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Erick was standing in front of his mirror attempting to tie his armband with one hand. He thought back to the first night he and the artist Puzzola entered the club scene when they returned from Italy.
A wild reputation had preceded them to the Underground and many knew them. They accidentally dressed identically and by the end of the night were giving nicknames of ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ because one shared the ladies, the other didn’t. On their next visit to the Underground they wore their matching costumes with different colored armbands. Several years had passed since then and Erick wondered if the time had come in their lives for a change.
He saw Duncan’s reflection as he entered the room. Erick flashed him an approving smile as he spun around to take in the young man’s appearance. His hair was worn loose and hung over his shoulders. He wore black boots, low cut black leather pants that laced at the crotch and a black leather vest over his bare chest. They decided to dress identically to look like bodyguards for Puzzola.
Erick walked over to him and tied a white leather band on his left arm and had Duncan tie his on his right. They planed on walking into The Skunk’s Den before the artist made his entrance and then stand at his side as the first crush happened. Just when Erick turned the stereo down, the doorbell rang.
“Ready, Duncan?”
“Let’s rock!”
************************
The driver held the door for them as they climbed into the sleek black Rolls Royce. Dance music was blaring from the speakers. Andrew greeted them with a rebel yell as they slapped hands. Elizabeth and Lynn giggled at their excitement. Erick sat across from Lynn. She wore a black leather bra, a black leather skirt that looked more like a loincloth and high-heeled boots that laced to just below the knee.
She sent Erick a wanton look and he almost lost his composure. He turned his head but couldn’t take his eyes off her. She laughed at him and pushed
on his leg with her foot.
“The ladies are definitely hot tonight.” Erick flashed her a devilish grin.
Elizabeth and Lynn leaned against each other and blew him a kiss. He pretended to catch the airborne kisses and put them on his butt. Erick leaned toward Andrew and flipped his vest open with a finger exposing a bare smooth chest. Elizabeth looked at her brother as she ran her hand over her husband.
“Looking buff,” Erick teased.
“Did it for tonight.” Andrew’s eyes rolled back as his wife ran her hand across his abdomen and kissed his neck.
Duncan noticed how Andrew was quickly distracted. He moved against his lady in a sexual manner, teasing her; she gave him a sultry smile in return. The dark man looked very intimidating in his leathers. He wore black leather pants that laced all the way up his leg, a black leather vest and a black leather armband. His bold stripe was out of control like the rest of his hair.
“You guys look dangerous tonight.” Andrew put an arm around his wife.
“We are your official bodyguards tonight,” Erick explained. “Two Good guys protecting Evil. I figured this would be a great way to thrust Duncan into the bowels of the Underground. What better way than to go into The Skunk’s Den ahead of you.”
“Very brave! I better not drink too much; I might not be able to tell you two apart.”
“Just remember, Duncan has the long hair.”
“I can’t believe this is happening!” Duncan didn’t attempt to hide his excitement.
“Erick, do you remember our first visit to the Underground?”
“Barely. We were so drunk.” Erick tapped Duncan’s leg. “We were your age and my brother managed to convince Tucker to let us in.”
“What was it before The Skunk’s Den?”
“Um, what was it?”
“Downstairs,” Andrew answered. “Tucker wasn’t very creative when it came to names.”
“When was the name changed?”
“When we bought it the second year after Puzzola was established.”
“I didn’t know Erick was involved.” Elizabeth was surprised.
“First thing I ever bought.” Erick smiled. “It has nothing to do with McAlister Enterprises.”
“Do you own The Place, too?” Duncan asked.
“No, that’s still Tucker’s. We bought The VIP club when he ran into some financial problems. He still owns The Place and runs The Skunk’s Den for us.”
“Cool!”
Duncan was amazed with his new friends. They were wealthy, famous, and powerful, but yet so normal at times. He enjoyed the constant banter between Andrew and Erick. He felt honored that they had included him in their night and couldn’t contain his excitement.
“A bunch of my friends were going to go to The Place tonight. I wonder if I’ll see them.”
“If you get bored with us, you can always go up to the nightclub,” Elizabeth said to him.
Duncan was impressed with the costumes Elizabeth and Lynn wore. They didn’t leave much to the imagination. Lynn looked sexy dressed in all black. The ladies wore matching leather bras. Elizabeth draped a shapely leg over Andrew. Her boots went past her knees; her skirt was so short he noticed her husband kept a possessive hand on her bare thigh.
“Duncan!”
He turned to face Andrew who had a dark expression on his face.
“Remember what I said about seeing your next birthday?”
“Sorry.” Feeling guilty for staring, Duncan looked at the floor.
“Duncan!”
He looked back over at Andrew. This time he dipped his head, raised his eyebrow and with an evil smile, directed his attention to his hand. Quickly, he lifted Elizabeth’s skirt to reveal a black satin thong. Duncan laughed with the artist as his wife playfully slapped him. Erick tapped him on his shoulder and pointed out the window. They had arrived. He could see a crowd waiting to get into the nightclub and spotted his friends.
“There they are.” He showed Erick.
Erick leaned over to Andrew, pointed out Duncan’s friends and whispered something in his ear.
“Let’s put on a show,” Erick said to Duncan as he led the way out.
The driver held the door as Erick stepped out, moved to the right and crossed his arms across his chest. Duncan climbed out, stepped to the left, and crossed his arms. Elizabeth and Andrew followed Lynn. Duncan could hear his friends calling to him but he kept a serious look on his face.
Tucker Tripp prepared the escort to The Skunk’s Den but Andrew stopped him. He glanced at Duncan.
“Let’s go say hello to your friends.”
Duncan smiled and led him over to the group. He introduced them. Andrew signed autographs and they were ecstatic when he ordered Tucker to take them out of the line and move them inside.
“Well, I think you looked larger than life in your friend’s eyes just now.”
“Thanks, Andrew.”
They walked down the stairs and through the hall to the heavy door leading to the Underground club. Duncan glanced at the black and white sign “The Skunk’s Den”. As planned, he and Erick entered together. The club was full of people and they seemed to recognize Erick and began to move toward the door. He noticed the murmur of the crowd as they looked back and forth between the two. He looked over the crowd and noticed the painting on the wall. He knew Puzzola’s work and made a point to take a closer look.
Puzzola entered and people pressed against them. He felt several hands slide over his body and jumped when he felt a woman grab his manhood. He threw Erick a glance only to see him with a smirk on his face.
As Puzzola made his way into the room, he and Erick were given a bit of breathing room. Erick motioned to head over to the bar.
“Behold, my son.” Erick struck a theatrical pose. “This is the kingdom of the skunk. In it, you are a prince. Anything you want, will be yours for the taking.”
“What are you talking about?” he laughed.
“You don’t have to pay for anything tonight, here or upstairs. Behave somewhat up there but down here you can do whatever or whoever you want. Anything you see going on here stays here.” He handed Duncan a drink. “Oh, if you put your drink down, don’t pick it up again. There may be drugs floating around.”
Just then a woman came up to Duncan and offered to take him over to Puzzola’s painting and show him all the little details. Erick laughed and shook his head as he moved through the crowd.
He saw a group of women and headed right into them with his arms up. They eagerly took the bait. He felt several pairs of hands and lips touching his body. He was back in his realm.
He downed his drink and took turns with each of the ladies. They moved in a tight swarm in rhythm to the provocative music. Each woman begged for him to kiss her, touch her. They returned everything he gave. As he kissed one, he’d be touching two. He didn’t know how many were touching him, but it was fun.
The smell of skin, leather and sex was enticing. It was like a feeding frenzy
and time went by fast. He managed to escape before they tried to release his member from his pants. With Lynn there, he wasn’t in the mood to do an orgy.
Just when he was about to break away he noticed Duncan walking toward him and motioned for the boy to enter the mob. He glanced over at Andrew and caught his attention to watch. Duncan walked into the middle of the group and found himself drowned with the affections of the wanton witches.
Erick ducked away and perched himself on a stool behind Andrew to
watch.
“That was cruel,” Elizabeth said as she slid onto Andrew’s lap. “You’re not going to leave him there.”
“He can handle them. Let him have some fun for a while.”
“Is that what it is? Fun?” He heard Lynn ask as she stood next to him.
“What would you call it?”
She slowly turned to face him. The black leather lion cloth hung to her knees, exposing her legs to the hip. A sultry smile spread across her lips. He saw need in her eyes.
“I guess I would call it, fun. I wouldn’t know.”
Erick couldn’t draw himself away from her gaze. He felt heat build up inside him as she stepped in front of him and dragged a finger down his arm. She crossed over to sit next to Elizabeth. He found himself very aroused and wanting her.
“Damn it.” He stood up with a rush and sought out a willing partner to relieve his frustration with.
Lynn watched Erick as he stormed off. He grabbed a beautiful brunette, spun her into his arms and kissed her hard.
Lynn looked around and noticed several couples disappearing into the shadows with them. Licking her lips, she wished she were one of them.
“You want to play that game,” Elizabeth leaned against her, “don’t you?”
“Yes I do.” She put her head down in embarrassment.
“It’s all right. Go and do it. This is probably the safest place for you to play. After all, when in Rome…”
“But I don’t know what to do.”
“He might be able to show you.”
Lynn looked in the direction Elizabeth pointed to a handsome dark haired man who was watching her. He began walking toward her; she rose to meet him. He wore a silver shirt with black leather pants. He didn’t say a word to her but slipped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him. He covered her mouth with his as he ran his hands down her body. It was shocking to her system but exciting. She didn’t try to stop.
They coasted into the shadows. His kisses tasted like wine. She ran her fingers through his silken hair as he kissed her neck. His hands were soft as they moved across her skin. He didn’t ignite the heat within her like Erick’s touch but the sheer thrill of the unknown made up for it.
He was incredibly good looking and seemed to have the sexual prowess she was searching for. When he pushed her back against a wall she raised her leg and wrapped it around his. The excitement was intoxicating.
Erick was aware of his surroundings and noticed Lynn swept into the darkness. He grabbed the woman that was kissing him and pushed her toward the couple closest to them.
“Here, have a threesome,” he said as he stormed off toward his sister.
“What the hell is Lynn doing?”
“She wanted to play.”
“But she’s not a player!”
“She is tonight.”
“How could you let her? She doesn’t know any of these people.”
“Erick, she’s my best friend and a grown woman who can do as she pleases.” Elizabeth glared at him. “If you don’t like it, then do something about it.”
As he stomped off he heard Andrew say, “This is going to be good.”
He pulled the man off her. “Lynn, what are you doing?”
The man looked at Erick.
“I’m not sharing tonight,” he growled and the man walked away.
“What did you do that for?” Lynn frowned at him.
“What do you think you are doing?” Erick repeated himself.
“I want to know what real passion feels like.” She leaned against the wall
and put her hands next to her head. “I want to be free. I want to lose my inhibitions.”
“Are you drunk?”
“No. I’m completely sober because I want to remember how it feels.”
“Shit!”
“I know it may not be the right thing.” Her head rested against the wall; she looked at him through slits in her eyes. “I just want to. I need to.”
Erick didn’t know what to do. She had her mind set but he couldn’t leave her to the wolves. They would devour her in seconds. He stood in front of her trying to figure how to get her out of the situation when he felt her touch his arm. Heat radiated through him. She moved her body next to his and looked up at him. In her eyes he saw a raw desire he couldn’t resist.
His hand moved over her bare shoulder to the back of her neck and he pulled her to him. His kiss was bruising, his anger boiled. She was making him want her. With her touch he lost control.
“Lynn, this isn’t right.” He tried to pull away.
“Erick.” Her words came out in a whisper. “Show me what it’s like.”
His heart beat as if it were about to leap out of his chest. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers played with his hair. He felt her warm skin pressing against his chest. He wanted more of her; he couldn’t stop.
“Please, Erick, show me.”
“Show you,” he repeated as his hands touched every inch of her exposed skin. “Is it me you want, or will anyone do?”
“I want you. I have for a long time.”
His mind reeled. His legs shook when she placed butterfly kisses on his neck. Her hands ran across his chest and abdomen, then unlaced his pants and released him. Blood raced through his veins. Despite her inexperience her touch was gentle yet commanding as if she were taking control of the situation.
“Make me feel like I’ve never felt,” her breath caressed his ear.
“Here?”
“Anywhere.”
“Do to me what you do to them."
She had fallen off the pedestal he had put her on. She was ready to use him. His anger turned to fury but his body was coming alive with need. He spun her around and pressed the front of her hard against the wall with force. She moaned as he ran his hands down her sides and under her skirt. Firmly, he grabbed her hips and buried his face in her hair.
“I’m going to fuck you, Lynn. That’s all it is. I’ll violate you. I’ll penetrate you until I reach the soul of your being.”
He thrust his hips forward, pressing the head of his erection between her thighs. She gasped.
“Is that what you want?”
She pressed against him and moved invitingly. His hand moved around to the front of her, his fingers found her hot and wet. His tormented body demanded to feel her. He had never reacted like this. He found himself wanting her as if he were starving and she the food. She cried out as he caressed the softness she offered.
“I want to feel you from the inside. I want to posses you.”The torment of her soft skin against his, her need for him, his hunger for her was too much to bear. He tried to pull away from her but couldn’t. Her auburn hair tumbled down her back; it felt so good against his face. His hardness lay against her thigh ready to be driven into her. His heart pounded, his breath came in pants.
As much as he wanted to continue he had to stop. This was sweet Lynn, his childhood friend. She was too good for what he wanted to do to her. He froze.
“What are you doing to me?” He growled in her ear. “What are you doing to us?”
He stepped away from her as if he were on fire and rushed out of the club.
Lynn sank to the floor in a heap. She felt humiliated but she refused to cry so she just stared into nothingness. Elizabeth came to her side and helped her up.
“What happened? Erick just stormed out.”
“I told him that I wanted him to show me what it’s like and he freaked. I was so stupid to think he’d ever want to be with me. Now I’ve just embarrassed myself to death. How am I going to face him?”
“I thought he would have jumped at the chance to be with you. I don’t get it.”
Lynn told her what Erick’s last words were to her. Elizabeth had no explanation except perhaps Erick had set a line around Lynn he refused to cross. Lynn held her chin high and acted as if nothing was bothering her as they
walked towards Duncan.
“Hey, you’ve survived your first night.” Lynn teased.
“Barely,” he groaned. “I took a break and went upstairs for a bit. I think I got more action and offers tonight than my mates have in a year. I’m exhausted.”
“Well, I think we’ll be leaving soon.”
Erick caught Andrew’s eye as he left the club and knew he would follow so he waited in the hall.
“What is going on?”
“I don’t know. This is nuts!” Erick ran his fingers through his hair. “Lynn! She’s making me insane. She’s in there telling me she wants me to show her what it’s like, driving me crazy to the point I want to show her!”
“And the problem is…”
“This is Lynn we’re talking about! Come on, she’s not that kind of girl! This is just wrong!”
“Open your eyes, Erick. She’s a real live person, not a perfect little doll to sit on a shelf. She wants to feel things that other people feel.”
“But…”
“What?”
“Damn it! When she touched me or kissed me, it was like bam! I didn’t want her to stop but I was losing control. Oh God, I wanted her! I needed her. I, ah… Don’t you see?”
“Oh.” Andrew raised his eyebrows. “This hasn’t happened before.”
“Right! God, you’re slow.”
“Well, what do you expect? It only happened to me when I was around your sister.”
“Oh, shit!” Erick turned around.
“OKAY So our sweet Lynn has her mind set to experience a bit of the wild side of life and she’s asked you to show it to her. She trusts you. Think of this… how would you feel if you don’t and someone else does?”
Erick responded with a growl and looked over his shoulder at his friend. Andrew made a point. He certainly didn’t like the idea of Lynn being in the hands of another sleaze like him.
“I think I’m going to walk home. I need some air. Take care of Duncan, will ya?”
“Sure. I think we’ll be leaving soon. I need to take care of my wife.” He grabbed his crotch. “Oh, by the way. You still have a key to your sister’s studio, right?”
Erick looked back at his friend and rolled his eyes before he slipped into the darkness of the night. He wandered around Soho for a while attempting to sort out his thoughts. He was full of feelings he didn’t understand. At one point he stopped back at the flat. Duncan had just returned. They exchanged a few words while Erick took a key off a rack next to the door and exited back out to the street. He couldn’t stop thinking about how sensual Lynn looked in her outfit leaning against the wall, inviting him to take her. She didn’t seem like the same person he grew up with, but was now commanding his attention. Her worldly adventures had given her a new bold attitude he liked; he just never expected her to proposition him for sexual favors.
He hated himself for wanting to fulfill her desires; he hated the idea she would seek out someone else even more.
In a daze, he found himself walking towards his sister’s studio. Her show was scheduled to open in a few weeks so the gallery was closed. Erick stood in the doorway and looked at the key in his hand. He closed his fingers around it and started to walk away. He thought of the morning he woke with Lynn at Hampton House and how good it felt. Perhaps they could settle some kind of agreement. He turned and unlocked the door. Quietly, he entered.
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