Chapter 37
Alessa
Damnit, Julianna!
I should’ve known she was up to something. She’s always pulling “surprises” like this, and I’m pretty sure it’s because she gets off on seeing how shocked I am every. Single. Time.
She brought my unknowing ass to a sex club, for crying out loud. I don’t care how nice and swanky it is. There are people hitting home runs on a stage in front of me, and all I want to do is go to the damn bathroom to tinkle.
See, theoretically, none of this bothers me. I probably would’ve been excited to come if she had gone over it with me first. Maybe, I dunno, asked. (It’s such a strange concept for her, I know.) My life revolves around this asshole springing me with surprises like “Put on your slinky cocktail dress, Alessa,” and “By the way, here’s your collar, Princess. We’re going to a BDSM dungeon tonight! What? It’s for rich people. It’s totally legit.”
Her telling me to put my work away sealed the deal. It was one thing to ask me to dress up like an expensive escort because it was part of this place’s dress code. Quite another to imply that we’re here to get comfortable, not to do business. Nope. I suppose that’s for the big lunch meeting we’re doing at a fancy restaurant tomorrow afternoon.
“What the fuck,” I ask my reflection in the toilet paper dispenser. Beside me, one lucky woman is having the public bathroom orgasm of her life, and her female partner is encouraging her to do it louder. “What the fuck, Alessa.”
I pull my phone out of my purse even though the line is now out the door because me and the women next door are squatting in our stalls instead of getting a move on with our bladders. Cheers as friends recognize each other, some with the lushest European accents you’ve ever heard, sound through the large restroom. At least they drown out the woman in the next stall.
When I emerge, I find a long line of the most beautiful women in the world. Supermodels. Heiresses. Lower-class women who are hot and submissive enough to get cheap admission if they promise to entertain. Many of them are on their phones taking selfies, texting friends… and is one of them talking to her mom back in Taiwan? What a world.
A world I’m not entirely sure I belong in.
I mean, look at me. Or don’t. God knows I’m not interested in looking at my reflection right now. I’m still kind of a wreck after the long plane ride here. I thought Julianna and I would be meeting Ms. Moreau in a quiet place to discuss actual business. Heaven forbid!
The server isn’t around to show me back to the VIP room. I know where it is. Finding the stairs isn’t the problem. The problem is finding my way through the crowd on this wild night.
I am so out of my element. Jamie Coleman couldn’t have prepared me for this. I don’t think anyone could have… least of all Julianna, who thinks springing surprises on me is the funniest thing in the world. It’s a miracle I survived April Fool’s in her presence.
“Hey, sweetie.” A tall, imposing woman in all black leans against the wall in the shadows. I didn’t even see her as I tried to pass. “Don’t suppose you came here alone, because you’ve been fun to watch.”
“I…” Who is this? Why is she talking to me? Everything’s loaded with double-entendres, isn’t it? Ones that I can’t even understand! “I’m here with someone, sorry.”
“Oh, well.” She shrugs her lean shoulders. A look that implies I may have walked away from the night of my life hits me like a slap to the face. “Maybe next time, honey.”
“I’m here with Julianna Marcon.”
Why was I compelled to say something like that? Do I think throwing my girlfriend’s name at her is going to change anything? Why am I touching the leather collar around my neck?
Deep down, I know why. Julianna has practically trained me for moments like these.Other people are going to hit on me wherever we go. Not only do I have to know how to gracefully turn them down, but I also must ensure they know who they are possibly fucking with.
As if on cue, the woman’s confident countenance falters. “Didn’t know she was in town.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Right. Grace and dignity. I don’t want to insult this woman… even though she thought it perfectly pertinent to hit on me as I walked by her. In a sex club, but whatever. “Excuse me. She is expecting me upstairs.”
“In the Platinum VIP lounge?”
“Absolutely.” Should I also mention that she’s doing business with the Danica Moreau, the owner of this fine establishment?
Nah. I’ll let her figure that out for herself.
I find the staircase without anyone else hitting on me. It’s almost as if some silent signal has gone out in the club marking me as taken, and it’s not the collar people can’t see until they get closer to me. It’s something else.
Like, oh, Julianna leaning against the railing above the main room, her powerful aura incapable of facing anyone but me as I carefully come up the stairs.
“Enjoying the sights?” I ask her. Our host confers with two of her bodyguards. It doesn’t look serious, but it may spell an early ending to our otherwise pleasant evening.
Julianna looks me up and down as I come closer to her. “I always do, Lessa.”
I instantly enter her hold the moment she offers it to me. It may be fairly warm in this club, but there’s nowhere I’d rather be than wrapped in Julianna’s embrace. Especially if it’s her warmth doing most of the heating up around here.
“You’ll never guess what happened on the way back from the bathroom.”
She doesn’t miss a beat. “Someone hit on you, didn’t they?”
Nerves erupt in my poor stomach. “How did you know?”
“Because the party’s starting on a Friday night in a sexually charged playground. I’d be personally mortified if no one hit on you when you were caught in the wild, Lessa.”
“Well…” I swallow. “It wasn’t just anybody. It was another woman.”
“Oh?” That has certainly piqued my girlfriend’s interest. “Now there’s a thought. My lovely Lessa in the clutches of a truly experienced Domme. The east coast doesn’t hurt for them, that’s for sure, and it’s not only to perform for money and fame on the sex club stage.”
“Pretty sure you don’t want me cheating on you.” Come on, this is Julianna. Although…
“Was thinking more about something fun we might be able to do together one day.”
Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me at all, either. “One thing at a time, please. Let’s save the threesomes for a special occasion.”
“With me, my sweet,” Julianna says with an extra squeeze to my torso, “every day is a special occasion.”
I look over Julianna’s shoulder. Ms. Moreau picks up her things and steps out with one of her bodyguards. To us, she says, “Afraid I must be going now. We still on for tomorrow?”
Julianna confirms. I wish Ms. Moreau a pleasant evening, although knowing her, she’s off to the hospital for a late-night visit with the wife and newborn before wandering home.
“Make sure that Ms. Marcon and Ms. Penrose are well-tended to until they leave,” Ms. Moreau says to the server. “Whatever they desire, Lucy.”
She bows in Ms. Moreau’s direction before turning toward us.
Whatever we desire, huh? Considering what Julianna said, I don’t know how I feel about looking at this young woman through a new pair of eyes. Shit. Is it because of all the sex going on around here that’s filling my head with horrible ideas? Or are they good ideas?
No, no… they’re horrible, because poor Lucy is only trying to work, and here Julianna and I are talking about threesomes with other women! I mean, it’s probably nothing she’s not used to hearing in this club, but I’m acting like she’s some kind of escort who only doubles as a waitress at a club.
For all I know, though, she is an escort!
“We’re fine for now,” Julianna says. “Thank you, Lucy.” She nods to Stu, still on stoic duty, before leading me back to our couch. We sit down as the song changes from hard and feisty to slow and sensual. “You may not believe me right now, Lessa, but it pleases me to not only know that other people see what I do in you, but that you were able to graciously turn them down. Or at least I assume you did.”
She’s looking at my throat when she says that. I slip my hand between her legs, my pinky dangerously close to coming into contact with…
Well, you know.
I know every inch of this woman’s body by now, but I’m still shocked when I get this kind of reaction from her. And, hell, I may have been a virgin when she first made love to me, but I wasn’t a stranger to the female form. I know how it works pretty well. How it…
Uh, reacts.
When we first started this contractual relationship, I thought jealousy would be a huge issue. As it so happens, Julianna only gets jealous if she thinks I’m the one interested in someone else. People being interested in me is a simple fact of life that can be a source of pride for her. After all, who doesn’t want to believe that she’s dating one of the most desirable women in the world?
I don’t think I am. One of the most desirable, that is. I’m simply Alessa Penrose. If anything, all I’ve got going for me is that Julianna thinks I’m the bee’s knees.
Well, I guess that’s the only thing that matters, huh?
“So, what do you think of a place like this, Lessa?”
I’m glad for the slight change in topic. “It’s certainly interesting. Wish you had given me some warning, though.”
“Warning?” Her eyes behold the meekest mischief in the world. “Who needs a warning for fun like this?”
“Please don’t tell me you’ve got other surprises up your sleeve.”
Her eyes are not getting any smaller. Not even when she grins at me.
Whelp.