In between bites of steak, I tell her about Miles, about my stay at the hotel. It feels very natural, very comfortable. It’s almost like we’re on a normal date. I keep expecting her to get bored, or for her eyes to wander off, but she stays present, asking me questions and giving me an uncharacteristically gentle smile.
When the server takes away my empty plate, I’m a little sad that our dinner is coming to an end.
“This has been really, really great,” I gush to her, meaning it with all my heart. “Thank you again for taking me out. I’m sorry if I talked too much.”
She cocks her head, giving me a curious look again.
“Don’t apologize,” she says. “I enjoy your company, Paige.”
Blood rushes to my cheeks. “I enjoy your company, too, my king.” I look anxiously to the clock above the bar. “Do you have any meetings tonight?”
“Not tonight,” she answers, with a raised eyebrow. She circles her finger around the rim of her wine glass. “I’d like to propose a second part to our date. If you aren’t too tired.”
Excitement blazes through me. “No, I’m wide awake! Should we go back down to the suite?”
“I thought I might introduce you to another part of the hotel,” Crimson suggests, a twinkle in her eyes.
CHAPTER 39: SUBMIT
Paige
My fingers twist together behind my back, nerves fluttering in my stomach.
“Tell me if you want to go back up to our suite, Paige,” Crimson whispers. “We can always enjoy ourselves there.”
“No, no,” I reply quickly, giving her what I hope is an encouraging smile. “I want to do this.”
“What’s your word?”
“‘Thorn,’” I reply, obediently. There’s a not-unpleasant twisting sensation in my stomach, at the act of obeying her. At the thought of what’s going to come next.
Crimson gives me another disarmingly gentle look. Tonight, she feels so different. Her glances last a little longer, her touches caress me with a deeper softness, her words wrap around me more intimately…
She gestures at the gleaming, oval bar in the center of the club. “Would you like something to drink before we go? Water, or one of those sugar drinks?”
“No, thank you, sir,” I answer, moving a little closer to her.
Crimson brought me down to the secret speakeasy club that’s located under the hotel. I thought it would be like the vampire bar where I first met Sabina, but this ismuchmore intense. The ceilings are high, and the entire place is filled with the glow of red and purple neon lights. A DJ plays a thrumming, bass-heavy song, and the dance floor is completelypacked with sweaty bodies pressed up against each other.
But they part when they see Crimson. Even in the chaos, living humans and vampires alike seem to recognize her and give her a wide bearing, just like they do at the Midnight Mansion. I thought that the Night vampires did that because she’s their king. But how could all of these people and vampires know her in Silverlake City?
A glance at her instantly reveals the reason: even if you didn’t know Crimson, even if you didn’t know vampiresexist, it’s impossible not to sense the chilling, raw power that radiates from her. She moves slowly and deliberately, like a hunter stalking her prey. Her haunted, pale eyes seem to see everything, although they don’t move often.
I can’t blame the people in the club for avoiding her gaze. Although I’ve spent a lot of time with Crimson, she still sets my nerves on fire just being in her presence.
And my nerves are certainly on fire tonight, knowing where we’re going and what we’re going to do.
Crimson pauses before a dark, nondescript door at the very back of the club. If you didn’t know to look for it, you could easily miss it in the heavy, dim atmosphere. The only way you can identify the door is by the small, red block letters on its surface, barely visible in the glow of the red neon lights.
The door says “SUBMIT.”
A full-body shiver passes through me.
“We could stay in the club for a while longer,” Crimson offers.
But I shake my head vigorously. I can’t prolong the tension any more than I already have. I’ve been thinking about this door since Crimson told me all about it at the restaurant, and the suspense is more than I can bear. Even though we discussed our limits and preferences already, and she told me what to expect, it’s completely different to actuallybehere.
She reaches out to open the door, and places her other hand on the small of my back to lead me through. It’s an protective, intimate gesture, and I’m very grateful for it.
