Just like earlier, no one is in the desert room. I duck inside the little costume room, and look around. I assume that when he told me to pick out whatever I’d like that this is what he meant. A little thrill goes through me. This is so weird, and exciting. My heart is pounding in anticipation, thinking about what’s going to happen when Cole joins me here. A fantasy.

Those words he said, I’ve never…I haven’t actually had a fantasy like that. Not directly, but when he said that…

I don’t know. It’s like a pit of need opened up in my stomach. Everything about that—vulnerability, helplessness, and royalty. I want all of that. I want to live in a fantasy world for just a while where nothing is quite real and everything is fun and playful and sexy.

I flip through the racks of the clothes, from completely sheer outfits to outfits with so much detail and fabric that I’m sure I’d be swallowed up and invisible. I end up going for something a little in the middle. Blue and sheer, with just enough solid fabric that the essentials are covered and not much more. After all, if I were being given as a gift, I’m not sure modesty would be a consideration. I laugh out loud. I can’t believe I’m doing this. Even if I hate it, it’ll be a good story. The one time I tried to role-play…

I have the bottom half of the costume on—a glittery skirt with a slit all the way to my upper thigh—and nothing else when I hear the door open. I freeze. I didn’t think about asking Cole what to do if someone else comes in to use the room. Do we still use it? Does he get priority because he’s the owner? I’m not sure I want anyone else in the room. “Hello?” I call out.

A petite woman about my age appears at the door to the dressing room, and I pull one of the other costumes out from the rack to cover myself.

She smiles. “I’m Emily, one of the scene attendants here. Mr. Andrews sent me to help you get ready.”

“Oh.” I relax, though I don’t drop the costume that’s covering my breasts.

“I can do your hair if you like,” she says, “and I’m supposed to give you a quick rundown of rules and procedure.”

“Rules?”

She smiles again. “Don’t worry, there’s not many. The safe word is ‘red.’ If something happens, you shout that and security will be in here in ten seconds. I doubt you’ll have need of that with Mr. Andrews, but you need to know.”

I nod.

“Safe sex is required here at Club Deep. Even if you and your partner agree that it’s not necessary, it’s required here. Last rule, make sure you put your costume in the laundry bin.”

“Sounds easy enough,” I say.

“Good. Can I help you with the rest of the costume? Believe me, I’ve seen more naked people than I can count.”

I look down at the costume I forgot I was holding. “Right. Okay.” That makes sense, working in a place like this. I hold out the glittery top to her, and she helps me into it, cinching the ties in the back so that it fits properly. I remember that she offered to do my hair. “I think I want to leave my hair down, if that’s okay.”

“Of course,” she says. “The only thing Mr. Andrews asked is that I blindfold you and make sure you’re in place before I leave.”

“A blindfold? Why?”

She grins at me. “I think he wants to keep his entrance a surprise. Oh, and he’ll make sure you two are not disturbed in here. All the rooms are monitored by security, but no one else will play while you’re here.”

“Good.”

She retrieves what looks like a long blue silk scarf the same color as my costume. “He said something about not wanting it to be too overwhelming.”

I laugh. I’ll have to emphasize a different word next time and see how he uses it. I wonder what would have happened if I had told him that it was ‘hot’ or ‘sexy’ or any other word.

“Anything else you’d like for your costume?”

I look down at myself, and I love it. My skin peeks out from underneath the sparkling fabric, both mysterious and obvious at the same time. “No,” I say, “This is good.”

“All right.” She leads me out into the main room, which is much bigger than I thought from just observing the entrance. The silk hangings and strewn pillows are just the beginning. The silks are actually a tent, and Emily pushes them aside so we can enter what looks like pure luxury straight out of an Arabian fairytale. Oriental carpets cover the ground with cushions and there are a few low velvet couches. It’s warm, the low light coming from salt lamps filled with chunks of the rock, and the rich scent of incense fills the air. I would never know I’m in an underground club in the middle of Phoenix.

“Wow.” It’s the only word that comes to mind.

Emily is in the center of the room. “I think here will be the best view, if you want to do some surprising of your own,” she says with a wink.

“Sure.”

I kneel down on the thick carpet, and Emily wraps the scarf around my eyes. It’s soft, but I can’t see through it at all. “I’ll let him know you’re ready, and Mr. Andrews will be with you shortly,” she says with a hand on my shoulder. And then I’m alone and I hear the outer door click shut.

It’s weird to wait in darkness like this. The silence is loud, rich, and I imagine this game we’re playing is real. I imagine I’m the girl waiting for the King, and my gut begins to churn with nervousness. But there’s a thrill there, too. Anticipation. I imagine I saw the King earlier, and thought that at least he was handsome. That maybe he would be kind. That maybe this would be a good thing.

I’m not sure how long I wait—time doesn’t seem real when you can’t see. It could be minutes or hours, either one making me aware of the space around me until it feels like I can see without using my eyes. My toes brush the thick carpet, digging into the fibers. I feel wavering heat on the left side of my face from one of the lamps. I inhale the scent of the incense and try to figure out exactly that scent is. Oak, orange, earth.

The door opens with a soft click, and it’s him. I can feel it. Suddenly I feel everything, the clothes and air on my skin, the anticipation in my gut, and the movement of him in the room. His footfalls are soft and steady, and I hear him enter the dressing room and the rustle of fabric. Then he’s coming towards me, and my heart rate speeds up. An odd thought strikes me. Has this all been one night? I never thought my world could change so quickly.

Then I hear the whisper of the silk tent and his voice, deeper, more commanding, just like a King. “They told me a gift was waiting. You are not what I expected.”

And just like that, reality drops away. I swallow. “No?”

“No.” The air moves around me, and I can feel him walking slowly around me. I think about just how much these clothes reveal and blush. He completes his circle, stopping in front of me, and I feel fabric brushing against my knees.

Fingers are in my hair and I stiffen, and relax, realizing he’s undoing the blindfold. Everything seems bright now, and I blink trying to regain my vision. When I do, I lose something else—my breath. Cole stands before me in a glorious costume. Long flowing pants, with an embroidered coat. He’s shirtless under the coat, and the sight of his chest, perfect and sculpted, better than I even imagined, distracts me. There’s a hint of ink peeking around his ribs, but I can’t see what it is. His hair is tousled with the careless grace of royalty, and his stance holds the confidence and arrogance of the same. He’s staring at me, his face unyielding, and my mouth waters. He’s gorgeous, and every inch a king. Given to him or not, I want him. I shouldn’t want him, but I do.

He walks over to one of the low couches, sprawling across it with lazy grace. “Stand.”

A command. There’s nothing in his voice that doubts I’ll obey. I stand, the clothes catching the light and sparkling. The split in the skirt falls open with the movement, exposing my leg. I see the corner of his mouth tug up into a ghost of a smile. Barely there.

I clear my throat. “What do I call you?”

“Your Majesty will do. Or highness.” He moves his finger in a small circle. “Turn.”

I do, slowly, feeling his eyes on me the whole time. It’s like they’re searing my skin with the heat they’re giving, and despite myself, I feel that same tiny thrill—that desire.

When I’m facing him again, he tilts his head like he’s trying to solve a puzzle. “You’re not from my country.”

“No, your majesty.”

He smiles. “So how did you come to be here?”

I swallow again, the story coming to life in my brain. “My family tends animals. I was alone with a group of cattle when I was taken. Sold at a market to the group that brought me here.”

He frowns a little. “And do you know who they are?”

I shake my head. He considers me for a while in silence before speaking again. “Have you ever been with a man?”

I look down at the carpet, face suddenly hot, body suddenly hotter. “No, your majesty.”

Silence again, longer this time. “I’m trying to figure out what to do with you.”

“I thought—”

“I know why you are here,” he says, waving a hand. “I know what is expected. But since you didn’t choose to be in my presence wearing clothes like that, I find myself with a bit of a…conundrum.”

I don’t say anything.

“Unfortunately, the men who brought you here are not men I can afford to be on the wrong side of.” He smiles. “I can’t offend them by not accepting their gift in some way. But, I’m not a monster. I won’t force you. If you do not wish it, I’ll send you away, and you will have a place in my household as a servant.”

The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. “And if I do, I’ll have a place in your harem?”

He gives me that ghost smile. “Actually, I was going to say that I’ll let you go home.” My breath stills in my chest. “Really?”

He nods.

“And why couldn’t it be both? You could send me away now and still let me go home.”

He stands, crossing the distance between us. “I wish it were that simple, but I’m not a fool. They have spies everywhere. If they see you leave my rooms now, and don’t see you serving tomorrow, they will be offended. But if you leave in the morning, they’ll never think of you again.”

I look up into his eyes, dark green and fiery, and I feel that desire again.

“But I’m a passionate man, and having somebody as beautiful here with me for the night is more temptation than I can bear.”

I look down, away from him, and he his fingers find my chin, lifting my gaze back to his. “Give me tonight, and I’ll give you your freedom.”

His lips touch mine. Softly at first, then not so soft. The world disappears and I can’t remember anything but the feeling of his lips on my mine, the swooping of my stomach in free fall. For a breathless moment every part of my body is alive, fire spiraling through me and burning me up, turning me on, making me frantic with need.

He pulls back from me, just an inch, enough to see my eyes. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Good.” Taking a step back, he shrugs out of his coat, tossing it onto the couch and removing his pants in one smooth motion so that he’s naked in front of me.

Stunning in the costume, he’s even better without. His sculpted chest and abs leading down to perfect hips, and a cock standing proudly at attention. It’s thick and straight, and I shudder at the idea that that’s going to be inside me. I’ve never wanted anything so much.

“Undress. You won’t be needing those.” He gestures to my clothes with a sultry smirk.

He doesn’t move, just stands there waiting, expectant. He doesn’t make a move to help me. Just watches with that intense green stare that I can’t seem to look away from. I’m shaking. I’m not sure if it’s nerves or anticipation. Reaching back, I undo the ties on the top, and the weight of it makes it slither off my skin, landing in a heap at my feet. I push the skirt off my hips before I can change my mind, and it joins the pile of the fabric on the floor.

Suddenly he’s there, hands running across my skin, kissing me hard. He leads me to the cushions on the floor and guides me down until he’s laying over me. He’s bigger than I realized, he’s everywhere. His cock is hot and hard between us as he presses me down into the pillows, and that heat is spreading through me, downwards. My skin is so sensitive that every move he makes sends shivers across it—the product of an entire night waiting for this, for him to touch me. His fingers trail down my chest, the tips of fingers circling my breasts before flowing down and between my legs. He draws through the wetness there and I moan, arching my hips up and into him. He doesn’t push into me, not yet, just teases, running light strokes up and down my opening and circles around my clit. Just enough to make me want more. To make me want everything.

“When you go home, wherever you’re from, you can say I forced you if it makes it easier for them. But you and I will both know that it’s not true.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

And then he kisses me, and it’s everything. Fire explodes between us and I reach out, pull him closer, run my hands over his ribs, feeling the hardness of his muscles and the faint trace of a scar. Pleasure, deep and real, is running through me, and god, if just kissing him is like this…

He inches down my body, and it feels like he’s kissing every inch of my skin. I get lost in the sensation of his lips, of the chills he’s giving me, of the way my nipples harden as he brushes his lips across them before taking them into his mouth. Oh god yes. Yes. The suction of his mouth is a direct line to my clit, and I think that if he just kept doing this I might come.

But he has other plans, moving down and down and down until he’s right there, and I can feel his breath on my clit. There’s something so intimate about that feeling.

I look down to find him watching me, like he was waiting for me to look. And I’m looking as he slowly licks me, the feral sound he makes sending a gush of wetness onto his tongue. He seals his mouth over me in response, sucking deep, and oh god…

He’s barely touched me and I’m almost there. I must have said it out loud because suddenly his lips are around my clit, tongue working it with a singular focus. Every stroke takes me a little higher, a little closer, and I reach out for something to hold onto and find nothing solid. Just silk and pillows. It’s too much and just enough, and I’m writhing as he holds my pussy again, trying to get away, to make it last longer, but god I want it.

He lifts my hips off the ground, pulling me higher and makes me his. He’s feasting like the king he is, and the pleasure washes over me in a wave. I know that he’s not going to stop, not going to let me get away until he gives it all to me.

His teeth graze my clit, and with a last flick of his tongue, I come. I cry out, my voice muffled by all the fabric surrounding us, and it feels like fire, and if it is, then I don’t want to ever stop burning. He drinks me up, licking me deeper until I’m shaking and begging, until every last tremor has left me.

Letting my hips down, I see his mouth glistening with my juices, and I’m ready to come again just to see more of that. It’s so strange, such a blatant image of lust.

Reaching to his pants on the couch, he pulls out a condom, and I’m jerked back to reality by the sight of it. It’s jarring, seeing it in this fantasy, and now I know why they have the rule of absolutely no exceptions. I would have forgotten entirely.

I’m staring at him as he rolls the condom on, the tightness of it making him look even bigger. For a moment, it’s Cole grinning at me with wicked intent, and next it’s the king grabbing my hips again and flipping me over on the pillows. He settles between my legs, and he doesn’t wait. He’s there, entering me, splitting me open in the best way.

Oooh. Yes.

It feels like he slides in forever before he’s all the way in, seated so deep I can feel his hips pressing into mine. He stretches himself over me, skin to skin, grabbing my hands in his, entwining our fingers. I’m trapped here by him. Pinned down and impaled, I’m utterly taken. Something clicks in my brain, and pure, dazzling arousal rushes through me. I gasp, not expecting something like that. My pussy clamps down on his cock, and he growls in my ear. He pulls back and slams in, spreading my legs even wider with his knees and showing me just how vulnerable I am—how he’s in control.

“You like this, don’t you.” Not a question.

He slams into me again, and I can barely breathe, the friction of his cock in me making me shake. “Yes, majesty.”

“I should have bargained for more than one night,” he says.

He thrusts into me, and I go blind. There’s nothing in the world other than this sensation, this complete pleasure of being fucked.

His mouth is at my ear, and the sounds he’s making as he pushes into me again and again just make me wetter, bring me closer.

“You feel so good.” His voice is raw. I feel lips on my shoulder and then my neck, and his fingers tighten around mine. My orgasm is impossibly building again—I’ve never had it happen this quickly. But the way he’s sliding against me, this quick, brutal rhythm has me hovering on the edge again.

“Andrea,” he says my name, and I’m there. Cole is fucking me. This gorgeous specimen of a man that I barely know is hitting that spot deep inside of me that makes me see stars. “Come again.”

Like his words unlock something in me, I do. I scream out my climax, mouth smothered in the pillows, and he only fucks me harder. Bright fireworks of pleasure blaze through my body, and no part of me is left untouched.

Cole groans, thrusting hard into me and I feel him spasm inside me, coming just as hard as I did. He moves his hips in short little thrusts, working us both through our pleasure until I’m limp and gasping, and he’s practically collapsed on top of me.

“Holy shit,” I say, no longer in the world of fantasy. Now I’m just a girl sprawled on some pillows that had the best sex of her life.

Cole pushes himself to the side, lying down beside me. “Holy shit,” he agrees.