He studied me again, his gaze unwavering as it held mine. “That happens a lot. The club’s secretive nature lends itself to the x name, but I originally opened it up with the intent of calling it Club Ten but with the Roman numeral. You’ll find many of our patrons think like your friend does. Perhaps it’s time I did the same.”
His voice dropped, and I hoped he wasn’t already disappointed in me even before I had the chance to show him I was as good in person as my qualifications were on paper. Pressing a smile onto his very kissable lips, he held his arm out to lead me to his office and I followed him, enjoying the view from behind even as I silently scolded myself for not focusing on what was important. Checking out my new boss’s incredible ass wasn’t keeping my eye on the prize, no matter how hot he looked in that suit.
Guiding me into his office at the very back of the building, he sat down behind an enormous glass desk and extended his arm once again, this time to offer me a seat. As I tried to relax, he picked up the phone and called someone to alert them I’d arrived. Instantly, my anxiety ratcheted up more than a few notches as I hadn’t realized this would be a group interview. He shuffled papers around on his desk, seeming to look for something, and I told myself I could handle this. An interview with five or even ten owners was the same as an interview with one owner, right?
As I looked around at his minimalist designed office, a younger man responded to his call, and I guessed he was in his mid-twenties. He took his place next to Cassian and began to talk to him, and I noticed my potential new boss looked similar to this second man, even though this younger man had lighter hair and brown eyes.
“We’re just waiting for Kane. He’s the third owner of Club X,” Cassian explained in a voice that signaled his impatience at the fact that this other man hadn’t appeared yet. “While we’re waiting for him, let me introduce you two. Stefan, this is Olivia Lucas. She’s here for the job as my assistant. Olivia, this is my brother, Stefan March.”
The one I pegged as the younger brother wore jeans and a white T-shirt with the club’s logo, which showed off his arms full of tattoos that covered from his wrists all the way up to where his shirt began and a bigger, more muscular body than his brother’s. The man clearly saw the inside of a gym and often. He carried himself far more casually than his brother too. And if Cassian screamed sex, this man oozed it, like the sweetest honey drizzled on the tip of your tongue. Sandy brown hair slightly longer than his brother’s shorter, more professional haircut gave him a carefree look, but there was no escaping the fact that he was as intense as his brother, just in a different way.
With a gorgeous smile, he slid his dark brown gaze over me and nodded. “Nice to meet you, Olivia. I manage the day-to-day operations of the club, unlike Cash, who spends all his time in this office dressed in suits meant to smother a man.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Stefan,” I said with a smile, unable to remain purely businesslike in his presence. In just seconds, I’d warmed up to him more than I imagined I’d ever warm up to his brother.
“You’re going to love it here,” Stefan continued. “And I promise if my brother works you too hard, all you have to do is come find me. I’ll make sure this doesn’t become a nine to five grind.”
Something in the way his eyes continued to focus on everything below my neck told me he would live up to that promise if I let him. I tried not to look too enchanted by him, even if I instantly felt attracted to him and his warm personality, because even as we began to get to know one another, I sensed disapproval in Cassian’s face.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone approach the office, and turning my head, I saw a third man much bigger than either Cassian or Stefan but practically Cassian’s twin, except for his very short hair. Dressed in black pants and a long sleeve black Henley that only accentuated the darkness of his cropped hair, he instantly intimidated me. The polar opposite to Stefan, this man said nothing and appeared unhappy at the prospect of meeting me at all.
“Kane, this is Olivia Lucas. She’s here for the assistant job. Olivia, this is my brother, Kane.”
Extending my hand, I shook the third man’s hand and said hello, but he said nothing back. His jet black hair and blue eyes gave him a striking look, much like his brother’s, but Kane’s demeanor frightened me with its coldness. Backing away from me, he seemed happy to have the introductions over, and I felt pretty much the same about him.
I also noticed how Cassian’s voice caught slightly when he said Kane was his brother. They looked around the same age, but they weren’t twins, so what were they if calling him brother was so awkward?
“So Olivia, maybe I should tell you about who we are and what we do here at Club X,” Cassian said with a smile, using the letter x for the first time in the name. “I handle the business of running this place, while Stefan handles the operations. Kane handles the security and performers. Together, we own the biggest private club in the city.”
He stopped talking, and I sat waiting for him to continue, my gaze focused on his very attractive face. Chiseled features with masculine lines, his look was very much one of a man of power. He merely stared back at me and appeared to wait for me to speak, creating an odd silence I was sure wasn’t going to bode well for my chances at getting the assistant job.
Thankfully, Stefan spoke up. Pushing on his brother’s arm, he said with a broad smile that made my uneasiness disappear, “Cash, Jake obviously didn’t tell her what we do here. I think you may have to be a bit more detailed.”
Detailed? Cassian grimaced at his brother’s suggestion, but with a slow nod, he agreed with Stefan and continued, this time explaining more about what exactly Club X was.
“Club X is a private club that serves as a nightclub and a place that caters to our members’ fantasies. People pay to join and have the choice of merely coming here to enjoy the best nightlife the city has to offer or, if they choose, having us provide the necessary requirements to fulfill their fantasies.”
He said those words as if he were describing how to water down patrons’ drinks. Fulfill fantasies? Was he talking about sexual fantasies?
“I can see by your expression that you’re a bit surprised. Please feel free to ask whatever questions you may have,” Cassian said in a deep, reassuring voice I already liked hearing.
Struggling to form an intelligent thought, I asked the first question that came to me. “Are we talking BDSM? I know it’s all the rage these days.”