Three Dirty Secrets (Blindfold Club #4) (28 page)

I’d negotiated dozens of deals with Mr. Red at the club for the woman seated to his left. Claudia. By the time I’d started working there, Mr. Red was her regular, and she was already halfway in love with him.

He’d swept her off her feet, and she’d done the same back to him. How else could you explain him coming to this wedding? He was a powerful man, but here he seemed on edge and uncomfortable. Maybe it was that he’d slept with the bride. He’d been Payton’s regular before Claudia. Or perhaps it was Joseph’s arm draped around Noemi. Good God, Joseph was poised to be Mr. Red’s son-in-law.

Silas broke my train of thought when his hand was set on my knee. “I forgot to tell you earlier, and don’t give me any lip about it, but you look nice.”

I put my hand on top of his. “Thanks. So do you.”

He faked as if he was offended. “Such a cliché.”

“You want the truth? You’re so fucking beautiful, I’m amazed the women in here aren’t losing their shit and throwing their babies at you.”

“Throwing their babies?”

“It’s an expression.”

“It is? Who says that?”

I shrugged. “I dunno, people.”

“Yeah, weird people. What the hell am I supposed to do with these babies once I’ve been pelted with them?”

“Why don’t you try shutting your beautiful mouth?” I teased.

Conversation tended to stick between the couples, except Yuriko and Akira barely spoke. I tried to be friendly and inclusive with them. We made small talk about their trip, but when I asked how they met Dominic and Payton, Akira’s expression turned to stone.

“He said ‘it’s not polite discussion,’” the translator relayed. “Japanese people value their privacy,” he explained. “He’s not comfortable speaking about it.”

“Oh, okay.”

There was a deep, booming laugh at the next table over. Julius said something else, and there was more laughter. He sat beside Nina and, as my gaze shifted over to the man I assumed was her boyfriend, my mouth dropped open in shock.

“Holy fuck,” I whispered to Tara. “Next to Nina. Is that who I think it is?”

Her grin was wide. “Oh my God, you didn’t know?”

I shook my head. Silas followed my gaze, curious what had me so stunned. “What is it?” he asked.

“Nina’s boyfriend.” I realized he had no idea who she was. “The blonde at the next table over. Does the guy with her look familiar to you?”

He glanced again. “Maybe?”

“That’s Scott Westwood.”

Silas blinked blankly, and then the name visibly clicked. “The porn star?”

I’d seen a lot of Scott’s work on Tumblr. Hell, I’d gotten myself off to a lot of his stuff. It was so strange to see him in this normal setting, like he was just a regular guy. Nina’s boyfriend Scott, instead of porn star Scott Westwood.

“I’d always wondered how she made it work,” I admitted. “How her boyfriend was okay with what she did.” Because Scott was doing essentially the same thing, sleeping with strangers for money.

Tara took a sip of her wine and leaned close to me. “He’s been trying to put a ring on it for the last six months, but she won’t have it until they’re retired. They’ve been together forever.”

Some might argue that their unconventional relationship wasn’t real because they weren’t monogamous, but I wondered if maybe the opposite were true. Couldn’t the argument be made that Scott and Nina were rock solid in their commitment to each other? Neither one of them was going behind the other’s back, like Matt had done to me.

“Would you think less of me,” I whispered to Silas, “if I ask for his autograph?”

“It’s fine as long as you get it on paper and not on your tits.”

I sighed. “I guess I’m not asking for it to be written in cum, then.”

He gave me a dark look, but it was seriously hot.

When dinner was over, I excused myself to the restroom, and Tara rose from her seat to join me. The hallway was empty except for the man in a tuxedo who stood a few feet away from the ladies’ restroom. A newborn in pink was asleep on his shoulder as he paced back and forth. I recognized him from the ceremony. He’d been Dominic’s best man. Logan, the program had said.

When he spotted Tara, his face went blank.

And when the bridesmaid came out of the bathroom and reached for the child, she pulled up short at the sight of Tara as well.

“Payton told me you two had a baby,” Tara said, smiling. “Congrats. She looks beautiful.”

“Thank you,” they both said.

And without another word, Tara pushed on into the bathroom, leaving me to follow her.

“What was that?” I asked.

“I fooled around with them a few years ago.”

“Like, as a couple, or separately?” The large bathroom was empty, and my voice echoed off the tile.

Tara turned to face me, smoothing her hands down her pleated skirt. “As a couple. Do you think that’s weird?”

Weird? If anyone was weird, it was me. I’d learned a long time ago not to judge. “No, I don’t. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m pretty open-minded.”

Her soft laugh was pleased. “Yeah, true.” Her pretty face turned serious and she was hesitant. “And what about Silas? Is he open-minded?”

My blood rushed a little faster at her loaded question. “I’m not exactly sure.”

Was this when she asked if I wanted to fool around? I’d never do that to Silas. Yes, being in command of her had been an eye opening experience and intensely hot, but I was . . . his.

Oh my God, I was so fucking
his
.

If it was about to get awkward and I was going to hurt her feelings, I’d rather get it over as quickly and painlessly as possible for her.

I took a deep breath. “Why do you ask?”

Her eyes were full of mischief. “I have an idea.”

Cherry blossom centerpieces rose up and branched outward from tabletops, giving the ballroom a hint of Japan. There’d been a pair of chopsticks tucked in the napkin along with our cutlery, and I’d watched with interest as Akira and Yuriko skillfully used them.

It was a strange collection of wedding guests. Payton’s family were lawyers, and I’d overheard her father’s firm had been invited. It was impossible to miss the distance between the bride and her parents. They seemed far more interested in their guests than their own daughter. Like the wedding was an excuse to network.

As the cake was served, Dominic and Payton floated from table to table, mingling and making their way our direction. The Asian woman across from me hid it well, but a spark grew in her eyes as Payton approached. The two women seemed like polar opposites, and yet I understood. Submissive Yuriko responding to Payton’s dominant side.

Mr. Red’s unease also seemed to build as the newlyweds stopped at the table next to us.

“It’s okay,” Claudia whispered to him, although the whole table could hear. “I talked to her. It’s only weird if you let it be weird.”

“Too late,” he muttered.

“Tony.” Her tone was stern. “We had a deal. I went to that God-awful golf outing where I wanted to slit my wrists.”

“It wasn’t all bad.” Mr. Red gave her coy look. “We had fun that night, if I remember.”

Noemi’s eyes glazed over. “Hey, speaking of weird . . . Joseph, remember that time my dad talked about sex in front of me?”

There wasn’t time to let awkwardness stifle the table.

Dominic and Payton bowed respectfully when their Japanese friends stood, and Yuriko hadn’t finished her bow before Payton snatched the delicate woman up in a fierce hug. The foreign language came from Dominic’s mouth, and it was a strange fit on the American man. He turned his shockingly blue-eyed gaze to the translator.

“Can you grab a drink? I’d like to speak in private.”

“Of course,” the translator said, rising from his chair. He gestured to Tara. “Can I grab you anything while I’m over there?”

She smiled and shook her head.

Dominic waited until the translator was out of earshot, and Japanese spilled from his mouth. His hand moved inside his tuxedo jacket, and pulled something colorful from the interior pocket. The envelope was decorative paper of red and gold, and Dominic presented it to Akira with two hands.

Akira bowed and accepted the envelope, also with two hands, looking appreciative.

“What’s happening?” Payton whispered to her husband.

“I’m giving a gift. It’s Japanese culture, a gift for a gift. They flew all the way here for us.”

Akira didn’t open the envelope. He put it in his own suit coat pocket, bowing again.

“What did you give him?” Payton asked, looping a hand around Dominic’s waist.

He smirked. “They’re here until next Sunday, so I opened a tab for them at the club.”

Payton recovered from her surprise quickly. “You evil genius. They’ll fucking love it.”

Dominic and Payton made their rounds, saying hello. Her gaze sparkled at me when she greeted Silas. They didn’t chat long with our table, needing to keep on the move. The wedding was well over three hundred people. It had to be daunting, but Payton took it in stride. Anything for her husband, I was sure.

Silas’s arm hung on my shoulders, and I enjoyed the feel and weight of him. I leaned close and whispered in his ear, “I’m glad you were a devious asshole and came with me.”

“Yeah?” His gaze was electric. “Me, too.”

We danced, and drank, and I watched Taylor throw herself shamelessly at Payton’s older brother. I couldn’t really blame her. The guy was attractive, and Kyle hadn’t brought a date to the wedding. I bumped into Payton at one point during a slow song when I had my arms wrapped around Silas, and she shot me a knowing look.

“Look at you,” she whispered. “So casual.”

Hardly. I’d given up fighting it weeks ago.

We didn’t stay all the way to the end of the wedding, but the crowd had thinned substantially. The Japanese couple and their translator were gone, as were Mr. Red and Claudia. I tracked the newlyweds down, gave Payton a quick hug, told her she looked amazing, and then whisked Silas out of the hotel and onto the cold sidewalk.

He laced my hand with his and put both of them inside his coat pocket to keep them warm as we hurried to the closest El stop.

“My buzz is fading,” he said as we rode the train back to my place.

“There’s still some beer in my fridge.”

“You’re not going to drink? We haven’t had sloppy, drunk sex yet.”

I laughed. “Well, you make it sound so appealing.”

When we arrived at the atrium door to my apartment, I buzzed up, and Silas’s expression turned to confusion.

“I forgot my keys,” I said.

As soon as we were through my front door and had our coats off, Silas was on me. His mouth was insistent on mine, and his hands were up the skirt of my dress, but I spun away.

“Wait a minute,” I said, my heart racing.

“Fuck, Regan, all I can think about is the last time you were in a skirt.”

A laugh stuck in my throat. “Okay, hold that thought. Put some music on, I’ll be right back.”

He pulled out his phone and moved toward my speaker system as I went to my bedroom and pushed the door open.

When I came back to him, a seductive love song flowed through the room. He’d turned off the overhead lamp, so only the light from the pass-through window in my kitchen glowed in the space. The atmosphere was subdued and sexy.

Silas glanced at my sapphire-blue dress. “I thought you were changing. I’m glad you didn’t.” He wore a simple black suit and patterned silver tie, and I ached at the sight of him. All male, gorgeous, and mine.

“No,” I said softly. “I wasn’t changing. I was making sure everything was ready.”

“Ready?” he repeated, and immediately froze.

Tara strolled into the room and stood between us, not a stitch of clothes on her stunning body.

Chapter

TWENTY-ONE

Silas went wooden. His chest didn’t move and he didn’t blink. My blood rushed so loudly in my ears, it was a roar. Could he hear it?

He came back to life and spun away from us, but not before I got a look at the scowl painting his face. “What the fuck, Regan?”