Page 10 of High Rise Secrets

I know what she’s talking about, and I nod in agreement. “I’ll figure it out.”

I all but run to my room,MadamEmber’s Lair, and stop directly outside, catching my breath. I look at my clothes and fix my short skirt in place, then straighten out my thigh highs. I reach for the metal knob and turn it, my breathing returning to normal, but my heart is racing and my mouth is dry.I shouldn’t have rushed to get to him.I push open the door, and he’s standing in the middle of the room. He turns and smirks as he hears the door open.

“Hello, Ember,” he says, and it makes my heart skip a beat. His voice is husky as his eyes trace every curve of my body.I’d love to hear him call me Addison, my real name, in that tone.How is it possible one man can make me soaked by only saying two little words?

“Hello, Ethan.” I close the door behind me, and even though my body is screaming at me to move closer, I stay where I am, watching him. Damn does he look good. He’s in a pair of dress slacks and a black button-down top. My tongue peeks out to lick my lips. He mirrors my action, and the two of us stand there frozen, staring, until I finally find my voice again. “I haven’t seen you in a long time. What brought you here?”

He takes a step closer, pulls a sip from his drink, and places it on the small table next to him, the ice clinking against the glass. “I didn’t think you'd still be at a place like this after all these years. The red hair suits you.” He motions toward the mask covering the top half of my face. “Can you take that off? It’s a bit distracting.”

“No. It stays on.”

His eyes darken, but this is Ethan Freeman, my boss. I know he would never hurt me, but with the look he’s giving Ember right now, I’m not so sure about her. “You requested a private show. What can I do for you? Would you like me to dance?”

“Do you want to dance?” His words ring around me, and I’m transported back to being a nineteen-year-old girl again. Those are the same words he spoke to me before he had me pressed against a wall, fingering me until I came. I gasp but refuse to move. “Why are you paying for my membership, Ember?”

How the fuck has he figured it out so fast?“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”Shit. This is bad.The one thing Ethan hates is liars, and he must be able to read me like a book. My palms are sweaty, I’m struggling to breathe normally. He has me so frazzled I’m starting to stutter.

“Well, the only time I was in a strip club is when my father paid for a night atThe Devil’s Playground, and I had sex with you.” He takes another step closer. The lion is closing in on his prey. “Then, the place burned down, a new strip club—”

“Gentleman’s club,” I correct him.

He smiles and my heart does a flip. He doesn’t smile that often anymore. Too consumed with work. “Gentleman’s club opens, and it turns out it is owned by a group of women, one of which happens to be the woman I slept with almost ten years ago. I’ve asked, and no one knows who’s been paying my dues. It’s not coming out of my company’s account, and I haven’t received any bills. So, that leaves you.” He reaches out and rubs the ends of my red wig between his thumb and forefinger before dropping it.

He’s so close I can smell his cologne, and I want to melt. It’s the same scent he wears to the office, and it’s a distraction. When I smell it first thing in the morning, I breathe deep, filling my senses with it until I can’t smell it anymore. If not, I’ll never get through my day.

“Ethan,” I say breathlessly. His eyes darken as he inhales deeply, his nostrils flaring. He takes another small step closer, and now I can feel the heat coming from his body. I reach my hand out, placing it on his chest. His heart beats in a steady rhythm, which helps to calm my racing nerves.

“I like how you say my name. Say it again,” he requests, placing his large hand over mine, holding me to him. It may be a request, but I know how commanding he is, and that’s how I take it.

“Ethan.” I swallow past the lump forming in my throat and look down at our feet. “I’m not paying your dues. If you were lucky enough to be put on the member list, you should be thankful. A lot of people have been trying to get a membership, and we won’t allow them in.” I pull my hand loose from his and skirt around him, giving myself some room to breathe.

He snorts. “I know. My father asked me to get him in.”

I spin to face him, my hair falling over my shoulders. “No. He’s banned from this place.” My skin crawls thinking of all the times he asked for a private show from me. Vince used to spend a lot of time talking with Paul Freeman. I never knew what about, but if they were chummy, it was for nothing good.

There was only one time I caved to give him what he wanted, but I refused to sleep with him. I would give him a dance but that’s it. I knew who he was, and I thought he would be like his son. Let me tell you, that apple fellveryfar from the tree. Paul is an asshole and abuser.

When I told him I couldn’t sleep with him, he slapped me across the face and tried to force it. If it weren’t for the roofie I slipped into his drink without him knowing, it could have ended very badly. He stumbled out of the room, calling me a whore and a filthy slut.

He didn’t even pay for the dance, which meant I had to pay Vince back for the time lost by me ‘not doing my job properly.’ I don’t even know what that payment would have looked like. Eden took care of him for the night, not allowing me to deal with the aftermath of losing a ‘top customer,’ as Vince called him.

“Duly noted. I don’t have much to do with him anyway, so that won’t be a problem.” I turn my back to him, and he moves behind me. He places his hand on my shoulders and kisses my neck, next to my tattoo. He then traces his finger over the design, which is illuminated because of the black lights in the room. “I like your tattoo.” He takes a deep breath. “Why do I feel like I know you?”

I can’t go through with it. I’ve put this man up on a pedestal for so long that it doesn’t seem real. I turn in his embrace and look into his eyes. “I’ll give you a dance, but I won’t sleep with you tonight, Ethan. If you don’t like it, then you can leave. I won’t think anything of it.” I slide my hand between us to feel how hard he is.

Jesus, he’s just as big as I remember, and he’s hard as a rock for me.I pull in a shaky breath, and he pulls my hand off him gently before placing a kiss right next to my lips.

“I’ll see myself out.” He turns on his heel and leaves without another word. The walls seem like they’re closing in on me. That was too close.What if he’s not like how I remember him?In my mind, Ethan is a god, has been ever since the first time I met him. Why the hell couldn’t I just sleep with him, get it out of my system?

A knock sounds at the door a few minutes later, and I tell the person to enter. It’s Eden.

“Don’t say anything,” I say, annoyed.

“I wasn’t going to. Do you want to talk about it?” She stands next to me and rubs my arm in comfort.

“No. You were right; he’s snooping for information. He asked if I’ve been paying his dues. I lied, but it’s a matter of time before he puts two and two together.” I sigh and push my mask up over my face. “I’ll handle it. I won’t put you, the other girls, or this place at risk.”

She pulls me in for a hug. “Go home, Addy.”