“I love that.” He shook his head and laughed as he pulled away from me.
“Sure you do.”
“You’ve got a smart mouth, huh?”
“Are you going to tell me your idea before my car gets towed, Zane?” I tried to pretend that I wasn’t completely and utterly dazzled by him. “I don’t have all day.”
“I’m looking for someone to be my part-time assistant.” He paused. “And I like and trust you, and I know from seeing you at Lou’s that you have a strong work ethic.”
“You what?” I looked at him like he was crazy. That was the last thing I had expected to hear. “You want me to work for you?”
“I know that’s not as exciting as being my sub, but I need a girl Friday, so to speak, and you need money, so I thought perhaps we could make something work.”
“I don’t know.” I frowned. “Between school and the diner, I don’t have much time.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to find someone else.” He jumped up off of the bed and walked towards the door, pausing and looking back at me just before he walked out. “Do you have any other suggestions for your car?”
“I, wait, what?” I jumped up and shook my head. “I didn’t say no, I just said I don’t know.”
“Lucky.” He frowned at me. “I don’t have time to mess around.”
“What?” I walked towards him. “You have barely even given me a second to think about this.”
He sighed and looked away from me. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Maybe you wouldn’t be such a—”
“I accept the position.” My voice was firm and loud. I was angry at how dismissive he was being. “I accept the position, and I would like us to go and get my car now.”
“Okay.” He grinned. “Meet me downstairs in five minutes.”
“Wait, aren’t we going to discuss this further?”
“We can talk later.” He exited the room and called back, “Downstairs in five minutes.”
I rushed to the en suite bathroom and quickly washed my face. I wasn’t sure what I had just accepted, but I felt really excited. Excited and scared at the same time. Zane Beaumont was not the sort of guy I should be getting involved with more deeply. I knew it in my soul, but something was drawing me closer and closer to him.
“I’m going downstairs now, Lucky.” I heard Zane’s voice, and I quickly rushed back into the room and pulled on my clothes.
“I’m coming.” I ran down the stairs puffing, and I saw Zane laughing at me as I joined him in the foyer.
“You could have been a few minutes late.” He laughed and grabbed his car keys, and I scowled at him. “Most girls are.”
“I’m not most girls.” I followed him out the front door and ran my fingers through my hair to get the knots out. I got into the passenger side of the car, and Zane pulled out of the driveway wordlessly. “So what’s the plan?” I asked impatiently.
“The plan?” He looked at me sideways and raised his eyebrows.
“What am I going to be doing as your assistant?”
“Catering to my every whim.” He smirked and whipped out his phone. “Hey, Gus, I’m towing a friend’s car to your garage. Work on it, fix it, and bill me, okay?”
I looked at him wide-eyed as he spoke to someone on the phone and I frowned. How dare he just take control over what was going to happen to my car!
“I’m not sure what happened, but it broke down last night. Yeah, on the highway. She’s lucky I was there.” He hung up, and I leaned over to him.
“You didn’t even ask if I wanted my car towed to your friend’s.”
“He’s not my friend. He’s my mechanic, and he’s one of the best in Miami. It seemed to me you didn’t have anywhere else you wanted it to go.”
“That’s not the point.” I sighed. “You can’t just make a decision like that for me. I already have a quote. I have no idea how much this guy is going to charge.”
“Let me worry about that.”
“I don’t want to let you worry about that, if that’s okay with you,” I said sarcastically.
“Do you have something against men, Lucky?”
“Do you have something against women?” I shook my head. “You’re insufferable, Zane Beaumont.”
“I think I’m being a pretty nice guy.” He shot a grin at me, and I turned away from him. I heard his phone ringing and rolled my eyes as I heard his voice purr into the phone.
“Morning, dearie.”
I felt jealous as he spoke into the phone and quickly took out my phone to see if I had any messages. I felt a warm thrill shoot through me as I saw I had a text from Braydon, asking if I had gotten home okay. I texted him back quickly, trying to ignore Zane sweet-talking some girl on the phone.
“Maybe we can go for dinner?” he purred. “I’m not available for lunch today.”
“Don’t decline because of me,” I hissed towards him, and I saw him frown as he pulled up behind my car, still talking into the phone.
“Angelique, can I call you back later?” He stopped the car, and I jumped out, not wanting to hear him sweet-talk the leggy blonde I had met the night before. “Lucky, get back in the car.” Zane got out of his car and shouted at me as I walked to my car. “It’s too dangerous for you to be standing on the side of the road.”
“Can I check my car, please?” I huffed. “You are not my dad, Zane. Stop bossing me around.”
“We are on a highway, Lucky. Stop being a baby and get in the car!” he shouted at me and grabbed my arm.
“Ow, that hurts,” I squealed as he dragged me back to his car. “I want to check my car.”
“It’s the same as it was yesterday, Lucky,” he grunted as he opened the door. “Sit down.”
“Or what?”
“You don’t want to know what.”
“You’re a real asshole.” I scowled at him and crouched back as he leaned in towards me.
“Lucky, you are the most …” His voice drifted off as he kissed me, and I closed my eyes as his lips crushed down on mine. I allowed him to push his tongue into my mouth for a few seconds before I pulled away from him.
“What are you doing?” I asked breathlessly.
“Shutting you up.” He grinned and slammed the door shut as I was about to shout at him. I sat back and watched as he pulled out his phone. Within a few seconds, I saw a tow truck pull up in front of my car, and I watched as Zane walked up to greet the tow truck guy. I sat in the car for a little bit, hoping to catch my breath before I got out of the car. I touched my lips softly, wondering at the tingle I still felt in them. I had never been kissed like that before: hard, passionately, and all taking. I was angry and lightheaded at Zane’s touch, and as I got out of the car, I realized I had feelings for Zane. Feelings which made me think that accepting a position working for him would be a bad idea.
I walked up to the tow truck guy and ignored Zane’s glare. “Hi, I’m Lucky Morgan, the owner of the car.”
“Uh, hello, Ms. Morgan.” The tow-truck driver looked at me curiously as I gave him my hand. “I’ll have this over to the mechanic within thirty minutes.”
“Thank you.”
“Lucky, didn’t I tell you to stay in the car?” Zane’s voice was low and angry.
“I think my head gasket is gone,” I continued talking to the tow truck guy. “You can let the mechanic know.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The man looked at Zane and then me, and walked back to his truck quickly.
“How dare you talk to me like that,” I hissed at Zane.
“Lucky—”
“Don’t you Lucky me.” I pointed at him. “You can’t treat me like one of your floozies.”
“Will you please stop dissing the girls I date?” Zane looked at me with a frown. “Jealousy is not a becoming trait.”
“I’m not jealous of anyone.”
“I don’t want you to be confused, Lucky.” Zane grabbed my hands. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
“I’m not confused. You kiss a lo
t of girls, I’m sure.”
“I ...” he paused and looked away. “I’m not looking for a relationship.”
“I figured that much.”
“But I like you. I hope we can be friends.” He squeezed my hand, and I felt my eyes grow heavy.
“Sure.”
“Let’s go to breakfast and we can discuss the job.”
“I think Braydon wants to take me to breakfast or an early lunch.” I suddenly remembered.
“Braydon Eagle?” He frowned.
“Yes.”
“Tell him no.” We walked back to his car, and he opened my door for me. I got into the car and pulled out my phone.
“I don’t think so.” I pretended to dial some numbers.
“Lucky. Do not go on a date with Braydon Eagle.”
“Why not?”
“He’s not the guy for you.”
“Why not? Is he a player like you?”
“Lucky.” He put his finger under my chin and stared at me hard. “Don’t test my patience.”
“Or what?” I rolled my eyes as he got into the car next to me, and I put my phone in my bag again.
“Can you just trust me here, Lucky?”
“Why? I don’t even know you.”
“You know me.” His eyes bore into me, and I sighed. He was right. I knew that at the end of the day, he was a nice guy. He had always been a nice guy to me at the restaurant; what he did with the other women had nothing to do with me.
“Fine, let’s go to breakfast.” I let out a huge sigh and shook my head at him. “I don’t understand you, Zane Beaumont.”
“Sometimes I don’t understand myself either.” His tone was tinged with irony and another emotion I couldn’t place. “But thank you for giving me a chance.” His hand reached over to my knee and he squeezed it, looking at me gratefully.
“I don’t know why,” I whispered under my breath. I stared out the window, wondering what I was doing. I felt like I was Alice and was now in Wonderland. Everything I felt was upside down, and a part of my brain was telling me to just forget my rules and let this path take me wherever it wanted to go.
“I didn’t wait all night for you to stop dancing around the room with Braydon like a contestant on Dancing with the Stars for nothing,” Zane muttered.
I gasped. “Wait? You were waiting to make sure I didn’t go home with Braydon last night, weren’t you?” I looked over at him, glaring at his causal demeanor.
“I told you. I wanted to make sure you got home okay,” Zane growled, and looked at me quickly. “You don’t need to be hanging out with Braydon Eagle, Lucky.”
“Because you’re so much better, right?” I barked out at him and sat back, scared as Zane pulled over to the side of the highway, stopped, and turned towards me.
“I have to tell you something, Lucky.”
Chapter 5
“What you have to tell me has to be said on the side of the road and not in a restaurant?” I asked sarcastically.
“Will you just let me talk?”
“I suppose that’s my duty, so go ahead.” I bowed my head submissively with my hands clasped in my lap and waited for him to talk.
“Lucky, you’re too much. You know that, right?”
“I’m waiting.”
“Let’s go and get breakfast, and I will tell you after we eat.”
“Are you kidding me right now, Zane Beaumont? You’re not just going to leave me hanging, are you?”
“I need a tall, black coffee before I can deal with you, Lucky.” He laughed, and started the car and pulled back onto the road.
“I need pancakes and bacon.” I licked my lips and laughed at his words. Why was it was easy to forgive Zane and his comments?
“I don’t like my subs eating bacon.” Zane’s voice was light, and I laughed at his words.
“You’re never going to let me off for that comment, are you?”
“Well, it’s not every day that a girl asks me if I want her to be my sub.” He paused for a moment. “And you know that I have to ask why you even asked me that now.”
“Argh,” I groaned, embarrassed.
“Is there something I should know about you, Lucky? Are you a student and server by day and a dominatrix by night?”
“Um, if I was a dominatrix, I wouldn’t be asking you if you wanted me to be your sub.” I laughed.
“So you know a lot about that world, huh?” Zane looked at me quickly with a slight grin, and I punched his shoulder.
“Actually, no.” I laughed. “I’ve read a few books that were about couples who were living those lifestyles.”
“And it made you interested?”
“No.” My voice was sharper than I had intended. “No. I don’t think I would be cut out to be a dom or a sub.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so either.”
“What does that mean?”
“Just that I can’t see you in either role in the bedroom.”
“You’ve thought about me in the bedroom?” I gasped out, surprised and slightly tickled.
“Well, no.” He laughed. “Let’s change the subject. I don’t want to get myself in trouble again.”
“Uh huh.” I knew I was taking the conversation down a slippery path, but I felt a flush run through me as I thought about him thinking about me. It was a warm and happy feeling, and I wanted to hold on to it as long as possible.
“I think you’re addicted to sex.”
“What?” I laughed.
“You’re always bringing it up.”
“No, I’m not.” I rolled my eyes.
“Yes, you are.”
“Then let’s make a bet now. The next person to bring up sex has to give the other person—”
“A naked massage,” Zane interrupted as he pulled into a parking lot.
“You wish.” I rolled my eyes.
“Maybe I do.” He licked his lips, and we got out of the car.
“Starting from now, the next person who mentions sex has to give the other person one hundred bucks.”
“Whoa, Lucky, I don’t want to take your money.”
“I’ll be taking yours and I’m not worried about taking it.” We both laughed and walked into the IHOP.
“Oh, Lucky, so honest and confident.”
“I’m thinking about what I’m going to spend my hundred dollars on,” I purred, as we walked to our table. I opened the menu eagerly, trying to decide what I wanted to eat. My stomach was growling at the smell of grease, and I wanted to stuff my face with many items on the menu.
“Do you know what you want to get?”
“I want eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, toast, and hash browns.” I laughed. “And I’m also eyeing the crepes.”
“Small appetite.”
“Well, you know how we supermodels do it.”
“Oh, of course, you need a big breakfast before the catwalk.”
“Exactly, or the wind will blow us away.”
“We can’t have the wind blowing you away now.” Zane winked at me, and I leaned towards him with a grin.
“Exactly, not when I’m doing a service to mankind, showing off ugly dresses that cost thousands of dollars.”
“If you want me to buy you one such dress, let me know.”
“I can afford to buy it myself …” I laughed. “Goodwill has plenty of designs that match those on the catwalk, and I can buy several outfits for twenty bucks.”
“Well then, here you go.” Zane took out his wallet and dropped twenty-dollar bill on the table. “Go crazy on me.”
I grabbed the twenty and used it to fan myself. “Why thank you, Mr. Beaumont, I do declare I think you are my hero right now.” I spoke in a deep Southern accent, and he laughed.
“Maybe I should introduce you to my dad, it seems to me you could have a huge career in acting.”
“Why, whatever do you mean, kind sir? I’m no actress; I’m just a Southern belle.”
“I do like me a Southern belle.”
At this point, Zane and I
were staring into each other’s eyes, and our faces were inches away from each other. If I moved forward slightly, our lips would be touching.
“Hi, thanks for coming to IHOP. Can I get you guys some drinks?” A sour-looking older lady was standing at the table glaring at us, and I sat back quickly, embarrassed to have been caught in a non-intimate intimate moment.
“Can I have a small orange juice and a cup of coffee, please?” I smiled at the lady, and she stared back at me with a surly look.
“And you, sir?” She turned away from me and looked at Zane.
“I’ll have the same thing as my fine young debutante.”
The lady rolled her eyes and flipped a page on her notepad. “Are you guys ready to order or do you need a few minutes?”
“I’m ready. You, Lucky?” Zane wiggled his eyebrows at me, and I held in a laugh.
“Yes. I’m ready. I’ll have the International Passport Breakfast, please.”
“And I’ll have a ham, green pepper, and cheese omelet, please.” Zane smiled at the lady, and she gave him a hard stare.
“I’ll have the drinks out in a few minutes.” She turned around and walked back to the kitchen.
“And this why I come to your diner every Friday.” Zane laughed.
“Oh, really? Why?”
“Because I have the best server in all of Miami at Lou’s.”
“Shayla is pretty good.”
“Not as good as a girl named Lucky.”
“Well, you know what they say. Girls who go through cotillion make the best servers.”
“I guess I learn something new every day.” He laughed and then frowned as his phone rang. “Sorry, will you excuse me please, Lucky? I have to take this.”
“Sure.” I smiled at him, trying to ignore the curiosity that was creeping up in me. Who was on the phone? I wanted to know, and yet I didn’t. I knew that if I found out it was Angelique, my mood would be ruined. I decided to distract myself from eavesdropping on his conversation and pulled out my phone while I waited.
“Did you speak to him?” Zane hissed into the phone. “So what did he say?”
I bit my lip, wondering who had made him so angry.
“Flying?” He sighed. “Do you know who the girl was?”
I opened my text messages, pleasantly surprised to see that Braydon had texted me back, asking me to join him for dinner that evening. I was about to turn my phone off without answering when I heard Zane say, “I’ll give her a call and see if I can take her on a date next week.”
Exposed: An Anthology Page 65