Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Lily
It was obvious that both Cameron and Jenna had connections because things just seemed to fall into place for them, and quickly.
First, the tattoo artist came to the penthouse, and now, not even thirty minutes after Jameson suggested it, our group exited a limo and made our way past velvet ropes and into an ultra-exclusive club.
Once inside, we were given private lockers for our belongings, including our phones, before entering a dark space pulsing with sultry music and a thick, seductive air.
The space was dim, the ambience passionate and alluring, lit only by wall sconces, tea lights on tabletops, and warm LED lights along the floor and bar.
I hadn’t known exactly what to expect from an adults-only club—but it definitely wasn’t this.
I’d clearly had an image in my head from books I’d read.
The kind where a man who was a dominant paid an obscene amount of money to live out his fantasies in an ultra-private club, the kind only billionaires could afford memberships to.
You know the kind.
The ones where you’ve stepped off the street into an unassuming building that suddenly turned into a hedonistic, gone wild playground.
Pulsing with energy, and half-naked, if not fully naked, people bestowing pleasure while on their knees or straddling partners, as onlookers sat back sipping whiskey as if it were just another casual weeknight.
While newcomers weren’t sure whether to look or not, they couldn’t turn away or help but be turned on by the proclivities and the awareness that they didn’t care who saw them; they were too lost in their own rhapsody to care.
Instead, the scene unfolding around me was surprisingly tame in comparison.
Elegant, even.
Couples clustered in cozy embraces, talking low, laughing softly, and some swaying to the music over on the dance floor. In other areas, small groups of women and men mingled casually, sipping drinks and exchanging glances.
If there was a darker element to the place, it had to be hiding behind the arched alcoves framed with thick burgundy-colored velvet curtains and golden tasseled tie-backs that Cameron and Jenna, hand in hand, led us past as we moved along the side of the dance floor toward the back corner and up a set of stairs into a roped off area with a view of the club pulsating below.
Each couple settled into oversized chairs made for two, arranged in a semi-circle around a low, round black-and-white marble table.
Sitting on its surface were two bottles of champagne, chilling in silver canisters.
While between them lay an artfully arranged charcuterie board with an array of fruits, nuts, thinly sliced cured meats, wedges of cheese, crackers, and chocolate squares.
Jameson busied himself uncorking the champagne while a female server with a sleek, pulled-back black ponytail, wearing a sleeveless white button-up tucked into black, fitted shorts that were provocative yet surprisingly tasteful, presented Cameron with a bottle of Macallan whiskey.
I crossed my legs and relaxed as Jaxon’s hand rested on my knee.
The privacy of the alcove, the soft flicker of the candlelight sconces and candles, was a slow-burning backdrop to something implied, pulling us closer without a single word.
My body buzzed from the alcohol that had eased my worries, silenced my fears of being in such a public place, and allowed me to lower my walls and tap into this new, alluring side of temptation.
An irresistible, seductive energy swirled in the air, not from the music pulsing through my veins, but from us. The carnal tension between Jaxon and me was magnetic and impossible to ignore.
It was the quiet thrill of being wanted and craving every part of him in return. Every stolen glance, every indulgent, deliberate touch: a fingertip trailing along my spine, a hand brushing my hip—it felt like a promise.
It was slow, smoldering, and impossible to resist, even with the noise around us.
“Can I have everyone’s attention for a moment?
” Jaxon spoke over the music once everyone had a glass in their hands.
“As the best man, not only is it my duty, but it is my distinct honor to toast to our happy couple. Boden, Lakelyn, as we celebrate you, in the city of sin, just know that what happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas, but it will stay between the eight of us.
Boden, you’re my ride or die, my family, and by extension, that extends to you also, Lakelyn.
I heard something years ago that really resonated with me.
You don’t marry someone you can live with, you marry someone you can’t live without.
” Jaxon lifted his whiskey glass high in the air.
“May your love provide an anchor, comfort, and always show you the way forward. A toast to the happy couple.”
“Cheers,” we all echoed in unison, followed by “thank yous” from Boden and Lakelyn.
“Since we’re already raising glasses, how about we raise the stakes? Play a little game, shall we?” Arizona asked with her eyes hinting at mischief over her glass.
“What do you have in mind?” Lakelyn asked, nudging Arizona’s shoulder.
“We love you guys and all,” her eyes drifted to each of the men, “but us ladies need some girl time away from all your alpha-ness.” She gestured with a wave of her hand.
“Our what-now?” Coughed an amused Jameson.
Arizona side-eyed him. “Oh, don’t even pretend for a single second you don’t know what I’m talking about, you all have protective instincts, and while that’s hot as fuck and all, us girls are going to go hit the dance floor and dance like no one’s watching, without a care in the world.”
Jaxon’s hand tightened over my knee, a squeeze that felt halfway between don’t drift too far, and remember I’ll be nearby as if he sensed my unspoken nerves.
“So, here’s what’s going to happen: first guy who cracks and tries to claim his girl has to act out a sexy scene or fantasy of our choosing in one of the private back rooms.”
Ohmygod, what? That was my first thought.
Followed closely by, she’s fucking crazy! And she wasn’t even drinking.
“Red, we’re all going to pounce in two seconds flat if that’s the dare.” Jameson shook his head, as if to say, game-the-fuck-on-where-do-I-sign.
“Oh, I’m aware. But I never said who you’d be acting it out with.”
I watched Jenna lean closer to Cameron, who already had a sweet yet protective hold on his beautiful wife, wearing a gorgeous little black velvet dress paired with strappy red-soled stilettos.
Jameson slammed his glass down on the table, causing me to jump next to Jaxon. “You’re out of your goddamn mind if you think any of us are—”
“Exactly,” she cut him off. “It’s how we’re going to keep you men in line.
As you very well know, the plan tonight wasn’t originally a combined outing, but we ladies agreed we didn’t want to be far from you cavemen, and then you went and upped the ante by bringing us here.
So, let us have our fun, and if you can abide by that rule, I know I speak only for myself here, but you, Mr. Jameson Fisher, will be rewarded handsomely. ”
“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Lakelyn cooed.
“Or a trap,” Cameron voiced.
“Only if you lose control.” Jenna winked at her husband.
“I think we both know I’m always in control. Challenge accepted, my love.” His hand curled around the base of Jenna’s throat as he sealed his mouth over hers with an assertive hunger that was both claiming and sinfully possessive. It was primal.
Both Lakelyn and Arizona were equally lost in their own love-drunk bubbles, each leaning into the lustful buzz in the air, thick with the unspoken promise of exploring “more” if the men played by the rules.
But my thoughts kept coming back to Jaxon.
Tonight wasn’t about holding back.
Tonight was straight-up gasoline and a lit match.
And I was about to happily dance straight into the flames.
As if Jaxon could hear my thoughts, he captured my chin between his thumb and forefinger, seducing me with a look that spoke louder than words before I just acted, crushing my mouth against his.
Edges blurred as desire took the reins.
No hesitation, all hunger.
His lips tasted like mint and whisky while the bass seeped into my skin, pulsing through my veins like a wicked dose of adrenaline.
That feeling, paired with the club’s suggestive vibe and allure, was intoxicating.
It was the perfect bait and switch, providing the front of a polished, high-class atmosphere, sweet and restrained, but the deeper you explored and pushed the boundaries, the more seductive and disarming it became.
I felt alive and in control of my body, my desires, and my needs.
I wanted to be reckless. To be his private dancer.
“Okay, ladies, time to go hit the dance floor before Jaxon pulls Lily into one of the back rooms and we lose our girl.” Ari’s remark was clearly a joke, but her teasing tone carried just enough weight to break us apart before we got too carried away.
The guys murmured half-hearted objections but eventually conceded defeat, and once our drinks were topped up, we sashayed our way down to the dance floor.
“This trip was exactly what I needed,” Lakelyn shouted over the music. “And I’m so glad we could make it work on such short notice.”
“I think we all needed this.” Ari lifted her drink. “To the hottest, fiercest babes I know. And while life can sometimes get a little messy, we’ll always have each other. Cheers, ladies. To thriving and living our best life.”
“Cheers,” Lakelyn, Jenna, and I echoed.
The electric tempo transitioned to a sultry beat with breathy vocals that complemented the bass pulsating through the air, sharp and sensual. I swayed my hips, letting the music wrap around me and fuel the cadence of my steps.
We danced, wearing bright, stress-free smiles through song after song, spinning in circles, raising our drinks, and falling into each other with bursts of laughter whenever the chorus hit the spot.
We let ourselves get lost in the rhythm, feeling carefree and completely unbothered.
It was then, under the haze of the flickering lights above us, that I suddenly felt the air around me change, causing a chill to ravage my spine.
I clutched my chest in a sudden panic, spinning on my heels to look up toward the balcony where the guys were hanging out. Jaxon’s eyes collided with mine, and I knew instinctively it wasn’t his gaze that caused my reaction.
My breath hitched when the booming music disappeared, only to be replaced by the sound of my heart beating erratically in my ears.
Jaxon must have sensed the alarm blanketing me and reacted.
The image of him vanishing from my line of sight caused my knees to buckle, but the jolt from hitting the ground wasn’t enough to break me free from the chaos pressing on my chest.
My skin crawled with hands belonging to faceless people.
Shame stole my breath.
The feeling of being violated had me dissociating. I scrunched my eyes closed and braced for the inevitable, the fall into despair. All the while, tears burned behind my eyelids as I pleaded with my mind to take me to a happier place.
Something tightened around my waist before a wave of warmth wrapped around me, body and spirit. Voices faded, and I became weightless. Suspended in the air, sheathed with protection and an overwhelming feeling of home.
The familiar scent of Jaxon’s cologne filled my lungs with safety, pushing down the panic, offering me a lifeline, and pulling me from the downward spiral into darkness as my mind took me to a happier time.
In that memory, his smile filled my vision, surrounded by a halo of the sun peeking through the clouds.
He looked down on me adoringly as we lay on a plaid blanket at our spot.
The sound of the trees rustling and the birds singing was a peaceful backdrop.
A moment in time so innocent and untainted by the harsh reality of evil that lurked in the shadows.
Stealing parts of us without permission.
Breaking us with purpose.
Breaking us to be owned.
Jaxon was the lighthouse in my dark and the comfort I clung to when my world went dark.