Page 7 of Room Ten: Put on a Show

Thankfully, Kenna didn’t protest, and she didn’t play any more games that would put me in her crosshairs, either. After I woke Merrick, we guided Kenna to the armored Suburban parked in the garage. Pulling out onto the road, I stole a glance in the rear-view mirror. Kenna was safely ensconced in the back seat, blushing with anticipation as she texted a quick reply to Troy.

Merrick remained sullen and silent for the entire drive. I didn’t blame him. Our job was never easy—working long hours around the clock, high stress, shitty diet, and no ability to maintain a personal life of our own—but willingly standing guard while Kenna slept with other men always left a sour taste in our mouths.

I held no animosity toward Merrick, despite the fact that he obviously harbored feelings for Kenna that he couldn’t act on. I felt the same way about her. Since there was nothing we could do about it without putting our jobs—and ultimately Kenna’s safety—at risk, we found a certain level of camaraderie in our suffering.

When we arrived at Club Sin, I directed the car through a wrought iron gate and up a long driveway, lined with old, sprawling oaks, draped in thick, trailing moss. Small globes of light illuminated the road. More globes of light hung suspended from the trees like stars close enough to touch.

I’d barely brought the car to a stop at the entrance when Merrick climbed out, circling around to Kenna’s door. We always made sure that one of us was with her at all times to prevent any weaknesses in our security detail that might be exploited. In the side mirror, I watched as Merrick helped Kenna out of the car, using his body as a shield.

That didn’t stop a small crowd of onlookers from recognizing her though. They clustered at the entrance, jostling each other as they craned their necks and held their cell phones aloft for a picture.

As I handed my keys to the valet, I glimpsed one man at the edge of the group. Something about him made the back of my neck prickle. His baseball cap was pulled low, hiding most of his face with his arms crossed. Despite the humidity and the lingering heat that still clung to the last vestiges of summer, he wore a black hoodie. Everyone else around him was dressed to impress or to fuck—likely both. But if I had to pick this guy out of a line-up at the police station, I couldn’t have put my finger on a single defining detail. He was anonymous amid the small crowd clamoring for attention and that’s what unsettled me the most.

As I took up my position on Kenna’s opposite side, I caught Merrick’s eye.

“At your two o’clock position. Black hoodie. Baseball cap.”

As Merrick turned to look, he shifted closer to Kenna, one hand at her hip to prevent her from moving without his order. He frowned and stared at the stranger with a dark glare. The stranger straightened his shoulders before scurrying around the corner.

When it came to potential threats, on a scale of one to ten, the whole thing had been a zero. Hardly more than a hiccup on our radar.

And yet, I couldn’t shake the uneasiness that still crawled over my skin. I’d been in this job long enough to recognize the value of listening to my gut instinct rather than dismissing it, so I stayed on high alert as Merrick and I escorted Kenna into Club Sin.

The foyer enveloped us in low, atmospheric light and gleaming hardwood floors. A warm, intoxicating scent lingered in the air, softened by something sweet like honey, jasmine, or roses. Every inch of the walls and furniture spoke of Southern opulence—heavy velvet draperies, gold accents, fleur-de-lis, and high ceilings to stay cool in the summer.

After Kenna checked in at the front desk to confirm her reservation, she started toward the elegant, arching staircase that led to the second floor. I put out a hand to stop her with a look that said I was in no mood to argue this time. Even though only a handful of people lingered in the foyer, Merrick moved in behind Kenna, sandwiching her between us just as a precaution.

I led the way up the stairs and down the corridor to Room Ten with a gold plaque that displayed the name. Sharing a quick glance with Merrick to confirm he had Kenna covered, I stepped into the room for a security check.

Kenna never reserved any other room. This was her favorite playground—the biggest one available—with a giant glass box on a dark, dramatically-lit stage, and row after row of red velvet seats, creating a private theater.

Sometimes, I wondered why Kenna chose to be on stage in her sex life when she spent a majority of her professional career on stage already.

On the other hand, it didn’t surprise me at all. She loved to perform for an audience.

As I searched the room—scanning every chair, the stage, the rafters for any signs of danger—I weighed the temptation to claim one of these seats for myself while Kenna was on stage. Witnessing her naked body beneath the lights, trembling with pleasure, her head tipped back in ecstasy, and the crescendo of her voice filling the air as she climaxed.

Would she find my gaze in the crowd as she touched herself, caressing her tits and trailing her fingers over her clit?

Would she smile so sweet and content like a cat with a bowl of cream as her lover—that damned Troy—pounded into her from behind?

Would that make my forbidden craving for her even stronger?

Absolutely.

I blew out a heavy breath and took a moment to compose myself. Shaking my head free of that image, thoughts I shouldn’t entertain, I needed to get back to work. My cock throbbed though, begging for release.

Laughter drew my attention to the door. Kenna and Troy stumbled into the room, wrapped up in each other, his hands around her waist, her breasts pressed against his chest. He nuzzled his face into her neck with a playful growl and Kenna yipped, followed by a sigh of pleasure as his mouth fell to her cleavage, nipping at the softness of her cleavage the way I’d fantasized about doing less than an hour ago.

A flame of jealousy burned low and dark in the pit of my stomach.

Merrick emerged in the doorway a moment later, his scowl matching my own less-than-charitable feelings about the situation. He lifted his chin in their direction as if to say,I tried to stop them but they were oblivious.

Kenna grabbed a fistful of Troy’s hair, pulling him up for a kiss. He licked into her mouth until she moaned. When she slipped her hand lower, stroking his crotch, I couldn’t take it anymore.

I cleared my throat.

Troy broke away first. Kenna—her lips kiss-swollen and her skirt still hitched up around her hips, thanks to Troy’s wandering hands—raised her eyebrows, feigning an innocent expression.

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