by Jessica Hope
“We’re going to be late. Come on!” she said as she pulled at Melinda’s arm. Melinda laughed and grabbed her purse on the way out as Tori dragged her out.
A taxi ride later, the bouncer was smiling and waving them in. “The two guys are at the bar in section three,” he said with a smile.
“Thanks Billy,” she said as she slipped past him.
“I feel so important,” Tori said.
Melinda grabbed her friend’s arm. “Tori, you are important. And no matter what happens between me and what’s-his-name tonight, I hope you have a great time with Brett. But don’t worry about me, okay?”
“You’re the best. And his name is Josh. Please don’t mess that up.”
Melinda laughed and led her friend through the crowd to section three. It was easy enough to spot
Brett. The man was six foot four and had a tendency to stand out. His friend, Josh, was indeed adorable.
He had beautiful blonde hair and crystal blue eyes.
And he was also a simpering idiot.
At first, Melinda decided not to drink, but the more her date talked, the more she yearned for something to drown at the sound of his voice. As she nodded, she gestured to the bartender that she needed a shot of whiskey. When it showed up, it wasn’t the bartender holding it.
It was Vlad.
Melinda immediately straightened. “Mr. Petrovich,” she stammered.
He smiled wryly. “Are you and your friends having a good time?”
She bit her lip and resisted looking around for Tori and her date. Where they doing something that caused Vlad to come down? “Yes, sir. Is it all right that we’re here?”
Vlad nodded. “Of course. You may come and have a good time on your day off. Who is your friend?”
She could have sworn that he strongly accented the word friend, but it was so loud in here that perhaps she imagined in. “This is Josh. Josh, this is Mr. Petrovich, the owner of Seven Sins.”
Josh’s eyes rounded, and he shook Vlad’s hand. “This is an awesome place. Is it true that you have mob connections?”
“God,’ Melinda muttered. She pinched her date. “I’m sorry Mr. Petrovich. My date has had a bit too much to drink.”
His eyes darkened. “I see. Enjoy the rest of your time here, and I look forward to seeing you at work tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” She swallowed hard as she watched Vlad sweep his eyes over Josh. When he walked away, she slid from her stool. “That is my boss. How dare you make wild accusations!” she hissed.
Josh put his hands in the air. “Whoa! It’s pretty common knowledge that your boss is in with the Russian mob.”
“Just because someone is Russian and runs a night club does not automatically make him part of the mob. You could have lost me my job tonight. I’m leaving,” she said as she grabbed her jacket. She pulled out her phone and texted Tori.
There was no way she was working for a mobster.
***
“You want me to what?” Danny asked Vlad.
“Have him followed,” Vlad said sternly. “I want to make sure that he doesn’t try to stop by her home. And I also want to make sure that he’s not part of the competition.”
“Vlad, are you just having him followed because you want to be the one having drinks with Melinda?”
Vlad turned and stared at Danny. Was that the reason? Possibly. “I don’t like it when someone comes into my club and accuses me of being part of the mob,” he said softly. “And I don’t need to explain myself.”
Danny rolled his eyes, but he placed the call. Vlad was staring out the window and watching Melinda leave. Something primal had awoken inside of him, and he was pleased to see Melinda leaving her wretched date behind.
The girl had standards. He liked that.
Chapter Six
A few nights later, Melinda was wiping down the bar. Two of her bartenders were out sick, and she was mixing drinks and taking money in an attempt to keep up with the demand. It still blew her mind that Tuesdays would be so busy. Didn’t these people have work and classes in the morning?
“You must be new.”
She looked up and smiled. “I’ve been here about a month, but I’m not usually behind the bar. My name is Melinda.”
“Melinda? Beautiful name for a flawless creature.”
Melinda raised an eyebrow. “How often does that work for you?”
He smiled. “You tell me. It’s the first time I’ve used it.”
“Ah. Well I’m afraid you’re striking out. But what I can do is pour you a drink. What’s your poison of choice?”
“You pour me your favorite drink, and then at least I’ll know a little more about you,” the man said with a smile.
Melinda laughed. He was certainly attractive, but there was something off-putting about him. Still, she enjoyed his flattery and attention. It had been a while since someone had tried this hard to get her attention. She poured a shot of whiskey and set it in front of him.
“Wow,” he said as he stared at it.
“I’m a simple girl,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t need anything fancy just to get a buzz going on.”
Suddenly, a presence appeared next to her. She turned to see Vlad leaning over the bar. She hadn’t seen him since that night that her date made an ass out of himself. “Stephen,” he said in a quiet voice.
“Vlad. I was wondering how long it would take you to get here. I wished it would have taken you longer. I’ve been getting you know your new bartender. I must say, you’ve got good taste.”
Melinda flushed, and for a moment, she was thankful for the flashing bright lights. They may give her a headache, but at least it would hide her embarrassment.
“Melinda, would you please give us a moment?” he said quietly.
She nodded. “It was a pleasure to meet you,” she said warmly as she moved down the bar to talk to the other guests. Still, she found herself glancing up every now and then to find them in a heated conversation. Stephen seemed oddly at ease, but Vlad looked furious. What was with those two?
Suddenly, she felt an arm around her waist. She stiffened and turned to see Vlad leading her away from the bar. His fingers tightened around her, and she felt a shudder of desire race down her spine. She’d wondered for weeks what it would feel like to have Vlad touch her. Here it was, just a platonic touch, and she was about to lose her cool.
“I’m sorry for that,” he said as he pushed the door open to the back and led her through. He released her, and she felt cold air take the place of his touch. “I wanted to speak to you in private.”
“Have I don’t something wrong?’ she asked nervously.
“Not at all. In fact, I’ve been quite pleased with your performance these past few weeks. I’d like to make some changes to the club, and I was hoping you could help me.”
“How can I do that?”
“There are a few new clubs that have opened up in the city that are introducing some new concepts. I’d like to check them out. Would you accompany me so that I might get your opinion?” he asked formally.
Melinda cocked her head. Of course this wasn’t a date. He would never be interested in her like that, and she’d never be able to date her boss, but she felt her heartbeat speed up anyways. Time alone with him, outside of the club, seemed dangerous. She needed to say no, but this was an opportunity to be an integral part of the club. She couldn’t turn that down, even if her libido was in overdrive.
“I would love that,” she finally said in a shaky voice.
He nodded his head. “Excellent. And one more thing, Melinda. The next time Stephen comes in, please do me the favor of staying away from him. He’s dangerous.”
“Dangerous?” she frowned. He didn’t seem dangerous. “How so?”
“This is none of you concern,” he said sharply. “Just stay away from him. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at eight. Wear something…fitting.”
Fitting? She opened her mouth to ask what that meant, but he was already turning away. F
itting?
What in the world was fitting for an outing with the incredibly mouth-watering and enigmatic boss?
Especially when all she wanted to do was get naked for him?
***
He was prompt. At seven on the dot, he was ringing her doorbell. And she was prompt, but for some reason, she took her time before answering the door. Even though it wasn’t a date, she didn’t want to seem like she was waiting for him.
“Mr. Petrovich,” she said with a smile as she opened the door.
“It’s going to be awfully strange if you call me Mr. Petrovich all evening,” he said with a slight nod of his head. “Vlad will be fine.”
She hesitated. It seemed so formal to call him by his first name. “I’m sorry. It’s just easier for me to remember that this is a professional outing if I call you Mr. Petrovich.”
“Is there a reason you wouldn’t think of this as a professional outing?” he said softly. She immediately flushes, and there was no club spectacle to hide her embarrassment.
“Of course not,” she stammered.
He held out his arm. “I would think that the fact that I invited you out to a bar at night when you were off the clock would make you pause,” he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
She took a deep breath before taking his arm. “It is unusual, but you invited me out on club business, and I intend to keep this professional. After all, you are my boss. Vlad.”
He led her to the car where the driver was opening the door. Melinda smiled in thanks before scooting in. She wore a pair of jeans that hugged her curves nicely and a red dressy tank top. She noted that Vlad’s eyes remained above her cleavage, and not once did she feel as though he was ogling her.
But, she chastised herself gently, why would he ogle her? They were there on business.
“Our first stop will be The Ninth Circle. It’s a thematic club about Dante’s nine circles of hell. I want to peruse their cocktail menu and see their decorations. They opened their doors several months ago, and while I haven’t seen a dip in my sales, I do know that they’ve been quite popular. I know they aren’t as showy as Seven, and I’ve been thinking about making the club more intimate or including a more subdued section,” he said conversationally as he slid in.
Melinda inhaled sharply as his thigh brushed against hers. He was wearing a crisp white button-up that was unbuttoned at his throat and rolled up to his elbows. God, what was it about men who rolled up their sleeves that turned her on so?
“My roommate has been there,” she said as she tried to concentrate on what he was saying. “She says it’s a cool place, but it’s not one that she would frequent over and over again.”
“Interesting,” Vlad drawled. “Did she say why?”
Melinda nodded. “She said it was too sexualized. She thought going there alone was dangerous.”
“Really? Well then I suppose it’s good that you’re not going alone.” He smiled at her. “You look beautiful this evening.”
Right. He was just being kind. There was no reason for her heart to start fluttering. “You look handsome as well,” she said. His eyes met hers, and she quickly turned to stare out the window. She tried to ignore it, but she could feel him staring at her. If he reached out and touched her, she wouldn’t be able to control herself.
But he didn’t. “How did the rest of your date go?”
“My date?” she asked absently.
“Yes. The other evening. The young man who thought I was part of the mob.”
Melinda cringed. “You remember that, huh? I’m so sorry. I was there because my roommate liked his friend, so they thought we could all go out. It was my first time meeting him. As I’m sure you could tell, it didn’t quite work out. Although Tori and his friend are going out again, so at least someone went home happy.”
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “You deserve someone who will cherish you, not someone who would make an ass of himself in public.”
“What’s the story with Stephen?”
Immediately, his eyes narrowed. She felt a shiver go up her spine as the tension grew thick. “What do you mean?”
“I was hoping you could give me some more details about him,” she said vaguely. He’d told her to stay away from him. She deserved to know why.
The car suddenly stopped, and Vlad looked out the window. “We’re here. Come.” He opened the door and held out his hand. She’d never had anyone help her out of a car before, and she felt like a celebrity exiting a limo. The intense anger she’d seen in his eyes was gone, and she thought back to his anger a few weeks ago when he’d found her outside the restaurant. He’d been enraged, and then, just as quickly, it was gone.
There was no line outside the door. Apparently weekdays were not busy like Seven. The bouncer checked her ID and let them in with a nod of his head. As soon as she walked in, she gasped.
She could immediately see why Tori had said that it was sexualized. Half naked women writhed in chains against the wall. This place may have catered to Dante, but it also catered to bondage.
The lights were low, and the electric tempo beat softly. Couples lounged in the plush booths and cuddled up to each other. Melinda turned to find Vlad smiling at her. “Did you know this was a bondage club?” she asked in a low voice.
“I did not, but that makes some of the rumors make more sense,” he said with a smile. “Are you uncomfortable? Would you like to leave?”
She shook her head. If he could handle it, she could handle it. He put a hand at the small of her back and pushed her gently towards a booth. “Let’s sit somewhere where we can see everything going on.” She slid into the round booth, and he scooted in. Instead of simply sitting on the opposite side, he scooted in close to her.
She tensed next to him, but she didn’t move away. Instead, she reached across and grabbed the drink menu. Lord knows that she needed a drink. “Crown and chains. Whips and Dips. The Slippery Slope Braided Rope.”
He put an arm around her and leaned in close. “The Wet Pussy.”
Clenching her thighs, she forced herself to laugh. “I think Tori was understating this club. Did you want to bring any of this atmosphere back to Seven? It certainly has a titillating name, but short of your dancer’s outfits, it has nothing on this place.”
“You think my dancer’s are sexualized?” he asked surprised.
She turned to stare at him and realized that he was kidding her. “You can see their butt cheeks when they bend over, and that top barely covers their nipples,” she said dryly.
“Hi!” Melinda tensed with the cocktail waitress stopped by. She was undeniably beautiful with long dark hair that was braided and coiled around her neck and her black leather outfit. “Welcome to Nine Circles. How deep would you like to go tonight?”
Christ. Vlad circled his thumb on her bare shoulder. “Well, my dear? How deep would you like to go tonight?”
“A shot of Jack Daniels, please,” Melinda said quickly.
“Oban, if you have it. Two cubes.”
The waitress nodded and scooted away. Unable to take the torture any longer, Melinda turned. “What are you doing?”
“Pardon me?”
“The sex club. The touching. The teasing. What is this? Is this really a professional meeting?” she demanded. She could feel his body tense, but he didn’t remove his arm. “Look, I know you’re my boss. And I don’t know if you think I’m just going to roll around under you because you’re attractive and rich, but I don’t work that way.”
“You find me attractive?” he asked in an amused voice.
Melinda rolled her eyes. “This was a mistake,” she muttered as she tried to scoot out of the booth. His arms around her immediately tightened, and she whirled around with fire in her eyes. “Let me go.”
“I never expected you to simply roll under me,” he said softly. “You are both correct and wrong about this situation, and if you stay, I promise that I’ll explain it to you. No more games. But if you are uncomfortable and want to le
ave, then I will make sure my driver takes you home.”
She was uncomfortable, but it probably wasn’t for the reasons that he thought. As the waitress brought their drinks and the dancers continued to moan along the walls, Melinda realized she was more curious than anything else. She tossed her head back to swallow the whiskey and sighed. “Fine. No games.”
He nodded his head. “I did invite you out to get some ideas about the club. I do want to change things up. I did not know how this club would be, and I had no idea that I would react this way when I invited you out. The truth, Melinda, is that I’m attracted to you. I have been from the moment that you walked into the doors. I don’t sleep with my employees, and I don’t use my position to force anyone into having sex with me.”
His eyes searched hers, but she was stunned by his candid response. Although he sometimes acted uncharacteristically around her, until this moment, she never realized it was anything other than mild interest. “I see.”
Chuckling, Vlad shook his head. “I bare my soul to you, and all you can say is that you see?”
“Bare your soul? Telling someone that you’re attracted to them isn’t exactly baring your soul. Telling someone that you love them or even that you like them is far more intense and a more harrowing experience,” Melinda pointed out.
“And yet you are stalling so that you can process the information.”
“I’m not stalling. You haven’t asked for a response. Would you like me to say thank you?” Melinda snapped.
Vlad was silent as he sipped his drink. He seemed to realize that she needed time. As usual, she resorted to anger when she was surprised. Finally, she took a deep breath. “I think a few new drinks with scandalous names might be appropriate. You could even include some theme nights and dress the girls appropriately.” She cocked her head. “I like how the lights are only on the dance floor. I don’t know how your set up works, but having the lights all over the club can be a bit dizzying.”
She expected him to pull his arm away, but he didn’t. Instead, he picked up the menu and looked at it thoughtfully. “There are plenty of cocktails with interesting names already. Perhaps we can come up with a few others. Several of my bartenders are brilliant mixologists. Would you be able to organize a meeting with them where we can brainstorm some ideas?”
