“You’re good for him too,” she says, smiling. “When he came to town, he was so bitter at his father, and I can understand that. But he was going down the same path his father did, all business and no heart . . . until he met you. So thank you. And Mindy?”
“Yes?”
Oliver’s mom comes over and gives me a hug. “I’m going to love having you as a daughter-in-law.”
I hug her back, happy. “I’m going to love having another mother, it seems.”
Oliver
“How’s it going guys?” I ask, sticking my head in the door. I don’t work the line anymore. Mindy’s Corner has grown fast enough that we hired a real chef and staff within six months, and now, two years after opening, we’re going strong.
“Doing well, Mr. Steele,” Jake, the head chef, says. “Hey, when you’ve got a minute, I want you to try something.”
“What?” I ask, curious. “So I can prep my stomach while I unload the van. I know how you are.”
Jake laughs. He knows I’ve had to work doubly hard the past year to keep my body in good shape. The man’s a good cook. “Yeah, well, I’m going to put it on the menu starting Monday, so if you don’t want to try the Trenton now, I can’t be blamed if your son doesn’t like it. Where is he, anyway?”
“Hanging out with his godparents,” I reply, stepping closer. The pizza looks delicious, and I have to smile as I cut a slice and sample it. “Jesus, this is good. Has Mindy tried any?”
“Of course, the Boss is upstairs being the Boss,” Jake says. “So any tweaks for the recipe?”
“Not a one,” I say, patting him on the shoulder. “You know, when you said you wanted to start a line of pizzas, I thought you were nuts. I thought you were double nuts when you decided to name them all after famous steels and swords. Thank you, I don’t know if this one’s going to bump the Valerian from the popularity list, but it’s damn good. My son will be proud once he has teeth.”
Jake gives me a grin, and I go upstairs, letting the kitchen staff unload the van of tonight’s supplies. I find Mindy, looking more radiant than ever, making up a frozen drink. “Okay, the leprechaun rainbow frappe,” she tells the two new girls who we just hired to work the coffee bar. In the corner is Sarah, who we snatched from the Beangal’s Den and made the front of the house assistant manager, prepping for opening. “Now watch carefully. You don’t want to mint-nuke someone.”
She’s confident and sexy, and I have to admit my cock stirs in my pants watching her at work. She finishes, tucking the shamrock stirrer into the glass and presenting it. “Remember, if you screw it up, just grin, give the customer a little bit of charm, and you’ll be cool most of the time. Now practice for me.”
“I always thought it was the low-cut blouses that got you out of trouble,” I tease her as she comes over and wraps her arms around my neck, giving me a kiss. I reach down to squeeze her ass, growling lightly. “Don’t make me spill chocolate on you as an excuse to get you upstairs to the shower again.”
Mindy chuckles, wiggling her hips against me until my cock is throbbing in my pants, and I’m glad that I’m wearing my cafe apron. “Yeah, well, maybe we can look at that idea of getting Trent a little sister tonight.”
I pat her ass, grinning. “For sure. By the way, Bri says that our Trent and her Alicia are meant for each other.”
Mindy laughs, shaking her head. “Remind me again how lucky we are not to have taken Roxy’s idea on our son’s name?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I say, laughing. “Maybe if our next child’s a boy, we can go with her idea. After all, Richard’s a fine name for a boy.”
“I am not naming my son Dick Steele,” Mindy says, shaking her head.
I have to agree with that one, both of us turning as there’s a crash from the coffee area to see a pile of green slush on the floor. One of the new girls, Rose, looks at us with fear in her eyes. “Mrs. Steele, I’m sorry, I just . . .”
“Did the same damn thing I’ve done a hundred other times,” Mindy says calmly. “Get it cleaned up and try again. Sarah will give you a hand. Remember, you’ve got afternoon shift tomorrow, and with St. Paddy’s Day coming up, those things are flying out the door.”
“On pink unicorns,” I joke, earning a stuck out tongue from Mindy. “Hey, guess what Martha told me? She found us a house. Or, as she called it, Step One of the Steele Estate Project.”
“No way,” Mindy says, grinning. “Where?”
“A couple of miles out on the other side of town,” I tell her, laughing. “It’s not as big as Gavin’s ranch, and it’s nowhere near the size of John’s mansion, but it’s got plenty of space and three acres for Trent and however many more we want to play and grow.”
Mindy bites her lip, nodding. “When can we go see it?”
“Sunday afternoon,” I tell her. “Now, get this . . . you won’t believe who the owner is.”
“Who?”
“Your favorite banned customer.”
Mindy gawks, then grins at me, shaking her head. It’s been a running joke between us, one that’s crept to the whole staff, really. “No freakin’ way.”
Motherhood’s finally found a way to tone down Mindy’s foul mouth. At least a little.
“Way. Martha confirmed it herself. Apparently, Miss Fake Fur and Attitude has been banned from every coffee shop in town for the past six months. The last one, she went on an epic rant where she threw an iced pumpkin swirl and swore that they totally sucked and she was coming to Mindy’s Corner.”
“Too bad we have a very strict no fake fur, no fake bitches allowed policy.”
I laugh, pulling my wife in for another hug. “Yep. But her husband’s being transferred somewhere for work. I’d hate to be that poor schmuck, but it’s not my problem. I’m only worried about two things—my queen and our new castle.”
“Castle, huh?” Mindy purrs. “I like the sound of that, my king.”
It’s good to be the king.
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Read on for the next book in the series, Heartstopper. This is Roxy’s book!
Heartstopper
From Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author Lauren Landish.
Roxy Price
After ten months without a date, I’m eager to go to the hottest new ticket in town, Club Jasmine.
I deserve a night of fun. I’ve worked hard and I finally got a promotion. But for one night, I’m going to let loose.
That’s when I see him.
The drop-dead gorgeous Jake Stone.
With his god-like physique, pure blue eyes, and chiseled jawline, he might be the hottest guy I’ve ever laid eyes on. A total heartstopper.
The man’s probably a player. Then again, maybe that’s what I need—a man who knows what he’s got, knows how to use it, and knows how to make me scream to the heavens.
Screw it. You only live once.
But when I go in Monday morning to meet my new boss, I’m greeted by that same irresistible smile.
And Mr. Stone is making it perfectly clear that strictly professional is not in his vocabulary.
Playlist
Toxic - Britney Spears
Rude Boy - Rihanna
This Is What You Came For - Rihanna/Calvin Harris
Dangerous Woman - Ariana Grande
Power Of Love - Celine Dion
Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars
Milkshake - Kelis
Freak Like Me - Adina Howard
Rockabye - Clean Bandit
American Girl - Tom Petty
Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker/Jennifer Warnes
Do You Really Wanna Hurt Me? - Culture Club
Take My Breath Away - Berlin
I Want It That Way - Backstreet boys
Roxy
“The guys had better get ready,” I say, twirling my hair around my finger. I’m riding shotgun down the road with my best
friend, Hannah Fowler, in her beat-up Lexus sedan. The windows are rolled down, the wind blowing through the cabin and ruffling our hair as the downtown streets whiz by.
It’s been a long time since I’ve gone out, and boy, have I missed it.
But tonight I’m going to let loose, I vow. Enjoy myself for once.
“Why’s that?” Hannah asks as she speeds through a yellow light, glancing over at me. With shoulder-length blonde hair, big round cheeks, and eyes that are as blue as they are huge, she looks a lot like Amanda Seyfried, and she’s played it up a few times. Equipped with a sense of humor that almost rivals mine, she’s basically been my bestie since I struck out on my own. We’re inseparable.
I grin, flashing my notorious wink I learned from my big sister, Mindy, and boast, “’Cause I’m about to release the Rox on them!”
“Did I just hear you just say you’re gonna gobble all the cocks?” Hannah yells over the roar of the wind.
I laugh. “You know damn well that wasn’t what I said!” I got ninety-nine problems and gobbling cock won’t be one. If anything, that’s on Hannah’s menu, considering the tight black number she’s wearing that looks like it’s been painted on her frame.
Hannah giggles. “Well, it’s better than unleashing your deprived vajayjay on some poor man!”
“I can’t help it,” I say, shaking my head. “You go ten months without sex and see how you feel. Knowing you, they’d have to call the Ghostbusters because you’d have fucked half a dozen men to death.”
We share a good laugh and I smile as I let my arm hang out the window, enjoying the night breeze against my skin. We haven’t even gotten to the best part of the night and I’m already in a good mood. It’s a far cry from the sour, cantankerous pain in the ass I’ve become lately.
Don’t get me wrong—my job at Franklin Consolidated is okay and all, but it’s not my first love. The grin slowly fades from my face as I think back to three years ago. I was working the club scene and singing at Trixie’s, a local club back home, busting my ass for my big break.
It never came. There were too many rejection letters, too many times I got passed up on auditions. I almost tried out for X-Factor but got sick right before with a bad cold, so even that didn’t go as planned. Eventually, I set the microphone aside and went back to school. Mom at least had the decency to not say I told you so about my short-lived career as a singer. Instead, she gave me encouragement when I said I was moving away to finish up the degree that I’d been putting off.
I don’t really know why I moved away. My stepfather, John, has more money than my family could spend in five lifetimes and is more than happy to share it. Champagne, designer dresses, cocktail parties, and vacationing on yachts. I could’ve had it all, the total deb socialite.
But nepotism is not a life I want for myself. I want to stand on my own two feet like my sister, Mindy. Sure, she ended up marrying a super-handsome, rich stud, but she worked her ass off before that and still does.
Thinking about her, I feel guilt tighten my chest. I haven’t talked to her or anyone in my family for months. It’s partly because we all lead such busy lives, but I’d argue that Mindy’s life is perfect now. She’s got a great husband, two adorable kids, and a business of her own that she loves running.
I’m nowhere near there. And I can’t help but have this nagging feeling that even if I’m successful in my new career path, I may never get that feeling. So yeah, a night like this is just what the doctor ordered.
“Seriously, though, I need this,” I tell Hannah. “We should do this more often.”
As a gift to us both, Hannah decided to hit the grand opening of Club Jasmine, a brand new nightclub that’s being opened by a couple of rich pricks whose names I don’t know. It’s supposed to be hot and ritzy. I just want to get to the hot part.
Hannah nods. “I know, honey. You’ve been working hard for what? Ten months? And already getting a promotion. You need to reward yourself.” She shakes her head. “I’ve been worried about you.”
Satisfaction rolls through me. It’s about the only positive thing I can say about my job. My hard work has paid off. I’ve been recognized by the execs, and starting next week, I’m getting promoted, working as an assistant to the new regional president. I’m not his secretary. I’m going to be one of the junior analysts, gathering data and such for him. I can see myself going up the ladder in a couple of years and making big money.
But at what cost? I think to myself. At this pace, I’ll be sitting in a corner office with nobody to come home to, my best years behind me. The pay might be good, but is it worth giving up the one thing that brings me joy?
Hannah pulls up to a red light, and I force that troubling thought from my mind, checking my makeup in the mirror. I’ve got dark hair, sparkling hazel eyes, and pouty lips, just like all the women in my family, and I’m pretty enough, I guess. But my spark, that mischievousness that made men weak in the knees, is absent from my eyes.
I need to get back to doing what I love, even if only on the weekends. Screw prioritizing work.
“What you should be worried about is the poor guy who’s gonna need a heart monitor when I get done with him,” I say, determined to stay upbeat, snapping my lipstick closed.
Hannah gives me a serious look and deadpans. “Is it really that bad? I thought you were just joking at first, but Jesus, Rox, I’m kinda scared. You ever see that movie Teeth, with the vagina that grows fangs? I feel like that’s you right now.”
“Oh, go to hell!” I laugh, but Hannah grins.
“Seriously, maybe we should just call it a night before you get yourself in trouble. I mean, I’m sure you’ve got something in your drawer at home that will take the edge off.”
I laugh. “Sorry, only the real thing will do. I prefer my meat hard, throbbing, and able to spray paint the walls.”
Hannah gags. “Gross! Just make sure you use protection. Don’t want you to wind up on Maury waiting to hear ‘You are the father!’ and the crowd going apeshit.”
“Okay, Mom. I’ll make sure to snag some of his DNA just in case.”
We both laugh as she turns a corner, and we see a line of cars stretching up the street.
Despite all my talk, I probably won’t even sleep with anyone. I’m just here to have fun, unwind, and relax. And if it comes along with getting to flirt with a cute as fuck guy, I’m all for it. The gears might be rusty, but I bet I can still twerk my ass with the best of them after I get warmed up.
My breath catches in my throat as the club comes into view. It’s beautiful. The parking lot is big and well-lit. The building itself looks like anything but a nightclub, with a large fountain out front and beautiful marble steps that are flanked by grand columns leading to the white double-door entryway. There’s a long line wrapped around the building, and I can tell the grand opening ceremony is already over as they’re just starting to let people in.
I’ve seen a lot of clubs, but I’m truly impressed with the presentation of this one. Everything I see says the owners sank a lot of money into this place. Honestly, it puts Trixie’s, with its neon sign, disco ball in the ceiling, and pink and purple ambient lighting to shame.
There’s no room to park in the main lot, so we have to go to the overflow lot down the street, barely finding a parking spot. Getting out, a cool night breeze sweeps the area, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin and excitement to warm my blood. Overhead, the full moon makes me feel like a wolf on the prowl.
Hannah peers at me, looking around my backside. Unlike her, I’ve opted for a red club dress, one that hugs my curves in all the right places. I got it from Mindy, who had her fair share of good luck in it, so maybe it’ll do the same for me. “Damn, girl, your ass didn’t look that big when we left home. Did you stuff it with some pads or something?”
I place my hands on my hips and boast, “Girl, seriously? This is all-natural! They write songs about an ass like this!” I start popping my ass, reciting some classic lyrics.
Hanna
h bends over, grabbing her sides while laughing. “Oh, my God, stop! You’re killing me.”
“Stop making fun of my bootyliciousness then and let’s go!”
Giggling, we make our way to the club, evading people on the street. I see a couple of guys look my way and I feel a little thrill. I don’t see anything I like, though, so I keep going until we reach the club and the line that’s jam-packed out the building. Luckily for us, Hannah has a reservation for us so we don’t have to wait. I’d like to dance sometime before next Tuesday.
We walk past the men in line, and I feel more eyes on me. These men are all dressed well. There are no open shirts and rolled sleeves but rather suits and ties. It must be the club theme for the grand opening. My confidence should grow, but I’m hit by a sudden feeling of anxiety. Am I really ready to rock someone’s world or am I just looking for companionship? It’s been so long since I’ve been in the social company of the opposite sex. I don’t even know.
From inside the club, the bass of the music thrums against my body as we reach the door. My heart begins to pound. I almost feel like I’m back at Trixie’s. Almost. The two handsome bouncers are dressed in fitted suits, their hair cut professionally and their designer sunglasses blocking their eyes. They kinda look like the Men In Black. Whoever is running this place isn’t playing around.
“We have a reservation,” Hannah says. I don’t know how she got it. She’s got connections, I guess. Hannah gives her name and the bouncers let us in, pulling the large double-doors wide.
The entire interior is just as luxurious as the exterior. The bar stretches around a good quarter of the large rotunda that makes up the main room, lit up beautifully in blues and dim whites. Out on the floor, beautiful women and men dressed in great suits are already dancing beneath a balcony that overlooks everything. There’s a crowd up there, and I bet it’s the VIP section from the way things look.
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