through the door in the corner.
Where did they go to?
What happened in the spaces beyond this room?
Anton dipped his head slightly, his nose grazing along my temple before his lips hovered just over the shell of my ear.
“Can you feel the energy of this place?” he murmured.
“Yes.” The word was barely above a whisper. I swallowed, my fingers tightening on his shoulders.
“There’s misconception about these clubs, particularly by close-minded people. Not everyone comes here for sex. Some explicitly plan for it, but it’s so much more than that. Half of the people on this dance floor have come solely for the sexually charged environment. Then they’ll go home and make their own fun after.”
I couldn’t deny what he was saying. Sexually charged was an understatement. Being here—pressed against Anton—watching the sensual dancing and touches of those around us was a turn-on like I’d never before experienced. I could feel the tightening in my core and the wet heat forming between my legs. There was no doubt. I knew the sex between us would be explosive tonight.
Over his shoulder, I watched as another couple disappeared through the door in the corner of the room.
“Anton, what’s through that door?”
“Most likely, the playrooms.”
My eyes widened, not needing him to explain what sort of play went on.
“The doorway to sin,” I murmured, more to myself than to him. “I think I’ll stay out here tonight.”
I felt Anton’s chest vibrate as he laughed. “We aren’t going through that door, princess. I have other things in mind for us.”
“Such as?”
He pulled back to look at me, his dark eyes smoldering .
“Come with me. There’s a loft area upstairs. I want to show you something.”
Intrigued yet apprehensive at the same time, I allowed Anton to lead me toward a narrow staircase tucked away in the opposite corner from the doorway to sin. The music pulsed around us, each beat matching the erratic pace of my heart as we ascended. The stairwell opened into a loft area with low lighting and leather couches. There were a few couples lounging about, talking and enjoying their drinks, and looking very normal all things considered.
At the far end of the loft, Anton stopped in front of a glass wall. Beyond it, a dark room came into view. The sight hit me like a jolt.
Naked bodies were everywhere, and not a single one seemed to care or notice the people in the loft staring down at them. They were too busy with each other. Some couples separated themselves from others, keeping their sexual escapades monogamous. But there were other areas of the room that entertained larger groups of people, everyone moving so in sync, it was hard to tell where one person ended and the other began. They surrendered to rhythm and desire just as the space demanded they should.
I placed my hands on the cool railing lining the glass wall, my heart hammering.
This is insane. What am I doing here?
I’d never before felt so out of place, yet I also didn’t want to leave. It was wrong to stare, but the dampness forming between my legs was proof of my arousal. I couldn’t look away. Watching the people below was provocative and voyeuristic in a way that sent an unexpected heat coursing through my veins.
Anton stepped behind me, his body close enough to feel but not quite touching. I leaned back into him, my gaze settling on a woman who was being taken from behind by her lover. She glanced at a nearby couple, and there seemed to be some kind of silent communication before the pairs moved together and…
Are they swapping?
“Sometimes, it’s not about participating,” he murmured, his voice low. “It’s more about seeing what turns you on.”
My throat constricted, and I angled my head to look at him.
“Is this…is this what turns you on?” I asked, praying to everything holy that Anton didn’t expect to share me with others. That was never going to happen.
He smiled, but didn’t answer. Instead, he skimmed his hand down my hip, reaching around to the front. Moving lower, his hand slid up under my dress. He paused when he reached the lace band of my thigh-high. His eyes burned even darker, churning with a new hunger.
“I’m a sucker for thigh-highs, princess. Leave them on later.”
“Okay,” I whispered as his hand traveled up further. My breath caught in my throat when I realized what he wanted to do. “Anton, wait. People could see.”
He grinned. “That’s the point, princess. But if it bothers you, don’t worry. We can see them through the glass, but they can’t see us.”
I turned my head away from him, focusing again on the people below. For some reason, knowing the glass was only one way gave me the nerve to study the people a little more carefully.
It wasn’t long before the intense ache between my legs bordered on painful, and I began to wonder if I was overthinking the entire situation.
Sex doesn’t need to be so serious. It can be fun, too. These are all consenting adults after all.
Still, I wasn’t sure if I had it in me to let go of all inhibitions the way these other people did. They seemed so free, and if there was one thing I wasn’t used to feeling, it was the freedom to be myself without constraint .
“Part your legs, Serena. I want to feel you.” Anton’s command was firm, cutting through my moment of indecision.
I glanced back up at him, meeting his heated onyx stare. And for the first time all night, I stopped thinking and did exactly what he told me to do. I let go, allowing myself to be truly free, and let him take control. Slowly, I shifted to part my legs, allowing him better access.
He placed a knuckle under my chin and traced my bottom lip with his thumb. My lips parted when he cupped my cheek and pressed his lips to mine in a punishing kiss. The hand between my legs shifted higher, his fingers curling around the edge of my panties until he could push them aside. When he made contact with my most sensitive spot, I gasped.
I was soaked.
“Oh, princess. You have no idea how happy it makes me to know that you’re turned on by this place.”
Shame washed over me, but it was short-lived. I was too consumed by the moment. I would contemplate my guilt and sinful debauchery another time.
My nipples tightened as he slid his fingertip over my folds until he found a slick bundle of nerves. He swiped over it. Once. Twice. Three times.
“Mother Mary,” I moaned into his mouth. I wanted this—wanted him to touch me in the worst possible way. It didn’t matter if people were mere feet away. Everyone in this place was lost in themselves, uninterested in what was going on between Anton and me. And if by some chance they were watching, strangely, I didn’t mind.
I turned my attention back to the people below as Anton’s finger found my center. I felt his cock grow hard in his pants as he rimmed my soaked opening in a torturous circular pattern. I moaned again, meeting his gaze reflected in the glass. His stare was intense as he moved in and out, paying special attention to my clit .
I closed my eyes and gave into the delicious tightening in my belly, pushing up against his hand and chasing a bliss that could only be found from his merciless touch.
“Do you want to come?” he asked.
“Yes.” The word came out harsh and fast, my brazen need for release all consuming.
“You don’t disappoint, princess,” he said in my ear. “Your response is everything I was hoping for and more. But we’re done here.” And then all at once, the release I craved was viciously snatched away when he removed his hands from my body. I opened my eyes in shock, breathless from one of the most erotic experiences I’d ever had.
“What are you doing?” I asked, unable to keep the accusation from my voice.
A wicked smile formed on his lips. “We’re going back to the hotel. There are too many things I want to do to you—in private.”
I didn’t argue.
I followed him out of the club, my mind and body reeling. A part of me couldn’t believe that I’d allowed things to happen the way that they did—but I loved every minute of it at the same time.
I thought about the night in New York City when I ran into Anton while on a walk. I hadn’t cared about public spaces then either. That was another thing I’d have to think about later—exhibitionism. I’d never considered it before, but I was starting to wonder if exhibitionism was a kink I wasn’t aware of having before now.