ritual.”
Holy shit. Was she serious?
“I’m joking. I’m joking.” The woman chuckled and grabbed the crook of Cassie’s elbow. “I should know better than to tease.”
“It’s okay,” Cassie croaked. Sure it was. She just couldn’t get the image of a group of men poised over her kneeling body as they prepared to spray her face with their release. Shudder. “I’m a little nervous, that’s all.” And apprehensive. And nauseous. And scared.
“You came alone?”
They began to descend together, the woman’s gentle touch still resting on Cassie’s arm. “Yeah. Stupid, right?”
“Not at all. My first Vault experience was on my own.”
Cassie’s concern began to ebb under the woman’s comforting voice. There was no sexual inclination to her touch. Cassie’s intuition told her to trust this woman. To believe her friendship was genuine. Then again, her intuition had been nowhere in sight for the last twelve months, so what the hell did she know?
They reached the bottom step and the calming grip on her arm disappeared. The sound of sex and excited conversation had grown. Loud enough to ring in her ears. With trepidation, she turned on the tips of her sexy shoes and came face-to-face with her first glimpse of the Vault of Sin.
“ Holy smokes. ” Her words were a whispered breath.
She could only see the corner of what she assumed was a large room. And in that corner was a sex swing. An occupied sex swing. The woman was reclined on her back, her torso encased in black straps, her legs wrapped around a Greek god as he sank into her. Over and over again. Her dark hair hung in the air behind her, the glossy strands swaying with each thrust.
It was glorious. Stupefying in its perfection. They paid no attention to her fascination, or the other people within view who were also watching. It was as if they were alone. Immersed in their own bubble of pleasure.
“Are swings your thing?” The woman beside her asked.
Cassie shook her head, still unable to drag her focus away from the live porn before her. “I’ve never tried one.”
“Tonight might be your lucky night.”
Cassie coughed to smother a laugh. “No. Not tonight.”
There would be no sex for her, even though the tingle of arousal was already pulsing between her thighs. This was about getting to know T.J. again. Finding out where he was at. What he was thinking. Maybe she would reveal herself to him, maybe she wouldn’t. But sex wasn’t in the equation as far as she was concerned.
“You never know.” The woman chuckled. “I’m Zoe by the way.”
“Cas—” Shit! Cassie snapped her attention from the fornicating couple and pasted on a fake smile. “I’m Tanya.”
Zoe’s smile faltered, suspicion growing heavy in the narrowing of her framed eyes. “Come on, Tanya. I’ll escort you to the change rooms.”
Cassie wasn’t sure if her slip up had been a close call or the other woman had no curiosity to pry. Either way, she released a silent sigh of relief. Zoe strode from the darkened hall, her shoulders back, her head high with grace and dignity. Cassie tried to mimic the confidence, failing miserably with the awe assailing her as the full room came into view.
A crowd of people mingled along a long stretch of bar. They were all in different stages of undress. Some women were in corsets, others in bras and panties. A few were topless. The men on the other hand were in boxer briefs—Calvin Klein, Emporio Armani, Tommy John.
The area screamed with invigorating debauchery. There were chaises, a bed, maybe more than one. She couldn’t see much over the people constricting her view. Two doors were open to her left, with the shadows of people inside. And an archway was to the far end of the room.
It was different from what she’d experienced in the only other club she’d been to. The ambiance, although dripping with seduction, was classy. Everything was red and black—sheets, lamp shades, furniture.
The people surrounding her