HeroRising (7 page)

Did she have the ability to make him cry out or would he
remain as silent and vigilant as always and grit his teeth as the yearning
burned in his dark eyes? The harder she sucked, the firmer he’d grow against
her tongue until his cum began to spill from the tip.

With a growl he’d pull away and make her open her mouth so
he could spray her lips and breasts with his cum. As the image of the hot jet
of his seed splashing across her flesh flashed behind her clenched eyelids, her
sheath tightened around her probing fingers. Her hips lifted from the mattress
as her core turned molten and her blood boiled through her veins. She bit her
lip to hold in her cries and tried to still her writhing as shame burned
through her as quickly as her orgasm.

It was one thing to milk your body for pleasure in your own
home but completely different when under the roof of strangers. This wasn’t her
bed. These weren’t her sheets. Didn’t Miss Manners have a rule that said one
did not desecrate the hospitality of those who host you by masturbating in
their guest room? Party foul.

A scream penetrated the walls of her room and brought her
upright. Another high-pitched wail reverberated down the hall, followed by a
guttural moan that was distinctly male.

Ari climbed down from the bed and inched toward the door,
cracking it open an inch. A wave of lust enveloped her like fog rolling off the
sea and the walls of her pussy constricted in response. Helpless to resist, she
crept down the hall toward the sound and paused when the cries and the rhythmic
smack of something heavy hitting the wall grew louder.

“Come again,” a man shouted in a voice deep with need. “Now.
Now!”

“Yes. Yes! Lucian, take me with that big cock,” Amaryllis
screamed in one long breath that sent chills down Ari’s back. The cry then
broke apart in staccato bursts as if she were being ridden hard.

“Holy shit!” Ari clasped her hand over her mouth and
backpedaled down the hall.

Of course Amaryllis and Lucian had an active sex life. If
Lucian were her husband, she’d probably think of nothing else but getting him
alone and riding him every minute of the day. However, expecting them to have
an active physical relationship and actually being within earshot of their lovemaking
and seeing the walls shake with the fervor of their coupling was fascinating
and horrifying all at the same time.

Man, no wonder she woke up so horny. Her subconscious
probably picked up on their sexy vibe and let her imagination run rampant.

As the two lovers’ shouting became louder and the paintings
on the wall began to bounce on their hangers, Ari raced back to her room and
shut the door. Even then her brain flashed images of what the pair must look
like dripping with sweat and cum and wrapped around each other’s gorgeous
bodies.

The shouts grew louder and more frantic, and with them her
heart raced and sweat trickled down her back.

Sleeping through this noise would be impossible, and with
each moan and thump she couldn’t help but imagine it was her and Bale screaming
down the roof.

“Crap. I have got to get out of here.”

She riffled through her bag then threw it across the room
when she remembered she didn’t have a change of clothes. Maybe a previous guest
had left something behind in the dresser. The top two drawers came up empty,
but she struck pay dirt on the next where she found a man’s button-down shirt.
A pair of jeans in a size too large were in another drawer and she whooped in
jubilation before changing into the clothes as quickly as a seventh-grade girl
after gym class who had yet to hit puberty. The pants were two inches too short
but were covered by her boots as she zipped them up then stumbled out into the
hall and down the stairs while the sound of furious fucking trailed after her.

The noise traveled into the living room and forced her to
seek shelter in the kitchen, but that too was no safe harbor. Above her head a
light fixture swung back and forth like a metronome, keeping time with the
couple’s shouting until they spiked in a crescendo like a diva hitting the high
note on a hit record.

Ari wilted against the counter as the groans faded. Whoa.
That was intense. No wonder they looked so bright and happy. Who wouldn’t be
when engaged in a relationship as intense as that?

Creak. Creak. Creak.

She looked up and saw the light begin a slow sway back and
forth that grew as another round of moans filtered through the floor.

“Oh my God.” She covered her face with her hands. “What are
these people on?”

The longer she remained privy to their marathon sex session,
the more difficult it was going to be to look either of them anywhere near
their face come morning. Ack— No, not come-come. She shook her head. Gah, just
at dawn.

Hell, she didn’t think she’d even be able to stand in the
same room with them without her cheeks flaming. Ah, the curse of being a
redhead.

She ran out of the apartment and the elevator doors stood
open as if anticipating her need for escape. She ran inside and pushed the Door-close
button and released her first easy breath as silence descended. Seconds later
the door slid open, revealing the parking garage.

Hmm. Right. She crossed her arms with a frown. Where to now?

She eyed the elevator’s display panel. Bale had told her the
upper floors were apartments. The lower floors businesses. Next to the
Number-two button was a placard.
The Cavern
was printed in a bold font.

The Cavern? Where had she heard that name before? Oh yeah,
earlier when she had been researching Bale’s employers she had seen the
Kilsgaards owned a restaurant and another business called The Cavern. When she
asked Bale about the name, he had quickly changed the subject. Much in the same
manner that he had all but forbidden her from going to the second floor.

What was it about The Cavern he didn’t want her to know about?

A smile curled her lips. Now was as good a time as any to
find out.

The elevator car traveled in a smooth glide as Ari’s heart
picked up speed with the anticipation of adventure. When the doors opened a
small alcove and a dark doorway covered by a red-velvet drape awaited. The
residual beat of a solid bass line echoed through the corridor and pounded
louder as she walked closer. With each step she worried her lip as she crossed
the threshold and prepared to walk into the unknown.

“Can I help you?”

She turned toward the voice that had greeted her the second
she stepped through the entry and into another dimly lit hall.

Security. Definitely security. The man was tall and
broad-shouldered and wore a dark suit complete with an earpiece and a curly
wire that disappeared into his collar. While his demeanor wasn’t unfriendly,
there was a definite “don’t fuck with me” vibe in the straightness of his
posture and the furrow in his brow.

Suddenly the notion to explore didn’t seem like such a good
idea.

“Hi.” She forced a smile and hunched her shoulders forward
in a move she hoped conveyed a sultry innocence. “I’m sorry if I wandered into
a forbidden area. I’m new around here and staying with the Kilsgaards.” Yes,
and a little name-dropping never hurt.

His smile transformed his stern features into dangerously
handsome. “You must be Ari. I heard you were a new arrival. Welcome to The
Cavern. I’m Jax.”

“Thanks.” Wow, news spread fast around here. His welcome
loosened her apprehension. “This might sound like a stupid question, but where
exactly am I?”

“You mean about The Cavern itself or your specific location
here in The Cavern?”

“Both.” She laughed. “As I said, I’m new to town and I
forgot to ask Amaryllis.”

“The Cavern is a place where everyone is welcome and all who
enter get exactly what they need. As long as it’s legal, of course.” He winked.

“Like a nightclub, with dancing and stuff?”

“Sure.”

“Seriously? Then why was Bale so squirrely about telling
me?”

“Bale’s here?” His smiling mouth fell into a frown while his
eyes narrowed.

“Um, yeah.” She swallowed against the sudden tightness in
her throat. “He brought me here. He said I wasn’t allowed on the second floor,
but never said why.”

“Did he now?” The tension left his mouth and he smiled with
a devilish light in his eyes. “Well, I think we need to give you the grand
tour, then.”

“Are you sure? I’m not really dressed for a nightclub.”

“May I?”

She leaned back. “May you what?”

“Relax.” He chuckled with a husky edge. He reached for the
hem of her shirt and released the bottom buttons. With quick fingers he tied
the tails into a knot above her midriff. “Plump up the girls a bit there. A
little flash of skin goes a long way around here.”

She adjusted her breasts to reveal an enticing amount of cleavage.
“Ah, so you cater to those kinds of patrons.”

“They’re the best.” He winked again and lifted his arm so
the cuff of his jacket was near his mouth. “Donovan, this is Jax. Our special
guest has made an appearance and I’m showing her around.” There was a pause
while Donovan responded. Jax’s eyes swept up and down Ari with an appreciative
light. “Ten. Most definitely a ten.”

Oh good gravy. She forced down a smile as the redheaded
curse kicked in and heat flamed across her face. What was with the men of this
town? Were all of them handsome and seductive?

Now more than ever she was convinced that the powers that be
had a vendetta against her. Why else would they see fit to surround her with
sexy men who wanted to touch and tease when her focus was supposed to be on
getting her life onto the path of normalcy? Some women might think she was
insane to lament the situation, but she knew better when it came to men. The
sincerest of smiles could hide the most devious of hearts. She refused to fall
so easily again.

Jax held out his arm. “Shall we?”

“Lead the way.” She waved away the offered arm and motioned
for him to go first.

“Right.” He smirked and led her down the hall, still
managing to touch her with a light press of his hand on the small of her back.
“This is the top floor of the club. At this level is where all the playrooms
are located and Amaryllis’ private suite, which is through that door over
there.”

“Playrooms?”

“Playrooms,” he assured with a suggestive wiggle of his
brows.

No way. He was teasing her, he had to be.

At least that was her conviction until they passed an open
doorway and got a gander at the tableau taking place within the shadowed
interior.

A woman was laid stretched out on what looked like a massage
table. Above her head her fingers curled over the edge in a white-knuckled
grip. Her dark hair spilled over the end and swayed as she thrashed about while
a man stood between her naked thighs and thrust with wild abandon. Since his
pants hung loose about his hips and her skirt was rucked up to her waist, Ari
had no doubt as to what she was witnessing.

Two other men stood by the woman’s sides. They had her
blouse open and her bare breasts bounced with each lunge of the man drilling
away. With one hand they pinched and stroked bits of her flesh as they fisted
their cocks with the other.

In the far corner of the room Ari saw a man hanging
suspended from chains that fell from the ceiling. A woman was on her knees
before him, her head bobbing back and forth as another women dressed in
full-out dominatrix gear took a whip to his back.

“Holy. Shit.” Ari jumped back and looked to Jax, who watched
her with a knowing grin. “This a sex club?”

“I guess that’s what you can call this part of the club. As
I said, here you get exactly what you need. And for these people, what they
need is a good fuck. See anything in there you want to give a try?”

“Not with you.” She smiled sweetly.

Bale, hmm, now that was another story.

At the thought of Bale her mouth twisted. That sneaky
bastard knew exactly what went on in this club, yet he didn’t say one word. Why
was that?

She had an idea and it soured her stomach.

This must be his go-to place for a booty call and he didn’t
want her cramping his style. As if his sex life had anything to do with her. If
he had his little kinks and trollops holed up here, so what? It didn’t matter
to her if he had a sexual past, or present. They were complete strangers.

Well, it kinda mattered. Just a little. Even though it
shouldn’t. But she’d get over it. Even if it killed her.

“So, Jax, what else goes on around here?” She wound her arm
around his elbow and stroked his biceps. If Bale was allowed to have a good
time, then she was too.

“Down this way is what we call the alcove. You can still
hear the music from the dance club, but the space allows for more intimate
conversation.”

They rounded a corner and entered an area with curved
couches sprawled in random patterns, sectioned off by maroon curtains that hung
from tracks in the ceiling that allowed them to be splintered off in myriad
directions. People clustered in groups from two up to ten in their own little
semiprivate areas as they laughed and flirted while sipping from glasses filled
with colorful liquid.

Ooo, and it looked like fun times were allowed here as well
as Ari spotted a couple off to the side. A man had a woman draped over the arm
of the couch as he took her from behind. The fact that the group of men seated
next to them watched as if enjoying a dinner show spoke of how commonplace such
an event was.

“Whoa. I guess people feel really free with their bodies
around here.”

“Some more than others. It’s like with anything new. The
unknown is frightening, but once you dip your toe into the water and realize
nothing but pleasure awaits you, you become more than willing to dive right
in.”

She tore her eyes away from the fornicating duo. “And what
happens in the morning when faced with the light of day?”

“Since we have a lot of repeat customers, I think the
morning after only whets their appetite for more. Follow me. This might be more
your speed as a newcomer.”

He led her down a grand staircase onto the main floor of the
club that looked more like what she expected of a nightclub in the city. Before
her lay the dance floor, crowded with partygoers who surged and rolled to the
beat of the tracks spun by the DJ. To the right of her was a stage where two
men dressed in red metallic Speedos performed an intricate fire-dance routine.
On the left stretched the main bar lined with so many bottles, Ari couldn’t
fathom the amount of time it would take to do inventory. In the pub where she
worked there had been three shelves behind the bar, and the bottles that had
lined the top shelf of the hole-in-the-wall were considered house brands in The
Cavern.

“Are you thirsty?” Jax asked.

“No. Not really. Besides, I didn’t bring any money down with
me.”

“No worries.” He rapped his knuckles on the bar twice. “Hey,
Noah. This is Ari, Amaryllis’ friend. Whatever she wants, all right?”

The cute young thing behind the bar nodded and flashed her a
killer white smile. “Sure thing.”

“For real? Whatever I want?” There had to be a catch.

“You’re a friend of the boss lady. Whatever you want.”

“
Whatever
I want?”

Both men nodded.

This was a theory she had to test. Her gaze went right to
the top row and she smiled when she saw a full bottle of Johnny Walker Blue.
She pointed. “Has that been opened yet?” It wouldn’t do if the bottle had sat
too long and gone stale.

“Not yet. A single or double?” Noah asked.

“Why the hell not? Let’s have a double.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Noah turned and expediently climbed up the stepladder and
retrieved the blue-labeled bottle. Within seconds he set a tumbler of amber
liquid and a glass of ice water before her.

She reached for the glass of water and took a sip, then
slowly went for the tumbler of amber liquid, fully expecting one of them to
reveal that this had all been a joke and they weren’t going to allow her to
imbibe a whisky she knew retailed for fifty bucks a shot. When the glass
touched her lips, she paused and breathed in the fumes, tasting the smoky fire
on the back of her tongue. Both men watched her with bated breath and she
noticed Noah’s mouth part along with hers, his tongue peeking out to touch his
lips as the first drop of whisky hit her palate.

She held the fiery liquid on her tongue for several
heartbeats before swallowing with a loud sigh. “Smooth.”

Jax laughed and shook his head. “You’re going to be quite
the troublemaker, I can tell. No wonder Bale is trying to keep you on a short
leash.”

“Bale’s back?” Noah asked, going visibly pale beneath the
dim lighting.

“Yep. If you’re cool here, Ms. Ari, I’m going back to my
post. Noah will see to any of your needs.”

“Thanks, Jax.” She settled onto a barstool and leaned over
the bar to be heard better by the bartender. “Okay, Noah, spill it. Why does
the mention of Bale’s name make y’all nervous?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he shrugged and began to load the
glass washer. “Have you met the guy?”

“Yeah, he brought me here.”

“Really?” He looked as if she had slid ice down his back.
“Are you two like a thing?”

“No. We’re friends. Kind of. Sort of.” She shook her head.
“Whatever.”

“I thought he was a loner.”

“I’m pretty sure he still is.” When no more information came
forth, she pressed on. “So what’s the deal?”

Another shrug. “I don’t know him that well, but he has a
reputation of being something of a badass.”

“Lucian seems to be somewhat of a badass too. So does Jax.”
She took another sip.

“Yeah, but at least they can crack a smile, or at least, Jax
can. Lucian is a pretty somber guy, but he’s like Barney the fucking Dinosaur
compared to Bale.”

“Why do you say that?” Damn, this was fine whisky.

Focus, brain. Intel on Bale.

“I’ve never seen him with any expression other than a scowl.
And I’ve only heard him talk once, and my vocal cords hurt just listening to
him.”

Oh, but she liked his raspy voice. Especially her nipples.
They seemed to peak to attention whenever he spoke.

“And I’ve heard,” Noah continued, “that if anyone asks him a
question he just stares at them until they walk away, and if he does answer,
it’s only with a grunt.”

“Yeah, he does seem to enjoy the single-syllable responses.
But he’s not
that
scary.” Unless, of course, you were a potential
rapist, and then he was downright pants-shitting frightening. “Did anyone stop
to think that maybe he was lonely, or perhaps homesick?”

“Homesick? Maybe. Lonely? Only by his choice. There are a
lot of ladies who’ve come through here and tried to break through his ice. I
haven’t heard of one who’s been successful.”

Interesting. She twirled the last of the whisky in her glass
and fought back the bite of jealousy that was also stirred with the
confirmation that other women found the brooding hunk of maleness as desirable
as she did. At least he was discreet about his relationships, or at least that
was how it sounded. She didn’t believe Noah’s story that Bale never took anyone
up on their offer. Just because Noah didn’t know about it didn’t mean it never
happened.

She tipped the last of the whisky down her throat and hopped
off the stool. “Thank you, sir.”

“Do you want another?”

“Not if I want to make it back to my room later. Another
time, maybe.”

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“Right now, I need to burn some energy.”

Even with the hour being well past her bedtime she wasn’t
ready to return to the main house. Now that she knew Amaryllis and Lucian owned
a sex club, who knew how long those two would be at it? If she was going to
survive a night under their roof, she needed to run herself to the point of
exhaustion before attempting to venture back.