My gaze narrowed, knowing she wasn’t talking about an actual party. The hotel would never be so crass to throw two parties on the same night. Which meant it had to be a Raelynn type of party. Probably illicit and full of bad decisions.
“I’d say that you being so eager to come tonight makes a lot more sense.”
She shrugged, unrepentant as usual. “I know someone who works here at the hotel. He runs a little side business for when they host big events like this.”
“What kind of side business?”
“A kinky one.”
“Oh, boy.” I took another fortifying sip of champagne. “Tell me.”
“You submit your name and fill out a questionnaire. He will then pair you with someone else.”
“Who? And what do you mean pair?”
“Someone to fuck tonight,” she stated bluntly. My jaw dropped. Before I could protest, she pushed on. “It’s completely anonymous. You won’t remove your mask or say any names. Frankly, I’ve had a few times that I don’t even want them to talk. It’s like a fishbowl party; you toss your keys into a bowl and never know who you’ll get at the end of the night.”
“But…what if it’s someone I know? Someone old? Someone unattractive? What if it’s Camden?”
We both shuddered at the thought.
“It’s like an elite Tinder, except he’s the only one that sees the profiles. He makes sure not to pair you with anyone too familiar. As for the rest, that’s what the questionnaire is for. Hotel room? Random tryst in the garden or on the roof? Spanking? No talking or dirty talking? Anal?” I pulled away with a cringe, and she laughed, holding up her hands. “No judgment. Whatever you’re into.”
When I didn’t immediately say no, she smiled. My heart thundered in my chest, and I twisted my mother’s antique ring around my finger.
A lady doesn’t fidget, my mother’s voice rang in my head.
Sorry, Mom. A lady also doesn’t consider letting a stranger fuck her. I finished my champagne and snagged another. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. It’s just a way to experience someone else outside of Camden without the hassle of actually looking for it.”
My eyes darted around the room, taking in all the masked men, wondering if I did this, if one of them would be who I’d be with.
A tall man dressed in black stopped me. As if he could feel my gaze raking across his broad frame, he turned, his dark eyes clashing with mine. I sucked in a breath. His ornate silver mask looked like the top half of a skull. The narrowed eyes created a startling yet beautiful picture. Even across the room, through his mask, I could see his dark eyes sparkling through the thin slits. My body heated under his stare as he made a point to move his head enough to let me know he was looking me up and down.
Something about him, about the way his attention burned me, had a familiar warmth to it like we’d met before.
What if…what if I got paired with him? That had my heart thundering for a whole new reason beyond nerves. A man approached the stranger, pulling his attention away, freeing me from his trance.
I looked over the rest of the room before looking back to Rae when Camden caught my eye and lifted his glass, offering a wink. My cheeks twitched but never quite formed a smile. Could I marry him knowing I’d never really experienced anything? Would I always regret being a perfect lady when I had the chance to not be? Did I want to be celibate until we married? Was he being celibate?
A giggle broke free. Probably not.
I remembered the way he called me a good girl before I got in the car after dinner. I remembered the way he called me pure, like I was saving myself for him.
He probably assumed I’d maybe slept with my college boyfriend with the lights out and under the covers. And he wouldn’t be completely wrong. My first time had been in college with my long-time boyfriend, and it had been missionary with the lights low. But there’d also been a few others. More than that—just because I’d only had sex like that, didn’t mean it was all I wanted. Pure wasn’t the word I’d use to describe the fantasies that only came late in the night.
No. I didn’t want to save anything for him—especially not my fantasies. I wanted to live those out on my own terms. He could earn my affection later, like my mom said he would. For now, I was ready to deliver a big fuck you to the man who assumed he could boss me around.
Fuck being a goody-two-shoes.
“Let’s do it,” I said before I could change my mind.
“Yay,” Raelynn squealed.
“If anything goes wrong, I’ll just blame it on the champagne.” I raised my glass, and she tapped hers against it, both of us downing the fizzy bubbles.