by Anise Storm
“I’m doing fine, Olivia,” he answered, never taking his eyes off her.
Olivia was twisting her hands in front of her while smiling politely. “That’s good. And, Lania, I have a packed section and need to get back out on the floor. Did you need anything else?”
Lania shook her head and watched her friend practically run from the room. Well, that was strange. She arched her brow at Luka, hoping he’d fill in what she was missing, but he shrugged and went back to the reinstall. She chewed on her bottom lip and decided she’d figure out what was going on in due time. She simply needed to call in reinforcements. Those would come in the form of five other nosy women.
She was still smiling as she thought about someone else being in the hot seat this week. There would be no need to rehash what went down between her and Mario. There was something much more intriguing happening between Luka and Olivia. Since neither wanted to talk about it, she’d find out in a few days anyway.
“And it’s back,” he said dramatically, making a sweeping motion with his hands.
“Thank God,” she told him and then walked over to her desk. “You said I missed an update because I haven’t seen any pop up?”
“Yeah.” He pointed to the bottom right hand corner of her screen. “There’s a hidden icons section here, and as you can see, the PayPro Plus is green now. When an update is available, it’ll be red. You’ll need to check there more often and make sure you keep the app up to date. There are a lot of hackers out there and most of these updates are security related. You wouldn’t want someone to hack in and steal the bank information on everyone paid via direct deposit, would you?”
Lania shook her head. “No, and you’re a total godsend. Thank you so much for dropping everything to come over here.”
He reached out and tipped her chin up. “Anything you ever need, beautiful, you simply call me and I’ll be here. Okay?”
“Yes, sir,” she told him, and then spun around to grab his food. “Here’s some lunch for you, Luka. Enjoy!”
He opened the bag and took a whiff. “I will eat this as soon as I get back to the office. Did you need anything else?”
“God, I hope not,” she exclaimed. “And once again, thank you so much.”
Luka pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek. “You’re welcome. I’ll talk to you later.”
He grabbed his food and left, and she took a seat back at her desk. A loud bang made her jump, and she looked out the window and saw a flash or two of lightning. Poor Luka would get soaked now. Another boom of thunder sounded before the rain started coming down. “It figures. Hopefully it’s a fast moving storm.” Lania did not want to drive through that mess. Pulling up the payroll, she decided to focus on that instead and worry about the weather later.
Chapter 8
THURSDAY NIGHT HAD FINALLY arrived and because she was late leaving Basilico, Lania was already running behind. There was no way she could go straight to Delirium wearing what she did to work, so she sent a message to the girls to let them know she would be there soon. She hightailed it to her condo and took what had to be the world’s quickest shower ever and then paced in front of her walk-in closet.
Lania had no idea what to wear tonight. Her extensive wardrobe only compounded her decision more because there were so many options. Flipping through different outfits, she narrowed it down to three selections. Chewing on her bottom lip, she looked over the Bohemian maxi dress, the black leather pants with lace shirt, and the red mini dress. Finally, she chose the red and quickly got dressed.
Delirium was down the street, so she took a cab. If tonight was anything like the other times she’d been at the club, she intended to let loose. When she arrived, Niles had arranged for her cover charge to be waived, not that it was that expensive. She was always taught not to look a gift horse in the mouth, so this time she wouldn’t.
She entered the club and walked to the bar where all the girls were currently congregating. Rachaela and Kimara were both wearing jeans and tank tops, while Arielle had gone with something more eclectic. Jade and Olivia were also there, and Lania took one look at the blonde’s outfit and was glad that she too didn’t wear the leather. “Hey, girls. I’m sorry I’m late,” she told them as she took her seat.
Jade was the first to notice her and enveloped her in a tight squeeze. “You know I’m still waiting to hear about last Saturday, chicklet.”
Of course she was. Lania had no doubt that the entire group, outside of Olivia, was salivating to hear the juicy details. While there were some of them, she hadn’t even had her first drink yet, so the mortifying rerun of those events would have to wait.
“Where’s Niles?” Lania asked, noticing that the blond bartender was the only one missing from their little party.
“She went to get us our first round of drinks,” Rachaela said, giving her a shoulder bump. “You’re looking foxy tonight. Are you expecting someone besides the six of us?”
Kimara waggled her eyebrows. “Maybe it’s the guy from the other night. We need to see him in person because his social media profiles don’t do him any justice.”
Lania gasped. They actually looked him up, checking all the social media sites. She was shocked but not for the reason she should have been. The more she thought about it, she was actually upset that she hadn’t thought of it first. “I can’t believe you all.”
“Of course you can,” Olivia teased. “I had to try to find out who almost got the best of you last Saturday.”
“Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades,” Niles interjected as she set a tray of shots down. “Why don’t you all start with a screaming orgasm. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” And just like that, she moved back down the bar.
Never one to argue about a drink, Lania grabbed hers and tipped it back. The coffee flavored vodka shot went down smoothly, and she picked up another one. Jade and Kimara looked at her, so she shrugged. “She brought enough for each of us to have two. This has been a craptastic week, and I, for one, am here to have fun.”
“I’m with you on that,” Jade said and then jumped off her barstool, grabbing Lania’s arm. “Let’s go dance.”
That sounded like a great idea, so after setting the empty glass down on the bar, Lania followed her best friend. There was already an impressive crowd gathered, so it made it harder for her to keep up with Jade. Bodies were swaying and grinding to the Latin music blasting from the overhead speakers. Eventually the beat of the music had her swinging her own hips and when she realized she’d lost the brunette, she did the next best thing, which was to stay where she was and dance.
It didn’t take long for someone to come up behind her and while she couldn’t see who it was at first, something felt familiar about the male. She ignored that thought and allowed him to pull her flush against him. Gyrating against his erection, she lost herself in the moment. Two large hands snaked around her, holding her closer. One stayed on her belly while the other rose further.
Whoever this man was, he was hard as iron and getting more daring by the moment because he suddenly cupped one of her breasts, squeezing it firmly. She initially allowed it, reveling in the feel of being touched so intimately in the middle of the dance floor. Lania was not an exhibitionist, or at least she didn’t think she was, but on occasion, like tonight, it made her feel more desirable. The thought of someone being unable to keep their hands off her got her more aroused. Finally, she wanted to see who this man was and after hooking her arms around his neck, she looked up and pushed at his hands until he let her go. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, De Palma?”
Standing there grinning like a Cheshire cat was the one man she never expected to see here, much less on a dance floor with her. She tried to spin around, but he hauled her back against him, then tipped her face to the side. He didn’t say a word, and before she could demand that he release her, Mario lowered his head and seized her lips in a passionate kiss.
Oh God, she was completely putty in his arms when he did that
to her. What was it about a single kiss that set her universe spinning off its axis? When she used to hear about an earth-shattering kiss, Lania always rolled her eyes in disbelief. Mario, however, and the way he so effortlessly weakened her, proved that it was true.
One hand moved back to her breasts as he continued his assault on her mouth. The arousal she felt earlier increased tenfold. Her mind raced with a million different questions, and she couldn’t think straight enough to answer a single one. Only four words came to mind. ‘Yes’, ‘More’, and ‘Don’t stop’.
The song ended and as people came on and off the dance floor, he finally pulled his tongue out of her mouth. He didn’t let her go, however, and she moaned as his mouth traveled along the curve of her jaw, to her cheek, and eventually her ear. He bit down on the soft lobe and searing heat surged through her. “You’re so much more agreeable tonight, little girl.”
Oh, really. Was that what he actually thought? Silently snickering, she wrapped her arms around his neck and then swiftly brought her leg back and up. Lania had no idea what she hit, but judging by the growl he let out followed by a louder groan, she assumed she hit her mark or pretty damn close to it. Maybe Niles was wrong. Almost counted with horseshoes, hand grenades, and also racking cocky males.
His shock allowed her to break free, and she spun around, hoping to slap him. He did anticipate that move, however, and grabbed her wrist. He grinned and damn, it was just as lethal to her now as it had always been. “Let me go,” she said through gritted teeth.
Lania looked around and saw that a few people had stopped to look, but for the most part the majority of the people on the dance floor couldn’t have cared less about what was going on between them. For all they knew, it could have been foreplay. She never did get to experience that with him. Her pussy creamed at the memory of a night so long ago when he was emptying his seed inside of her. Something flashed in his eyes, and she watched them darken. “Oh God, no,” she whispered.
Mario was just as turned on by this exchange. He went to pull her closer when all of a sudden she felt another male come up behind her. “Get your hands off my woman.”
Luka? Lania could hardly believe he was there. Sighing in relief, she smirked at Mario as he loosened his grip on her. Wanting to finally give him a taste of his own medicine, she borrowed a page out of his playbook. Turning around, she threw her arms around her sexy tech friend and leaned up, pressing her lips to his.
Luka’s arms wrapped around her, and she melded herself against him. She had no idea how she would ever repay him. A simple Italian dish didn’t seem to be enough to thank him for saving her from herself. Had he not shown up when he did, who knows what she would’ve allowed Mario De Palma to do to her. She shivered and then the song ended, and she quickly exited the dance floor, pulling her savior to the bar.
Rachaela, Kimara, and Arielle were no longer standing there and if she had to guess where they were, the dance floor she just left would be the first place she named. Olivia was there and when she looked at Lania and Luka standing in front of her, hand in hand, pain filled the blonde’s eyes. But why? Immediately sensing something again, she tore her hand from his.
“You’ll never guess who is here, Liv,” Lania started, but her friend seemed to be lost in thought. What was going on? Now, she really wanted to know. “Olivia?”
“I’m going to get a drink. I’ll be back, ladies,” Luka said and as soon as he left, Olivia snapped out of her trance.
“What did you say?” Olivia asked. The blonde’s head was lowered, as if she were more interested in examining the Louboutins Lania had on than even looking at her.
“I was just going to tell you that Mario De Palma is here and cornered me on the dance floor.” Leaning in closer, she couldn’t hide her concern even if she tried, “What is wrong, Liv?”
Finally, she looked up, and Lania watched Olivia try to smile, but it never reached her eyes. “So if you were with Mario, how did you end up with Luka?”
Lania was about to answer when she felt a hard slap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Jade standing there with her hands on her slim hips. “Ouch,” she told her friend as she rubbed her arm.
Kimara and Arielle rejoined the group, and Lania looked onto the dance floor to see if she could see Rachaela. She was just about to ask where she was when the woman reappeared. She joined the other three and put her hands on her hips. Shit, they must have seen Mario.
“Spill, Lania. Who was that man you were making out with on the dance floor?” Kimara asked, and Lania looked back as Olivia mumbled something under her breath.
“I was with Luka,” she tried to say, hoping they would believe that.
“I’ll be right back,” Olivia said, this time loud enough for everyone to hear. She jumped off her barstool and headed toward the restroom.
“We know who he is,” Arielle stated. “We’re talking about the guy before him.”
“Oh, I know,” Jade said, clapping her hands together. “That has to be the hottie she got all dressed up for on Saturday.”
She felt the heat flood her cheeks as mortification set in. This had all the makings of that airline commercial with the tagline “When you want to get away.” Lania sure as hell felt like she wanted to disappear.
“Keep your voice down, Jade,” Lania hissed. The last thing she needed was for him to overhear anything that would swell his already oversized ego. “Yes, that was Mario De Palma.”
“I knew it,” Rachaela said while bumping fists with Kimara. “There was too much sexual tension between the two of you for him to have been a stranger.”
“I don’t want to have sex with him,” Lania told them, allowing the frustration to come through in her voice.
“Well, if not him, you need to get laid with someone,” Niles said. Lania hadn’t even seen her walk back over to them. Her friend was wiping down the bar and smirked at her. “Would you like me to get him tipsy so you can take advantage of him?”
Lania brought a hand to her temple and rubbed it. “No, but can you get me tipsy enough that I pass out?”
The other girls giggled and then all of a sudden, they grew quiet. Praying that the large shadow behind her was Luka, she slowly turned and realized it wasn’t. Why couldn’t Mario just leave her alone? He was always doing things to get on her nerves just as he had her entire life.
“Can I talk to you alone, Melania?” he asked, and a few of the girls snickered.
She flashed a warning look at them before turning to smile sweetly at Mario. “I don’t think there’s anything for us to talk about.”
“You’re wrong. Can we go somewhere and talk?” Again he persisted, and she would have spun around and told him exactly how little they had to talk about in very colorful words, but this was where Niles worked, and she’d never do anything to cause a scene here.
“I’m here with my friends and my…” She paused, wondering whether she should mention Luka to him again. After all, the man did proclaim that she was his woman, even though Lania was the farthest thing from that. The two enjoyed a flirtation and small kiss here and there, but never did they take it any further. And they never would.
“Your man,” he added, almost in question.
She wanted to confirm for him that Luka was indeed her boyfriend, but she couldn’t force the words out of her mouth. Turning toward her girls, she saw Rachaela motion for her to go. Lania stuck her tongue out and then looked back at Mario. “I can’t leave until I know that Olivia is okay. If you’ll...”
Before she could finish her sentence, the blonde returned, looking as if she’d been crying. Her beautiful eyes were red and puffy. Lania frowned. What had happened? She intended to find out.
“I’m actually not feeling good, so I’m going to go ahead and leave,” Olivia announced to everyone.
“You seemed okay a little while ago,” Lania said and then remembered what sent the woman scurrying to the bathroom in the beginning. Never one to consider herself dense, she finally realized exactly h
ow fitting that word was. Did Olivia like Luka Perez? Oh my God! If she did, then Lania talking about kissing him was what made her so upset.
“I did and maybe it’s the heat, but something washed over me and I already called a cab.” Olivia flashed a sympathetic look at the rest of the girls. “I’m sorry to cut our fun short.”
“Don’t worry about that, Liv,” Kimara told her, effortlessly morphing from sexy vixen into a caring nurse. “I’m going to stop by your place later tonight to check on you.”
Olivia nodded and then hugged everyone before walking toward the entrance. Lania had half a mind to follow her but figured if her assumption was right, she would be the last person her friend would want to see.
“Why don’t we get out of here too, Melania?” Mario said, and she grimaced. In the last few minutes, she’d forgotten all about him still standing there.
Lania was sure that her friends would force her to go, so seeing one final screaming orgasm on the tray, she grabbed it. Maybe there was something to this humid Florida heat because after drinking the concoction, she felt dizzy on her feet. She wobbled slightly, but large hands steadied her. “Let’s go,” she reluctantly said, instantly regretting that decision when she almost tripped over her own feet.
Face planting in front of him would not be a stellar move on her part, so when he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the door, she didn’t argue with him. Soon, he was buckling her into the passenger side of a very nice sports car. She glanced at the emblem on the steering wheel and knew she was in a Maserati. Damn showoff! Of course he’d have to make sure his car was fancier than hers, just like he would do everything in his power to outshine Basilico. “I know you’re opening up a restaurant down the street. Is embarrassing me in front of my friends not enough? Do you have to do so in front of my customers too?”
