There’s a bittersweet feeling over the group as Luke will be leaving soon, so I feel like this is a great moment for us all to be sharing together. I have a feeling that not much serious self-defense is going to be practiced or talked about tonight, it’s just going to be a fun class that we can save in our minds as a great memory.
I feel that Cami and Rylee are going to quickly become a wanted and needed addition to our group, and I absolutely love it. If they weren’t here right now, it’d feel strange.
A few minutes pass and Luke gets started on the class while Jace dawdles back to the front as he slips into his professional instructor mode, though, with Cami in the room, it’s not quite the same level of professionalism as if he were training a serious fighter.
The class starts and naturally, it turns into Cami, Charli and Rylee attempting their absolute hardest to bring me, Xander and Jace down. Caden pretty much takes over for Jace while he gets carried away with Cami and Luke walks around the room, helping the small handful of other clients who are along for today’s ride.
An hour later, I walk out of the studio with Rylee’s hand in mine and a massive smile on my face. That class was a lot more fun than I could have ever expected.
After saying goodbye to everyone and heading back to The Dark Room to collect Rylee’s car and drop it back to her place, I drive us back home, where I take Rylee straight upstairs and finally allow all the wild thoughts in my mind come to life.
Chapter 19
Rylee
I run around The Dark Room like crazy, making sure everything is perfect for tonight. It’s the re-opening after the tornado, I want everything to be perfect. Scratch that, I need everything to be perfect.
It’s been two weeks since that damn tornado and even though it took a piece of me away, Cole has been right there giving it back.
It’s been an incredible two weeks with him. The fear has completely disappeared, and now I’m just a regular girl dealing with all the normal shit that comes along with dating for the first time. Well, I guess I’m not that regular. Most girls start dating when they’re a shit load younger than me, they’ve already got the awkward shit out of the way, but not me. I’m just working it all out now, and I’m so pleased it’s with a man like Cole. He has been so patient with me. He’s nothing short of incredible.
Those first few days were strange for me. Allowing someone into my life was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but the second I made the decision to really go for it, the rest has come so easily.
He does well not to crowd me when he knows I need space, but he’s always right there when I need someone to talk to. I guess you can call it an adjustment period.
A few days after the tornado, I got back to work to get the outdoor bar fixed and the windows installed. I had a few of my most trusted employee’s come in and help me with re-stocking everything and getting the place looking brand new. Cole offered to help with all that shit, but he has done enough.
He understands that I have a business to run and we have a mutual respect for each other in that regard. He’s been right there for me to bounce ideas off when it comes to reopening my club and he knows that if he needed any help with Rebels, I’d be right there to do the same for him.
He’s just that kind of person. He’s an incredible man and this thing between us is quickly becoming earth shattering. The sex though, that’s on a different level entirely. I mean, wow. I’ve said it before and I have a feeling I’ll say it over and over again. It just keeps getting better.
The man is a machine and every day he does something that blows my socks right off. He’s not afraid to get a little kinky and I swear, it gets me so fucking hot. I can barely look at him without thinking about all the naughty things we’ve been getting up to.
It’s my big night tonight and I’m a mess of nerves. Tonight has to be perfect. We cannot have any fuck ups.
I’ve been so freaking busy organizing everything. The last time things were this crazy was when I was opening the club for the first time. I’ve hired a DJ rather than using a sound system, I’ve given the place a facelift and repaired every tiny little thing that needed to be fixed. I had the floor professionally cleaned and polished after that damn tree left a few too many scratches. Hell, I even fired the few dodgy staff I had and replaced them with people I’m hoping I’ll be able to trust.
As I said, I cannot have any fuck ups.
I run around the place like a mad woman. It’s only four in the afternoon, but I want to make sure everything is perfect. I have a few of my waitresses and bar staff coming in early to set up and go over all our new fancy ass cocktails and make sure they have it all under control, which I know they do.
I’m in my office when the door opens and scares the absolute shit out of me. I mean, I could have sworn I was alone in his place. Cole walks through my door with an amused grin. “What are you doing?” I scold him. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry,” he laughs as he walks forward and presses a kiss to my lips. “I was just swinging by to check if you needed anything before I go to Rebels.”
“No,” I smile up at him. “I’ve got this shit sorted.”
“Really?” he questions. “Then why do you look like a nervous wreck?”
“I’m not,” I lie.
He lets out a breath as he wraps his arms around my waist, completely able to see right through my lie. “It’s going to be amazing. You’ve been working too hard on this. You’re already the number one club in this city and that’s where you’re going to stay.”
“I know,” I tell him. “I just have this fear of failing. You know, I don’t think it’s possible for a woman to be quite so lucky.”
“I don’t think there’s such thing as luck. You’ve built a fucking empire with your own two hands and you did it by working your ass off. It wasn’t luck, it was dedication and motivation.”
“I could have sworn you fell into the whole luck category.”
“No, I put that under dedication and motivation as well.”
“Really?” I scoff. “I put it under stalking and kidnapping.”
A grin rips across his face and has me melting all over again. “You’re such a fucking smartass,” he laughs before kissing me again. “Are you sure there’s nothing you want me to do?”
“I’m positive,” I smile against his lips. “I’m all good here.”
“Alright,” he says. “I’ll be back later on with the boys.”
“Ok,” I smile before sending him on his way and getting right back into it.
By six in the afternoon, I’ve just about got everything ready to go. The kitchen staff have shown up and are busily preparing for any orders that come through, while most of the bar staff are excitedly practicing their mixing skills.
The new DJ is setting up his equipment on the stage before the dance floor and playing a few songs which the bar staff are singing along to.
I smile as I look around. There’s a good vibe in the club and I love it. This place is my baby and even though I’m a ball of nerves, I know it’s going to be a great night.
Cami is the next to walk through the door and I have to double check the time when she does. “You’re early,” I say as she walks up and gives me a big hug.
“Yeah,” she says. “I finished up at my store and figured there was no point going home only to come back out again.”
“Makes sense,” I say as we pull back from our hug. I look her over, but something is off. It’s almost like there’s a sadness in her eyes. I take her by the hand and walk straight back to my office before closing the door behind me. “Spill it. What’s the matter?” I ask as I sit her down.
She pouts up at me as I see her eyes begin to water. “I really like him, Ry,” she says, referring to Jace.
“I know,” I say as I take a seat beside her and wrap her up in my arms.
“What am I going to do?” she cries. “He’s everything I want, but everything I should stay away from. I mean, it’s clea
r he has some sort of feelings for me. He’s always around, always flirting, but the second it seems like something could happen, he backs off or changes topic.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Cam,” I say. “My experience with men doesn’t go much beyond the supply closet or my two weeks with Cole.”
“I know,” she sighs. “He’s going to break me if something happens and he’s going to break me if it doesn’t.”
“Maybe you should be the one to back off,” I suggest. “Don’t give in to him.”
“I’ve been trying,” she says. “But he calls and I go running. How pathetic is that?”
“It’s not pathetic,” I tell her.
“It is,” she sighs.
“Yeah, it really is,” I admit. “But you can change that. From now on, you’re stronger than he is. He calls, you tell him no. He comes towards you, you walk the other way. You need to let him know that you’re not his chew toy and you never will be.”
“That’s a lot harder than you think. He looks at me with those eyes and I go all jelly-like.”
“I know, I’ve seen it,” I smile.
She groans as she juts out her bottom lip. “Shut up,” she says before standing up and wiping her eyes. “Put me to work so I stop thinking about it.”
“Ooh,” I say with a cringe, “I’ve pretty much got everything sorted.”
“But the doors don’t open until eight,” she moans. “What am I supposed to do until then?”
“Go and enjoy yourself,” I tell her. “The guys behind the bar are practicing the new drinks. Why don’t you get in on that action?”
She lets out a breath. “Alright,” she says as she walks to the door.
“Hey,” I call after her. She turns back in the doorway and looks back at me with a questioning, raised eyebrow. “Don’t look all depressed out there. It’s supposed to be a party, you know?”
“Got it, boss,” she says with a salute before disappearing out the door.
By nine o’clock, the club is already at capacity. Cole has just shown up with the boys and the night is already a massive success. The bar is packed and I have no doubt that I’ll be putting in another stock order tomorrow morning. People are eating, the dance floor is a mess of sweaty bodies and the DJ is absolutely insane.
Cole and the boys somehow find a table and I can’t help but smile as Luke takes a seat beside Caden. Luke gets deployed tomorrow and I wasn’t sure if he’d actually come out tonight, and the fact that he did, means the world to me, and I’m sure the gesture isn’t lost on Cole either.
I jump into the bar and help them get through the rush of people. When it finally seems manageable without me, I excuse myself to say hi to my boys, only I take them a round of drinks so they don’t have to bother fighting the line at the bar.
“Hey,” I smile as I place the four drinks down on the table. The guys dive for the drinks as Cole dives for me. He grabs me around the waist and pulls me down into his lap before kissing me. He keeps it classy as I’m in view of all of my staff, but I have no doubt that he’s wanting more.
“How’s your re-opening going?” he questions over the sound of the music.
“So good,” I smile. “It’s incredible.”
He reaches around me for his drink and takes a sip. “I’m so happy for you,” he murmurs into my ear.
I twist on his lap so I can better see his face. “Thank you,” I grin. “It has everything to do with you. Actually, with all you guys. If I was on my own, me and Cami would still be working out how to get the damn tree out of here.”
At the mention of Cami’s name, Jace’s eyes are lifting to the bar and watching her with her black The Dark Room tank tied in a knot and exposing her stomach. I swear, he looks at her as if she’s his next meal.
“I’m really sorry,” I say as I push up off Cole’s lap. “I have to keep going.”
“Of course,” he says with understanding. “Go do your thing, but the second you have a spare minute, I want your ass on the dance floor. You need to let loose too,” he reminds me.
“Promise,” I grin before shuffling off to check on the kitchen.
The night just keeps getting better and I swear, all the money that’s been thrown towards the bar is probably enough to have already covered all the repairs and upgrades that have been done.
I run around the club and every time I appear anywhere near the boys, Cole’s eyes are always on mine. Even when he had gotten up to go to the bar. He had girls pawing at him, but it was like he couldn’t even see them right before him. I felt like a fucking queen in that moment.
I walk over behind the bar as it starts getting crazy again and offer my help. I stand in between one of the new staff and Cami and get busy. Half an hour passes when the guys make their way to the dance floor and go nuts. It’s clear they’re all wasted and I can’t help grinning at the sight.
A girl dances up next to Jace and his arms instantly winds around her waist before he nuzzles his face into the crook of her neck. I look over at Cami who is paying extra attention to filling the glass in her hand and I have no doubt she has seen just what I saw.
She puts on a good show of pretending she’s not bothered by it, but the second Jace leads the girl off the dance floor and out through the back, a tear falls from her pretty eye. I place a hand on her shoulder and she looks across to me with nothing but pain written all over her.
I take her by the hand and lead her into my supply closet. I wrap her in my arms and hold her close while her heart continues breaking. “I’m in love with him,” she tells me.
“I know,” I sigh. It’s as clear as day.
“He came over before and was flirting and touching me, and I can’t help but think that maybe there’s a possibility of an us, but then he’s sleeping with every woman under the sun. What the hell am I supposed to do?”
I hold her a little closer. “You be strong remember. And if not, I’ve learned some moves from Cole over the past few weeks. I’m sure I could kick his ass for you.”
She pulls back and hastily wipes her eyes. “That’d be great,” she says as she blows out a breath in her attempts to calm herself. “Ok,” she tells me. “I think I’m good.”
“You sure?” I ask. “I can pull one of the waitresses off the floor to cover you for a while.”
“No,” she says with a shake of her head. “I can handle it, and if not, I’ll get security to accidentally lock the back door.”
“Alright,” I laugh and I reach for the door handle. I lean back, give her a kiss on the cheek and disappear.
I catch Cole’s eyes as I exit the supply closet and it’s clear he knows exactly what’s going on, but it’s not like either of us can do anything about it. This is up to Jace and Cami to sort out. Cole gives me an encouraging smile from across the room and I give him a nod, letting him know that Cami is going to be ok.
As I head back to my office, I get thinking. Cami was so sure that she’s in love with Jace. She said it with absolute conviction and it makes me wonder if I’m already there with Cole. He has so quickly become my world, well, apart from the club.
I can’t picture my life without him now. When I go to sleep, it’s in his arms. When I eat, it’s across from him. When something happens in my day, it’s him I call and I absolutely love it.
I know if he was to leave now, my world would shatter, and it’s that thought that brings me to the realization that I am in love with him. I don’t know how it happened, but somewhere along the way, he took the fear of commitment out of me, he taught me what it is to care for someone in a loving relationship and he made me feel things that I never thought I’d be capable of.
I flop down into my chair with a goofy grin on my face.
I’m in love with Cole and I couldn’t be happier.
Chapter 20
Cole
Rylee’s re-opening has been a massive hit. The club went absolutely nuts and now at four in the morning, Rylee is locking up the doors and absolutely exhausted.
/> The boys left about an hour ago when the club started closing and I waited back until Rylee was done. We’ve got a big day tomorrow with the boys as we farewell Luke. I can’t believe the last few weeks have gone so fast and now it’s come time to say goodbye to one of our best friends.
I have to admit, I’m dreading it. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand why Luke is doing it. Fighting for his country is just something that is so deeply ingrained in him, it’s just a part of who he is and I completely support him, and hell, I’m fucking proud of him too. I just hate that he’ll be far away and constantly in the face of danger. I mean, you hear all sorts of stories from the men who’ve returned from the war, and it’s never good, not to mention, the last tour Luke was on, he nearly got himself blown up.
Let's just hope he can keep himself out of trouble this time around, but when it comes down to it, Luke is the kind of man who is prepared and ready to face down any threat.
I bring myself back to the present as I curl my arm around Rylee and lead her out to the parking lot to my truck. I open the door and hoist her up into my truck. “You did good,” I tell her, referring to what an incredible night her and her team put on tonight.
“Thanks,” she smiles before I close her door and duck around to the driver’s side.
I hop up into my truck and get the engine started while Rylee pulls her legs up under herself and gets comfortable. She tilts her head back against the headrest as the biggest yawn I’ve ever seen comes ripping out of her body. “I’m so tired,” she says through her yawn.
I reach across the center console and take her hand in mine. My thumb runs back and forth over her knuckles. “I bet,” I smile as her yawn becomes contagious and I find one of my own pouring out of me. “I’ll get you home and you can sleep until next week.”
“Mmmm,” she moans as she squishes the side of her face into the seat with her eyes closed. “That sounds incredible.”
Cole: Rebels Advocate (Book 1) Page 14