He was 25, and this was his first time going to a brothel. Kai Reeves cursed himself for the sweat pouring down his face. He was both burning with lust and chilling with terror. He tried to avoid this for many years until finally his needs overcame his lust. The urge to combine was ultimately stronger than fear.

Forcing himself to keep moving forward, Kai stepped up the steps of Mrs. Bradshaw, where services are reserved for wealthy guests. It is common knowledge that a night with Bradshaw's girls has the price of luck, for they appear to be the most professionally trained prostitutes in London.

Kai can easily shell out whatever price is asked. He made a lot of money as a thief, and above all, he had a fortune from his dealings in the underworld.

He also gained a lot of notoriety in the process. Although he was well known to the common people, he was feared by the underworld and hated by the Bow Street cops, who saw him as a rogue colleague. From the police point of view it was true – he was indeed a scoundrel. Srcuples have their own way of doing things and therefore they don't need Kai to work for them.

Music blared from the window, where Kai could see men and women in elegant dresses as if they were at a high-class ball. In fact, they are whores doing their job with the brothels. This was a foreign world to his thief's home in Fleet Dicth, where the servants tied their ass to files in the side streets for every shilling.

Straightening his shoulders, Kai used the bronze lion's head to knock briefly on the door. The door opened to reveal the stone-like face of the servant, who was required to do his duty. Isn't that obvious?

Kai felt irritated: "I want to meet a woman".

"I'm afraid Mrs Bradshaw is not accepting any customers at this hour, sir..."

"Tell her Kai Reeves is here." Kai shoved his hands into his coat pockets and gave the servant an angry stare. The man's eyes widened, revealing the recognition of a scandalous name. He opened the door wide and tilted his head politely: “Yes, sir. If you wait at the entrance to the lobby, I will notify Mrs Bradshaw of your presence."

The air smelled of perfume and cigarette smoke. Taking a deep breath, Kai glanced around the marble-floored lobby, with tall white pillars lined up. The only ornament is a drawing of a naked woman looking at herself in an oval mirror, a slender arm resting gently on her breast. As if hypnotized, Kai approached the gold-rimmed painting. The image of the woman in the mirror is fanciful and fragile, the triangle between her legs is drawn by faint brush strokes. Kai's stomach felt like it had just been filled with cold lead. A servant in black breeches walked through the hall with a tray full of glasses, and Kai's gaze quickly left the canvas.

He had a strong awareness of the door behind him, and he could instantly turn around and get out of here right now. But he's been a coward for too long. Whatever happens tonight, he must be known. He clenched his fist in his pocket, and from the hall there were flickering rays of light, the intertwining of white and gray marble reflecting the brilliant light of the chandelier overhead. Suddenly a woman's voice broke the laziness in the air: "Lord Reeves. Welcome". His gaze traveled from the hem of his long blue velvet dress to his smiling eyes. Mrs Bradshaw was tall, a woman of excellent proportions. Her pale skin was adorned with amber freckles, and her auburn hair was pulled up into loose curls. She wasn't pretty by any conventional standards: her face was too angular, and her nose was too big. Anyway, she was fashionable and had impeccable perfection, and there seemed to be something seductive about her that made her beauty unnecessarily superfluous. Her smile made Kai relax from his anger. Then he realized that he wasn't the only one who reacted. Every man relaxes in the lovely presence of Gemma Bradshaw. It can be confirmed just by observation, that she doesn't care about words or putting boots on the table, that she loves a good joke, and is never shy or condescending. Men fell in love with Gemma because she was clearly bewitching them. She sends Kai a conspiratorial smile and bows low enough to reveal her attractive slit.

“Consider your coming here as an honor rather than a job.”

At his brief nod, she smiled again: “That's interesting. Take a tour of the art room with me, and we'll discuss how to best serve you."

She moved her arms around him. Kai twitched slightly, controlling his instinctive urge to get out of her grip. She could barely feel the firmness of his hand. Her hand fell halfway, and she continued to talk normally, as if nothing had happened.

“This way, if you will. My clients often enjoy playing cards or billiards, or relaxing in the smoking room. You can talk to any girl you want before choosing one. Then she'll show you an upstairs room. You will be billed for the hour she serves you. I have personally trained all the girls, and you will discover that each of them has her own special knack. Of course, you and I will discuss your particular interests, as some girls promise wild ferocity…”

As they entered the gallery, several women shot Kai flirtatious glances. They all looked healthy and well cared for, completely different from the prostitutes he had seen near Fleet Ditch and Newgate. They joked, talked, negotiated, all in almost the same pleasant manner Mrs Bradshaw had.

“It would be a pleasure to introduce you to some of them.” Mrs Bradshaw's elegant voice rang in his ears. "Has anyone caught your eye yet?"

Kai shook his head. He was known for his arrogant ease, the gentle taunts of a reckless charlatan. In any case, in this unfamiliar position, language seemed to have left him.

“May I have some suggestions? The black haired girl in the dark blue dress had a conventional superiority. Her name is Lorraine. She was charming and lively, full of wit and intelligence. Standing next to her, blonde, it was Mercia. A quiet person, with a tenderness like petitions, has attracted many patrons. This is Nettie - a small girl with a look as clear as glass, as if drawn in strangely beautiful paintings…” Mrs Bradshaw paused as she caught sight of Kai's clenched jaw.

“Or do you prefer the illusion of chastity?” She suggested gently. “I can provide you with an almost virgin village girl.”

Kai cursed himself if he could know what made him like it more. He glanced at them all, black, blonde, voluptuous, every shape, size and color imaginable, and suddenly a multitude of sensations completely engulfed him. He tried to imagine getting into bed with one of them, and sweat beaded his forehead.

His gaze returned to Mrs Bradshaw. Her eyes were clear, warm brown, covered with thick auburn lashes that were darker than her hair color. Her tall figure invites play, and her mouth looks invitingly soft. But the freckles made him hesitate. The amber freckles spread across her pale skin splashed like cheerful flower spots that made him want to smile.

"You're the only one here of value." Kai heard himself speak.

The lady's flaming lashes lowered, obscuring her thoughts, but he felt him astound her. A smile curled her lips: “Dear Mr. Reeves, it is a pleasure to hear your compliment. Anyway, I'm not in the habit of sleeping with clients. Those days are long gone. You must accept that I introduce you to one of the girls, and…”

"I want you," he insisted. When Mrs Bradshaw saw the determination in his honey-colored eyes, a gentle blush spread across her cheeks.

“My God,” she said, and suddenly burst out laughing: “This is a light joke that makes a 38-year-old woman blush. I think I forgot how it was.”

Kai didn't smile back at her. “I will pay any price.”

Mrs Bradshaw shook her head immediately, still smiling, then began to focus on his stiff shirt as a tough struggle: “I never do anything impulsive. That's my daily rule."

Slowly, Kai reached for her hand, touching it with trepidation, moving his fingers through her palm cautiously, trying to be intimate.

Even though she had long hands that matched her height, his hands were longer, his fingers twice as thick as her slender fingers. He caressed the folds inside her fingers:

“All rules can be broken at some point.” He said.

Lifting her gaze, she seemed to see mesmerized by something in his tired face. Suddenly she seemed to have made a decision.

"Go with me".