Chasing Frost by Isabel Jolie

Ten

Sydney

A firm hand grips my shoulder. “Ma’am. This is members only.”

He roughly pushes me toward the exit, and I stumble.

“Sydney?” Chase’s voice calls after me.

Busted. I close my eyes and breathe in and out deeply.

“Surprise,” I offer up in a weak voice.

“You followed me here?”

“I wanted to see if you were meeting someone. You know, the girls said you were a player, and I didn’t know if they were telling the truth.”

“So, you followed me? Out to Jersey?”

“Crazy, huh?” I say, shrugging, hoping like hell he’s buying this.

“Yeah, I’d say. You’re making my ex look sane.”

A new act has stepped up on the stage, and the two men and woman are taking turns kissing and fondling each other. The guy takes the other guy’s dick out and the woman falls to her knees. I have to turn my back on the stage in order to focus on the situation.

Chase smirks. “I told you. This isn’t your kind of place.”

The bouncer steps right up to Chase and towers over him. “Is she with you?”

“Yeah,” Chase answers, squinting, most likely full of questions.

“You got to check in your guests. Did she sign the agreement? And you can’t have your bag.” He gestures to my clutch.

Chase wraps his arm around me and guides me back behind the last set of velvet curtains. The bouncer hands me a clipboard and pen. I skim through a contract. It’s a non-disclosure agreement. This place isn’t at all legal, yet they are distributing NDAs? I sign and hand over my clutch, which happens to hold my FBI issued cell phone and credit cards. But there’s nothing in it that can blow my cover. No, I seem to be doing a remarkable job of endangering my cover all on my own.

After I’ve signed what I assume is an unenforceable NDA, Chase guides me into the bar area.

“Would you like a drink?”

I shouldn’t. I’ve already had several, but my pulse is racing along at laser light speed. “Yes, please.”

We both sit at the bar, and he orders our drinks.

“What is this place?” I ask the moment the bartender walks away.

“Uh-uh. I get to ask the questions. How did you follow me?”

“I saw you get into the sedan, and I was getting into a cab, and I just wanted to see where you were going, and then I got more and more curious—”

“More and more curious, huh? And what would you have done if you had come in here and seen me with a woman?”

Chase leans forward, and I brace, unsure what he’s going to do, but all he does is slide my hair behind my ear. I search for any sign he’s threatening me, or considering hurting me, but his body language doesn’t show any signs of aggression. If anything, the tilt of his head indicates a level of confusion.

“If I’d seen you with a woman, I would’ve been disappointed. I mean, I was just curious. I figured if I was entertaining crossing the line with a colleague, I should try to make sure it was worth it.”

I lick my lower lip, remembering that earlier tonight, running my teeth across my lower lip had lured his focus and made me think he might kiss me. I hold my breath, waiting to see if he’s buying it, while simultaneously mentally retracing my steps out the exit door, and weighing if the bar stool will work as a defensive weapon.

“You know, I didn’t think you were interested in me.”

“It’s that we work together. I want to be taken seriously. And I’m a new employee.”

“But yet you followed me?”

Desperate times, desperate measures. I move off my stool and stand between his legs. He cups my jaw, controlling. I match his position. My thumb strokes the grizzled late-night scruff along his jaw. We inch closer, eyes locked. The tip of my nose brushes his. I am close enough the warmth of his breath tingles. His hand caresses the curve of my ass and gently presses me closer. I capture his lips with mine.

The adrenaline coursing through me intensifies the kiss. I close my eyes and savor his intoxicating bourbon flavor. His fingers cup the back of my head, angling it to his liking, while his other hand massages the curve of my ass and rubs my core against his. Our tongues collide and spar, and it’s as if a million synapses fire at once.

None of this is part of my assignment. My breathing quickens, as if I’m running. Danger heightens all my senses, but I had no idea the impact it could have on something as simple as a kiss.

He breaks the kiss but keeps me close. “Well, hello.”

I give a breathless Hi back, playing the part better than I ever thought I could.

“Why don’t we get out of here?” Dizziness clouds my mind, and I hold on to him, waiting for the room to stop spinning and for my breathing to calm.

“What is this place?” I ask the question softly, out of breath.

One of his hands remains on my ass, while the other caresses my hip. He smirks and brushes my disobedient strands behind my ear once more before answering. “It’s what is referred to as a gentleman’s club. If we were going anywhere else, I would’ve brought you, I promise. I didn’t come here to meet another woman.”

“You like it here?”

“It can be very erotic.” Chase’s lips brush my ear. “But we can go. The client who wanted me to come out is currently being entertained.”

“What does that mean?” I trail kisses along Chase’s jaw, to stay with my cover and defray suspicion. His cologne is attractive, a subtle deep woods scent. Stubble grazes my lips, and I lean into him.

“He’s busy.”

“With a lap dance? Do you get those when you come here?” I aim for sultry as I ask the question, hoping I come across as sexy, or tempting, and not like a weak, jealous girl.

He places a kiss on the sensitive skin below my ear, and goosebumps instantly rise all along my arms.

“Are you the jealous type, Frost?”

“No,” I blurt.

He smiles. I don’t get the sense he believes me.

“My ex, he wasn’t faithful. I think it played with my head.” He leans back, away from me, reaching for the drink the bartender set down. “Not that we are anything or going anywhere. I just wanted to be sure. You probably think I’m bat shit crazy and don’t want anything to do with me.” Holy shit, I do sound crazy. Weak and stupid and crazy.

I give what I hope is a somewhat girly smile, bow my head, and back away, searching for the section of the curtain that will take me back to my clutch so I can escape. My cheeks are flaming I’m so embarrassed by the make-believe crap that spewed out of my mouth. I scan the black velvet, searching for an exit point, and spot Mitchell and Bennett. Both men look like a man caught with his pants down.

Mitchell approaches, but he doesn’t speak to me. He looks directly at Chase. “Are you two together?”

Chase shakes his head but doesn’t offer more. I glance back, and Bennett is gone.

“Did you go in? The back?” Mitchell asks, this time directing his question to me.

“Not yet,” I answer before Chase can answer for me. Shit, could this get any worse?

Mitchell runs his hand across the top of his head, and the remnants of hair stick straight up. His eyes are bloodshot and glazed, and I notice his zipper is down and his shirt tail sticks out of the gap.

Mitchell stumbles forward toward the exit. “My car service is here.”

I watch him lift the velvet curtain and disappear, and sit back on my stool in a daze.

“Evan Mitchell comes here? You guys watch—”

“It’s a voyeurs’ club. A private club for the sexually adventurous. Some people find the sexual experience more intense with others watching.” He sips his drink then adds, “Or while watching others.”

“You bring your dates here? Or do you prefer the private entertainment?”

He rocks his head back and forth then repositions himself on his stool. “Some girls get into it. You saw couples in there, right?”

“Yes.”

“Did it turn you on?”

“More like shocked the hell out of me.” Play it honestly when you can.

“Yeah, I can see that, especially if you didn’t know what you were walking in on.”

“So, you do bring dates here?”

“No. I use this place for connections.”

I find that hard to believe. He can tell.

“Seriously. It’s been better for business than you can imagine.”

“Business?” I scoff. This is not the kind of place I see as useful for business meetings or networking.

“Believe it or not, some very connected folks are members. It’s all about connections in this town.”

“Was this some sort of BB&E meeting tonight?”

He rubs his jaw. “No. It’s just a night out. I didn’t know who all would be here. Speaking of, Mitchell didn’t look thrilled to see you. But I wouldn’t worry about it. He was pretty lit. As long as you act normal on Monday, I don’t think there’ll be any issues.”

“So, it’s kind of a boys’ club at BB&E? Women aren’t allowed in the places where the men like to hang?” There’s obvious disdain in my tone, but it works with my cover. Any woman working in a corporation would be upset to find out about this kind of boys’ club networking. It’s bound to give men in the firm an advantage for getting ahead.

“What? No.”

I set my drink down and stare, waiting.

“Maybe. Maybe it is a bit of a boys’ club. But I didn’t join here for BB&E. I came here for a side hustle first. Mitchell and Bennett coming here…I had no idea.”

“Do a lot of the men from work come here?”

“Some.”

“Why did you have to come here tonight?”

“Sometimes clients need to remind you they own you.” He tosses back the remainder of his bourbon.

“And which client owns you?”

“They all do, Sydney. They all do. Now, you ready to get out of here?”