Page 156 of Icebound Hearts
I second-guess myself the whole drive over to the club, but it’s a short enough drive that I can’t talk myself out of it before I get there. Just like the pictures, the building’s totally nondescript, and I would’ve driven right past it if I hadn’t known what I was looking for. I drive around to the back and find dozens of some of the nicest, most expensive cars I’ve ever seen gathered in one place. Mine definitely sticks out.
Holy shit. Finn wasn’t lying.
I park far away from most of the other cars, put on my mask, and make my way to the back door where a couple of totally stacked bouncers are waiting on bar stools. But they’re both dressed in super nice suits and wearing masks too. Without greeting me, one of them reaches for the card in my hand and takes it to check it out. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do, so I just blurt out the code word. “Satin.”
The bouncer hands the card back to me and nods, then gets up to open the heavy, grated door for me.
“Enjoy,” he says, then closes the door behind me.
As soon as I enter a room that’s only dimly lit by candelabras and real flickering candles, I understand the code word. Red satin fabric adorns the furniture and walls, and the entire vibe of the place is luxurious and opulent. Everyone is well-dressed—some in more revealing outfits than others—and I glance around quickly, taking it all in.
There’s a bar in one corner of the large space, and doors leading to what I’m assuming are private rooms. There are some small bar tables with stools placed around them, as well as soft-looking couches and settees. Everyone is masked, and while some people are just talking quietly over the sultry jazz musicplaying from somewhere, others are grouped up, kissing and groping each other. I pick up the sounds of a few soft moans from nearby, although I can’t quite tell where they’re coming from.
“Hey there, handsome,” a woman murmurs to me as I pass, reaching out to trail her fingers lightly over my arm.
“Um, hi,” I tell her, giving her a polite nod but no more attention than that.
Her bright red lips turn down into a pout beneath her mask, and I chuckle softly as I make my way through the dimly lit space.
I guess it’s easy to be bold when you know everyone came here for the same thing.
The idea of falling into the vibe of this place, of letting loose for a night like so many people around me are doing, makes my blood heat a little. Everything in this place radiates sex and sensuality, and it’s been longer than I’d like to admit since I got laid.
But still, with every step I take, guilt knots tighter in my stomach. My hockey career is the most important thing to me, and I already fell behind once. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking, letting Finn talk me into this. I should’ve just stayed at the arena and kept working on my drills without him. Every damn second counts, and I definitely don’t have time to waste a day tomorrow if I’m too tired or hung over to practice.
Blowing out a breath, I turn around to leave—but as I do, I end up colliding with a woman who was walking right behind me. She stumbles, and my hands instinctively fly out to catch her. She laughs breathlessly as I help steady her.
“Sorry! I guess this is what I get for paying more attention to what’s going on around me than to where I’m going,” she says, her voice soft and melodic. She hesitates, then adds, “This is the first time I’ve been to a place like this.”
I know I should say something in response, but for a moment, I’m struck completely dumb. With my hands still resting lightly on her bare arms, I gaze down at her, unable to stop myself.
Even with the upper half of her face covered by a black mask, she’s gorgeous. She’s close to a foot shorter than me, with dark hair that tumbles down around her shoulders, and the deep red dress she’s wearing clings to her soft, delicate curves. Her eyes are mismatched—one blue and one green—and she evensmellsamazing, like a mixture of jasmine and orange blossoms.
“Uh, yeah, that makes two of us,” I finally say, my words a bit stilted because she’s making it hard to think.
“Really?” She bites her plush bottom lip, dragging it between her teeth. “It’s kind of nice to know I’m not the only one. I’ve always wanted to explore kink, but this is the first time I’ve worked up the nerve. I figured there’s no better first time than when everyone’s wearing a mask and won’t remember you, right?”
She laughs softly, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. I know she’s joking, but for some reason, the thought of any other man touching her makes a strange possessiveness flare up inside me.
“I wasn’t sure what to wear either,” she adds, shaking her head ruefully and making her brown hair glint in the light. “I probably tried on seven different things before I picked this dress, and I’m still not sure it’s the right choice. I wish there was some kind of step-by-step guide for this sort of thing—although actually, there probably is, somewhere. I just don’t know where to find it. And I?—”
She breaks off, wincing. “Oh god. I’m babbling, aren’t I? Sorry. I’m a little nervous.”
“You shouldn’t be,” I tell her, the words coming a little more easily this time. “You look beautiful.”
A gorgeous pink flush creeps up her cheeks, disappearing beneath the mask, and she ducks her head almost shyly. “Thank you.”
She looks up at me again, and for a moment, our gazes lock. She doesn’t speak, and neither do I.
I still haven’t dropped my hands from where they’re wrapped lightly around her upper arms, and the feel of her skin beneath my palms, combined with the soft moans and sighs around us, makes meveryaware of where we are. Of what this place is.
“Did you come here with someone?” she asks in a low voice, and my pulse jumps.
“No.” I shake my head quickly, still holding her gaze. “Did you?”
“No.” Her tongue darts out to wet her lips. “Would you like to get a drink or something? Or—” She frowns, glancing at the door behind her, where I was headed before I bumped into her. “I’m sorry. Were you leaving?”
Right. I was about to go home.
All of the reasons I was about to leave still apply. I need to get up early tomorrow, and I need to stay focused on hockey. Despite what Finn said, taking a break from my training was never really part of my plans.
But still, as I gaze down into the most mesmerizing eyes I’ve ever seen, I find myself shaking my head.
“Actually, no,” I say honestly. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”