Page 19 of Smoke After Hours

“Take care of her,” Nessy muttered, breaking me from my thoughts.

“Always,” I answered.

She squinted her eyes in observation before adding, “Take care of yourself, too. You’re allowed to let yourself lose control every once in a while.”

I nodded, knowing she was referring to losing myself with Bentley, but she didn’t know how reckless I could be when I wasn’t in control. I’d been there, done that, and paid the price.

“Thanks, Nes.” I gave her a hug. “We’ll see you later tonight.”

The entrance and exit to Pretty Little Flavors were unique and situated in the alley right off of a busy street. We proceeded with caution as I exited first like I always did, before nodding for Bentley to join me.

“There’s nothing out of the ordinary here,” I told her. “Plus, you know the Crownes keep Chicago pretty tight, especially with your father settling here soon. They know who comes in and out of the city.”

“I know,” she said, still glancing around. “It’s just, we didn’t expect anyone to be in Summerland, Michigan either.”

“True, but that entire town was kinda weird.”

“Right!” she exclaimed. “I thought it was just me, but it’s like all the townsfolk, even the ones who were harmless, talked to you as if they had a secret and you were the last to know.”

I chuckled as I shook my head, leading us to the Elevated Express Mercedes sprinter that we’d had Messiah drive down to us before we left the cabins. Fortunately, he’d driven down with Sadie, so they were holed up in the hotel as we speak. Apparently, Messiah had fucked Sadie’s arch-nemesis before she ever messed with his old boss, so they made up, both claiming they were even now. They were a train wreck together, but dealing with a heartbroken Messiah was a full-time job that I couldn’t add to my plate right now.

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HOP STOP #6 - Puff Pleasure Party: A Black Lush sexually liberating encounter where you exhale and leave your inhibitions at the door.

VOLLEY

“Welcome to a world of luxury,exclusivity, and unparalleled indulgence,” I stated, reading the temporary membership cards we’d been given to pass out to our High Hopper members. “During the Puff Pleasure Party, nothing is off limits. Smoke it. Release it. Make love to it.”

I didn’t miss the way that Santiago and Nova glanced over at each other slyly, neither doing a damn thing to hide their blatant attraction.

“Goddamn this shit is amazing,” Messiah bellowed, prompting me to tell him to lower his voice. He grinned stupidly at me, proof that him and Sadie had probably just fucked when they told me they were running a little late.

“You’re good, baby,” Sadie cooed, grabbing his cheeks in her hands. “Volley’s just pissed because he’s horny as fuck and you’re glowing tonight.”

Messiah’s grin got even wider as everyone laughed at Sadie’s jab at me.

“I was a good boy today,” Messiah muttered, kissing her right back.

“Yes you were,” she slurred in a baby voice. “Who’s a good boy?”

I inwardly gagged, and the other High Hoppers present couldn’t stop staring at them in disbelief.

“On that note, moving on,” Bentley prompted, rapidly blinking a few times. “Although anything goes here, please be respectful of the other Lush members and your fellow High Hoppers.” Her eyes briefly met mine before returning to the group. “This will undoubtedly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Soak it all in and enjoy every second.”

“Shit,” Mr. Lockwood stated, as he tightly gripped his wife who was looking around the place in awe. “We may never leave.”

“Unfortunately, we’ll all have to,” Bentley stated with a laugh. “You’ll have four hours to explore the many different rooms and stations throughout the place, so choose your time wisely.”

In addition to owning First Class Fantasy in New York, Jade Daniels-Crowne managed Lush, a sex lounge under the Black Lush umbrella, in Chicago. She traveled back and forth between both locations, and lucky for us, she was in town tonight.

Black Lush used to be known for its adult entertainment videos and traveling exotic show. However, now the sex lounges, exclusive membership, and partnerships with other businesses like Pretty Little Flavors were at the forefront.

Black Lush’s The Mating Lounge and Jade’s First Class Fantasy were both classic lounges that offered unique experiences and usually partnered you with another member. However, according to Jade, Lush often had nights that opened to the public, and here it was all about letting go of all of your inhibitions and having fun in a party-like atmosphere with sexually liberating encounters available to all who were willing to participate.

Once everyone dispersed, I openly admired the satin black robe and stilettos that Bentley was wearing, knowing she was probably hiding a black lace teddy underneath. She often wore vibrant colors, but when she wore black, it seriously did some shit to me.

She’d curled her hair again and pulled all her ebony curls to one side, allowing them to cascade around her face. Every time she blinked, her sparkling eyes decorated in smoky shadow seemed to beckon me to her even more than usual.

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