Page 12 of Gilded Desires

Underlords, I should say. My brother and his two best friends are responsible for half the reason I’m undercover trying to find a kernel of happiness.

Club Genesis is a place unlike The Gilded Key Society. Here you are free to explore and be yourself. Sapphire and Polaris talk about The Society with me now and again. The brochures are lovely and all the ads I’ve seen on TV make me want to join. Only problem is, I’ve never done a random hook-up in my life.

I hold the newspaper a bit tighter in my hand for reassurance.

My brother’s club, Club Genesis, is like a country of its own. The deadly go there looking to make deals, seek revenge and take out hits. No joke. It’s why I try to keep my link to the establishment a secret. And also why my brother and his friends are so protective.

Several sets of eyes track my movement as I come to stand among them. I keep my attention on the man and the clipboard he lifts from the desk.

If I were to flash my black credit card and last name, I’d get something far different than these cold bitches’ sneers. Sad really. Everything always has to be about money and power.

Harlon always thinks I’m too damn nice and one day it will cost me. Maybe. But being human isn’t something I can simply switch off. At least I’m not here to make friends.

“Name,” the guy with striking eyes and muscles comes to stand in front of me, bringing the scent of his cologne with him. I take a hit and hold it in.

Yep. Still intoxicating.

Ten sets of eyes narrow my way, but I don’t give them any more of my energy. “Short memory huh? It’s Belle.”

His spellbinding eyes lock on mine. “You have a last name, Belle?”

“Oh, yes, um, Sinclair.” His eyes are glued to a piece of paper he has clipped to the board. He scribbles down my name next to a number I can’t distinguish.

“Now it’s your turn.”

He jerks his head up causing long strands of dark hair to tumble over his forehead. It’s sexy as fuck and I want to reach out to move the fan of hair back in place. But I keep my feet glued to the floor and my hands where they belong—to myself.

“To do what?” He drops the clipboard to his side and his impressive height keeps my chin tilted up.

His tone makes me feel like I should snap to and stand at attention. Follow it up with a “yes, sir”. I mentally shake off the feeling, but that doesn’t change the strong military alpha vibesthat roll off him. I wonder if he has an eagle tattoo or some flag gracing his body somewhere.

He cants his head, studying my face in the same manner I studied the rest of him just a moment ago. It feels personal and a little like he is looking for all my imperfections and lies. Or, maybe that’s just me. He drifts his substantial weight to the back of his heels like he needs clarification on my statement. Thick thighs and thicker biceps stand out the most when he crosses his arms over that jacked chest of his.

I can feel my lip twitch with a smirk. “Give me your name. It’s only polite. Tit for tat.” Snickers and snorts travel down the line, but I shrug them off. Mr. Sinfully Gorgeous here doesn’t pay them any attention either.

The perfect tip of well-formed lips tilts up in a smirk to mirror mine. “That a fact, beautiful? Tit for tat?”

I nod and refuse to let his pet name play with my libido. On the outside, I’m all cool and calm. On the inside it’s a chaotic party of nerves. And I won’t lie. Being called beautiful by him did things to my untouched pussy.

Sweat turns my grip on my Birkin to butter. “‘Tis true. There’s no book on manners but…wait. That’s not true.” I tap a finger to my lip letting my sass hang in the air a minute. “I can’t recall the title of it, but I’m sure there’s an eBook version. Or print. You don’t seem to be the forward-thinking type. More old school, aren’t you,beautiful.” He wants to play word games? I can handle that.

It’s when I wink at him that fine lines fan out from the corners of his eyes when wicked intentions grip his expression. There’s no other way of describing the glint in his eyes and the way hismouth flatlines before spreading into a grin I’ve never seen on a man before.

Not a sane one anyway.

There’s a desperate part of me that just raised her hand screaming,pick me, pick me.

“Did you just insult me?” He stares at me expectantly.

“If you have to ask, then you might need that manners book after all.”

That grin of his deepens across his face and not for the first time in my life I feel like I’ve stepped into the deep end of life.

He crooks a finger at me and signals for me to follow him toward the back of the office. Great, this is where I am pulled aside, told I’m a bit too much for what they had in mind, and I’m sent home. Not that I’ve tried to do a lot of secret sex club work, but let’s just say this won’t be the first time I’m sent packing.

Mr. Sinfully Gorgeous touches the black and gold wall.

I pause. “And?”

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