Page 4 of Salacious Desires

“I got it. Go find someone else to annoy.” Squaring my shoulders, I walk past his desk. “And don’t fucking watch the monitors.”

When I stride out of the office, my brother’s deep laugh fades behind me.

Cocky bastard.

I move through the club, down the stairs to the second floor, and warmth spreads through me. I’ve done a lot of amazing things in my thirty-five years of life, but this club is the thing I’m most proud of.

Edge brings in a fair amount of money, but almost everything we make , we put back into it by purchasing more play furniture, adding more toys and supplies to our private themed rooms, and hiring more staff so we can provide the best service possible to our members. We’re one of the three most upscale clubs in Seattle. The only others that are even remotely as elegant and well-equipped are The Playground and Surrender. I still belong to both clubs even though I have no need to play anywhere but here.

Since we’re not open, the recessed lights are turned on, making the dark purple accents we’ve used seem harsher. At night, when everything has a dim glow, giving each space a sensual and ultra-luxurious vibe, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced at any other club.

My mind flashes to a head of dark brown hair and innocent eyes as I pass a spanking bench. Fuck. I didn’t get to see her body underneath all those clothes, but something tells me she’d be stunning draped over the bench and secured while I heat her bottom.

My cock twitches, and I quickly adjust myself as I reach the first floor. I might be the owner of a sex club, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to greet a potential employee with a hard-on. I’m not in the mood for a lawsuit .

I walk through the door that leads into the reception area, and every ounce of air rushes from my lungs when I step inside.

It is her.

The woman from the street.

Mine.

Jesus. What the hell is wrong with me? Where did that thought come from? Maybe I’m overdue to get laid. It’s been more than a month since the last time I hooked up with a woman, and honestly, I have no idea why it’s been so long. I own a sex club, for fuck’s sake. But whenever I’ve thought about finding a submissive for a night, something has stopped me. My head hasn’t been into it.

The woman hasn’t noticed me yet. Her head is down while she fills out the paperwork. So that’s why she was here earlier. And then I scared her off with my charm. Better tread carefully this time.

Marny smiles at me but says nothing as she continues working on background checks for potential new members.

Not wanting to startle the woman, I gently clear my throat. She flicks her eyes up toward me and then back down to the papers in her lap. The second she realizes it’s me, her shoulders tense, and her head snaps up, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

“Oh!” She drops the pen she was holding. As she reaches for it, her entire body rocks forward, and I find myself catching her for the second time today. Fuck. She feels good against me, and my mind goes silent again.

“Oh my God,” she cries out. “I’m sorry.”

As soon as I right her on the chair, I kneel and grab the pen to hand it back to her. With a shaking hand, she takes it from me, using the other to brush her dark hair away from her heart-shaped face.

Her tongue darts out to lick her full lips, and I have to swallow a groan. This woman has no idea what she’s doing to me.

“Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to startle you.” I chuckle and shake my head. “Either time.”

We stare at each other in awkward silence. A moment ticks by before I snap out of whatever trance I’m in. It feels like I’m under a spell.

Her spell.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I should introduce myself, huh?” I hold out my hand. “I’m Drake Riley. I’m one of the owners here.”

Slowly, she slides her small hand into mine and shakes it. “I’m Lily. Lily Campbell.”

The air around us crackles. I’m surprised we can’t actually hear it because it’s so strong. Marny is still in the room somewhere, but fuck if I know where. As far as I’m concerned, Lily is the only person who exists right now.

When she pulls her hand back, I reluctantly let it go. I rise from where I’ve been kneeling and lower myself onto one of the purple velvet chairs next to her.

“You’re here for a job?”

Awesome. Totally smooth. Idiot. Of course, that’s why she’s here.

“Y-yes.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and glances down to her lap. “I have waitressing experience, and I brought a reference from my previous employer. He’s let me go because business has been slow. I can start anytime and work any shift. I’m a really hard worker.”

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