Thandie wondered who the couple was. Judging by Elliot’s presence at their table, and length of time he was investing, these were personal friends of his. Or at least one of them was. Clearly, Elliot knew the blond-haired man well.
Thandie continued to watch them. More specifically, she watched Elliot. There was something about him that intrigued her. She couldn’t put it into words, but Elliot had a certain appeal that was enchanting. And yet as strongly as he captivated her, he frightened her. She was leery of him, not daring to get too close and yet...she was fascinated all the same.
Like a moth to a flame, she mused.
Her attention was snatched away when Adam stepped to her side. Taking her elbow in his hand, he twirled her around to introduce her to someone. Thandie was forced to turn her back on Elliot and his friends and focus on a tall, rather plain-looking gentleman. Adam presented him as the broadcaster for a leading pop radio show in Miami.
Eager to make a positive impression, Thandie dived into conversation with the man. It did not take long to figure out he was more interested in leering at her breasts than listening to her. Not that this surprised her overly much. She’d chosen to wear a mini dress, covered in simmering cheetah sequins. There was no cleavage to be seen, however the fabric pulled tight across her chest, emphasizing the fullness of her breasts. Although long sleeved, the dress was far from modest. The drastic cut of the garment exposed her entire back, before gathering together just above the rise of her buttocks.
A key factor of being a club promoter was to look the part. It was her job to make the environment look desirable. And since most clubs were owned and managed by men, she’d learned long ago to use her natural assets to her advantage. She no longer took notice when men ogled her. She expected it, at least while she was working. And putting on a flirtatious smile for Adam’s guest was definitely working.
Thandie chatted with the two men for a while, soon losing track of the time. When she looked up again to check on the girls, she was startled to find they were not there. Her gaze flickered to Elliot. He was gone as well, and so were his friends. Their booth was now occupied by an ensemble of pouty model-like beauties who appeared to be on the hunt for wealthy men.
Thandie searched for Len and Raja. They were nowhere in sight. A bad sign for certain. Left unsupervised for any length of time, the girls were prone to get into trouble. Thandie stepped toward the balcony and looked over the VIP lounge. Not a hint of either girl.
She turned cautious eyes to the glass wall which overlooked the arena floor below and gave an aquarium view of the upper levels of the club. It would be impossible to spot the girls amongst the throng of dancing partygoers. She would have to walk the club in hopes of finding them. She groaned. Her feet had begun to hurt nearly an hour ago. She would not be pleased if she had to walk a mile in her beautiful, but crippling, heels.
Just as she made up her mind to do that, she caught sight of movement. The wall to her right opened up, revealing a small compartment. It was the elevator that led to the Tower.
The silent hiss as the doors slid open was like a quiet invitation. Very tempting.
Suddenly, Thandie remembered the “something” she’d forgotten to tell the girls earlier. She had not warned them to avoid the Tower. Is that where they were? Were Len and Raja touring an area of the club Elliot himself had ruled off limits? It was certainly possible. Before her imagination went into overdrive, Thandie determined she would search the lower levels first, before fretting over the Tower.
Excusing herself from Adam’s side, she took the steps down to the lower levels. She saw no recognizable faces on either level. She proceeded to the arena floor. Unlike the sleek relaxed vibe of the VIP lounges, the main arena was rowdier and dramatically more crowded. There was a buzz of frenzied excitement in the large expanse. It was the kind of atmosphere Len and Raja would escape to. Thandie walked a slow lap around the edge of the dance floor, examining the faces. It did not take long before someone took hold of her hand and asked her to dance. She was agreeable, mainly because this angle allowed her a good view of most of the arena floor and the steps leading up to the VIP entrance. After dancing through a few songs, with no luck spotting the girls, she excused herself from her dance partner and continued her pursuit.
Thandie’s aching feet soon got the better of her. She quickly gave up the hunt for the girls, looking to sit down instead. The crowded arena offered few seats, and all appeared to be occupied.
With a sigh of annoyance, Thandie made her way back to VIP. She was grateful when one of the Babylon employees held his hand out to her to help her up the steps. The balls of her feet felt as if they were on fire, getting worse with every step she took. She looked around for an available seat in the packed room. She went to the next upper level, but it was just as crammed. She couldn’t even find a place to lean against the bar.
She looked for Adam to ask if he knew where there was extra seating, but he was serving club members. Thandie waited for him to wrap up, but the group didn’t seem willing to let him go any time soon. After fifteen agonizing minutes, she was feeling rather desperate. She went to the hidden elevator, punched in the code she remembered Adam using and rode it up the Tower. Thandie sagged against the wall and embraced the sudden quiet the elevator provided.
When the doors opened, she had to adjust her eyes to the dimness. The room was lit only by candlelight. Blindly, she stepped forward, unable to blink anything into focus. Abruptly, the elevator doors closed behind her, and she was surrounded by darkness. The sound of music hummed in the background, filling the room with a sensuality as thick as smoke.
Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into the hard surface of muscled flesh. Thandie looked up to see the silver eyes of Elliot Richards. He did not look happy to see her.
He leaned his head down low enough to whisper in her ear. “I believe I told you not to come up here.”
The sheer size of him was unnerving. He was even more impressive up close, not a blemish or hair out of place. It was really quite insane for one man to be so breathtakingly beautiful. Her blood felt as if it was boiling beneath her skin, and a slow ball of heat was growing in the pit of her stomach.
“Are you going to answer me?” he growled down at her.
“Huh?” Wrapped in his powerful arms, words seemed complicated to create.
“What are you doing up here?” he snapped.
“My feet.”
“What?”
“I—I came up here looking for a place to sit down.”
“Couldn’t you find a chair downstairs?”
“The place is packed.”
He frowned. “Well, there isn’t much room to sit down up here, but there are plenty of places to fuck.”
She turned her head to look around the room. Thandie would have fainted if it weren’t for Elliot holding her up. Her eyes finally adjusted to the dim lighting to reveal a room full of naked bodies. Every corner of the room was occupied by screwing couples; some were groups satisfying each other. She gasped to see three men pleasuring a moaning woman at the same time. Horrified, Thandie buried her face into Elliot chest to block out the scene around her. Only now did she realize the whole room was moaning, grunting, and delivering cries of ecstasy.
“You deliberately ignored my request,” he said in a low voice.
She shook with mortification. “I—I
