Shane texted me that he was on his way, and I started on the rough draft of my interview on my phone while I waited.

I had been sitting in the lobby awhile when a shadow appeared beside of me, and I raised my head to find the more difficult band member that I had just interviewed standing there watching me. It was a little unnerving, but I gave him a forced smile.

“Hi.” I thought his name was Trey, but I couldn’t be sure. He and the other band members of Drunken Monkeys had spent more time making sexual comments than answering the questions my boss had requested I ask.

“I was hoping you hadn’t gone far.”

I shrugged. “Nope, I’m waiting on my boyfriend to pick me up.” I put a little more emphasis on the word boyfriend, hoping the jerk would take the hint and go away. He really gave me the creeps, even if he was kind of hot. Something in his hazel eyes just didn’t set right with me.

There was an empty chair beside of me and Trey took it. He sat on the edge, leaning closer toward me as he spoke. “How about coming upstairs with me for a few hours? I really want to see what is under that cute little skirt.”

“And I’m really trying hard not to puke.” I glared at him. “Let’s see who succeeds first, asshole.”

A big, slightly beefy hand reached over and rubbed over my knee before I could move. “Don’t play hard to get, pretty girl. You know I’m a sure thing.”

I felt bile rise in the back of my throat as his hand touched my skin. Without thinking about it, I picked my keys and lifted the little can of Mace. One, two, three…

Trey, the Drunken Monkey screamed as the Mace entered his eyes. Jumping up, rubbing at his face, he started calling me all kinds of vile names. I tried not to laugh at him, really, I did. He was used to getting any girl to fall into bed with him and it had gone to his head. My first rejection must have sounded like a hard to get line, but my second more forceful rejection was hard to take in.

“What the hell is going on here?” A deep voice that never failed to send shivers through me had me raising my head.

The can of Mace was still in my hand. When Shane saw it and put that together with the reaction of the hurting rocker, his entire expression changed to something I had never seen before. And I hoped I never saw it again. His face contorted with a spasm of rage, and the next thing I knew Trey was lying on the floor of a five star hotel. He was no longer screaming in pain because Shane had knocked his ass out.

“You fucking asshole!” Shane yelled in the unconscious man’s face. “Touch my girl again and I will break your fucking neck!”

He was shaking with rage, his face so red it was almost purple. I jumped up and grabbed his arm, afraid he would start kicking the other man.

“Hey, hey.” I forced him to turn and face me. When my arms went around him, I could actually feel the rage fading a little. “It’s okay. Nothing happened.”

“Something obviously happened or you wouldn’t have had to protect yourself!” Shane growled. “Fuck this, you are not going to any more interviews unless I’m with you.”

I wanted to argue, but knew now—while he was still vibrating with anger—was not the right time. So I let it go for the moment.

On the floor, Trey groaned as he slowly came around. I turned so I was standing between him and Shane.

“What happened?” he mumbled as he glanced around. When his gaze focused on Shane, he blinked, his eyes obviously still stinging from the Mace. “Stevenson?”

“Yup.” Shane’s arms wrapped around my waist, staking his claim. “Stay the fuck away from my girl.”

Trey muttered a curse. “I didn’t know she was your girl, fucker. And really? You have a steady girl?” His gaze traveled to me and over my body almost leeringly. “Not that I can question your taste.” But then he wiped his hands over his eyes. They were watering from the reaction to the chemical. “Fuck, this hurts!”

Because the lobby was off to the side of the hotel entrance, no one had noticed our confrontation. But with Trey continuing to curse it drew the attention of the manager and a few others. The manager, an older man with almost completely gray hair, stepped forward. “Is there a problem here?”

Shane turned to face the man. “The guy has something in his eyes,” he informed the manager with a face that was like stone it was so hard. “He may need medical attention.”

I glanced down at the other rocker. His face was red, the burn from the Mace affecting the skin around his eyes as well. I bit my lip, feeling sorry for the guy now.

“This doesn’t look good at all,” the manager commented when he crouched down to take a better look at the guy’s eyes. “What happened, sir?”

I waited for the Drunken Monkey to tell the older man that I had assaulted him. I had a sudden fear that the cops were going to be called and I’d be arrested for spraying Trey with my Mace. Instead, he grumbled something about being stupid and left it at that.

Shane tightened his hold on my waist and urged me to move away from the group that was now forming around us. When we where outside in front of the hotel, he pulled me against him and kissed me hard. “I don’t think I like your job anymore.”

I gave me a small smile. “It’s not so bad,” I assured him. “And I carry my Mace for things like this.”

“I’m buying you a Taser. You can fry the next guy’s ass. Not that I see this happening again. No one will touch you when I’m with you.”

I bit my tongue to keep from arguing with him but couldn’t help but smile at how protecting and possessive he was.


Shane

I was still shaking a little by the time the taxi pulled to a stop in front of Sensual House. I couldn’t get the thought of some guy trying to manhandle Harper out of my mind, and the more I thought about it, the more pissed I got. But my girl sure had shown some balls today.

I knew Trey from way back when Demon’s Wings had first gotten started. He and the other Drunken Monkeys were hard-core, worse than Demon’s Wings or even OtherWorld when it came to causing trouble and partying. There had even been a rumor a few years before that their drummer had raped an underage girl after one of their concerts. And I wasn’t all that sure it was just a rumor.

So it was little wonder why I was so torn up over Harper’s ordeal. But with her holding on to me the entire taxi ride, I was beginning to feel calmer. Simply having her hand on my arm was enough to ground me.

I paid the driver and then pulled her out with me. She frowned up at the huge brownstone building. It looked like any other place in the city and in beautiful condition on the outside with a nondescript look that was completely misleading to the business that was housed inside. Sensual House was one of several sex clubs that were located in New York. It catered to every possible sex fetish known to man, and some that weren’t even invented yet.

I hadn’t ever been to Sensual House before and knew that it was a more couple oriented place than what I usually went for. While most clubs catered to casual sex, Sensual House was exclusively for couples, couples that were experimenting or just needed to spice up their sex life. A place where both partners could feel safe and secure with the added anonymity.

When Harper had asked for toys to experiment with, I had known this was the place for us.

“Where are we?” she asked as she continued to stare up at the brownstone.

I didn’t answer but pulled her up the steps and rang the doorbell. A woman answered the door with an air of professionalism to her. “Yes?”

“Shane Stevenson.” I had called ahead to make arrangements for everything I wanted and needed for Harper’s first time. My name and the password that each client was given was my key inside. “Red room.”

The woman tilted her head and stepped back to let us enter. The foyer was typical of any business, clean and stylish in décor. Harper remained quiet beside me as the woman closed the door behind us. “Welcome to Sensual House, Mr. Stevenson. Your room is already prepared. My name is Yvonne. Should you and your lovely guest need anything, please use your in-room phone and we will be happy to assist you in any way.”

I took the key that she offered and lead Harper upstairs. When we reached our room, I pulled her inside and finally explained where we were. Her eyes widened. A part of me had been worried that this would freak her out; that this wasn’t something that she would go for. But as the surprise started to fade, I could see the hunger filling those violet eyes I loved so much.


Harper

I’ll be honest, the whole sex club thing had really thrown me. But when I realized what Sensual House was about, I relaxed a little. I knew that Shane only wanted to make me feel safe and didn’t want to break my trust. Oddly enough, he had set me at ease because as excited as I’d been, I’d also been scared.

The room we were in was just like something out of an erotic novel. Red walls with crimson décor. The four post king sized bed had actual silk sheets, and of course they were red as well. Pillows in red and black were stacked against the head board while rose petals—red rose petals—were scattered across the sheets.

And on a long table covered in a satin cloth, toys of every shape and form were ready to be played with. My nerves returned as I crossed over to them and touched one after another. I was completely naïve and knew absolutely nothing about any of these objects and could only take a guess what each did.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind. Shane’s hard chest was warm against my back. A breath shuddered from him, and I realized he was just as nervous as I was. That calmed all of my nervousness and I turned in his arms.

“Say something.”

I smiled. “Thank you. This is perfect.”

His eyes were searching mine, seeking reassurance that I was really okay with all of this. “Are you sure? We can leave right now and we can do this however you want, whenever you want.”

“No. I think this is going to be fun. Besides, I trust you.”

Relief flashed across his handsome face, and he kissed me long and hard. No matter how many times Shane kissed me, I would never be ready for how intoxicating his taste was. How just the skim of his tongue over my bottom lip sent a shiver down my spine and made my sex flood with desire. He took my breath away and left me aching with just a simple kiss.

Almost reluctantly he stepped back. “There is lingerie in the closet. I ordered a few that you can choose from. Pick what you want and model it for me.”

There were three different sets of lingerie to choose from: a red and black lace chemise set that came with fishnet thigh highs and a garter belt; a crimson skirtini set that came with silk stockings; and a black satin peek-a-boo bra and thong set.

Pulling the skirtini set out, I went into the bathroom to change. The bathroom was gigantic. A walk-in shower was right next to a clawfoot tub that was easily big enough for two. A floor length mirror was on the wall in front of the shower, and I could easily imagine Shane making love to me in the shower while I watched in that mirror.

That image alone had me panting a little as I stripped of my simple black skirt and white top. The skirtini was cute, and I loved the feel of the silk stockings on my skin as I slid them over my legs. When I had dressed in the lingerie, I turned to get a glance of myself.

For the first time in my life, I thought I could actually see what Shane claimed he saw every time he looked at me. I might not be beautiful, but right in this moment I looked sexy as hell.

Smiling, I left the bathroom to find Shane sitting on the edge of the big crimson bed. He was actually wearing boxers, and that made me pause for a moment. My man looked really good in the masculine underwear.

He held his hand out for me, and I eagerly crossed over to him and placed my hand in his. Blue-gray eyes were eating me alive as they traveled from the top of my head to the tip of my silk stocking covered feet. A gentle tug and I was pulled across his chest as he fell back onto the bed.

“I love you so much, Harper.”

“I love you too.” It felt good to tell him. My heart felt lighter for having told him those magically powerful words. “Better not break my heart, mister,” I gently teased, even as I was praying that he never would.

“I won’t. Your heart is safe with me,” he promised.

With a smile I brushed a kiss over his lips.