Chapter 9
Dean
Having Sophia in my bed tonight will be a true testament to my resolve and ability to not touch her. I’m a fucking master of restraint. Yes, we’ll pretend we’re married. And yes, we’ll go to these parties, but I’m not expecting to go through with anything.
We’re playing the part that I’m into watching and my wife is new to the scene.
So, my plan is my wife will change her mind at the last minute. Cold feet. Chicken out. Yes, we can get to maybe three or four parties before that excuse won’t cut it anymore. I never plan on letting anyone ever touch her.
My kink will be, I like watching other men touch what’s mine. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m a solo player. And I want no one touching what’s mine. Ever. Sophia for all intents and purposes is mine.
Even if we’re not really married, the want is clear.
And I want her like I’ve never wanted anyone before. Yet, I won’t let my mind or body succumb to the temptation of her.
Sophia enters the house when we get home, and I instruct her to pack her things. We’ll be leaving the island first thing in the morning.
I square things with Ines, and the crew working on the house, and once everyone has settled in for the night, I go in search of my wife .
I knock on her door. “Sophia, you in here?”
She cracks the door open, wearing nothing but little boy shorts and a tiny white tank. “Yes, are we sleeping here or in your room?”
I push the door open further. “Where do you think?” I pick her up, carrying her bride-style to my master suite on the other side of the hallway.
I open the doors and deposit Sophia on the bed.
She glances around, taking in my bedroom. It’s much different from hers. I didn’t care about furnishings when Marge purchased the home. I told her to decorate it, and she went crazy with the gold and ornate décor in Sophia’s room.
Mine is simple. King-sized bed, gray sheets and comforter. Black and white paintings on the wall. Silver lamps and reclaimed wood dressers around the room.
“This is really… you,” Sophia says, getting under the plush comforter.
I step closer, turning out the lights, removing my shirt and jeans, and slide into the other side of the bed. “I want you to not be afraid of me if I put an arm around your waist. Or worse, I don’t want you to punch me.”
Sophia giggles and the sound is comforting in the room’s darkness. “I won’t punch you.”
I reach out and trace a finger from her temple to her chin. “You sure?”
Her breath hitches and she looks at me with round eyes. “I promise.”
It turns me on. My body hardens and I do the movement again. This time I don’t stop at her chin, and continue down to her collarbone.
She stretches her neck, letting me feel every bit of her. “Dean,” she moans out.
“Promise you won’t hit me if I touch you here?” I take my finger, marking a path over her shoulder and down her arm.
“That tickles,” she whispers.
I reach over her, tracing my finger around the opposite shoulder and down her other arm. This action makes her turn toward me. I can barely make out the lines of her face in the dark. Moonlight streams into the room, but she’s hidden in shadows, so I lean a little closer to see her better.
She reaches out her hand, mimicking my actions with her own finger, tracing down my jaw. She doesn’t say a word, and I let her soft skin touch me.
I’m so turned on right now it’s not even funny, but I don’t continue this any further. We’re here to play a part, and that’s exactly what we’ll do.
I breathe her in, kissing the tip of her nose. “Goodnight, Sophia.”
“Goodnight, Dean.”
We touch land in New York earlier than expected. We travel to my luxury condo on the Upper East Side. It’s late by the time we arrive, and I give Sophia a quick grand tour. We move through the living room full of black, sleek furniture with paintings scattered on the walls. Splashes of color match in each painting, supposedly creating a relaxing ambience. Why am I not relaxed?
“My bedroom. Your bedroom. Bathroom. Towels in here.” I open the door to the hall closet.
“Oh, what a nice tour. Can we slow down so I can actually look at where I’ll be living?” She smiles with a bit of sass.
“Have at it.” I swing my arm to the side, letting her walk past me to check out my place at her leisure.
It’s big.
Floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room show off a grand view of the city. We’re so high up that the lights barely phase us, but it casts a soft glow through the room, making it feel almost romantic.
“I love it here,” she says with a smile turning around in her heels to look everywhere.
For some reason, this makes me proud she likes it. All the countless phone calls and emails full of inspirational pictures from the annoying decorator when I purchased the place are now worth it when I get that approving smile from Sophia.
“Thanks.” I hop into action, grabbing two towels for her to use. “You can shower and then if you need anything.”
She takes the plush towels from my hands. “I’ll be fine.”
I walk past her in the hallway, heading to my master suite, wishing I could find some reason to have her sleep in my bed tonight. Instead, I toss and turn most of the night.
The next morning, I’m out of the bed at my usual time of six am. I work out a little in my home gym, shower, and then decide to make Sophia some breakfast. She’s still asleep when I finish, and I knock on the door to the guest room, to see if she’s hungry and awake.
No answer. I open the door, and she’s not in the bed. Son of a bitch. She left again. And now she has that big ol’ rock on her finger that she can get pretty far on.
I’m ready to grab my phone to get my men out looking for her when she steps out of the bathroom in nothing but a white towel. Water drips from her hair and I feel like an idiot for assuming the worst.
“I was too tired to shower last night.”
I watch each water droplet leave her hair and race down her arms and chest. Those legs make me… “Hungry?” I ask.
A smile lights up her face. “Starving.”
“Yeah, me too.” I swallow. “I’ve got some bacon cooking on the stove.”
She brushes past me. “I’m sure you’ve worked up quite the appetite.”
I watch her as she moves closer to her room. I’m very hungry. “Yeah,” I whisper.
She glances at me from over her shoulder. “You better get back to the kitchen before you burn it.” And then, she drops her towel and waltzes into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
It all happened so fast I only got a quick glimpse of her nice firm ass. I kind of want to rewind this moment, do it all over again so I can take my time looking when she drops her towel.
I shake my head and return to the kitchen. A little while later she joins me. While we eat I check with my friend who’s supposed to secure our ticket to Humphrey’s party tonight.
When I have guaranteed our names are on the list, I let Sophia know we’ll need to do a little shopping today to get ready for tonight’s party.
“Tonight? So soon?”
“Says the girl who tried to fly away every hour while we were at the Azores?”
She nods. “Well, yes, but I was hoping I’d have a little more time to ease into the role of being your wife.”
“Sorry, I want to get this fucker as quickly as possible.” I go over the plan with her one more time about us being newly married and while we’re not looking to swing, I am looking to have someone other than me touch my wife.
After we get ready for the day, I take Sophia to a few shops in the city. We find her a magnificent dress to wear tonight, and she looks so beautiful, it’s going to be hard to keep my hands off her. I know she’s my pretend wife, but I don’t want to be pawing at her all night long.
As the sun sets in the horizon and the sky turns black, the time comes, and Sophia’s dressed in a long black gown with a slit high up the side. Her hair is swept up on the left side, but trickles down her right shoulder, caressing her breast. She’s stunning. Ruby lips and sexy black heels. Every man is going to want to touch her tonight, and I’m kind of kicking my ass for coming up with this plan.
There’s no way I’ll be able to keep men from wanting to fuck her. I’ll just have to pretend it turns me on, even though the thought already has me going insane.
“Are you ready?”
She nods, her worried eyes giving her nerves away. “Yes.”
I place her hand in mine. “I won’t let anyone hurt you tonight.”
She smiles. “Thank you.”
I hold her hand on the elevator ride and don’t let go until we walk outside. Leo waits in a black Range Rover by the building entrance, and I open the door for Sophia and slide in after her.
When we’re settled into the back seat, I place her hand in my lap. “I want you to know one thing.”
She turns to face me. “Ok, sure.”
“I will get fucking hard tonight. Hell, I’m already sporting a semi right now. You’re a gorgeous woman, but I don’t want you to think that just because I’m hard it means we have to do something. Or that I want to do something.”
I’m saying the last sentence for my sake.
“Oh.”
Smooth skin peeks at me through her dress slit. I’d give my left nut to start the party right now. In private.
But we have a mission to accomplish.
I clear my throat before I talk again, “I just mean, I’m not trying to fuck you.” Just the word fuck has me thinking about taking her right here in the back seat of this SUV. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the night. Or this car ride.
When we pull up to the curb, I suck in a deep breath. From the average eye, the building looks one step up from an abandoned warehouse. There’s no flashy lights. No line of people like at every other club in the city. There’s also no bouncer at the blue wooden door at the top of a little staircase.
“Ready?”
She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “As I’ll ever be.”
I have to say, the rock on her finger gives me a sense of pride I never thought I’d feel by just seeing a ring. I’m not the marrying type, and not because I’m the world’s biggest playboy, or because I have commitment issues. It’s mainly because I have a demanding job that doesn’t leave me much time for dating. I’m not sad about it. I’m not anything about it. It is what it is.
We exit the car, and this place is definitely different from all the other nightclubs in New York. I’m not even sure what to expect when we walk in.
Knowing the type of company Bishop Blackstone keeps, I’m ready for anything. I’m hoping it’s not too seedy and we don’t need to abandon the plan once we’re inside. If anything appears out of order, or not safe, I plan on leaving with Sophia and not turning back. We can find another way to get into the realm of Bishop Blackstone.
“I will have to touch you,” I tell Sophia as we walk up the steps.
She nods. “I’m expecting it.”
The thought of her expecting my touch turns me on. I knock on the door, waiting for what, I really don’t know.
A man with a bald head and thick neck opens the door. “Invitations?”
I smile and reach into my suit coat pocket. “Here you are.”
He looks us both over, and then our invites, before opening the door wider. “Enjoy.”
It’s showtime.
I place a hand at the small of Sophia’s back and her breath hitches. “Dear, after you.”
She steps into the club in front of me, and we walk down a thin hallway with burgundy velvet walls. Dim golden light guides us until we make it to the end where it opens up to a larger, sophisticated room. There’s a bar off to the right, and everything has a red hue to it. From the thick oriental rugs on the floor to the crystal lamps hanging from the ceiling, it’s opulent and has this sparkle of mystery floating in the air.
People mingle about and everything looks very much on the up and up.
“Drink?” I ask Sophia, hoping it will calm both our nerves.
She agrees and moves in that direction. When we were getting to know each other, I learned her favorite drink is vodka and soda, and I order her one and myself a bourbon neat.
A man with a large belly and a laugh you could probably hear from the street enters the room. His energy level is high, and I recognize him instantly.
I lean to whisper in Sophia’s ear, “That’s Humphrey Hollingsworth.”
“Should we go say hello?”
I shake my head, taking a long pull of my drink. “Not yet.”
“Should we at least mingle?”
I suck down the rest of my drink, setting the empty tumbler on the bar. I already don’t like the way every man in this joint stares at Sophia. It makes my blood simmer.
Sophia takes another sip of her drink and glances around, checking out the people like I am. “What do you think?” she asks.
I lean in closer, pretending she’s my new wife and I can’t get enough of her. “I think we need to play the part now.” I nip the lobe of her ear and then trail a string of kisses down her neck.
She tastes so sweet, like pineapples and sunshine. I breathe her in, wishing this were something I could take further.
She moans a little, and then stiffens, trying her best not to appear too aroused. But I can tell by the uptick of her pulse she is. “Why don’t you go talk to that group of people over there.” She points to a group of women. “And I’ll go talk to them over there.” She points to a group of men. The same men who have been eyeing her since the moment we walked through the doors.
“Ok.” I kiss her hand before she walks away. “Just remember, no touching until we both agree.”
She nods and heads off in the opposite direction.
I put my best charming smile on my face and stride across the room to talk to my marks. “Hello there. What are you ladies up to tonight?”
They are not shy about their eyes roaming all over my body. “We’re up for anything,” one says. “Can you handle that?”
There’s three of them here, and the one in the middle is a busty blonde. I’m sure many men have the hots for her because she’s your typical Barbie type. The one on the left has a darker, more exotic skin color and fresh blue eyes that light up the longer she stares at me. The other brunette looks almost out of place, like her friends forced her to come out tonight. All three wear black dresses with black heels. The blonde’s dress is lower cut than the other two, and tighter fitting as well. They’re all beautiful, but they’ve got nothing on Sophia Rossi.
No, I glance at Sophia from across the club, Sophia’s a gem. She has an energy about her, something every man is salivating over right now as they watch her. Her ruby red lips look delectable, even from here. I’m sure every motherfucker in this room right now is as hard as I am just merely being in her presence.
She plays with the straw in her drink as she talks to a few men on the other side of the bar. They hang on her every word. And why wouldn’t they? She’s gorgeous.
She’s caught the attention of Humphrey Hollingsworth, and I excuse myself from the ladies and cross the floor to where Humphrey is shaking her hand.
“I’ve met your wife, Mr. Maddox,” Humphrey says with a leering smile.
I take my place by her side, wrapping an arm around her trim waist. “Then you’re one of the lucky men in this room who get to lay eyes on her.”
Humphrey chortles. “This is very true.” He turns his attention solely to me. “Are you both enjoying my club?”
I nod. “Very much so. I think tonight, since my wife is new to the scene, we’ll probably just watch.”
Humphrey slaps my back. “Yes, watching. Great idea. Follow me. I have just the place for you to watch from.”
I smile, realizing I should have said look around, or scope out, or any other word other than watch. Where I simply meant it as I was just looking to get a feel for the club, Humphrey took it as Sophia and I would be interested in watching other couples have sex.
“Lead the way,” I say, not wanting to go against him when he’s someone whose trust I’m trying to gain.
Sophia’s eyes widen, and she knows exactly what’s about to happen. She’s a big girl, though. She should be able to handle it. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to handle it, however.
Humphrey leads us to a private room upstairs. “In here. Just through the windows, you’ll be able to watch everything on the main floor. Now, you’ll have full privacy up here, so don’t be shy. No one can really see into the windows. So get as sexual as you want.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Hollingsworth,” Sophia says.
“Please, call me Humphrey.”
She gives him a seductive smile that nearly brings me to my knees. “Humphrey,” she drawls out his name.
He winks and leaves the room.
I lock it, making sure we’re alone.
“What are we doing?” Sophia says as soon as the door clicks locked.
I rush to her, placing my hands on her shoulders. “It’s ok. We don’t have to watch anything.”
“People can see into these windows. It’s like we watch them, they watch us.”
“We can fake it.” I move to look out onto the main floor. The party’s kicked up, and people make out on a couch below.
“Fake it how?”
I glance around our room. The walls are red with wrought-iron sconces, casting a soft orange glow throughout the small space. There’s a large couch type bench that sits against a wall of windows with a view of beds scattered around the main floor. Couples make their way to them to partake in their sexual fun for the evening. There is no shame here, they are just driven by lust. “We must pretend we’re hot and bothered by this.” I jab a thumb over my shoulder, pointing toward the hedonism.
“Do you think anyone will watch us?”
I walk over to the dimmer switch on the wall, turning down the lights. “They won’t be able to see much.” I sit on the couch by the window. “You can sit on my lap, and we can just look like our hands are busy doing things to each other.”
She sits on my lap, both of us facing the window, and my dick grows harder by the second. “Like this?” She flings her hair over her left shoulder so it exposes her neck to me.
I grind my teeth as she repositions herself on my lap. “Sophia, I’m going to sport wood while we do this.”
She laughs a little. “I would hope so. I’m sure I’ll be drenched.”
“Does watching people turn you on?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never done it.”
“Look out the window. See the couple down below? The two men touching that blonde woman.” It’s the blonde from earlier. Barbie.
We watch together, silent, as two men explore her body. She’s not completely naked, but close.
“This is a turn on,” she whispers.
I didn’t think it was possible, but my cock grows even harder as the temperature in the room heats. We’re watching people in sexual situations and I’ve got this woman who’s practically a stranger on my lap. This beautiful woman that I’m pretending is my wife.
How did we get here?
She moans, leaning her head back, her neck begging for my mouth.
Fuck. I’m gonna lose control.