Club Thrive: Agenda (The Club Thrive Series Book 3)

by Alison Mello

  “Not a bad idea.” Tanya bites her nail for a minute. “He’s paid for a year of web services, but that’s a separate area of expertise that we can easily manage without him communicating with you. He would go through web design, and that’s it.”

  “And if you chose to, at the end of the year you can send him notice that he needs to find someone else to handle his website.” I shrug my shoulders like it’s no big deal. Losing a client that’s only paying us for a year of web design won’t break us.

  “What are you going to do if Stone freaks and says there’s no way you’re going back into the club?” Katie looks nervous over Stone’s reaction.

  I sigh heavily. “I haven’t thought that far ahead, but I guess I would send Higgins an email that states we would like to plan the event, but not take credit for it. That we want him to sign a release saying there will be no mention of our name, good or bad.”

  Tanya rubs her hands through her brown hair. “I’m not sure you going there is a good idea safety-wise, but it’s more professional than you handling it over email or phone.” She pauses for a minute. “Talk to Stone. If he thinks he and your security can keep you safe, then go in person. Get the signature and hand him the bill. Tell him half is due before we move any further on planning anything for the event. Once he’s paid that, you will communicate with him via phone and email to finalize the event. Then get your ass out of there.” Her voice is stern, like a mom angry with her child.

  “Got it.”

  “Good, I will have both the invoice and the agreement to you by the end of the day, so you can discuss it with Stone. Let me know what you decide to do and please do not get hurt again.”

  I smile at her. “I won’t. There’s no way Stone will let him anywhere near me.”

  ***

  I’m pulling up to our place and I’m a nervous wreck. I need to talk to Stone about the club situation and I have no idea how he’s going to handle it. He could be totally on board with it or freak out over it, but I’ve tried to practice in my head what I’m going to say to him all afternoon. I still don’t know how to bring it up.

  I get upstairs, and as usual, I find him in the kitchen making us dinner. “It smells really good in here,” I say, dropping my bag by the door where I usually leave it.

  “I’m making stir fry with brown rice.”

  “Good, I’m starving. I had a lot to do today, and didn’t get to eat all of my lunch.”

  “How was work?” he asks, and instantly I decide this is the perfect opportunity for me to bring up everything we need to discuss.

  I take a deep breath. “It was busy. I had a long talk with Katie and Tanya today about Vixen.”

  His brows shoot up. “Did that bastard call you?”

  “Relax…no, he didn’t. He emailed me pictures of the club. The VIP rooms, to be specific. They look great.”

  “Good for him,” he says a bit angrily.

  “Anyway, we were discussing how to go about finishing this job without giving us a bad name or me getting hurt.” I can see he’s trying to keep control as he waits to hear what this will entail. “If you’re okay with it, I want to have one last meeting at the club with you and the security team by my side.” He places his hands on the counter as he contemplates what I’m saying. “It’ll be a brief meeting. We’re cutting ties with him. We’re going to plan the grand re-opening, but there won’t be any staff from the firm present, and we don’t want our name mentioned in association with him or the club.”

  “What’s the point of the meeting then?”

  “To get him to sign an agreement that states just that. That we will plan it but he or his employees are not to mention us in any way, and to hand over the bill for the project, explaining that we will not begin the planning process until he pays half. If he hands me a check on the spot, all the better.”

  He takes a deep breath. “Is it really that important that you do it in person?”

  “In a way, yes. If he tries to bash us in any way, we can explain our actions and say that we cut ties in a professional manner. If it’s done via email, it makes us look shady and he would have the emails to prove it.”

  “What makes you think he’s going to allow me and your security team inside with you?”

  “First, I don’t plan on telling him that you’re a part of my security team. If I do, he won’t allow the meeting to happen. I simply plan on telling him that I would like one last meeting with him, but my security team must be allowed in with me. You will show up, and at that point it’ll either be they let us all in, or no one goes in. He’ll want to see me. It’s disgusting, but the bastard drools over me. There’s no way he’s going to turn us away. I’ll sit across from him, have my meeting with you guys right behind us, and get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.”

  He places our plates at the table and we both sit to finish the conversation while we eat. He folds his hands together, leaning on them while he contemplates everything I’ve just said. I can see the cogs in his brain spinning. I give him a minute to mull it over as I begin to eat. He finally speaks. “I don’t like it, but I understand. We will do it, but you do not go in there without me, and we all carry.”

  “Fine by me. Does my security have a license to carry?”

  He nods. “They carry every day when they’re with you.”

  “Holy shit, I had no idea.”

  “You’re not supposed to know. They carry concealed to not make you or the people around you uncomfortable. Slade carries a forty-five at his side and a nine around his ankle. Cole has two forty-fives on him at all times.”

  I eat as I think about the fact that I’ve had two armed guards by my side all this time. I had no idea they were armed. I shake away my thoughts. “Thanks for doing this. I’ll email Higgins in the morning to set up the meeting and let you know when it is so we can plan with the security team.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, no more talk about work,” he says, finishing his dinner.

  “Okay. What do you want to do tonight?”

  He takes my plate and I begin putting away the leftovers. He comes up behind me and says, “I have a romantic night planned. I hope that’s okay with you.”

  “Oh yeah? What does this romantic night entail?” I question.

  He spins me around. “It starts with a soak in the tub.”

  I grin at him. “I like the sound of that.”

  “Good, finish this up and I’ll start getting it ready.”

  I quickly close up the containers and place them into the fridge, and then wash out the pan he used to make the stir fry, placing it in the strainer to dry. There’s nothing I hate more than waking to a messy kitchen.

  When I get down the hall to our bedroom, I can’t help but smile. The lights are off and candles are spread throughout the room. He wasn’t kidding when he said a romantic night for two. I stand there staring around the room, taking it all in when he comes back into the room. He takes my hand and leads me to the bathroom, which is set up in a similar fashion, with the tub filled with bubbles. I smile up at him. “You certainly know how to plan a romantic evening.”

  “You haven’t seen anything yet. This is just the beginning.” He unbuttons my blouse and peels it down my arms. He makes quick work of the rest of my clothes and then helps me into the tub while he removes his to join me.

  He slides in behind me and slowly runs water down the front of my body. The water is warm, making the air feel cool. The trickles of water down my breasts send goosebumps running wild all over my body, making my nipples harden. I lay my head back on his shoulder and kiss his neck. He slowly glides his hands up my body cupping my breasts and toying with my nipples. He whispers to me, “I love your breasts.” He slides one of his hands down my stomach, his fingers finding their way through the folds of my pussy. “And I love this.” He slips two fingers inside of me. My hips rotate, meeting the thrust of his fingers. “And most importantly, I love you.” He nibbles on my ear while his fingers fondle my breast and play wi
th my clit. It’s an amazing feeling having him touching me all over, but he stops just as I’m about to come.

  “Why did you stop?” I turn to face him, frustrated.

  “Baby, trust me. You’re going to explode tonight, but not yet. I want to touch and feel you, taking my time with you.” I close my eyes, trying to gain some patience.

  “Come.” He stands to get out of the tub.

  “I was about to,” I mumble, frustrated that he stopped.

  He wraps me in a warm towel. “Don’t I always take care of you?” I soften a little and nod. “Good girl, come on. I have a surprise for you.” He leads me to the bed. I notice there are rose petals on it that I hadn’t caught before. He picks me up and places me in the center of the bed next to a teddy bear I’ve never seen. I look over and the bear is holding something.

  “I’m going to give you a full body massage and then make sweet love to you, but first, I have to ask you something.”

  “What’s that?” He takes the box that the bear is holding and opens it. My jaw drops and my breathing picks up.

  “Will you marry me?” I’m completely shocked. I had no idea this was coming. I’m staring at a beautiful heart shaped diamond with two smaller diamonds on either side. “You have me, heart and soul. Please say yes.”

  “Yes, of course. I’m just in awe.”

  “That’s the point. I wanted it to be a surprise, but I love you so much, and I couldn’t wait any longer to ask you.” He slips the huge diamond on my finger.

  “Why the bear?” I ask, confused.

  “Well, you’re always telling the girls what a big teddy bear I am, so I thought it fit.” I burst into laughter.

  “Strong as stone, but as soft as a teddy bear.” I look into his big brown eyes. “I love you, William Alexander.”

  He growls at me for using his real name, but says, “I love you too, Miranda Stevens.” He presses his lips to mine, our kiss becoming heated and passionate, but he breaks away, and I frown. “I promised you a massage and you’re going to get it. He flips me over and drizzles oil all over my back, then straddles my ass and presses his strong hands into my back, rubbing the oil in all over. He’s showing special attention to my shoulders, where I have a ton of stress knots from dealing with everything. He slides his body off me, and moves between my legs, where he begins massaging my lower back and ass. The feeling of his hands all over my body and the anticipation of him making love to me has me so wet for him. He grabs my legs and pulls them apart, slipping his hands between them to discover the juices waiting for him.

  Lifting my ass in the air, he sits between my legs and licks me from clit to anus. The sensation causes me to gasp. He does it again, massage over. He’s licking and sucking on my pussy and ass. Once he gets a taste he doesn’t stop. He continues squeezing my ass as he eats me. I grind my hips, earning me the spanking I love. He rolls me over and tells me to lay still, but he wastes no time setting himself up for more. He sucks my clit into his mouth, rolling his tongue over it as he slips a vibrator into my pussy, fucking me with it. I grab for something, but there’s nothing there for me to hold on to. I’m fighting to lay still but the vibrator is hitting that special spot inside me and he’s sucking on my clit. “Fuck,” I scream out as an orgasm runs through my body, causing my legs to shake and tighten around him. He pulls the vibrator from my pussy and sits up, licking his lips.

  His cock is fully erect and standing tall for me. “My turn.” I crawl to him on the bed, sitting in front of him and wrapping my fingers around his cock. I begin stroking it as I look up into his eyes. I lick the length of his cock, causing him to hiss. I do it again, and this time I wrap my warm lips around his mushroom tip, sucking him into my mouth. I take him deeper and deeper each time until he’s hitting the back of my throat. He tastes delicious and I want more. I suck him hard and deep, rolling my tongue around the underside of his cock as I do. His hips start to move. I love when he fucks my mouth and he knows it. He slips his fingers into my hair, pulling it off my face and tugging on it slightly. I swallow him down each time he reaches the back of my throat. “Fuck, I hope you’re ready.” I grab his balls, massaging them until I taste his salty seed burst into my mouth. I swallow him down and don’t stop until I’m sure I have every last drop.

  He pulls his cock from my mouth and pushes me back down on the bed, sending rose petals flying. He climbs on top of me, sealing his mouth over mine. I can taste both our releases as our tongues battle it out, and it makes me want him even more. I wrap my hand around his cock, stroking him until he’s fully erect again. He swats my hand away and lines himself up with me. Slipping his cock inside of me, he begins a painfully slow rhythm. My hips are meeting his, trying to increase the pace. “You’ve made me a very happy man tonight.”

  I smile up at him. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s my job to make you happy.”

  He gradually picks up the pace going faster and deeper each time. He’s hitting that magic spot deep inside and it doesn’t take long to work me back up. He’s looking down into my eyes as I meet his hips thrust for thrust. My muscles contract around him and he buries himself balls deep inside me, emptying his load.

  He lays beside me holding me, his hand drawing circles on my back as we gain control of our breathing. A yawn escapes me, exhausted from the long day I’ve had, so he rolls off of me and goes to the bathroom. When he comes back a minute later, he has a warm, damp washcloth that he uses to clean me up. He tosses the dirty cloth in the hamper before climbing in bed beside me. “I’m so glad I get to take care of you for the rest of my life.” He kisses me and I snuggle up into him. I’m so beat I fall asleep in a matter of minutes.

  Chapter 12

  Miranda

  We have done a lot of planning for today’s meeting. The discussion with Higgins didn’t go as easy as I would have liked. When I told him I wouldn’t step foot in the club without my security team, he caved just as I suspected he would. Stone is extremely nervous and has had lengthy conversations with both Cole and Slade in regards to this meeting. I’ve made it clear to Higgins that he has no more than thirty minutes of my time. He was less than thrilled with that, but finally accepted it, so we’ll see what happens.

  I’m going through my papers to make sure I have the full non-disclosure agreement printed and ready to go. I also have his bill, and I’m really hoping he tells me he’ll mail the check in because that will allow me to get out of there even quicker.

  I’m broken from my thoughts by a knock on the door. It’s the security team telling us it’s time to roll. The meeting is at eleven-thirty, but because of the security and the stress of the meeting, Tanya told me to stay home this morning and to call her as soon as it was over.

  Stone appears at the door, looking through the peephole to see the team. He opens it and asks, “You guys have what you need?”

  Both guys open their suit jackets to reveal the pistols they’re carrying. “We’re good, man,” Slade says, patting Stone’s shoulder.

  “You ready?” they ask me.

  “Fuck no, but I guess I don’t have much choice, do I?” I stand up in my heeled boots. “Let’s get this over with.” Slade and Cole walk out the door first, and Stone is behind me. I have my briefcase carrying the few papers I’ll need.

  We’re all riding there in Stone’s truck. I’m in the front with Stone, and the two guards are in the back. My stomach is churning the entire way there and I swear I’m going to be sick. I keep taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself because I really don’t want this pig to see he’s gotten to me.

  We’re about to pull up to the club when Slade says to me, “Miranda, you know we have your back, right? I mean, I get why you’re nervous, but we wouldn’t let you in there if we didn’t think we could keep you safe.” I nod. “If anything happens, Stone will get you out of there and we’ll protect you.” I nod again, trying to let what he said sink in. “I want you to go in with your head held high. Don’t let this bastard get to you, because there’s no way in h
ell we’re going to allow him to hurt you.”

  “Thank you, Slade,” I say with a tight smile. I turn to Stone. “Remember, he’s going to do stuff to try and piss you off. Like kiss my knuckles or say shit about me. Don’t let him under your skin. I need you strong and focused.”

  “I got your back, baby. You just do what you got to do so we can get out of there as quickly as possible.”

  “Let’s go.” Slade and Cole climb out of the truck. Cole opens my door and helps me out. We’re not even at the entrance yet when Benny opens the door with another goon by his side.

  “Welcome back, dickhead.”

  “Thanks, I know you love seeing us and I’m sorry to say today’s the last time you’ll have the pleasure.”

  He chuckles. “Don’t count on it.” We walk past him and straight into the club where Higgins is already waiting for us.

  “Mr. Higgins, thank you for agreeing to meet with me today.”

  “Are you kidding? It’s a pleasure to have such a fine piece of ass in my club. I wish you would consider working for me permanently.” He takes my hand and kisses my knuckle.

  “Thanks for the offer, but as you know I already have a job, and that’s what I’m here to discuss.” I take a seat and wait for him to follow suit. The guys are all standing directly behind me.

  “I can see you’re all business today.”

  “I’m always all business, Mr. Higgins. Now as you know, we’ve started the planning for your event, and we would like to continue to help you with said event, however, due to the incident that happened the last time I was here, I am not comfortable being in the club. Therefore we propose that I continue planning your event, but your club gets all the credit. We do not want our name mentioned or associated with this event in any way, shape, or form.”