Glass Ceilings

by A. m Madden

  I needed to do that again.

  Just as I was about to pick up where I left off, Eve broke the spell. “That was so hot. I knew it! I fucking knew it! You two have a thing for each other!”

  Angela quickly backed away from what we just shared. Her expression morphed from heated passion to cold confusion in a blink of an eye. The lips I had just indulged in were nervously pressed together, almost as if she was protecting them from me. Her eyes darted between Eve and me like she was trying to find a way to escape.

  I needed validation that she also felt the current that coursed between us when my tongue caressed hers, when our eyes locked. I needed to understand why, for the first time in my life, I felt an unexplainable connection that was so fierce it rendered me stupid.

  I also needed more of her, much more.

  “Angela.” I reached for her and she stepped further away.

  “I need…I’ll be back.” She turned and quickly walked toward the ladies room. Eve went to follow, but I stopped her.

  “I’ll go.” My guess was I only had a few minutes left before Mugs would come yelling, and I needed to tell her it was the best money I’d ever spent.

  I found Angela waiting in line for the ladies room. Without an explanation, I took her hand and dragged her toward the stockroom. Some of the women in line catcalled and whistled as we walked by.

  “Lucky girl,” one called out. “I’ve been trying to nail him for weeks.”

  Another hollered, “I’m next!”

  “What are you doing?” she whispered harshly, as I pulled her into the room, slammed the door, and locked it.

  “We need to talk about what just happened.”

  “It was a kiss, Nick. Nothing happened.”

  “It was amazing, Angela. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel the same. And…” I gripped the back of my neck in frustration. Damn it, should I admit what I wanted? Should I finally come clean and tell her she was all I’d been thinking about and it’d be impossible to stop the thoughts of being with her, especially now after that kiss?

  She turned to face me, the lost look still in her eyes. “And?”

  “And, I want to do that again. And, I want to do much more.”

  She let out a sarcastic huff. “Of course you do. You want that one-night stand.”

  “Why does it have to be labeled? Doesn’t every relationship start with one night? Look, for some reason I’m drawn to you and I know you feel it, too.”

  “ANGELA!”

  “Angela is getting a good fucking,” a catty response filtered through the closed door followed by laughter.

  “Shut up, bitch!” Eve said and knocked hard over and over. “Ang, open up.” Angela looked up at me hesitantly, before walking over to the door to let her cousin in.

  “What the hell?” Eve looked past her to me. She raised a brow and asked, “He freaked you out, didn’t he?”

  Is that what this is? She’s freaking out?

  “Eve.”

  “What? He’s not Ronnie, Ang. It’s time you moved on.”

  “Stop it. You promised.”

  I didn’t need to see Angela’s face to know how angry she was. Her fists clenched at her sides at the mere mention of this Ronnie prick.

  Eve glared back, but nodded without argument. “Fine. I’m going to Jase’s place. Don’t wait up.” She looked over at me and asked, “Can you get her home?”

  I nodded silently. Eve kissed Angela’s head and then left us alone once again, shutting the door behind her.

  “Who’s Ronnie?”

  Without turning to face me she said very quietly, “My ex.”

  “Kid!” The next loud bang came from Mugs. Angela startled, jolting to face me when his fist continued to bang on the door as he barked, “Get the fuck out here, kid!”

  We also heard, “Mugs, don’t cock-block Nick!” with more catty laughter.

  Unfazed by the prick banging on the door, I asked, “Can we finish this discussion later?”

  Angela’s nod was jerky, hesitant. I moved around her to open the door just as Mugs shouted, “Nick!”

  “I’m coming!”

  “He’s coming already? Oh my God! That was really quick, Nick!” A fit of cackles came through the door causing Angela to cover her eyes, completely mortified by the situation. Seeing her so upset made me want to hurt someone.

  “Calm the fuck down,” I said, as I yanked open the door. My facial expression stunned him silent. This bastard was two seconds away from a punch to the face. I had never, ever disrespected him in any way. I made the man a small fortune while here, but I no longer gave a shit. My fuse was slowly smoldering toward its end, and any patience that I’d held for Mugs or that dump was no longer anywhere to be found. If I could’ve slapped cuffs on him and hauled his ass to jail at that exact moment, I would have.

  In the first fifteen minutes of the New Year I’d already experienced both heaven and hell, and I dared anyone to mess with me until I fixed things back to the way I wanted them…somehow being physically attached to Angela.

  I motioned for Angela to walk out ahead of me, making sure Mugs didn’t so much as utter a sound or turn his scowl on her. Wordlessly, I then stepped around him following her out to the bar. Snickers and giggles followed us, making Angela walk as quickly as she could to escape the embarrassment.

  “Angela,” I called out right before grabbing her arm. “I can’t drive you home until I’m done. Please wait.”

  She shook her head and without meeting my gaze said, “No, Nick. I’m ready to leave now.”

  —

  I tried to convince her to wait for my shift to end, but she was adamant about leaving. The only thing she allowed me to do was call a cab for her. She said we’d talk tomorrow. I didn’t have tomorrow. I only had now.

  Shit was going to hit the fan tomorrow for Mugs, and his gold mine was on the threshold of ruin. Neither he nor the Polittos had any idea what was coming.

  The Dump had been the perfect façade for the multi-million-dollar drug ring that supplied half of Chicago. It was a brilliant plan.

  Although its name insinuated a seedy, disgusting joint where one could score their latest fix, it was just the opposite. Trendy, well kept, and the popular place to be among young professionals in downtown Chicago. The perfect front for just one of the many illegal rings run by the Politto crime family.

  After finishing up my shift, I had one more piece of evidence to secure. While my coworkers cleaned up the New Year’s Eve mess, and Mugs was busy counting his cash, I quickly dismounted the hidden camera from the stockroom as well as the half dozen audio bugs I had planted throughout the bar.

  I drove to my destination in a daze. Where my thoughts should have been on the evidence I was about to hand over to another agent, instead they were on Angela.

  The plan was to lie low for the next forty-eight hours as The Dump was raided and all arrests had been made. Then, once I met with my supervising agent, I was supposed to leave Chicago and head straight for New York.

  But now with Angela in the picture, I couldn’t just disappear as I’d originally planned. I needed to see her before I left. Meeting her was not part of my plan. I had no idea what this could be between us, but for some reason I couldn’t fathom starting my next chapter without finding out.

  It was four a.m. by the time I parked outside Eve’s townhouse. I literally sat there for a full fifteen minutes before I built enough nerve to walk to the front door. It wasn’t like another fifteen minutes would make a fuck’s worth of difference at that late hour. I didn’t want to scare her, but I needed to talk to her. The sound of my solid knocks on the paneled wood reverberated through the deserted snowy night much louder than I would’ve liked. The last thing I needed was the neighbors stopping my efforts to see her at that point.

  “Are you okay?” Her question sounded pained through the intercom. Mounted above on the brick elevation was a small camera pointed right at me. Of course Eve’s place had a state-of-the-art security system.
<
br />   “No. Angela, I want to talk to you.”

  After a few long seconds, she pulled open the heavy wood door. I couldn’t tell if I suddenly felt warmth from the heat pouring out the door, or from seeing her before me in nothing but an oversized T-shirt. My eyes drank in every inch of her from the curve of her neck to the toned smooth skin of her legs. My impetus to show up in the middle of the night had little to do with my sexual urges toward her. But seeing her standing a few feet away looking so stunning felt like some kind of cruel joke.

  “Nick, why are you here?” She shivered while waiting for me to either speak or move.

  “Can I come in?”

  Surprisingly, she nodded and moved aside to let me in. The snow that clung to my head and shoulders fell to the marble floor, instantly melting into tiny puddles. I looked down and apologized for the mess.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she responded while leading me into a large living room. The décor screamed luxury, from the soft leather couches to the massive flat screen on the far wall. A velour blanket lay on the floor before the couch, a cup of tea sat on the table beside it, and a fire roared in the fireplace.

  “I’m sorry it’s so late. Did I wake you?” I asked, wondering if she was here when I knocked, or up in her warm bed.

  “Um…no, I couldn’t sleep. Can I get you something to drink?”

  I shook my head, waiting for her to sit before I sat beside her. When she did, she tucked her bare legs beneath her.

  Now that I was there, I had no idea where to begin. As thoughts fought their way to my mouth, she spared me by saying, “Nick, I wish things could be different, but I can’t start something when I’m leaving soon.”

  “Leaving? Where are you going?”

  “New York City. I have to be gone by the time—” She stopped abruptly while looking down at her fingers as they tugged on the hem of her T-shirt. I wasn’t sure if the motion was from her nerves or her modesty.

  “By the time what?” I prompted.

  She looked up at my face, waiting a pause before saying, “I just need to leave before my ex gets back to Chicago. He’s been away in Italy for the holidays, and I want to be gone by the time he returns.”

  “This Ronnie guy, right?”

  She nodded without making eye contact.

  “Ronnie what?”

  “Delton.”

  “So you’re running away? Did he hurt you?” My question caused strong emotions to swell in her eyes where I could see tears glisten even in the dimly lit room.

  “He won’t anymore.” She shrugged, breaking eye contact to stare at the hem of her shirt once again.

  Rage slowly crept through my veins into my chest, making my breathing labored and obvious. “Angela, who is he?”

  “It doesn’t matter. He’s part of my past, and I’m ready to find my future. I just have some things to wrap up before I leave.” The minute I left her, I’d be looking into this Delton prick.

  “How does Eve feel about you leaving?”

  “She agrees I need to. She’s like a sister to me. We grew up together before her family moved here when we were twelve. She said maybe she’d follow me back East. Eve gets bored quickly.”

  I looked around the palatial townhouse. “What does she do?”

  “She owns a boutique. I managed it for her.” She smiled as my eyes continued to take in all the luxuries she surrounded herself with in her home. “My uncle is very wealthy.”

  “I gathered. This place is amazing.”

  “Yeah, it’s going to be hard leaving this.”

  I walked over to the sliding doors at the back of the house. “What’s that lead to?”

  Angela came to stand beside me and flipped the light switch beside the door, revealing a large deck with a Jacuzzi tub. “Wow,” I said before turning back to her. “It’s beautiful.” My eyes drank her in and my brain added, So are you. She met my gaze, and I fought the urge to lunge as the intense desire to have her engulfed me from head to toe. Several long seconds passed before she looked away.

  “I’ll miss this.” For some reason I didn’t think she was referring to the townhouse, or the Jacuzzi, or even Eve.

  “It doesn’t have to end,” I said quietly as I turned my gaze back to the deck. Her following silence was deliberate.

  I walked back to the couch and sat heavily. “Angela, I need to tell you something.” She sat beside me and I leaned over to take her hand in both of mine. “Six months ago I took an assignment here in Chicago. Tonight, that assignment ended. Before I met you, my plan was to pack my things and drive to New York City. I start my new job once I get there.”

  The angst she felt earlier was replaced with confusion. “What kind of an assignment?”

  “I’m here undercover. I work for the government, and I can’t share details. You have to trust me, please. My new life will also be in New York.”

  “Undercover?” She withdrew her hand and stood abruptly to pace the room. “Wait, is your name even Nick Smith?”

  “No.” The look on her face crushed me.

  “What is it?” she whispered.

  “It’s Nick Farley.” I walked toward her stopping inches away. “Angela, it’s still me. I’m still the guy who took one look at you and decided I needed to meet you.”

  “Nick, I don’t know a thing about you, or you about me.”

  “I know enough, Angela.”

  Little did she know that I knew all about her, from her grades in grammar school to the address of her dorm room at Rutgers. From the bits of information she had shared with me as well as the ones I found out on my own, I deducted that she grew up in Jersey and followed the douchebag to Chicago where they lived together for two years.

  “I know there’s something between us that can’t be ignored. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never felt this way before.”

  “Neither have I,” she admitted quietly.

  “And I don’t have a clue what this could become or where it could lead, but I’d like to find out.”

  “We’ve known each other a week.” Her logic may have been controlling her voice, but through her panting, her parted lips, and her hooded eyes I knew she was having a reaction to our physicality. She responded to me in every way.

  “Does that make our attraction toward each other any less meaningful?” I closed the little distance there was between us until our chests touched. Her breathing accelerated as I felt her breasts push closer with each breath she took.

  “Can you honestly say you’ve ever felt this kind of desire take hold of every part of you before?” Just as I had earlier that evening, I held her face between my hands, dipping her head back gently until she was forced to meet my gaze.

  “Have you ever had a kiss make you want to rip someone’s clothes off and devour the rest of them right then, right there?”

  Eliminating what little space was between our lips, I asked, “Have you ever felt anything as exquisite as this?” I swallowed her sigh into my mouth, opening farther to breathe her air. Our second kiss was just as meaningful as our first, but completely different. Our first kiss had been a slow smoldering fire. Our second was an explosion. I released her head, gripped her hips, and pulled every inch of her body into every inch of mine. With that kiss, I showed her how amazing we could be together.

  I was the first to break it, leaving her breathless.

  “Nick, you were most definitely not part of my plan.”

  “Plans can change.”

  Chapter 7

  Nick

  She stared at me, waiting expectantly…and my response was to kiss her again. The problem was, with each kiss I was no longer satisfied with how it had naturally happened the time before. With each kiss, I became greedier, more needy, and more brazen. I slipped my hands around her to settle under her shirt on her lower back. Her smooth, warm skin felt like silk beneath my touch.

  “Angela…” I couldn’t hide my need for her when her name fell from my lips. “You weren’t part of my plan, either.”
r />   “We can’t change our paths because of a strong physical attraction.”

  Was this pure lust and nothing more than a sexual attraction on crack? It was at that moment I realized it had to be more…because if she were to ask me to walk away, I would without hesitation. Even though every part of me hoped she wouldn’t, even knowing walking away would be the hardest thing I could do, I’d do it if she really needed me to. As if reading my thoughts, she stepped away. Uncertainty mixed with desire in the green depths of her eyes.

  “It’s more than that, Angela. This is…”

  “Craziness and complete insanity,” she interrupted before looking away.

  I gently gripped her chin, forcing her to look at me. “The thought of us together? Or what happens to us when we are?”

  “Both. I can’t think straight when I’m near you. I can’t think of anything else, either.” I took her hand and led her back to the couch. Once we sat, she looked away, embarrassed.

  “Look at me.” When she met my gaze, I gently kissed her. “Angela, I didn’t come here with a hidden agenda.” I held her face to be sure she saw the truth in my words. “I needed to see you again.”

  She shifted on the couch until she was completely facing me. “I don’t want to drag you into my drama.”

  I contemplated her words. I could only imagine what that motherfucker did to her. The FBI agent in me wanted to push her into telling me everything. The man in me just wanted to hold her.

  “I don’t know what he did to you, and hopefully one day you’ll trust me enough to tell me, but I’m not him. You and I met by chance. Being together would be by choice. I have no idea what the future holds, but I know since seeing you in that bar a week ago I’m now so into you that I also can’t think straight.”

  When she looked into my eyes, the emotion she was consumed with was evident in the depth of hers. Surprising me, she placed a hand on my face and asked, “Kiss me?”

  I didn’t need convincing, yet I still needed to ask, “Why?”

  “Besides the fact that I’m insanely attracted to you? And the kiss at The Dump was all I could think about tonight, and I also want more? The main reason is how you make me feel, the things you say to me, and the way you look at me. I trust you…that doesn’t happen often for me.”