by Eden Summers
The first hurdle had been the hardest, and they’d sailed over the fucker with the grace of an Olympic champion. Okay, maybe his hindsight was skimming the Saturday night drama. He couldn’t help it. His enthusiasm was out of control.
They both still needed time. Flipping from a work relationship to lovers wasn’t easy in a normal business environment. When a sex club was brought into the mix, it was like walking through a minefield. But instead of explosives, they were contending with jealousy, spite, judgments and lies.
Leo needed to make sure they avoided each detonation.
Every other woman had balked at his lifestyle choices. And he understood why. It wasn’t common to share the person you cared for, and getting your kit off in the middle of a crowded room wasn’t on everyone’s bucket list. Yet Shay was still sticking around. She’d made him crazy with her curves, driven his desire to insatiable heights, and now he couldn’t quit thinking about ways to make this work.
The front door swooshed open, stealing his attention, and there she was, in tight black pants, a white-collared shirt and the glow of the sun surrounding her in a halo.
“Morning.” His gaze was glued to her, drinking her in as if he hadn’t seen her in years.
“Morning.” She grinned. “How were your days off?”
Unending. “Fine. You?” He strode around the bar and met her in the middle of the room filled with tables and chairs.
“Fine.” He stepped into her, wove his arm around her waist and tugged her softness against him. She’d arrived early and no other bar staff or waitresses were here. Apart from the chefs hidden in the kitchen out back, they were alone. It gave him the perfect opportunity to take the edge off his craving. “I missed you.” His lips found hers, kissing, nipping, licking until they both had to come up for air.
“I thought I was meant to keep my hands off you.”
“You were.” He pecked her lips. “You’re not doing a very good job.”
Her eyes twinkled, desire and sass staring back at him. “For such an accomplished man, you have very little restraint.”
“And for such a flirty woman, you’re doing a great job of brushing me off.”
“I’m not brushing you off.” She had the gall to gape at him with mock outrage. “It’s just that my boss is a hardass and I don’t want to get in trouble.”
“Sometimes getting in trouble is the best part.” He’d never get enough of her quick-witted charm. Even the subtle changes in her expression added to her potent mix of confidence and sexuality. She knew how to work him. Hell, she probably knew how to work every man. But he didn’t care. Shay was his now.
“True.” She pressed her lips together, the corners of her mouth tilting in barely contained laughter.
He leaned in for another kiss, already tasting her on his tongue when she tilted her head away.
“Not here,” she whispered, practically castrating him with the rejection.
She’d broken him, made him weak and lust-crazed in the one place he demanded control. All he wanted to do is strip her bare and sink into her over and over. Right now, he didn’t care if the timid restaurant staff caught them. He didn’t give a shit if his club secrets were exposed. His desire for her had already tightened his balls, making his shaft thicken with anticipation. His brain was deprived of blood flow and all the fucks he should’ve given about being caught were nowhere to be found. “Did you even think about me?”
“Of course.” She smiled up at him, this time with genuine admiration. “I couldn’t stop.”
“And what about the Vault?” Regret hit him the same moment she stiffened in his arms. He should’ve stopped before curiosity got the better of him. Now the playfulness had left her features, replaced with discomfort.
“The jury’s still out on that one.”
“There’s no rush. I can wait.” He wasn’t going to push or pry. He shouldn’t have opened his mouth in the first place. Patience was the only option if this was going to work. He just needed to pull his dick into line.
She pushed gently at his chest, disentangling herself from his arms. “I need to get ready, otherwise my arrogant boss might fire my ass.”
He groaned, long and low. Today would be torture, tomorrow too, and every other fucking day until he could get his fill of this beautiful woman. “Meet me in the storeroom in ten minutes.” He was joking. At least he thought he was.
Shay’s chuckle filled the room and she shook her head as the front door opened again. “I don’t think those duties are in my job description.”
He wanted to chase her, to stalk her into the nearest corner and show her exactly what duties he required of her. Only problem was they couldn’t be caught together. He needed to explain the situation to T.J. and Brute first, and the two of them wouldn’t turn up until later. Staff and management relationships weren’t forbidden. They’d worked together long enough to trust one another to make the right judgments, but when Vault of Sin was involved, they all second-guessed every decision they made. Because of the privacy issues and the lurid nature of what happened downstairs, they had to tread carefully. Shay was a liability now she knew their secret, and none of them liked any type of vulnerability when it came to their private club.
“We’ll discuss this later,” he called, and then growled when she replied with a girlie finger wave over her shoulder.
The lunch rush came and went, with Shay acting oblivious to his constant stare. He was sure she was deliberately teasing him. Torturing him. Making him so fucking crazy he ended up approaching her while serving a customer and asked her to meet him in the storeroom for a private discussion.
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
He stalked away and closed the storeroom door behind him to wait in peace. Time ticked by, hours, minutes…probably seconds, he couldn’t tell the difference anymore. Then she opened the door and closed it quietly behind her before launching herself at him.
He stumbled back, hitting the stacked shelves, making the rows of bottles clang. They paused, making eye contact as the noise lessened, waiting for the all-clear to go ahead. Then Shay’s gaze snapped to the shelf behind him and she frantically reached her arm out before a loud smash filled the room.
“Shit,” she muttered, sliding away from him.
As the heat of her fled his body, his heart rate quickened. He didn’t give a shit about the bottle, or the mess, or whatever the cost of the alcohol. His mind was only focused on one thing.
“I’ll clean it up later.” He grabbed her arms and pulled her back against his chest.
Passion flared in her eyes and she clung to him as he lowered his hands to the delicious curve of her ass. He kissed her, hard, while she relaxed into the grip of his hold and began wrapping her legs around his waist, climbing him, her hands everywhere. He smiled against her mouth, loving every breath of sweet-scented perfume, every soft whimper, every clench of her thighs around him.
“You’re killing me,” she rasped. “How am I meant to work with you watching my every move? I can’t concentrate.”
He yanked at her waistband, unbuckled the belt, flicked open the button. “You looked fine to me.”
She clawed his shirt, sliding her hands under the material to run her fingernails against his skin. “I had to re-do three orders.”
“I had to leave the service area to readjust my cock fifteen times.”
She chuckled into his mouth, charming his tongue with hers, while her fingers glided through his hair. “I love knowing you’re—”
The click of the door handle made him freeze and Shay stiffened against him. He didn’t have time to move before the door flung open and a faint gasp had him closing his eyes with a wince.
Fuck. He glanced over his shoulder, finding the pale complexion of one of their female chefs. Her eyes were wide, her mouth agape. She shook her head, blinking away the shock and stepped back into the
hall.
“Ahh…” Her gaze travelled between him and Shay, the high of her cheeks darkening. “I didn’t mean to… I’m…ahh…sorry.” She slammed the door shut, leaving them in silence to listen to the quickening pace of her shoes thumping down the hall.
Damn it.
Leo remained still, letting his idiocy sink in as he held Shay against him. He was the boss. He couldn’t be pulling this crap at work. At least not upstairs where fucking in public wasn’t expected. He’d messed up. Big time.
“I’m sorry.” Shay climbed off him and straightened her shirt.
“Not your fault.” He righted his clothes and helped smooth out her tangled hair. He had no clue what he looked like, but Shay’s blouse was crumpled and her hair well and truly mussed. She practically had been fucked in the storeroom tattooed on her forehead. If only they’d made the distance to make it worthwhile.
“Do I look okay?” She glanced up at him, her pupils wide with concern.
“Umm.”
She winced. “I look ridiculous, don’t I?”
“You look like a woman who was caught rutting in the storeroom.”
“Great.” With one hand, she combed her fingers through her hair while the other pulled a hair tie from her pocket.
No, not great. He hadn’t found the right moment to speak to T.J. and Brute yet, and he needed to get to them before gossip did.
“Shay, I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta go speak to the guys before they find out what’s going on from someone else.” He kissed her temple and gripped her shoulders. “Will you be okay?”
She pulled a face, half funny, half awkward. “Yeah. Go.”
“I’ll meet you at your car when you finish your shift.” Outside. Alone. Where they wouldn’t be caught acting like secretive teenagers.
She nodded. “I’ll clean up the mess.”
He eyed the pool of alcohol and glass on the floor at the end of the shelves. “Damn it.” He’d forgotten about the broken bottle. “I’ll make it up to you. Promise.” He gave her one last hard and fast kiss and then stalked to the door, turned the handle and yanked it open to find Brute staring back at him. His friend was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, a fucked-off expression etched across his face.
Could this moment get worse?
“We need to talk,” Brute growled.
Well, apparently, it could.
Chapter Twelve
Leo gave Brute ten minutes to cool his temper before he strode into the empty Shot of Sin night club.
“Speak of the devil.”
He lifted his gaze as he approached the main bar and found T.J. swiveling around on his bar stool.
“About time,” Brute muttered, turning from stocking chip packets behind the counter.
Leo ignored the jab and took a seat beside T.J. The three of them needed to talk, only the look on Brute’s face said there wouldn’t be a lot of civility involved.
“T.J. just finished filling me in on the stalker drama of Saturday night.” Brute leaned against the counter on the other side of the bar, his gaze scrutinizing. “Please tell me you didn’t sleep with her.”
Leo winced.
“Fucking hell, man. Are you kidding me?” Brute’s voice rose with each word, sparking Leo’s anger.
“My free time is none of your business.” It was a lie, a vain attempt to gain some ground over Brute’s holier-than-thou attitude. Leo knew he was in the wrong. He should’ve told them about Shay as soon as they arrived. Better yet, he should’ve called them Sunday morning. But sometimes Brute’s asshole attitude robbed him of his ability to think clearly, and all he could do was come back swinging.
“It is when you’re shoveling your dick into one of our employees during business hours.”
True, yet Leo didn’t need a lecture. And Brute rarely listened to reason. For once, Leo wanted to be happy. To hold a tiny piece of merriment in his long-frozen chest and hope for the best. He slid from the stool and stepped back, ready to cut and run.
“Wait.” T.J. grabbed Leo’s upper arm. “You both need to calm down so we can discuss this.”
Leo jerked off the hold and returned Brute’s glare. “Then talk instead of being a fuckin’ jerk.”
A pregnant pause followed, nothing but the clang of pans echoing into the empty room from their adjoining restaurant.
“You know this can’t end well,” Brute finally muttered.
“Fucking this up isn’t inevitable.” It was highly likely, just not inevitable. “We’re both taking this slow. Shay is willing to learn more about the lifestyle, so we’re going to see where this takes us.”
“Banging her in the storeroom is slow?” Brute shook his head and scoffed “And besides, Shay’s been drooling over your ass for months. I’m pretty sure she’d do anything for a bone.”
“Watch yourself,” Leo snarled, pointing a furious finger across the bar. “I know the risks. I’ve been through this before.”
“And obviously you didn’t learn a thing. Does she realize what your lifestyle involves? Have you thoroughly discussed it? Because a few hours working in the Vault doesn’t even scratch the surface of what goes on down there.”
Fuck you. Leo ground his teeth and turned his back to stare across the vacant dance floor. This was not what he expected from his friends. Yes, they’d all endured the same bullshit and broken relationships due to the club, but it didn’t mean they had to ditch the idea of ever having a stable partner. Shay was his one chance to turn things around.
“Leo, it’s not our business to dictate what you do. Or who you do,” T.J. started. “But you’re putting us all at risk. I didn’t realize how much until Brute pointed it out.”
“Of course he pointed it out,” Leo muttered, swinging back to face them. “Making others miserable is his M.O.”
“That’s not what this is about.” The anger in Brute’s gaze softened and he let out a huff. “We have a lot to lose.”
“I’m aware.”
Shay would no longer be able to work for them if this thing between them blew up in their faces. She’d have to walk, leaving them short staffed and Leo nursing another busted ego.
“Really?” Brute asked. “So you’ve thought about how much of a bull-headed spitfire she is? You fuck her over and she’s going to fight back first and ask questions later.”
Leo froze, swallowing over the ache tightening his throat. Shay was quick to lash out in armament, but she was professional…most of the time. “She wouldn’t do anything stupid.”
“And you’re willing to put Vault of Sin on the line with your assumption?” Brute gave a derisive laugh. “For a smart guy, you’re acting pretty fucking dumb.”
“You two were the ones who forced this. Not me!” His chest pounded with fury. None of this would’ve happened if they hadn’t encouraged her to work downstairs. “I didn’t want her down there in the first place.”
“She was meant to work the bar, not your cock,” Brute bit back.
“Calm down,” T.J. yelled, the noise reverberating off the walls. “For fuck’s sake, take a breath, both of you.”
Leo’s nostrils flared as he tried to settle his rampant breathing. It wasn’t only fury at Brute being an unsympathetic bastard making him hyperventilate. It was the fact his business partner was right about Shay’s temperament. She was stubborn, and her initial reaction when hurt was to bite back. If Leo ran the business by himself and the risk of backlash only fell on his shoulders, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. But moving forward was dangerous to T.J., Brute, Vault of Sin and all the patrons who felt at home within its walls.
Fuck. His mind had rested solely on the outcome of losing Shay as a friend and bartender. God knew his experience with backstabbing women was first-class. He should’ve contemplated every direction this relationship could turn instead of letting himself concentrate on the carnali
ty.
“I’ll print out a non-disclosure statement,” T.J. broke the silence. “Exactly the same as the one we made Travis and Tracy sign. Then Shay will know the legal ramifications of exposing the Vault.”
“Go ahead.” Brute grunted. “But we all know it won’t do shit when the club is running illegally.”
Leo tried not to crumple under the weight of guilt pressing down on his chest and ran a weary hand over his face. Lack of sleep wasn’t helping his ability to figure this shit out. He’d been too overcome by lust and the hope he’d finally found someone to accept his desires to be able to get more than a few hours’ sleep over the last two nights.
This had to work. Somehow. He needed Shay, but he also needed the club and his friends by his side. “What should I do?” He grimaced when his voice waivered.
Brute sucked in a heavy breath. “Stay away from her.”
“No.” Leo shook his head, not in anger, not in defiance, but in resignation. He couldn’t stay away. Today had proven he wasn’t strong enough.
“I don’t mean forever. Just a week or two. Let her think things over and make up her own mind without your sleazy pheromones playing havoc with her judgment. If she turns up to her shift at Vault of Sin this Saturday, at least we’ll know she’s taken the first step by herself.”
“It’ll also give us time to see if she can separate work and play,” T.J. added. “Having you in the office doing the books isn’t uncommon. Keep your distance. At least for a little while.”
Leo gave a defeated laugh. “And you think Shay’s going to be okay with being ignored? She’ll be pissed.” She’d be fucking furious.
“If this is about commitment and not just sex, she’ll wait.”
T.J. nodded. “I’m sorry, but I think it’s necessary. I know I joked about you being with her, but we all risked a lot to open Vault of Sin. I’d feel better if I knew how serious she was taking this.”
“We’ll keep an eye on her for you.” Brute lowered his voice, the hostility finally leaving his tone. “Unfortunately, with the way things have gone in the past, I think we need to be extra careful. None of us want to see another crash and burn.”