by Nina Crespo
Alexa snuggling closer to him brought Rafe back to reality. He widened his stance and returned her embrace. “A guy like that doesn’t just change overnight. She should leave him. And take her kid with her.”
“Maybe. It’s sad, and Charlotte’s so proud. All she talked about was paying you back.”
“I could care less about the money, but I know where she’s coming from. It’s important to her that she pay her own way.”
“What are you going to do?”
When they were in the apartment, he’d refrained from pressuring Charlotte into packing right then and leaving. She wasn’t ready to make that step. Yet. She had no idea how bad things could turn out for her baby if she wasn’t around. Her boyfriend was the last person she wanted helping her raise her son.
“She’s more open with Shannon. I’ll ask her to talk to Charlotte about what she wants. I know she helped one of the other servers find cheaper child care. That might help. We can probably offer her a few extra shifts working with the Sunday cleaning crew, but other than that, I’m not sure what we can do. In the end, it’s up to her.” Defeat sunk into his bones. “This day can’t end fast enough. I’m done.”
She slipped her arms from around him. “Sounds like you need some space. I’ll head home.”
“Wait.” Rafe gripped her hand. He was taking his bad day out on her. “I didn’t mean to come across like an ass, especially after all you did.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You called the police, and you stuck around to help out Charlotte. You could have left and not gotten involved.” He held her by the waist between her jeans and her cropped tee. The warmth of her skin seeped into his palms. “You also could have gotten pissed because the incident ruined our dinner plans.”
“You couldn’t walk away from Charlotte when she needed help.” She rested her hands on his chest. “But I won’t be offended if you want to decompress on your own.”
“It would help me if you stayed.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Very.” What he wasn’t sure of was his state of mind.
She looped her hands behind his neck. “Okay. I’ll stay.”
Relief and emotional weariness caused Rafe to close his eyes. He rested his forehead against hers. Recollection of Charlotte’s son streamed in along with ones from his own childhood. How he’d craved the embrace of a mother he didn’t remember. Loved his father, even when he’d been shoved away in anger. Every ugly curse directed his way had chipped love down to hate. But he didn’t want to dwell on his shitty upbringing. Rafe slid his hands farther under Alexa’s shirt and caressed her back. It was time to pack all that hellish shit back into the place where fucked up memories belonged, lock the door, and lose the key.
He kissed Alexa and breathed in her sweet scent. As he explored the hollows and curves of her mouth, ugliness faded in the hot blinding light of sexual need. He just wanted to hold her and lose himself inside her softness. Rafe lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her soft breasts pillowed against him as he carried her to the bed. Her nipples were made for his mouth. Sucking them when he was inside of her would make her pussy clutch around him in ways that drove him crazy.
She nipped the side of his neck.
The light sting caught him off guard and he lost his balance. He tumbled with her onto the bed.
Alexa rolled him to his back and straddled him, laying her cheek to his. “I’m here to help you unwind. Remember? Relax and enjoy.” She swept a kiss over his ear. The tickle of her fingers as she pulled up his shirt caused him to suck a breath. “Let’s start things off by getting rid of this.”
“Yes ma’am.”
As he dragged off his shirt, she followed the rise of the fabric. Her hair brushed over him as she traced her tongue through the ridges of his abs and licked his nipples. He tossed the shirt aside as she unfastened his jeans and kissed his waist. His cock swelled. Lay back and enjoy? The warmth of her mouth alone was sweet torture. What more did she have in mind for him?
She eased away and tugged down his jeans. He lifted his hips to assist.
More of her unhurried, tender kisses brushed low on his abdomen and thighs. She paused and caressed him through his boxer briefs, then traced the distinct outline of his sex bulging through the fabric.
He reached for her, but she evaded his grasp, sliding away from him and taking off his jeans. She dropped them on the floor, then unfastened hers.
Hair tousled. Lips parted. The low setting beam of the track light illuminated her.
She was sexy as hell.
Rafe sat up on his elbows. “Slow down. Make me wait.”
“You mean like this?” Eyes never leaving his, she took her time shimmying the jeans down her hips.
The inch by inch reveal made his heart pound. “Exactly.”
White lace, micro boy shorts clung to her curves. She turned around, treating him to a view of her ass as she pushed the jeans down to the floor. Alexa dragged off her cropped tee, elongating her arms high above her head before she let it fall from her fingertips. The straps of her white bra connected to a smooth band of satin along her back.
She wore another bra that closed in the front. One of his favorite moments of undressing her was popping open the front clip and cupping her breasts in his hands. The way she moaned when he squeezed her nipples always made him harder.
She unfastened her bra.
He stripped off his boxer briefs.
As she eased the straps off her shoulders and down her arms, he sat on the edge of the bed. His hands itched to trace the scraps of lace molded high on her ass.
Alexa faced him. “I thought I told you to lay down?”
“I’m too damn turned on not to be up.”
Her gaze drifted down to his cock standing at attention. She tapped her chin in mock contemplation. “I can see you have a huge problem. I can handle it, but not unless you follow my rules. Lay back on the bed.” She sauntered to the bathroom.
Her rules, huh? He’d go with it. For now.
Alexa returned. She lay beside him, her breasts pillowed against his arm. She glided her silky-smooth leg over his. “Relax and enjoy it.”
Alexa firmly gripped him, her slick palm and fingers gliding up and down his length.
Blood trickled down his spine and coursed through his legs.
She kissed him. “Tell me how you like it.”
He wrapped his hand around hers. “Faster.”
Alexa followed his lead and pumped his shaft. Lost in her touch, he released her hand.
He arched up, meeting her lips as she sucked, licked, and kissed along his pecs. The gentle press of her thigh kneading his balls made him swell. The hard pounding of his heart mirrored his pulsing cock.
He broke out in a sweat. “Shit. I’m about to come.”
“That’s the point.” She nipped high on his shoulder and sucked the sensitive skin on the side of his neck. “Let go.” She clasped him tighter and sped up.
Release crashed over him like a tidal wave, pulling him under. Blood rushed through his ears as he emptied himself into her hand. Wetness spilled onto his abdomen. A groan of pleasure tore from his chest.
Alexa kept going and didn’t stop until he was spent.
She left him, but moments later she returned with a warm cloth and handed it to him. He cleaned himself up.
“Better?” She peppered kisses along his shoulder and chest.
“Almost.” Rafe tossed the cloth aside. He couldn’t wait until his cock hardened again so that he could feel her come too.
He leveraged his weight, rolled her onto the bed, and eased his fingers inside of her.
She gripped his head as he sucked her breast.
Her nipple pebbled in his mouth. Her soft, heated pussy pulsed and clenched. They drove him to please.
Alexa climaxed, and he kissed her, consuming her cries. Returning the sexual satisfaction she’d given him expanded warmth in his chest.
She snuggl
ed against him.
Recollections of the day, along with his past, warred with contentment. Too tired to do battle with them, he closed his eyes and gave in to sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Alexa, still partially in Dreamland, pulled the covers higher and scooted toward Rafe’s side of the bed, only she encountered empty space instead of warmth. She woke completely up. It was the middle of the night. The club was closed. Where was he?
Overhead lights shone in the kitchen. Rafe sat at the island, shuffling through papers.
He’d remained on edge since the incident with Charlotte last week. Not that he had a lot of downtime to unwind. He constantly received calls or knocks on his door about an issue. She held back on lecturing him about delegation. It was obvious that he and Shannon were dealing with New Business Owner syndrome. Escapade was their baby. It was hard for them to step back and let go.
When she’d first become a director at NorthStar, she’d micromanaged her staff’s decisions, wanting perfection, afraid of letting them make mistakes, but then her father had pulled her aside. He’d explained that people would accept her ideas and suggestions as their boss, but they would become more excited and motivated about their own. She had to allow them time and encourage them to figure out things for themselves. If she wanted a strong team, they had to make mistakes as well as enjoy accomplishments. They’d learn from both.
Alexa slipped out from under the covers. She tugged down the long sleeves of her oversized pink sleep shirt and traipsed over to him.
Rafe remained focused on the papers, not hearing her until she was almost at his side. “Hey.” He wrapped an arm around her waist. “Sorry. Am I making too much noise?”
“No. I missed you not being in bed.” Alexa stroked his bare back. He only had on a pair of black workout shorts, and he was like a furnace. She moved closer to him. “What are you doing?”
“Going through some paperwork for Escapade West.”
“Is there a problem?”
“We should be making a profit by renting it out, but we’re losing money instead.” He pointed at lines on a financial sheet. “We recommended the Hunks for the Breakup Bash, and because they were late, we ended up comping food and champagne. And here.” He pointed to an entry in the ledger. “We rented the room for a going away party someone threw for their boss.”
Ugh. Farewell parties. Hers was tomorrow. Leaving was hard enough without everyone in the company stopping to say their goodbyes. “What happened?”
“A couple of the staff members we scheduled got the flu, and we had to pay overtime to their replacements. It seems like our plan was a mistake. All I see are problems.”
“What’s the overall strategy for Escapade West?”
He sat back in the chair. “Honestly, acquiring it was a curveball we didn’t expect right now. The original agreement with the building owner was that we’d purchase the main club from him first, then he’d give us an option to acquire the rental spaces where the businesses are two years after the leases expired. Escapade West used to be a small playhouse. They went bankrupt, and the prospective tenants weren’t the type we wanted as neighbors, so we took out a loan.”
Her father had said businesses were like puzzles. The pieces fit together in a unique way. You just had to have a keen eye or sometimes a fresh perspective to see how. “Can we go over there?”
“To Escapade West?” He frowned. “Now?”
“We’re already up, and the place is empty.”
He sighed and threw up his hands. “Why not.”
She went to put on some clothes.
Rafe shrugged on a shirt. “Let me turn off the alarm.” He tapped the screen of his phone. “Done. Let’s go.”
The silence in the corridor leading to the door near the stage made her want to tiptoe in her bare feet.
He swung the door open and switched on lights. It was such a large space. Surely there was some way they could make a profit from it.
Across the room, chairs and tables were stacked on either side of a double door.
She walked toward it. “I saw workers coming in and out of these doors the night of the Bash. What’s behind here?”
“A staging area for service. Caterers set up back here, too.” Rafe unlocked the door and turned on the lights.
Paper and plastic supplies for the bar, and what appeared to be props for the Hot Body Hunks, sat at the end of the long, wide space.
Frustration filled his expression. “Apparently someone decided to use it for storage. This shouldn’t be here. Just one more issue that has to be addressed.”
He’d miss possible solutions if all he could see were problems. “Let’s brainstorm a minute. What are your customers looking for when they come to Escapade?”
He chuckled. “To find someone to have sex with.”
Typical guy. “Okay, yes, but besides that, dancing, and alcohol, what else?”
“Food.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “We actually sell a lot of bar food, but that works for us because it’s simple. Wings, nachos, French fries, that sort of stuff.”
“Simple is good. You know, one of my favorite late-night bistros is in the back of a bookstore, and their specialty is burgers. The other is a place that specializes in dessert in the basement of a clothing boutique.”
A thoughtful expression crossed his face. “You know, there used to be a café on the corner that did a booming cake and pie business on the weekends after we closed.” Some of the defeat and frustration faded from his eyes.
“You’ve been to other clubs. Any of their concepts ever snag your attention?”
“A few. There was this one in Los Angeles that offered a space to pop-up restaurants. A few nights a week, different chefs in the area would use it to experiment with new menu items.”
She held up her hands and twirled slowly. “Different chefs featuring their menus from time to time. I’d show up for that.”
He glanced around. “This spot could actually hold a small kitchen.” Rafe rubbed his cheek. “If we had something like that, we could consider one or two of these ideas. We could even still accommodate the Hunks, but we need to change our arrangement with them. They store their gear here and practice for free in exchange for doing shows. But they’re always booked elsewhere, and they’re not giving us priority.”
“Makes sense to me. See? You have plenty of possibilities.” She hugged him. “Now you just have to research them and consider what will work best.”
“Yeah, I guess we could.” As he held her around the waist, he studied her face, as if searching for something.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“So, you don’t view me as an ex-male stripper who’s in over his head?”
“Where did that come from?” She leaned farther away. “Why in the world would I think that?”
“Some people do.”
“Then they’re being shortsighted. You’re not just an ex-dancer. You’re multi-talented. You not only manage the club, but the other day, you did electrical work on the sound system in the DJ booth. You even repaired the pipes in the bathroom.” She looked up at him. “I find all the things you can do fascinating. I’m curious. How did you land here?”
…
Rafe didn’t have an answer to her question. At least not the inspiring, feel-good story she expected.
“That complicated?” She laughed, but something akin to disappointment was in her eyes. “Nev—”
He grasped her hips and stopped her from walking away. “Hold on.” She’d been generous enough to help him with Escapade. He could fill in a few details for her. “No, not complicated. I’ve never thought about it because no one’s ever asked.” Or cared. Most women never wanted to take a deeper look at him. They couldn’t get past the superficial.
He brought her closer. “I guess it started with my father. He ran the local scrapyard. I’d watch him fix electronic equipment and other things people had thrown away.” Those moments had been when his fathe
r remained reasonably sober, and life felt close to normal. “I moved to Miami when I was nineteen and got a job at a small hardware store. That led to my side hustle with local contractors. I’d help out with painting, flooring, repairs—that kind of stuff.”
“Side hustle? What about having fun? You were young and living in an exciting city. Didn’t you date?”
“Some.” He’d arrived in town with less than a hundred dollars in his pocket and struggled to take care of himself. He didn’t have the funds to impress a woman. When he had started dating, his work schedule usually caused friction. “Later on, I was in a long-term relationship for a year, but it didn’t work out.”
Her hand stroking his chest mellowed the bad memory of Eden. “What about the Hunks? How did you end up joining with them?”
“One of my side jobs was replacing the flooring at a gym where the Miami Hot Body Hunks practiced. I got to know them. One day, we were talking junk, and the topic of breakdancing came up. I was called out.”
“You breakdance?”
“No. I didn’t say that.” He kissed away her open-mouthed expression. “But what I did do was good enough for them to offer me a try-out. I made the team.” In Miami, he’d experienced a brotherhood that he hadn’t found with the D.C. group. They’d kept him from self-destructing when Eden had dumped him. “I joined the Hot Body Hunks crew here a little over five years ago. Shannon and I were friends in Florida. She came for a visit, approached me about Escapade, and that was that. What about you?”
“Let’s not go there.” She chuckled. “Let’s just say, I was a weird kid. I would cry for my father to take me to work with him. I was actually thrilled when my mom presented me with my own little business suit and a pair of fake glasses.”
A pint-sized version of her dressed as described with pigtails came to mind. He couldn’t contain a chuckle.
“Seriously. I would form my toys in an assembly line and pretend I was running a pencil factory. Stop laughing. I was certifiable, and my parents encouraged it.” She poked him.
