3. The First Kiss

Cassie POV

“Oh, yes, of course. Our friend’s here!” Beckie was the first to speak between the two of us, caught off guard by the gentleman standing in front of us.

The club’s bouncer cleared his throat and said, “Welcome, Mr. Carter.” He stepped aside to let the handsome man, Mr. Carter, pass through the door and enter the club.

Mr. Carter approached the bouncer, which brought him closer to us. “I see you were making my friends uncomfortable, is that right?” he asked the bouncer. He was so close to me that I could smell his cologne—a scent so alluring it made me dizzy.

“Oh, no, sir…” the bouncer stammered nervously. It was clear this Mr. Carter was someone important, making the giant bouncer tremble with fear. “It was just a misunderstanding. You and your friends can go in, please.”

“That’s what I thought,” Mr. Carter said, giving the bouncer a menacing look before softening his gaze as he turned to me and Beckie. “Come on, ladies.” He positioned himself between us, resting his hands on our backs to guide us into the club. When his hand touched my bare back, I felt his cold, large, and strong hand against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. For a moment, I imagined what it would feel like to have that hand grabbing my ass with intent.

I wanted that… I hadn’t realized the idea of getting back at Mark could be so thrilling.

I subtly brushed my hand across my cheeks to chase away the flush on my face as we walked into the sophisticated VIP area of the club. People were drinking and chatting everywhere, scantily clad women putting on a show at the pole for the pleasure of the men smoking cigars and sipping drinks while watching.

“Thank you, sir. My friend and I really appreciate you helping us get in,” Beckie said with a smile to the guy with us.

“No need to thank me,” he replied. His greenish eyes stood out in the neon lighting of the place. “Why don’t you join me and my friends? We love the company of girls as beautiful and attractive as you two.” He didn’t waste any time extending the invitation.

“Oh, no need to trouble yourself, Mr. Carter…” I said, not wanting to seem rude.

“Actually, we’d love to,” Beckie cut in, overriding me and accepting the invitation. I shot her a scolding look, but the man tilted his head back and laughed at my little drama with Beckie.

“Come with me,” he said again. “I insist, please.” He turned to me once more, and it was incredible how easily my eyes locked onto his. “You can call me Josh,” he finished.

Josh. So that was his name…

Josh led us to a quieter part of the club where a few gentlemen were seated on a luxurious, comfortable sofa, almost the same color as my velvety red lipstick. There were three men there, becoming four when Josh, Beckie, and I joined them, plus one woman. When she saw us arrive, the woman shot us a sour look, glaring at Beckie and me with obvious envy and hatred. She looked like one of those women who relied on Botox to stay beautiful, while Beckie and I had nothing artificial—everything about us was natural.

“Hey, Josh! Thought you weren’t coming anymore,” his friends greeted him. They were grown men, just like Josh—a bunch of rich, incredibly attractive guys.

“I wouldn’t miss a party like this,” the gentleman who’d brought us here replied, just as excited.

“You showed up and brought some fine company,” another friend said, eyeing us with mischief as they greeted us. Beckie and I sat with them, enjoying the attention they were giving us.

“These are my new friends,” Josh said, smiling at us before raising his hand to summon the waiter.

“You even know their names, buddy?” one of his friends asked, laughing mockingly. He seemed a bit tipsy, and judging by the empty bottles of gin and tonic and whiskey, along with some cigar and weed butts on the table, it was clear they’d started the party a while ago.

“They’re obviously some sluts he picked up on the way,” the woman who’d been glaring at us said, speaking for the first time since we arrived.

“What’s that, Mallory? Don’t go insulting Josh’s friends, alright?” one of the guys scolded her, and she just rolled her eyes, continuing her arrogance.

“It’s all good, we have names,” my friend said. “I’m Beckie, and she’s Cassie.”

The waiter brought us some alcoholic drinks, which I was grateful for because if I had to choose between listening to that plain woman talk crap about me and my friend, I’d pick the drink. And this drink tasted like rich people. I smiled and took another sip, then felt Joshua sit so close to me that our bodies brushed against each other. I sipped again to control the urge to slide across the sofa and sit on his lap.

“Your names are cute,” the guys said, excited.

“I personally love your name,” Josh leaned in slightly and whispered in my ear. “I’d like to say that name more often.” I giggled like an idiot, his warm breath against my ear making me all soft.

“Really?” I asked, flashing him a little smile.

His bold hand landed on my thigh, slowly sliding his strong fingers there, making me shiver all over. “You bet, baby,” he replied, almost whispering in my ear. It was obvious he wanted me, and I wanted to give it to him too. I mean, Josh Carter was like a grown-up heartthrob flirting with me—of course, I wanted to jump him right then.

I’d never gone to bed with a guy with such an age gap. My ex-boyfriend Mark was almost my age, so I never thought I’d be this attracted to an older man like I was to Josh Carter.

As the night went on, things got more interesting—maybe because of the drinks or the vibe itself, but things started heating up. Josh kept whispering dirty things in my ear, kissing and sniffing my neck, making me shiver and even more turned on than I already was.

I ended up doing what I wanted most: sitting on his lap. Now we were all over each other, flirting. Sitting there, I could feel his erection forming under my ass, so firm and hard it felt like I was sitting on a sharp rock. It was impossible not to grind a little against it, especially with the naughty things he was saying.

I glanced over my shoulder to see my friend in a similar state—or maybe even more intense. She was sitting on the laps of two guys, her legs slightly spread, kissing one and then the other. One of them had his mouth on her breasts, sucking them, her crop top pushed aside by their eager hands, while another had his hand between her legs, rubbing her intimately.

Beckie looked as happy as a kid who just got candy, which made me happy too. Meanwhile, Mallory was in an obscene position, grinding on the last guy’s lap to the rhythm of the sultry music, moaning shamelessly.

Good lord, what a scandal! I was loving it.

“You comfortable?” I heard Josh ask, checking if I was okay with everything going on.

I thought it was so sweet of him, so I looked at him and smiled. “You gonna let me go?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Not a chance. I’ve got no plans to let you go,” he replied, looking into my eyes. We smiled at each other, and then I kissed him right there.

That was our first kiss.