Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Fuck.
She hasn’t texted me, either. If she were running late, she’d at least let me know.
I’m being stood up.
Since I’m already here, I can go inside and grab a drink. Drown my sorrows in another gin and tonic.
I’m turning toward the alleyway where the club’s entrance is located when—
“Maddox!”
I turn. And there she is.
And I drop my jaw.
Alissa isn’t wearing her coat this evening—after all, it’s unseasonably warm—and she’s wearing a tight strapless black dress that pushes up her gorgeous tits. Her gorgeous blond hair is flowing over her bare shoulders.
But as hot as the dress is, it’s not what made my jaw drop.
Alissa is wearing a black fedora to complete the ensemble. I don’t normally care for a woman in a hat—makes me think of the Easter brunches my family would have to attend as a kid—but on her, it fucking works.
Fuck.
She walks quickly to me—she’s wearing black stilettos, so she can’t exactly run—her eyes wide and apologetic. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I got held up at the hospital right at the end of my shift. I would have texted, but my phone died.”
I caress her cheek, bring her in for a quick kiss.
“It’s no problem, Alissa,” I say after breaking away. “You look magnificent.”
She smiles. “Do you like the hat? I picked it up at a thrift store on the way to work this morning.”
“I love it.” I tip my own hat at her. “Glad to see I’ve made an impression.”
“You certainly have.” She takes the hat off. “I know it’s silly, but I figured this matched the vibe of the club a bit more.”
“It does.” I trail a finger over her jawline. “But what you wear doesn’t matter, Alissa. There’s a reason I brought you here two nights in a row. You match the vibe all on your own.”
She shakes her head. “Not in what I wore last night. That light-blue number. I must have looked like the Virgin Mary compared to most woman you meet there.”
I chuckle. “It doesn’t matter what you wear, Alissa.” I place a hand over her heart. “You match the vibe here.”
She scrunches her forehead. “What do you mean?”
“Aces Underground is a place for testing your limits, for trying new things,” I say. “It’s a place that encourages its members to embrace their darker side and take the road less traveled. And you, Alissa, are a woman who exhibits all of those qualities.”
She widens her eyes. “I am?”
I nod. “You showed it to me that night you walked into my shop. You didn’t even know what a haberdashery was. You were curious, and you walked in.” I rake my gaze over her, narrowing my eyes. “And then that kiss last night outside your apartment door. You reached down, grabbed my cock. I think we both know what you would have done if your neighbor hadn’t interrupted us.”
She swallows. “Something took over me, Maddox. I… I’m not sure what it was.”
“Something took over me as well—something raw, untamed.” I offer my arm. “Let’s descend into the depths again, embrace that darkness, and see just how far it goes.”
17
ALISSA
Chet raises his eyebrows—which I’m now realizing are white as snow—when he sees us.
“Miss Wonder,” he says. “Great to have you back so soon.”
My cheeks warm. “Guess you can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“I wouldn’t want that either.” His eyes sparkle. “IDs, please.”
Maddox and I both hand over our IDs, and Chet lugs out the big book of member names.
“I assume, Miss Wonder, that you are again a guest of Mr. Hathaway.”
I nod. “That is correct.”
He hands back our IDs, grinning. “Everything appears to be in order.”
“Thank you, Chet.” Maddox puts his driver’s license back in his wallet.
Chet gets to his feet and takes out his ring of skeleton keys. He opens the door to the mirrored staircase. “Welcome to Aces Underground.”
This time I don’t hesitate. I start walking down the stairs.
“Wait for me,” Maddox calls.
I stop on the fifth or sixth step. What’s taken over me? Just twenty-four hours ago I was sure that this staircase was going to lead me to some sex dungeon where I’d be kidnapped and sold into slavery. Now I can’t wait to go down.
Something about the heavily perfumed air is pulling at me. Guiding me like the wafting aroma of a pie in a windowsill to a cartoon dog.
“Sorry.” I bite my lower lip. “Just excited, I guess.”
Maddox smiles. “I’m glad you are. I wasn’t sure how you’d react to the place yesterday. It’s…unique.”
I chuckle. “Understatement of the century. But I’ve liked it so far. I want to explore a bit more. We didn’t really go past the Spades section yesterday.”
He nods. “True. It can be sensory overload at first. That’s why we stayed in Spades.”
I turn ahead and continue descending the staircase, holding myself in check to make sure I don’t run ahead of Maddox again. Weird how excited I am. And slightly frightened, as well.