Page 13 of In His Veins

“No offense, Paige, but I’m not really interested in watching you get railed on stage.” Paige twirls her short hair.

“That’s fair, but I meant that I’d take you when I’m off.” Ava’s silent for a

moment, and I stop breathing as I realize she’s considering it. Paige seems to realize that too and continues. “You think too much, Ava. You get in your own way. That’s why you haven’t gotten laid in God knows how long, and probably why you couldn’t work up the nerve to even ask that guy his name.” Ava scoffs and cracks her knuckles.

“If you’d have seen him, I think you would have reacted the same way. He sat there all day on his computer, just drinking black coffee. I could barely get him to look at me, so no, I wasn’t going to ask for his name let alone for anything else.”

I freeze as I realize she’s referring to me. How she could even possibly perceive my behavior as disinterested is astounding.

“My point still stands. Come to the club. Fuck it, let’s go tonight. I know you don’t work tomorrow. Stop getting in your own way.”

Ava’s quiet again and sneaks a look at Paige. “And if I get scared, we can leave right away, yeah?” Paige launches to her feet and claps her hands.

“Yes! Yes, of course! Okay, you take a shower and get ready. I’ll pick you up in a few hours.” She starts toward Ava’s front door, but she lurches after her friend.

“Wait!” She splutters. “What do you even wear to a place like this?” Even from the camera feed, I can tell Paige’s answering smile is feline.

“Something that’s easily removable.” Ava doesn’t move as Paige shuts the door behind herself. I close the feed and start to get ready, because I’ll be damned if anyone puts their hands on her at that place except for me.

* * *

As I stride into The Restriction a few hours later, I realize that this is the exact thing the Giovanni brothers wanted me to prevent. I roll my shoulders back and look for my girl in the crowd, spotting Paige first, then Ava next to her, clinging to her arm. Many of the couples are wrapped intimately around each other as they mingle around the club. Music pulses throughout the room, and many attendants use it to set their rhythm. I feel eyes on me, but don’t spare them a glance.

Ava takes in the entire room slowly and is momentarily absorbed by the performers. The woman on stage wears a strap on and thrusts harshly into the man beneath her. Intricately knotted rope restricts his movement and a black ball is tied to his mouth. Ava turns to look at Paige, and her friend smirks.

Paige points to a hallway, and I suddenly know exactly where Ava is going. It’s been a few years since I’ve been to The Restriction, but I still know my way around well. As a former patron, I often wore masks in the past to conceal my identity, but it’s a particularly popular accessory in a certain area of the club. The opportunity for anonymous sex is one of the primary attractions at the club and sure enough, Ava walks toward the designated rooms for just that. She looks over her shoulder a few times to look at Paige, and her friend shoos her away.

She enters a room and turns on a light switch, illuminating a single bulb outside. The door stays cracked open until I follow soon after her, shutting it behind me and flipping the other switch that illuminates the second bulb to indicate that the room is fully occupied.

Ava’s pacing and jumps when she notices me. She’s wearing black lace lingerie with a short black skirt that clings to her hips. Her hair is down now, falling past her waist in waves. A simple black mask obscures the top half of her face.

A similar one covers mine.

We watch each other for a moment, and I prowl toward the bed. She observes me cautiously, not moving an inch as I come to a stop directly in front of her. The low thrum of the bass filters into our room.

“Like to keep things anonymous?” I ask, because I can’t pass on the opportunity to hear her voice.

“Something like that,” she responds, voice low and steady, making me drown in the sound. My eyebrows raise in surprise, and I can’t fight a smile. I wonder if she’ll recognize me from the cafe even with the mask and dim lights.

She places a small, trembling hand on my stomach and curls her fingers into my shirt. My control vanishes with the slight tug she gives it. I grab her by the waist, moving her toward the headboard. My fingers thread through her hair as I bring my lips to hers. She responds instantly, hips bucking into my abdomen.

She’s no longer as frozen as she was when I first walked into the room. Her hands grip my hair and my back as she kisses me. Fingers trail down and pull on the hem of my shirt. I sit up, straddling her hips, and pull it off. Her warm, amber scent overpowers me as I press my lips to hers again and down her torso before pulling her skirt off in one quick movement. She gasps at the sudden loss and presses her knees together.

“Absolutely not,” I murmur as I pry open her legs.

“Wait,” she breathes, and scoots toward the headboard. My eyes flick up to meet hers. The startled look on her face makes me raise my hands and sit back while I wait for her to collect herself.

“Are you okay?” I ask, voice soft. Her breath is uneven, her whole body trembling. She nods and watches me with wide eyes.

“Yes, I’m sorry. Just give me a moment.” My brows furrow as I study her again.

“We don’t have to do this,” I assure her.

“What?” she whispers. Her eyes haven’t left mine, and she looks so young and vulnerable. It breaks my fucking heart.

“We don’t have to do this. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love nothing more than to fuck you in this dark room, but you’re not being held here. You can leave this club right now and go home.”

If she does decide to leave, I hope she does, in fact, go straight home. I’d hate to have to kill someone else if she chooses another partner in this club. Something in my words must have calmed her because, when she nods again, she seems centered in herself.

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