He’s not that man anymore.
He’s all mine.
“Are we staying, my little hellcat? Or do we turn around and take this party elsewhere?”
There’s no pressure in his question. No judgment.
I shift my attention to the people lined up to get inside. Bryan and the security guard stand a foot from my door. Patient. Professional.
I lick my drying lips, one hundred percent coasting on adrenaline.
How are you going to feel on your deathbed when you realize you only lived half a life?
I turn back to Mason, my breath caught in my throat.
How are you going to feel on your deathbed?
He’s composed. Caring.
How are you going to feel?
I raise my chin. To myself. To Mason. To the world who attempted to smother the life out of me. “Let’s go take a look at a sex club, Mr. Lynch.”
CHAPTER 9
Mason
I squeeze her fingers, ignoring the excitement pummeling me from the inside out.
It’s not the club I’m pumped about.
It’s her.
It’s Sid facing her fears. How she’s reclaiming her identity after strangers forced her to change.
All because of Linden fucking Lee. I should thank that asshole. I should… But I won’t.
“I’ll get your door.” I kiss her knuckles one last time and climb from the car.
As soon as my feet hit the pavement, the screaming starts.
Tipsy women in stiletto heels rush toward me while men squint in an attempt to figure out why every female in a fifty-foot radius is acting like it’s the start of the apocalypse.
“Back off.” Bryan closes in at my side, his security team following suit.
I’m surrounded by five men when I open Sid’s door and help her to stand. I hold her close with an arm around her waist. “God, I’m proud of you.”
She’s trembling.
“Remember we can leave at any time.” I gently glide the stray strands of hair from her face as the crowd grows around us. “There’s no pressure. Just say the word.”
She smiles, her excitement subdued but still existent. Beneath the panic and anxiety, her soul begs to be freed.
I should’ve done this a year ago.
I should’ve pushed. But I didn’t have the heart to risk hurting her.
“I need to get you both inside. Come on.” Bryan directs us to the entry, his men surrounding us like a bunker of muscle and testosterone. “I assume you want to be taken straight to the VIP area.”
“That’s where there’s privacy and less people, right?” Sid asks.
“Yes.”
She nods. “Then that’s where I want to go.”
We pass the shadowed entry and continue to the heart of the club where there’s a mass of bopping bodies and people lined up at numerous bars. Lights flash. Revelers sing. Some make out along the wall, already well and truly inebriated.
Bryan reached out to me years ago, offering a safe environment for us to experiment after the sex scandal broke. But with the aggressive public onslaught and Sid still hating me, I hadn’t spared it a thought. He emailed again once news broke that we were back together. And still it wasn’t the right time.
I didn’t spare this place another thought until Sid mentioned all those dick-hardening fantasies earlier tonight.
“This is some place you’ve got here,” I yell over the music.
“We do all right.” Bryan points toward a discreet door on the far side of the club, his men creating a clear path to the entrance manned by two more guards.
The wall of muscle steps aside on our approach and Bryan continues to open the thick metal door.
All I see in there is darkness. No illumination. No people.
“Are you still okay with this?” I ask Sid.
She stares into the shadows, then meets my gaze. “I’m nervous.”
“I hope so.” I smirk. “It’d be emasculating if I was the only one freaking out.”
She smiles, uneasy yet appreciative.
I keep clinging to her hand as we reach the entry, finding a dimly lit staircase a few steps behind Bryan who remains holding the door.
“It’s a lot quieter in here.” He waits until we’re inside and closes the thick metal barrier behind us, shutting the guards on the other side. The music is smothered. Nothing but the subtle beat breeches the walls. “Don’t worry. You won’t have to leave through the main part of the club. There’s more discreet access from the parking lot.”
“That would’ve been helpful to know five minutes ago,” Sid murmurs.
“I’m afraid not.” Bryan starts down the stairs. “All newcomers are introduced through this entrance because it’s the only way to get to the change rooms without going through the Vault first.”
I follow him, constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure Sid remains right behind me.
When Bryan reaches the bottom, he stops before an open doorway to a brightly lit room. “This is where you’ll need to disrobe. Underwear or lingerie are the only permitted clothes for guests inside the VIP area.”
“What?” Sid nestles close at my back and whispers, “You told me to wear something sexy. I’m in goddamn crotchless panties, Mason.”
“I understand it can be daunting to walk into the unknown half-dressed,” Bryan continues. “But once you enter the Vault, everyone is on the same level.”
The visual of Sid’s exposed pussy infuses my dick with enthusiasm. “Nobody will notice you when I’ll be walking inside with a massive tent in my boxer briefs.”
“Again…” Bryan clears his throat. “I understand it’s daunting. But crotchless panties and a hard cock aren’t going to make you stand out in there. The people who draw a crowd behind the next door are the exhibitionists and the pleasure Doms. Everyone else fades into the wallpaper.”
Sid scoffs in disbelief.
“If you’re not convinced,” a female voice says from inside the locker room, “I have something you can wear that won’t break the rules.”
“Zoe?” Bryan pokes his head inside the open doorway. “I didn’t know you were playing tonight.”
“Last minute change of plans… Give me a sec… I’ll be right there.”
There’s a rustle of keys. A crinkle of plastic. Then footsteps.
A pretty blonde woman steps up to the threshold in nothing but bright red underwear, her bare feet showing off a perfectly matching pedicure.
“Hi.” She barely gives me a passing glance before her kind smile levels on Sid. “I’m Zoe.” She thrusts out a bundled ball of black fabric. “It’s a see-through sarong. It won’t provide full coverage, however, it always made me feel more comfortable when I started coming here.”
“Thank you…” Sid takes the offering. “I, um—”
“The first night is always crazy,” Zoe adds. “I remember stepping inside and vowing to never come back because those initial moments of pure unknown are super unsettling. But you’re going to love it. I promise. Even if you only have a few drinks at the bar. There’s no pressure.”
Sid lowers her attention to the sarong, her fingers idly weaving through the fabric. “I appreciate your kindness.”