him this life, this love, he never believed he’d find.
She laughed softly, tapping the side of his face. “What’s that look for?”
“This whole time, you kept saying I was helping you, but in reality, it seems like you’re fixing all the cracks in my life.”
“Good,” she said, lacing her fingers behind his neck. “It levels the playing field.”
He chuckled, tempted to stay right there, only he had a plan for tonight. One that had his cock twitching in eagerness. “Speaking of playing, we are due downstairs.”
She tilted her head. “We are?”
“Mm-hmm.” He straightened in the seat until he cupped her face and brought her mouth close to his. “Tonight, Phoenix will learn that you are mine and I am yours. But the choice will always be yours.” He arched an eyebrow. “What do you say, Zoey? Yes or no to my game tonight?”
“Yes,” she said, brushing her lips against his. “Always yes, Rhys.”
Chapter 17
Sensual music played through the speakers as Zoey entered the private room at Phoenix. She was wearing black lingerie paired with a black metal butterfly masquerade mask and stilettos, only this time, the members weren’t hidden; they were all there, standing in typical Phoenix attire of lingerie for the women and black slacks for the men, waiting…watching. Candles lit a path forward to a circular table. On that table was a glass of wine. Beyond that was a view Zoey had a hard time believing was real. Rhys sat on a chair, naked, his arms bound behind him, a black gag covering his mouth, and a Venetian mask on his face. And something she’d told him once filled her mind: “I like watching her control him like that.” More importantly, she recalled his reply: “Would you like to own me like that, Zoey. To control me? To do whatever you want to me?” As she slowly approached the table in the center of the room, it occurred to her that Rhys was giving her exactly what she’d asked for.
When she stopped in front of the single wineglass, the world slowed. To all those in the room, except for Rhys’ inner circle of friends, the significance of the wine would be unknown. No one knew what Zoey did. That Rhys had asked for one thing going forward: her trust. She looked at the wineglass, waiting for her heart to race, for the desire to run to rush over her. It never came. She took hold of the glass and looked into Rhys’ fierce stare as she took a long sip before lowering the drink back to the table. His emotion-packed eyes pulled her forward, but with every step she took, she felt more free, like she was shedding the parts of herself that Jake and Scott had hurt. Now she was stepping into the future. With Rhys.
The sensual energy in the room washed over her, taking her to a place where she left all her inhibitions, all her insecurities at the door. She felt every muscle in her body working to get to Rhys. Every single beat of her heart. She focused on the breath sliding through her lungs. The magic that this crowd created, the freedom she felt. When she stopped in front of him, she stared into his smoky gray eyes that promised her the world. And she wanted to give him the world back.
Now in front of him, she understood the meaning of the silk gag in his mouth. That tonight she had full control, but she realized she didn’t want that. “I always want to hear your voice,” she said, untying the silk from behind his head and letting it fall to the ground.
“You drank the wine,” he said, no question in his voice, only pride.
“I drank what you gave to me.”
Something rich and real passed in the air between them. Something Zoey now knew was love. True love. Impossible love. Love that came from two broken souls that found all the pieces they needed to heal. She didn’t question her love for Rhys, and she didn’t want to draw this out. The show might be for others, but ultimately, she knew this show belonged to them. Always to them.
She slid onto his lap, reaching for the condom on the tray next to them. A condom was Phoenix protocol. She slid it into place onto his hard cock and didn’t bother teasing him. She rose up on her toes and took Rhys deep inside her, their moans echoing around them.
She dropped her head back,