This was the third night this week Mas had asked me to stop by and check in on Climax. It wasn't a complicated request, and I could do it on my way to and from the shop, so I'd readily agreed. The first two nights were dull and nothing out of the ordinary.
Tonight, I had class earlier and felt pumped up from it. Since I didn't have any appointments, I'd taken the night off. My plan had been to have a couple of drinks, make my rounds, and then head home early for once. I was working on an acrylic painting I'd gotten sucked into, and the muse was riding me hard to finish it. A night at home with my easel sounded perfect.
I was just about to close out my tab when she walked in. I was in a private booth, but I had direct sight of the bar area. This beautiful enchantress had sat down gracefully with an allure I'd never felt before. Her raven hair cascaded over her shoulders in a waterfall of silk. She had class and was refined. Her clothes alone screamed this, but how she carried herself and her mannerisms spoke of an upper-class upbringing. That would usually turn me away, but the more I watched her and Cami chat, the more I wanted to hear what they were saying.
Cami had hit on her initially, but once she had her drink, it shifted, and I saw they were genuinely having a conversation. This piqued my interest even more as most people blew Cami off when they became uncomfortable with her flirting or treated her with disrespect since she was only the bartender. People were stupid and didn't understand they shouldn't mess with the people who filled their drink orders.
I was debating walking over and asking her name when Mason strolled in. He was a walking, talking piece of shit, and I hated that I was related to him, even if very distant. He was the type of Mascro I wanted nothing to do with. Mason kept breaching her boundaries, and I could see how uncomfortable both she and Cami were with his presence. I felt like something terrible was about to happen, and I couldn't take it anymore. Tossing back the last of my drink, I made my way over to them.
"There you are, beautiful. Thank you for waiting for me. I'm sorry to have kept you, but it looks like Cami kept you company for me."
The instant my arm touched her skin, I felt as if I'd been zapped. However, that was nothing compared to the entrapment I felt staring at her. The deepest brown eyes bore into mine, and I wanted to give her everything she was asking for at that moment. Needing to gain some clarity, I forced myself to turn to Cami to break the hold she had me in.
"Hey, Cams, how are things tonight?" I asked casually, hoping to push her asshole brother off the scent.
"Oh, hey, Mason. I didn't see you there. How are things with you?"
Mason swallowed quickly, backing away, "Oh, hey, Nicolai. Sorry, I didn't realize she was your girl. I'll catch you guys later."
He scurried off so fast, I could almost see smoke tracks in his wake. Cami and I both broke into laughter at his display. Mason was a jackass and a coward.
"Sorry, beautiful. It looked like he was about to cross a line, and I didn't want that to be the case, so I intervened. Hope that was okay with you?" I asked hesitantly. I wouldn't change what I did, but I could still feel remorse for not thinking through all the options.
"Uh-huh," she nodded in some trance. I brushed a piece of her silky hair behind her ear, and her whole body shivered. Damn, she was responsive. It made me wonder what else she was that reflexive with. Biting my lip, I tracked her gaze as I let the strand fall from my fingers.
"Loren, this is my cousin, Nicolai. I do claim him," Cami teased. "He's a good guy. I'm going to leave you in his hands while I take care of a customer, okay?"
Her eyes were still fixed on me as she nodded. I noticed Cami smile out of the corner of my eye. I didn't really care if she was laughing at us. I was hooked.
"May I sit down?" She just nodded again. At least I wasn't the only one under a spell.
"So, Loren, is it? I'm Nicco."
Finally, that seemed to grab her from the trance she was in as she repeated my name. "Nicco," her voice rang out, making me feel like my name had never sounded as perfect as it did coming from her lips. "Not Nicolai?"
"Not unless you're family. First time at Climax, Loren?"
"Second, actually."
"What do you think?"
"It's seductive and freeing. I love it here."
"I'm glad." I grinned, thinking these babysitting hours of the club just might've gotten way more interesting. I ordered her another drink when Cami came back, and we started talking more.
"So, what do you do, Nicco? Wait, is that allowed? I'm not sure about the rules," she mumbled.
"The rules are whatever you want them to be. You just have to keep your mask on inside these walls, and the lights signify if you're open," I said pointing out to both of us. "And, I'm a tattoo artist. I have my own shop."
"Wow, that's cool." She smiled, taking a sip of her drink. I watched as she twirled her tongue around the rim of the glass, and I'd never been so jealous of an inanimate object before. "I can tell it fits you, if that's not too stereotypical. You just have this cool vibe about you. I'm just a therapist, nothing cool here. Hopefully, you don't quit talking to me now because that's happened before, too," she rambled in the most adorable way.
I liked that she appeared poised and had beauty to run the world with, but she wasn't arrogant. Loren had charm, and it was drawing me into her bubble.
"No, I'm enjoying talking to you, and I think that's a great job," I assured. I did too, and I wasn't afraid she would start to diagnose me. In a way, I got what she was implying because as soon as people heard I owned a tattoo shop, they immediately either started asking me what kind of tattoo I would give them or wanted to show me their tats. I didn't always want to see them.
Loren and I talked for around an hour as the drinks flowed between us. At some point, she had turned, her legs crossed over, and between my open sprawl. I had one hand on her leg, touching her as we chatted. Everything about our interaction felt natural, and I couldn't recall ever having this attraction and chemistry before with a woman. When I realized I hadn't been pretending to be the party Nicco either, I was even more captivated by her.
Each tiny movement she made had me yearning to touch her more. My hands longed to roam her body with no restrictions. Each brush of my thumb on the outside of her pants was already making her melt. Her voice was husky, and she had a hand on my thigh as well. Our faces were imperceptibly close as well, our lips only centimeters apart.