When my door stuck a few inches in, my pulse jumped. The move to a more secure floor had made me feel safer from my Aunt and the coven, but even with my wards, I knew better than to let down my guard.
I gave the door a hard shove, sending a thin envelope skidding across the floor. Cautious now, I muttered a spell of protection and picked it up. It was plain white office stationary with “Club Lush” embossed in the return address, and my name scrawled across it in old-fashioned cursive.
Inside, a simple note. Couldn’t get away, see you tomorrow in the office.”
Shit. He or his guys had been arrested because I couldn’t keep myself together during a stupid lap dance. Orson was not going to be pleased that I caused the mess, and I doubted that Gamble was going to keep that tidbit to himself.
“Until tomorrow then,” I sighed, then stripped and collapsed into bed. There was no way I was going to get out of seeing him again. I turned over and reset my alarm for an hour early. Maybe I couldn’t keep tonight a secret, but I would at least get in early and get ahead of the gossip.
I fell asleep to the soft glow of green and red Christmas lights on the building across the street, too tired to get up and close the curtains. When I dreamed, it was of dancers, slowly gyrating on a stage under the Christmas glow of red and green flickering bulbs.
Chapter 5
“No, Boss, I didn’t think to call you last night. Why would I? I didn't know what happened if anything."
“Damnit, Morgan. Gamble and his clubs have been under serious scrutiny from the human city officials since he started bringing real revenue in. You know how precarious business can be for a non-human in this country.”
He’d been chewing me out for about twenty minutes already. It made me doubly glad I’d chosen to arrive before the rest of the crew. I did know that other countries treated so-called non-humans better than we did, but Gamble seemed to attract more negative attention than anyone else, even the shifter coalition.
“Maybe if he wasn’t practicing mass hypnosis on the crowd, the police wouldn’t be on him so hard,” I snapped.
“But I don’t, Ms. Silk. You were there, is that what you think that was?” Gamble was leaning in the doorway behind me. Who knew how long he’d been there listening, and I was in no mood for his games or taunting.
“I think you succubus’d your way into my head and dropped my carefully constructed wards and got shit on by the police for your trouble.”
He scoffed and unfolded his arms, smoothing down the front of his royal blue silk shirt. My gaze inadvertently followed his hands, and when our eyes met again, he wore an arrogant smirk.
“My gods, you two. Gamble, I expressly forbade my employees from dating you or your kelpies. Too much trouble, in my book. But if it will end the high school level sexual tension, I’ll give Morgan an hour off, just so you two can find a room.”
I gasped and pressed my forehead into my hand. “Not necessary, Boss-man. But thanks, really.”
“Right,” Gamble agreed. “I’ll just pick Morgan up after her shift, and we can figure out what made her wards, or mine, go wonky last night. She’s right. We both protect ourselves from outside magic or dangerous crossover. Last night should never have happened.”
I didn't know whether to agree first with his speculation or turn him down for an after-hours alone time. Orson made the choice before I could make up my mind.
“Fine. Morgan, you meet with Gamble after work. Tomorrow, you can tell me what you learned about how to prevent us from having to go out on a limb for these guys again.
The idea of being with Gamble made my legs turn to noodles. I just couldn’t tell if it was because I was afraid of him, or of myself with him.
“Sure thing, Boss. I’ll, uh, I’ll get you my number. I don’t want to have to go home to retrieve a note from under my door.” Gamble followed me to my desk and accepted a business card.
“It’s just a drink, Morgan. I’m not going to hurt you.
“Yeah, well, I know that, because I will never let my guard down enough for you to affect me again.”
He sighed, tapped my card on his knuckles, and walked away. I even managed not to watch his ass as he strode out of the office. Point for me.
Chapter 6
He texted me an hour later with an address and a time, six o’clock. At ten minutes before, I slid into the semi-circle booth and arched an eyebrow up at him. “I thought you said drinks. I passed four bars on the way here.”
“Just because it’s not a date, doesn’t mean we have to slum it up.” He winked at me and slid in the other side, moving around until he was next to me. “Suddenly I have you to myself, and I don’t know what to say.”
I snorted and slid closer to the edge of the seat. “I’m just surprised you didn’t try to push me into the back of the booth so I couldn’t escape.”
A server arrived to take our drink orders. He held his tongue until she’d left to retrieve my beer and his however many decades aged scotch. “Why am I not surprised you’re a beer girl?”
I scoffed. “Well, I’m surprised that you ordered whiskey. I thought for sure you were a white wine guy.”
“Is that supposed to be an insult?” His response made me pause.
“I really don’t know. I haven’t actually had white wine…It’s not bog with my social scene.”
“Hmm. Bounty hunters, or criminals?”
“You’re the only criminal I’ve ever had drinks with willingly. Or at all, for that matter.”
“Except that I’m not a criminal. I just have the misfortune of having magic, and not wanting to live a lie just to appear more human.” He called the waitress back over and smiled ingratiatingly at her, pulling bills out of a slender billfold. “Please bring us a glass each of your best chardonnay, to start. We have decided to do our own wine tasting.”
The wine was crisp and lovely, and I hated to admit it, but it was better than the microbrew I'd started with. Before I was halfway through my glass, he'd ordered another, and when the manager herself came by and offered us a tasting board of their best open bottles, more bills exchanged hands, and we were off to the drunk races.
“Okay, we have hardly spoken beyond comparing the notes of each wine. What are you up to?” I blinked quickly to clear any glamor from my eyes and glared at him.
“My God, Morgana. I have literally done everything you demand of me, sitting quietly, not flirting, not even asking you about your day, since it irritates you, and you’re still mad at me.”
"Please don't call me Morgana. The only people who do that are my aunt and my father, and neither of them is on my Christmas list this year."
“I do love that you’re embracing Christmas as a separate entity from Solstice. I like watching humans being their best selves, getting in the spirit of giving.”
More wine was set down in front of us, along with lemony calamari and a plate of nigiri. I hadn’t even heard him order. “Compliments of the owner, Ms. Chang,” the waitress informed us.
He bowed slightly at the neck, and the waitress backed away, blushing, before turning and scurrying off.
“Okay, what the hell was that?” I demanded. “Why’s our waitress suddenly acting like a high school girl with a crush, and what’s your relationship with Ms. Chang?” I pinched a calamari ring from the stack of golden fried deliciousness and dipped it in the sauce before popping it into my mouth. “Gods, that’s good.”
"You're probably starving. We've been here for almost two hours.'
“There were sandwiches at the office, but I was mad at Orson for making me do this. I chose a dramatic exit and forgot to grab it.”
“And I didn’t even ask if you needed to eat. Sorry. This much wine on an empty stomach would have had really disastrous effects on a full human.”
“Well, I’m not. Though it was enough for a healthy buzz.” I remembered the waitress and pointed a finger at him like an old lady. “I haven’t forgotten the other part of my question. Who are you to Ms. Chang, the r
estaurateur?”
He sighed and laced his long, elegant fingers together, leaning back in his seat so he could look me over. “What’s the curiosity for? You’ve made it quite clear you don’t want my company that way.”
"Have I? Because honestly, I'm not even certain I know the truth of it." The wine had finally gone to my head, and I sank into my seat comfortably, all my muscles beginning to release the tension I'd carried so long I could almost forget the tight pain in my neck and shoulders wasn't normal.
“What does that mean for us?”
“That I have had too much to drink, which is not an easy thing to do,” I laughed. “And that now that I’m starting to relax, I’m in some very human pain.”
He reached out and paused as I jerked back. “I’m not doing magic. I just thought I’d work out some of that tension.” His long, limber fingers massaged a knot he found at the base of my neck until I couldn’t help but moan in pleasure.
“Gods Gamble, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were glamoring me to make that feel even better.”
He chuckled but dropped his hand. “It would not have been on purpose if I had. Some Fae enjoy the way glamor can heighten an experience, make it more vivid, more erotic.”
“Not this Fae.” I nudged him with my knee. “But maybe I think sex is enough on its own because I haven’t lived for a few thousand years and tried everything a hundred times.”
The calamari was long gone, and Gamble ordered an assortment of appetizers as I leaned into him, my head on his shoulder. “You’re not sleepy, are you?”
“Naw. Just thinking that you are the most consistent man in my life right now, so tonight confuses me. Shouldn’t we be talking about business?”
He bristled, and I pulled away to look at him. "Is it so awful to think I might just want your company?"
“Usually you’re pretty clear about what kind of company you’re looking for.” I drained my glass and held it up. “This one was…pinot noir, right?”
“Yes, and don’t change the subject. Nothing about me has changed, you know. I want your company. You’ve made it clear you don’t want that to be naked. Though it grieves me that I don’t get to show you all I could do for you, I’ve accepted this is what I get.”
“Buying me wine, feeding me, listening to me bitch…”
“If that’s what I get, I’ll take it. I can get sex anywhere, Morgan. It is a testament to my good taste that I want you.”
I opened my mouth to tease him, but words escaped me. “Damn, that was good.”
“Yeah?” He grinned. “Not too over the top?”
I chuckled. “No, that was just about right.” I sat up in my seat and kissed him, chastely, on the lips. “I can taste the wine on you.” I kissed him again, his lips cool and smooth under mine.
He deepened the kiss, coaxing me open to him. This was the kind of kissing I remembered him for. “We should take this somewhere else.”
So much for a professional after-work meeting. Breathless, I nodded my agreement, and he motioned for the check.
“Sir, you have food coming,” she reminded him.
“Enjoy.” He unfolded a hundred along with a couple more twenties and tossed them on the table. “This should cover it and the tip.”
His arm slid around my waist as he slid out of the booth behind me. “I’ve been thinking about this since the first time I met with Orson, you know. I just can’t stop wanting you.” His whisper slid into my ear like honey, making me shiver.
“I’ll confess, you’ve figured into a sex dream or two since I’ve been…”
“Gamble, Love, what are you doing here?” A pretty brunette in sky-heels teetered towards us, her eyes locked just over my shoulder on Gamble.
His arm tightened around me as he stiffened, and I heard him mutter a curse under his breath.
“Cecily.” The word was uttered with more warning in his tone than greeting. “We’ve talked about this. You need to leave.”
She fidgeted, her fingers weaving and unweaving in front of her. “Right. You took back your gift and replaced me with a cheap imitation.” Her hands moved to her sides, fists clenched as I bristled and side-stepped to get away from them both
“Gamble, I don’t know what you’ve been up to, but I’m in no mood for this.” I gave Cecily a wide berth to escape the scene she was causing, my eyes locked on the door. I had enough grandstanding females in my own life to deal with his.
Suddenly, my hair was jerked back so hard I found myself staring at the ceiling as I stumbled backward. Instead of fighting it, I quickly stepped back to get my feet under me and slammed my head back, smashing my skull into her face. I bit back a curse of pain as teeth embedded into my scalp and danced away again as my hair was released.
“What the hell are you doing?” I glanced at Gamble, expecting him to be glaring at me, but he’d grabbed Cecily by the arm and was marching her out the door, blood dripping from her mouth. He paused and said something to the host, who nodded and helped him with the door.
I raced after him, muttering a “sorry,” as I jogged past the host and out to Gamble. He was flagging a cab, holding Cecily by one arm as she screamed and raged at him. People were beginning to look, and I could see the alarm and uncertainty in the broker’s face as he tried to cajole her into a calmer state.
“Hey Cecily, how’s your face?” I called it out loudly enough to catch the attention of the growing audience. My shout got her attention too, and she whirled on me, her face contorted in a mask of insane rage so vicious I actually backed up a pace.
"Get in," Gamble ordered, and Cecily pulled back. "I promise I will come to you at home. Just get in, Cecily." His voice was almost tender, and she relaxed immediately, settling into the cab and blowing him air kisses as he shut her in.
“What the hell have you done?”
He motioned me toward his car. “I’ll explain on the way, we should go now. I can’t hold the glamor much longer, and they don’t need to know we’re Fae.” The crowd was still watching, but curiosity was fading now that the crazy woman was gone.
“I’m not happy about this.”
He managed a sour laugh. “I don’t expect you to be. But before you go calling the police on me for magical malfeasance, I’d like a chance to explain.”
A marked SFPD cruiser slowed as it rolled by, taking stock of the crowd. “Yeah, let’s get out of here. I’m still pissed, but I don’t need the kind of media attention this would bring.”
The ride home was tense and silent, but thankfully, short. One of the reasons I hadn’t left the shifter cooperative was the proximity to work and all my favorite parts of San Francisco. Another was the security from my aunt’s overzealous followers. They were too afraid of shifters to try to break in. Even my car had been safe, parked in the lot, without the usual random acts of vandalism.
But as Gamble pulled up to the walkway that led to the wide glass front doors, I was reminded of the number one reason I had to get the hell out. Zenith and his most recent girlfriend were making out on the front doorstep.
“Good Goddess, you’re five feet from the door. Why make the world watch that?” Gamble sounded as grossed out as I felt, and he startled a laugh out of me.
“Don’t make me forget I’m mad at you.”
He sighed and patted my hand supportively. “I’m not trying to, but that…well, if they were doing something sexy, that would be something. This is just… like getting a peek under the bleachers at a high school football game.
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance I couldn’t feel. “I totally dated him." He gaped, and I giggled. "He dumped me because I was too powerful and too sexually aggressive for him."
“Are you sad he’s gone?”
"No, I'm not." I turned to him, glad to put my back to the juvenile display blocking the door to my apartment. "You said you didn't force women to fuck you, Gamble. You used those exact words. We need to talk about what happened, not my idiot ex-boyfriend.”
“It wasn’t on purp
ose. Shit. After everything I’ve shown you of myself, you still leap back to the assumption that I’m some evil son of a bitch just waiting to prey on you.”
“This isn’t about me.”
He scoffed. “The hell it isn’t. Cecily was my lover, yes. Once. One night, a single guy and a single girl had a fling. And don’t try to tell me you’re so holy that’s never been you.”
“I don’t screw human men.”
"Well, the Fae aren't particularly fond of sleeping with exiles, or have you forgotten what your father did to me for hundreds of years?" He gripped the steering wheel and stared out the windshield. "I didn't have the power to ensorcell humans. Not for all that time. Not since I opened Lush, and started dancing again.”
“You should’ve come to me for help with her right away. You know my history and lineage.” I tugged on his arm until he looked at me. “Why didn’t you come to me?”
“Because it should’ve worn off by now. I never had the power to enslave, Morgan. We slept together almost a month ago. I could always seduce anyone…but they were never forced. What happened to Cecily simply isn’t possible.”
The idea that his magic was changing growing was both terrifying and exhilarating. Maybe it was the bay area or the fact that we were choosing to help one another, ignoring our differences for the greater magical good. But if his power was growing, those who control his kind needed to find a way to keep up.
“We have to fix her. I can’t be with you until we know it’s reversible. I won’t.”
“Nor would I expect you to. But if you can help her, I’ll do anything you need to make it happen.” His face was pained and sincere. “She was just a cute girl who wanted to have some fun.”
I sighed and pressed my hand to his cheek. “For now, stay the hell away from her, and from me. I’ll call you when I have something.”
He turned his face and kissed my palm, but he stayed seated when I let myself out of the car. We'd gone rounds before, on business matters, he knew better than to play the gallant and open my door for me while I was mad at him. I slammed the door shut loud enough to warn the amorous couple they weren’t alone, and he peeled away from the curb and down the hill as I steeled myself for my next arduous task…Getting in my front door without fighting another Fae for a man who no longer wanted me anyway.
Such Violent Delights: A Holiday Paranormal Romance Anthology Page 33