by Vivica James
Brazen
The Billionaire Bordello Boys Book One
Vivica James
Copyright © 2019 by Vivica James
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
Contents
1. CHAPTER ONE
2. CHAPTER TWO
3. CHAPTER THREE
4. CHAPTER FOUR
5. CHAPTER FIVE
6. CHAPTER SIX
7. CHAPTER SEVEN
EPILOGUE
Thank you for reading
Also by Vivica James
1
CHAPTER ONE
GABRIEL
If it had been even minutes earlier or later, I would have missed her. I would have missed her and missed out on the one thing that I knew was about to complete me.
I told my driver to wait. I couldn’t even step into my car. She was a curvy vision, walking out of the building, that completely mesmerized me. She was gorgeous. Her hair was in a loose braid of every shade of gold imaginable. With each swinging step she took I could feel my body ache in response. If she thought she was hiding anything in those loose scrubs, she was sorely mistaken.
Before I could reach her, a cab pulled up to the curb. She was about to grab the handle when some skinny young guy jumped in front of her, stealing her ride. She looked like she was about to take the lanyard that hung from his neck and strangle him with it.
“Not today, buddy, not this day.” She grabbed the top of the door and attempted to wrest it away from the weaselly cab thief.
If he laid a single finger on her, it would be the last thing he ever did.
He slid into the back seat like the snake he was, and looked up at her, “Back off, lady”
She tried to hold the door open, but he was pulling it closed. “I’m going to be late for work!”
“Not my problem,” he sneered from inside the cab.
I reached her before he could slam the door closed on her soft fingers. He was lucky I did. I quickly placed my hand over hers. I was already feeling the need to protect what I knew was going to be mine.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you.” I never meant those words more. I did have her. Every incredible inch of her burned inside my mind. Every tiny little finger held in mine.
She turned to look up at me, and it felt like I’d had the wind knocked out of me. The green of her eyes surrounded by tear-tinged lashes nearly left me undone.
She shook her head, “Who are you?”
“I’m a man who knows how to treat a beautiful woman.”
“Oh….” It was all she said as she stared into my eyes, she didn’t move her hand and I had no interest in ever letting it go.
The jerk interrupted, “Seriously? Can you let go?”
For his lack of manners alone, it took all my control not to slam the fool’s head into the door. But I didn’t want to scare the woman that had entrusted me with her hand, and now that I had her hand in mine, I sure as hell wasn’t letting go.
I refused to acknowledge his words, instead, I looked over my shoulder and signalled with my free hand to my driver. He simply nodded and approached the driver’s window of the cab.
I gently took her fingers from the door, still holding them in mine, and slammed it shut.
“I’m, Gabriel. Gabriel St. Laurent.”
“Like the archangel? I guess that makes sense right now.”
“Not many would agree with that assessment.” I nodded towards the back of the taxi where the ill-mannered buffoon was now raging at the cabbie. The stack of bills my driver passed on, seemed to have affected the cabbie’s ability to start the car.
The smile that touched her lips at the man’s discomfort, sealed the deal. She was mine. Not going to be mine. She was mine and I wasn’t going to let her go.
“Oh, God. I shouldn’t laugh. But this has been the worst week ever, and right now you really are my angel.” She looked down at our joined hands and pulled hers away as if she were suddenly embarrassed.
She wiped away the tears that had threatened to fall from her beautiful eyes. I could have killed whoever thought to put them there.
“Sorry, it’s been a day. I’m Maisie”
Maisie. It was perfect. A name of sunshine and light. She didn’t realize it yet, but that was exactly what she had just brought into my life. There was no chance I was giving it up.
“Well, Maisie, since we don’t want you late for work, you better come with me.”
She shook her head, “No, I’m fine. Thank you, but I couldn’t.”
“You can and you will. You need to get to work, and I have the means to get you there.” I may have sounded demanding, but Maisie needed to realize that I was not going to let her go now that I had found her. She was also never going to spend another day fighting over a cab. Those days were done for her. She deserved more and she was going to have it.
“But I don’t even know you.”
“Well, there is only one way to remedy that,” I hope she could see that I only wanted to help.
Maisie hesitated. She looked down the street and then looked back up to me. “I doubt I’m going to find another ride in time, and I do need to get to work.”
“Then it’s settled”
She shared that adorable little smile with me once more. “I’m pretty sure that my mother would kill me for accepting a ride from a stranger.”
“But I’m not a stranger anymore, am I?”
“Why? Because you’re the angel that has swooped in to save me?”
“Damn, right, I am.”
I brought her hand to mind and gently kissed her fingers. Her eyes widened at the intimacy of the act. I could hear her soft intake of breath. I knew she was feeling exactly what I was. This was different. This was more. This was real.
I kept her hand in mine as I walked her to my car. My driver tipped his hat at Maisie and all three of us ignored the sounds of the man pounding on the glass of the cab, demanding to be let out of the stationary taxi.
MAISIE
What just happened?
One moment my life is in tatters and I’m about to get into fisticuffs with a cab stealing jerk, and the next moment I’m staring up at possibly the hottest man I have ever seen in my entire life.
Gorgeous from head to toe and talking to me. I was starting to think that after crying myself to sleep last night, I still hadn’t woken up. If this was a dream, I hope I never did.
Gabriel. He flew in to save me like the angel he was named after. It was like a scene from a movie. He was incredible. The way he had handled that entire scene was seriously the best thing that had happened to me in a long time. After this week, seeing that guy suffer, just a little, was almost cathartic.
After Gabriel helped me into the car, I tried to be casual as I watched him slide in next to me across the soft leather seats. I must be going crazy, because he smelled of chocolate. There was also some other phenomenal masculine smell, but I was certain that it was the hint of chocolate that surrounded him. In my books that beat out sandalwood every time.
He was impeccably dressed. His dark wavy hair, not a strand out of place. Gabriel’s outfit probably cost more than most of the furniture in my apartment. As a nurse you get pretty good at sizing up people in a glance or two. If the car and his clothes weren’t hints enough, the confident air that he carried himself with was a sure sign of some very deep pockets.
My scrubs told a far dif
ferent story, and I was suddenly beyond thankful that I had grabbed a last-minute shower before I left the house. Why hadn’t I taken the time to at least throw some lipstick on?
Not that it mattered. Guys like this weren’t meant for gals like me. This past week was proof of that. Gabriel was probably executing his random act of kindness for the week, and once he dropped me off, he would be meeting his model wife or girlfriend to tell her all about it. The more I thought about it, the more embarrassed I became. I looked down at his hand. No ring on his finger. No wife. Maybe this dream I was having meant no girlfriend too. A girl can hope, can’t she?
“Where’s work?”
“Liberty Hospital.” I watched as Gabriel’s driver gave a brief nod and then Gabriel turned his attention back to me.
“Are you alright? That was a rather unpleasant situation.”
Once again, he took hold of my hand. He seemed determined to comfort me and it was working. The touch of his fingers on mine sent a shiver through me. How could I be reacting so intensely to someone I had just met? This was insane.
“Unpleasant yes, unusual, no. I’ve had some pretty horrible luck lately with people taking things from me.”
Why was I spilling my pathetic story to this man? The last thing I needed was for him to know what a fool I was. This was exactly my problem. Trusting people that I barely knew. I could feel the tears of the past week start to prick at my eyelids again and bit my lip to try and hold them back. I did not want to cry in front of Gabriel.
Against my will, a lone teardrop fell down my cheek.
Gabriel moved closer to me until my hand was in his lap and he brushed the droplet from my cheek with his thumb.
“Tell me. What has made you so sad?”
The way he spoke to me and looked at me with such kindness made me feel like I was the only thing in the world to him. Maybe it was his voice, silky smooth with the barest hint of an accent. Before I knew it, I was telling him everything.
“I’m an idiot. I trusted the wrong person.”
“Don’t ever say that about yourself. I don’t ever want to hear those words again.”
“It’s true. I met someone who led me to believe he cared about me. He seemed so nice, but if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. He sure was. Brenna, my roommate, tried to warn me. She moved out when he started hanging around too much. She saw right through him. Not only did he clean out my apartment, but he took my dog as well.”
I couldn’t stop the tears now. “I mean, who takes someone’s puppy? What kind of person does that?”
“Not one that deserves to live,” growled Gabriel. “Do you know where he is now?”
I didn’t think I could be more embarrassed, but explaining how I had been scammed by some lowlife to this gorgeous man; who obviously had his life together, made it seem that much worse.
“No, he’s long gone and so is Mugg.”
“Mugg?”
“My terrier.”
“I am so sorry you have gone through this. What can I do?”
“You’ve already helped.”
“I would be happy to do more.”
Sitting here next to him in a pair of pale blue scrubs and not a lick of makeup on and I had never been stared at with such longing. Was I losing my mind?
As he brushed away a tear that had fallen to my lips, I almost darted out my tongue to taste his thumb. His mere touch took me from devastation to desire in a moment. Something flickered in his smoky eyes as he watched his finger wipe the moisture from my mouth. I thought he might devour me right there.
I was hoping he would.
The Bentley came to such a smooth stop I hardly realized when we arrived at the hospital. He let go of my hand and jumped from the car to open my door. He walked me all the way to my station. The other nurses just stared as Gabriel whispered in my ear.
“I will pick you up when your shift is over.”
His breath was warm and the slightest touch of his lips to my lobe sent a shiver through me. I squeezed my thighs together in response.
“It’s not necessary. I can grab a cab.”
For a moment he looked irritated. “Of course, it’s necessary. I will be here. For you. It will be safer.”
His words brook no discussion and I found I didn’t actually want to fight him on it. Everything about him felt good, safe, amazing. I wanted him to be here. I didn’t ever want him to leave.
“My shift is eight hours.”
“I’ll be here.”
“Thank you” I whispered the words back.
Gabriel gave my fingers a final squeeze and then he walked away. I wasn’t sure my heart was going to take it if he didn’t come back.
2
CHAPTER TWO
GABRIEL
I told myself to keep walking and not look back. If I turned to see Maisie’s beautiful face, there was no way I would be able to let her finish her shift. I wanted to take her home and kiss her until all the sadness she had been feeling melted away. Until she never doubted herself again.
What kind of man has a woman as incredible as Maisie and throws her away? One look, one touch and I knew that nothing would keep me from making her smile every day until our last breaths were drawn.
Some may laugh at my feelings, but those were fools that didn’t know the true value of a woman and the true meaning of love. My mother had taught me exactly what those things meant.
Growing up in a Parisian bordello had allowed me to see both the good and bad in the world. There were three other boys that I had shared my room and childhood with, and they were like brothers to me. We were all were named for the angels only our mother’s felt us to be. Michael, Raphael and Uriel. Together we had built our empire, and the amazing women that had raised us wanted for nothing, ever again.
Our mothers had not only taught us the importance of properly pleasuring a woman and how to revel in the ecstasy of a woman’s body, but to also respect and care for all women. We had been taught to believe in that one love. A love that will last for eternity, and when you find it, you will know. We had all been taught to never let that go. There was no greater task than to fight for the one that you loved. I knew I had found mine.
Maisie.
Even her name felt delicious on my tongue. I wondered what the rest of her would taste like. I could barely think straight imagining the moment our bodies finally met. Her lush curves against me and the fresh smell of whatever soap she had used that morning. The scent of her hair was still with me. My slacks were becoming tights at the thought.
I popped another square of chocolate in my mouth from my secret car stash before I sent a quick text to Raphael to let him know that I would be unavailable for a while. When he questioned what had happened, I merely responded The One. His only response was ‘Celui,’ the one. I knew he would let the others know and that they would cover any business issues that may arise. Maisie was now the only thing on my agenda.
When I had walked her into the hospital, she’d mentioned it was only an eight-hour shift, but those hours were starting to feel like a lifetime. I had lived my whole life without Maisie and now that I had found her I didn’t want to spend another minute apart.
Perhaps it was a good thing that I had a few hours. It gave me time to prepare an amazing first date for Maisie. I wanted to give her the world. I wanted to show her what a real man will do for his woman. And there was no doubt she would be my woman. A man gives to his lady, he does not take things away. I wanted to make things perfect for Maisie when I picked her up.
I called the florist myself this time. Maisie was not the type of woman that you have another woman pick out flowers for. She needed to know that it was me that was thinking of her with each stem. To know how special she already was to me.
How could I explain that time had actually stopped when I first saw her and only truly began the moment we touched? I finally knew what my mother had spoken of and promised was out there for each of us. I had found it in Maisie, and I was not going to le
t it go.
Ever.
MAISIE
The nurses’ station had been buzzing since Gabriel had dropped me off. Most of the nurses knew what had happened this past week and it probably shocked them to see me coming in with a tall, muscular, gorgeous hunk of man, instead of as a lone snivelling mess. If I was being honest, it shocked me too. I still couldn’t believe how my day was turning out.
Gabriel was an absolute dream. I had to pinch myself several times to be sure that what had taken place was even real. I touched my ear where I could still feel the warmth of his soft lips. Oh, he was real. And he was so out of my league.
My girlfriend Anna who was on shift with me could not stop talking about him.
“This is exactly what you need. Someone to get you over that jerk, Blaine. Ugh, even his name makes me angry.” Anna was fully in the ‘shoot Blaine on site’ camp, and I didn’t mind the support.
“Honestly, it’s not Blaine I need to get over, I don’t think I ever really even liked him. It’s that he has Mugg.”
“You could call the police you know? He stole your dog!”
“And say what? I’m the foolish, lonely girl who fell for the first pretty face that was nice to me and he took my dog? Blaine said I would never be able to prove Mugg was mine. He was a stray. We found each other.” I could feel tears pricking at my eyes and fought them back by focusing on my anger instead.
“I will see him eventually. And I will get Mugg back. Blaine may be a scammer, but he’s not the brightest one. He is always hanging out at that coffee shop on 3rd. I’ll figure something out.”
I hoped I sounded more convincing than I felt. I was starting to worry I would never see Mugg again.