by Petrova, Em
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?”
Ally’s chest inflated as she took a deep breath and then released it. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll be fine. I really don’t feel like having company.”
“You know I want what’s best for you, don’t you?”
Weary eyes met Cassie’s. “I know. I’m sorry for being so pissy with you. I’m in a state of confusion right now and I need time to process everything.”
Cassie couldn’t agree more, but she kept her thoughts to herself. If Ally gave herself time to think about Jonah without letting the past weigh in her conclusion, she’d see what Cassie saw all along—that Jonah had it bad for Ally.
“Seriously, Cass, don’t worry. I’m fine. I’m going straight to bed once you leave. All of this other stuff can wait until tomorrow.”
It was the best news Cassie had heard in the last twenty-four hours. Ally was in dire need of sleep. They both were, but Cassie had gotten used to long days and short nights. Life in the music industry had a way of doing that to people.
“You promise you will call me if you need anything, right?”
Once she noticed Ally nod, she concentrated on the street. The cab would be pulling up any second. Enough time had passed since she called them. In a way, she was relieved to be going home. It hadn’t been the best night for either of them. If Mike sent her one more text, she’d block his number.
“I feel bad for getting you drunk and then asking for space. Maybe you should just stay. I’ll pass out in a few minutes anyway.”
“Please,” Cassie snorted. “I’m buzzed, but I wouldn’t say I’m drunk. You, my friend, are very drunk. You need to get some sleep.”
A goofy smile curled Ally’s lips as she turned in Cassie’s direction. Her body swayed from side to side. If she didn’t go to bed soon, she’d do a face plant on the table.
Guess that was better than the concrete at their feet.
At least the tension began to fade, and not a moment too soon. A flicker of light drew their attention back to the street where the cab began to slow two houses down. She couldn’t wait to get home and let the day be over.
“Cass?” Ally began as both stood. “This whole night went to hell because of me. You wouldn’t let me pay for the drinks, so will you at least let me pay for the cab?”
“Nope. I’ve got this.” The words barely made it out of Cassie’s mouth when realization jolted through her. Her purse was nowhere in sight, nor did she remember getting it back from Mike. That meant it was still at the club, locked away in the cabinet.
Shit…
She didn’t dare mention this to Ally. Her friend would either insist she stay or insist on paying for the cab again. Neither option would keep Cassie from the inevitable. She had to face Mike, and for more reasons than to collect her purse.
It was that thought that had her opening the front door of Ally’s house and motioning her friend to go inside. “I’m not leaving until I know you’re in bed. Let’s go, missy.”
Ally parted her lips like she would argue, but Cassie shook her head and pointed again. Her friend slumped her shoulders and walked inside while Cassie motioned to the cabbie to give her a minute. When he nodded, she followed Ally to her bedroom. It wouldn’t take long to make sure she made it to bed without passing out on the floor. Once she did, Cassie could head back to Midnight Blues.
While she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Mike, especially after all the texts he’d sent, she couldn’t deny that a certain level of excitement pulsed through her veins. And that excitement stemmed from the thought of seeing the McCabe brothers one more time.
One McCabe brother in particular.
***
Cassie observed the entrance of Midnight Blues once the cab pulled up to the curb. The crowd of people who’d been hanging outside, smoking and chatting, had dispersed into different directions on the street.
The minute she exited the cab, she noticed the lack of music pouring from the club’s open door. Guess Theo’s band had finished their set. There was a good chance that he and Jonah were no longer there, seeing as how it was close to one a.m.
A twinge of disappointment had her hesitating from going any further, but it was the cabbie’s voice that forced her to brush aside the thoughts. “You sure you don’t want me to wait for you, sugar?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. I don’t know how long I’m gonna be.”
She reached inside her back pocket and removed the money she’d found not long after they’d left Ally’s house. Had she not dug her phone out of her back pocket to read all of Mike’s texts, she still wouldn’t know about the money.
At least she wouldn’t have to come back out and pay her fare once she collected her purse from Mike. As long as they didn’t get into another long discussion, she’d search for Theo and Jonah. Hopefully, they were still around and in the mood to talk, not that she couldn’t find better things to do with Theo than hold a conversation…
Handing the driver the money, she told him to keep the change and made her way toward the door. With every step, she cursed inwardly. What the hell was her problem anyway? She’d never allowed a guy to occupy her mind as much as Theo had over the last few hours. It wasn’t just the fact he was on her mind. It was the images produced by those thoughts.
This was karma catching up with her. All the years she’d spent flirting with him was back to bite her in the ass. Accepting such a conclusion would imply that Theo had been interested in her when they were younger. They’d flirted, but nothing more. He never took the initiative. Why would she?
Maybe something would have developed between them had he not gotten into a fight with Parker Pearson. Doing so got him expelled from school and kicked out of his house. His entire life changed. It’s why he left for New Orleans and convinced Jonah to leave with him.
Speak of the devil…
She spotted Jonah at the end of the bar talking to Jimmy, who he’d handed what she assumed was money. Jimmy’s quick trip to the register confirmed her suspicion. While he collected Jonah’s change, she refocused on the eldest McCabe and watched him knock back the last of his beer. When Jimmy approached, he waved him away and mouthed what looked like ‘keep the change’. A second later, he stood up from his stool and made for the hallway in the back of the club.
It’s where he met Theo who was waiting under the archway with a huge grin. Cassie wished he were smiling because he’d noticed her enter the bar. On the contrary, he flashed his pearly whites at his older brother as both stood in front of the other, discussing something.
She started to bypass the bar and head in their direction until she noticed a pair of dainty hands pulling at Theo’s clothes. His smile increased, especially when another pair of hands joined the first. Though she couldn’t see either face, it wasn’t hard to figure out that two women were standing behind him. When he turned around and wrapped his arms around two figures, she knew without a doubt that he’d found his entertainment for the evening.
After he disappeared into the hall with Jonah on his heels, Cassie rerouted herself to the bar and sat on a stool. She caught a glimpse of Mike and Jimmy working the opposite end from where she sat. Not that it mattered much to her. She wasn’t in any hurry to see Mike.
Her eyes lowered to the blue bar top as the earlier conversation she’d had with Theo played through her mind. Irritation prickled her skin, causing it to heat beyond comfort. She was an idiot, plain and simple. Why had she even given him a second glance? The time she’d spent flirting with him probably inflated his ego more than it already was.
Screw it. Let him think she wanted him. Whatever. She wouldn’t have to see him again. In fact, whenever she got home, she’d delete his number from her contact list. It would make Ally happy, even if the thought knotted her gut.
Whatever had gotten into her tonight, she hoped it was gone by morning. Maybe she was coming down with something. She did get a little sensitive when she was sick.
“I see you finally got my
texts.”
Mike’s voice was surprisingly calm considering the tone of his last message. She wished like hell he hadn’t been such a pain in the ass earlier. He would be a great distraction tonight—from her shitty day, from the tension with Ally, from any and every thought of Theo.
“Yeah, I got them. I’m sorry I didn’t respond. I was taking care of my friend.”
He gripped the edge of the bar and leaned his weight against his hands. “Then why are you back?”
“To get my purse. Isn’t that why you were texting in the first place?”
“You know your stuff’s safe here until you need it. You could have waited until morning.”
No, she couldn’t have, but she kept the thought to herself. Explaining that would only cause him to ask a ton of questions, questions she didn’t want to answer. The less he knew about what happened in the alley, the quicker she could forget it. She wanted to forget it, and the whole day.
“Ally is fine. She’s tucked in bed, probably having an awesome dream about hot sex with some stranger. I’m quite envious. So, if you’d please hand me my purse, I’ll be on my way home to do the same.”
Mike raised his hands defensively and backed away from the bar. “Fine.”
He nearly knocked Jimmy over when he turned around. “Whoa, dude. Slow down. What’s the hurry?’
“Sorry, bro.” Mike motioned his head in her direction as Jimmy’s eyes followed. “Cassie’s in a hurry to get out of here, so I’m getting her purse from the cabinet.”
“Cool. I get it. Well, our last customer just left, so give me a second to grab those Vodka bottles from the storeroom, and then you can head out with your girl.”
“It’s not like that, Jimmy. She and I aren’t—” Mike’s protest fell on deaf ears. Jimmy waved away his comment and left the bar.
Mike shook his head as he watched his friend disappear into the hall. Once Jimmy was out of sight, he didn’t glance back at her. He kept walking toward the cabinet where he’d placed her purse earlier this evening.
After he opened it, he removed her black silk clutch and then locked the cabinet. He tucked the keys into his pocket and moved her way. Even as mad as she was, she couldn’t help but admire the way his muscles rippled under his shirt when he walked.
God, I need to get out of here…
Tossing the clutch atop the bar, Mike kept some space between them and gazed around the empty club, probably making sure no one had come in when he had his back turned. He rarely got to leave before closing, so she didn’t doubt he was anxious to get out of there.
“Wow. How’d you get so lucky to get off early?”
Mike shrugged as his attention shifted to a rack of clean glasses sitting on one of the coolers. He grabbed a couple and placed them in the slots above his head.
“Look around this place. It’s dead. You know how it goes when the band stops playing. People get bored and head to another club. Your friends did their set and finished early. Now I get to do the same.” He peeked in her direction as if he expected her to respond, but when she only nodded, he continued putting away the glasses. “So…are you really going home?”
“Of course I am. I have nowhere else to go.”
“What happened to tall, dark, and goofy out back?” She didn’t miss his smirk or the sense of smugness in his voice when he chuckled, “Oh, that’s right. He just took off with two other chicks.”
“Well then, I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t make plans with him. I might be heartbroken had I done so.”
Her response caught him off guard. The way his eyes met hers and widened said as much. It was enough to satisfy her. She flashed him a smile as she grabbed her clutch from atop the bar and slipped off the stool.
It would definitely be a vibrator kinda night. Oh well. She knew just the right spot to hit to bring about wave after wave of bliss. She didn’t need Mike, or Theo, or any other man.
“Hey?” Mike’s voice stopped her before she could step away. “Where you going?”
She peered at him over her shoulder. “I’m going home. It’s why I came to get my purse. Remember?”
“Yeah, but I thought…” His mouth worked like he was talking. Yet no sound came out, not at first. But his voice finally returned. “Come on, Cass. Don’t do this.”
“Do what?”
He finally came around the bar and approached the stools she’d wedged herself between. “Don’t play games, Cassie. You know I want you to come to my place.”
“Mike, I can’t take your hot and cold attitude tonight. You’ve said and done things I never imagined you saying or doing.”
When he reached the spot where she stood, he didn’t stop walking, not until he had her pinned between his body and the bar. The rounded edge pressed into her back, but it didn’t hurt. Neither did the way his fingers tangled in her hair. He dipped his head lower and let his lips hover close to hers.
“I know I’ve been an ass this evening. I’m sorry. It’s been a bad night.”
“So I’m supposed to forget everything, go with you to your apartment, and let you fuck me when we get there?”
“Well, I would make it worth your while. Besides… I was hoping you’d ride me.”
His lips met hers at the exact moment he rocked his hips with her hips. A moan crept up her throat and spilled into his mouth. Her clit began to pulse as the friction he induced sent little jolts through her body. She thought for sure she’d come right where she stood.
The distant sound of footsteps grew louder, announcing Jimmy was back from his trip to the storeroom. Mike stopped his movements and slowly eased away.
“So is that a yes?”
She rolled her eyes. Then she caved and nodded. Screwing him was the original plan for the night. Might as well stick with it. She needed an orgasm in the worst way and going back to his place guaranteed one. It’s not like she had other offers to choose from. The only one she’d considered making disappeared the minute Theo walked out the door…with two other girls.
It was just as well. He was chasing his dream and wouldn’t be in town for long.
While a short fling with no strings would be the perfect scenario, the voice of reason deep inside her said it wouldn’t be that easy. There was something about Theo McCabe that she hadn’t noticed before, something she hadn’t noticed about anyone for that matter. She didn’t want to sleep with him just for personal pleasure.
She still liked Theo… A lot.
Chapter Eight
Jonah disappeared from Theo’s vision, along with the rest of the dance club, as a door shut in his face. Muffled beats of music vibrated the walls inside the supply closet. Each one built upon the next until the techno-driven rhythm made everything shake. If it weren’t for the soft skin and slender fingers tugging his clothes, he would have turned around and sucker punched his captor.
There was no need. Cee-Cee’s friend, Elle, came into view. She smiled deviously then placed her hand to his chest and pushed. His back smacked against the wall just as his chest warmed from her tits pressing against it.
Elle was a little firecracker, for sure. He’d barely made it back from the men’s room when she opened the supply closet door, grabbed his shirt, and yanked him inside. Now she was all over him, kissing his lips, and chin, and neck…
“You sure this is safe, sugar?”
“I promise.” She whispered the assurance in his ear then nipped the lobe.
He had to give her kudos for her level of confidence, even if he doubted her accuracy. Neither she nor Cee-Cee had been twenty-one for long. Did they frequent this club enough to know not only about the closet but how often it was in use?
“Have you been in here before?”
He did his best to play off the question as a joke, but he wanted to know the answer. Not that Elle would give him one. Instead, she kissed him. Her other hand tugged his jeans. She unloosened the button, lowered the zipper, then used both hands to lower his pants and boxers mid-thigh.
She hadn’t
stopped kissing him, even after he was fully exposed. Her scorching fingers trailed up his legs to his ass, and then she scraped her fingernails against his skin. He drew in a deep breath just as she broke their kiss and went to her knees.
Those same warm fingers curled around the base of his cock, her lips around the tip. A growl rumbled from his chest, but the sound only enticed her. She leaned closer, taking more of him inside her mouth.
“Fuck…”
He groaned the words. She moaned in response. The vibration had him closing his eyes and leaning the back of his head on the wall. Damn, he needed this. Needed to feel a woman’s mouth devouring him, every inch of him. Seeing Cassie tonight stirred something inside him that he hadn’t felt in years.
A longing… A craving he couldn’t resist.
While it may not be her lips sliding up and down his thick shaft, he could pretend it was. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been with a girl and thought about her. He doubted it would be the last.
Yeah. Elle could be his Cassie for the moment. So it was Cassie’s tongue circling around his tip. Each time he thought she’d pull away, she’d swallow him back into her throat and increase suction. He worked his hips faster, sliding his cock between her lips. She moaned again, and then her fingers tightened around his ass.
God he wanted her, wanted Cassie more than anything. Not even thinking about her was satisfying him the way it normally did. He squeezed his lids tighter, focusing on the thought of her dark eyes, luscious lips, and a body he’d memorized by the time he was thirteen.
What he wouldn’t do for just one night with her. One night to live out every fantasy he’d ever—
A dull ache built in his cheeks as her hands clutched his ass. His hips jerked forward, and wet warmth sheathed him to the hilt. Holy hell. She was killing him. The way she moved her tongue, alternating between swirls and flicks, made his head spin.
He fisted her hair near the top of her head. He wanted control but the constant throbbing in his cock left him weak and submissive. She had the power—to tease him, refuse him, or please him beyond comprehension. And when she cupped her other hand around his nuts, he braced himself against the wall.