“You didn’t have to go this crazy,” Emma told Caroline as she bent down and lifted the box onto her lap. “But I appreciate it.” As she began to unwrap the gift, she felt a little wistful. “You know, I never had a wedding shower, so it delights me that I’m getting a chance to do it now.”

“What?” Caroline gasped as she sat on the couch across from Emma. Piper sat next to her, and Gillian took her place on a stuffed chair across from them. “I had about ten showers. Where I come from, it’s practically a requirement to make sure every single relative on both sides can attend at least one shower. I had a shower for my grade-school friends, my prep-school girls, my college sisters, and my grandma Betsy’s United Daughters of the Confederacy group had one for me. Goodness, come to think about it, it was much too much! But I’m beyond happy we get to do this for you. That makes it all the sweeter. Now I wish I would’ve bought you even more.”

“Nonsense,” Emma said, waving a hand in dismissal. “This is more than enough.” She tore the paper off and balled it up, setting it next to her on the floor.

“Why didn’t you have a shower?” Piper asked. “I only had two. I didn’t even want one, but Michael’s sisters insisted. Then my mom ended up swooping into town on her broom a week before we got married. It was right before my parents moved to warmer climes, and she insisted on putting together one for her side of the family. I think about ten people attended. It was arduous as hell.”

Emma kept the box on her lap, wanting to savor the unveiling of what was inside for a few minutes longer. “I’d just turned twenty-two when Pete asked me to marry him. We were only engaged for two months before we tied the knot. My entire family and friends were all in Kansas. They were too far away, and we wanted to get married in Chicago. It had become our real home very quickly. We were married in a simple ceremony at the courthouse with one of Pete’s friends and his girlfriend as our witnesses. I’ve never regretted a single day since.” She glanced down at the gift, running her fingers along the top of the box. “But it’s so nice of you guys to do this now. If Pete and I had just met, you three would totally be my bridesmaids.”

“That would be so fun!” Caroline said. “You would be mine, too. I had ten. Yes, ten. It was a circus. I would do it much differently now. Me and Jace, you three, some kind of sunset backdrop. It would be elegant and simple.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I never had a shower either,” Gillian told them. “Brad and I dated for about six months, and then we eloped to Vegas.”

“And you were married by an Elvis impersonator, right?” Piper said.

“Of course we were,” Gillian replied, reclining on the chair, settling a leg over the armrest. Gillian had arresting features. Her hair was black, cut long over her blue eyes, short in the back. With her tattoos, she fit the glam biker chick to a T. “Did you think for a second someone else would’ve married us?”

“Nope,” Piper said. “Gillian, I seriously adore you. Now, while Emma opens her gifts, you’re going to have to spill some details about your recent adventures. And before you tell us you can’t, we’re all willing to swear an oath right now that we won’t breathe a word to anyone. It would break the sacred STD trust if we did.” Piper placed a hand over her heart, her face striving for earnest.

Emma added, “Please, Gillian. Gifts and juicy gossip would make this the best shower ever. I’m with Piper. It won’t go further than this room. I won’t even tell Pete. You have my word.”

“Yes!” Caroline nodded her agreement. “Gillian, I’ve never taken you for someone who would shy away from details about your sex life. If this mystery guy, or girl, or people, of yours opted into the lifestyle, they should be well aware that there will be talk in certain circles. If you don’t share, we’re all going to assume they have some hold over you.”

“No one has anything over me,” Gillian replied casually. “When I’m asked to be discreet, I am. I’d do the same for any of you.” She swept her arm out in front of her. “If you didn’t want me to talk about something, my mouth would be a steel trap.”

“Yes, but we’re your girlfriends,” Piper urged. “Rules get bent for us. That’s just the way it is. And, honestly, who would we tell?” Piper glanced around the group. “We’re the only ones we talk to about this lifestyle. Plus, whoever you met up with was at the orgy—people have to know who they are if they’re members. Michael and I have been twice now, and we’ve met quite a few folks who love to gossip. I’d rather hear it from the horse’s mouth—you being said horse—instead of the rumor mill.”

“Okay, fine,” Gillian answered coyly. “This horse will confirm that he’s a member of the Underground, but he’s what they call an ‘anonymous member,’ so your threat of the rumor mill has no cred. Most people don’t know about him at all.”

“He! It’s a he!” Piper exclaimed, rubbing her hands together. “Now we’re getting somewhere. More, please.”

“Well, it’s actually a they,” she corrected. “He always has a submissive with him. He’s the dominant force, though. He has his own suite upstairs in the warehouse. Only the elite members get those, and they cost a fortune.”

“He must be filthy rich then,” Caroline breathed. “Piper told us the annual dues are outrageous.”

“They are,” Piper agreed, nodding. “It’s like remortgaging-the-house expensive to join. But there are different levels. If you want to host parties, like we do, it costs a lot more. We still haven’t officially joined yet. We get a few more ‘experimental’ passes, so we’re taking them before we decide how much we want to spend.”

“What I want to know,” Emma said, “is how in the world did they find you and Brad out of all those people? Piper said you and Brad were there one minute, gone the next.”

Gillian sat up in her chair and grabbed a water bottle she’d set next to her. They’d all stopped drinking a while ago. It was a long drive back for everyone to the city. “Brad and I have a mutual friend in common with this guy. One who happened to be at the orgy. When the action started in the main room, she caught my attention and waved us over. She asked if we would be interested in going upstairs to meet the mystery man, and we said yes. That’s it.”

“That’s so not it!” Piper interjected. “You’re making it sound like you went out and had a casual dinner with them. When we saw you later that week at my house, you raved about it being one of the hottest thing you’ve ever done. So at least spill something about the sex if you won’t say who it is. We need to know why it was so hot. Dude, we’re dying on the vine here.”

“Emma, continue opening your gifts,” Caroline urged, swishing her wrist, “while Gillian keeps talking. We all need to hear this, but you deserve to keep opening.”

“Fine,” Gillian said, crossing her arms. “I’ll talk about some of the particulars, but not the people.”

“We will be mollified with that for now,” Piper said. “Please continue.”

Emma had her hands on Caroline’s gift box, but she didn’t want Gillian to stop talking, so she waited. It was obvious Gillian was uncomfortable divulging information she’d promised to keep secret, but she began, “Our mutual friend took us up a staircase at the very back of the warehouse. It was kind of cloak-and-dagger, which I’m not always a fan of, but this time I was curious. Mostly because my friend was almost jumping up and down because she was so excited for us to meet him. She told us she knew right away that this was going to be a great match.” Gillian stopped her story and gestured to Emma. “Aren’t you going to open that thing up? Come on, I want to see what Caroline got you.”

Emma nodded once, shaking herself out of the story. “Okay, but you’re using this as a stall tactic,” Emma told her as she finally lifted the lid. Setting it aside, she parted the white tissue paper. The first thing she saw was a beautiful teddy. It was creamy silk with a delicate lace pattern edging the top. She drew it carefully out of the box by the straps. “Oh, it’s beautiful!” she exclaimed. “Caroline, is this real silk?”