Page 30 of Jackpot Joker

“Shh, Miss Baker,” he whispers in my ear, and I try not to release the needy whimper that’s built in my throat. “Take a look around.”

I do as he says, taking in the details of the room we’re in. In the center sits an enormous bed, much larger than the uncomfortable queen I have in my condo, covered in black silk. It’s industrial in design, a sleek black metal four-poster canopy, but designed for something deliberate. Something dangerous.

My fingers glide over the apparatus above the footboard. On a thick, black horizontal beam sit three rings. The largest is in the center, about the size of a dinner plate, with smaller rings to each side of it. I swallow down the lump in my throat as I realize precisely what the setup is for. As I follow the frame, my fingers dance over the fabric, enjoying the cool, sleek feel. My eyes land on the evenly spaced steel rings. They’re discreet enough to blend in perfectly, but my stomach twists knowing the purpose they serve.

The headboard is framed with X-shaped steel, the sides painted in a deep crimson, the only splash of color in the dark room. My heels clack against the polished concrete floors as I make my way over to where an industrial cabinet and toolbench are pressed against the side of the wall. I tease the handles, as though waiting for permission to open them.

“Go ahead,” Dario encourages, his words barely audible.

I know I shouldn’t. There couldn’t possibly be anything inside this cabinet I would need to know about. Still, I’ve always been too curious for my own good, so I open the doors and blankly stare at the instruments inside. My hands trail over the multitude of materials—leather, metal, wood, and silicone. With a gasp, I turn around and stare at the man staring right back at me.

“What is this place?” I ask in a hushed whisper, knowing exactly what type of place this is and warring with myself on whether to be turned on or pissed off.

Dario steps in front of me, taking his large hand and placing it at the base of my neck. “You wanted my darkness, Miss Baker, and there’s nothing darker than my desires.”

Chapter 15

Dario

“You brought me to a sex club?” Jasmine hisses, and I can’t hide the humor on my face.

I bite my lip as her eyes frantically dart around the room, taking in the bed again. What I would give for her to allow me the opportunity to restrain her and see how many times I can wring an orgasm from her. Something tells me this woman, who exudes strength, would bask in the freedom of being submissive.

Jasmine meets my gaze with tight, narrowed eyes, her nostrils flaring as she breathes heavily. I realize the chances of my fantasy coming true, at least tonight, are null and void. I’ve well and truly pissed her off, and now mio toro stands here, hooves dug in and head reared back, ready to charge.

“Inferno is what you make of it. When you first entered, you thought it was simply a nightclub, and it could be that,” I answer her with a shrug. “But, it can also be so much more.” My head cocks. “It’s a place of freedom. You’re allowed to feel the way you do and explore your darkest desires without judgment.”

Jasmine looks around the room again, her eyebrows still furrowed and jaw locked. When she turns back to me, she grits out her demand through clenched teeth. “Get me the hell out of here.”

I won’t say I’m disappointed our time in this room is ending without an orgasm for either one of us, but it’s to be expected. I knew Jasmine would be pissed once she realized where I had brought her, but at least I witnessed the pique in her regard when her lithe fingers trailed over the long, leather tails of the flogger. She bit her plush bottom lip as her hand skated over the thick, wooden paddle. The hitch in her breath didn’t escape me when she felt the fibers of the rope that would look so gorgeous against her soft skin.

My little bull is curious.

“Are you sure I can’t persuade you to stay? You seem tense. Perhaps one of these toys here could help relax you?”

My teasing only further frustrates her, and Jasmine pushes past me with a huff, wrenching open the door and striding out of the room. My long legs keep up with hers as she races down the corridor, passing patrons in various states of undress she missed earlier. I mean, that girl has been sucking that guy’s dick for ten minutes, and I have no idea how Jasmine didn’t notice.

When we reach the part she referred to as the nightclub, I nod at Vinny behind the bar, who fires a cheeky grin my way. Once Jasmine arrives at the elevator, she frantically searches for a button that doesn’t exist.

“How the hell do I escape this place?” she huffs, her hands balled into fists and a bead of sweat now glistening above her brow.

I flick the key card out of my pocket and wave it in front of the scanner. “Our members have to use a special key card to access the single elevator that will bring you here.”

“Members? As in your…” Her voice trails off, and she glances at my crotch, which is surprisingly not as hard as it was moments ago.

I snort. “Members, as in the exclusive patrons who have been permitted to visit Inferno. We have a special selection committee, and not just anyone can gain entrance.”

“So then why am I here?”

I shrug my shoulders. “You’re with me.”

The doors to the elevator open, and Jasmine storms inside with a roll of her eyes. “I am not with you. I have made that very clear.”

“My apologies,” I say professionally, though I am not sorry. “I meant to say that you were accompanying me. It’s my club, so of course I have access, and I’m allowed to bring anyone I’d like with me.”

Jasmine scoffs. “Do you bring all of your attorneys here? Is this place the reason Megan is on maternity leave right now?”

I’m unable to stop the smile from spreading across my face. If I didn’t know better, it sounded like there was a touch of jealousy in her accusation. “You would be the first member of my legal counsel to be here with me, but I can’t guarantee that no employees of Jorgensen & Munson have memberships.”