Chapter 1: Introduction
Sipping her third Cosmopolitan, Emily glanced nervously at her phone as she waited at the hotel bar. The low hum of conversation around her dimmed into a background buzz as she adjusted her tight black dress, smoothing the chiffon fabric over her generous curves.
Jamal was late already, and while she knew this kind of behavior was par for the course when setting up these clandestine meetings, she couldn't help but let her anxiety creep higher.
It was just two days prior when Emily first matched with Jamal on one of those trendy online dating apps.
They started chatting, discussing their common interests and she revealed her fondness for non-monogamous relationships: threesomes, group sex, and exploring her own sexuality. To her delight, Jamal shared the same preferences.
Their conversation flowed freely, and flirtatiously, until the wee hours of the morning. It was then that she pitched the idea of meeting at a luxury hotel to spend a night indulging in their shared fantasies—to her surprise, he agreed.
Her mind was snapped back to the present as her phone vibrated in her hand, saving her from her inebriated thoughts. 'Jamal: In the lobby. Can't wait to get you out of that dress.' His text read.
The knots in her tense shoulders began to melt away as she responded and made her way through the chattering crowd towards the hotel's lobby entrance. She locked eyes with him, instantly recognizing him from his well-taken profile picture, and made her way over to Jamal.
Everything about him screamed confidence and power.
The way he stood—legs shoulder-width apart, hands tucked casually in the pockets of his dark denim jeans—radiated sex appeal. His gaze swept up and down her body appreciatively and his smoldering, golden-brown eyes locked onto hers.
"Hey, you must be Emily," Jamal said, a wolfish grin slowly unfurling across his lips.
"And you must be Jamal," she replied, feeling bold as she let her voice drip with promise.
His hand instinctively reached out to meet hers in a firm handshake, immediately sending an electric spark jolting through her as they touched. Jamal leaned in and whispered in her ear with a smooth, deep voice, "You have no idea, Emily."
Jamal's hand wrapped around hers, and together they made their way to the elevator. In hushed voices, they continued to explore the boundaries of their playful banter. "God, I've been craving this dress to come off all night," he murmured, running a possessive hand down her side.