Page 103 of Neighbors With Benefits

What did that even mean? A club where people hooked up with random strangers? Or one of those places where people had sex on stage in front of an audience? My instincts assumed the latter, but if that were the case, why did he tell me to wear something sexy? Maybe that’s just how things were there. Everyone dressed scandalously to set the mood, likeRocky Horror Picture Show.

But when I looked up the address on Google, there was nothing there. Just an empty warehouse next to a soccer field. Dante was fucking with me.

Unless it was asecretsex club. It’s not like those kinds of places advertised on Google. Honestly, a deserted-looking warehouse was the exact place where a secret sex club would be located.

Remembering my groceries, I hurried back into the kitchen and began putting food away. I’d been sitting on the couch thinking about it for so long that my ice cream was starting to melt.

Not sure what else to do, I texted Aiden and Bash separately to ask if they were around. Neither of them responded. That didn’t surprise me—they had warned me they would be working late tonight. So I turned to Cat.

Me: Hey. Have you ever been to any sex clubs?

Cat: JASPER BARNES. I’ve been trying to get you to come to a burlesque show with me for YEARS. Are you finally ready to trust your best friend?

Me: Sorry. I shouldn’t have led with that. I don’t have any intention of going to a sex club. But you’re involved in that scene, right?

Cat: Ugh. Give me a minute to cry after getting my hopes up.

Cat: Okay. I’ve recalibrated my expectations for this conversation. Yes, I’ve been involved in the sex club scene in the past. It’s been a while, though.

Me: I’m sending you an address on Google Maps. Do you know if there’s a sex club there? Someone told me so, but I don’t believe them.

Cat: Hmm. I’m not familiar with any there. It’s just a soccer field and a warehouse.

Me: Yeah, I know. I was wondering if it was a secret or something.

Cat: Not that I’m aware of. But I haven’t done anything like that in a while, so my info is probably out of date. Want me to put some feelers out? Who told you about this mysterious sex club?

Me: I’ll tell you all about it the next time we get lunch. But I promise it’s not an interesting story.

Cat: Ugh. You’re a tease. It’s probably because both of your fuckboy neighbors are out of town

Me: Yes! I’m going CRAZY without them, and I’m not even joking. It’s been like a week since I had sex!

Cat: A week? I’m so proud. We’ll turn you into a nymphomaniac yet.

Cat’s text confirmed it for me: Dante was just fucking with me. Which of course he was.

But my certainty soon faded back into doubt and curiosity.

Dante had written down the address so confidently. And itwasa real address, not just something he made up. Why would he write it on my palm if it didn’t meansomething?

At seven-thirty, I heard the familiar rumble of his motorcycle. Feeling like a stalker, I went to the window and peered through the blinds in time to see him drive away. I couldn’t tell if he was still in his polo shirt; he was wearing protective motorcycle clothes, the kind with padding on the knees and elbows.

I made it ten more minutes before I couldn’t stand it any longer. I needed toknow.

And just in case he was telling the truth, I wanted to be prepared. So I picked out something sexy from my lingerie drawer: a black corset, hose, and garters. Then I put regular clothes on over top: jeans, tennis shoes, and a long-sleeved shirt that concealed my sexy secret. I feltextremelysilly wearing it, but then again, nobody would know but me.

I was practically vibrating with anticipation as I drove to the address that I had scrubbed off my palm. It felt like I was doing something wrong, or at the very least somethingnaughty. This was way outside of my comfort zone.

Then again, I had done a lot of things outside my comfort zone since buying that house.

The late-summer sun was just beginning to set when I arrived. That felt wrong; places like this should only be visited under the cover of darkness. There was a soccer game or something happening at the field next to the warehouse, with a dozen fans in a stand cheering along. I hoped none of them were looking at me while I walked to the warehouse.

I arrived at whatlookedlike the entrance to the building. It was chained closed. I peered through the windows, and walked around the other side, but there wasn’t any other entrance. Whatever this warehouse was for, it was definitely deserted now.

Yep. Dante had just been fucking with me.

Part of me was relieved. As daring as I felt tonight, my nervousness at walking into an actual sex club—whatever that entailed—was high. I could already feel my heartbeat returning to normal as I walked back to my car.

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