Page 60 of Broken Rules
“Grasp something that makes you feel safe, at ease.”
Closing my eyes, I drag my bottom lip through my teeth with a hum, tipping my head to the side as my body heats, and I whisper, “Peaches.”
I moan, brushing against my nipple as if Lennox is here using his tongue, and an ache surfaces from deep within my core as I cry, tears springing forward. Unable to suppress any longer, I leave the room with ten minutes left on the clock.
TWENTY
WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN
Peaches. Drawing my brows close, I stare at the spot Evie once sat seconds ago, then look at the doorway she left from. Fuck, I wasn’t expecting her to say that. It’s taking everything for me not to leave this room and go after her, to kiss away her tears. Am I wrong for hiding my identity? That I want her to feel my love even if it’s through a mirror, through another man? Everything I spoke was the truth.
I am Hunter—she is Hunter.
Waiting until my time is up, I exit the private room finding a woman with dark curly hair pushing a cart wiping under her eyes, and she gives me a meek smile. “Hello.”
I nod, quickening my steps to leave, and find Jared by the stairs, resting his forearms along the railing while watching the main floor. He doesn’t say anything as I near, only turns his head, peering at me for long seconds—his icy eyes are piercing, yet I’m not intimidated by him in the slightest. Straightening to his full height, we are at eye level as he smooths his palms along his white dress shirt, plastering a managerial smile.
“Mr. Hunter. I hope my girl was up to your satisfaction.”
My jaw ticks, keeping the acid on my tongue at bay before I say something that’ll get me banned from coming back. “I’d prefer to keep my business private.”
He huffs a laugh while rubbing his stubbled jaw. “Of course—my apologies. Just making sure my girls are performing to Vivid standards. While Evie may be our most requested Red Vixen, her recent scores have been quite low.”
“I can assure you those scores are wrong.”
“Huh, well, I may have to check for myself then.”
My fist clenches at my side, temples pulsing as blood rushes to my head, trying to keep my breathing even before I yank him close and ensure he never lays eyes on my wife, ever. I should leave, especially with the anger coursing through me, but I need to ensure Evie’s okay. Instead, I take the stairs and sit by the bar.
Gin has a tall beer ready and placed in front of me without a single glance given to her. Officially becoming a regular, and I don’t know how to feel about that. Sadie no longer works here, and right about now, I wish the same would happen for Evie. I won’t force that kind of decision on her. If she leaves Vivid, it will be on her terms, not mine.
When a half hour passes and Evie has yet to come through those red curtains, the temptation to book a session under my first name grows, just so I can see her, so she can see me. I draw out my phone and pull up the club app, scrolling through the list of names. Some, perhaps, are aliases. Evie’s idle, so she’s not available at the moment. I press on her gorgeous photo, which takes me to various programmed sessions with different content levels ready to select.
I’m sure a lot of customers want something simple and to the point, but for those who have a specific kink, a role they would like their Red Vixen to play, they customize their session for their needs—I click the link, hoping she’ll have an opening tonight though her schedule shows as max. No one else can get in.Shit.
I won’t be able to book for tomorrow until midnight, which is several hours away.
“She’s not here.” I look to my left at a blonde woman standing at the end of the bar. “You’re here for Evie, right? She took off about a half hour ago.” She walks toward me wearing a short robe that’s open in the front exposing her red lingerie. “Not surprising.” Taking in my appearance, she smirks, touching the collar of my black dress shirt. “I have half an hour if you need to blow off a little steam.”
“Thank you, but no. I’m about to head out—”
“C’mon, you look tense.” I stiffen when she sits on my lap, gliding her fingers across the nape of my neck. “It’s not every day I walk the floor as a Vixen. We can go to a private room.”
Removing her from my lap, I stand and give her a polite smirk. “As I said, thank you, but no. Have a good night.”
I place a twenty on the bar, Gin watching the exchange before I turn to leave the building, a place I’ll return to tomorrow, and the next day, until Evie understands I’m not going anywhere.
* * *
I chose room four again, keeping the ocean view in the kitchen for tonight’s session. I don’t enjoy sitting behind a glass wall, but once I settle in and the click of the timer begins, everything around me disappears because there’s only her.
My request:You arrive home and pour a glass of wine, deserving every last drop and relaxation. Our previous call ended abruptly, and I call you tonight to continue our conversation.
Evie storms inside the room, tossing her purse on the island, and heads straight for the fully stocked liquor cabinet by the fridge. Is she in character, or is there something truly wrong? My gaze is glued to her, how she grabs a shot glass and Tequila instead of the bottle of wine, pours the liquor to the rim then knocks the shot back in one gulp. No salt, no lime, just straight chasing the buzz.
Evie leans against the wooden edge, dipping her head to her chest as her face puckers, taking a sharp breath through her teeth before lifting to look at the ceiling. Her long hair is high in a messy bun, her eye makeup smudged as if she was crying only moments before, and a pang hits my gut, unsure if any of this is real. I lift from my seat, standing closer to the mirror, watching her every move as she slowly pours another shot and eyes the liquid in the glass.
“Fix my life,” she whimpers and closes her eyes. “Make me forget.”
