“If it’s nothing, then why are you hiding it?”
“Because it looks worse than it is.”
“But it happened with your boyfriend, right?”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said, buttoning the sleeve back in place. “And trust me when I say I was enjoying it at the time.”
Brayden frowned, his eyes searching my face, but I didn’t see any judgment in his stare, only curiosity. “Did this happen while you were fucking?”
“Oh Jesus,” I said, sliding down in my seat as my face flamed again, only not from the heat this time.
He nodded as if my answer told him everything. “I wondered about that. I know the Wolfe’s reputation at the club, but I also know you, and I wasn’t sure if…”
I bit down on my lip. “You weren’t sure if what?”
“If he’d pressure you into doing something you didn’t want to do.”
“No,” I said quickly, straightening back up as I turned to face him. “He’d never do anything I didn’t want him to do.”
“So, what? You’re into some kinky shit now?”
“Would that be so hard to believe?”
Brayden scratched his head. “Considering I had to beg you to even walk into the den with me, and even that freaked you out? Uh, yeah. I’d be fucking surprised.”
“Maybe I just never knew what I was missing.”
“Uh huh.”
“Bray, Tor is…” How to explain everything he encompassed, everything he made me feel when we were together? It was impossible. “Potent. I’ll say that much.”
My best friend let out a long sigh. “And you’re happy?” he asked without looking at me.
“Yeah,” I said, my grin growing to epic proportions. “I’m really fucking happy.”
“Okay.” His eyes met mine, and while the distress I’d seen in them a few moments ago was gone, wariness remained. “If you were in too deep…if you’re ever in a situation you want to get out of, you know you can tell me, right?”
“I know.”
“I just don’t want someone taking advantage of you. You’re”—he searched for the word—“trusting. And guys will prey on someone like you.”
I reached over to squeeze his arm. “Thank you. But you really don’t have to worry about me.”
Brayden gave me a tight smile and then popped on his sunglasses again. “Good. More time for hookers.” He put the car in drive, and as I relaxed into my seat now that the inquisition was over, he said, “Now, where are we off to? I’m starving.”
23
Arriving at the Wolfe’s Den the second time around was a much different experience than the first. Brayden had just dropped me off with a warning to “play safe,” and I was now trying to muster up the courage to open the front door. Tor had told me to just head inside and he would find me, but I remembered what it was like once you stepped behind those doors. You were strip-searched and had to hand over a wad of cash—currently I had ten dollars in my wallet.
Telling myself to stop being a coward, I took a deep breath and opened the front door. As I stepped inside, the dimly lit area immediately felt familiar, as did the purple accents around the small space. The man behind the counter was the same one I remembered Brayden paying an exorbitant fee to in order to get us to the first floor of the Wolfe’s Den, and off to the left of me was the giant guy who had tossed me out on my ass that night.
It was funny, because while I remembered them with stunning clarity, they showed no sign of recognition, which was what I’d been afraid of. How in the world was I going to be able to convince them that I was here to see the Wolfe? Me? Even I didn’t believe it for the most part.
I shoved back my nerves, reminding myself that if worse came to worse, I could get out my phone and show it to them—or better yet, call Tor—but first I would try it the way he’d suggested and give them my name.
I walked up to the desk and tried not to fidget as the man behind it raised an eyebrow. I cleared my throat. “Uh, hi. Umm. I’m here to see Tor.”
When the man stared blankly at me, I replayed my words in my head and tried again.
“I’m sorry,” I said, and gave a nervous laugh when his stoic expression didn’t change. “I mean I’m here to see the Wolfe.”
Finally, his lips twitched, and I got the feeling he was trying to hold back a laugh. Yeah, he was probably thinking I was insane. As if the Wolfe would look at me twice. But…he had, and I was determined to see him.
“Wait here,” the man said, and then turned on his heel to disappear through a door that blended so well with the walls that I hadn’t even realized it was there. As I stood in the silent space, I glanced over my shoulder to look at the guy behind me, and had the insane urge to wave at him or beg him not to throw me out again. But before I could do either, I heard the door reopen, and the man from behind the desk reentered the foyer, followed by a woman with short hair as dark as night. She was dressed in a leather cat suit that looked as though it had been painted on her tall, lithe frame, and as she came around the counter and stopped next to me, I had to angle my face up to look into her eyes. She was wicked tall in her boots, but I had a feeling that even without them she’d be taller than me.