Chapter 5
Quaid~
There was a reason why empires toppled at the hands of lust, and it was shit to realize that I wasn’t as strong and as in control as I’d wanted to believe.
The proof being in this goddamn room.
“Are you lost, Mr. Crawford?” Zia drawled out, making me wrestle between wanting to fuck her or strangle her.
“Are you kicking me out?” I asked as I made my way to the couch.
Zia’s smirk was that of a woman in complete control. “Not at all. I just didn’t imagine that such a respectable attorney would want to be seen up here.”
“Maybe I’m not that respectable,” I replied coolly as I took a seat on the couch. “Besides, it’s no one’s business what I do in my private life.”
“You’d like to believe that, wouldn’t you?” she snorted.
“How do you figure that it’s not?”
“With social media and the internet being the cesspool that it is, when was the last time that someone minded their own damn business?”
Before I could say anything to that, the lights started flickering on and off, and the dark green hues of the room gave it a very sensual vibe, which was the point, I supposed.
No one got turned on by road-side-motel décor, and since the club catered to women, it made sense that the rooms would be tastefully done.
“I guess the show’s about to start,” Zia remarked, her accent a little more pronounced.
Just then, a voice came over the intercom.
“Welcome to our observation room. Our next showing will include scenes that everyone might not be comfortable with. Double-check that you are in the correct room of your choosing, and if you are not, please exit the room immediately. Also, please note that all participants are of legal age and are consenting adults. Once the scene is over, you will have the option to participate in your own fantasy, and if you choose so, please see the bar staff on the first floor for your request. Thank you for your patronage, and please remember to lock the door if you do not want any interruptions, or leave it unlocked as an invitation. Also, do not forget the panic button that is to the right of the observation glass. Use this in the event that you may need any assistance.”
“This room is always regular sex,” Zia remarked conversationally. “So, unless you’re offended by run-of-the-mill copulation, then there’ll be no need to race out of the room, clutching those pearls.”
“I didn’t realize that you were such an expert on this room,” I drawled out, the idea of her frequenting this place beginning to bother me more than it should.
“I’m not,” Zia chuckled lyrically. “The details are in the consent forms that you sign upon reserving the room. “If there’s a particular scene taking place in here, it’s specified before you sign.”
“I guess the owner really did put a lot of thought into her mission,” I remarked absently, though kind of curious as to what would make a woman dedicate so much brain power to something as common as sex.
“If her mission is to save women everywhere from suffering from mediocre sex for the rest of their lives, then yes,” Zia retorted.
“Suffering from mediocre sex, are you?” I drawled out, wanting to know more, despite how bad of an idea this was.
Zia’s blue gaze slid my way as the sexiest smirk ever appeared on her full lips. “More like suffering from fragile male egos. I mean, can you imagine what would happen if a woman dared criticize a man over his technique? The world would end as we know it.”
I cocked my head. “You know, your father seems like a really good guy, so I can’t imagine where you’re low opinion of men comes from.”
“Nice is all good and well until you need something more,” she replied smoothly.
“Like someone to deliver a stern punishment?”
“If needed,” she agreed coyly. “Now, if you don’t mind, the show is about to begin.”
When I turned to look towards the stage room, I was surprised when two very average-looking people walked in, dressed like it was the end of their workday.
Now, while I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting, it hadn’t been a couple that appeared so.
..so normal. I guess I’d been expecting some sort of quasi-porn production, and those usually included a big-titted blonde and a man who looked like he belonged on a book cover.
“And what is it, Zia?” I asked. “Why does watching other people have sex turn you on?”
With both of us looking at the scene before us, she answered, “You asked that like you’ve never watched porn before.”
“There’s a difference between watching porn and watching people actually have sex in front of you,” I told her, knowing damn well that she was very aware.
“It’s like the difference between watching a movie and a play,” she said.
“Everything is better when it’s not one-dimensional.
What’s happening in that room is real. There’ll be no editing the final production or re-writing the script.
They will both be in the moment, and I will get to be in the moment with them. ”
“And you don’t find it intrusive at all?” I asked as the couple before us began kissing.
“Intrusive would be me peeking through their bedroom window,” she snorted. “It’s hardly an invasion of their privacy if they signed up for this sort of thing.”
“And you want to be watched because you like attention,” I surmised, knowing that I was right.
“Yes,” she replied candidly. “Because it feels good to be admired and wanted.”
“And you can’t feel that without getting piped in front of a bunch of strangers?” I asked, and while it sounded harsh, I was genuinely curious.
Zia looked over at me, and it was hard not to admire how the woman was confident in any situation. “I’m sure I could,” she replied coolly. “However, finding a capable man isn’t as easy as you might think.”
“Capable of what?” I asked. “Being walked on?”
“You would think that,” she huffed before looking back at the couple.
“Think what?”
“That catering to a woman makes a man weak,” she quickly answered, her mind already made up about what kind of man I was.
“There are only three females that a man should cater to, and that’s his wife, daughter, and mother,” I told her, making my position clear. “All other women are just distractions to pass the time with.”
Zia’s brows immediately jumped. “Wow...yet I’m the one with a low opinion of men?”
I shot her a look. “I have nothing against women. I just think that you’re asking too much from something so casual.”
She shrugged before turning back to the couple before us. “Maybe.”
Looking over at the scene that was playing out, the couple’s voices loud and clear over the intercom, I asked, “And who are you looking at most? Her or him?”
“Him,” she answered, surprising me.
“Why him?”
“Because watching a man actually enjoy pleasing a woman gives me hope,” she said. “If I can see the need and want on his face or in his eyes, then I’m reminded that not all is lost.”
Zia DeLéon didn’t want to be desired.
She wanted to be loved.
“Sounds to me like you’ve been dating boys, not men,” I remarked.
Looking back at me, she said, “Which is why I told you that I prefer older men.”
“Ones who don’t mind being called Daddy,” I smirked.
Her lips twitched as she said, “Never let it be said that I’m a prude.”
Just then, the loving foreplay in the next room was over. Instead of hearing the distinct sounds of passionate kissing and clothes rustling, we heard the man voice his appreciation as the woman lowered to her knees in front of him.
“That’s it, darling,” he coaxed. “Show me how much you want me.”
“Gotta love it when the dirty talk comes naturally,” Zia murmured, her eyes focused on the show in front of us.
Like this wasn’t the biggest mistake of my life, me and my dick moved closer to Zia on the couch, and the fact that she’d been expecting the victory as if it’d never been in question should have me racing out the door, leaving her to handle her daddy issues alone.
However, that’s not what I did.
Instead of reminding myself that her father was my client, that she was fifteen years younger than me, and that I wasn’t looking for anything more than just getting my dick wet, I moved closer.
This was also just the beginning.