Corded (Corded Saga #1)(27)

 

He stepped back and pushed a button. "Yes. Plenty more." The elevator started moving again.

 

"These are the general living quarters." The floor was made up of suites much like the one we lived in. The big difference is their rooms had doors.

 

We returned to the elevator and went up another few floors. We got off again. "This floor is general entertainment and dining." He took my hand for the first time, running his fingers over my skin. "So soft," he murmured to himself.

 

"Dining rooms are all located here. We have a main one for the men, a smaller one for the women, and a third one for the Circle."

 

"Why all separate?"

 

He smiled. "We aim to make this a comfortable environment for everyone."

 

"I see." If everyone else could use that expression, so could I.

 

"This wing is for fitness. You have your own fitness area on the women's floor. This pool is for the general population's use." He gestured to a set of glass doors.

 

"A pool? You have a pool?" I couldn't imagine they had space for something like that inside.

 

"We have several. I'll show you the one you'd use."

 

"Do all the women live on the same floor?" I knew it was a small number, but I hadn't discovered where Johanna and the handful of middle aged women I'd seen lived.

 

"Yes. There are two other suites on the other end of the floor." He dropped my hand when he opened to door to a room with a large screen. "This is for film viewings for the whole club. We have a private viewing room on the floor above the lounge. The top floor."

 

"Oh."

 

"We'll go there next. You already saw the lounge floor last night."

 

We skipped the women's floor and the lounge floor. The elevator stopped, and we stepped out.

 

"This is the elite floor." He slipped a hand around my waist. "We have a more private viewing room, a second pool, and our own bar. The Circle lives on this floor."

 

"Both the permanent and the rotating?"

 

He smiled. "Someone's been filling you in?"

 

I hesitated.  

 

"Addison? She's not in trouble. It's good that she's making sure you understand how things work."

 

"She's been so nice." I didn't tell him Jarrett had shared the information with me too. If Mason wasn't mad at Addison, it didn't matter.

 

"She grew up here. She knows it well."

 

I wondered what it was like for him after being intimate repeatedly with every girl.

 

"But yes, we are all up here. My quarters are separate, through this door."

 

My chest tightened. He was showing me where he slept?

 

He used a key to open a double set of doors. "This is where I live. My bedroom is through there." He pointed to another set of double doors. "I have an office in here, but I primarily use the one outside the circle common room."

 

"Extensive."

 

He smiled. "I work hard, Kayla. I deserve a decent place to come home to."

 

I nodded.

 

"I think that's everything. Do you have any questions?" He gestured for me to take a seat on a small love seat.

 

I sat down, and just like the day before, he sat right next to me. "May I select any job I want?"

 

"Yes, but you are not required to until the Cording. For now you are our guest."

 

"I'd like to work in the hydros."

 

A smile crossed his face. "It reminds you of home." It was a statement and not a question.

 

"Yes. It does."

 

"Then you can start working there after the Cording." He put a hand on my arm. "It's nearly lunch time. Afterward, the girls usually take some free time. The nights are long around here."

 

"I can imagine."

 

"Did you enjoy the lounge last night?" He put his arm behind me on the love seat.

 

"It was a new experience." A frightening and uncomfortable one I wasn't sure if I would ever fully get used to.

 

"I hope to see you there again tonight."

 

"I didn't think my presence was optional."

 

"Like working, it's optional until the Cording." He ran his hand over my arm. "After that you're expected to show up."

 

"And girls are expected to start sleeping with the men." I let the words slip out.

 

"You will only be sleeping with me." He ran his fingers over my neck.

 

"Addison made it sound like it isn't every night, but it's a lot?"

 

"No one is forced to do anything in this club. However, our girls are generally more than willing to do their part."