by Meghan Quinn
“Thank you for accompanying me tonight,” I said as I looked down at her.
A smile spread across her face and she said, “Thanks for blowing a hole through my pussy with that massive meat sword of yours.” She shifted on the table and said, “I’m pretty sure you popped a hole through my bladder.”
Trying not to smile, I said, “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” She caressed my cheek, something I normally didn’t allow but with Goldie…things were different.
“You sure?”
She nodded her head and ran her hand down my chest, making me swell again but I didn’t allow for a second round because I knew it was time to part from her for the night. I had some mending to do. I was a shallow ass most of the time but I knew when I was wrong.
I pulled away and fixed my pants, and released her from her confines. Her body was fantastic, every man’s dream and she was all for me. I was a privileged man and damn lucky for it.
“Keep looking at me like that and you will find yourself strapped to that bed, waiting for me until I’m ready for you again.”
“Is that supposed to be a punishment?” she asked with a straight face.
I leaned over, grabbed her chin with my thumb and forefinger and said, “Yes, yes it is but a delicious one.” I pecked the tip of her nose and pulled away completely. “Get dressed, little one. You have a long week ahead of you.”
Disappointment fell across her features as I pulled away and walked out the door. If I wanted to, I could spend the whole night playing with her, seeing how many times I could make her scream my name or come on my fingers but I had others thing to do. I grabbed my bourbon, two glasses and headed down the back stairs through the dark hallway that led to Kace’s room.
I leaned my ear toward the door before knocking in case he had a woman with him but it seemed like the coast was clear so I knocked on the door. Kace’s voice rang through in a gruff tone, telling me to come in.
His room was dark, besides a light on the night stand that casted a light shade of yellow in the room. Kace was sitting in a chair, facing the window. His feet were stretched out on the sill and he was slouched in his chair as his hand held up his head. His stature was deflated and rightfully so, the man had so many demons to deal with, I didn’t know how he went day to day holding his shit together.
“What do you want, Jett?” Kace said without turning around.
“I brought bourbon.”
Kace just nodded as I brought up a chair next to him and handed him a glass. I poured us both a generous amount, not really saying anything to each other as we sat in silence, drinking away our problems. This was a tradition we did on this day, this day that changed Kace’s life forever. We didn’t talk about it, we didn’t share, all we did was sit and stare into oblivion. We didn’t need to talk, we knew what happened, we knew what we did to cover it up and we knew the effects it had on the innocent people involved. Instead of rehashing everything, we just sat and drank.
We sat for what seemed like hours until Kace broke the silence and asked, “Everything settled with Lo?”
He held out his cup for a refill and I obliged while I responded, “Everything is fine. I was a protective ass that just ended up hurting her.”
Kace took a sip from his glass. “If she didn’t hear you, would you have changed your mind?”
I thought about his question and answered honestly, “Probably not but seeing the look on her face was enough pain for the day, so I relented.”
Kace nodded while he continued to look out his window. “You okay with that?”
“No, but do I have a choice?”
“You used to.”
I did, I thought as I took another sip of my bourbon. I used to have many choices but now that Goldie has graced me, I find myself with a noose around my neck, not being able to do what I want because the fear of Goldie getting hurt plagues me. I don’t want her to hurt…ever. I don’t want her to get into trouble or see fear. I want to make everything okay for her which is a big problem because I wasn’t expecting to feel that way.
“Don’t let her get hurt,” Kace interrupted my thoughts. “You have to help her if you bring her into your world.”
“No shit,” I responded as I shifted in my seat suddenly starting to feel uncomfortable in my skin. “You’re the one who pushed the idea of bringing her with me.”
“And I meant it but you have to be fucking careful. She’s not like everyone else in your world. She has feelings, she has a heart, she can easily be burned, ripped up and spit out by a simple stare from one of your elites. You can’t let that happen…I can’t bear to see it,” he trailed off.
I gritted my teeth from the protectiveness Kace had for Goldie. I hated it, fucking hated it. I was the one who was supposed to protect her, not Kace and every time he showed one ounce of concern for her, it grated on my nerves.
“I won’t,” I said sternly. “Miss Mary will be starting training with Lo tomorrow so just stay the fuck out of it.”
I saw a slight grin spread on Kace’s face from the corner of my eye which only irritated me even more.
“You’re so far gone,” Kace said as he drained the rest of his drink and got up out of his chair. “I need to hit the head and then meet up with Claire.”
“Claire?” I asked, a bit curious.
He shrugged his shoulders and said, “She’s a good fuck with no intention of being a clinger.” Kace walked off toward the bathroom but then turned around before shutting the door. “Thanks for the bourbon…dickhead.”
I nodded with a smile. “Anytime, asswipe.”
And that was it. That was the extent of our night together. Silence between us spoke a thousand words. Sometimes conversation was overrated, sometimes, you just needed to sit with another breathing soul, knowing that they understood you, that they felt for you and that they were going to make it through the next day.
Before Kace completely shut the door, I called out, “Next year, just pay me to beat your ass. I would love taking your money.”
From the cracked door, Kace called out, “In your dreams, Colby. Any fist fight between us is going to be a guaranteed honest one.” With that, he shut the door and I took off for the third floor.
Jeremy, my assistant, met me at the top of the stairs and said, “I found Keylee Zinc’s information, sir.”
“Put it on hold for now. Call Miss. Mary, she has some etiquette lessons to give.”
A smirk spread across Jeremy’s face as he typed away on his tablet.
“And wipe that smile off your face. Lo was always my number one choice.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jeremy took off downstairs as I went back to my office. I set my bourbon down on the bar and walked over to my window that looked over the Lafayette Club lawn and the wonky tress that graced the streets of the garden district. Beads from past Mardi Gras parades still dangled from the trees’ limbs and sparkled in the street lights. Pepper was walking to the back entrance, from the street, returning from one of her outings, ones that she had been going on lately. I had a feeling she was fooling around with someone else but honestly, I didn’t give a fuck. A girl needed to be fucked and she wasn’t getting it from me.
I sighed as I rested my head on the window pane. When did my life become so complicated? It used to be so easy; I worked, I fucked and I protected, now I worried. I didn’t want to worry but I didn’t have a choice, there were so many new factors in my life that I needed to consider.
Goldie was one of them.
I ran my hand through my hair as I thought about what the hell I got myself into. I was going to bring Goldie out in public, where everyone could see her, could see who she was. It was dangerous, people might even know her, like my dad or Rex Titan but the look on Goldie’s defeated face kept outweighing my cons of having her on my arm at my events. At least if she was next to me at all times, I would be able to protect her, to shield her from the cruel and cold world that I lived in.
Chapter Seven
“Crazy”
Lo
There is this feeling you have the next morning after an amazing bout of sex, this tingle in your lady area that keeps saying, you were utterly fucked to the hilt of your cervix last night and holy fuck was it good.
As I brushed my hair out for the day, I thought about that feeling that Jett gave me. He was an animal last night, like he couldn’t get inside me enough and I agreed, I wish he was able to bury himself deeper. I made a mental note to start stretching more.
Last night, I saw Jett cave, I saw him cave to my needs and once again I realized, I did hold the cards like he always said. Was I insulted last night, fuck yeah but was Jett sincere and honest? He was. He was right, there was a lack of class where I was concerned. I have a dirty mouth and I know how to use it, and I’ve used it on him so I can only imagine his hesitation when it comes to taking me to some high class society parties but what he doesn’t realize is that I can clean up when need be.
It’s like going to visit your grandparents, there was a certain filter you used when talking to them. No fuck this and fuck that and pussy on my shoulder kind of crap. There is a certain innocent poise that you must use with grandparents, like, “Oh the weather was a total dreary mess yesterday.” Or “Man, I played a mean game of solitaire last night that kept me up till nine!” Simple as that, when out and about with Jett, I just had to channel my grandparent filter. Shouldn’t be too hard, especially since I would be practicing with Miss Mary.
I grabbed my mask and heels and slipped them on since I would be walking through the main house to meet Miss Mary in the dining room. The masks started to feel like a second skin now and when I wasn’t wearing one, I almost felt naked. The business shirts that we had to wear were still a little awkward. It was like wearing a dress at all times, which was fine, but fuck I could use a frump day and wear a pair of holey sweats. Heels were heels, I have always worn them so no biggie there.
With my hair in a high ponytail and my Jett Girl attire on, I headed down the back staircase and to the dining room. This would be the first time that I would actually spend time in the dining room. It made me sad that we never really had any formal dinners. The girls and I usually just ate in the back of the Toulouse Room before a presentation. We still had a lot of fun but it would be nice to have something formal, to treat ourselves and have dinner as a “family.”
My heels hit the tile of the hallway that led toward the dining room, echoing off the walls. The Lafayette Club was gorgeous and sophisticated, I didn’t think I would ever get over the fact that I lived in such a place so instead, I just soaked it all in. Rags to…pretend-riches was my story. They weren’t my riches but I lived in them.
I was taking in a picture of Bourbon Street on the wall near the grand entryway when I heard someone walking toward me. My heart flipped as I hoped it was Jett, and even though I saw him for a good portion of last night, I still got butterflies in my stomach just knowing I might see him again. As I looked up to see if it was Jett, I saw a pair of blue eyes but they weren’t Jett’s or Kace’s…they were someone else’s.
Standing in front of me, in a well-tailored suit was a light-skinned African American man with a shaved head and piercing blue eyes that hit me in my very soul. I stopped in my tracks as I took in his broad shoulders, his well-defined chest that I could see ripple under his dress shirt and the tight waist that peeked under his sport coat. The man exuded confidence just like Jett and had an air of sophistication that rivaled Jett’s.
Umm…fucking yummy.
He smiled at me as he stared at my chest and that was when I realized I was gripping my breast and practically pinching my nipple right in front of the man. I was a horny, horny girl. Quickly tearing my hand away from my breast and hoping my other hand wasn’t fingering myself without my knowledge, I nodded at him and continued my trek to the dining room.
I heard heavy footsteps behind me that I recognized as Kace’s. The man insisted upon pounding his way through the house.
“Diego, how are you man?” Kace asked with lightness to his voice that I never received. Moody bastard.
“Good to see you, Kace. I’m just fine. Is Jett upstairs?” Diego, I presumed, said in a deep, luscious voice. Oh God, was he hot. Did Jett only know hot people? Was I sucked into some hot man black hole? If I was, I was fucking loving it.
“Yup, he’s waiting for you. You can go on up.”
I heard footsteps walk away as I held on to the wall of the hallway not minding my own business at all. I was curious and I loved butting into everyone else’s business.
“Don’t you have refining school to get to?” Kace breathed inches from my ear making me yip in surprise. Apparently the man did know how to be silent when he walked because I didn’t hear him coming up behind me at all.
I looked over my shoulder and met his eyes. “I was just taking in the texture of this wall,” I replied, trying to pass off my nosiness.
He didn’t buy it. “Mind your own business, Lo. How many times do I have to tell you that?” he whispered in my ear, sending goose bumps along my body as I felt his breath caress my skin. My hormones were on overload.
“Probably a couple more,” I replied in a cute voice while smiling.
Kace huffed as his eyes blatantly wondered down my shirt that was gaping open at the top. When he looked back up at me, his eyes were blazing with need which only made me gulp.
“Everything okay with Jett?”
Only able to move my head since my throat was dry, I nodded.
“Good. Listen to Miss Mary. She will tell you everything you need to know.”
Kace pulled away, allowing me to breathe again, no longer sucking in all the air in my vicinity.
Before I walked into the dining room, Kace called out my name again. I turned to see him standing in the entryway, with his hands tucked into the worn out pockets of his jeans and his plane white T-shirt stretching across his chest. No matter who my heart belonged to, it would always have a special place for Kace…always.
“Thank you…for checking on me yesterday.” He looked up through his eyelashes as he talked to me, a modest pose I hadn’t seen from him before. Whatever happened to him, hit him hard because he never showed emotion and right now, all I could see was hurt and pain pouring out of him.
“Any time,” I replied.
He stepped forward for a second and then shook his head as if what he was about to do would be the biggest mistake of his life. I wanted to go up to him and ask him what was going on but I didn’t. I kept the line that was drawn in the sand between the two of us, respected his wishes and entered the dining room with a heavy heart.
***
Learning etiquette didn’t seem like it would be very hard to do until I stepped into the dining room and came face to face with Miss Mary. I was expecting to see a little old white lady, with an impressive bouffant and real pearls gracing her neck but instead I was standing next to a six foot tall, rotund black woman with a scarf in her hair and an apron around her belly. Her face read, “Don’t fuck with me,” and I wasn’t going to! I glanced at the ruler that she was holding in her goliath-sized hands and gulped.
“You must be Lo,” she greeted.
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“Yes.”
“Yes?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?” I asked, confused.
“The proper term is yes, not yeah.”
“Ohhh. Yeah, I’m kind of a ditz.”
“Yes,” she said more sternly, making me realize I did it again.
“Fuck, sorry.”
There are times in your life where you realize that you must be wearing a protective shield around your body because the laser beams of pure dragon fire that were spouting out of Miss Mary’s eyes would have disintegrated me on the spot from dropping the f bomb if I didn’t have that protective shield.
“Oh God.” I covered my mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say fuck…I mean swear. I didn’t mean to swear.�
�
“Sit.” Miss Mary pointed to a chair that was pressed up against the wall.
There were no pleasantries, just like the first time I met Kace, we got straight down to business.
Not wanting to see any more scary veins pop out of Miss Mary’s forehead, I did as was directed and kept my mouth shut because right now, it was not helping me any.
I sat in the chair, crossed my legs, placed my hand on my knee and sat up properly. There, good posture, legs are closed, chin is tilted up, I look fucking good…I mean, just good.
Miss Mary walked up to me, patting the ruler in her hand as if she were getting ready to pepper my ass with it and observed my stance. I stood tall with confidence even though my insides were quivering.
“Do not move, not even an inch,” she said as she stood right in front of me. I didn’t know if that meant I couldn’t talk but I decided not to risk it so I stayed silent.
She ran the ruler up my arm, up my neck to my chin and said, “Are you better than me?”
“What?” I asked, trying not to move my mouth much because I was afraid I was about to be ruler whipped across the face, that’s how scary this lady was.
“Your chin, it’s thrust up in the air, which turns your nose up and the only reason someone would have such posture is if you were better than me. So, I will ask you again, are you better than me?”
“No!” I practically shrieked in embarrassment and pushed my chin down so it was threatening to kiss my chest.
“Are you my submissive?”
If ears could pop off a head as they tried to hear someone again, my ears would have been dangling on the damn floor. Is this some kind of fucked up kinky finishing school Jett was putting me through? I looked up at a camera that was in the corner and wondered if he was getting a kick out of this.
“Uh…no?” I asked in a question because frankly I had no clue what the fuck was going on.
“Well, you either are or you’re not,” she stated boldly.
“I guess I’m not.”