Page 3 of Take Her

But I still sometimes needed avenues to pursue my long-denied baser nature, which was how I’d found out about Vertigo myself, years ago, first as someone else’s friend, and then as a member, once I could afford it.

I had no idea how she’d really gotten into this place, but since she was here, I was going to give her an evening to remember.

I waited for her to return her focus to me after surveying the room. The women on the throne weren’t wearing much more than electrical tape and glittering diamond chokers, riding something purple and silicone between them, with one of the club’s photographers nearby.

Lia’s jaw dropped once she parsed that. “They take pictures here?” she said, gawking at me, before practically hiding behind my back.

“Yes, but you’d have to pay extra.” I chuckled, but gave her cover nonetheless. “Some people want to commemorate the occasion, and they may only get to come here once a year. Which is also why we’re patiently waiting our turn for them to finish.” She believed me enough to creep forward again, watching the couple on the throne before giving me a guilty look, which I waved away. “They wouldn’t be doing it in public if they didn’t want people to see, so go ahead. I’ll be right back,” I told her, briefly leaving her to negotiate with the other members who were watching the show in line.

I didn’t expect her to last more than ten minutes, and while I had no idea who she was, many people would’ve known me here in real life no matter what name I gave them so I’d never bothered to lie about it—and outside of these walls, I was the kind of man you wanted to owe you favors.

So it was nothing to gladhand a few fellow pervs, allowing us to cut—and I was happy the show was still going when I returned, because Halloween-store Lia and I needed some time to talk.

“We’ll be next,” I informed her, coming back to stand by her side.

Her lips parted at that, and she took in a thoughtful breath, nodding deeply, like she was preparing herself to go on a frightening rollercoaster ride. Her eyes were still on the women, who were chasing after pleasure, which gave me the freedom to look at her. Her ears were delicate pink shells, closely set against her head, and the angle of her neck was swanlike.

“Have you ever done anything like this before?”

“No,” she breathed, without turning.

“How do you know you like it, then?”

Her amber eyes flickered up at me. “College is a time for experimentation,” she said, with a hint of a tease, before sobering. “But this seems a bit more real.”

“It can be.” The thought of someone else her own age trying out things on her they’d only seen in porn disappointed me. Why would you take a thoroughbred to a children’s party? “So let’s both do our homework.”

At that, I had her attention again, and if I were honest, traitorous parts of myself liked it.

“I want you over my knee, but I only intend to touch you from here,” I said, indicating a height beside her hip, “to here.” I sank my hand down to outside her mid-thigh. “Will that be all right with you?”

She bit her lips and then nodded.

“Words, please.”

“Yes,” she said, and swallowed. “You can touch me.”

It was my turn to nod. “Did you have a safe word you wanted to use?” I asked, and when she didn’t respond quickly enough I added, “Like a code word in case you’d like me to stop?”

“I won’t want you to stop,” she said brashly.

One of my eyebrows rose perilously high. “May I touch your chin, then, before I give you incredibly stern advice?”

She gave me a questioning look. “Sure.”

I took it in between my thumb and crooked forefingers, holding her face up and leaning forward, making sure she could see nothing else but me. “Anyone who says that, in real life, and especially in here, is a fool. Are you a foolish girl, Lia?”

Emotions ran rampant across her face again, especially at the mention of her name, then she squinted. “Maybe I need to be punished?”

I shook her head for her with the hold I had on her chin. “Don’t play act yet. We’re not done with the rules—and if you’re too impatient for rules, then I’m walking.”

She straightened her shoulders and became serious quickly. “I’m sorry,” she said, then added “Sir” as an afterthought.

“Good. Back to our discussion. What’s your safe word?”

“Mmmm . . . Lambo?”

“As in the car?” I asked.

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