Hidden Desire (Silk Grove part one) Read online

  Hidden Desire (Silk Grove part one)

  by Aurora Dupree

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright 2013 Aurora Dupree

  ***

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either

  the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner.

  Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locations is purely coincidental.

  “I'm still not sure how I feel about this.”

  Naomi examined herself in the mirror, the sleek black dress clinging to her body. It looked expensive, sure, but she felt like it was accentuating all the wrong areas. Her butt stuck out at an awkward angle, and a little bit more of her cleavage was exposed than she was comfortable with.

  “Nonsense. You look fantastic.”

  Cherish, her buxom, buoyant best friend, obviously had no such qualms about dressing up. She was adorned in a skintight red cocktail outfit, and Naomi couldn't help but feel jealous. Not to mention her fiery red hair was hanging down her back just perfectly so, while Naomi's own brunette frizzes had taken many hours to straighten and untangle. She sighed, with the sinking feeling that this was as good as she was going to get.

  “What's the deal with this place again? Some club?”

  “It's not just any club,” Cherish said, applying a final touch of lipstick to her mouth. “It's the Silk Grove. The most exclusive place in the city. We never would have gotten in if my friend who works for the magazine didn't drop our names.”

  “The Silk Grove, huh? I've never heard of it.”

  “That's because it's exclusive.”

  “Can a place be so exclusive that no one knows about it?”

  Cherish smirked.

  “Don't be a buzzkill. We're going to go, and we're going to have a great time. Who knows, you might even meet a rich, handsome guy there. Someone to get your mind off of Clarence.”

  Naomi had broken up with Clarence, her ex-boyfriend, just a few weeks ago. He was a good-for-nothing: lazy, slovenly, with no job and fewer prospects. But still—sometimes even a shitty boyfriend was better than none at all.

  “I doubt it. I bet all the guys there will be douchey frat boy types.”

  “Naomi my love, you still don't understand. This place is the crème de la crème. They don't let douchey frat boy types in here. They wouldn't even be able to get past the door.”

  “Still. I'm not optimistic.”

  “That's an attribute you should change if you want to have a good time.”

  Much as she hated to admit it, Cherish was right. There was truth in the whole bit about self-fulfilling prophecy and all that. She was going to brace herself and try to enjoy the evening, no matter how she felt about things.

  They hailed a cab and soon they were whizzing across the city. Cherish stuck her head out the window like an overeager dog and hooted.

  “Silk Grove, bitches!”

  “Jesus Christ, are you trying to get yourself killed?”

  She ducked back into the cab, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

  “Lighten up. We're going to have some fun tonight. I won't have any sort of pessimistic attitude.”

  Soon they arrived at the busy avenue. Up ahead Naomi could see the front of the club. The name “Silk Grove” adorned the building in tasteful script, with two swaying palm trees on both sides. A long line of fashionable people were waiting around the block, hemmed in by a velvet rope. The cab let them out, and Cherish whisked them both to the front of the line, clutching Naomi's arm.

  “Come on,” she said, her voice ringed with anticipation. “We don't need to act like plebes today. We've got a front row ticket.”

  They approached the bouncers, two bald, burly men who looked used to dealing with privileged, entitled people.

  “Back of the line, ladies,” one of the bouncers said. “Don't be clogging up the flow.”

  “We're VIPs,” Cherish said. “So you should let us inside.”

  “Are you on the list?”

  “We'd better be!”

  The bouncer scanned the clipboard in his hand.

  “Names?”

  “Cherish Riley and Naomi Spencer.”

  “All right, sorry about that ladies. Come on in.”

  Cherish turned to Naomi, smiling, and Naomi nodded, impressed. The place did indeed look fancy. She couldn't believe how quickly they were going to get in. The bouncer undid the velvet rope and ushered them inside, much to the dismay of the others waiting in line. They entered into the main vestibule, and their eyes widened.

  “Wow, would you look at that!”

  There was an enormous fountain in the main hallway, a pair of naked cherubs spraying water from their mouths. The whole fountain was backlit with low mood lighting, and some tinkling music played from speakers in the walls. The walls and floor were constructed from a shiny marble, and the whole place had the sheen of elegance. A host in a suit was there to greet them immediately.

  “Welcome to the Silk Grove,” he said, betraying just a hint of a French accent. “The bar is straight ahead. The dance floor is to your right. Parlor and relaxation rooms to your left. If you need anything, please let me or another host know. My name is Elan, and it will be our pleasure to serve you.”

  “Thank you,” Naomi said, unable to suppress a giggle. “This is insane,” she whispered to Cherish. “This must be where all the sports stars and celebrities hang out.”

  “Come on, let's hit up the bar,” Cherish said. “I could do with a nice screwdriver.”

  They went forward. The bar was massive, taking up yards of the back wall. Beside the long rows of booze was an enormous aquarium, full of bright tropical fish. The bar was crowded, but not overly so. Naomi was wrong—these definitely weren't the douchey fratboy types. She saw very elegant men and women, the men dressed in tuxedos and cummerbunds, and the women in some of the most fabulous, expensive dresses she had ever seen. For a moment she felt like her own outfit was inadequate, but it seemed like simply being inside the Silk Grove afforded them an aura of privilege. No one was questioning their worth. They slid into seats at the bar, where a handsome bartender quickly came and took their orders.

  “Expensive,” Cherish said. “But I guess that's the price you pay for luxury.”

  “It's worth it,” Naomi agreed. “I don't think I've ever been in a place this nice in my life.”

  They'd been sitting there for little more than five minutes before two men came strolling over, introducing themselves as investment bankers. Naomi and Cherish talked to them for a while, enjoying the conversation, and although they were nice, they weren't really Naomi's type. Too concerned with money and their careers. Cherish, however, seemed to be in seventh heaven flirting with them. Naomi let them talk at each other for a while, then excused herself.

  “I'm going to check out the rest of the place,” she said, with Cherish barely acknowledging her. “I'll catch up with you guys later.”

  Finishing the rest of her vodka, Naomi walked through the rest of the bar, deciding to see what the dance floor was all about. There were a few finely attired people shaking a move on the lacquered floor, but most people were milling around, talking. Although Naomi liked to dance, she wasn't about to go parading around out there by herself. At least, not before she had a few more drinks. Instead, she made a slow traverse of the dance floor, finally setting herself down at a table near the edge and people watching.

  It was hard to discern the demographics of the crowd. Most of them looked either rich or connected into some scene, be it music, movies, or the like. She felt out of place and a little shy. She felt as if she should talk to someone, but it wasn
't like her to go and start making random conversation. If only she were as bold as Cherish, then maybe things wouldn't be so hard for her. She ordered another drink, her head in the clouds, lost in her own thoughts, when a man sat down across from her at the table.

  “Having a good night?”

  She turned. Unlike most of the club's patron's, the man was dressed relatively casually, in a designer shirt and slacks. He was exceptionally tall, close to six and a half feet, and he had short dark hair combed to the side. He had a look on his face that suggested he wasn't entirely enamored with the silk Grove, either.

  “It's fine,” Naomi said, blushing a bit. “It's my first time here. Not really sure what to make of it.”

  “Everyone's a little nervous their first time,” the man said, sitting down across from her without so much as asking. He extended a hand. “My name is Ricardo Blackwell.”

  “Naomi Spencer.”

  “Pleased to meet you. Naomi. I've always liked that name.” He gave her a steely gaze.

  “The bar and dancefloor are boring,” Ricardo said, continuing his line of thought from earlier. “The relaxation rooms are really where the fun's at.”

  “Oh yeah? What goes on in the relaxation rooms?”

  “Well there's only one way to find out, isn't there?”

  “Right,” she said, rolling her eyes. “And I bet you're going to ask me to come with you there. Well, you seem very nice, Ricardo, but I don't think so.”

  Actually, she didn't think he seemed nice. He was handsome, sure, but he was also pretty damn forward, and she wasn't used to such brazenness.

  “Now who's presuming?” he said. “I was just telling you how it is. Most people in the Silk Grove have something to prove. Not me. And neither do you. You seem different from all the others.”

  “Different? Different how?”

  He waved an arm.

  “Doesn't matter. I'll be around, Naomi. Come find me.”

  She looked up, and he was gone. Naomi rubbed her eyes, like he had been an apparition or a phantom. Did everyone in the Silk Grove talk in such riddles?

  She decided to go back and look for Cherish, make sure she hadn't done anything she would regret. Naomi walked past the dance floor and the pretty, manicured people, past the long aquarium and the bar. She sighed. All of these people would continue to live their fancy, fulfilling lives, while she would go back to her job as a desk clerk tomorrow. She felt like Cinderella, after the clock had struck midnight. This was just a fairytale for her, and soon the dream was going to be extinguished.

  Back at the table, Cherish had her arm wrapped around a male admirer, and they were talking and laughing together. Naomi stared at her, feeling a little twinge of jealousy.

  “Hey there, partner,” Cherish said. “Me and Frank here were going to go check out the relaxation rooms. You want to come along?”

  “I don't know,” Naomi said. “I don't really want to be the third wheel.”

  “Nonsense,” said Frank, who cut a striking figure despite his strong cologne. “There are no third wheels at the Silk Grove.”

  “Jesus,” Naomi said. “Silk Grove this, Silk Grove that. I'm already here, and people won't shut up about the place. Fine, I'll go check out these damn relaxation rooms, see what all the fuss is about. But don't expect me to be impressed.”

  “Lighten up,” Cherish said, slinging her arm over Frank's shoulder. “No need for a freakout.”

  “I'm not,” Naomi said, crossing her arms. They headed away from the bar and south toward the relaxation rooms. To her left a piano tinkled a soft jazz number. Naomi could hear laughter and carousing up ahead.

  Another host clad in a dark suit waited to meet them at the entrance.

  “Right this way,” he said, waving them along with a smile. “The Peacock room is vacant, for your pleasure.”

  “The rooms have names?” Cherish whispered to her. But they didn't argue. The three of them stepped inside the Peacock room.

  “Wow,” Naomi said. “This place is incredible.”

  In the center of the room was a large sauna, like a Roman bath. Doric columns stretched up to the ceiling, and the entire room was bathed in steam. In the far corner was a large open wardrobe, but instead of clothes, it held an assortment of whips and chains, leather corsets and bondage gear. Naomi stared at it, awestruck.

  “What is that? S&M stuff?”

  “Of course,” Cherish said.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Frank looked at her like she was touched in the head.

  “The Silk Grove is the most exclusive sex club in the city? Didn't you know that?”

  “Sex club? Cherish, what is he talking about?”

  “All right,” Cherish said, wringing her hands. “I confess. It is a sex club. But it is really elegant, right? And I knew you'd be too uptight to come here if you knew what it really was.”

  “I can't believe this!” she shouted. “You brought me to a place like this? And you took me into this...relaxation room, or whatever it's called? What were you going to do while I was here?”

  “Oh, I don't know,” Cherish said. She whispered something into Frank's ear, and they giggled.

  “This is insane,” Naomi said. “I'm out of here.”

  “Hey, come back! Wait a second!”

  But Naomi was furious. She stormed out of the Peacock room, and almost ran face first into Ricardo Blackwell.

  “Naomi,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “What are you doing here?”

  “Leaving,” she said. “I just found out what this place is.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “This is a sex house! I didn't sign up for this.”

  “Nonsense,” Ricardo said. “It's about elegance and relaxation. Nowhere does it say that sex has to be part of the equation.”

  “It sure doesn't seem that way to me.”

  “Come on,” Ricardo said, extending a hand. “Join me in the Golden Swan room. I promise, nothing will happen unless you want it to.”

  “I don't know. This all seems kind of crazy.”

  “The choice is yours, my dear.”

  “All right.” What the hell. Why should she let Cherish have all the fun? Ricardo seemed a little strange, but he probably knew what he was talking about. He seemed to have a lot of experience at the Silk Grove. But Naomi didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. All she knew was that there was something about him that excited her. With a shrug, she followed him down the gilded corridor, to a richly adorned door that had the Golden Swan written on it. Ricardo unlocked the door, and together they went inside.

  Naomi was surprised. The Golden Swan room couldn't have been more different than the Peacock room. It was adorned with, well, golden swans all over the place, but also a large king sized bed, an elegant four poster with silk sheets. Ricardo surveyed the place with his hands on his hips, sighing almost wistfully.

  “Been here before?” Naomi asked, giggling at the absurdity of it all.

  “A few times,” he said. “Mostly on special occasions.”

  “Oh yeah? And does this count as a special occasion?”

  “I met you, so it certainly does.”

  Naomi looked around. The place was nice, and for some reason she felt a little mischievous. She was more at ease with Ricardo than with Cherish and the strange people she associated with. An aura of reckless abandon was washing over her.

  “So what do you want to do now, Mr. Ricardo Blackwell?”

  “Well, for starters, I'd like to give you a kiss.”

  “Hmm. I don't know. I only just met you. I know crazy stuff happens at the Silk Grove, but...”

  “I think you want me to.”

  She looked at him. Dark hair, handsome face, fiery eyes. She couldn't lie to him. Before she knew it, he had swept her up in his arms and their lips met in a passionate, intense kiss. Without even realizing it, her tongue crept inside his mouth, exploring it. She wrapped her arms around his strong body, and both of them found themselves
staggering over toward the bed.

  In a flash, Ricardo's shirt came off, revealing his ripped frame.

  “Looks like you've been working out, Mr. Blackwell,” she said, laughing, running her hands down his torso.

  He didn't respond. He firmly gripped her blouse and tore it off in one smooth motion. She was astonished. Her arms instinctively went to cover her breasts, protected now only by her skimpy pink bra.

  “Don't be shy,” Ricardo said. “We're all friends here at the Silk Grove.”

  Gently, with practiced skill, Ricardo unhooked her bra. Naomi let her arms fall to her side, revealing her breasts. Ricardo admired them, kissing her again. His mouth moved down to her nipples, and she moaned as his tongue danced around them.

  “I want to make love to you, right here,” Ricardo whispered, as his hand reached down, finding the wetness between her legs. Naomi's head was spinning. She couldn't believe this was all happening so fast...and yet she didn't want him to stop.

  “Yes, please,” she said, barely more than a whisper. In an instant, her panties peeled away, and Ricardo slipped a finger inside her. She gasped, clutching his shoulders. Her own hand reached down and grabbed his crotch, now hard as a rock. She undid his zipper and pulled out his manhood, thick and virile, bigger than she'd ever seen. She arched back as Ricardo began to lick between her legs, moving his tongue down her soft mound, lapping at her clit. Naomi's eyes rolled back to the ceiling, the Golden Swans spinning in the periphery of her vision.

  She lay back on the silk sheets, eyes closed, letting Ricardo lick her like he was starving. It was strange. She had only just met him, and yet she felt entirely familiar. She clutched the sheets, her legs and belly tingling.

  “Oh my God,” she cried out. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had an orgasm this powerful. Her body shook with the force of it, but Ricardo didn't let up. He continued massaging her clit with his tongue, sending her into further frenzies of pleasure. When she opened her eyes again, she found Ricardo leaning over her, holding a pair of handcuffs.

  “Who are those for?” she giggled.