Mercedes liked the idea of a girl’s night out without men. She hadn’t been able to spend a lot of time with Clarissa, her closest friend, because Clarissa’s schedule was even more bogged down than Mercedes’s. But tonight, she certainly didn’t have anything to do because Xander would be gone, and she feared if she sat at home, she’d only find ways to pick apart everything that had happened over the course of the last two days.
“Sure, I’d love to go,” she told Sam now.
“Perfect,” Sam said enthusiastically, just short of a squeal.
Mercedes listened while Sam gave her the details: time, place, what they’d be doing before in case she wanted to join them for drinks. When Sam finished with the instructions, they said their good-byes just as Mercedes was pulling into the parking lot of her destination.
A group of girls at a sex shop.
Why the hell not. It could be fun.
And it would be her chance to set the other women straight. After all, they were probably still under the impression that she was a sub.
Chapter Twenty Two
“That is not what happened, and you know it,” Shane argued with a choked laugh. “She was… Shit. I don’t even know what she was after. I could see it in her eyes, she wanted me laid out like a platter, and I got the feeling she wanted to feast on my blood.”
Xander laughed. The stories Shane told about the subs he encountered never ceased to entertain him and the others. He was pretty sure that Trent hung on to every single word Shane spoke, like he was some sort of Dom god or something.
“Did she? Lay you out like a meal?” Tag Murphy asked from where he relaxed in one of the leather chairs, a glass of Hennessy in his hand.
“Not a chance,” Shane bolstered. “I didn’t run,” he said, glaring at Xander before turning back to Tag, “no matter what anyone might tell you. However, I did walk fast. That woman scared the shit out of me.”
A round of laughter echoed in the small area.
They’d gathered at X-hale as was their ritual on the third Thursday of every month. Xander owned the upscale cigar bar, but he didn’t run it. He left that to John Rhinehart. And he didn’t regret it either.
He’d much rather enjoy his time there, not worried about whether it was being run the way it should. In turn, he paid John well to manage the place.
John was adamant that their clientele was high class, which meant their membership fees were astronomical to ensure they kept it that way. And in turn, they stayed relatively busy with the upper crust males who sought just a few hours of time to themselves. Usually during the week.
This specific night was closed to the public because Xander reserved the place. The entire bar didn’t hold many people, catering to a maximum of thirty at any given time. And that was if the poker room in the back was at capacity.
Tonight, they weren’t playing poker. Instead, the entire group, including a new face Xander hadn’t seen before had gathered just to chat. Luke and Logan McCoy had arrived, along with Cole Ackerley, Alex McDermott, Tag Murphy, Trent Ramsey, Shane Gibson, and the newcomer, Elijah Penn.
Pretty much the same core group that gathered every month to enjoy cigars and a little top shelf liquor. Because Xander had wanted to discuss some business, he’d informed Trent to limit his monthly guests. The man knew more people than the rest of them put together, and he was bringing someone else into the fold.
Tonight, Trent had introduced Elijah Penn, Senior Vice President of Global Sales for a company that boasted to be the industry leader in storage and server virtualization. Logan McCoy’s ears had perked up at the title; that was for damn sure. Xander didn’t doubt that Elijah was some big wig at a Fortune 500 company. The people Trent knew were usually at the top of their industry, whatever that might be.
After the initial introductions were made, Xander had noticed that Logan and Elijah had sparked up a conversation. Apparently they knew of one another because of their close business ties. They’d never officially met, or so Xander had overheard. Up until Shane started telling his latest tale, the two men had been engrossed in a rather animated conversation, clearly having hit it off.
At the moment, everyone had migrated to the lounge area, filling the chairs that formed a wide circle. Luke and Cole were the only two standing, and they were propped near the wall closest to the group. There were a couple of side conversations, but for the most part, the discussion had eased back as a whole.
“So, are you a member of Devotion?” Alex McDermott asked, his question seemingly directed at Elijah. It had to be since Alex would know that the rest of them were members, if not financial backers.
“I am,” Elijah confirmed. “As of a week ago, they accepted my application and I was able to attend opening night. I was not, however, able to make it last night.” He went on to explain in the slightest hint of a British accent.