Kora was clutching the mysterious invitation letter that had taken her to this place. She was beyond nervous. Getting an invitation from the enigmatic "Nexus" to one of his dinner parties was practically impossible, especially for an obscure writer with no connections. But here she was. She had taken extreme care with her appearance tonight and was glad that she had. She didn't think she had been anywhere this opulent before, every detail, every piece of furnishing spoke of its owner's indecent wealth.
She entered through the entrance hall to be faced with the man to match the house. He was easily one of the most attractive men she had ever set eyes on. 'Was that him? Oh my god!' She had been sure that the descriptions of her host had been entirely overhyped, but clearly she had been wrong.
She did indeed have the right man. Nexus was currently standing in his entrance hall to welcome his guests for the evening in person. He thrived on his own enigma, knowing that his name was spoken in whispers, and he was known for his mysterious ways. He spotted Kora, noticing her immaculate appearance and was struck by her beauty. Her elegant dress hugged her curves and revealed just enough, just enough to excite the imagination. His eyes were captivated by her.
Kora met his gaze, trying to appear firm and confident. She stretched out her hand to him.
"Hi', she said, keeping her voice as even as she could. "My name is Kora, the writer... from Copenhagen. You must be our host?"
Nexus took her hand in his, firmly and confidently, and held it for a moment. Her soft skin was so inviting, her voice as smooth and even as her demeanour, that he was instantly intrigued by her. "Yes, I am Nexus, your host. It is truly an honour to meet you, Kora the writer from Copenhagen. You have quite a reputation, I must say. Your talents have intrigued me for some time, and I am looking forward to this evening together."
"Oh..", Kora stalled as she realised that he must have read her work, panicking a little about how he might have taken to its explicit nature. She gathered herself and continued lightly. "Oh, how gratifying that you have read my work. We must talk more about that later."
She tried to tear her eyes away from him. He had the most intense dark eyes. They were magnetic. Beyond that, he was classically tall, dark and handsome. His wavy hair fell to just above his shoulders, and he wore designer stubble of just the right length. Judging by the way he carried his suit, he clearly worked out. She really had to stop staring at him.
Nexus however didn't mind one bit. He found her gaze captivating, relishing the instant sense of magnetism between them. He was very pleased to have located his focus point for the evening with so little effort. He would not rush things, he enjoyed the slow burn of these evenings. He invited her to move on to the dining room for dinner. He relaxed in the knowledge that his staff had prepared a splendid meal where he and his guest would be able to engage in deeper conversation and begin to explore each other.
Nexus left nothing to chance and Kora had been seated directly across from her host. The feeling of his eyes on her made it almost impossible for her to concentrate on the dinner or the polite conversation of the other guests. He made her feel a little feverish, but she wouldn't be so easily undone. She clutched her glass of Bordeaux and looked directly at him.
"So, "Nexus", that is an intriguing name. How did you come by it?"
Nexus was enjoying that she didn't let him intimidate her. She held his gaze with great composure, and it only served to heighten his desire for her.
"The name Nexus is derived from the Latin 'nexus', which means 'link' or 'connection'. It refers to the linking together of two or more things, a connection between things. It is a very suitable name for me, in more ways than one."
'Oh yes? Suitable how? What is it you are in the business of linking, sir?" She wasn't sure what she was doing, picking that tone, but there was something in him that provoked some response in her.
Nexus chuckled at her question, realising that he had perhaps been a bit too vague in his previous answer. "Sorry, I guess it's not exactly clear what I do." he laughed a little, deciding to explain better this time. "I am in the business of connecting different things, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I am in the business of connecting different people. Let me explain..."
"Gladly." she replied and took another sip of her wine. She knew that this might not be wise as she had been too nervous to touch much of the exquisite food, but the hell with it...
Nexus noticed that she wasn't really eating, even though she was doing well to conceal her nerves.
"Let me explain what I do more clearly. I am a broker of sorts, a connecting force for different people who might be looking for connection. I also am a matchmaker of a kind, a facilitator for different relationships. Let me know if you understand."
"That sounds somewhat... Shall we say illicit?" She looked at him with a glint in her eye. "I wouldn't have thought you could afford a house like this by running a dating service?"
Nexus laughed lightly at her reply. "No, my dear, I am not running a dating service, although I have been known to match people together occasionally. I am more of a matchmaker of people whom others may not readily expect to connect."
"Intriguing.. and your dinner parties.. are they a part of that scheme? Do you mix business and pleasure?" She was feeling a little risqué now.
Nexus chuckled again, feeling more playful now as well. The wine and the conversation were beginning to loosen them both up a bit, and he was enjoying her playful side. "Of course, my dear. Mixing business and pleasure is the name of the game! I use these dinners to bring interesting people together, to create new connections and new opportunities. But I also use these dinners to create new sensations and experiences, and to explore the depths of passion and desire."
Kora's breath caught at the back of her throat. She hadn't expected him to be so open about it. She felt a small thrill coursing through her body.
"And what in my portfolio made you think I would benefit from being matched? You said you'd read some of my work?"
Nexus could not help but give her a sly grin at her question. He felt that they were making a connection, and he was getting an idea of how this evening might progress. "Well, my dear, I came across some of your work a while back and I was quite intrigued by it. You have a unique blend of passion and sensuality in your writing that I found very exciting. I thought you would fit in perfectly here tonight. Does that surprise you?"
Kora did in fact feel a little surprised at that revelation. "Yes, frankly. My writing is a little niche and not that widely known, so I admit I'm feeling flattered."
He could not help but grin at her honesty. It was intriguing to see her blush again, and he could not help himself from pressing a little more. "My darling, there is nothing more thrilling to me than matching up people like you with new experiences and opportunities. Let me ask you a question: Have you had many relationships before?"
Before? Before what? What a question! And when did he think he could start calling her darling??
"With respect, I fail to see how that is relevant here."
He was finding her to be quite the defiant one. He could not help but lay a little playfulness in his response, as his hand slipped over to touch hers ever so softly. "My dear, I am just trying to get to know you more. Have you not enjoyed being intimate with people? Have you never let yourself go with someone?"
Kora blushed furiously. There had been someone once, with whom she could fully let go. She tried not to remember him, if she could avoid it. "You'll find I have had a very satisfying sex life, thank you, although I still fail to see how that concerns you." She was feeling rather heated now. That man was definitely overstepping.
He could tell now that he was pushing her limits, and he was tempted to take things even further. He loved the fire and passion that he could sense in her, even through the subtle and confident exterior. He could not help but continue a little more.
"Well, my dear, I'm just interested in getting to know you a little bit better. Is it not reasonable for a man to ask such questions?"
She collected herself again, trying not to sound as flustered as he had made her.
"Well, Sir, how about a quid pro quo? Why don't you tell me about your... preferences? And I might relay some of my history. What is your opening gambit?"
He liked the fact that she wanted to play this game with him. It only increased his interest and excitement for the evening ahead. He took a sip of his wine in consideration of her question.
"My dear, I can tell you that I am drawn to the passionate and the spontaneous. I am a man who enjoys the intensity of life, who enjoys exploring new things and new experiences. I have not had many serious relationships before, although I have been intimate with a fair number of partners. What about you?"
His words pique her curiosity in so many ways - she wondered what he was implying.
"I have a long standing partner who is rather generous in his view of relationships. We give each other total freedom to explore. I have used that privilege as I saw fit to different degrees over the years."
Nexus couldn't help but smirk as she responded. He had a very good idea of what she meant by a "long standing partner," but he would not say anything more than that for the moment. Her attitude was already inspiring so many thoughts and emotions inside him, but he had to keep his composure, and chose to reply with a level tone.
"Oh, I can see that you have been very open about your relationships, and I can tell you are a very liberated and open-minded woman. May I ask you one more question, my dear?"
"Quid pro quo. I believe it is my turn."
Nexus enjoyed this level of tension and the playing of games between them. He was excited to see this night progress further. He agreed that it was her turn first on the condition that he would have the opportunity to get his question answered sometime later.
"My dear, I am curious to know what you are expecting from this evening? Are you hoping to meet someone interesting? Are you expecting to make a connection?"
