Page 20 of Filthy Rich Santas

“What about you, Ryder?” she asks, leaning forward just enough that the soft weight of her thigh presses against mine, activating my cock again.

He grins. “You don’t think I could let these two start something up without me, do you? Can you imagine? They both take life too damn seriously. It would have been no fun at all if I hadn’t thrown in with them to get the club off the ground.”

My lips tilt up a little without my permission. Ryder isn’t exactly wrong.

“It definitely wouldn’t be the same without you,” Tristan says to him, chuckling. “Best choice I ever made, going into business with you two.”

“Aw, youlurveus,” Ryder jokes, batting his eyelashes in an exaggerated way that makes Lana laugh.

Even though he’s joking, he’s right. These two are closer to me than brothers, and we’ve seen each other through a lot over the years.

We’ve had each other’s backs through all of it, so starting a business together was easy, despite our differences. Actually, maybe because of them. We all bring something different to the table, balancing each other out in ways that only strengthen what we’ve built together.

And it certainly helps that kink is a shared interest we all have. Radiance is more than a business venture; it’s something each of us is passionate about. It gives us all purpose. And I’d like to think that creating a safe space for the lifestyle makes a difference in the lives of our members too.

“So, um, if you don’t all have the same kinks…” Lana starts to ask, her face flushed.

Ryder smirks. “Are you asking us what we’re into?”

“That’s probably pretty personal,” she says, fooling no one. “I just wondered, um, how you decided what to have at the club.”

“Radiance caters to all kinds of clientele,” Tristan tells her before Ryder can jump in to tease her over her interest again. “And you’re right. It is really personal. What gets you off is unique to you, but as long as it’s safe, sane, and consensual, we try to provide an environment where our members can explore it.”

She bites her lip, her face still a beautiful shade of pink, and nods rapidly. “Oh, that makes sense, and I’ve only heard good things.”

“Onlyheardthem?” Ryder quips, still half-turned in his seat so he can face her. “You mean to say that Beckett found you the other night before you got to do any exploring of your own?”

“Ryder,” I growl, this entire conversation testing my control. The last thing I need to do is have Lana tell us in detail what it was she was hoping to find at our club. My mind is far too eager to supply images of what could have been, all on its own.

Ryder just laughs, of course, but thankfully, he also turns the conversation in a different direction. Toward me.

“Take Beckett here,” he tells Lana. “I’m sure it won’t surprise you to hear that he’s a Dom.”

I glare at him, silently daring him to out my kinks to her and see what happens.

Lana’s tinkling laugh derails my anger, though. It’s a beautiful sound, and it’s the first time I’ve heard her sound truly carefree in quite a while.

“Yeah, no, that’s no surprise,” she agrees, grinning at Ryder. Then she rests her hand on my arm for a moment, sending me a warm look that I’m not sure what to do with. “But I’m sure if he wanted me to know his kinks, he’d be the one to tell me,” she says softly, speaking to Ryder but still looking at me.

I grunt an affirmative, and she gives me a small smile that brings out her dimple.

“I enjoy Shibari,” Tristan says. “Among other things.”

“It’s always the quietest ones who are the most kinky,” Ryder says, nudging him.

The two banter for a minute, Ryder teasing Tristan about what an ideal playground the club is for his voyeuristic tendencies, but I can’t take my eyes off Lana. She’s listening avidly, her breathing quick and shallow. The color on her creamy skin is pure temptation, and I discipline myself hard to shut down thoughts of touching it. Licking it. Tasting the heat that I can feel radiating off her curvy body as she unconsciously sways closer to hear more.

“What did you think of the club when you stopped in?” Tristan asks her, looking back at her again in the mirror.

“I… didn’t see much,” she admits, “but it looked really nice. Very upscale but welcoming. I thought it might be more intimidating, but I, um, I could see myself spending time there.”

She shoots him a look that makes me grit my teeth and force my gaze away. “No,” I snap.

“What Beckett means to say,” Ryder inserts with a grin, “is thank you. We’ve all worked our asses off to make it into what it is, and it’s great to hear that you felt comfortable there.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t go as far as to saycomfortable,” she says quickly, laughing softly. “But that’s on me, not the club. It really is nice, though.”

“Beckett gets a lot of the credit for that,” Ryder says. “We all play our part, but he’s really made it his baby.”

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