Drawn to You — Volume Two by Vanessa Booke Read Free Book Online Page A

clean black T-shirt. His motions are hypnotizing as my eyes get a full view of his perfectly sculpted abs. After dressing, Tristan grabs a hot towel from a nearby heating container and hands it to me. I happily take the towel and rub off the sweat on my face and chest. Tristan takes a seat beside me and lightly dabs my back down with another towel. This one is cool and damp against my skin. I bite back a moan at the pleasurable sensation.
    “What are you doing here?” Tristan asks, calmly.
    I turn to find his fingers tracing over the red marks on my skin. A small smile plays on his lips as he looks up at me with interest.
    “I came here looking for Ceci.”
    “Ceci? I’ve never seen her around here.”
    “Do you come here often?” I ask.
    “Yes.”
    “Do you whip other women here often?” I blurt.
    It takes him a moment to answer my question, but eventually, he does.
    “Yes.”
    I’d be lying if I said that last ‘yes’ didn’t hurt. My eyes trail down Tristan’s body. What woman wouldn’t want to be whipped by him?
    “I have to go,” I say, standing abruptly.
    “What do you mean? Where are you going?”
    I can’t spend a moment longer around Tristan. My stomach flips at the realization that this is a mistake. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t do this to myself. My cheeks flame in embarrassment as I grab my shirt and exit the VIP room.
    The redhead at the front desk named Felicity greets me again with an open smile, but it quickly falters as she sees the look of distress on my face.
    “Are you all right?” she asks rounding the corner.
    “Yes, I just need to leave.”
    “Are you sure? We take member complaints very seriously.”
    “I’m sure.”
    Her sympathetic smile makes me like her even more. I can’t imagine meeting her outside the club and not picturing her in her pink PVC dress. It seems to fit so well with her personality. She turns to the black cupboard behind her and pulls out my purse and phone. She quickly hands me the items, but her hands don’t immediately let go.
    “I hope to see you again,” she says.
    I smile, grateful to have made a friend in such an unfamiliar place.
    My phone vibrates as I exit the Pleasure Chest. Ironically, the text is from Ceci.
    Ceci: I didn’t end up meeting the guy. I went to the club and dropped my cell in the toilet. :(
    I laugh, despite everything I just went through to find my best friend. Somehow, I should’ve known she would lead me on a strange adventure although I never expected to see Tristan here. On the cab ride home, I find myself trying to recollect the paintings that gathered along the walls of the Pleasure Chest. I hadn’t noticed at first the strangely familiar art style, but now I’m almost certain they were painted by Tristan.

TEN
    TRISTAN
     
    “DID THE YOUNG, blonde woman leave already?”
    A knowing smile spreads across Felicity’s face as she watches me from the check-in. I should’ve gone after Emily instead of just letting her leave. I’m surprised she even got in. Non-members usually never make it past check-in. Not without a hefty fee.
    “She left,” she says, looking disappointed.
    “It’s probably better that she did.”
    “Oh, Tristan. Now I’m really curious.”
    Felicity’s eyes light up with intrigue. Over the many years that I’ve come to the Pleasure Chest, I’ve learned to like Felicity more and more. I first met her through Vivian when they started dating. I didn’t think my old friend would ever settle down, but the two have been inseparable since.
    “I’m not in the mood to tell old stories,” I say, turning back down the hall.
    “Is she your muse?”
    “What?”
    “Your muse,” she asks.
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    Felicity walks over to one of the portraits hanging on the wall inside the club. She pulls it down with ease and walks it over to me. My heart palpitates as she slides her finger across the portrait to the woman’s eyes staring back at me.
    “Whenever