The Den

"Are you sure you can't go?" Riley asked, her fingers hooked into the front belt loops of her husband's blue jeans. "Just picture it. Me on the dance floor, shaking my ass all alone while sex-starved men circle like animals. I'll be all alone. Helpless. Vulnerable. Out there twerking my booty, unaware of the approaching predators."

"Oh please, David Attenborough," Carter laughed. He pressed the palm of his hand against her cheek and she gently nuzzled back against him before he traced a finger up and over her ear. "You'll have Zoey and Brooklyn there with you and I trust you more than I'd trust Mr. Rogers. Even with you out there, dazzling the crowd."

Riley smiled up at her husband, thrilled by his compliment. Her loose curly braid brushed her bare back as she pulled her husband close. Despite her long legs, she had to go to her tiptoes to kiss her husband. She allowed him a quick kiss in return before laughing and spinning away, her braid twirling out. Stopping mid-spin, she pushed against him with her back bent, grinding against his crotch.

"Mmm," she teased, turning her narrow jaw to the side to smile at him. Raising and lowering her hips, she could feel him growing hard against her ass. His rough, large hands grabbed at her sides and she lowered her head in pleasure as his fingers dug into her skin. "But look at what you'll be missing."

Suddenly, he reared back to slap her ass playfully. She yelped but turned back to him to kiss him quickly, her breath hot on his cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Any more of that and I'll stay home with you instead," she whispered in his ear. His hands roamed her back before reaching down to grab her toned ass. She sighed, pressing harder against him as she felt his cock against her stomach.

With another quick kiss, he gently pushed her away.

"I gotta get ready, babe," he told her, leaning down to kiss her again.

"I know," she told him. "It's just that we'd had the night planned out and I was looking forward to dancing with you. It won't be the same with just the girls. Brooklyn will be a mess since she just broke up with Greg and Zoey's still in that gross 'I love you so much, snookie-wookums' phase with her boyfriend. I'll have to guard Brooklyn all night so she doesn't go home with the first douchebag to call her pretty. And not drinking since you won't be there to carry me home."

"You've got this," he told her as he walked from the living room to their bedroom. She followed behind, already dreading the evening. "And I'll make it up to you tomorrow night. I already told Justin that he owes me."

She sat on the edge of their bed, palms flat on their comforter while swinging her feet slowly back and forth. The soft carpet brushed her toes while she watched her husband change from his casual "home clothes" to his work clothes. He managed the warehouse at a local packing company but the night shift supervisor had called out when his wife suddenly went into labor three weeks early.

After almost ten years of marriage, she still loved him deeply and she smiled at his strong back when he pulled his t-shirt off. She knew she should start getting ready but without her husband joining her, she had extra time. She didn't need to put on as much makeup as she'd planned if he wasn't there to admire her. No need to dazzle anyone else or give anyone an extra excuse to hit on her. She would've canceled and stayed home if she hadn't already promised to meet her friends there.

She watched him, both of them comfortable in their shared silence as he finished getting ready.

"Kiss me goodbye?" he asked.

"Always," she told him with a smile, taking his hand while he led her to the front door. She waited patiently as he shoved his feet into his work boots and then lay her fingers in his hands when he turned to her. She started to rise to kiss him but he bent down first. Their lips met and she melted against him as his mouth opened to her. His short stubble scratched her face but she loved the feel of it against her smooth, dark skin.

"Bye, babe," he told her with a fond look. He brushed her cheek with his thumb and she kissed his fingers. "Be safe."

"Always," she told him again while he unlocked the door. "You be safe out there. I'll see you when you're home."

The door closed and she sighed before locking the deadbolt.

"Now," she asked herself quietly, scanning the room with her eyes narrowed. "Where did I put my phone?"

She could almost hear her husband's exasperated sigh as she dug around cushions and on the various counters around their home. He always put everything in the same place and it drove him wild that she couldn't do the same thing. Yet he somehow seemed to know exactly where she'd left her purse or keys or phone. She knew he took malicious pleasure in watching her search before finally telling her where she'd left them.

This time she found her phone in the bathroom. She woke it and texted Brooklyn to ask if she still wanted to go out dancing, hoping the girl would want to cancel.

Yes. And I'm already pre-gaming, came the reply.

Riley shook her head with a grimace. Just as she lay her phone down, it beeped again and she woke it.

That asshole posted an update on Facebook and some bitch liked the post, the new text read.

"Oh god," Riley said, holding her phone against her stomach. The phone vibrated against her once, twice and then a third time but she lay it on her dresser without looking. It beeped and vibrated a fourth time but she knew her friend would just be venting.

Ignoring the sporadic beeping of her phone, Riley told her smart speaker to play her dancing playlist. She sang along to the music as she twirled in her room until she went to her closet to pull out her clothes. She nodded and sang and stepped lightly as she picked out a thin black dress that ended just above her knees. Laying the dress down on the bed, she dug through her dresser to find matching panties and bra.

When her phone buzzed again, she sighed and glanced at her messages to see a block of text from Brooklyn ranting about how her ex boyfriend had probably cheated on her. Their breakup was recent and she'd calm eventually but the pain was too raw for her and she always kept her emotions on the surface.

Putting her phone away, she stripped, turning to the side in front of her vanity mirror with her hand pressed against her belly. She had a tiny paunch and a little extra fat on her hips that she pretended didn't bother her but it did and she'd recently decided to take some spin and Zumba classes at the local gym. Still, she smiled at herself as she turned, lifting her breasts and checking her hair before grabbing her underclothes.

Riley's phone beeped several more times as she dressed but she ignored it as she made her way to the bathroom. The right side (and most of the middle and left, she admitted) of the bathroom sink was full of the various products she used. She grabbed her articulating mirror and sat before it. Carter grumbled occasionally at how her things gave little room for him but her doe eyes, long, slowly blinking lashes and innocent face usually made him forgive her.

Plus, she told herself as she touched up her face expertly. All he has is a toothbrush and a razor. He doesn't even need all that space.

Once she was satisfied with the bit of makeup she added, she stood and looked over herself a final time.

"Carter's loss," she told her reflection. "But I'll look even better for him tomorrow night."

Singing quietly to the music still playing, she walked back to her room to dig through her shoes. She had four pairs that would work with the dress she wore and it took trying on three pairs before she was satisfied with her pick.

For once, her purse was by the back door with her keys hanging half out of the side pocket. She grabbed them both, unlocked the door and then hesitated.

Oh, my phone! Now where did I put it?

An incoming text from Brooklyn saved her from tearing the house apart. She grabbed her phone, sighed at the novel her friend was still writing and shoved the phone in her purse before leaving.

---

Cursing her husband quietly from the driver's seat of her parked car, Riley stared at the club. The parking lot was nearly full and it was her first time visiting.

The Den, as the club was called, was located outside the city. The loud music thumped every time the doors opened but the surrounding forest seemed to absorb the sound. The club had opened two weeks ago and had quickly become a hotspot. She glanced at the stream of people coming and going and wished yet again that her husband had come with her.

"I'm getting old," she sighed. In her college years, she would've joined the crowd in a heartbeat and lost herself to the rhythm. Now she yearned for the safety and quiet of her home in her husband's absence.

A new set of people approached the doors and she spotted Zoey and her boyfriend at back of the group. Riley opened her car door quietly and made her way past parked cars until she stood by her friend.

"Riley!" Zoey said loudly, alcohol thick on her breath. She hugged her friend and then wrapped her arm around her boyfriend's side. "I'm sorry Carter couldn't make it but damn, girl, you are looking fine tonight."

"Every night," Riley replied as she reached into her purse for her wallet and driver's license. "I almost didn't come but Brooklyn's coming and you know how she's going to be."

"She'll have a new boyfriend before she even leaves the club," Zoey laughed. She shook her head and her blonde curls bounced against her shoulders. With her hot pink lips and glittering eye shadow, the petite, drunken girl had little room to talk. Her latest boyfriend - Riley didn't even know the man's name yet - was one in a long string. The relationships never seemed to end badly, they just ended and a new boyfriend stepped in to replace the old.

The newest boyfriend smiled at Riley. He was bald with kind eyes and skin the color of walnut - darker than her own, but his grin was far too charming for his own good and he knew it.

"And he'll be worse than the last one," Riley sighed. She followed the pair through the crowds until she reached the bouncer. He waved her in without a glance at her license. The music pounded inside, reaching deep into her skin and her very bones. Still, she couldn't help but tap her feet as she waited her turn to pay her cover.

"Welcome to my club," a deep, cultured voice said from her side.

"Excuse me?" Riley asked, turning to look at the older gentleman standing by her side. She approached the man standing behind the podium but the gentleman beside her waved his hand. Zoey and her boyfriend paid and walked past without a second glance. The man behind the counter reached into a box to grab a single red wristband. Riley held her arm out as the man wrapped it carefully around her wrist.

"No cover for you," the gentleman said, resting his hand lightly against her arm for one brief moment. "Welcome to the Den. I'm Benjamin. I own the club and I'm taking the time to greet some of my guests. To get a feel for them and see what draws them in."

"Oh," Riley said, glancing towards her friends as they vanished into the crowds. She felt anxious and unsettled but couldn't tell if it was due to the unwanted attention from the owner or from losing track of her friends. "Well, my friend, who just went inside, saw some advertisements online. She asked me to come with her. And I'm expecting another friend. And my husband. He'll be here later."

"Surely he will," Benjamin said with a wide smile that showed far too many teeth. She couldn't tell how old he was but there was gray at his temples. He looked incredibly fit for his age and he appeared to loom over her, despite being shorter than her husband. "Enjoy your time and I hope to see you again soon."

Riley submerged herself in the crowds, eager to be away from the owner. She turned, pretending to look to the side while glancing at the man from the corner of her eyes. He watched her still, tracking her movements with the smile wiped from his face. She shivered and pushed further into the club as she searched for her friends.

"Riley!" a voice shouted. "Riley over here!"

She turned, looking around the club until she found Brooklyn at the edge of the dance floor, waving an arm full of bracelets and a red wristband. A tall, thin man with deep-set eyes and a rough, scraggly beard danced next to the girl. He grabbed her waist aggressively and she laughed, spinning to dance with him. Zoey and her boyfriend clung to each other nearby, writhing in time to the beat.

Riley frowned at Brooklyn and the man she danced with. She zig-zagged through the crowd until she reached her friends and then chose a table next to her friends.

She felt anxious. Her urge to dance with the rest of them had vanished and she resigned herself to sit and watch. Already on edge from the meeting with the owner, she now felt her unease increasing as she watched the thin man dancing with Brooklyn.

She'd joked with her husband earlier about the men in the club but this man actually seemed hungry. Unlike everyone around him, he wasn't enjoying himself. He wasn't smiling and losing himself in the music. He was watching Brooklyn closely. His motions were possessive and rough and he pushed people away if they danced too close.

Time to go in and- she thought to herself before someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Are you here alone?" a man asked. Riley looked up at him and her eyes widened.

She could only describe the newcomer as beautiful. His short beard was immaculate and his dark hair was slicked back over spotless, tanned skin. She wondered if he was from the Middle East but his smooth voice had no accent. He seemed sharp in a way she couldn't define. From his movements to his expensive suit to his very jawline. He glanced at her wrist and then seemed to examine her closely.

"No, I'm here with my friends," Riley finally remembered to say, gesturing towards Zoey and Brooklyn.

"They're dancing and enjoying themselves but you sit here alone. Dance with me," he told her, reaching his hand out. It felt like a command more than anything else and a chill ran down her spine.

Still, she stared at his hand as pressure built in her temples. The music became formless and she licked her lips until the spell was broken and she breathed deeply.

"I'm waiting for my husband," she said weakly.

The man lifted his chin and his nostrils flared. He looked back down at her, his hand still out.

"It's a poor man that leaves a beauty such as yourself alone," he told her, his eyes freely roaming the curves of her breasts and her hips. She found herself sitting up straight despite herself. "I am here now and he isn't. Dance with me."

Again, it felt a command and she almost acquiesced. Whether just to keep herself occupied or because of his presence. Instead, she folded her arms and shook her head, her black curls brushing her smooth back.

"No, he'll be here soon," she lied. "I'll wait."

The man glanced down at her arm again and grew angry in a flash. He turned on his heel to stalk away and she watched him until he was gone. Only then did she breathe out while relaxing. She could feel her body unspooling and she was surprised at the tension she'd held.

Riley glanced back and then stood as she found Brooklyn against the wall. The thin man held her tight, kissing and rubbing against the other girl. The girl's dress was up high enough to expose her ass cheek and Riley could see the man's fingers pressing hard enough into Brooklyn's skin to leave red marks.

She walked quickly to the pair and the man snapped around to glare at her.

"Brooklyn!" Riley said with false bravado. "Dance with me!"

"No," the man snarled but he reluctantly fell away as Brooklyn reached out breathlessly for her friend.

"Riley, you made it!" Brooklyn said, stumbling into her friends arms. The shorter brunette giggled as she grabbed Riley's hands, pulling her onto the dance floor.

Riley let herself move automatically as she kept the thin man in her sight. He glowered at both of them in between pawing at the obvious erection at the front of his pants.

"I don't like that guy!" Riley yelled into her friend's ears. As she leaned in, she spotted a large bruise on the curve of the other girl's neck. Small white dots lined the bruise. Bite marks, she realized. "He only wants to fuck you, Brooklyn. He looks really mean!"

"No, no," Brooklyn laughed, grabbing her friend's hips. "He's nice! He's really nice! And he's a real good kisser. And he smells really fucking good."

"Something's wrong with him," Riley insisted. "I'm being serious here, Brooklyn. I really-"

"She's mine!" the thin man said. He was suddenly in between them, grabbing Brooklyn away from Riley. The brunette laughed and pressed herself against him as he turned her to shove his erection against her ass.

Goddammit, Riley thought to herself. She walked back to the booth she'd claimed in order to grab her purse before turning to track down Zoey and her boyfriend. They were nearby, dancing slowly to a fast beat.

"Zoey, I don't like the guy dancing with Brooklyn," Riley told her friend.

Zoey turned, looking around the dance floor until she spotted the third girl. She watched for a moment and then shrugged.

"They're just dancing," Zoey said. "I mean, dancing close but that's just Brooklyn. You know how she is. She'll be fine. Just some new guy for her to get overly attached to."

"I just- he's just-" Riley floundered, realizing how she sounded while trying to describe the eerie feeling he gave off.

She watched as the man kissed Brooklyn roughly but the short-haired brunette kissed him back, grabbing and clawing at his back. They broke apart and the man said something in the other girl's ears. Brooklyn smiled wide and nodded, letting the man take her hand and pull her through the crowd.

Riley followed them but was surprised when they turned away from the bathrooms and made their way to the front.

I am not letting him drive her anywhere, she decided as she moved more quickly.

The thin man stopped at the entrance to speak to the man behind the podium. They exchanged a few words and then continued outside. Riley bumped into a few people in her hurry to follow.

"Hey," the man at the front said, grabbing her arm. She pulled herself free. "Where's your chaperone?"

"My what?" Riley asked, staring at the door leading outside.

"Your chaperone," the man repeated, as if she knew exactly what she'd meant.

"The fuck do I need a chaperone for?" Riley demanded hotly. Normally reserved, she felt her anger boil over at the strangeness of the place and the way she'd been treated.

Rather than wait for him to answer, she pushed forward to leave.

"Hey. Hey! You can't just- You have to wait-!" the man said as she stalked past a young man holding the door for his partner.

The air outside was cool and quiet. Riley searched the parking lot, turning and going to her toes to look for Brooklyn and the man with her. She almost gave up, frustrated that she was too late until she finally spotted them.

The pair headed toward the trees. Riley frowned as Brooklyn stumbled and fell to her hands and knees. The brunette stretched out her back legs while raising her head high. The odd movement pulled her too-short dress up to show her bare ass and a small part of Riley's mind was not surprised to see her without panties. The man beside Brooklyn grabbed her up quickly and pulled her into the woods.

"Oh, hell no," Riley said, quickly moving through the packed parking lot.