Teach Me: Sinful Desires (6 page)

She kept glancing to the booths. Some had dark drapes drawn. Some not. Singles and couples lounged, sipping drinks and observing, just as she was.

“Excuse me, beautiful.” A stranger with a mask sidestepped her, his hand brushed close against her.

Destini frowned at the unwanted touch. But the action broke her from the spell. That was the interesting thing about the club. Some men and women concealed their identity, and some didn’t. She wondered if she should have worn a mask too. When she looked back to the booth, she could see nothing remarkable. She wondered why she felt so compelled not to turn away.

She decided on the bar and gracefully headed that way. She caught the eye of several as she passed but it was the men who wore masks who stared the most heatedly. Avoiding the challenge she met in their eyes meant she kept hers trained on the bartender only. She needed a drink. Maybe two. Then…

Then maybe you’ll be ready? Come on, Destini. You are ready; you just got to loosen up. You’ve made it this far, what’s the point of not seeing this through?

“What can I get for you, sexy?” the bartender with a devilish smile asked as he wiped down the counter. She went for the open seat, but the man before her stood. He offered his instead. Destini smiled her thanks and sat down. Coolness spread over her thighs and she tugged at her rising mini. She thought the split was sexy when she strutted out the door, now she felt overly exposed. So much was revealed from her raised hem that she put her clutch bag in her lap to make sure her jewel remained covered.

“I’ll… I’ll have a dry martini,” she said.

“Your name?” a voice spoke to her left.

“Rain.” Destini accepted her drink. She cast the man a shy smile. He looked so much like Russell it set her stomach to fluttering.

“So tasty,” he said under his breath. “I wonder if your pussy is as sweet?”

“Uhm,” Destini steadied her voice and nerves. She spoke up boldly. “Is that your very best? Tasty?”

“It’s only a compliment, beautiful,” he said, moving a martini toothpick over his tongue to the corner of his mouth.

“Move on,” she said.

He blinked, his silky brows dipped, and he pulled back from how he had leaned toward her. “Yes, ma’am,” he said obediently, sliding from the barstool. Destini couldn’t believe it. She opened her mouth and spoke and it—it just happened. Most times when men approached or peppered her with compliments she found offensive, she never stood her ground. Even worse, she’d let them corner her until she agreed to take the number she’d never call. For the first time in the game of creepy man versus insecure woman, she stood up for herself. Damn, it felt good.

As she watched the bartender shake her martini, a man’s arm suddenly reached around her. She tensed, readying herself for another verbal insult. It was unnecessary because he ended up reaching for the peanuts sitting in front of her. Taking fingers full, she noted his immaculate manicure and spicy cologne. Destini stilled before she fell off the barstool. His scent was intoxicating.

Luckily he didn’t steal and make a quick getaway. He leaned in and smiled. “You’re new,” he stated. His skin was a buttery brown, and his long dark hair, shiny and thick, fell to the sides of his face from a center part. He was really close, his tie brushing the curve of her shoulder. And he didn’t wear a mask.

“And you? First time?” she asked, taking the martini the bartender set in front of her. She immediately took a sip. For some reason the guy’s arrival made her suddenly thirsty.

“I’m the owner. Name is Nero.”

Her smile deflated. Why did that sound so familiar? And then it came to her. Of all the guys in the place on her one night of ‘freakdom’, it would be her luck that the first man she was mildly attracted to was Naiya’s guy. She turned back to her drink, unable to disguise her disappointment. “Nice place.”

“You know the rules?” he asked, taking the seat to her right.

“Ah… rules?” she faltered, feeling his heated stare on her.

“Yes, sexy… the rules.”

Destini pressed her thighs together. His compliment affected her more than she cared to admit. “No, I uhm––”

“It’s okay.” He slipped his fingers into her hair and moved her locks from her shoulder. She supposed it was his attempt at putting her at ease. “There are only two.”

Destini shifted nervously in her seat. His hand lingered and then grazed her shoulder before drawing away. She looked past him. Was everyone staring at her? What tipped them off? And why did she feel like a rabbit in a wolf’s den? It was as if she had a flashing neon sign above her head: First Timer. “I think––”

“Rule one. What happens in Ajani
stays
in Ajani. You’re safe here with us, Cherry, but this is
Leather Straps Love,
and things... well things can get interesting quick.” A deep chuckle bubbled up through his throat.

Cherry?
That’s what the hostess called her. Now she began to get the meaning. Destini cut him a sideways look. “The name is Rain.”

“Right.” He nodded, but mocked her with his smile. “Rain.”

“And rule number two,” she pressed, trying to play it cool.

He licked his lips. “All beautiful ladies come by me first,” he said, leaning in and speaking into her ear. “I can make you feel the strap warm and tender.”

Destini picked up her purse. “Where’s… the ladies room?”

His eyes went low, and then made the short climb to her breasts. Due to the close proximity of the bar seats, she stood between his legs. The fine threads of his tailored suit fit him nicely. He smelled so good, her mouth actually watered.
Jeez, Naiya, how could you even go there with this dude and keep your sanity?
He had that kind of raw sex appeal that made a girl manic and very attention-needy. Hell, even she was melting.

He dropped his hand to the seat behind her, blocking her pass. “
Le deseo
,” he said in a low voice that came from somewhere deep and moved off his lips like silk. He eased in closer, and she could swear he was inhaling her scent.

Despite his wanting her, Destini bristled. “Back off, baby, before I punish you, which is what
you
really want.
Es verdad
?”

He chuckled and nodded. “
Es verdad
, sexy…
muy verdad
,” he sucked in a breath through his even, white teeth.

Destini picked up his arm and removed it from the back of the barstool. She wouldn’t blow Naiya’s cover. Mr. Latin dream was all testosterone and hot, sweaty sex on legs. “If you would excuse me, I need to freshen up.” Destini hurried away, but she couldn’t resist one last look. Sure enough, he watched her. And it wasn’t just a casual perusal but a predatory invasion. Destini almost stumbled. No man had ever looked at her like that, as if he wanted to eat her alive. Master, slave, the lines were blurred in that man’s eyes. Glancing away before she turned around and did something she’d regret, she walked a wide circle around the tables, and past the private booths.

“What’s your hurry?” a masculine voice called from one of them.

Her eyes sought the source. He was hard to miss. The man in a leather blazer wore a black mask that covered his brows to his cheekbones with winged points at either side of his jaw. The mask made his eyes pop out at her with such brilliance she paused. The pair was green ringed by black lashes. His dark hair was so black it appeared blue. A powerfully set jaw, thrust forward with a squared chin, finished the perfect framing of his face. Expensively dressed in all black, a pinky ring with an onyx stone set between diamonds gleamed as he picked up a whiskey glass and took a sip. There was a crest of some kind at its center. Destini recalled seeing the same crest on the finger of Nero when he reached over into the bowl of peanuts. She almost looked over her shoulder to make sure he’d addressed her and not someone else.

Nero wasn’t the sexiest man in the place. This one here was. Even Rain would have to agree.

“I was just leaving,” she finally spoke, not sure how long she’d been staring. It felt like an eternity. She blushed deeply.

“Don’t,” he commanded.

“You have no say on whether I stay or go.”

He leaned forward. His eyes, changed from the clear green to a shockingly dark and observant hue. They glistened over the open flame of the candle. “Then let me ask that you join me.”

Yes
! She wanted to scream, but held back. “Does the offer come with a drink?”

“Whatever you want, sweetheart.” He gave an easy smile. Something in his voice sounded seductively familiar. She loved how smooth and controlled his voice was.

Destini joined him. She relaxed, feeling less panicked in his company. “My name is Rain,” she said. His gaze slipped to her and held. She waited for a reply, but none came. He looked away. Without a word or gesture, a young man approached. He nodded to the stranger, then to her.

“Another martini. Dry, please.”

The manservant in leather, sans the shirt, bowed and stepped away. Destini’s gaze slipped back over shyly. “Your name?”

“Sir.”

“Sir?” she repeated with an amused smile. When he didn’t smile in return she swallowed the humor curving along her lips. He was serious. And she couldn’t be upset. She’d given him a false name. He gave her a look from the corner of his dreamy lids. He seemed nonplussed about her presence, as if he decided that she would join him, not the other way around. It intrigued her.

“Rain, huh? I like that. You remind me of Black Jade.” he chuckled deep in his throat. It was almost mocking.

Who was Black Jade? A stripper or something?
“I beg your pardon? Who is she?”

“Not a she,” he corrected. “It’s a flower, beautiful and rare.”

“Thank you,” she mumbled. She’d have to step things up if this was to go down the way she wanted. “You come here often?”

He sat forward and directed his attention to her. “I saw you earlier. Those legs, that skin, you’re quite lovely, Rain. What are you doing here?”

“You were watching me?” she asked, dodging his question.

“Indeed,” he replied.

“Why didn’t you approach me then?” she asked.

“I’m a patient man. I knew you’d come to me.”

She frowned. He was slowly putting her in her place, just as everyone else did. Not tonight. Not on her one liberation night. “You stopped me, sweetie. I thought I’d grant you the pleasure since you seemed so alone.”

He chuckled, “You took pity on me?”

Destini smiled. “Pity? No. You don’t strike me as the kind of man that needs charity. But my time is valuable. So I suggest you go ahead and give me your best lines so I can decide if it is well spent on you.”

The drink arrived. It would be her third. She would need to make it her last. Already riding a buzz, the calm numbness had her feeling fluffy and weightless. The stranger named Sir took his time. His piercing gaze was making her quite uncomfortable. She didn’t know whether to hold it or look away. Her guess was she should stay the course. If she wavered, it would all be for naught.

“Come closer, Rain.”

Destini understood that he preferred she sit directly next to him. The night was about control. Rain’s problem was she gave none, and Destini’s problem was she gave too much. In the case of Mr. Sexy, which should she choose? She wasn’t quite sure. One thing was evident. It alleviated the pressure to be aloof and worldly under his watchful eye––dark eyes that bore a hole through her. At his side, she could be his equal. That’s how she’d write it if this were…

“Something wrong?” he asked with a hint of amusement.

“No. No.” She came in close. Accidentally, she bumped him and the table in her eagerness. She plucked a cocktail napkin to wipe some of the dark spill that flew out of his glass. She then settled in, drawing her martini over, trying to play it cool. His arm slid behind her, and she fit nicely.

“You’re shivering,” he whispered. “Cold?”

“I… um… yes, it’s a little chilly,” she said, registering her goose-pimpled skin for the first time. His hand dropped to her arm. His touch provided the warmth she needed. His caress reached through her all the way to her core. It worked.
Really worked
. This was wrong. They were too relaxed, and the game called for her to be cautious of the feelings they stirred.

“What’s your secret, Cherry? The one that brought you to Ajani.”

“Why does everyone keep calling me Cherry?” she bristled.

Sir let go a gentlemen’s laugh, and she relaxed again. “The men here, men like me, can tell you’ve been untouched. That’s why some of them will call you
Cherry
. Every man and woman in this room wants to pop yours.”

She swallowed her reply.

“It’s okay. We all have our reasons for coming to Ajani tonight. Place is full of reasons. Tell me something Rain. What’s your fantasy?”

“If you have to ask, then it’s not worth sharing,” she said dryly. Destini began to plot her escape. This wasn’t her. She couldn’t see this through. The cold detachment that came with sex with a stranger became less and less appealing. It increased after a few drinks and especially when sitting next to a man that you’d want to swoop in to your dream.

“You’re tense. Have I offended you?” he asked

“I just… I think I’m getting a headache.”

Instead of moving his arm from around her, he drew her under him and pushed her martini away. “Relax.” His face went into her hair causing his nose to brush her scalp. “Relax,” he whispered again, inhaling her.

And she did.

Suddenly, she was back in the game again. She was feeling the seduction, feeling him, and feeling no remorse for her brazen needs. And then there came his roving caress; she felt the meaning behind his touch, too.

“That’s right, relax. Let me tell you who you are.”

“I know who I am,” she breathed.

“Hmm… can we compare notes?”

She remained tucked under his arm, against him, with his fingers grazing, barely touching her bare skin. “You like the mating game. Old school. A man must offer you dinner, thoughtful conversation, and a polite walk to your doorstep afterwards. That’s appropriate. Isn’t it, Cherry?”