Page 30 of Cocky Prince
I glance around the room. “Why would someone pay a quarter of a million for a penthouse they can rent for a few thousand a night?”
“Bliss isn’t just a suite, it’s an experience. A seductive, top-of-the line experience for the pleasure-seeking connoisseur. There will be women, like those in the burlesque show, who will provide our members with…well, a taste of bliss, for lack of a better term. Whatever a member desires, we want to provide. At a premium cost, of course. Everyone who enters Bliss must be eighteen or over, and consenting. It’s in the contract members sign.”
I think about this town: the gaming, the drugs, and the rich, debauched bastards I grew up around at Club Tahoe. I lost my virginity to the thirty-five-year-old wife of a billionaire. There’s a wide range of debauchery, the least of which includes drugs.
I peer around. “What else besides access to prostitutes and gaming?”
“That’s roughly it. Don’t worry. Everyone will be kept safe, partly because everything is in-house. That’s the beauty of Bliss. Membership is by invitation only and confidential, which was a requirement by the charter members.” He nods toward the tall windows that, at six foot two, I’d have to jump to see out of. “The celebrities don’t want paparazzi discovering their hideout. We’ll have bodyguards, which I’m assuming you have under control.”
“I’ve spoken to two men on the list you sent me. Neither of them graduated from high school, but they have quite the background in private bodyguard service. One of the candidates is an ex-Marine.”
Paul nods. “The bodyguards are a necessary precaution. One of many we put into place.” He points to the side of the room, past workers and covered furniture. “One of these doors leads to a password-protected elevator that will take people to a regular floor, as well as the ground level in case of an emergency. A member had a heart attack with the first luxury suites we designed. It was a challenge to get the guy to a regular room before the ambulance arrived.”
I blink. “You’re joking. You risked some poor bastard’s life to hide his mistress?”
Paul shrugs. “He paid for privacy. The guy survived. Barely. And in case you’re wondering, he was the first to enroll in Bliss 2.0. If we hadn’t handled the situation as well as we did, he wouldn’t have come back.”
“Some people are masochists; that doesn’t make them the best judge of what’s good for them.”
Paul tips his chin toward one of the bedrooms. I walk into the room and he closes the door behind us. “The casino isn’t in the business of worrying about what’s good for its patrons. I thought you were in, Cade? Which is it—bonuses and prestige, or are you looking for another job? And if you think you’re going to talk about the Bliss venture, you can think again. Blue Casino will nail your ass to the wall for slander.” My jaw tightens at the blatant threat. He thrusts his hands in the slacks of his suit, his shoulders taut. “Look, don’t try to go up against Blackwell. You don’t understand the connections he has. He’ll ruin you, and that’s if he’s feeling generous. Do you get my meaning?”
“I don’t think I do. Are you threatening my life?” The glare I level at him has him flinching.
He holds up a hand and the false smile returns. “Not me. And it doesn’t have to come to that, as long as you keep your mouth shut. But I need to know you’re all in.” He lets out a sigh. “Come on, Adam, we chose you because you’re smooth under pressure. No one knows who you are behind the cool façade you’ve got going. That kind of discretion is what we were looking for. You have the right temperament for the Bliss project.”
I finally take in the bedroom. Few furnishings fill the space, but there’s a stripper pole at the foot of an oval mattress. The view into the bathroom reveals a six-person hot tub and mirrors on every wall. “It’s a hundred percent consensual? No one gets hurt?”
“Not unless they want to.” Paul crosses his hand over his chest. “Scout’s honor. And no one underage.”
I heard him the first time. It doesn’t fill me with confidence that Paul felt the need to give me that reassurance.
I tip my head back and stare at the ceiling. Another mirror up there as well, this one branded with the Bliss logo.
Sex, gaming, drinking, and who knows what else. But what do I care? At least in this environment there’s someone monitoring to make sure people don’t get out of hand.
Anyone who pays a quarter of a million for membership knows what he or she is getting into. I have to assume Blackwell’s found some loophole to keep everything on the up-and-up.
I may live to regret the decision, but for now…
“I’m in.”
* * *
Irubmy eyes under my reading glasses, the words on the computer blurring, but not because I’m tired. I can’t stop thinking about the blatant threat Paul made when he thought I might back out of the Bliss venture. I’d beat the shit out of him if he ever tried anything, and he knows that. This wasn’t about him. He was warning me about Blackwell and his connections.
A feminine throat clears, and I look up. Hayden is standing in the doorway to my office, and just like that, my concern evaporates and a new tension builds.
I rise and walk around my desk, leaning a hip against it and crossing my arms. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” Usually, I’m the one tracking Hayden down. Purely for work purposes. And to gloat. Or goad. But hey, I’m keeping her alert. Wouldn’t want her to fall asleep on the job.
Her eyes are fixed on my glasses. “I was just…When did you get glasses?”
I pull off the black-rimmed reading glasses and toss them on my desk. “I’ve always had them. I don’t wear them all the time.”
She huffs out a breath. “That’s just great,” she mumbles.
“Excuse me?” This time, I didn’t intentionally frustrate her, so I’m interested in how I accomplished it so easily.
She plasters on a tight smile. “It’s nothing. I came because I wanted to know if you’ve heard anything about the burlesque dancers. Did William decide on subcontractors?”
