Page 79 of Masters of Pleasure
“I’d better get back to work,” he said, getting to his feet.Luke reached out so they could fist bump, causing Olivia to roll her eyes at him.
“Talking to me doesn’t count as work?”Olivia teased, clearly amused.
“Never.”Nick winked at her, which made her laugh, and Luke shook his head in amusement.
Sauntering back to the door, Nick opened it and stepped into the lobby of Marquis’ second floor, then came to a grinding halt.Blinked.Surely, he wasn’t seeing what he thought he was seeing…
“Avery?”
His buttoned-up—though still sexy as sin—sous chef was standing in the middle of the lobby of a sex club, dressed as if she belonged there.
The tank tops she wore under her chef coat had revealed she was curvy, but the corset pushed her breasts up into a deep cleavage that wasn’t possible with mere fabric.It also pulled in her waist to improbable proportions that made him want to rip the damn thing off so she could breathe again.
Uh-huh.Sure.That’swhy you want to rip it off her.
The black leather skirt hugged her legs and was so short, he was pretty sure if she bent over, it would roll up to her waist.His dick pulsing at the idea, Nick shifted his stance uncomfortably, hoping his erection wasn’t obvious.Fortunately, his drawstring pants were loose in the crotch.Three cheers for chef pants.
She stared back at him, eyes wide with horror, lips dropping open in shock at seeing him.The two women behind her, Domi and Rae, he’d met when Avery recently started hanging out with them.
“What are you doing up here?”he asked without thinking, even though he knew—knew—there was only one reason for her to be on the second floor of Marquis dressed like that.His brain couldn’t quite believe what his eyes were seeing.
“What areyoudoing up here?”Her voice was higher, squeakier than normal, as if she couldn’t believe she was seeing him, either.
“I had to ask Olivia a question.”Nick raked his hand through his hair.“Do you… do you do this?”He gestured toward the door to Marquis’ real entrance, where the shows were put on.
Avery
Shit, shit, shit!What do I do?The wailing in the back of her brain was incredibly distracting, but she couldn’t quite make it go away.Panic.That’s what she was feeling.Straight up panic.It was too late to run, even if she wasn’t wearing ridiculously high heels, which would probably cause her to trip, fall, and break her neck if she tried to dash down the stairs.
Pressing her lips together, she straightened, gathering her courage.
I have nothing to be ashamed of.
Behind her, Domi and Rae moved up on either side of her for support.
“I used to,” she answered Nick’s question.“I used to do ‘this.’Be submissive.Kinky.I came here tonight to watch the show and get an idea if it’s something I still want.”Her eyes darted to Freddy, who worked the front desk at Marquis.Nick’s appearance had interrupted the conversation they’d been having.Should she admit she’d been trying to figure it all out in case she and Nick started dating?
She wasn’t sure if Nick would be okay with her outing them as a couple, especially since they weren’t really a couple, more like a possibility.She definitely didn’t want to be outed where she worked, though there was no one from the kitchen up here right now.Freddy wouldn’t rat her out.She hoped.
Although they might not be a thing anymore, not even the possibility of something.She couldn’t interpret the expression on Nick’s face, one she’d never seen before despite months of working together and flirting.He was silent.
She’d heard a few of the remarks he’d made about Marquis’ second floor.They weren’t derogatory, exactly, but it had been made clear he wasn’t into kink and didn’t really understand people who were.That was why she needed to figure out whether or not she still was.
Of course, because it was her, she had to run into him on the way in.There was no way to hide that she was one of those people he didn’t understand.
He turned around, turning his back on her, and her heart sank.But then he marched back into Olivia’s office.Crap, he wouldn’t get her banned from watching the show or something, would he?He didn’t have that kind of pull… except Olivia was his brother’s girlfriend, and his brother did part-own the place.
“Nick?”She hurried forward, a small kernel of anger stirring in her gut.It wasn’t any of his business what she did in her free time.
He completely ignored her as she came up behind him, addressing Olivia—who was sitting behind her desk, watching both of them like a hawk.
“Okay, Olivia, you’re finally getting your way.I want to sign up for the Dominant 101 course.”
Olivia’s lips curved in a smile, and Avery gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth.
What the…?
ChapterOne
