by Lila Fox
“Larkin never found out why?”
“No, Brylee wouldn’t tell her.”
Gage grimaced. “Shit. That sounds bad.”
Darian nodded. “I know. Hopefully, you can get her to talk to you.”
“Oh, she’ll talk. She may not want to, but I’m not going to give her a choice. I need to know everything, so I don’t scare her half to death. I’m surprised she didn’t run screaming from the office yesterday when I had my finger up her ass.”
Darian chuckled. “She was too aroused to run anywhere. She liked everything you did to her.”
“I thought so, or I wouldn’t have been able to make her come.”
“You’re right about that.”
“I’m going to head out. I want to be at the strip joint early. The thought of her working there is driving me mad.”
“I know. You’ll be able to do something about it soon.”
“Hell, yes. Unless she doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
Darian grinned and slapped his friend on his shoulder. “Oh, she wants you. You didn’t see the expression on her face when she looked at you.”
“Damn, I hope so.”
“Go get your girl.”
Gage grinned and waved as he walked off. He felt an urgency to get to her. He couldn’t explain it, but he always followed his gut.
By the end of that night, he’d have her where he wanted her, or he’d lose it.
Chapter Four
Gage parked down the street from the place Brylee worked. He broke out in a sweat at the rundown eyesore of the building and the rough-looking men he saw walk into it.
He paid the door fee to get in and then moved to the side right inside the door to let his eyes adjust. Scoping out the room, he took in the type of men that were there and how many before scanning the area for Brylee.
He sucked in a breath when he caught sight of her. She was wearing a short black skirt and a black and white striped sleeveless shirt. The outfit showed way too much skin and made him want to throw her over his shoulders and walk out. Her hair was in a braid again. One day soon, he hoped to see it loose and around her shoulders or, better yet, spread across his pillow.
He felt an overwhelming desire to take off with her. He knew he’d have to mellow out a bit if he didn’t want her running from him, but it took all his strength to hold back.
He walked to the bar and ordered but kept his gaze on Brylee. His hands fisted a few times when men went to touch her. If the bouncers hadn’t been there to block the men, he would have lost it.
He sat at the end of the bar and drank his beer. His eyes never strayed from the little woman. At no time was he tempted to look to the stage where other women took off all their clothes.
“Hey, man. You might want to peel your eyes off the waitress. She belongs to the boss.”
Gage almost choked on his beer. He turned to the bartender and narrowed his eyes. “Really? Since when?”
The guy chuckled. “Since she started here. She just doesn’t know it.”
“She doesn’t know she belongs to some man?” Gage asked in shock.
“Nope. He asked her out a few times, but she’s always said no. He thinks it’s because he’s married, so he’s pushing harder for a divorce.”
Gage narrowed his eyes. “He’s getting a divorce so he can be with the waitress?”
“No, he’s been going through it for a while but started pushing to get it done so he could be with her.”
Gage stayed quiet for a moment and took a drink of his beer. He wanted to declare Brylee his but knew shit would hit the fan, and he was sorely outnumbered at the moment.
“Got the picture.”
“Good. The boss is a real prick. You don’t want to mess with him.”
Gage nodded and then pretended to look at the stage. He kept his face turned toward the naked women but let his gaze follow Brylee around.
He caught sight of a large man coming out a door that said PRIVATE and walked behind the bar. Then he stopped and talked to the bartender who had warned him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the bartender point to him. The man, who he assumed was the boss, scowled. The boss man then pulled one of the bouncers aside.
Gage knew right then it would be next to impossible to just walk out with her unless he called in a few friends on the police force. He was more determined than ever to get her out of there that night.
He texted his friend and waited. He tried not to show interest in Brylee but knew he was probably failing when more than one of the bouncers came to stand around him.
Gage relaxed when four uniform officers walked in and headed toward him.
“Hey, bud,” one of them said and held a hand out to him. “What kind of trouble are you in now?”
Gage snorted. “Fuck off, Tommy,” he said good-naturedly. “I’m here to get my girl out of here.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“The boss wants her for himself and has the bouncers on me.”
The four cops looked around the room. “Why in the hell is your girl here?”
Gage grinned sheepishly. “She doesn’t exactly know she’s mine yet.”
The four laughed out loud.
“Is there a problem here, officers? I’m Randy, and I own the place.”
The men turned to see the boss had walked up to them.
“We don’t know yet.” Tommy pointed at Gage. “This man says he wants to take his woman out of here and thinks he’s going to have a problem.”
The boss’s complexion turned ruby. “And who might that be?”
“Brylee,” Gage said.
“Fuck, no, she’s not yours.”
Gage and Tommy glanced at each other.
“How about we let the girl tell us who she wants to be with?”
Randy called over one of the bouncers and told him to get Brylee. The six men stood in silence until Brylee walked up to them.
****
Brylee looked at the group, confused until her gaze landed on Gage.
“Gage! What are you doing here?”
Gage smirked at the anger that filled Randy’s face. “I’m here to get you.”
“But… I don’t understand. I work here.”
“Yes, and I don’t want you to.”
Brylee looked at the officers and then her boss then back to Gage. “I have to have a job.”
“How about we discuss this later, princess?”
“I…”
“If you walk out that door,” Randy warned. “You will no longer have a job here.”
Brylee raised stricken eyes to Gage. “I…”
Gage took a step toward her and cupped her cheek. “Everything will be okay. Please trust me.”
Brylee studied his expression for a brief moment, exhaled, and handed her boss her tray.
“I mean it, you little cunt…”
Gage pulled Brylee behind him, grabbed ahold of Randy’s shirt, and lifted him. “You don’t ever talk to her like that,” he said through clenched teeth.
Tommy insinuated himself between the men. “Let him go, Gage.”
Gage cursed under his breath and released the man. He glanced at Brylee. “Do you have anything you need to get before we go?”
“Yes, I have a few things in my locker.”
One of the cops stepped forward. “I’ll take her to get them.”
****
Brylee walked away, aware the officer followed her closely. She made it to her locker and put in the combination.
“What the fuck, Bry? Did little miss goody-two-shoes break the law?”
Brylee stiffened at her roommate’s voice. “No, Brenda.” She turned back, pulled her big bag out, and stuffed the few things she had into it.
Brenda walked up and leaned her shoulder against the wall of lockers. Her gaze went from Brylee to the cop, where it roamed up and down and then back to Brylee. “Tell me what’s going on. Are you quitting? Or did you finally get fired?”
“Qui
t.”
“About time. You didn’t fit in here at all. You’re way too immature. What about the apartment? You can’t walk away from that.”
Brylee turned toward her. “I’m not sure.”
Brenda straightened and scowled. “Listen, bitch. You can’t fucking run out on us.”
“Actually, I can. I didn’t sign a lease.”
The cop pushed Brenda back when she came at Brylee. “Miss, you need to step back.”
Brenda trembled in anger, and her gaze narrowed. “I’ll be talking to you later.”
Brylee exhaled as she watched the girl walk off.
“She’s a piece of work, isn’t she?”
Brylee smiled up at the cop. “You have no idea.”
“Let’s get you back before your man comes looking for you.”
Brylee opened her mouth to refute the claim Gage was her man but kept it shut. At that moment, she had no idea what was going on.
Gage straightened when she came out of the back and headed toward them. He wrapped an arm around her waist. “Ready?”
She nodded.
“I meant what I said, girl. If you leave, that’s it.”
Brylee looked toward Randy. The man had sexually harassed her since the first day she worked there. She was actually thrilled to leave the place. He’d always given her the creeps.
“I’m sorry,” she said and turned to walk out.
Chapter Five
Gage kept her by his side. He stopped them outside and shook hands with the officers, thanking them for their help before leading her to his car. After opening her door, he put her bag in the back and then closed it as she settled in the seat.
He started the car and pulled away before he reached for her hand. “I’m sorry about that. I had a bad feeling, and I couldn’t just let you work there another minute.”
She nodded, even though she didn’t understand and looked out her window. Too many things were rolling through her mind. How would her roommates react? Where to try to find another job? And why he was there in the first place? “If you’ll just drop me off at my apartment, I’d appreciate it.”
Gage squeezed her hand. “Sweetheart. You’re not going back there. We’ll go back tomorrow to get your things, but otherwise, you’ll be with me.”
She looked at him. “I’m still confused. What exactly is going on right now?”
He stopped at a stoplight and sighed. “First, let me ask you a question. Have you thought about me at all?”
She paused and then nodded slowly. He was all she had thought about. She dreamed of him the night before only to wake up that morning covered in sweat and aroused to the point of pain. She’d always been a little shocked she could sleep when she was at Darian’s house. Maybe the fact she felt safe made it possible. Most of the time, she struggled to get three or four hours of sleep a day.
“Good,” he said. “Do you want to get to know me?”
She bit her lip and nodded again.
He exhaled in relief. “Thank you for giving us a chance.”
“So, what’s going to happen right now?”
“I’m taking you home with me.”
Brylee tensed. “I don’t feel comfortable having … sex…”
He shook his head. “I understand. I want us to take the time to get to know each other before we take that step.”
She exhaled. “Okay, good.”
“I have a spare bedroom I’ll put you in.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, princess.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence.
Brylee perked up when Gage drove down into a private parking lot under a tall building.
“Where are we?”
“We’re home. I live in a condo right now. I’ve never really required a house, but we’ll see about that down the line.”
Gage helped her out of the car and grabbed her bag. He took her up into the elevator.
They stood across from each other as the elevator rose. The elevator doors opened into a large foyer with slate tile and light-gray walls. Then they moved into a huge room with the same gray color and floor. On the opposite wall were humongous windows and a set of French doors that led out onto a balcony.
In the room, there was a big sofa and several chairs. A fireplace covered a large amount of the wall to the left of the windows with a large-screen TV over that. Brylee’s head swiveled back and forth, trying to take in everything at once. She could tell it was a man’s place. There were no soft touches or color. Everything was black, gray, and white.
Gage led her into an open kitchen. He released her hand, opened the refrigerator, and bent down. “Are you hungry?”
“Um, no.”
Gage glanced over his shoulder at her. He closed the refrigerator door, lifted her hand, pulled her into the living room, and sat them on the sofa. “I know you probably have a lot of questions.”
She nodded. “I do. I just don’t know where to start.”
“We have time. If it weren’t so late, I’d let you call Larkin. How about we do that first thing in the morning?”
She visibly relaxed. “I’d like that.”
“Why don’t we get you settled into a room, and you can get some rest? We have plenty of time for answers later.”
She nodded and stood when he did. Then she followed him down a long hallway and into a nondescript room in the same dull tones as the rest of the place.
“There’s a bathroom through here.” Gage indicated the room with his arm. “There is soap and shampoo in the shower and toothpaste and a new toothbrush in one of the drawers. I’ll go get you something to wear tonight. All right?”
Brylee nodded.
Gage grinned when he got back. She hadn’t moved an inch. “Here you go. Have a shower and some rest. We’ll have breakfast in the morning, and I’ll answer any questions you have.”
Brylee reached for the shirt and held it tightly against her chest. “Okay. Thank you, and good night.”
Gage smiled gently and stepped up to her. He cupped her face with both hands and tilted it up. “Everything’s going to be fine, princess.” He bent his head and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before he took a step back. “Good night,” he said before he walked out and closed the door behind him.
Brylee exhaled. The whole night had been weird. Her boss at the strip joint had been on her since she arrived at work. He touched her more than any other night before and made more and disturbing sexually suggestive comments to her.
Her roommates had also been in rare form. She could usually ignore them, but they had made one insult after the other. She wished once again she had talked to Larkin about it sooner. It made it worse that they were so sweet toward Larkin when she was at Brylee’s apartment, but after her friend left, they tore into her.
She knew Larkin worried about her, so she was determined not to make it worse by telling her all the problems she’d been having with them. Now it seemed she was without a job she hated, roommates who hated her and having a sleepover with a man she’d known for a day.
Brylee didn’t know if she should feel happy about the recent events or terrified.
She walked into the bathroom and stopped when the light came on. Although the same gray colors were in the room, it was brighter and had a beautiful bathtub she wanted to soak in for hours. She never had a chance at a bath growing up because it took too much water. Later, her apartments never had a tub, so she had to shower. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been able to sit in a bubble bath except the one at Larkin’s the night before.
If she felt more comfortable with Gage, she’d be in the tub at that moment.
Brylee sighed and decided to take another shower and try to get some sleep. She hoped in the morning, she wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed and could ask some intelligent questions and make plans for her future.
Once she’d undressed, she stepped into the shower and washed quickly, taking care not to get her braid to wet.
After her
shower, she looked into the mirror and grinned at herself as she rolled up the sleeves to the shirt Gage had given her to wear for the night. She looked like a small child dressed in her father’s shirt. It hung on her small frame, and the bottom went past her knees. Then she brushed her teeth. She left the light on in the bathroom and partially closed the door, so the bedroom wasn’t completely dark, and climbed into bed.
She snuggled down into the mattress and pulled the blanket up to her chin. The bed was the most comfortable one she’d ever slept in, although she liked the one at Larkin’s house as well.
She closed her eyes, sighed, and prayed for sleep.
Chapter Six
A few hours later, she sighed and pushed back the covers. Even as tired as she was, she knew sleep wouldn’t come for a while, and the worst thing she could do was lie there and stew. She opened her bedroom door and listened for any sound. Then she crept down the hallway when she determined Gage was asleep.
Brylee moved over to the windows, wrapped her arms around her waist, and stared out at the city. She knew it had to be two or three o’clock in the morning, but she still saw several cars on the roads, making her feel not so alone.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Brylee gasped and spun around to see Gage standing across the room in a pair of long silky pants.
“I … I just couldn’t sleep.”
He moved farther into the room. “Why?”
“I have trouble falling asleep, especially in strange places. In fact, the only place I sleep well is at Darian’s.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Because I feel safe, I guess.”
“And you don’t feel safe here with me?”
“I…,” she stammered.
“No.” He held up a hand and smiled. “Of course, you don’t. You don’t know me yet.”
She bit down on her lip and nodded.
“I get that. How about if we find a movie to watch? Would you like that?”
Brylee’s shoulders relaxed. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”
Gage nodded. “All right.” He sat on the sofa and picked up the remote. Then he patted the cushion next to him. “Come sit.”