Page 8 of Best Friend's Dirty Ex

That seems like a reasonable enough response, and I know it in my head. Club Red may not look like much on the outside, but that is a dangerous stance to take because the club isn’t about what's going on at the facade, it's about what's happening within. “Always dangerous to judge a book by its cover.”

“Or a man by his pretty face and charming words.” The glance she throws in my direction is incendiary, and I can't help but chuckle.

“I'd ask if those words are pointed at me, but we both know I'm not charming.” I say the words with a bit of a growl as if daring her to call me a liar. I am many things, but charming isn’t one of them.

But she doesn't argue, instead, she lifts a shoulder and tilts her head. “Agreed. Maybe I wasn’t talking about you.” The way she says the words with a tone of not everything's about you leads me to believe there's more to her than meets the eye, and I can't help but wonder who in her past hurt her.

The thought of an ex causing her pain has a bout of irrational anger flaring up in me and my fists tighten. But I remind myself we're here for a reason and I take a deep breath, relaxing my body and trying to push those thoughts out of my mind.

“Are you ready to go in?” I have a feeling if we push this line of conversation I'm going to learn something about her that has me driving to someone's house and beating the ever-loving daylights out of them. So instead I'd rather focus on the task at hand.

She nods.

Side by side, we walk up to the club. The bouncer eyes me, then her, then nods his head and steps aside. I know the protocol. No, looky-loos. I'm supposed to check in with Rico if she is going to get a membership. But he meets me in the front room with his arms crossed and Blake quickly closing in.

“What are you doing?” Rico's arms are crossed and he doesn't seem to be messing around as he stares me down.

“She is a guest with me. I just need her to look around and would be happy to pay whatever fee would make that viable.”

Rico doesn't seem happy with that response as his gaze stays locked on my face. He hasn’t so much as glanced at her. “It's not about fees or money; it's about the fact that we've had several people trying to infiltrate this place to either expose it, to bring us shame, or to shut us down.”

“I understand.”

As I say the words, Everly steps forward. “How is Thea doing?”

For the first time, Rico finally glances at her and his eyebrows lift. “Everly?” His gaze darts from her to me, then back to her again, and I know that he knows I’m up to no good. “Of course, you're welcome here. And if you have any trouble with,” he glances at me, then back to her, “anyone here, please feel free to let me or Blake know.”

With that, he steps back, and he and Blake begin to speak quietly as I lead Everly deeper into the club. I recognize Rico’s not-so-subtle snub, but I don't give a damn. Let him think whatever the hell he wants to about me; he's probably right.

As we step into the first red room, I glance at Everly, wondering what her response will be. It's hard to tell in the red light, but I'm reasonably certain she's gone a shade of pink. But she's not shying away from looking at the activities happening around her. “Well, I understand why they don’t allow cameras inside.” The snark in her voice has me internally chuckling. This woman doesn't hold back, does she? I like that about her.

I see her studying people in various stages of undress engaging in a multitude of sexual activities. A man relaxes on his back as a woman takes the length of him in her mouth and another straddles his face, her ample tits spilling from her dress and a look of concentration and pleasure on her face.

Another woman, wrapped up and suspended in aerial silks, is touched, petted, tasted, and tased by several men worshiping her body and invading every inch of her. One kneels before her, his face buried in her and his hand working up into her, another behind her thrusts into her from behind at an angle that can only be anal, another licks and kisses the right side of her body while pressing a finger into her mouth, and yet another suckles deeply on her breast.

I watch a man pressing into another man while the one in the middle takes a woman from behind as she rides another partner, moaning and begging them to finish her.

Yet with all the activities happening around us, Everly doesn't say a word. Instead, she's studying the entire place, taking it all in with wide, sparkling eyes and quickening breaths. Under her silk blouse and through her bra, I can see her nipples hardening and watch the way she squeezes her thighs together. She's definitely turned on, but she's all business when she speaks.

“So you want something inspired by this space, but not necessarily based on it, correct?”

I nod my head, placing a hand on the small of her back to guide her through the room. “Correct. Nothing overtly sexual, obviously, and I’m not partial to red, but the lighting, the fixtures, the ambience.” It's hard to describe exactly what I'm looking for, and I can only hope she understands.

She seems to understand as she points toward another door. “What is through there?”

I find her curiosity refreshing and guide her toward the door. I already know what's on the other side, a private room that I have access to. I touch my card to the wall and the door unlocks. Pushing it open, I guide her inside.

The second she realizes where she is, she turns to face me, her eyes wide and heated.

I move close to her, grabbing her ponytail in one hand and pulling her body flush with mine as the force of my tug tilts her head back. Her breathing seems shallow, and her eyes are shining and bright, and I lower my lips to hers.

Her lips are soft and her mouth parts willingly, allowing my tongue to meet hers. A soft breath on the verge of a whimper leaves her, and I swallow the gentle sound, pressing deeper and grabbing her ass to pull her body tight to the hardness between us. I know she can feel me, and she shifts her hips, rubbing on me in a maddening gesture that turns me on and nearly severs the fragile thread of my self-control.

I want her.

I want to do more than kiss her. I want to push her down on that bed, rip every shred of clothing from her body and have my way with her.

Before I can make good on what her body is begging me for and what I want to do, she puts a firm hand against my chest, her fingertips on my collar bone, and pushes me away.

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