Page 125 of Whirlwind

“Excited.”

She smiled. “Good.”

My heart swelled, and I slid a hand over hers on my arm. “Thank you for asking. You always check in on me, to find out how I’m feeling, what I’m thinking. I like it.” I’d never had that before. From my parents, yeah. A few teachers. Jude, Tag. But not from a girl. Not ever. “I appreciate it, baby. Means a lot to me.”

A little sound escaped her lips as she rose up on her toes and planted a kiss on my cheek.

“How are you feeling about tonight?” I whispered.

“Ecstatic.”

The beach club pounded with lights and electronic music. We were ushered through the crowd to a vast private patio that teamed with people dancing and drinking cocktails. On the water, tens of yachts and sailboats lit up the sea in the distance. Palm trees outlined with tiny lights created a bougie oasis atmosphere, along with thick straw easy chairs and padded loungers on the terrace where we hung out.

Lars, Stone, Tag, and Violet were caught up in a heated conversation about filming the opening of the concert tonight to complete the Kaspar video. All of them energized and sharing ideas, the rush. All of them thrill seekers.

Oversized bottles of top notch vodka as well as jumbo pink Champagne bottles crowded the tables. Tag pulled Irina into his lap and brushed her cheek with a kiss, but his eyes darted to Violet.

“Violet, you know Alessio’s friends, that couple?” I gestured at Turo and Adri, the American guy and the Greek woman we’d met at dinner the other night.

“Turo and Adri?”

“Kaspar’s an old friend of theirs, and he told me they run a private club every summer. Secret locations. Organized parties. Supremely vetted.”

“Vetted? Why?”

“It’s an exclusive sex club.”

Her eyes widened. She’d heard something new, a little shocking.

“Events are at different locations—private islands, yachts, private villas on islands all over the Mediterranean. They’re having a party tonight and we’re all invited.”

“Really?” Violet swallowed her champagne, eyes gleaming in the laser light show. She was interested.

“Really. Tag’s partied with them before off the coast of Ibiza. Said it was incredible.”

“Are we going to go?” Violet shifted her weight. “To check it out?”

“Would you like to go?”

“Sure.” Her teeth dragged along her bottom lip. “Have you done that before? Gone to a sex club type party?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, wow.”

“The year before the tour in L.A. I paid the hefty membership and went a couple of times.”

“And?”

“It was a little freaky at first, but the freedom to do what you wanted was…intoxicating.”

Her eyebrows quirked. “That’s a good way for you to party, right? To ensure that your privacy is protected and all that?”

“That’s what you pay for. It’s a good thing. Anonymity you can count on, no questions, and no preliminaries necessary. Only your body, your desire, and your curiosity to take you as far as you want to go.” I ran my fingers up her arm, her flesh cool, her breath caught. “What are you thinking?”

“For you and Tag, that’s your normal. For me it’s next level sci-fi paranormal fantasy.”

I grinned as I stroked the side of her silky cheek. “Baby, you can have your fantasy tonight.”

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