Page 72 of Perfect Sin
I’ll have to trust him on that, because the door opens into a reception area as sterile as any doctor’s office I’ve ever been in. The only hint that this place is different than any of the other businesses in town is the woman who greets us. She’s dressed like a fifties pin up girl, with her black hair playfully piled on top of her head and held back by a pink bandanna. Her lips are painted a vibrant red, and her bustier top reveals a bright collage of tattoos. She is effortlessly cool, and I feel bland in her presence.
“Lucien, Sin,” she nods in a way of greeting. “Good to see you again. Mr. Gerrick notified me you’d be bringing a young lady, but he didn’t say anything about another gentleman.”
“If he wants me to bring my sister, then Ted comes too,” Lucien states in a tone not to be argued with.
A man exits a door on the opposite side of the desk and strolls toward us. He’s an attractive man, probably somewhere in his forties judging by the sparse streaks of grey in his dark hair. Neither Sin nor Lucien react, leading me to believe this is the elusive Martin Gerrick.
He holds his hand out to me. “You must be Raven Sinclair.”
I shake his hand. “I must be.”
His eyes narrow on Ted. “Theodore O’Brian, Jr. I didn’t expect you.”
“I live to be unexpected, and it’s Ted Reese now.”
Gerrick addresses Sin and Lucien. “I’m not a threat, and to prove it, Mr. O— Reese can come in.”
He opens another door and a techno beat floods into the room. The decor of the club is in line with its name, red lighting, dark leather sofas and booths, and boudoir style photos covering the walls. There are couples tangled together on many of the sofas, and several people crowd around a small stage where a woman hangs from ropes as two men work to pleasure her.
I catch Sin smirking at me, and I long to wipe the smug look off his face. I’ve mostly forgiven him, but a part of me still feels stung he doubted me in the first place. I hold his eyes as I slowly untie the belt of the black coat Amber brought me, unbutton the three buttons, and reveal the tight leather and lace dress.
As I anticipate, his lips curve down and the muscle in his jaw tenses. “What are you wearing?” he demands.
I let the garment fall off my shoulders, revealing the open back. “A dress.” I complete one full turn. “Do you like it?”
His eyelids lower, hooding his dark eyes, as his tongue traces the crease in his full bottom lip. He stares at me with equal amounts of longing and hunger before he shakes himself out of the trance brought on by the dress.
“Put your coat back on,” he growls.
“Uh-uh,” I shake my head. “I think I’ll leave it off.”
Sin shoves his hand through his dark hair, causing the thick waves to tumble into his face. His hair has grown since we met, now curling over his collar and around his ears. He made zero effort to change his appearance before coming here tonight.
Instead he is still wearing the same jeans that hug his thighs and show off the tight muscles beneath the denim. A simple black t-shirt stretches across his wide chest and shoulders, with sleeves that showcase the bulge of his biceps. No, he didn’t fuss over his appearance, because like always he’s perfect.
Not that he’ll see that. He often refers to himself as a pretty monster, believing the evils done to him have become a part of him. If he is a monster, then I’ll happily follow him down the path of darkness. There’s no light for me without him anyway.
“Raven,” his low voice rumbles, feeling almost tangible along my flesh as my skin erupts in gooseflesh. He wraps his arm around my waist, pulls me tight to his side, and leans down to whisper in my ear. “If you don’t cover up I’m going to tie you to our bed when we get home and fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk for days.”
I drag my eyes up the planes of his chest until our eyes meet. “Promise?”
He sucks in a breath, and I can tell he’s conflicted about whether to win this argument or follow through with his threat.
Gerrick’s chuckle breaks the mounting tension between Sin and I. “The news reports certainly haven’t accurately nailed down your relationship correctly, have they? There’s no way you’re faking this.”
“Can we cut the shit?” Sin snaps. “You asked to see Raven, and here she is. Are you going to help us dig up dirt on Damien or not?”
“I’ve got a daughter. She’s still young, but one thing I’ve learned is that little girls love their daddies.”
“You raise her, correct? You’re there to tuck her into bed, pick her up when she falls, hold her when she cries?” I ask him.
“Of course,” Gerrick responds defensively.
“You say that like it’s a universal truth that fathers are there for their daughters. What you’re asking is if I really want to be a part of bringing Damien down. See, I’ve seen him a small handful of times over my entire life. I grew up in the sterile environment of boarding schools. So, if you’re questioning how I can be so dispassionate about the fate of my father, well, I’m just following his example,” I explain.
“Clearly we’re here so you can feel us out and see if you can trust us. How do we know we can trust you?” Lucien interjects.
Gerrick makes a sweeping motion with his arm, gesturing to the rest of the club. “That’s the other reason you’re here. Feel free to explore. As you can see there’s very little hidden here. You can learn a lot about someone by studying what they desire.”