Page 20 of Dark Seduction

As we neared the large ornate wooden door, Daniel whispered, “Once I get a room and tell Julian what we’re paying for and how much I’m willing to spend, I know his greedy ass will throw in Charles as a prize. Don’t mention that we are partners.” Daniel offered me a quick kiss, and I agreed to whatever Daniel had planned, because without him I would have no chance of finding Charles. Max had been right about Daniel. He knew this life, and the people who navigated through it.

We stood at the door to the dude’s office, and before we could knock, a voice said, “Open the door, and come in and sit, Daniel. I’ll be right with you, Daniel James. I raised an eyebrow. He knew Daniel’s surname, which it took a few mornings for me to get out of him.

When we strolled into the large office overlooking an even larger ornate garden lit up with colored lights, I had been fascinated by who would come and sit behind that fancy antique desk.

However, that was the only antique beside this old building. The inside of the mansion had been refurbished and the modern furniture made the place look clean and open. The couches were plush and expensive, and looked like the kind you’d see in Home and Gardens, but this wasn’t as wholesome as it pretended to be from the outside. The walls were adorned with works of art. Not the old masters, but with modern pieces hanging around the room.

When the door opened, I didn’t know who would walk through, but it wasn’t who I expected. This man was tall with salt and pepper hair, a tan and a face and body that was incredible to look at or away from. He wore a white shirt clinging to his wide shoulders, and a slim waist not expected for a man in his fifties. He was breathtaking when he smiled at me with those full plump lips and a mouth full of polished white teeth.

He strolled over to me, and I instantly stood in a stiff position as if I was here to meet royalty. I didn’t know why I reacted the way I had, but then I didn’t know I would see a man who mesmerized me with just his presence. I’d noticed that Daniel didn’t change his indifferent expression as if that gorgeous man was just an ordinary guy you could find anywhere.

He held out his hand. I placed my palm inside his, and he said as he squeezed it, “Call me Julian.” He smiled and I watched deep dimples etch both sides of his handsome face.

“No. Don’t call him Julian. We won’t be here long enough for you to become familiar with him.” Daniel reached and pulled my hand from Julian’s. It was something Julian did when he touched me and locked eyes with me that had me enthralled with his beautiful clean-shaven face and Daniel perhaps knew he could hold a man just with his looks, and who knew what he could do with his body and those fingers on his large hands.

Julian smiled a slow easy one, not showing that Daniel had affected him if he had, which I doubted. “Very well, what can I do for you, Daniel?” He strolled around and sat behind his desk, and that sly easy smile remained on his handsome face. “It’s been a while, Daniel. You haven’t changed. You’re prettier than you ever were as a young man—” Daniel cut him off because I suspected he didn’t want to revisit that time in his life. The life he didn’t want to be reminded of, or didn’t want to talk about now—even with me.

“I was a boy then and now I’m a man—”

“And I see you have your own boy—”

“I didn’t come here to discuss this boy here, but I’m interested in another boy too.”

Julian leaned forward. “You surprise me, I didn’t take you for engaging in threesomes. I guess getting older does something to your libido and you have to raise your desires somehow,” Julian said, and he turned his eyes to me.

“Speak for yourself. All I want is one for the night. Do you have someone about twenty or twenty-one that’s into all kinds of bondage and perhaps sexual asphyxiation?” Julian sat back and raised an eyebrow and kept his gaze on me. “You know we just charge by the room, but it’s steep.”

“I didn’t ask you how much it cost, because I know you’re going to charge on the other end as well.”

“I don’t usually offer that kind of action in my place because there are too many things that could go wrong, but because of the high cost of everything and my lifestyle, I’ve included sexual asphyxiation as part of the menu. But with caution.” Julian talked as if Daniel was ordering a steak, and perhaps he was, because when it all boiled down to it, they were talking about meat.

“Cut the bullshit, Julian, do you have anyone who’s willing to participate in that kind of action?”

“Yes, but Charles was so young, and I didn’t think anyone could service him properly, so I took care of him... myself. You know what could happen if someone engages in that alone. The orgasm is unbelievable, but it could be your last,” he said, watching Daniel and swiping his tongue around his mouth, then rocking back in his leather chair. I expected any moment he’d cup his cock, but he didn’t.

Daniel didn’t tell me about Julian, and maybe he didn’t have the time, but the longer Julian talked I might not have to wonder any longer about who Julian was and what was going on in this place.

“I don’t need anyone dying on my premises and calling attention to me and my establishment, especially someone like Charles St. John. I know you will take care of him because I have plans for him, and since there are two of you to watch him, then we can discuss the cost.”

On our drive here, Daniel had said that Julian had inherited his mansion from his family’s estate, and he couldn’t maintain the property unless he did something with it, and this was what he came up with. A BDSM club for the rich and famous to act out their desires in the open and behind closed doors.Really, Julian? What about selling the house and land or donating it to a children’s hospital,I thought, watching him when he turned his dark eyes on me.

“So he’s here, and he’s available to play with me and my...” Daniel stopped short of telling Julian what his connection was to me.

“I’m afraid not. I sent him home after one session to get some rest. He was too eager and sometimes I like that, remember, Daniel?” When I glanced over at Daniel, he grimaced. “His driver picked him up and he should be sleeping soundly in his bed by now. I gave him something to calm his nerves.”

“You did what?” Daniel stood.

“It was nothing Daniel. Not like you, it didn’t take but one pill. Remember with you, you were—” Daniel stopped Julian from going deeper into their relationship such as it was then and now. Daniel held out his hand to me.

“Let’s go, Cole. We need to find Charlie.”

Before we reached the door Julian stood behind us, and when I turned, he said, “If you get bored and you want to try something new, here’s my card.” Daniel reached around and seized the card from Julian.

“Don’t ever do that again, Julian. This is my fiancé and he’s with me and I will be the one to introduce him to what this lifestyle entails and not you. We play together and we’re not exhibitionists. Don’t you find enough young men whom you can ruin. You will not ruin Cole,” Daniel’s voice was threatening, with a deep and dark sound, and it had taken an ominous turn. His face was dark and serious, his eyes penetrating, and his breathing rushed with his chest moving up and down. I took his hand and walked around him and opened the door. He was still staring at Julian in silence when I turned to say good day. Finally, Daniel’s feet moved when I tugged at his hand long enough.

When we stepped out of the office, Julian said, “You might want to try the club before you go to his apartment. You know the one.” Then, he closed the door in Daniel’s face.

It appeared to be painful for Daniel to see Julian again. In the silence amid the grunts and the sound of leather on flesh, Daniel stood bracing himself against a wall as if he couldn’t take another step. He did that for a few moments until he could compose himself. He inhaled and then exhaled, “I’m ready now.”

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