8. Scotlyn

EIGHT

Scotlyn

T he night passes quickly, and I swear I can see Brent in the club, but if it is him, he hasn't come to see me. Surely, he would, right? Although, I will admit, Society X can turn even the most innocent of people into nymphomaniacs. Maybe that's what Brent needs to break out of his shell. However, a part of me feels a little jealousy in my gut at the thought. If it was Brent I saw, then he's chosen the forbidden desires of Society X over talking to me. I don't have a right to be upset over that . . . but I am.

Hopefully, it's not him.

My shift is finally over, and I head to the back to grab my purse before driving home. All I want is to take a shower and drink a small glass of wine while I watch an episode of Game of Thrones before going to bed. I've rewatched the entire series about five times now and it never gets old; it's my comfort show.

Once I fetch my purse out of the break room, I start toward the back door that leads to the employee parking lot.

"Scotlyn, wait," a voice calls out from down the hall.

I turn to see Dutch, one of Society X's security guards. He's tall and dressed in all black with a shaved head and dangerous- looking blue eyes. The man is a beast, and when he walks through the club, everyone steers clear of him.

Dutch nods toward the security room. "I need to show you something."

There's a concerned look on his face which is never a good thing.

"Sure," I say, shouldering my purse.

I walk down the hall and into his domain. The security room is filled with over a dozen monitors, all showing various parts of the club. He goes over to the one displaying the parking lot and I can see someone standing by my car.

Dutch points at the guy on the screen and huffs. "He's been standing at your car for the past fifteen minutes. Do you want me to go out there?"

I move closer to the screen and recognize the guy immediately, only this time he's not wearing his Clark Kent glasses. It's crazy how roguish Brent looks without them. I like his nerdy side, but I also think there's something more devilish hidden inside of him. Seeing him standing there confirms I was right when I thought I saw him earlier. Maybe the club is bringing out another side of him.

"No, you don't need to go out there," I reply, meeting Dutch's intense blue gaze.

I point at Brent, who is leaning against my car and looking all kinds of sexy. His light brown hair isn't perfectly coiffed like usual; it's messy, as if he just ran a hand through it.

"That's my friend, Brent. I promise he's not going to abduct me," I assure him.

Dutch nods once and lets out a long sigh. "That's all I need to know. I just like to make sure you and all the other ladies here are safe."

I pat his arm. "And we all love you for it. Don't get into too much trouble tonight."

He smiles but it's only slightly. "Same goes for you."

I leave him and walk to the doors that exits to the parking lot. As soon as I open it, my eyes instantly go to Brent. My stomach flutters with excitement, but there's also that pang of jealousy lingering beneath it.

Brent steps away from my car and smiles as I approach. "I was hoping you got off at ten?"

"Did you come into the club?" I ask, closing the distance. When he nods, I bite back the frustration and smile. "And you didn't come by the bar? What was more important than seeing me?"

His head cocks to the side and his gaze narrows. "I'm sensing a bit of anger. Are you mad?" There's a twinkle in his eyes when he steps up to me. "I just walked around to see what all Society X had to offer. I thought you might get a kick out of me doing something scandalous."

There's something different about him, something I can't put my finger on. He's changed somehow.

"What's gotten into you?" I ask him.

Brent chuckles and shakes his head. "Honestly, I don't know. Ever since I got here, I find myself doing things I never imagined."

"Is that good or bad?"

He laughs again. "Both. I don't know if I know who I am anymore."

I know how that feels. It took me leaving home and figuring out life on my own to realize who I am. If I had a guess, the same thing was happening to Brent. He was meant to be here.

I reach out and gently take his arm. His eyes convey nothing but sincerity and I find myself falling deeper into his gaze. It's been so long since I've been around a man I feel utterly and completely myself around. Even though Brent would be the angel and I would be considered the devil, I don't have to hide who I am. I'm going to miss him when he leaves, but for now I don't want to think about that. I want to imagine he's staying.

"You'll find who you are, Brent," I murmur, squeezing his arm. "Something tells me you're not far from it."

We stare at each other for a few minutes and his eyes drift to my lips. I know he wants to kiss me, and I know that I want to kiss him. His head moves lower, and I tilt my chin up, waiting for the connection . . . only it doesn't come. A horn blows off in the distance and it startles me, ruining the mood.

My heart races and I step back. "So . . . did you come here with the guys from work?"

Brent nods. "Yeah, and I don't see them wanting to leave anytime soon."

A part of me doesn't want him to go back inside. "Do you want me to drop you off at your hotel?"

Please say yes.

His eyes search mine. "You wouldn't mind?"

I can't stop from smiling. "Not in the least. Get in."

We leave the parking lot and I take my time driving to his hotel. I'm not ready to drop him off yet.

"So," I begin, glancing over at him. "Why were you waiting by my car?"

He smirks and it makes my body tingle in all the right places. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" I ask, bringing my car to a stop once we reach the stop sign at the end of the road. There's no one else around, so I stay put.

When we were teenagers, Brent was always nervous around girls. I saw it a little bit when he first arrived in town, but I'm not getting it anymore.

Brent clears his throat, and he looks right into my eyes. "I want to take you out on a date."

The way his gaze pierces into mine makes my whole body tremble; it's so intense.

"I'd like that," I say, my words barely above a whisper.

A car pulls up behind me so I have no choice but to turn my attention back to the road.

"Does tomorrow night work?" Brent asks.

Out of all the millions of nights I've been free the past few years, tomorrow is not one of them. Groaning, I squeeze the steering wheel, wishing I could change my plans, but I can't.

"Christy and I are having a sushi night tomorrow. I can't cancel on her."

Brent holds up his hands. "Oh no, I wouldn't want you to."

"How about the next night?" I inquire quickly. "I don't have to work at the club."

He smiles. "Perfect. I've been wanting to spend time with you."

We pull into the hotel parking lot, and I park the car. "It's funny; I've been wanting to spend time with you, too," I confess. That smirk of his is back, and I can't look away from him.

It's as if time stands still in this moment. One minute, I'm staring into his eyes, and the next, I feel his lips on mine. I never thought he would be the one to initiate the kiss first. His movements are gentle but demanding, as well. I open my lips further, allowing him to take what he wants. However, all too soon, he slowly pulls away. I want more . . . so much more.

"I'll see you Monday night, Scotlyn," he breathes, his lips grazing mine.

"Okay," is all I can say back.

He gets out of my car and smiles at me over his shoulder before disappearing into the hotel. I'm excited about spending time with him, but it also saddens me. His being here is only temporary. Someday soon, I'll have to say goodbye to him.

"Oh my God, this sushi is to die for. I could eat it all day, every day," Christy says, moaning as she eats the last piece of her Somerset roll.

Laughing, I toss the last crab rangoon into my mouth and chew it slowly, savoring it.

"I could, too," I reply in all honesty.

We finish up in the restaurant and head back to my apartment for ice cream. She has a pint of Half-Baked and I have Americone Dream waiting for me in the freezer. Once we arrive at my place, I grab the ice cream while she fetches us some spoons. We sit on the couch and devour our treats within minutes.

"I'm going to have to exercise for four hours just to burn off half of what I just ate," I say, leaning my head back on the couch.

Christy giggles. "You could totally burn it off other ways."

I know what she's implying.

I look over at her and roll my eyes. "How? The Dark Room?"

Christy fiddles with her long, blonde braid and shrugs. "Hey, it's an option. Don't you at least want to try it one time?"

I've been dying to tell her that I've already been in it. She's my best friend and I should be able to tell her anything and everything. But there are rules at Society X that can't be broken. I don't want to lose my job or risk Christy losing hers.

Memories of that night flash through my mind. The guy was a virgin and I totally got off on it. Do I want to do it again? Yes and no. I wouldn't want to deflower another virgin.

Christy moves closer, her eyes searching mine. "You've already been in the Dark Room, haven't you?"

I smack her arm playfully. "Girl, we can't talk about this! It's against the rules. I don't want us getting kicked out of the club."

Her mouth drops open and there's so much excitement in her eyes it looks as if she'll burst. "I seriously cannot believe you didn't tell me. Give me all the details." She holds up a hand. "And trust me, I'm not telling a soul that we talked about this."

I know I shouldn't say anything, but I have to.

Closing my eyes, I can almost feel the guy's hands on me. "It was amazing, Christy. The only scandalous thing I have to say about it is that he was a virgin. I feel a little guilty for taking his V card."

Christy slaps a hand over her mouth. She'd know exactly who he is because she's the one who schedules the men in the sex rooms. A part of me wants to ask her who he is, but that's really crossing a line over the rules.

Christy waves her hands in the air for me to continue. "How long did he last?"

A smile spreads across my face. "Not long . . . the first time. I could definitely tell he was a virgin. But that was the fun part of it. Even though the night went by quick, I've never felt more satisfied."

Christy squeals and claps her hands. "That's perfect. I'm glad you had fun."

"Me too," I tell her. "But it was a one time thing. Never again."

Her lips purse and she regards me curiously. "Because of Brent? I know you two are going on a date tomorrow. Are you going to tell him that you tried the Dark Room?"

There is no way in hell I could ever tell him that.

I shake my head so hard it hurts. "No. He can never find out about that. I don't want him to see me differently. He's a good guy, one who needs a good girl."

Christy turns her head and glances down at the floor. "You two aren't together yet. Whatever you've done in the past doesn't matter. You both have needs, and you needed a release. He doesn't have a right to judge you for that."

What she says makes sense.

With a heavy sigh, I close my eyes again. "Is it bad that I pretended the guy in the Dark Room was Brent?"

Christy bursts out laughing. "Not at all. In fact, that's actually pretty awesome. I'm sure everyone who goes in there is imagining who they're with."

Grinning, I open my eyes. "And who would you think of if you were in there?"

She bites her lip and smiles. "You know who he is."

Yes, I do. I've seen the way she looks at a certain someone at the club. What's even better is I've noticed the way he looks at her.

"Dutch is a good guy," I say. "All you have to do is make a move."

She nods. "I will as soon as you do so with Brent. You need someone like him in your life."

Yes . . . yes, I do.