Winter is only a couple of weeks away and so is Christmas. Cold has set in and the rainy season for Seattle might mean snow is on the way.
It’s been three weeks since I’ve seen the inside of my apartment. I need to get back to my life. My house plants. I haven’t picked up fresh milk since the night of the Autumn ball. My fridge must smell terrible by now.
But they don’t let me go for longer than my shift at Club Sin and now I am two thousand miles away from home, wearing a dress that I didn’t own twenty-four hours ago and walking into New Orleans’ Club Sin.
It’s safe to say they had no problem learning I am part of the staff back home. It made Oliver nearly break a rib laughing at Danika for picking the one woman they shouldn’t touch and Rune is forever trying to get me to spill secrets about the other members. When I refuse to fork over information to the mafia man, he spanks my ass and makes me say dirty things. I’m not sure if he is punishing me for not giving him secrets or rewarding me for holding my ground. I don’t ask. And then we have a two way or four way over the kitchen counter, bed, or couch. Even the wall isn’t safe from these three.
However, the club owners were not happy about me breaking the rules. I don’t know how I didn’t get fired, but I think the three men swarming me from all sides are the reason, but they won’t confess their sins to me.
“You’re beautiful. Stop biting your lip already or we won’t make it inside. I’ll ravish you right here on the front steps and then what would you do?”
“Let you,” I quip ruefully with an arrogant smirk. I brace for impact and Rune doesn’t leave me wanting.
He takes my chin and claims my lips in a hot kiss before ushering me along.
Sweet, sensual hints of Jasmine wrap around us. Oliver and Danika lead the way along the brick path. To my left is a wrought-iron gate with a team of security standing watch.
To our right are pristine gardens, sensual sculptures and endless amounts of moonlight. Willow trees sway in the late autumn night. Back in Seattle the chilly nights would have frost on the grass on either side of the walk, but it’s warm enough here that I only have a light shawl wrapped around my bare shoulders. I clutch at the side of my shawl and use Rune’s hand on my elbow for balance.
Through the moving branches I can see a beautiful white mansion with willow trees swaying in the wind as if waving to us to join the debauchery happening on the other side of the main door.
Danika holds out a black card. “Danika Sinn. We have a reservation for the Belle Constantine show.”
Oh. A show.
“Evenin’, gentlemen and lovely lady.” An aged voice welcomes us from the darkness before a door is eased open and golden lights color the night around us. The gentleman checks the list and, as I suspect, he looks back to the group of men around me with little interest outside of making sure membership is in place. If this Club Sin is like the one I manage, this man is not judging anyone who steps inside this establishment. He’s just doing his job.
“Welcome, Mr. Sinn. Please step inside where your companion will be offered a contract.” Warm eyes turn to me. “Ma’am, should you need anything all you need to do is ask.”
“Thank you.”
“She’s under my care and my partners. We will see to it no rules are broken.”
I get a backward glance and a sexy wink from Danika that has my insides flooding with heat. I inhale deeply at the affectionate playfulness in his expression. Broody is more his style so the change of pace is pleasantly surprising.
I stare up at him, caught in the cool steel of his eyes that belies the heat rolling off him. His powerful position as the head of his crime family comes with a lot of stress, but he’s never once let it bleed into how he treats me. From the outside looking in, he appears to be the very epitome of calm and collected.
Oliver and Rune give off the same calm vibe. Though powerful, they merely need to snap their fingers to have an army at their beck and call, you would never know it by looking at them.
Of course, they rather believe I don’t know how to use a search engine and dig up new articles on them, but they are like vaults on information about themselves, so I dig in my free time. Which usually aligned with my time at Club Sin back home because these three don’t leave me alone long enough when I’m off the clock.
The gentleman holds out a black item that looks no bigger than my cell phone. Oliver and Rune slide their nondescript card over the new electronic reader I’ve been hearing some clubs implementing.
Oh. That is nice. I need to talk to Mr. A. The Seattle branch needs one of those readers. It would make monitoring membership easier. Some members have shared their cards with non-members. The analog method takes too much time—
My thoughts are cut short. Olivers presses his lips to the shell of my ear and whispers his husky warning in a low tone that has me wishing I was the kind of woman who would tell him to show me his worst.
“Those gears turn any faster and I’ll be forced to take drastic measures in order to get your mind back on tonight’s events. You’ve worked enough. Tonight is about the four of us and you will need all your senses about you if you catch my meaning.”
I turn to find Rune’s grin mischievous. Which is exactly what this man is down to the marrow in his bones.
“Are you trying to handle me, Oliver?”
From the corner of my eye I watch the side of Oliver’s lip turn up. He’s listening, but staying quiet. Something Rune has a hard time doing.
Case in point…
His hand comes around my hip, and his fingers curl into the soft fabric of my dress. It’s possessive and hints at the night’s entertainment if I have my signals figured out.