by Jackson Kane
“No?” Zenya raised an eyebrow incredulously. “This coming from a woman who physically wrote to People Magazine demanding that Shia LaBeouf be the next Sexiest Man Alive.” Z paused for dramatic effect. She looked at the rest of us while doing a circle gesture around her face where a beard would be had she been born a man. “During his scraggly facial hair years.”
“Okay, that wasn't my finest hour,” Wanda agreed. Everyone, including Wanda, laughed. “Still though, there's nothing wrong with the hunky Mr. Goldlock. Besides, he's basically paying for your wedding.”
“Oh, you mean aside from the fact that he disappeared a few months ago without warning, leaving my darling fiancé and his team to pick up the slack?” Zenya rolled her eyes. “And don’t get it twisted. Clint is paying for our wedding, not his boss.”
“Goldlock?” I asked. Where had I heard that name before? Then I realized I hadn't heard it anywhere. I'd seen it. It was on several of the billboards along the highway coming into the city. “Like Goldlock Industries?”
“And like the hotel, you're staying at. Mr. Goldlock has his hands in the pants of half of New York,” Zenya giggled.
“Ah, okay.” I cracked a huge grin and started to chuckle. She wanted me to date a billionaire CEO? I had a better chance of hitting the lottery while being struck by lightning.
“Don't listen to Wanda.” Zenya waived off her pouting friend. “She just has a crush on her boss, but is married so she can't hit on him.”
I didn't push the issue. Honestly, the whole rich and powerful CEO fantasy didn't do it for me. Maybe it was just because it was so absurd. I'd never met Mr. Goldlock, but I guaranteed he'd rather date an actress or a supermodel than some nobody waitress like me.
Besides, I couldn't handle another pipe dream. I was still too preoccupied with Veto. One fantasy at a time, Calli.
The conversations pushed on, but I wasn't there anymore. I was still trying to wrap my brain around how the hell I was going to spend the night with Veto. What were his expectations? Was he just looking to score? It was hard for me to accept that; hook-ups don't have to spend the night, and he'd offered.
It could be platonic. My throat dried out. What if he brings another girl back to the room? Would I have to hear them have sex? I couldn't imagine anything more torturous. My brain pulled me into a thousand different scenarios.
“Calli?” Jennifer's sharp voice cut through all the haze.
“I'm sorry, what was that?” I looked up like a deer in headlights.
“Your work. What do you do?”
“Me?” I cleared my throat, filling the time so I could come up with something that wasn't going to be too boring. “I work in the service industry, while I look for something in my field of study.”
“And that is?” Jennifer leaned in. Her hard features were unreadable, but the shift in her tone told me her interest was piqued.
“I went to college to be a research assistant.” I paused at the blank expressions around our large table, then added, “Basically, a professional book worm.”
“Send me your resume,” Jennifer remarked from a resumed air of superiority. She was back in control, and as if to punctuate just how important she was, her phone started going off. “I've recently let some people go. If you're willing to relocate, I may be able to offer you a position.”
Jennifer was definitely someone that was accustomed to being in charge of things and people. It was easy to see how she became a partner at a high-end law firm.
“Uh, yeah. Sure! That'd be great. Thanks!” My insides danced a bit. Was this an actual opportunity? I'd heard all about 'networking' but I'd never been a part of it!
Jennifer nodded with a satisfied smile as she excused herself from the table and answered the phone. Her fake cheerfulness filled the air as she walked off—slowly, like she wanted us to hear her talking with her important client.
Then I realized what had just happened. Because I was important to her new sister-in-law, she was trying to use me to show off. And with this job offer, she finally had.
But I didn't care that it was engineered to show off how generous and kind Jennifer was; I was going to take the opportunity at face value. A real job, and in New York? That was incredible!
The rest of the luncheon was a blur. I emailed Jennifer my resume before we all left the cafe. We said our goodbyes and Zenya offered to walk me back to the hotel to catch up.
“Can you believe it!” I jumped around excitedly when the rest of her friends left. “I might have a job working with you. Can you imagine? It'll almost be like old times. Ah!”
“Chili...” Zenya's tone immediately worried me.
“What's wrong?” I asked, visibly deflating. “Please tell me that wasn't a meaningless gesture.”
“No, of course not. When Jennifer decides on something, there is very little that can change her mind.” Zenya paused, straining for a smile. Unlike me, she was terrible at hiding her emotions. “It's just— Make sure you do your research and give it some real thought before you make any big decisions. It can be a really hard, unrewarding job.”
“Do you not want me to work with you?” My shoulders slid lower.
Z laughed and threw an arm over my shoulder, shaking me. “Of course I do! I'm only bringing it up because Jennifer is an extremely hard person to work for.”
“She's your boss, right?” I asked. “Isn't that how you met Clint?”
“Yeah. And she's fine with me for the most part. But I think that's only because I'm about to marry her brother.” Z pulled her thick, wool lapels together tightly to brace against the vicious wind that funneled through the skyscrapers. “She has a way of burning people out and I don't want to see that happen to you.”
“Nah.” I waved it off. This was the opportunity I'd been waiting for! This was my chance to leave my old life behind and become who I was always meant to be. There was no way I was going to make the wrong choice for the second time. “If I can run tables and a bar for sixteen hours a day, I can definitely sit at a desk for half that.”
Zenya frowned, glancing away, then abruptly switched gears. She smiled that infectious smile of hers. “Hey! Seen any good horror movies lately?”
I couldn't understand why she was so hesitant about me moving up here. Was she worried I might hurt her reputation? Was she ashamed of me because I wasn't as wealthy or cool as her new friends? I began to dissect the conversation inside the cafe through a new, darker lens.
Quit it! I buried my growing concerns for the now and tried to ride the joy I still felt at Jennifer's offer. “Only every time I get in my car.”
“You still have Carrie?” Zenya's broad smile split her face in half. “I have so many good memories in that car! Do you remember the road trips?”
“I remember you making me drive all the time.” I gave her a sour look that was mostly joking.
“It was your car!” she cried defensively. “Who was I to interrupt the bond between a girl and her car? Besides I was the navigator and the DJ. So you know, that's two jobs.”
“Don't forget designated sleeper.”
“See? Three jobs. All you had to do was drive.” Zenya switched over to her most regal voice, rolling her hand in front of her with a bow. “You're welcome.”
I laughed and she joined me. Eventually, after a recovering silence, I said, “I wish I just left with you.”
“And leave Marcos all alone to run that restaurant? That man can barely take care of himself.” Zenya smirked, pushing a wing of my hotel's revolving door for us. “You know he recently followed me on Instagram? Clint poked fun at me for it.”
I shook my head with a light smile, before it wilted. “You know what I meant.”
“You gotta stop living in the past, Chili Pepper.” Z stopped us in the middle of the massive sprawling lobby. I wasn't rushed this time, so I was able to absorb and appreciate the dark marble walls and elegant décor.
“I'll always hold that crazy time with you close to my heart. But, I'm really excited
for the next stage of my life. A married woman.” Z spread her arms out wide and her face lit up. “Can you believe that?”
That was definitely something I was struggling with. Zenya was always so wild and free. It was hard to imagine her ever settling down, but then again, she never did anything halfway. I was always envious of her ability to throw herself into her passions regardless of the consequences. She was the kind of person that would shout declarations of love from the rooftops. And if she climbed mountains, she'd do it there, too.
“Clint is amazing. Does he have any brothers? I'm willing to settle for a second cousin.”
“Five cousins.” Z winked at me. “And I will personally introduce you to every one of them tomorrow.”
“Hold on a sec,” I said, grabbing my phone as it buzzed. “It's Mom. Probably wondering if I'm still alive after the long drive. I've been ignoring her calls lately; this might be a little while. You go ahead, bridezilla, I'll see you later tonight.”
“Take a nap! You've been doing the half-eyed face thing since you showed up. Rehearsal is at eight. You better not be late!” Zenya warned, shaking her fist menacingly, before switching to bubbly sweet. “And tell her the better daughter said hi!”
I gave her a thumbs up, then started talking to my mom.
Fortunately, it was a short twenty-minute call. Mom was overbearing, but she was generally harmless. She was just terrified I was somehow going to get mugged or murdered. She'd never been to New York, so her only frame of reference was Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
The whole time I was on the phone with her I was slowly walking to Veto's room. The key card got hotter and hotter in my hand. I was so tense about the idea of sharing a room with him, that it was a deliberate effort for me not to snap my card in half.
I hesitated outside. Should I knock first, or somehow have called ahead? I didn't have his cell number, but the front desk could page him, I guess. Veto did give me a key... It wasn't like I was going to be a complete surprise. Another wave of exhaustion rolled over me; knowing a warm bed and a desperately needed nap was only minutes away was torture.
Well, I can't just stay in the hallway all afternoon. I took a deep breath, put on my big girl courage, and pushed the door open. What I saw made my eyes open so wide I swear they were going to fall out of my head. My heart was going to burst—I was going to die, and the last thing I'd ever see was Veto coming out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and a smile.
He spotted me, his eyes flashing. I think he was going to speak, but my ear-splitting scream cut him off. Veto's face dropped. He lunged for me, clamping a hand over my mouth and dragging me away from the hall. The hotel room door slapped shut behind us.
Chapter 4
Calli
“You promise not to scream if I let you go? I'd rather not have anyone think I'm up here murdering someone,” Veto said. His voice was a low rumble that gave me mini eargasms.
I nodded through the pressure of his rough, calloused hand. His touch was hot enough to give me a little vertigo. Looking at the sharply defined stacks of muscles on his tall frame made my knees struggle to hold me up.
His pecs and abs were painted in delicious ink. The corded striations in his beefy shoulders and thighs put some football players to shame. How was it possible that every time I saw Veto he became sexier?
“I'm not going to hurt you.” He offered a devious smile, then added, “As you can see, I have nothing up my sleeves.” Veto took a few steps back and turned his palms over, showing me that he had nothing to hide; the motion made his biceps flex and my clit thrum painfully.
“I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to freak out like that.” My tongue dried out and stuck to the roof of my mouth and my eyes refused to cooperate; they drifted across his every bulge and valley. “I just—” I coughed, choking off the words.
“Take it easy.” Veto closed the distance between us, which turned my bones into whipped cream. I quickly became dizzy, but he was there in a heartbeat to catch me. “Let's get you onto the bed. How much did you drink at the luncheon?”
“I only had one drink. I'm not drunk.” Although I wasn't exactly sure how true that was. When was the last time I ate anything? Not to mention the fatigue of weeks worth of double shifts, no sleep, a stressful three-hour drive and a roller coaster ride of emotions.
And all that paled in comparison to seeing him almost naked.
“So you just naturally crumble a lot then?” he asked, helping me cross the small room.
What I was trying to keep my tired, misfiring brain from saying was, I just haven't seen a naked man in person in a long time, let alone one that looked like you!
How the hell could I tell him that without coming off hilariously desperate and sad? The only time I'd ever seen a man this naked was if I was dating them. And I've never dated anyone as hot as Veto. I didn't even think it was possible for guys to look as cut and perfect as this. Everyone knew that Hollywood grew those guys in movies and magazine covers in a vat in the basement of a studio somewhere.
“It's just been a long day.” I gave a safe answer. I snapped my gaze away to clear my head. Having him all around me invaded my senses. Change the subject! “Wow, you weren't kidding about the small room.”
Aside from the one twin bed, there was only a chair and a half desk that doubled as a television stand. His room was a shoe box. Veto shrugged, helping me onto the mattress. “They were overbooked when I made my reservation, I took what I could get. This room is admittedly a bit more modest than what I'm used to, but I don't mind.”
Veto grabbed a bottle of water for me then touched my forehead. “You're certainly warm, but I don't think you have a fever.”
“It's definitely not a fever,” I whispered, hopefully too quiet for him to hear.
His knowing smirk was all the response I needed for my face to glow beet red.
“Um.” I groped for something to fill the silence that followed. “What are you doing traipsing around in your boxers for?” Was that even a sentence? My brain was still on a spin cycle. I shook my head and tried again. “I mean, why are you naked, not naked, but—” I cleared my throat. “Is this a bad time? Do you want me to come back later?”
“You caught me trying on my new suit.” Veto sat next to me and pointed to a suit hanging over the one lonely chair.
“Oh, right. The wedding.” I blinked. “Zenya has my dress,” I said, absently wondering if I was supposed to get that from her before the rehearsal. I made a mental note to text her about it. “What are the odds? You move right next door, and we both go to the same wedding.” I laughed humorlessly, trying not to think about how close he was. My goose bumped skin drank in the heat he radiated.
“Small world.” Veto ruffled his black hair. The way he moved gave me a glorious view of the lion tattoos that crept up his ribs. They heaved and growled when he breathed deeply. I had to cup one hand with the other to keep myself from reaching up and running my fingers down his ribs.
“I should do it,” he said, leaning in. The bed springs protested under his shift in weight. The rumble rippled up through my thighs, building pressure in my pussy that lit my skin on fire.
“Do what?” I whispered as he reached across my lap. My every inhale and exhale was a deliberate effort to keep my racing heart from bursting.
“Try on my suit,” he said, plucking his gold watch from the nightstand. “Not much time left for adjustments if it doesn't fit.”
Veto stood up and walked over to the chair. My lungs burned; at some point, I even forgot to breathe. I pulled out my phone to keep from ogling him as he got dressed. It wasn't working. The corner of my lip stung from how hard I gnawed on it. I watched his boxers ride up when he pulled his pants over his tight ass.
Then he turned, giving me a scandalous view of his package. The thin cotton of his boxers encased it and pulled taught around it, showing me a long, tempting outline that made my brain and stomach do flips. He stuffed it in his pants; I crossed my, legs hoping
the pressure would ease some of my desire.
But the dull heat that was building in my lower stomach was too much. I retreated into the bathroom with a quick, “Excuse me!” Running my hands under the cold water, I patted my neck and chest and would've doused my face as well, but I didn't want to ruin my makeup. If anything, I thought about touching it up in some spots.
Yeah, what was that about sleep being minutes away?
I was lying to myself if I thought I'd ever get any sleep with him out there. I was about to spend a night in a hotel room with my hot neighbor.
And I couldn't deny it anymore—I wanted to sleep with him.
Like, wanted to tear my clothes off and tackle him right now levels of sleep with him. But I knew it was a bad idea. If we hooked up and it went sour, I might have to see him every day. If it went well, would sex make things even more awkward? I also didn't know anything about him. I never liked the idea of a one night stand, but I'd also never been tempted like this before.
Rules, I decided. That's what I need!
My main focus for being here at all was Zenya. This was all for her, I had to remember that. I didn't want to make things weird for the wedding. I stepped out of the bathroom with every intention of sitting down like two adults and discussing the sleeping arrangements. It was just one night. Maybe we could do something where he slept under the sheets and I—
“How do I look?” Veto asked, draining all the thoughts from my head like he'd just pulled the stopper from a tub.
He managed to look just as amazing as he did almost naked.
The navy blue of the pants and blazer were only a few shades darker than his own irises. His shoes were a mirror shine and his icy tie popped against the black satin vest. The muted, polished gold of his watch complemented his cuff links perfectly. Whoever Veto was, he sure as hell knew how to dress.
“That bad, huh?” He stretched his arms out before him to better grab and center a cuff link.
“What? No! You look, um.” I realized that my mouth hung partially open. I swallowed, meeting his eyes fully as he slowly stepped toward me; they dilated, narrowing hungrily, the closer he got to me. The words I was able to find were soft and unconvincing. “Your tie. It's a little off.”