Pick Your Pleasure (8 page)

“You might not, but if you
do…you know where to find me.” Ryder kissed her cheek, impressing the faint
scratch of his stubble on her lips before sliding from the table with the grace
of a jungle cat.

“Nice seeing you again.” The
sportsmanlike clap he landed on Chase’s shoulder enhanced her regard for the
men and this place that had culled would-be sleaze balls from their roster with
extreme prejudice.

“Better luck next time.”

“Enjoy.” Ryder saluted them both
before wandering over to a group of women who damn near swooned as he focused
the intensity of his attention on them. The view of his jeans-clad ass was
pretty damn spectacular.

“Buyer’s remorse?” Chase flashed
his dimples and the gorgeous crinkles around his eyes, which proclaimed his
naturally happy disposition.

“Not at all.” She chuckled. He
put her at ease effortlessly.

“Then here’s to the best night
of our lives.” He lifted his flute and clinked it against hers.

“Those are high expectations.”
Linley raised her brows. “You do realize I have no idea what the hell I’m
doing, right?”

“Used to taking charge and
leading the way, huh?” His insightfulness attracted her as much as his gorgeous
face.

“You could say that. Yes.” She
tried not to scoff at the understatement of the century.

The sound of his laughter did
funny things to her insides. “Sweetheart, you’re here. I’m here. And I’m already
sure this is not an ordinary evening for either of us.”

“But…you’ve done this before,
right?” Was she violating the rules by asking?

“I’ve been around.” He reassured
her. “But never with a woman like you. There’s something between us, Linley.
Don’t you feel it too?”

“I picked you didn’t I?” She
found herself edging closer to him, wondering how his solid chest would feel
beneath her fingers. The urge to knead his pecs like a kitten built in her.
Something about him made her want to lean on him as she hadn’t done with a
man…probably ever.

“Yes.” When he tilted his head,
a lock of sun-bronzed hair fell over his forehead. Not knowing what he did for
a living both intrigued and frustrated her. With that sleek yet defined build
and the streaks in his hair, she might have pegged him for a construction
worker.

His Armani suit and fancy talk
said otherwise.

“Linley?” There went that smile
again, lighting him up a fraction of an inch at a time.

“Sorry, what?” She blinked from
her daze.

“I asked why you chose me.”

“Oh.” Her pause allowed her to
gather her thoughts. “I guess because you made me feel comfortable even though
I’m not sure yet what I’m looking for, and I thought you offered a bigger range
of options, instead of only the hardcore stuff. Including possibly choosing
nothing at all.”

“Does that mean you’re
considering bailing?”

“Well…” Would she piss him off
if she admitted her uncertainty in the face of this place? She hadn’t expected
it to be so complex. So enthralling. Or addictive. Diverse and vast. In her
mind, Underground had resembled a seedy bar with loud music and quick, dirty
fun in a shadowed backroom.

This was…personal.

“How about we take a look
around? Who knows, you might see something you’d like to try. We could get
another drink and dance a little before you decide.” The jiggle he gave the
empty bottle of champagne surprised her. Where had it all gone?

Her dry glass proved she’d
gulped her share twice over.

Maybe that accounted for her
blissful lightheadedness. Doubtful. Chase affected her more than the alcohol.
Hints of his scent—vanilla, sandalwood, and pure man—entranced her. Instant
attraction coursed through her veins. She could only imagine what it would be
like to have him in her arms while they swayed to music she could hear faintly
as it drifted from somewhere out of sight. Or have him over her in a soft bed.

Well, maybe she wouldn’t have to
rely on fantasies for long.

All she had to do was take his
hand.

She did.

Linley blushed when he helped
her stand, righting the dress Ryder had set askew. If his hands lingered over
the curve of her ass, she didn’t object. He tucked her close and cupped her
elbow as he led her away from the dark-haired man, who glanced at them over his
shoulder despite the harem of willing ladies who lounged at his feet while he
commanded a large armchair by the fire.

“I suppose we don’t have to feel
too bad for our friend,” Chase snickered.

“And you wouldn’t prefer to be
the center of all that attention tonight?” She didn’t attempt to rein in her
curiosity.

“Ever hear the saying quality
versus quantity?” He trailed his fingers up her wrist then to her shoulder.
Every sweep of his hand brushed exposed skin. “I relish the finer things in
life. And you’re clearly one of those, Linley.”

Both men had been willing to
entertain her. Hell, they’d practically fought for the privilege. That alone
went a long way toward boosting her confidence. Out of her comfort zone, she
allowed Chase to have control.

Was that what she’d been missing
on all those almost-great dates? Ones where she’d dictated the time, the
place…the
everything
? If nothing
else, tonight promised her insights she’d blinded herself to for months.

The hallway opened into a
ballroom. She gasped as she took in the naughty fairy-tale surroundings. It
seemed almost like a masquerade ball as people in a wide spectrum of dress,
from jeans to leather to fancy gowns to nothing at all, circulated in the
space.

Black and white marble checked
the floor. Mirrors reflected revelry from every angle. Bold splashes of
jewel-toned furniture littered the area. She sort of expected to see the Queen
of Hearts stride by, except this time she’d be decked head to toe in a red and
white harlequin latex cat suit.

“Thirsty?” Chase paused at an
opulent bar.

Linley swallowed twice but
couldn’t force out a response, so she nodded instead.

“Will a Château Margaux Bordeaux
do?” He beamed when she narrowed her eyes.

Just how much had Henry blabbed
to Underground about her in the fifteen minutes he’d had to arrange this
escapade? Enough that Chase and Ryder had been equipped with her name as well
as her favorite wine.

What else did her date know?

Chase raised his hand when he
caught the bartender’s eye. He flashed some sort of hand signal then motioned
to a settee along one wall. His heat returned to her arm and they continued the
short journey, sinking together into the deceptively comfortable couch.

Perfecting her poker face had
been important early on when she was young. Competitors or associates had
believed they could take advantage of her. Tonight, she wasn’t sure she managed
to employ the tool to its full advantage.

It might have helped if she
hadn’t stared at the menagerie before her.

“It’s nice to see this place
through your eyes, Linley.” Chase draped an arm around her shoulder, drawing
her to his chest. She gladly snuggled up to the shelter he provided while she
continued to scan the crowd of liberated pleasure seekers.

This is what she’d been missing.
Here she could cut straight to the heart of the matter without bogging herself
down in the politics of a boyfriend or the image she had to uphold.

“How so?” She finally found her
voice. Could she give something back to the man promising to erase her failures
and replace them with something steamy? Something life-altering. A no-strings
release.

“Maybe I’ve become jaded.” He
sighed, accepting her caress on his shoulder and onto the plane of his chest.
Touching him was a decadent indulgence. Granting him some solace was a bonus.
“I sometimes forget about these simple pleasures in my haste to enjoy…the rest.”

“What else is there?” She didn’t
realize she nibbled on her bottom lip until he pried it from between her teeth
with the pad of his thumb, soothing the sting.

“Ah.” From a gorgeous server in
skin-tight lace, Chase accepted his drink. Expensive whiskey, if the rich amber
tone and hint of oak was any indication. She did the same with her glass of
wine, grateful to have something to wet her throat with. “Well, you’ve seen
most of the ground floor. The dining area and the fireside lounge plus the
ballroom. There’s also a library with a piano I’d love to play for you
sometime. And a game room, the vanilla variety—pool, darts, cards. All ways for
people to meet someone they might like to sink down a level or two with.”

She nodded, laying her head on
his shoulder between sips of her wine. He didn’t discourage her affection, so
she went one step farther, resting her hand on his thigh. Damn he was hard all
over. And hot. Her fingers explored the seam of his tailored slacks.

After letting her roam, he began
to reciprocate. First by stroking her hair, running his fingers through the
mussed tresses. Then he drew swirls along her spine, humming as he reached the
swell of her ass.

“What happens once there’s a
connection?” The huskiness of her murmur surprised her.

“Then it’s time to go farther
underground. The entrance to Downstairs is at the other end of this room. See
the gold railing over there?” He gestured with his tumbler.

When she followed the line, she
noticed an ornate balustrade at the top of a wide marble staircase. Every once
in a while, a couple—or more—would drift down it and disappear. Less
frequently, probably since the night was young, someone would emerge. Their
sleepy, satisfied smiles told her all she needed to know.

“Most people refer to it as
stooping to your level
.” He chuckled.

“That’s terrible.” She buried
her face in the crook of his neck for an instant. Long enough to breathe deep,
getting drunk on him.

“Much more of that and we’ll be
breaking the no-sex-on-the-Underground-floor rule.” Chase swiped her empty
glass from her hand. He set it, along with his, on a side table then asked her
to dance.

The music seemed to change from
song to song, the mix as eclectic as the gathering gyrating to its beat. She
knew this one. The Wanted’s “Glad You Came” seemed appropriate.

“So are you?” Chase stared into
her eyes as he tucked her to his chest and began to rock. During the faster
sections, the graceful swing of his hips advertised just how much rhythm he
had, and that he knew how to put his body to good use.

“Hmm?” She blinked, starting to
lose herself in the place, the moment, and the man.

“Happy to be here?” Before
permitting her to respond, he stacked the deck way in his favor by leaning
closer and pressing his mouth to hers. His kiss was like him—intense yet
subtle. Sophisticated. Delicious.

Invigorating.

For the first time since she’d
bought Lane Technology’s largest competitor almost a year ago, she felt truly
alive. Adrenaline rushed through her system as he seduced her lips with his.
And still they swayed to the more sedate section of the hit. The brush of his
tongue had her sighing. He took advantage of the opportunity to insinuate
himself more completely.

If the smell of him had been
nice, the taste of him…

Linley rose onto her tiptoes. It
was rare for her to meet a man tall enough to require the gesture. He made her
feel feminine as she sealed them together more completely. She devoured him as
if she hadn’t had an amazing meal less than two hours ago. The flavor of desire
satisfied her far more than the decadent chocolate dessert she’d enjoyed at
L’Etoile.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he
whispered against her lips when he ended the exchange. “Me too, by the way.”

Lost in their renewed dance, she
didn’t notice he’d edged her toward the rear of the ballroom until the path
Downstairs appeared near her feet. The crowd sang the refrain. While they did,
Chase stepped onto the first wide tread. He crooked his fingers and waited for
her to join him.

“I…” She hesitated. “I’m not
sure.”

“Come take a peek. We won’t go
in just yet. There’s a lounge of sorts at the bottom. Sometimes people wait for
a prearranged partner or take a break there. Plus, it’s where the restrooms
are. Refreshments are available for those who are playing especially hard, to
get their energy back. We can talk more, away from the music.” He didn’t grab
for her. Instead, he waited. Patient. Understanding.

Linley swallowed hard.

“Give it a few minutes. If
you’re uncomfortable, we’ll leave.” His soft smile encouraged her. “No
pressure, love.”

“If you’re not a salesman,
you’re missing out on a big opportunity.” She shook her head although she
grinned. The heel of her shoe clicked on the stone when she joined him.

“I’ve been told I can
be…persuasive.” His fingers curled around her arm, keeping her balanced as they
descended together. “Go slow.
 
Look at
the murals.”

She sighed, doing as he
suggested. The beautiful artwork reminded her of a sordid version of a historic
opera house. Cherubs hovered over couples, blessing them with all sorts of
naughty inspiration. Exotic, beautiful people—too proportional to have been
painted from imagination—entangled themselves in amorous embraces of all sorts.

“See how those two are watching
the couple by the stream?” Chase pointed out a particular section of the painting.

“Yes.” She followed the
direction of his long finger.

“It’s not just a pretty thing,
Linley.” He paused, tipping her face toward his and stealing another brief
kiss. “Think of it sort of like a menu.”

“Oh!” She leaned forward, her
head swiveling at the variety of delights.

“So many things to choose from?”
She didn’t mean to gasp out loud.

“Only limited by your
imagination really.” He spread his hands out. “A little farther and you can see
one of my favorites.”