“Was I right? Or was I right?”

Cassie rolled her eyes at Shay and chuckled. “You were right.”

It helped that the three mandatory drinks had gone down in quick succession to fight her nerves, but it was also comforting to spend her last night as a married woman in a place she felt close to her husband.

She hadn’t been able to stay mad at him. Once the tears faded, she’d understood why he’d kept the information to himself. She still didn’t appreciate the way he coddled her, but there was forgiveness in her heart. And longing too. Being back in his club didn’t ease her tumultuous emotions.

The vibe tonight was different from the masquerade party. Most people were focused on drinking and foreplay instead of nudity and sex. No dress code was in force either, meaning most people were in evening attire instead of underwear.

It was laid-back. Sexy. With security at the back entrance and on-call for any issues that could arise. The guests Shay had invited to play were also happy to do their own thing, with the understanding Cassie was only available if words of consent were physically spoken.

Which would never happen. Not only because she wasn’t ready, but because it would be disrespectful to T.J.

“Can I buy you ladies a drink?” The deep, unfamiliar voice drifted over Cassie’s shoulder, making her tense.

“Not for me, thanks, Luke.” Shay grinned. “I’m spoken for tonight.”

Cassie swiveled in her stool, coming face-to-face with muscled beauty. The man was ripped, showing an expanse of gorgeously tanned skin from his shoulders all the way down to his silk boxers.

“How about you, beautiful?”

Cassie jerked back at the compliment. He was handsome as hell, half-naked and wanted to buy her a drink? No, thank you. She needed to cut her teeth on someone less perfect.

“She’s with me tonight,” Shay spoke for her.

The man’s lips curved, exposing a glimpse of flawless white teeth. “With you? As in, the two of you together?” He raised a brow. “I have to admit, I’d love to see that.”

“No.” Shay rolled her eyes. “We’re not together. Just friends sharing a few drinks.”

“That’s a shame.” The man shrugged and began walking away. “Seeing the two of you all hot and heavy would’ve been the highlight of my year.”

Cassie’s eyes bugged as she turned back to the bar. “Jesus Christ. Is he serious?” She glanced at the bartender for confirmation, not trusting Shay for a truthful answer.

“Definitely.” Travis had a smug expression on his handsome face. “We don’t see a lot of girl-on-girl action down here.” He grabbed her empty glass and placed it in a dishwasher rack on the sink. “It happens. Just not often, and probably not with women as lovely as the two of you.”

“You’re so smooth, Travis,” Shay cooed.

“Yeah.” Cassie had to agree. “He almost deserves a little show-and-tell for his efforts. Don’t you think, Shay?”

The ease in which she slid back into the single mindset confronted her with the force of a punch to the stomach. Had she really just said that? Christ.

“Can I have another drink, please?” She tapped the bar and breathed out the ache in her lungs.

“Are you serious?” Shay asked, the corner of her lips twitching.

“About the drink?” Travis and Shay were both looking at her—her friend in humor, the bartender with a scowl.

“We don’t joke in the Vault, Cass.” Travis’s tone was low. Her heart climbed into her throat. Wait. Was he joking? “Read the rules and regulations. We don’t condone misrepresentation.”

“Oh, fuck off, Travis.” Shay swiveled on her stool to face Cassie. “It’s all about keeping lines of communication open. If you’re teasing, it gives false hope and mixed signals, which can be dangerous in a place like this. But ignore him, he’s being overly dramatic.”

Okay. He definitely wasn’t joking, which kind of pissed her off. She had enough to deal with without her lame attempt at humor being taken out of hand.

“Then maybe I wasn’t misrepresenting.” She cocked a brow at Travis and swiveled her stool toward Shay. “I wouldn’t want to be seen breaking the rules in my husband’s club.”

“Now I know that’s the liquor talking.” Shay snorted.

“Doesn’t have to be.” Cassie straightened her shoulders. She wasn’t sure where the confidence was coming from…oh, wait, yes she did. Those three mandatory drinks her scheming friend made her have were kicking in nicely. “I’m single, remember?”

“But Shay isn’t,” Travis drawled.

“Mind your own damn business. I’m sure Leo would be satisfied with a blow-by-blow recount.” Shay leaned forward, resting her palms on Cassie’s thighs. “What do you think?”

Cassie’s throat dried in an instant. Where was the liquid courage now? The corner of Shay’s mouth quirked as she leaned in, brushing their cheeks together before resting her lips near Cassie’s ear.

“I started flirting back because I thought you were joking,” Shay whispered. “Now I’m kinda nervous because you might be serious.”

Cassie closed her eyes, keeping up the façade as she nuzzled the side of her face into Shay’s hair. “I was totally joking.”

Was… Now she wasn’t so sure. Shay’s attention was nice. Soothing. The brush of another body against hers sparked a warmth inside her chest that she hadn’t expected. When she opened her eyes, more than one gaze was upon them, the interest from club patrons making the lonely parts of Cassie feel adored again. “I thought uptight Travis and your friend Luke deserved a show.”

“Hmm.” Shay continued to brush her lips down Cassie’s neck, each touch sparking a frenzy of heat in her veins. “So how far did you want to take this?”

“Mmm.” Cassie arched her neck, half of her playing along with the pretense, the other half falling under the spell of arousal. “I hadn’t thought that far.”

Shay was so soft and unfamiliar. She was unlike anything Cassie had ever felt before. Her dating life had only ever consisted of men. And not many at that. But they had all been highly masculine partners, with rough skin and calloused hands. The attention from Shay was entirely different. Exquisite in its delicacy. Instead of dominant and demanding, it was tender and fragile.

The hands on her thighs were still, the fingertips rubbing in intricate patterns over her sensitive skin. She ran her fingers through Shay’s hair, enjoying the brief slide out of loneliness. But it was the infrequent, slight hitches in the other woman’s breathing that made Cassie’s nipples harden to tight peaks.

They were both aroused, no matter what act they were trying to play.

“I’ve never kissed a woman before.” The words whispered from her lips. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe it wasn’t. Honestly, she didn’t care. “I wonder what it would be like to kiss you.”

Shay pulled back, a mischievous grin tilting her mouth. “I was thinking the same thing.”

Travis cleared his throat from the other side of the bar. “Ladies.”

Cassie grinned, ignoring the warning in Travis’s tone. “What about Leo? Will he—”

“Ladies,” Travis growled. “You’ve got company.”

Cassie pulled back, her hand still in Shay’s hair as she met T.J.’s gaze from the other side of the main room. Oh, God. The nausea was instantaneous, pulsing up her throat as she slid off the stool.

“I’m sorry.” She mouthed the words to him because she couldn’t find her voice. His expression was unreadable, far less undecipherable than the impressed smirk from Leo and Brute at his sides.

“I’ve gotta go.” She turned to Shay, being punished all over again from the understanding in her friend’s features. “I’ll speak to you later.” On a phone she didn’t have because it was sitting in a Vault locker.

She didn’t know how she was going to pay a cab driver without her purse either. But she’d find a way. What she couldn’t see herself through was a discussion with T.J. about why she’d come here tonight when they both knew it would hurt him. She couldn’t bear for him to think this was retaliation.