“But you haven’t even seen it yet.”

“Just because I’m no longer a virgin doesn’t mean I’m ready to—”

“Hey.” She places her hand on my arm. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. We can take a look, and if you don’t like it, we’ll leave. I promise.”

“Maybe I should just go back home. You should have fun. I don’t want to spoil it.”

“Oh, my god, Aurora, you’re not going to spoil anything. Just come with me. Five minutes, okay? Five minutes, and then we’ll go home.” Julia reaches into her bag and pulls out a black lace mask. “Put this on.”

I take the mask, running my fingers over it. Should I even be considering doing this? If someone sees me or recognizes me at Purple Pleasure, it’ll be a thousand times worse than if they run into me at a regular club.

But a part of me is dying of curiosity. It sounds exciting, even if I’m scared a little bit. I’ll wear a mask. No one will figure me out. It’s a different city. Different people. No one knows me.

“Okay. Five minutes.” I put on the mask.

Julia grins. “You won’t regret it. Oh, and don’t forget you don’t actually have to do anything there. You can only watch.”

“And what are you going to do in five minutes?” I tilt my head at her.

She bites down on her lip. “Well... You know the guy who got me the invites? So yeah, he’s actually really hot, and there’s something I’d like to try—”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Sounds like it’ll be longer than five minutes.”

“Well, it won’t if you really don’t like it there. But if you do...” She bats her eyelashes at me. “We’re so going to stay, right?”

“Right.” I don’t know about that, but I guess we’ll see.

* * *

My eyes are impossibly wide,and I probably look like a deer caught in the headlights. But maybe I’m lucky and my mask is hiding my flushed cheeks. Naked people are everywhere around me, and the things they’re doing to each other...

I’ve never seen anything like it. Everyone seems to be having the best time of their lives, and moans of pleasure are even louder than the music.

It’s almost as if I’m stuck in a weird and twisted dream. There are so many rooms. So many doors. So many toys, whips, chains, and all kinds of stuff I’m not even sure what they are.

A woman meets my gaze as her partner pumps into her from behind, and she smiles at me. I quickly avert my gaze.

Another woman is tied to a big wooden X. There’s a man on his knees with his head buried between a woman’s thighs.

The more I keep looking, the more the tingling between my legs intensifies. A guy approaches me, offering his hand to me, but I only smile and shake my head.

I can’t see Julia anywhere, and I’m glad because I don’t want to see my best friend naked and in the middle of a sexual act with someone. That would just be weird, and I’m way too awkward to be able to look her in the eye after something like that without being mortified.

My breath gets stuck in my chest when my gaze lands on a shirtless guy at the end of the room.

Luca.

It’s him. It has to be him. Even with a mask on, it’s impossible not to recognize him. His tattoos aren’t the only giveaway. It’s just something about him. People look up at him or turn their heads in his direction as he passes them by.

He’s just magnetic. Everyone wants a good look at his perfect body. Everyone wants a piece of him.

But some look too afraid to approach him. His broad shoulders, his muscles, and the way he holds himself give off a dangerous vibe. He’s not someone people want to mess with.

Handsome and deadly. That’s just how he looks.

A woman dares to try to put her arm around him, but he walks away from her. I keep staring at him because everyone’s doing it, so I’m not embarrassed. He’s not going to recognize me anyway.

I guess he’s on the prowl for his next lover. Maybe I could walk up to him and pretend we’ve never met. Get one more night with him. The heat spreading through my body definitely agrees.