by Kenzie Mack
“Of course, I’m happy to guinea pig anytime.” He turned his back to the door, attention on the entertainment of Ty spinning a bottle without spilling a drop. The man’s skills were other worldly. The enticing concoctions he created—magical.
A martini glass rimmed in cocoa, full of dark liquid, and carrying the aroma of an oven-baked treat, was offered.
“Thank you.” He took the glass and inhaled the delicious cocoa aroma. His mood instantly lightened. A sip confirmed the other man’s genius. “You’re a magician, Tyrese.”
The chocolaty beverage swirled in his mouth and brought back fond memories of his grandmother’s chocolate chip cookies. “There is no way I’m paying you enough. This is incredible.”
Ty moved to his side and lowered his voice to a husky whisper. “It’s all in the cannabis vodka.” He straightened. “I call this my Mary Jane special. Let me know if you want to invest in a case. I only purchased two bottles to test.”
Constantine took a second sip and his sense of calm increased. A genuine smile took hold for the first time in what felt like forever. “I love it. Order more.”
He slowly worked his way across the room. The upbeat crowd pulsed with positive energy. The good vibes continued to brighten his mood.
At the edge of the room, a pretty red-haired woman sat alone at a table set for two. Her mouth puckered in a frown, her phone resting before her with a black screen. Her gaze burned laser straight on the front door.
His gut clenched. She looked as lonely as he’d felt. This wouldn’t do.
“Excuse me,” Constantine said, pausing at her side. “But you look much too sad for this lovely evening.”
“My blind date is … late.” Her lips pinched tight and she sniffed, seeming on the verge of tears.
“Traffic is horrible this time of day. Please…” He waved his hand toward the bar. “Let me move you while you wait, so Tyrese can take care of you. What’s your name?”
“Anna.” Her mouth relaxed and she rose from her seat, standing close to his six feet in height. Her hungry gaze traveled over him and she captured his arm like a life preserver. “That’s very kind of you.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He walked her to the nearest open stool. Her perfume stung his sinuses. Her hold on his bicep turned to a caress. The motion caused a wave of negativity to encroach on his lightened mood.
He removed her hand and turned her toward the bar. Not only had two sips of the Mary Jane chased away his blues, but his entire outlook shifted from sullen to sunny. This lonely woman deserved the same cure. But Constantine had no intention of being her Band-Aid. Since when had the advances of a beautiful woman failed to spark his interests?
Since he’d met Chloe Thompson.
“Ty—” he called. The man reached them before he could utter his full name and before Anna could reconnect with Constantine’s arm.
“Hello, beautiful lady,” said the talented bartender. “Your presence makes the night shine brighter.”
A tentative grin replaced the woman’s sad expression. Constantine was beginning to think the man had some type of psychic power. “This lovely lady is Anna. She’s waiting for a friend. Can you please mix her one of these fabulous Mary Janes?”
“Annabel,” said Ty, his voice deep taking on a sing-song texture. “My fair Annie. Ann Marie. Tell me what ails you.”
The pretty woman began chatting with the charming bartender as if they were best friends. Ty glanced at Constantine and he gave a slight hitch of his head to indicate he had things under control. The man was definitely getting a raise. A quality barkeep like Tyrese would keep customers happy. And happy customers became regulars.
He sipped his heartwarming martini and paused outside his office. One more glance at the door confirmed his dream woman hadn’t arrived. He inhaled to sigh, but the aroma of his cocoa beverage overwhelmed the need.
“I know you will return, Chloe,” he whispered. “And then…”
A wicked image ended his musing.
Oh, the things he would do to that woman when she gave him the chance. His cock stirred. Naughty thoughts of her caused an immediate state of semi-arousal. He’d better get his little head under control or he might scare her off before things got started.
She seemed shy. Reserved. Bashful.
He had a feeling her still waters ran deep. And he wanted to plunge into their depths and stir things up. Test her composure.
Do it all.
Chapter Six
Chloe sat at the bar and fidgeted at her friend’s side. First, she crumpled and then she smoothed out a black drink napkin with Midnight Luna’s crescent moon logo.
The cute bartender with soft brown eyes, who’d introduced himself as Tyrese, held a small metal lid over Jill’s and Kyle’s whiskey and sodas. The couple were her wing-support while she waited for Constantine, the sexy server, to appear.
A hint of the smoky infusion wafting into the whiskey glasses reminded her of happy childhood campfires. Her twitchy hands relaxed. She could do this.
The couple received their drinks and the attractive mixologist stepped in front of Chloe. “What would be your pleasure tonight, Miss?”
Really? Did he have to ask for her drink order using the word pleasure?
“A glass of red wine,” she said, recalling the aroma on Constantine’s breath when they met. “Please.”
He nodded and moved away to procure her boring beverage.
Her short, tan sweater dress with capped sleeves inched higher on her thighs. Two-inch shiny black heels, a last-minute purchase, slid off the metal cross bar of her stool. She looked like a spectacle. And not in a good way. Her outfit screamed ready for action. But she had no real idea of how to follow through.
The air conditioner pumped out a chill, and goosebumps rose on her bare arms. She might as well be naked. The knit dress hugged every tiny curve. A tug at her hem did nothing to alleviate her over-exposed thighs. Open for offers wasn’t the effect she’d been going for on her return to this classy establishment.
The swank clientele of Midnight Luna was chic. Rich. Ballers.
Chloe? Her mini dress screamed loose morals and looking-to-get-lucky. She couldn’t come off any sluttier if she’d worn her lacy white bra and matching thong on the outside.
She adjusted, again. The outfit seemed to have shrunk in the past half hour. It belonged on a hanger in the back of a closet. Not for public display.
“Stop that,” said Jill, patting the top of Chloe’s hands in reprimand. “You look wonderful.” She turned to Kyle. “Isn’t Chloe the sexiest woman in here tonight?”
Her cheeks burned. Jill’s gorgeous, new… Should she refer to him as Jill’s boyfriend? Whatever the case, he hadn’t given Chloe a second look since picking them up. Her friend’s loose and flowy sheer black blouse and leather skirt kept him fully engrossed.
“Sorry, Chloe,” he said, glancing past Jill. “You look great. I should’ve said so.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to notice,” she said, shrinking into her shoulders, and retrieving the tall thin glass deposited before her. “This isn’t wine.”
Tyrese dipped his head in acknowledgment. “You would do me a great honor if you tried something new I put together. Just. For. You.” His gleaming grin and wink were too potent to refuse.
“Sure,” she said, lifting the drink. “Here’s to trying new things.”
“I’ll toast to that,” Jill said. They clinked glasses.
A sweet taste rolled over Chloe’s tongue, followed by an unexpected tartness. The drink had a purple tint in the light. It was fun. What Chloe strived to be.
“How do you like it?” said the handsome dark bartender.
“It’s really interesting.” She took another sip and her nervous tension seemed to fade. “Thank you, Tyrese.”
“You do look lovely, Chloe,” Kyle said. His warm gaze suggested he was telling the truth and not trying to earn points with her friend.
“Well, thank you, sir.”
Jill giggled and Kyle whispered something in her ear.
Chloe sipped her drink and let the tangy beverage roll around on her tongue. The taste reminded her of candy. A sweet tart. She hadn’t had the sugary treat since childhood. The surprise beverage transported her to easier, happier times. Her shoulders relaxed, and the chill left her arms.
“My bartender is a magician,” said the silky, sexy voice which had haunted her dreams for the last four nights.
Her heart pounded in her chest. Her pulse raced. Anticipation spurred not butterflies, but buzzing bees in her stomach.
His breath whispered across her ear, causing tingles of excitement to somersault her spine. The male scent of expensive spicy cologne and a hint of chocolate caused an instant arousal.
In the mirror behind the bar, her gaze met Constantine’s intense dark orbs. He placed his hand on her lower back and manipulated the stool until she faced him. His hand slid from her back to her crossed knee and lingered.
His touch heated her skin to melting. She couldn’t breathe. He was even more devastatingly handsome than she recalled. Sexual energy radiated from him like an inferno. He slowly perused her face, the too-short skirt, and back to her mouth. A half-grin tweaked his sensuous lips.
He really did want her. She hadn’t imagined his interest. His fingertips stroked light circles across her skin. This was it.
Her chance to be bad.
Any moment he’d suggest they visit his store room. Or the back alley. Hell, she’d go into the men’s room if it meant he’d run his strong hands all over her needy body.
His gorgeous lips parted.
She sucked in a slight gasp of air.
“How’s your—”
“Yes.” OMG. Had she spit out that word?
Constantine’s eyebrow arched. His tongue peeked out and ran a quick circuit of his lips. He reached around her, grasping the bar in a lean and capturing her in an embrace without actually making contact. His mouth hovered at her earlobe. The flick of his tongue slid across the sensitive skin, followed by a quick nip of his teeth.
“I’ve been dreaming about you.”
Wait. Had he spoken, or had she?
His arms dropped, fingertips sliding along her outer thighs. The sultry sensation nearly overwhelmed her composure.
“Me too.” Her voice sounded disjointed and ragged.
Jill turned toward them. “Hello,” she said, “I’m Jill Whitney. Chloe’s friend. And this is Kyle Darren.”
“Nice to meet you,” Constantine said, grasping her hand for a moment, before reaching to shake Kyle’s. “I’m Constantine Knight. Welcome to Midnight Luna.” His voice conveyed ownership and he surveyed their surroundings with obvious pride.
“Wait,” Chloe said, getting to her feet. “I thought you worked here.” This wasn’t good. She wanted a one-night-stand with a server or bartender. Not the owner of the hippest club in the city.
Constantine’s brow furrowed. “Oh, I work here, I assure you.” One side of his mouth curved upward. “Are you enjoying your drinks?”
“Tyrese is awesome,” said Kyle, giving the man working his magic down the bar a hearty salute. “The dude made me a drink that brought back my college days.”
“I believe he is a sorcerer.” Constantine raised his hand and Tyrese stepped in front of Jill, as if already headed in their direction. “Please make my guests another round. On the house. Anything they’d like.”
“Happy to, Conny.” The man’s dark skin crinkled with mischief in the corners of his eyelids.
A duo of thanks and excited chatter came from the excited couple.
Chloe stood in front of her stool, her purple sweet tart abandoned. She needed to abort her plan. This man was too important. Too big. Too everything.
She couldn’t have a backroom quickie with him and walk away. Being with him could ruin her for any future men. Who could ever compare to this power house?
And what if he wanted more than sex? Or if she did?
Chapter Seven
Constantine viewed surprise, followed by fear in the widening and narrowing of Chloe’s eyelids. Her small hands clenched into fists. The front door stole her full attention. She was going to bolt. He’d scared her off. His fantasy woman had returned to Midnight’s to seduce a member of his wait staff. And Constantine was no mere waiter.
“Chloe,” he said, grasping her elbow before she could dash for the door. “I have that dry-cleaning bill in my office.” He tugged gently, but firmly on her arm, turning her away from the exit. “Didn’t you offer to pay for that lipstick stain?”
“Oh,” she said, her voice high. “I’d forgotten.”
“Please excuse us.” He nodded to Jill and Kyle. “We have unfinished business.”
“Take your time. We’re not going anywhere,” Jill said, sending a wink at her petite, brunette friend.
“But…” Chloe’s voice squeaked.
“This way.” He tucked her delicate hand into the crook of his arm and led her to his private office. His fantasy was coming true. The woman of his daydreams walked with him toward his innermost sanctum.
They moved down the hall toward the restrooms, but instead turned right at the door marked Employees Only. The outer office held a desk for his floor manager and a row of lockers. Past the metal cabinets, the door to his private office awaited. He slid a key from his pocket and unlocked the knob, releasing Chloe to wave her in first.
She took two timid steps into the dark, masculine room. A leather couch to the left gave way to two complementary high-back chairs and his five-foot-long mahogany desk. Chloe’s focus wasn’t on the furniture. Her blue eyes saucered when she took in the two-way mirror opposite the couch.
He chuckled, which caused her to startle and step further inside. He closed and locked the door. Walking past her, he opened his arms to encompass the room. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”
She twisted her fingers and stepped past the couch. Deciding against the chairs, she leaned her hip against the desk.
His cock stiffened. If she had any idea of what he wanted to do to her on that mahogany surface, she might’ve opted for a chair.
He sauntered to her side, keeping space between them, and faced the window. A woman approached the glass and checked her eye makeup.
Chloe giggled. “This seems … naughty.”
“Look,” he said, taking her hand and raising it to wave at the woman. “You can do anything you want in here.” He placed a soft kiss on her knuckle before releasing her. “No one will ever know.”
Her cheeks turned pink and she rubbed her thumb absently across the spot he had kissed.
“No one can tell we’re behind the mirror. It’s a common business practice to help keep an eye on things. Come here.”
He walked to the glass and tapped it. “Look.”
When she reached his side, he pointed to a table by the front door. “See the woman with the large brown purse?”
“Yes.”
“She slipped a set of silverware inside.”
“No,” Chloe’s voice whispered in disbelief.
“Yes. And she’ll go for the other set too.”
Chloe waited with rapt attention to see if he was correct. Her innocence stoked his desire to learn more about her. How could a lovely woman like Chloe remain so unjaded?
He stepped to his desk and picked up the phone. After pushing a button, he said, “Hi, Dave, it’s Ellen at table two again.” He paused. “Yes, thanks.”
A waiter stopped at the table and squatted at eye level to discreetly speak with the woman.
“Ellen has a bit of a klepto problem,” he said.
After the woman nonchalantly replaced the silverware from her purse, the waiter strolled away.
“You handled that well,” Chloe said. “I take it she’s a regular?”
“Every Wednesday and Saturday.” He leaned his shoulder against the window and let his gaze move onto the tantalizing brunette. “I was worried you weren’t coming back.”
She turned to face him and mimicked his stance.
Good girl. Good sign. Good God, he wanted to kiss her.
“I’ve been thinking about you too.” Her words were low, breathy.
He raised his hand to her mouth and traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “You are incredibly beautiful, Chloe.” His fingertips traced the line of her jaw.
She bit her lip and turned to face the window once more. “You watched me the night we met.”
Her voice didn’t hold an accusatory tone. She simply stated a fact.
He took a position squarely behind her and caressed her arms. “You held me under your spell from the first moment I saw you.”
Capturing her hands, he raised them overhead, and planted her palms on the cool glass. Nuzzled into the back of her neck, he inhaled the fruity scent of her shampoo. “I swear, no one can see in.”
Her breathing increased and she wiggled to get closer.
Maybe if he took charge, she’d feel more at ease. “Keep your palms on the window.”
He released her delicate fingers and she held the pose. “You are beyond sexy in that dress, Chloe.” Stroking the soft fuzz of the material, he traced her spine until he could cup her ass. Then he started again at her wrists to stroke her arms. He slid his fingers around her waist and she gasped, spinning to face him. Her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach. Her lips curled in to keep her from saying something.
“I’m sorry,” he said, stepping backward.
He’d moved too fast. Pushed her too quickly. Ruined his chance to fulfill his fantasy.
“I didn’t mean—”
One arm remained wrapped around her waist. Her free hand clasped over her mouth. Her eyes took on a glassy sheen.
Did she want to be in charge? He was fine with that.
Anything.
So long as she didn’t leave.
Chapter Eight
Chloe couldn’t believe how fast Constantine backed away from her. His dark brows were pinched in something like concern. His slumped shoulders suggested he might end their sensual encounter before they’d truly started.
