4. Drake

CHAPTER 4

DRAKE

What the fuck?

My heart squeezes. It’s painful, but I can’t imagine it’s even a fraction of Lily’s pain. She said it rather lightly, but the haunted look in her eyes tells me there’s nothing light about her past. And I want to know every single detail of it, which is quite disturbing. Especially since I’ve never cared about the past of any other woman I’ve ever met.

“Sorry. That was a lot, wasn’t it?”

My fingers tingle with the urge to reach out and drag her into my arms.

“No, Lily. It wasn’t a lot. Thank you for telling me. Can you start tomorrow evening?”

Her eyes light up, and she bobs her head quickly. “Yes. Of course. Um, can you tell me what kind of dress to wear? I’m, uh, I’m not very good at knowing what sexy means.”

The fuck she doesn’t. It doesn’t matter that she’s covered from the neck down. She’s still sexy as hell. Her full breasts fill out her top, and the wide curve of her hips is so fucking grabbable.

“Something you’re comfortable in and makes you feel sexy.” I motion her forward. “Let me show you the rest of the club, and then I’ll have you fill out the new-hire paperwork with Marny.”

Lily graces me with a soft smile before we start up the stairs to the second floor. As soon as we turn the corner and pass through another door, the entire playroom comes into view. I glance back to take in her expression, but she’s a mask of calm as she looks around. Her only tell is the pink hue creeping over her cheeks. Does she know what half this stuff might be used for?

“This floor is for second-tier members. First-floor membership is one hundred dollars a year, which allows them access to the club downstairs only . The second tier is a monthly fee. It’s five hundred a month. Members have free access to the first and second floors. On this floor, people can be as clothed or unclothed as they want, and sex is permitted anywhere up here. There are also private rooms for people to use on a first come, first served basis. You’ll primarily be serving downstairs, but there will be times you’ll need to deliver drinks up here. Will that be an issue?”

Her chin is tipped down, and shit, that pleases me. She might have been sheltered and have no idea about anything kinky, but I have a feeling she’s submissive down to her bones.

“No. It’s not an issue,” she replies softly.

She doesn’t meet my gaze, and I want to command her to look at me, but it’s not my place. She’s not mine. If she were, she’d never be afraid to look me in the eye.

I move on toward the next flight of stairs. “We have club monitors on every floor whenever we’re open. The universal safeword for the club is red. If a submissive or even a Dominant calls out that word, a club monitor will approach the scene to provide assistance. Before you leave, I’ll give you some information about BDSM to take home. You don’t need to know everything about it, but it will be helpful if you’re at least familiar with some of the terms.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

As soon as I motion for her to go before me on the stairs, I regret it because her round ass sways right in front of my face. Shit. How beautiful would she look draped over a piece of furniture while I turn her ass and thighs a delicious shade of pink? My cock presses against my slacks at the thought. I really need to get laid.

“The third floor is for our most elite members. The fee is five thousand a month. We have a limit on how many people we allow. Right now, we have twenty-three tier-three members. You’ll want to memorize their names and faces as quickly as possible. They tip well. We also have a waiting list of a dozen more people who would like a spot. We don’t allow just anyone to be in this tier. Most of these members are friends or people we know and trust in the community.”

She blinks several times like she can’t believe it.

I should be used to that reaction. Most employees have the same one when we give them a tour. I wouldn’t even blink an eye at that amount. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m completely out of touch with the rest of the world.

“It comes with a suite of their own that we furnish to their liking. They have unlimited access to the third floor at any time. They can enter it when we’re closed through a side door. They can invite any guests they wish up here with them.”

She looks like a deer in the headlights. I feel bad for overwhelming her, but if she’s going to work here, she needs to know all of this.

As much as I don’t want to, I should probably introduce her to Easton. He’s going to be smug as hell, and I’m going to want to punch him in the face.

“I’ll introduce you to my brother, Easton.”

Lily follows me into our office and stops to do a double-take when her gaze lands on Easton.

“Right, I probably should have mentioned we’re identical twins. Easton, this is Lily Campbell.”

A ghost of a smile reaches her lips. Easton stands and reaches his hand out for her.

“Nice to meet you, Lily.”

When she slides her fingers into his palm, a zing of something that feels like jealousy runs through me. It’s ridiculous. My brother is in a happily committed relationship. So why do I want to tug her away from him?

“Lily will be starting as a cocktail waitress tomorrow evening,” I say.

Easton glances at me, the corners of his mouth twitching. “That so?”

She looks between us nervously, so I give her a reassuring nod. “Yes. She’s an experienced server and has a glowing recommendation from her former boss.”

My brother must notice her unease because he backs down. “Great. I’m looking forward to having you as part of the team, Lily. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let either of us know.”

Yeah, the only one she’ll be coming to is me.

Fuck .

What is wrong with me? Why am I feeling so possessive over this woman? We’ve only just met.

“I’m going to take Lily back down to fill out her new-hire paperwork. I’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll be counting on it,” Easton murmurs as I lead Lily from the office.

Without looking at him, I throw my arm up and give him the middle finger. Asshole.

I haven’t stopped thinking about Lily since she left here yesterday. I’ve replayed what she told me about her past at least a hundred times. She said she was sheltered, but I get the feeling she was being polite. There’s been a deep, nagging voice in my head that’s telling me there’s more to her story. Unfortunately, as her new boss, I can’t really ask her those kinds of questions. She has the right to privacy. If she were mine, though, I’d make her tell me everything.

I’m in the reception area, pretending to look busy, when Lily shows up for her first shift. I’ve been anxiously waiting to see what kind of dress she wears. I’m pleased to see her wearing a coat, threadbare as it might be. I hate that she’s barely scraping by. So much so that I found myself browsing women’s clothing online last night. If she were mine, she’d want for nothing.

“Good evening, Lily.”

Her shoulders relax, and she looks pleased to see me. I don’t know why that thrills me so much.

“Good evening, Drake.”

She doesn’t have any makeup on, though, in my opinion, she doesn’t need it. Her dark eyelashes frame her big, caramel-brown irises perfectly, giving her a doe-eyed look. Her face has a natural contour that I’m sure most women would pay for, and her lips could bring a man to his knees. Fuck. I want to see them wrapped around my cock.

Shit. What the hell is wrong with me?

I mask my surprise at my own thoughts and continue with an air of professionalism. “Let me introduce you to the first-floor manager. She’ll get you set up with a training schedule.”

Lily nods, her dark eyes never leaving mine. She’s trying to read me, but I’m keeping myself as neutral as possible. I take a deep breath to clear my mind of the raging thoughts intruding.

I can’t help but glance at her, drinking in her presence and the soft curls flowing around her shoulders. It’s all I can do to fight the urge to reach out and touch her. I shake my head, reminding myself that it’s wrong, unprofessional, and I’m a total asshole for even thinking these things.

When I introduce her to Shelly, my skin prickles at the thought of leaving her. Easton and I aren’t typically so involved with the onboarding of new hires. Lily is different, though. She’s special.

“I’ll take your coat,” I offer.

Lily’s cheeks turn pink, but she nods and shrugs out of it. My cock goes rock hard. Fuck. She’s perfect. Curvy and soft. Her dress is nothing special. In fact, it looks about as worn as her coat, but it doesn’t matter because it’s stunning on her.

Like the outfit she wore yesterday, it’s black. Long sleeves, a neckline to her collarbone, and a hem that brushes her knees. It’s not an especially sexy dress, but on her, it’s everything. It tightly hugs her body so it shows every delicate curve. Normally, I want my woman in as little clothing as possible, but she has me panting like a dog for her.

“Is this okay?” she asks softly, running her hands down her body.

Her eyes flash with insecurity and maybe even a little fear. It makes me wonder if her ex was abusive.

“It’s perfect, Lily. You look beautiful.”

She lets out a breath, clearly relieved by my approval. My praise. Does my girl like praise? Might need to test that out some more.

Shit. Fuck. She’s not my girl. What the hell is wrong with me?

“I’m going to leave you two to it. Lily, I’ll be in my office on the third floor. If you need anything, feel free to come up anytime. Shelly will give you your keycard that will give you access to all floors.”

I don’t want to leave her, but I need to create some space. I can’t think clearly when she’s near me.

“Drake,” she says as I stride toward the door. When I turn around, she studies me for a second before she gives me a soft smile. “Thank you. For taking a chance on me. I won’t let you down.”

My cock strains painfully against my zipper. Yeah, I need to get the hell out of here. I give her a quick nod and stride into the hall before I do or say something I might regret.