Page 31 of Craving Paradise
The girls go crazy when they watch Ines step onto the stage. She raises her hands in the air, and the crowd goes wild. Lasers, smoke machines, and foam cannons go off as the first bass drops, and everything explodes. Now isn’t the time. She’s enjoying this moment with her sister.
I let my ego forget about approaching Lauren, and the longer I say nothing, the more Lauren fidgets beside me. She throws me the odd glance as if she can feel me biding my time to talk. This makes me smile. Maybe holding back instead of going at things like a bull in a China shop might be working.
When there’s a lull in the music, she turns her head and looks over at me.
I lean over to hear what she has to say.
“I know you’ve got something to say to me, Mr. Fox.”
“I do.”
“You understand this is against the rules, right?”
And it’s the first time the club’s rules run through my mind. I vaguely remember Nate explaining them one time. Opening night, I remember them explaining the rules, but I was so eager to get inside, I don’t remember them. It was just after the Paris incident and I was more interested in getting laid than anything else. To be fair, I’ve never run into anyone from the club in the outside world before, so this is all new to me. As I’m about to answer her, one of the bar staff interrupts us urgently.
“Excuse me, Mr. Fox, but someone in your group has had an accident and needs help,” the young man explains frantically.
Someone I know?
I glance around at everyone standing along the balcony. I mentally clock everyone that’s there, and I realize Freya is missing.
Shit.
“Show me where she is.”
“I’m coming too,” Lauren states.
10
LAUREN
Walking into the club and seeing Mr. Fox hooking up with that Barbie blonde as she gyrated on his lap, giving the club a good look at what she had for breakfast was not on my bingo card this evening. How the hell is Autumn Fox the sister of Mr. Fox? Someone up there is having a laugh. I came to Ibiza to have fun with hot Spanish men, not run into the guest from work I can’t stop thinking about. It’s rare to run into guests, but this is the first time I’ve run into someone close to my inner circle, and that freaks me out. I could tell the moment he saw me, he had questions and was going to demand answers from me.
Does he not remember the club’s rules? If you see someone from the club in real life, you must pretend you don’t know them. That’s to keep the club’s identity a secret. I guess this is important if your spouse isn’t aware you’re a member. I wonder how many of those situations have arisen by running into staff and other members. The rules are there to keep everyone safe. Except Jasper looked angry that I was pretending I didn’t know who he was. How can he forget the rules so easily?
Look, I was shocked too. He was the last person I ever thought I’d see here. And to know he’s my friend’s brother is mind-blowing. I’m unsure if I can put him back into my fantasy bubble now.
I could feel his eyes on me all night. I watched as he tried to calculate when he could get me alone to speak to me, and if I’m honest, I didn’t want to be alone with him. I know once we’re alone, things will end up with us getting kicked out of The Paradise Club, and neither of us wants that. Well, I’ll get kicked out. Seeing as Jasper is friends with Nate Lewis, the owner, I doubt he’s going to boot his friend. So that leaves me getting the flick, and I can’t leave Elle there by herself.
All night I hated how my body was so aware of him, my eyes landing on his large hands wrapped around his glass tumbler and remembering what they felt like inside me, the memories making my thighs clench. I also hated how I could look away each time he took a sip of his drink, my eyes remembering the taste of his lips against mine. I watched, mesmerized every time he swept his tongue along his lips to capture the liquid the same way he captured mine.
When Ines’ set started, we moved from the lounges to the balcony to get a closer look and cheer her on from the sidelines. Jasper joined me at the end of the group, making his looming presence known by just being there. Every hair on my body stood at attention, thanks to the electricity swirling around us. With each movement he made, my body twitched with need. When he lifted his hand in the air, dancing to the beat, the breeze he created sent a chill over my skin—the way he hummed the music sent vibrations down my spine to my toes. Then it was maddening when he gripped the edge of the balcony, letting his little finger slide along my hand. I could tell he was trying to get my attention in the darkness, his need to speak about us running into each other all-consuming.
“I know you’ve got something to say to me.” I huff, looking over my shoulder at him.
“I do.” His green eyes lock with mine.
“You understand this is against the club’s rules, right?” I remind him.
A frown forms on his face as if my statement confuses him. Of course, someone like Mr. Fox, or should I say Lord Fox, doesn’t have to abide by the rules of the common folk. The fact that reminding him he has strict rules to follow in this case must perplex him. Before he says anything, a staff member rushes over and interrupts us.
“Excuse me, Mr. Fox, but someone in your group has had an accident and needs help,” the young man states urgently.
How, everyone is here?
I turn around and look down at everyone standing on the balcony watching Ines. Jasper does the same, but his eyes widen, and he notices someone is missing. I look again, and that’s when I notice it’s Freya.
“Show me where she is.”