by Jana Mercy
Fine, he’d talk nonsense until real customers appeared. Or until someone locked him up for insanity. ’Cause Sophia was driving him insane. Pleasurably insane.
He watched her perform her magic. Her slim fingers cupped his balls and gently massaged them while her tongue circled over the ridge of his penis. Cheeks hollowed out, she sucked him.
Gray forgot to babble but Sophia was too caught up to notice. Or if she did, she no longer cared. His finger twined in her soft blonde hair and guided her movements. Harder, faster he pumped into her mouth until his balls contracted.
“Sophia, I’m going to come,” he warned and let go of her head, not sure what she intended but leaving the choice to her.
He knew what he wanted, craved.
The room dimmed, bursts of light exploded in front of him. She never slowed.
“My God, Sophia.” His voice didn’t sound his own when the words rasped from him. He tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her to her feet. She smiled.
“That was amazing.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You are amazing.”
And it scared him just how true that was. Never had he completely lost his senses during sex. Had the building burned down around them, he didn’t think he’d have noticed.
“You liked?” she asked, looking uncertain and in need of reassurance.
“You have to ask?”
“Not really.” She grinned. “Ready to go upstairs?”
He was pretty sure he’d go any damn where she asked.
Chapter Ten
“She called you?” Eliza Walker’s brown eyes so unlike her daughter’s widened at Nate’s revelation.
“Yes.” Nate covered his lingering surprise at his secretary announcing that Sophia’s mother waited to see him.
“She’s come to her senses, then and plans to take you back. Thank God.” The petite woman sighed and sank into the leather chair across from Nate’s immaculate desk.
“Actually, she quite emphatically said she wouldn’t be changing her mind.” He hadn’t been able to sleep last night for Sophia’s words floating through his mind. Atlanta had stifled her. The elegant but controlling woman in his office had stifled her. Had he too?
“What?” Eliza’s spine stiffened ramrod straight. “Just wait until that girl gets back. I’m going to give her a good talking-to. What can she possibly be thinking?”
“Sophia isn’t a girl. She’s a grown woman. And coming back was another thing she mentioned.” Although not in the way Eliza hoped.
“She’s coming back?”
How much should he tell her? Despite their differences, Eliza loved Sophia. And was worried about her.
“Not that she said.”
“Oh.” Disappointment clouded Eliza’s face but ever the one to maintain a proper image, she quickly pasted on a smile. “Well, no matter. She’ll be home soon enough. Just as soon as that she-devil recovers.”
He’d known Sophia’s aunt wasn’t well thought of but the venom in Eliza’s voice dripped poison. Surely, the aunt wasn’t that bad? He recalled Sophia’s concerns about the books. Could she be in danger?
“This aunt Sophia is visiting, what’s she like?”
“I told you, she’s a living, breathing she-devil.”
Nate practically flinched from the viciousness of Eliza’s tone. “This is your husband’s sister you’re talking about,” he reminded her.
An odd look pinched her face. Her gaze dropped to her shaking hands. “Thank God none of that woman’s blood runs through my veins.”
“You forget. Her blood does flow through your daughter.”
“No, that’s something I never forget.” Eliza’s perfectly made-up face aged ten years before him. Well, hell. Was the aunt really evil incarnate?
“If you think so badly of this woman, why is Sophia staying at her apartment? And why is she running her strip club?”
“I tried to convince her not to go but she wouldn’t listen.” Her flawlessly manicured hands wrung together in a telling motion. “Lately, she’s acted so strangely. Like she’s dissatisfied with her life. It’s probably that crazy IRS job. Her father and I tried to get her to go to work for him, or to do charity work like me but she’d have nothing to do with it. And I still can’t believe she broke off her engagement to you.” She turned beseeching eyes on him. “You’ve got to go get her, Nathaniel. Make her come home.”
“What?”
“Go to Nashville. Bring her back to Atlanta before that witch corrupts her. Please.”
* * * * *
“You took my advice, didn’t you?” Aunt Genevieve beamed minutes after Sophia entered the hospital room on Thursday morning.
Large vases of sweetly scented flowers sat on the windowsill almost flooding out the antiseptic stench of hospital smell. Who had sent them? Sophia had never seen a visitor other than herself and the bouquet she sent paled in comparison to the elaborate arrangements that multiplied each morning.
“Which advice would that be?” Sophia asked although she knew good and well what advice her aunt meant.
“Gray Erickson.”
Sophia hesitated. Although her insides glowed, did she really want to share her and Gray’s sexual fantasy marathon?
“Do tell.” The eager light in Aunt Genevieve’s eyes broke into Sophia’s wall of reserve. This was her aunt, not her parents. Aunt Genevieve cared more about Sophia’s happiness than who bought what or who was moving in what social circle.
“He’s incredible.” Sophia sank onto the edge of the starchy white sheet covering her aunt’s bed. “Completely and totally incredible.”
“Give me details.” At Sophia’s hesitation, Aunt Genevieve chuckled. “Humor a bored old lady. There ain’t much action inside these four walls. I’m starting to go stir-crazy.”
Sophia eyed her aunt, noting that in addition to the scarlet gown, which contrasted brightly against the drab surroundings of her hospital room, her aunt wore makeup. Aunt Genevieve looked more alive, more vibrant.
“He’s a fabulous kisser.” Was it bad to kiss and tell? She never had before but sharing with her aunt felt so…right.
“Better than your boring Atlanta fiancé?”
“Ex-fiancé and there’s no comparison.”
“So.” Her aunt grinned mischievously, only the slight sag of the left side of her face giving evidence to her stroke. “Did you do the nasty in my apartment?”
Had the question come from any other sixty-year-old than Aunt Genevieve, Sophia would have been shocked.
“No.” She was pretty sure she was blushing when she added, “Well, not in your bed, I mean.”
Her aunt’s right brow rose with a great deal of admiration showing on her face. “The stripper-pole?”
A fresh wave of heat infused Sophia’s cheeks. “Not the one in your apartment.”
Her aunt’s jaw dropped in pleased astonishment. “Have to say, I’m proud of you.”
Proud? Had anyone ever told her that before? Especially a family member? And to think experiencing great sex was all it had taken to hear those words.
“Thank you.” Sophia averted her gaze to the machinery next to her aunt’s bed. “They took out your IV.”
“I’ll be going home soon. As soon as I can quit taking these stupid shots in my stomach to thin my blood. They’ve turned me into a blasted pin cushion.”
Sophia cringed at the thought of what her aunt had been through, at how much worse it could have been. What if she’d lost this wonderful woman without having gotten to know her?
“I’ll have to go to rehab during the week, but at least I’ll be out of this joint. Although, there is this one cute male nurse.” Aunt Genevieve winked. “He enjoyed my sponge bath more than I did.”
“And you said you were bored.” Sophia laughed. “I thought your therapist fussed at you for pinching the nurse when he gave you your bath.”
“Oh, she fussed but he came back for more. So what’s an old broad to do except make lemonade out of life’s lemons?”<
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“Lemonade, huh? I’ll have to remember that.” Lord knows she’d had plenty of lemons in her life. Without thought, she leaned forward and hugged her aunt. “I’m so glad you called me.”
“Me too.” Her expression sobered. “I wasn’t sure you’d come. Christmas and birthday cards ain’t no way to get to know family.”
Sophia mourned all the times she’d lost by not being close to this wonderful, zestful woman. “I’m sorry, Aunt Genevieve.”
“For what?” she huffed. “You ain’t done no wrong, girl.”
“I should have come to visit you. It shouldn’t have taken a stroke to get me here.”
“What? And risk the wrath of that wicked mother of yours?” Aunt Genevieve’s face turned as remorseful as Sophia imagined it ever got. “I should hold my tongue. She is your family, after all.”
“I love her but Mother can be a bit…pushy at times.”
“Oh?”
Sophia sighed. “More and more, I’ve realized that even though I stood my ground on my career, I’m living the life she chose for me rather than one I chose for myself.”
“Which is?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure but I’m fairly certain it’s not something Mother’s going to like. I’m not going to marry Nate, nor am I ever going to work for my father. I’d started taking my life back before you called but hadn’t figured out what direction I planned to take. Mother was furious, of course.”
“Of course.”
Sophia shared a smile with her aunt. “It’s odd but sometimes I feel like there must have been a mix-up at the hospital. I’m so different from her or Dad. I know I’m a disappointment.”
Aunt Genevieve looked horrified. “You must be wrong. Any woman would be proud to have you as a daughter.”
“Maybe. Regardless, Mother is likely ticked that I’ve not ‘come to my senses’ and returned to Atlanta and Nate.”
“Bah. She’ll get over it. The woman deserves to be strangled for making you so worried about pleasing her.”
“Oh, there’s no pleasing her.” Sophia smiled, determined to lighten the mood and not let thoughts of the account discrepancies sneak into today’s euphoria. “Now, tell me about this sponge bath. Is this something I should experience with Gray?”
* * * * *
Gray lingered in the hospital hallway until Sophia left her aunt’s room. He ducked into a doorway, ensuring that she didn’t notice him.
He needed to talk to Madame G. Alone. Not that he expected her to tell him much. But his sense of urgency was growing. Questioning Sophia’s aunt seemed like a paltry enough place to start.
Knocking on the door, he waited until Madame G called for him to enter. If asked, he couldn’t have said exactly what he expected to see upon entering the hospital room but Madame G in a crimson gown amid a stark white background wasn’t it.
“Gray?” Her speech slurred only slightly, her face sagged almost imperceptibly and she looked regal. As always she was a striking woman. He could tell where Sophia got her good looks.
Madame G’s presence dominated the room.
Which come to think about it was not really saying a lot considering the only other spots of color in the room were the massive flower bouquets.
“Ma’am.” His gaze swept the room, noting the fancy equipment pushed up next to her bed. Unease churned in his stomach. He got the sensation he’d been here before but under worse circumstances. Which was ridiculous. The only other time that he’d been inside a hospital had been when Leslie— No, now wasn’t the time for those kind of thoughts.
“Not that I’m complaining to have a heavenly hunk in my room but what brings you by?” Her face brightened with a smile. “Never mind, I know.”
“You do?”
“I could tell the moment I looked at Sophia’s face.”
“Oh?” Although, there was no doubt evidence of their lovemaking on Sophia’s body, he was positive her face wasn’t one of the spots he’d left a love bite. Possibly one of the few spots he hadn’t left his mark.
“She’s crazy about you.” Madame G’s hands clapped together. “And just look at the difference in you, Gray. You don’t have to tell me. You’ve fallen for her, as well.”
Not knowing what to say, Gray shifted his feet. He hadn’t come to discuss his relationship with Sophia. Especially not with her elderly aunt, who just happened to be his suspect.
“Sophia isn’t why I’m here.”
Her forehead wrinkled as she waited for him to continue. “Then why?”
“Money is tight. I have bills to pay and not enough tips to cover them. I was hoping you might have some side jobs I could do. I’m not above doing whatever you need done. Anything.”
“Well, no, I don’t but if you need the extra work, I’m sure I can find you something.” Then she beamed. “Oh, you mean stripping. Sophia told me how you’ve come through for her. A true knight in shining armor rescuing a damsel in distress. Whatta hero.”
She patted her bed, indicating that she wanted him to sit beside her. He opted for the uncomfortable looking chair next to her bed. “Yeah. There is that. But I really meant more than just Saturday night. Something more lucrative.”
“I’d be happy to give you all the hours you want on stage.”
He hadn’t meant to but he grimaced all the same. “I was hoping for something a little more…clothed.”
“Oh. I’ll talk to Sophia. See what she can come up with.”
“Thanks.” Just how far could he push her before she’d become suspicious? Before she’d hint at other jobs she could offer him? Jobs involving drug sales?
“I have to admit, it surprised me when Sophia told me you planned to strip. For weeks, I tried to convince you, offered a small fortune and you swore you’d rather be shot than to get on stage.” She waved her hand in the air. “But when I realized you and Sophia were an item, it all made sense.”
“Made sense?”
“Why you would suddenly change your mind. I always found your attitude regarding the club a bit confusing.” Madame G laughed. “Your distaste always lurked beneath the surface. Barely hidden.”
Gray cringed. Had he been so obvious? Usually he was the best undercover agent in the bureau. What was wrong with him? Nothing about this case had gone as planned.
“You thought I hadn’t noticed?”
“No ma’am.”
“Well, if sleeping with Sophia convinced you to do Strip or Treat, I’m all for it. Sleeping with her has been good for you. Period. Just look at you.” She waved her ring-laden fingers at him. “You just suppressed a smile and don’t try to tell me otherwise ’cause I saw that snicker.” Her lips turned up in a bad girl smirk that belied her age. “I’m hoping to be released Saturday morning so I can watch your debut myself.”
“My debut?” He stammered. Debut made it sound like he planned to strip long-term. He didn’t. Just as soon as he had evidence, he hoped never to step foot in a strip club again.
“Oh yeah, you shaking across that stage is going to be a sight to remember. Probably do more to put life in these old bones than months of rehab.”
“If you say so.”
She eyed him curiously. “Why are you doing this? For Sophia?”
“Partially. Mainly because I need the money. There’s not much I wouldn’t do to make some extra cash right now,” he lied. Going with his instinct, he pushed onward. “Too bad Barnes isn’t at the club anymore. He once mentioned he knew of a way I could make some quick dough.”
Eyes similar to Sophia’s narrowed while they regarded him. He got the impression Madame G’s sharp old gaze didn’t miss much.
“Ken?” Her words were more slurred than previously. “That boy is always out for a quick buck. You’d do well to stay away from anything he wants you to do.”
“Why’s that?”
Maybe he was the guilty son of a bitch after all.
Madame G’s face tightened and she sighed, visibly tiring before him. “I’m sorry but I suddenly feel
drained and need to rest.”
Damn. He wanted to yell at her to tell him everything she knew but she closed her eyes. No amount of pushing would get her to tell him more. Not today.
“I’ll come by tomorrow.”
Her eyelids didn’t so much as flutter.
More frustrated than when he’d arrived, Gray left her hospital room so lost in thought that he almost missed the flashy man stepping off the elevator with a huge bouquet of flowers.
And Elvis Constiago was a hard-to-miss sight.
* * * * *
Genevieve Walker opened one eye to make sure her hospital room was empty. Why had Gray come to see her? Although she hired him and gave him a place to live, they weren’t close. Of course, Sophia had fallen for the buff bartender and apparently Gray had feelings for her too. But there had always been something mysterious about him. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
Lots of her employees didn’t list references. No big deal. Her own two eyes told her what she needed to know more than any schooling or special skills listed. Special skills never hurt though.
But he’d mentioned Ken.
“Hello, sunshine.” The hospital door burst open. “You’re looking lovelier than a bird dog on point this crisp fall day.”
“Elvis, darling.” She cupped her hands together in glee as she smiled at the man who’d been a part of her life for the past twenty years.
He put the flowers on the tray beside her bed and bent to kiss her cheek. “How are you feeling today, teddy bear?”
“Better now that you’re here,” she admitted. “Did you pass Gray?”
Elvis’ dyed black brow rose. “He was here? Why? With Sophia?” He smiled. “They’re getting more and more chummy every time I see them.”
“I’m not sure why Gray was here. At first, I thought Sophia was why he’d come but now I’m not convinced.” She tapped a painted fingernail against her chin, grateful she no longer drooled. And if one more nurse attempted to remove her nail polish she’d scream. Damn strokes and aging bodies. “He must have waited until she left because he came in only moments later.”
“He purposely avoided Sophia? Now there’s something I ain’t seen. The boy can’t keep his eyes off her at the club. Nor his hands.” The hospital bed squeaked as Elvis propped himself beside her.