Vanilla and Vice (Empire Sevens Book 1)

by Tabatha Vargo

  I stood at the door and watched him walk away before I took a deep breath and tapped on Kennedy’s office door.

  “Come in,” she called. I pushed open the door and slipped in. She looked up with a smile on her face. “You look great. Everything fit okay?”

  “Everything fits perfectly.”

  “Good. Sit down, and we can get started.”

  I signed the new hire paperwork she had drawn up for me, and within thirty minutes, I was thrown out on the floor like a seasoned professional waitress.

  Even though I wasn’t seasoned or professional.

  I had never served so much as a drink to anyone in my entire life unless you counted the many times I fetched a beer from the refrigerator for Allen and his friends. I surely didn’t count that as experience, but that didn’t stop me from throwing myself into my new job.

  I learned everything I could, sucking up information like a sponge, and I followed every bit of advice the other waitresses gave me. Amy, a waitress Kennedy had paired me with, moved through the motions, allowing me to shadow her until I felt like I was ready to strike out on my own.

  Two hours into the job and I felt like I had the hang of things. I was moving around the casino and memorizing the table numbers. I was learning what the different parts of the casino were named and where in the building I would be working.

  Mostly, they were keeping me close to the bar, which I appreciated since I was still learning.

  After taking an order from a group of three on the right side of the room, I moved back toward the bar and shouted out my order to Dell, the bartender running the morning shift.

  He threw together the drinks quicker than I could comprehend, and before I knew it, my tray was loaded up and ready.

  With a full tray, I turned and gathered a handful of napkins and a few straws and added them to my tray. Then I took my time and folded the receipt into the diamond shape I had been taught with one hand. I probably could have gotten it done better if I had set my tray down, but I found that once I set my tray down, it was hard to pick it back up when it was full without spilling.

  “You’re doing that wrong,” a deep voice sounded at my side.

  I jumped, almost spilling the drinks on my tray before turning and looking at who was possibly the most intimidating man I had ever seen.

  He was tall, towering over me like a stone statue. My eyes traveled over his suit covered chest, so vast his suit was tugged tight, before resting on his thick neck. My gaze slid over the bronze skin of his neck before rolling over his masculine chin and landing on his plump lips. They were thick and smooth yet unsmiling and stern.

  A quick trip over his perfectly shaped nose, and my eyes were lost in his. I sucked in a breath, feeling as if the oxygen in the room had been sucked away.

  His eyes were amazing.

  They were as green as the room around us.

  Emeralds.

  The color stood out against his russet skin and dark, disheveled hair.

  He glared down at me, angry and unmoving. His lips were tight, making his sharp cheekbones pop out. The dark hair surrounding his luscious lips spread lightly across his cheeks before blending into his sideburns and disappearing into the mess of wavy hair on top of his head.

  He was beautiful, but I couldn’t seem to look past the fury carved into his expression.

  “Excuse me?”

  His hard jade eyes moved over my face, pausing on my mouth before he was once again staring me directly in the eye.

  “I said … you’re doing that wrong. Set the tray down before you waste the expensive liquor in those drinks while you attempt to figure out what to do with the receipt. If you want to keep your job, I suggest you learn how to do it right, and you better learn fast.”

  Who was this man?

  And what made him think he had any right to tell me how I was supposed to do my job?

  “And you are?” I asked, my eyes narrowing. I had no time to put up with the hotel concierge on some power trip.

  “I’m the fucking owner of this place, and if you want to keep working for me, I suggest you do the job correctly or move on.”

  I swallowed.

  I remembered Kade and Aunt Kennedy telling me there was a third person … another owner.

  I tried to remember what they had told me about him.

  Stern.

  Strict.

  Omnibus.

  Those were just a few of the words they had used to describe him when they told me to steer clear of him. But for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what they said his name was. And then it ripped through my mind clearly, echoing off my brain and shocking my senses as if I’d been zapped by electricity.

  Zander Hale.

  That was who was standing over me, looking down at me with a menacing expression that spelled out total danger.

  Quickly, I dropped my hard expression and smoothed out my tight lips. If he was my boss, I had to listen. Either I listened, or I lost my much-needed job. There was no way I would let that happen. I needed to work. I needed the money to support myself. Otherwise, I would have to run back to my mom with my tail tucked between my legs.

  I would never go back.

  Never.

  Clearing my dry throat, I nodded and looked away from his angry stare. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry. I’ll be sure to do it correctly from here on out. It’s my first day here, so I’m trying to figure out …”

  “Stop talking,” he growled, running his large fingers through his thick hair. “What’s your name?” he asked, surprising me.

  My mouth opened, but no words escaped, and for a second, I actually forgot what my name was. “Um … my name’s Eden.”

  His hard eyes moved over my face once more, the emeralds behind his lashes glittering with heat.

  “Well, Eden,” he practically hissed. “I don’t want hear any excuses. Just do the fucking job.”

  And then he was gone, leaving me standing there shocked and hurt with my mouth wide open and my chest feeling crushed.

  I needed this job, but I could do the job without ever finding myself in the presence of Zander Hale again. He was rude and angry. Honestly, I didn’t understand how someone so hateful could run a hospitality business, but I figured maybe Kade and Kennedy did most of the friendly talk.

  Still, he owned the place, so I would listen, but listening didn’t mean I ever had to speak to him, which I never planned on doing again.

  8

  ZANDER

  EDEN.

  Her fucking name sounded heavenly.

  Angelic as fuck, just like her.

  I knew the meaning of the word Eden.

  Paradise.

  And I knew if I ever broke and found myself inside her, it would be just that.

  She was everything that sent my addiction into overdrive. And even with the Empire Sevens uniform, which consisted of a simple skirt, a button-up top, and a vest, she was fueling the fire sparking inside my center. The outfit had never looked so sexy, and I was surrounded by women wearing it all day every day.

  In fact, we had purposely designed the uniform more demurely than most casinos to keep the patrons in line and their hands off our waitstaff.

  With the new girl, it didn’t matter. She could be wrapped in a brown paper bag and still get my cock hard. Her long blond hair was thrown loosely into a messy bun, and her flawless skin was clean without a drop of makeup.

  While she was underdressed for the job and surrounded by waitresses with their painted bright-red lips and heavily mascaraed lashes, she stuck out like a beacon.

  A light in the dark cave-like casino.

  A break in the dark clouds with a single stream of effervescent light slipping through.

  She was purity.

  Perfection.

  Innocence.

  A vanilla cone waiting to be licked.

  I wasn’t one to walk away from an argument, but I couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Something told me I would never win against her. I had fought hulk
ing men with a gun to my head before, and still, that was less terrifying than being in the presence of such a succulent creature.

  Once inside the elevator, I waited until the doors closed her out before I ran my hands roughly through my thick hair.

  “Fuck,” I shouted, the word echoing off the surrounding.

  She couldn’t stay at Empire Sevens. I couldn’t continue this way. Comfort was an essential thing for me, and I refused to walk the floors of my establishment in a constant state of discomfort.

  I didn’t care what I had to do. Out of respect for Kennedy, I wouldn’t fire her on the spot, but that didn’t mean I could keep her from quitting. Especially if I gave her every reason under the Vegas sun to do so.

  If I fired her, Kennedy might leave, and honestly, we would be lost without Kennedy. She had been with us for as long as I could remember. When she had come in to interview, she had reminded Kade and me so much of ourselves.

  She was new to Vegas and was determined to get the assistant’s position at Empire. We gave her hell because if she couldn’t deal with us at our worst, there was no way she would last long as our assistant.

  But she surprised us.

  Giving just as good as she got.

  She taught us not to underestimate her, and after two years, she was promoted to operations manager. She basically helped us run the hotel side of Empire Sevens, and she did one hell of a job. Because of that, I knew I couldn’t lose Kennedy, which meant I couldn’t fire Eden Vaughn.

  AN HOUR LATER, I found myself outside Dr. Dempson’s door. I had just seen her the day before, but seeing the angel working at Empire Sevens had sent me into a downward spiral. I needed to talk to someone, and the only person I trusted was the pricey shrink I paid to keep my secrets.

  “Zander, this is a surprise,” she announced once she opened the door. “Two days in a row. Is there something you need help with?”

  I moved past her and into her office, taking a seat and twisting my thick fingers together in aggravation.

  I didn’t speak.

  I couldn’t.

  Not until I had the correct words to explain my situation.

  I was pissed that I was even dealing with this, but Kennedy had done so much for Kade and me.

  What kind of person would I be if I kicked her niece to the curb?

  Dr. Dempson took her seat in the chair across from me and crossed her legs. She was older, and thankfully, I wasn’t attracted to her. Her auburn hair was pulled tight into a knot on the top of her head. Her glasses magnifying her light hazel eyes.

  Her khaki skirt was too long, and her navy top covered everything worth looking at. I appreciated that about her. She knew the kind of patients she worked with, and she took their sickness seriously enough to know that certain parts of her could be considered attractive.

  Legs.

  Breasts.

  As a sex addict, I had a type, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t take a peek if the view was offered.

  “You called this emergency meeting, Zander. What can I do for you?”

  “There’s a new girl at the Empire.”

  Dr. Dempson’s brow lifted in confusion. “And?”

  “And she’s like the fucking Virgin Mary. All blond and pure. She’s too tempting, and it’s fucking with me. I’m not sure I can control myself around her.”

  “I don’t see a problem here. It’s an easy fix. Fire her.” She shrugged.

  I chuckled sarcastically, not feeling a shred of humor. “It’s not that easy.”

  Her inspecting eyes moved over my face. “Explain.”

  Reaching to her side, she picked up her trusty notebook and began to scribble notes about me onto the page. One day, I would have to look at those notes.

  “She’s the niece of a trusted friend and co-worker.”

  She nodded, her eyes still on the notes she was taking. “Interesting. Continue.”

  “I can’t fuck over a friend that way. Kennedy’s done a lot for Kade and me. The least we can do is give her family a job, but this girl …” I tugged at my hair, a habit I had formed when I was annoyed or aggravated. “She’s everything I desire. Everything my addiction needs. Blonde. Beautiful. And so fucking innocent even the sinful lights of Vegas refuse to reflect on her flawless skin.”

  I paused, listening to the slide of her ink pen against the page.

  Finally, she looked up from her page and adjusted her glasses. “And?”

  “And I’m not sure I can handle it. If I thought I could, I wouldn’t be here, but here I am, fucking losing my goddamn mind because my body refuses to listen to reason.”

  “Well then”—she began scribbling again—“if that’s the case, then you have a chance to learn something here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  What was I supposed to learn?

  How to live with my body on fire with want?

  How to fucking lose my mind because my cock wanted the new girl so badly it nauseated me?

  “I mean, the best way to know if you’re really clean is to keep the temptation around. You can do this, Zander. You’re stronger than you know. And if, by some chance, you find you can’t help yourself, then perhaps we can schedule more sessions?”

  I nodded, feeling a sense of helplessness I wasn’t accustomed to.

  I was control.

  Domineering was my middle name.

  And to have something take away my sense of leverage on life was suffocating.

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  Maybe Dr. Dempson was right.

  Maybe I was stronger than I was giving myself credit for.

  I just needed to stay away from the new girl named Eden, and considering Empire Sevens was a massive casino and resort, I didn’t think that would be too hard.

  A WEEK LATER, I was eating those words and cursing Dr. Dempson. Thinking I could stay away from Eden or casually avoid her was a fucking joke. It wasn’t like she was just another employee.

  She wasn’t.

  She was Kennedy’s niece, which meant she spent too much fucking time in the back rooms of Empire Sevens. It seemed every time I turned around, she was there peering up at me with those innocent baby blue eyes.

  It was frustrating as fuck, and I planned to tell Kennedy precisely that.

  As I stomped down the hall toward her office, I planned to let her know that I no longer wanted floor employees hanging out in her office. I didn’t care if she was her niece, I was the fucking boss and what I say went.

  Bursting through Kennedy’s door, I startled her, and she looked up at me with wide eyes. My chest heaved heavily after getting myself worked up to demand she keep her tempting niece away from me.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I stood there, hands on my hips, ready to lay down my demands, but when I opened my mouth, my words didn’t match my thoughts.

  “What time are you expecting the package from California?” I asked, referring to the new security monitors being specially made for my office.

  Kennedy looked from me to her computer with a confused look on her face. “You busted in here like a madman to ask me that? A simple phone call would have saved you the trip.”

  “The dates, Kennedy.”

  Her frown deepened. “We think they should be here by Friday. Did you want me to put a rush on the delivery?”

  I shook my head. “That won’t be necessary.”

  I had come to Kennedy’s office for a reason, but when I walked into her office, I had completely lost my nerve. Not many people intimidated me, but on the list of those who did, Kennedy was at the top.

  “Everything okay, Zander?” she asked when I stood there staring down at her.

  No.

  Everything was not fucking okay.

  Her beautiful niece was making my life a living hell just by existing in my casino.

  “Everything’s good,” I lied. “Let me know when the package arrives. I have the contractors ready to install.”

  “Got it,” Kennedy said before turni
ng her attention back to her computer screen.

  Back in my office, I felt like an idiot for storming into Kennedy’s office the way I had and then demanding nothing. This girl was making me crazy, and I was slowly going mad.

  The cell phone sitting on my desk rang, and when I picked it up, I saw Kade’s number. I connected the call and put it up to my ear.

  “What’s up?” My hand curled around the back of my neck, and I dug my fingers into the tense muscles there.

  “You sound like shit,” Kade said.

  “Good. I feel like shit.”

  “If she’s getting to you that badly, why don’t you tell Kennedy? She’ll understand if she knew—”

  “No.” My voice was hard. There was no way in hell I wanted anyone to know a damn thing.

  Kade sighed into the phone. “Fine. Maybe I can distract you with work stuff. Come to my office.”

  I dropped my head forward. “I’ll be there in a second.”

  I made the short walk to Kade’s office across the hall and pushed open the door. Cole sat in one of the chairs off to the side, his fingers moving over the screen of his phone. I made my way toward the black couch in Kade’s office that matched the one in mine and sat down, stretching out.

  “What’s up?”

  “First,” he said, standing up and moving toward the bar across from me and pouring whiskey into two tumblers, “drink this.” He closed the space between us and handed me the drink.

  I wanted to take it like a shot, but I didn’t. Bringing it to my lips, I slowly took a drink, letting the liquid burn a slow path down the back of my throat.

  “Thanks.” I saluted the drink in his direction.

  “We need to talk about fight night. That’s my week in New York, so I want to make sure we have all the details nailed down before I leave.”

  “What details? We’ve done a dozen of these nights.”

  “I think we should do something different this year. Our usual is getting stale.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m sure we’ll come up with something fan-fucking-tastic.”

  I didn’t doubt we would.

  Kade and I had bled and sweat for our casino to make Empire the best fucking establishment in Vegas. We had a reputation to uphold. And as we went over the plans for fight night, I knew our reputation for the best would remain intact.