Page 5 of Vow to Hate You

talie

I stayed still when his hand left my back, before slowly drifting up my arm. His touch flushed my body with goosebumps. His fingers grazed my collarbone before he wrapped them around my throat, his grip firm. Emotions clashed within me as he moved until his chest was pressed against my back. The fact a stranger was touching me like this had unease slicing through me. But at the same time, a burning excitement was racing through my veins when his lips touched my bare shoulder.

Another man appeared behind Ana, and he nuzzled his masked face into the crook of her neck. When Ana arched her back into him, he chuckled, planting a kiss on her neck.

“Enjoy the show,” he said as he backed away.

The guy behind me released me, and I spun around to see him walking away. He was only wearing a mask and blue jeans. His back was covered in a large tattoo of a black raven in a birdcage.

“Damn,” Hayley muttered, watching him walk away. “I don’t recognize him.”

“He’s wearing a mask. How would you recognize him?” I asked shakily, my body still recovering from his touch.

“A lot of them have tattoos,” Hayley replied, watching the mysterious guy walk away. “I haven’t seen his before.”

“How many times have you been here?” Char asked.

“Three,” Ana answered. “But I’ve only had a membership for two months.”

A deep voice came over a loudspeaker, announcing the show would start in fifteen minutes. When the lights dimmed even more, women began making their way to a set of double doors on the side of the room. After grabbing our drinks, we followed, my heart beating unevenly as we stepped into the showroom.

The lights were bright enough to make out the room so we could find our seats. An employee asked us what row we were in, and when Ana answered him, he led us to our couch. Since we were a couple rows away from the stage, our view was amazing.

I sat on the plush cushion, setting my drink on the small ledge attached to the couch in front of us. The floor was tilted slightly, making it easier to see the stage. The room had different levels with couches and small tables with chairs surrounding them. We were on the main level, and there was another floor up a short flight of stairs. A third floor surrounded the entire room and had high railings. The stage was situated in the middle of the room, with a grand staircase leading to the left, which had a small entrance where I guessed the performers would come out.

The ceiling was high, cast in shadows, making it impossible to see what was up there. My eyes drifted back toward the balcony, and I grinned when I saw a DJ table set up. They had live music, which I loved. Hopefully, whoever was working the music was good. The guy behind the DJ table was wearing a mask, and he was staring intently at his set up as music began blasting from the speakers.

A few minutes later, the lights shut off, casting us in complete darkness. A couple cries of surprise rang out, but they were overshadowed by the murmurs of excitement. Then new lightspopped on. They were a dark blue, making it impossible to see much around the room. Brighter lights focused on the stage as a man appeared, walking down the grand staircase.

Like all the others, he was shirtless with his face covered. His body was as muscled and hot as all the others I’d seen. When he grinned, women began cheering. I couldn’t help but join in, loving the energy of this place.

He lifted a microphone to his mouth. “Welcome to Club Facade. Are you all ready for tonight?”

The screams turned nearly deafening. He waited for the noise to die down a bit before continuing.

“You all received the rules when you signed the contract. For those who choose to partake in the show, there is nothing off-limits.” His eyes glittered with mischief. “Unless you use the safe word. But in the years we’ve been open, no one has used it.”

My stomach fluttered in anticipation as Char nudged my shoulder. “Best birthday ever.”

I laughed. “It hasn’t even started yet.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s going to be epic.”

Before I could respond, the guy spoke up again.

“All the men and women who work at Club Facade are here solely for your entertainment and pleasure.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Please welcome the dancers.”

The upbeat music got louder, the beat fast as the guy strolled off the stage, disappearing on the stairs where the lights didn’t hit. Spotlights blinked on as masked men began appearing. Some came from the stairs, but others were already up on the balcony and on the main floor. My head was turning in every direction when more spotlights came on, revealing the dancers one by one.

They were all wearing jeans, and some were shirtless, while others had t-shirts or tank tops on. Every single one of them was hot as hell, even with their faces hidden. I was screaming alongwith everyone else as the men danced, some of them grinding on the furniture near them. Their hips rolled expertly, their moves practiced and sexy.

There was one who was at the end of the row in front of us, and he swung his leg over the closest woman, settling himself on her lap to dance. He grabbed her wrists, placing her palms on his chest. Another man pulled a woman to her feet before lifting her, letting his hands grip her ass.

This continued until the beat of the music changed while all the men made their way to the stage. There were at least ten of them, and they began dancing in unison. It was a mix between hip-hop and erotic dancing. I couldn’t take my eyes off them if I tried. When they spun around, I caught sight of the tattoo on one of their backs. It was the man who’d touched me in the other room. As if he could feel my stare, he turned, his gaze locking on mine.

Because of the lighting and shadows, it was impossible to see the color of his eyes, or even the emotion in them, but a hot flush still traveled through me until he broke the stare to keep dancing. He could fucking move. For a moment, my past slammed into me, making my breath catch.

Dancing was part of some of the best memories of my childhood. Or at least they used to be until one certain asshole ruined it. Music was important in my life, but dancing like this always reminded me of those rare nights when me and our circle of friends let everything go to just enjoy life.

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