Page 133 of Pandora's Pleasure

Our chance at a real relationship had been an illusion all along. A battle that could never be won.

Rallying my courage, I felt my steely nature returning. I, too, could throw in a chip to bargain with. “I’ll stay here on one condition.”

“Say it and it’s yours.”

Theo drove us across town in his Tesla.

We couldn’t travel in one of the official cars or have security escort us as this evening had to be kept a secret. Damien wanted it to be Theo who took us to Vanguard since he was a trusted friend. With Theo being a member, too, there’d be no questions about our time at the club.

This had been my one condition to stay at Ten.

I’d have stayed anyway, but it was fun to negotiate with the master negotiator himself, my former fiancé. I was still wearing his ring, so there was that, at least.

Though wearing panties, I’d been stripped of my bra before we left, the kinkiness having begun before we’d even departed. Damien had purchased me an expensive black bobbed wig to wear. I looked super cute, like a Charleston flapper girl. It was fun to be someone else for the night. I peered out at the passing view, my fingers nervously trailing over my key pendant.

This necklace had brought me so far.

Theo wore a hoodie pulled over his face, his casual clothes a contrast to ours. We’d dressed according to the code—cocktail dresses for women and tuxedos for the men.

“You Say” by Lauren Daigle piped out of the speakers, providing an emotional backdrop to us spending precious time together. The world might be trying to rip us apart, but they couldn’t steal our memories. We would always have those.

Damien and I sat close together holding hands, his fingers interwoven with mine as though claiming me. It was a protective gesture that I appreciated—the anticipation swirling inside me was almost unbearable.

But I wanted this, wanted tonight to happen more than anything. Being this daring, this reckless, made me feel like I was spreading my wings to the fullest.

We stared out of our respective windows, Damien dressed in black-tie and looking incredibly suave and me feeling feminine in my silver Stella McCartney halter-neck mini dress and these Jimmy Choo glitter sandals. With the small key pendant marking my right to be here.

We were already wearing masks. I’d been gifted a bright red sparkling masquerade disguise that covered most of my face. Damien’s black-beaked mask covered his face completely. I understood why, but getting used to not seeing his face all night would take a while. I’d been warned never to remove it. I couldn’t imagine why I’d want to. Especially with the way this town gossiped. I loved the secrecy…the sense of doing something so forbidden at a party where all the guests were anonymous.

Digging my fingernails into my palms, I tried to distract myself from this feeling of uncertainty and coming to terms with the idea that this was my new status: Damien’s lover. I’d always been destined to be a trophy, but with him I’d believed I could be more.

There would be no marriage, but at least we would have each other.

And maybe he would have to marry at some point; I just wished it could have been me. I was to be only a concubine—one who adored him enough to give up being with any other man. My future had quickly begun to unravel.

Damien looked over at me and I tried to read the expression in his eyes, hoping to see how he felt about finally bringing me to Vanguard. The exhilaration I saw in him proved to me that he needed this more than he was willing to admit. It was the way his hand tightened around mine, that long look of desire we shared containing a multitude of emotions.

The town car continued along dark roads leading away from his city apartment. We passed a sign for Woodland Drive.

Damien stared at me. “Don’t you dare remember that.”

“Remember what?”

He could have been smiling behind his mask. “This is where your amnesia begins.”

I drew in a sharp breath, realizing that all my dirtiest fantasies could come true. I wasn’t even sure what I wanted from tonight. Other than to experience what had been out of reach before.

“Happy now?” asked Damien. I sensed his smirk. “Seems to me you always get your way, Bardot.”

“I thought we were forbidden from saying our last names?”

“Good point. It won’t happen again.”

“Maybe I’ll spank you later for it.”

“Yeah, not going to happen.”

The tone of his voice sent a shiver down my spine.