by Ava Harrison
I nip and suck at a punishing pace. I’ve never been inclined to take my time with foreplay. It’s always just been a means to an end. A quick prelude to my ultimate pleasure.
But Bailey is a different story.
I want to please this damaged girl lying spread open for me on my bar.
After a few more strokes of my tongue, she seizes up. She goes limp on the bar, and I know my work is done, but hers is just beginning.
I reach to pull her down when I hear the front door slam open. I look up in time to see Bailey’s eyes go wide. She scrambles off the bar backward, fixing her clothes as she goes. She disappears from sight just as Carter comes strolling around the corner. I lazily wipe the remnants of Bailey from my mouth, scowling in his direction.
“What the fuck are you doing here this early? It’s a quarter to four.”
I can’t help the venom spewing from my lips. I was so close to having her.
“Dude, I have to get the bar stocked. We ran out of everything last night. If I don’t start now, I’ll never be ready for opening.” He doesn’t seem fazed by my mood, which is a good thing. I have to get him out of here, or he’s going to find Bailey hiding behind the bar, naked from the waist down.
“Can you come to my office quickly? I want to go over a couple of the parties we have in the VIP rooms tonight.”
He looks at me skeptically. “Um, sure, I guess my shit can wait. Let me throw my bag behind the bar. See, isn’t it good I came early?” He winks at me before bending his knees to lean down. I go to stop him when up pops Bailey.
“Uh, hey, Bae . . . What the heck are you doing down there?” Carter looks a little smug, and I have the sudden urge to punch him.
“Oh, hey, Carter. I was just clearing out the empty liquor bottles from under here. I was going to take them down to the art center. I figured we could donate them. I hear there’s a local artist who makes really cool lamps out of them.” She doesn’t miss a beat, and I’m impressed.
She looks up at me, and I see her cheeks turn a shade of pink. I can’t imagine Carter missed it, but he doesn’t say anything.
“Good work today, Bailey. We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow. Same time. Oh, and Carter, forget meeting now . . . something else just came up.” I don’t wait for either of them to respond. Turning on my heels, I haul ass to my office. I have one hour before our staff meeting, and if I don’t pull myself together, I’ll be miserable all night.
I slam my door shut and lock it. Throwing myself into my chair, I recall the image of Bailey from moments ago. Just thinking about the sounds of her whimpers and moans cause me to adjust myself. Fuck.
I take several deep breaths and think of anything but Bailey. Puppies. Babies. Sunshine. I give myself a minute to get under control. When I look down at my pants, I see I’m still hard.
I call down to the bar.
Carter answers. “Yeah, boss man?”
“Is Bailey still here?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Can you hand her the phone, please?”
“Sure, hold.”
There’s silence on the other line for about thirty seconds when I hear her voice. “Hello?”
“Bailey, can you please head up to the office? I need your help with an urgent matter.”
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
Hearing her voice has my blood pumping again. The things this girl does to me. I might just have to take advantage of the alone time with her.
Round two is about to happen right on this desk.
23
Bailey
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
What the hell did I just allow, and how the hell am I going to face him after he just had his face buried in my—
Fuck.
I should quit immediately.
How can I ever look at Carter again? Surely, he knows something happened.
To think I just let Drew do that to me in public.
Is it possible to die from mortification?
Who lets a guy they barely know do that to them on top of a bar, in public, during broad daylight for anyone to see?
Drew is my own personal kryptonite, and even after being humiliated, I’m itching for another hit.
I start walking toward the stairs and realize I have no panties on. Oh god, I groan to myself. Shit. This is bad. My day keeps getting worse and worse. What the hell is wrong with me? One minute alone with Drew Lawson and I was sprawled naked on the bar. Sure, I was the one who kissed him first, but I didn’t think it would go that far. What the hell am I going to do alone in his office?
Breathe.
With my luck, this man will have me crawling on all fours within five minutes. Heat pools in my belly at the thought, and my hands cover my face as I reach the banister. Shaking my head, I try to right myself. I’m acting like a bitch in heat. No more. I need to go in there, see what he wants, and then get the hell out. We didn’t even do a damn thing associated with work today. Why did I even come in? “Get in. Get out. Go home,” I say under my breath, prepping myself for this run-in.
No distractions.
As soon as I walk into his office, I’m frozen in place. My eyes bulge as my breath catches.
Standing in front of his desk is Drew. If I thought he was attractive before, it has nothing on how hot he looks eyeing me like this. This man is drop-dead gorgeous. His smoldering gaze lights me on fire. He’s my every fantasy come to life.
“You, um, you wanted me?” I stutter.
He looks up at me, his eyes perusing my body. Slowly.
His lips curve upward into a wicked smirk. “Come closer.” He starts to walk toward me until he circles around me, and I turn to meet him. His eyes are dark. Dangerous.
“We were interrupted, Bailey,” he draws out. “Turn around,” he orders, and I have no choice but to comply.
Turning slowly, I can feel his presence behind me. His hands find my hips and lightly stroke me. I take a step closer to the desk, trying to get some distance. After one step, my front is flush with the cool metal, and I have nowhere else to escape to. My hand skims over the surface nervously as he closes in on me. Drew pushes my back forward, and I place my palms flat against the desk to steady myself, biting my lip in anticipation.
He slides his hand up my thigh, his warm fingers hiking my skirt up to expose me. The cold air hits me, and my body shivers. My legs are pushed apart, and my mouth falls open to release a soft moan. Wrapping his hands in my hair, he pulls my head back, his mouth slamming onto mine. Our tongues move in sync until I feel the sharp bite of his teeth against my lower lip as he pulls away. His breath is ragged as his hand moves between my thighs. His finger dips inside me, teasing me. I spread my legs farther apart, shamelessly panting.
He moves away, and I miss his presence immediately, my body pulsating with need. I push my hips into his, rolling them against his body and feeling his hard cock against my ass. I’m burning up, and I need him to alleviate the pain.
“Do you want me to fuck you, Bailey?” His voice is low as he presses harder against me.
I groan in response.
“Words.”
“Yes!” I cry out.
He pulls back, and this time, I hear the sound of a condom wrapper tearing. “Fuck,” he growls as he nudges at my entrance.
I’m dizzy with want, and I might die if he doesn’t take me now. Just when I think I might pass out, he thrusts deep inside me, and I bite back my scream as he fills me completely.
I could die happy right here, right now.
24
Drew
God, she feels even better than I imagined. Her chest is flat on the desk, so she’s bent at a perfect ninety degrees as I pump her from behind. I tilt her up just enough so I can grab her palm-sized tits and squeeze. There’s nothing romantic about this. It’s filthy, raw, and utterly fucking fantastic.
She is fantastic.
Bailey arches into my hands and throws her head back in pure pleasure.
I don’t want to pul
l out, but I need to switch positions. I want to feel every part of her. I direct her behind my desk. “I want you to ride me, Bailey.” She moans at my words as I take a seat in my chair.
Bailey turns to face me. I grab her hips and help to impale her harder onto my length. Bailey pulses all around me, and the sounds coming from her mouth have me rock hard. Despite my best efforts, I won’t last long at this rate. One pump, two pumps . . .
I don’t make it to the third.
She goes slack against me, panting through the shocks still wracking her body. Her skin is damp, and the smell of sex permeates the room. If anyone walked in right now, they’d get an eyeful. Not that it matters, since Bailey’s moans did not go unheard. Carter more than likely had a free soundtrack complete with erotic blasphemy, and I couldn’t care the fuck less. I chuckle at the thought.
Bailey tenses, and just like before, she springs to her feet and starts collecting herself. She’s ten shades of red, and I find it hysterical, if not a bit insulting.
“No, ‘Thank you, Drew. That was amazing, Drew.’ I get nothing?” I tilt my head to the side, waiting for her reply.
It never comes.
“You can’t be serious. You’re going all bashful on me?” I can’t help but laugh at her obvious embarrassment.
“I . . . um, this shouldn’t have happened. I, we . . . We can’t do this again.” She hangs her head low, and I can tell she’s having some inner battle.
It’s bullshit.
“Fuck it. I’m not begging you for anything, Bailey.”
I know I sound like a dick, but it’s kind of late for her to change her mind after what we just did. She looks like she could cry. Christ. What’s with fucking women crying all the damn time? Jumping up from my chair, I tuck myself back into my briefs. I put my fingers under her chin, lifting her eyes to mine.
“What’s going on in there? Tell me why you’re so hell-bent on running.”
She considers this for a second. “I feel cheap. Who lets their boss do the things I just let you do to me? I’d be a whore if I didn’t feel this way.”
This whole scene is ridiculous. One minute, Bailey is this tough as nails, I-don’t-have-a-care-in-the-world girl, and the next, she looks utterly broken and small. What the hell?
“Stop, Bailey. You’re not a whore, and I won’t let you talk about yourself that way. We’re both consenting adults. This is fun, right?” She gives me a small nod. “There’s no reason to be shy, feel embarrassed, or make this something it’s not. I’m not going to tell anybody. This can be our little secret.”
She goes from wounded to pissed in point two seconds.
“Go to hell, Drew. I’m not your call girl, and I’m definitely not your dirty little secret. I’ve been there and done that, and I’m not interested!”
“Calm down, killer.” I go to grab her, and she smacks my hand away. I don’t even have a chance to say another word before she’s out the door.
Fuck.
I stay in my office the entire night stewing over what happened. Carter had to run the employee meeting before opening. Thankfully, he can run the place just as well as I can. As luck would have it, things ran smoothly, and I went uninterrupted. Carter called up to the office at 4:45 a.m. to inform me he had everything cleaned up and was leaving.
“Did Bailey already leave?”
“She left right after leaving your office. Didn’t even stay for the meeting. She stormed off in a bit of a huff. I’m not even going to ask what you said to piss her off.”
“Smart move. Go on and get out of here.”
I hang up the phone and sigh. I’m too tired to drive home, so I make my rounds, checking that everything is locked up and the lights are off, then head back to my office to sleep. The couch is comfortable and has been my bed for many nights.
Bailey enters my mind, and I immediately shut her out. I don’t have the patience to solve that riddle tonight. My eyes grow heavy, and I succumb to sleep.
I awake to something or someone touching my thigh. What. The. Fuck? I open my eyes to find Monica on her knees, leaning over me. “Monica, what the hell are you doing here? Better yet, how the fuck did you get in?” I glance at the clock. It’s a little after 5:00 a.m.
She doesn’t stop trailing her hand up higher on my leg. A traitorous moan gives her the wrong idea. “Stop,” I say while grabbing her hands. She looks puzzled. I know it must be a shock.
“I still have my key from when I opened the bar for Carter a month ago. I waited for him to leave, and I came in. He stood on the corner forever, talking to someone on the phone.” She smiles a huge Cheshire cat smile. She clearly is impressed with herself. I, on the other hand, am not. I’m still tired. I just want to go home, shower, and then fall into my own bed for a couple of hours.
“Monica, you’ve got to go. This isn’t happening.”
She huffs but finally gets to her feet. “I’m not leaving. I stayed out all night waiting for him to leave so we could have alone time,” she whines.
“I didn’t ask you to do that. Get the fuck out. I’m tired, and you’re pissing me off,” I grate through my teeth. She holds her hands up in surrender.
“Okay, I’ll leave, but I’m going to be looking for a rain check soon, lover.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever you say. Out. Now.” I point toward the staircase.
Monica runs her red nails down my chest before kissing my cheek and sauntering off. She makes a display of swaying her ass as she goes. Typical Monica, never getting the hints that this won’t happen again. She’s already down the stairs when I realize I didn’t get my key back.
I yell down the stairs, “Monica, I want my key back!”
Silence.
I hear the door slam. She heard me, but she didn’t listen. I have to remember to get that key.
A worry for another time.
25
Bailey
I ran out of there so quickly it was like my ass was on fire. Well, in my case, it kind of was. Hours later and I can still feel him inside me, stroking the orgasm out of me. My body pulsating around him. My cheeks flush. God, I’m a hot mess. My boss had me lying flat on my stomach as he fucked me within an inch of my life, and I’m already craving more. I’m already daydreaming of when and where.
I need help.
My phone beeps in my purse.
Carter: Where the hell are you? Is everything okay?
Me: Everything is okay. I’ll text you later. I’m sorry.
I toss the phone back into my purse.
I’ve been walking the streets of New York since I hightailed it out of there. My legs are killing me, but I needed lots of air so I could think. I left the club a little after 4:00 p.m. without even notifying Drew or giving Carter any reason for my departure. I won’t have to quit. I’m going to get fired for that. I’m missing the first employee meeting since I was promoted. Not that it’s official. The paperwork I was supposed to do today? Yeah, that didn’t happen.
Internally panicking at the thought, I pick up my pace. Whether I quit or get fired, it will undoubtedly mean the end of my days in the city. I am out of options. Going home means dealing with my mother. The thought makes me ill.
I had sex . . . with my boss. Great sex. But seriously, how did I think that was going to end? Not with me running out like a chickenshit. I groan, feeling like such an idiot.
As I’m walking through Union Square, about to get to Park Avenue, I see someone waving to me and shouting my name. My initial thought is to put my head down and get my ass home.
“Bailey.” The voice and my name together have me stopping dead in my tracks.
Shit.
“Wow. How long’s it been?”
The answer came quickly. I knew exactly how long it had been. Two years. I have not bumped into Jet since the night I got mugged. I was partying with him, we got into a fight, and he left me. I ended up walking the streets alone. . . It was the wake-up call I needed.
“Two years.” I nod, scanning the area to pl
an my escape.
“What the fuck are you doing here? I swear I thought you died. One day you were there and the next day poof. Gone.”
Hiding from you.
“Yeah, I just needed to lie low. After everything that happened, I needed a change.”
“Damn, girl, it really is good to see you.”
My skin crawls as his gaze runs up my body. I feel dirty. I don’t want to think about what’s running through Jet’s mind. None of my memories from the time we spent together are good. They’re the very thing I run from. Just being this close to him makes me cringe. He’s everything from my past I want to forget. He’s the pain I want to forget. But as if being transported back in time, my scar starts to throb, and the need to take a pill fills me.
“Good to see you too,” I say, but I can’t hide the disdain in my voice.
“Where you off to? Any crazy parties to hit up?”
“Nah. I was just taking a walk after work before heading home. I don’t party anymore,” I say, letting him know my days of being reckless are over.
“Where do you work?” I cringe at his question.
Telling him will only make it seem as though I’m back to my old habits. He’s like a parasite. He’ll try to find a way to breach his way into my life. Back in the day, it worked. I’d be doing well only to have him enter my life again, and soon I’d be spiraling out of control.
Looking at him now, he has no control over me.
He raises his brow, and I spit it out.
“Club Silver.”
“Oh shit, I hear that place is hot. I totally need to go. Do you think you can get me and a few of my buddies in? After work, you can come over . . .” He winks.
My palms grow sweaty, and my heart rate accelerates. “Not interested, but thank you,” I reply quickly, my voice shaking as I speak. I knew it. I fucking knew he’d try to worm his way in. Typical fucking Jet.
