Whatever he had needed to deal with, he apparently had. The man kissing her, touching her, loving her, was the Dmitri who had stolen her heart and made her feel like happily-ever-after was real, not just a fairy tale.
When he broke the kiss, he placed a soft peck on her forehead, then stared into her eyes. His blazed with the same love and longing she felt. He cupped her face, holding her tight. “Christ, I’ve missed you.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
As if it pained him to do so, he released her from his grip. Keeping his gaze on her, intent and aware of her, he offered her his hand. “Before we get too much into what needs to be explained, I want to show you something.”
She slid her hand into his, her mind fighting for answers, yet her body responding to his closeness. He led her across the street and approached the bouncer at the main doors of the nightclub. Her cheeks warmed as she noted the crowd staring at them in awe. Probably it was because they didn’t have to wait in the line, she figured. Or, she thought with an inward chuckle, more likely it was because she had a man like Dmitri leading her by the hand.
“Good evening, Mr. Pratt,” the bouncer said, unhooking the rope and letting them pass.
“Jeremy,” Dmitri replied with a nod.
Presley gave Dmitri a curious look, wondering how he knew the bouncer by name, but he simply smiled at her and led her into the club. The moment she entered the empty bar, she gasped in complete shock.
The club looked identical to Club Sin, minus the BDSM equipment. Chandeliers matching the ones that had been in Club Sin were hanging about the bar. Even the black leather couches off to the side in the lounge looked the same. Against the back wall behind the huge black glass bar was a glowing bright red sign: Club Sin.
Unable to stand the suspense any longer, she turned to him. “What is this?”
r /> “I’ll explain soon,” he replied with his sexy smile. “Promise.”
Resisting the urge to ask the thousand questions that were bubbling inside, she followed him as he led her up a set of stairs to a roped-off VIP area. The tall, muscular bouncer took in Dmitri and nodded at him, releasing the rope and allowing them through. Presley immediately spotted Miles standing by the balcony, staring down at the club beneath.
“You’re the first one to see the club,” Miles said, smiling. “What do you think?”
Presley stepped up against the balcony’s railing and glanced down to the large dance floor that would soon be filled with people. Then she looked back at the Club Sin sign before she turned to the guys. Miles was still leaning against the railing, gazing at her curiously. Dmitri’s arms were folded, his eyes on her. At last she admitted, “I’m not sure what I’m looking at.”
“Dmitri and I bought the club earlier this week and revamped it.” Miles grinned proudly, waving a hand at the space below them. “Tonight is the grand opening.”
“You bought a nightclub?” Presley said to Dmitri, “And named it Club Sin?”
“That’s right.” Dmitri gave Miles a hard slap on the back. “But I’m only a silent partner. The club belongs to Miles, and the future of this Club Sin is all his.” Dmitri’s grin was warm and proud. “I believe he’s found his calling.”
Miles’s expression softened immensely. “It sure beats fourteen-hour days at a construction site.” His gaze cut to Presley. “I finalized the sale of my company a week ago and put a good chunk of my own money into the club. It’s my fresh start.” Relief relaxed his shoulders. “I’m finally enjoying going to work again.”
“I’m really happy for you,” Presley replied, gazing out at the bar. “It’s stunning.”
On one hand, it was nice to see Miles happy about his new business. Presley couldn’t remember a day since she’d known him that he looked as happy as he did now—almost hopeful. On the other hand, she wasn’t sure why Dmitri had brought her here tonight, nor why it was so important to show her this.
Dmitri clearly saw the confusion in her expression, because he added, “Let me show you the rest. We need to talk.”
She waved goodbye to Miles, leaving him to his new club, and Dmitri took her to a back door in the corner of the VIP area. He typed in a code and the door clicked open, giving them access to a long hallway. Presley followed him through the dimly lit hallway until they encountered a security guard.
Dmitri nodded at the guard. “Matthew.”
“Good evening, Dmitri,” replied the dark-haired guard, who was dressed in all black. He turned his stern eyes to Presley. “Identification, please?”
She glanced up to Dmitri, and he nodded her on. More than confused now, Presley reached into her purse and then handed the guard her driver’s license. He scanned it thoroughly and typed something into his computer before he handed her license back. “Thank you. Now please press your finger here.” He tapped a black box next to his keyboard.
She did as he asked, pressing her index finger against the cool box, watching it scan her finger with a green light.
Once it beeped, he smiled at her. “You’re all set and are in the system now. Next time you’ll only need your fingerprint to identify yourself. Enjoy your night.”
All business, that bouncer was. She followed Dmitri past the bouncer toward a door. The moment she cleared the doorway, her eyes went wide, her breath all but lost to her. “What…?”
Dmitri smiled. “Welcome to the new Club Sin.”
“What about our house?” Presley scanned the large rectangular room, noticing that all of their old BDSM equipment was here. In fact, the room looked almost identical to the nightclub.