S.E.C.R.E.T.: An Erotic Novel by L. Marie Adeline Page B

That’s where hearts should sit, I thought, deep in the gut,
     where there is more insulation to hide their anxious beating. And yet, nervous as
     I was, I was also … curious. I took a deep breath and headed inside and straight for
     the elevators.
    A small man in a hotel uniform appeared on my left.
    “Can I see your ticket?”
    “Oh, yes,” I said, digging in my clutch. “Here.”
    He eyed the ticket, then me, clearing his throat.
    “Well, then,” he said, pressing the up button. “Welcome to The Saint. We hope you’ll
     enjoy your stay.”
    “Oh, I’m not staying here. I’m only meeting … well, seeing … 
hearing
, just hearing the music.”
    “Of course. Have a lovely evening,” he said, bowing and then backing away from me.
    The elevator swallowed me up, its ascent wreaking havoc with my already churning stomach.
     I closed my eyes and leaned up against the cool mirrored wall, holding tight to the
     rail. As the elevator car neared the penthouse club, I could hear muffled music, many
     voices. The doors opened to dozens of smartly dressed people clustered in the dim
     lobby, more still in the dark bar beyond the glass doors. It took superhuman strength
     for me to peel my fingers from the rail, leave the safe confines of the elevator and
     launch myself into the crowd.
    Each person was holding a glass of champagne and was engaged in what seemed to be
     an interesting conversation. Some women glanced over their shoulders at me the way
     you’d look at a potential opponent. Their male companions assessed me too. Were those
     looks of … interest? No. Couldn’t be. No way. I moved slowly through the crowd, keeping
     my eyes lowered, yet wondering what the hell I was doing in such a swishy place. I
     saw some local luminaries, Kay Ladoucer from city council, who also chaired several
     prominent charities. She was carrying on an animated conversation with Pierre Castille,
     the handsome billionaire land developer known for being a reclusive bachelor. He looked
     my way and I averted my eyes. Then I realized what he was actually looking at. Beside
     me were gathered several young and coltish daughters of Southern gentry, the kind
     of girls whose photographs you see in the
Times-Picayune
society pages.
    The Smoking Time Jazz Club band was going to be playing tonight, but they hadn’t yet
     taken the stage. I had heard them before at the Blue Nile. I loved the lead singer,
     a quirky girl with a partly shaved head and a powerful, hypnotic voice. But I wasn’t
     here just to enjoy the music. Who was I meeting, and how would things unfold? Despite
     my nervousness, I could not avoid noticing a tall, attractive man talking with a long-legged
     woman wearing a brave red dress. As I watched (discreetly, I thought), he dismissed
     her and made his way over to me. All the air left my body as he blocked my path to
     the bar.
    “Hello,” he said, smiling. With his green eyes and blond hair he looked as though
     he’d stepped out of a magazine. He wore a beautifully tailored charcoal gray suit
     with a white shirt. His tie was thin and black. He seemed a little younger than the
     masseur, and more muscular too. I glanced over at the woman in the red dress, whose
     posture seemed to suggest defeat. He had left off talking to her to cross the room
     and greet
me
? Was he crazy?
    “I’m … I’m Cassie,” I said, hoping he couldn’t sense my anxious thoughts.
    “I see you don’t have a drink. Let me get you one,” he said, placing his hand on the
     small of my back and guiding me through the thickening crowd towards the bar.
    “Oh. Yes. Why not?” The band was taking the stage. I could hear them warming up.
    “What about your … companion?” I asked.
    “What companion?” He seemed genuinely puzzled.
    I glanced over my shoulder to where the woman had stood. She was gone.
    He pulled out an empty stool at the bar and gestured for me to sit. Then he leaned
     towards me, moving a strand of