8. Smoke and Mirrors
Faith
I was wobbly as I returned to my suite. Also, I was nervous—Cassius had ordered me to avoid all members. I was neither to make eye contact with a man, nor speak to one. Nerves aside, a small smile crept over my face as I thought about his order. He’s jealous. Why did that make me feel so good?
Luckily, I encountered no patrons. The club’s grounds were deserted and quiet as twilight descended. Probably everyone had retired to their rooms to rest, shower, and prepare for the evening’s debaucheries.
Which was precisely what I was doing.
I was finally about to lose my virginity. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that Cassius had re-taken my platinum rights and that I would make four million dollars from our agreement. I would be able to save my brother. I could save myself—I wouldn’t ever have to depend on another person. My mother could never hurt me again; I didn’t need her. I would never need her.
And that wasn’t even the most miraculous part.
The most miraculous part was what I’d done with the billionaire and how he’d made me feel. Never had I ever experienced pleasure like Cassius had given me. I hadn’t even known my body could soar to such heights. In all the books I’d read and movies I’d seen, I thought that the emphasis on sex was overdone. I thought it was exaggerated.
I didn’t feel that way anymore. The sexual pleasure I’d awakened to over the past twenty-four hours had changed my perspective—and that was because of Cassius. Inexperienced though I was, I knew he was the real deal. He was a master sorcerer, conjuring up feelings I didn’t even know I was capable of.
And if those feelings weren’t purely physical? I didn’t want to think about that. Thinking about it would get me nowhere—or worse. I couldn’t afford to become attached to the icy billionaire. It would complicate things and make my time at the club much more difficult.
The truth was, my feelings didn’t matter. The warmth in my chest as I thought about the billionaire, how safe I’d felt in his arms, protected and cherished—that was just smoke and mirrors, tricks I was playing on myself.
Thighs still shaking from my multiple encounters with Cassius, I climbed into the staff elevator. Luckily, our wing was quiet and subdued. I tiptoed past the other girl’s rooms; it seemed everyone was napping. I snuck inside my suite, hoping to find Tate asleep, too. I couldn’t begin to explain where I’d been all afternoon!
Instead, I found Macy and Tate sitting on Tate’s bed, deep in conversation. Macy sprung up as soon as I walked through the door. “Where the hell have you been, Faith?” She put her hands on her hips. “We’ve been dying to talk to you!”
I hugged my friend, and she sniffed me, then gave me a knowing look. “Girl, you smell like sex! Why’re you still wearing that V necklace?”
I stepped back and regarded her. Macy had a look very similar to mine—wild eyes, bedhead, and red cheeks. Her necklace still adorned her throat as well.
I looked at her skeptically. “Why are you still wearing yours?”
“Because Elias hasn’t banged me yet!”She threw up her hands and dropped back onto the edge of Tate’s bed.
“Why not?”I asked.
Tate grinned and winked at me. “Because he wants to make it special. No bending our Macy here over a lounge chair and popping her cherry! Oh no, her billionaire wants it to be all moonlight and roses!”
“Stop!”Macy wailed, but she was laughing, too. “That man is fine—but he is making me wait, and it’s killing me. I was ready since last night, but all he’s done is oral-sex me up. And I loved it, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve been waiting for dick for a very long time. And I want his. I want it bad.”She fanned herself, and Tate laughed again.
“You unicorn-virgins are so cute. Macy’s got so much pent-up sexual energy, she could be a power plant.”Tate nodded at me. “What about you, virgin? Cassius Blackwood hasn’t cashed your V-card yet? I saw how he dragged you away from the pool party—I figured you were done for.”
“I saw it, too!”Macy said. “Why’d he look so pissed? What the heck’s been going on with you?”
I glanced at the clock. “I don’t have much time to talk—I’m meeting him soon.”
Macy snapped her fingers and pointed to my bed. “Sit and spill for five minutes. We need details!”
“Ugh, I don’t know where to start.”I gratefully sank onto my bed, hoping sitting would stop my thighs from shaking. “Cassius called for me last night at the club—that’s why I left you with Elias and Darren at the bar,”I explained to Macy.
She nodded. “I saw Gina come over and swap you out for Mia. She and Darren went platinum. I was glad it wasn’t you—Darren’s a creep. He had his three turns with Mia and then passed her around like a party favor, bragging that he’d had her first.”
I shivered. “Ew. I’m glad I didn’t go with him, either.”
“Not that I don’t care about Mia, but…”Tate swirled her fingers in the air, the universal sign for get moving. “Tell us what happened, please. We’ve been dying to talk to you!”
“Okay.”I took a deep breath. “Gina brought me to a private room where Cassius was waiting. He told me he’d bought my platinum rights and that I was his. And then… Then we did some stuff.”
Both Tate and Macy raised their eyebrows.
“Okay, okay.”I could feel my face reddening. “He did oral sex on me, then I did it on him, and it was—it was incredible. But then… Then he fired me.”
“What?”Macy jumped up again. “I will smack that billionaire down! Tate, give me one of your whips! He’s not getting away with treating my BFF like that!”
“It’s okay,”I assured her. “He backtracked. He told Gina I could stay and get even more money. He offered to pay still and let me collect in full from whoever bought my platinum rights next.”
“Maybe I don’t have to whip him,”Macy said, eyes wide. “Because now we are talking some seriously big bucks.”
I nodded. “Four million dollars.”
Tate whistled. “I’m asking for a raise. I’m the one doing all the heavy lifting! Do you know how many patrons want to get pegged by me? It’s a workout, let me tell you. My hips don’t lie!”
When my brow furrowed in confusion, Tate waved me off. “That’s a conversation for another time. Tell us what happened next. Because Cassius Blackwood might’ve fired you, but then he poached you from that other member.”
“I know. I wasn’t expecting that at all.”I shrugged. “When you and I went to the pool, I avoided him. I didn’t even look in his direction. But when he saw that guy sit beside me, I guess he didn’t like it. So he dragged me to the grotto. He said he would take my platinum again and pay me double so I didn’t lose out on the money.”
“Holy smokes,”Macy said, finally sitting back down. “Mr. Blackwood wants you bad.”
“Idon’t know,”I said. I couldn’t figure the billionaire out. “Maybe he didn’t want anyone else playing with his shiny new toy.”
“What happened in the grotto?”Tate asked.
“We fooled around again. It was… intense. He told me he was going to take my virginity tonight, which I guess he kind of has to since it’ll be our third time together.”
“Same,”Macy said. She shivered. “Elias said tonight’s the night. Because after that, I’m back on the market. He can’t touch me for a month, and I have to circulate.”
“Me, too,”I said, unable to keep the misery out of my voice.
“Uh-oh.”Tate sat up. “Why do you sound sad, Faith?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not excited about mixing with the other patrons after this.”
“Why not?”she asked. “Do you like Mr. Blackwood?”
I shrugged again.
“I like Elias,”Macy offered. “He’s a gentleman, and I feel safe with him. I know it’ll be a good first experience, and I appreciate him. But it’s transactional. The writing’s on the wall, and I’m reading it. For me, this is a job. I came here for the money. I’m not kidding myself that I’m going to find a husband.”
“I’m not either,”I said quickly. “I’m not kidding myself.”
Tate arched an eyebrow. “But do you wish things could be different?”
“I mean…”I thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know if I like Cassius Blackwood, exactly. It’s more that it just feels right to be with him. I can’t imagine it any other way. But it’s probably because I’ve never been with anybody else.”
“Did Cassius Blackwood rock your world?”Tate asked, dead serious.
I nodded. “I had no idea I could feel like that,”I admitted.
“It can be intense,”Tate said. “A powerful sexual connection is just that—powerful. It’s no joke, and Mr. Blackwood certainly didn’t seem like he was kidding around when he snatched you away from that other guy. He seems super fixated on you.”
“He is for the moment. But it’s all over after tonight.”My stomach somersaulted. I was both excited and disappointed that my time with the billionaire would be over so soon.
“It’s also your first time,”Tate said gently. “So give yourself a break. Feel your feelings.”
“Yeah, I think there might be something to that. I know I’m working at a sex club, but I’ve never even been to second base until now,”I said, suddenly feeling tired and weepy. I was overstimulated, overtired, and oversexed. And I sort of loved it.
I took a deep breath. “Maybe I’m trying to assign meaning to something purely physical to make myself feel better.”
“You don’t have to feel bad about what you’re doing. None of us do,”Macy said quickly. “We’re here because we’re trying to make money. Every girl I’ve talked to has a story. Everybody’s trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Amen,”Tate said.
“Thank you. That makes me feel better.”I glanced at the clock again. “Oh, I have to go! I’m going to jump in the shower. Can you guys find a white dress for me to wear tonight? Cassius wants me to wear one.”
Macy grinned and waggled her eyebrows, lightening the mood. “You’re his virgin sacrifice! He’s going to slay you with his big dick!”
“Stop!”But I laughed as I left them and hustled into the bathroom. We were in a crazy situation, but we were in it together. I felt fortunate to have made some new friends.
I climbed into the shower, grateful for the hot water. I lathered my hair, inhaling the delicious scent of the luxury shampoo. But tears threatened again, and I realized how tired I was. There had been so much physical discovery, not to mention so many twists and turns in Cassius’s moods over the past twenty-four hours. I was hired, then fired, andthen hired again. And I’d had about what felt like a hundred orgasms in between!
The billionaire was giving me whiplash, as were my feelings. I was conflicted about losing my virginity in a sex club, an innocent hired to satiate Cassius Blackwood’s dark desires. Deep down, I was a good girl. Or at least, I wanted to be.
But tonight, I would be taken by the billionaire.
And I couldn’t pretend, even to myself, that I wasn’t looking forward to it.