I sat there with the car on for several minutes, waiting for the A/C to start cooling. As I sat there, I went through my phone to make sure I didn’t have any missed calls or texts. I also got distracted by some video on the Internet about a kitten and a puppy.
Kittens and puppies make everything seem happier.
I backed out of my space and drove out to the main road. Sweat was gathering on the back of my neck, and it made me uncomfortable. “What the heck?” I said, glancing down at the A/C controls. It was on. I turned it on full blast and returned my eyes back to the road.
Something fluttering on my windshield caught my attention. I frowned and sat forward, trying to see what it was. It looked like a wrapper or something.
It had probably just gotten blown there last night in the rain.
As I was waiting for the traffic to clear so I could pull out on the main road, my eyes kept going back to the wrapper. Why wasn’t it floating away? It was pinned beneath the windshield wiper.
Like it had been placed there.
I put the car in park and opened the door. I had to lift the wiper blade off it in order to pick it up. It was a piece of a SweeTarts wrapper. I frowned down at it as the traffic on the main road whizzed by. I flipped it over in my fingers, expecting to see the plain white wrapper on the back.
Call me.
The words were written in handwriting I knew all too well.
Another car pulled up behind me, and I hurried to get back in, shoving the note in my bag and getting back to driving. It was still hot as hades in here. I held my palm up to the vent. It was blowing hot air.
“Seriously!” I yelled. I just had this A/C fixed a couple months ago. They charged me out the ass for the repair. They said it needed a whole new pump or whatever.
I was pretty sure brand new air-conditioners worked longer than a couple months.
I rolled down my window and shut off the non-working I-got-ripped-off piece-of-crap A/C. Maybe instead of some food, I’d just get a smoothie. A cold one.
As I contemplated my flavor options, a red sports car pulled up behind me.
In the light of day, I didn’t react like I had the night before. Or maybe I was just expecting it this time around.
I could see Craig sitting in the driver’s seat, and while I really wanted to either:
A) Slam on my brakes and let the front end of his car get smashed
or
B) Stick my middle finger out the window and wave it at him furiously
Instead, I did what I promised myself I would do. I ignored him.
That didn’t make him go away. By the time the smoothie place came into view, I was no longer hungry. I knew if I stopped, he would just pull over too. I didn’t feel like dealing with it. I’d end up yelling at him for scaring me so badly last night. I was done yelling at him. It was a waste of breath.
He followed me all the way to the Mad Hatter.
My stomach churned when I signaled to pull in the lot, because I knew if he followed me, a conversation would be inevitable.
Surprisingly, when I turned, Craig kept driving. Thank you, God.
I parked right next to Adam’s motorcycle near the entrance to the club. Just knowing he was inside and that I was going to be alone with him was enough to make me forget all about my stalker ex.
14
Adam
She might as well wear a label that read “handle with care.” I’d never met a woman so prone to being an oxymoron as Roxie.
One minute she was strutting across the stage, almost naked and looking like a fierce sex kitten and then the next… the next she’s pulling clothes around her and closing up the part of herself she doesn’t want anyone to see.
But that part wasn’t what my jacket covered.
It was a part deep down within her, buried beneath her skin and bones. For all of Roxie’s sexy, independent, and quick-witted ways… there was another side to her. A side I often wondered if she even knew was there.
She was vulnerable. It was as if everything she let the world see was just armor to cover up the parts of herself she most needed to protect.
I told myself for years I didn’t date her, didn’t do anything about the heat she created in me, because she was my dancer. I told myself it was because she was taken. I told myself it was because I was taken.
As I lay awake last night, my dick refusing to soften, I realized something. Those things had only been excuses. I let those things keep me away from her.
Truth was she scared the shit out of me.
It only took one kiss for me to realize it.
That one kiss altered everything. I knew it would. I’d been dodging that kiss for almost two years. It didn’t really make sense that I would run from something I wanted so badly.
Maybe Roxie wasn’t the only oxymoron around.
It was that soft spot inside her that called to me the most. The intensity in which I wanted to protect her, to possess her, and to… love her made my body break out in a fine sheen of sweat.
How did a man not lose himself when someone like her was in his life?
She had the ability to consume me, to occupy my every waking thought. Hell, she already owned my cock. I’d already jacked off twice, yet it was still throbbing for her.
These last few months, things shifted between us. The desire I felt for her somehow grew, changed. It became more urgent. It was almost like something deep inside me was pushing me, telling me it was time for us.
I’d never admit it out loud, but I was still scared spitless. I wasn’t sure it was the time for Roxie and me, but timing no longer mattered.
I kissed her.
I claimed her.
There was no going back.
Out in the club, I heard the heavy door open and bang shut. I moved automatically, pushing out of my desk chair and going to the open door. I knew it was probably Roxie, but I wasn’t expecting her this early. She was padding across the hardwood in a pair of gray and neon-yellow sneakers in some sort of animal print. Atop her cutoff jean shorts sat a loose white tank halfway covering a neon-yellow top that sort of looked like a bra. What the fuck was she doing showing her bra off for everyone to see?
“Is that your bra?” I barked before I could think better of it. Women hated when men talked about their clothes, unless of course it was to tell them how awesome they looked.
Roxie stopped in her tracks and looked up. Her eyes widened and she seemed startled that I was standing here. Had she not seen me?
“What?” she said.
“I want to know why your bra is hanging out.”
She gave me a look like I might have grown another head and then glanced down at herself, like she had no clue what she was even wearing. What the hell was wrong with her?
“It’s a tank top…” she said, like it was obvious.
“That yellow thing is not a tank top,” I growled.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s a bandeau top. It’s made to go under loose tops like this. It’s stylish.” As she talked, her dark ponytail bounced around on top of her head. Her dark bangs were pushed over to the side, revealing more of one purple eye than the other.
What the fuck was I doing talking about her clothes? “I don’t like it.”
“Too damn bad,” she snapped. Then her shoulders slumped just enough for me to notice the movement. “You know what?” she said, straightening them. She huffed out a breath that ruffled her bangs, and she looked fucking sexy doing it. “I’ve had enough of men to last me a lifetime. Always trying to boss me around. I’m leaving.”
She spun on her sneaker, the oversized white bag on her shoulder swinging around with her, and she marched toward the door.
I rushed after her. “Oh, no you don’t,” I growled, grabbing her elbow. She snatched herself out of my grip, but not before I felt her shaking.
“Hey,” I said, gentling my tone. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“It isn’t nothing.” Now that I wasn’t staring at
her hot body and way-too-revealing outfit, I focused on her face, on the way her mouth was drawn tight and the circles beneath her eyes. Added to the way I felt her trembling beneath my touch, I knew she was lying.
“I just don’t feel that great,” she said. “Can you train me tomorrow?”
My eyes narrowed as I considered ordering her to stay. And see, this is what I knew would happen. I was already rushing after her, trying to read her mood and gauging my words before I let them out of my mouth.
One kiss and I was already wrapped.
Fuck me.
She didn’t wait for me to reply. She pulled open the door, ready to barge out into the sunlight. But she didn’t. Instead, she froze. Her eyes seemed to focus on something outside, and then she slammed the door shut. “On second thought, let’s just do it now.”
“Woman, you’re giving me whiplash,” I rumbled. “What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, avoiding my stare.
“Fair enough.” I shrugged. If she didn’t want to talk about it right now, fine. But she was going to tell me eventually.
“Really?” She seemed relieved, to the point that it made me feel bad.
“Yes, babe. Really.” Remembering how she jerked away from me just seconds before, I made my movements deliberate, reaching for her hand and tangling our fingers together. She looked down at where we were joined and then back up at me.
I didn’t know how to read the look on her face. It was a mix between fear, relief, and longing. She didn’t pull her hand away.
“Come on,” I said, leading her toward the office. “Let me show ya how to run this place.”
15
Roxie
Two hours into my training and I had a whole new respect for Adam. He was good at what he did. Business was clearly something he excelled in. He was organized, thorough, and took a no-bullshit approach to everything concerning the club. It wasn’t surprising at all he was very successful and opening a second place.
I also learned something about myself. Business bored the crap out of me. I understood what he was telling me, I understood the things I needed to do and keep an eye on, but the endless paperwork made me want to pour bleach in my eyes. It made me question my decision to take this new position.
Sharp snapping had me coming out of my boredom-induced coma, and I blinked, focusing on Adam, who was the one making the sound.
“Roxie, are you even paying attention?” Adam said, snapping his fingers together in front of my face.
“Of course.” I lied.
“Yeah?” he said, amused, and set a stack of papers on his desk. “What did I just say?”
“Something about numbers,” I answered evasively.
He chuckled. “You’re bored out of your damn mind, aren’t you?”
I sighed and plopped into a nearby chair. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Maybe I should go back to dancing.”
“No.” His response was swift and final.
“It’s so boring,” I whined. “How do you do this all day long?”
He grinned. “I like it.”
“I’m going to be a terrible manager.” I predicted.
“You couldn’t be terrible if you tried,” he rebutted. The affection in his rich tone made me smile a little. I loved the way he made me feel, as if I could sink right into him and curl up.
“I think that’s enough for today,” he said, walking over to where I was sitting.
“How much more is there to learn?” I groaned.
“Not too much.”
Not too much = it was going to take forever.
“We can just finish, then,” I said, wanting to get it over with.
“Or we could go grab something to eat.”
I glanced up. “Eat?”
He nodded. “You look worn out, Rox. Have you eaten today?”
I planned on eating, until Craig decided to follow me around some more. “I had some coffee earlier.”
“Let’s go,” he said, tossing the pen in his grasp down on the desk.
I hesitated, wondering if Craig was still sitting outside across the street from the club. Here I had been relieved when he kept driving, but he must’ve turned around and come back. It seemed odd he didn’t sit in the parking lot instead of across the street.
“What’s the matter,” Adam said when I didn’t get up. “Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?” I knew he was joking. The ornery grin on his face proved it.
But it wasn’t funny.
His words struck a chord with me, reminding me of a time when someone (someone = Craig) was embarrassed to be seen with me.
Okay, so maybe he wasn’t embarrassed so much as he didn’t want all his flings to know he was involved with someone else. It took me a long time to figure that out. I was humiliated when I finally did.
One night I wanted to go see a movie, and I finally talked him into it. When we walked outside to leave, he wanted to take separate cars. To go to the same place.
I stood there dumfounded, asking him why on Earth we couldn’t just drive together. He didn’t answer. But he didn’t have to.
The look on his face said it all.
It was the night I realized all the “rumors” about him cheating were true. Every whisper I heard when we went to the bar he liked or when his friends were over at our place was true. He’d always said people were just jealous, that his friends didn’t like he wasn’t always available to them because of me.
I should have known then it was a lie.
He was never available to me. Never.
Because he was out with other women. He had so many he didn’t want to be seen driving around town with me.
We never made it to the movies that night. We got in a huge fight instead, and he left. Alone.
I didn’t see him for two days.
“Roxie.” Adam’s soft voice broke me out of the memory, and I shook my head slightly to clear away the humiliation I still felt. Adam was kneeling right in front of my chair. His broad body filled the space in front of me and his thighs were spread so my knees were between them.
Because he was crouching low, he had to tilt up his head just slightly to meet my eyes. The deep-brown hue seemed to melt into me, the concern in his gaze flowing into me like hot lava, blanketing everything it touched.
“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” he asked, soft, reaching into my lap to entwine our fingers.
I glanced down at our joined hands, then back up at him.
“Kiss me.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. In seconds, he was standing to his full impressive height and towed me up along with him. Adam released my hand and cupped my face. His hands engulfed my jaw, but he was so gentle. His eyes swept over me like I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and around us, sparks flew like snowflakes in a blizzard.
Instead of crushing his mouth to mine like I expected, like I wanted, he took his time. His heated gaze dropped to my lips, then back to my eyes. His fingers spasmed against my head and tightened ever so slightly.
Slowly, slowly, he lowered his head, cupping my jaw so I could do nothing but hold still and wait for him to arrive.
The anticipation of his lips on mine was almost my undoing. Everything going on inside my head floated away. I became aware of the moment, of the quietness in the room, of the way my body swayed to get closer.
Adam’s lips brushed over mine, a gentle caress, once, twice, and then a third time. He lifted his head just slightly and stared down at me. His thumb climbed up and caressed my lower lip.
He smiled softly and then joined our lips once more. This time he didn’t lift his head. The kiss was soft and tender. It was a heavy kiss, the kind that settled within me like a weight, but it was the kind of weight that wasn’t a burden.
When his tongue licked over my lips, I gladly parted for him, letting him inside my body, welcoming him.
No other parts of our bodies touched but our lips and his hand
s on my face. But I felt him everywhere.
This wasn’t the kiss I had been expecting. I wanted hard and fast. Furious and passionate. I wanted something to chase away the terrible memories that crept up on me at unexpected moments and haunted me like unforgiving ghosts.
But Adam knew.
He knew exactly what it was I didn’t know I needed.
A fast and furious kiss might have pushed the memories back into the shadows of my body, where they would lie and wait for the next opportunity to strike.
But this soft, tender… almost loving meeting of flesh made me unafraid of the memories. It took away their power. Yes, they might always be inside me, but shadows weren’t so scary when one was filled with light.
“Adam,” I whispered when he leaned his forehead against mine.
“Anything,” was his whispered reply.
My stomach grumbled loudly, interrupting our perfect moment. His chest vibrated with laughter, and he stepped back. “C’mon.”
He took my hand and led me through the club and outside. My eyes swept the area across the street as he locked up the door. I didn’t see Craig, and the tension between my shoulder blades seemed to melt away.
“Wanna take the bike?” Adam asked, motioning toward his motorcycle.
“I’ve never been on a bike before,” I admitted.
“So I’m your first?” I swear his ego and his head inflated about three sizes.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, you’re my first.”
He grabbed a black helmet off the back and slid it down over my head. I thought my ponytail might get in the way, but instead, it made the helmet fit snugger so it didn’t rattle around on my shoulders.
When it was buckled in place, Adam stood back to admire his handiwork. “You look like a bobble head.” He grinned.
I tried to kick him, but he dodged my foot with ease, and I tipped over to the side. He caught me, setting me straight. “Careful there, sweetheart. You’re top heavy now.”
“Ass,” I said, but my voice was completely muffled due to the massive protection around my skull.
He flashed his teeth, then straddled the bike. It was a Harley. Heat simmered in my core seeing him with all that metal and power between his legs.
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