Hard & Reckless (Club Reckless Book 1)

by Victoria Ashley

  I tense my jaw and look up at her, trying to keep my cool. “I guess news travels fast around here.”

  Fucking Rowdy.

  “That’s what happens when you’re friends with Rowdy. He gets high and his sexy lips won’t stop moving,” she says with a small smile. “But I’m here if you need to talk. I’ve dated assholes like her before. I know what it takes to get over it and I’m willing to help.”

  “Thanks, babe.” I grab her hand from mine and kiss it, wanting to keep things friendly between us. I have enough messes to clean up at this club. “Let me know if anyone gives you a hard time.”

  “Will do, babe.”

  Nodding my head, I leave her alone so I can scan the rest of the room out, keeping my eyes out for anyone who’s had too much to drink.

  After a while, I get bored, my eyes wandering back over to Cole’s section to see that the girl he’s been all over is walking through the crowd with one of her friends, heading toward the bathroom.

  Cole seems to be busy, so I take this as my opportunity to get her to notice me, making my way through the crowd, ignoring all the other females on the way.

  My focus is her.

  The line to the restroom is long as usual, so she and her friend line up at the end, talking and laughing about something.

  The closer I get to her, the more intrigued I become as I step around to the side and my eyes land on her face up close for the first time.

  I freeze, unable to turn away as she looks away from her friend to look up at me. She’s breathing heavily, fighting to catch her breath from all the dancing they’ve been doing.

  Her long, wavy black hair and bright blue eyes, speak right to my dick, making it stand tall as my eyes roam over her curvy body.

  Locking eyes with her, I lift a brow, checking her out, not hiding the fact that I find her attractive.

  That’s the first step to getting her interested. Curiosity always gets the best of women when it comes to me. Always has.

  Tightening my jaw, I allow my eyes to land on her plump lips, before I lick my own and walk away.

  I can feel her eyes on me, watching my every step as her friend laughs and tries to get her attention. “Brooke . . . bring it back to reality. You listening to me?”

  Satisfied with her reaction to me, I stop Wendy as she walks by, carrying her shot tray. “I’ll take those last two shots.” I pull out a twenty and drop it on her tray, grabbing the blue shots.

  “Sure thing, Jameson.” She smiles and holds up the bill with a smirk. “Change?”

  “Keep it.”

  By the time I turn back around, Brooke and her friend are practically standing right beside me now as the line slowly moves up. I can see her secretly checking me out, while her friend continues to talk about Cole, asking her about the sex and how well he can take care of her.

  Perfect timing to step in.

  Giving them a confident smile, I step into their space, handing them both a shot.

  Without giving Brooke the chance to speak, I tangle my hand into the back of her hair and lean in to whisper in her ear, “I’ll take care of you. I’m really fucking generous when it comes to women. Just ask my friend Cole.” I smile as she leans in closer to my lips as if she wants to hear more. I clearly have her interest now. “Shots are on me.”

  She lets out a small breath when I pull away, but only offers me a smile as she tilts the shot back, keeping her eyes locked with mine. She seems a bit . . . speechless.

  I’m still way too close to her personal space, when I look over to see Cole walking toward us.

  He doesn’t look the least bit pleased as his eyes catch mine, his muscles flexing with each step toward us.

  Smirking, I push the ear piece further into my ear, when I hear Rowdy’s voice come through, asking me to come watch the entrance door for him. It’s a Saturday night so there’s no way he’ll be able to leave his spot without me filling in for him.

  “Great fucking timing,” I mumble to Cole, knowing that he can hear Rowdy calling for me.

  “You’re telling me,” he grinds out, getting close to my ear. “Better hurry, Jameson. I can take care of my girl just fine. Let’s not do this shit. I know where you’re taking this.”

  We both look over to the sound of Brooke’s voice. “Jameson . . .” she holds up the empty shot glass and smiles, while looking at my lips as if she wants to taste them. “Thanks for the shot. It was delicious.”

  “Mmm . . .” her friend wipes her mouth off and smiles up at me, looking satisfied and impressed. “Yes, thank you. It was so good.”

  “You’re welcome, ladies.”

  Grabbing the back of Cole’s head, I get in his face. “Then you know me well. Better hope you can take care of your girl just fine, brother. It would suck if she decides she wants us both to.”

  Looking over Cole’s shoulder, I wink at Brooke, causing her face to turn red, before she leans in to whisper something in her friend’s ear.

  Cole’s jaw clenches as he watches me grinning like an asshole.

  “I think she likes me.” My smile widens. “I guess we’ll just have to see how much.”

  With that, I walk away, leaving Cole pissed off and probably thinking of all the ways he can keep me away from his girl, now that I’ve made it clear what’s about to go down.

  “Jameson, you dick.” Rowdy throws the clipboard at my chest, giving me a hard look once I finally make it outside. “Took you long enough.”

  “Calm the fuck down. It’s been five minutes. Your client can wait.”

  “This one doesn’t.” With that, Rowdy rushes through the parking lot, leaving me to watch the door so he can get high.

  Between Cole being here and now dealing with Rowdy’s shit, I’m itching to knock someone the fuck out.

  I can only hope someone fucks up.

  Pulling out a cigarette, I light it and stand back, watching the line full of people, just waiting for a reason to chase someone down.

  I need something to get my adrenaline pumping and standing still does nothing but makes me antsy.

  Usually, there’s at least one idiot who thinks he can sneak his way into the club, without waiting to be let in.

  “Jameson,” Rev’s voice comes through my ear piece, causing me to stand tall and listen. “We have another runner. Left out the back door of the poker room. You’re going to love this one.” He laughs. “I’m sending Serge to watch the door.”

  Smirking, I toss my cigarette down, before dropping the clipboard and taking off through the alley.

  If it’s not someone trying to sneak in, then it’s someone trying to sneak out from downstairs.

  Adrenaline has me running fast, rounding the corner, just in time to clothesline the idiot, stupid enough to think he can get away without paying his debt.

  The guy hits the ground hard, coughing out as his breath gets knocked out of him.

  This isn’t the first time I’ve chased him down and I know it won’t be the last. He should be banned by now, but I enjoy these moments too much.

  Standing over him, I place my foot on his neck and call back to Rev.

  “How much does James owe this time?”

  Rev laughs into the ear piece. “Damn, that was faster than usual, man. Fifty-five hundred.”

  Removing my boot from James’ neck, I roll him over and pull his wallet from his pocket. “Did you really think it was going to be that easy to get away, James?” I empty the cash from his wallet, tossing the leather down on his chest.

  “Yeah . . . thought you were off tonight. Guess I was wrong.” He coughs and sits up, watching as I count his money. “I don’t have enough cash right now. It’s why I ran.”

  “No shit,” I mumble, while grabbing his arm and taking off his watch. “Guess this shit will do.”

  “It better,” he says, while standing up and smoothing out his suit. “That’s a Rolex. It’s worth way more than I owe.”

  “Well, consider it a down payment for the next time you run then, asshole.�
�� I slap his chest and back up. “Cause we all know I’ll catch you again. I’m beginning to like this little relationship we have.”

  Winking, I turn around and head back to the club, feeling just a tiny bit better now that I’ve had some action.

  Damn, I needed this. I’ll have to remember to thank James someday for giving me someone to take my aggression out on . . .

  Brooke Collins

  I RELEASE A SMALL BREATH and pull my eyes away from Jameson’s firm backside, when Cole grabs my waist and squeezes it, possessively.

  “Don’t mind Jameson. He’s sort of a dick at the moment.”

  I bring my eyes back to his friend and continue to watch him through the crowd. His body is perfectly sculpted, his hands and knuckles covered in tattoos. He’s dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a white button down shirt that shows his back muscles flex with every step he takes toward the exit.

  The hat he has on is facing backwards and reads Security in bold black letters.

  He’s completely distracting, even with Cole trying to whisper in my ear and pull me against him.

  “Doesn’t seem like a dick,” I say with a small smile, thankful for his generosity. “He was nice enough to buy us shots that we didn’t even ask for.”

  “That’s the problem,” he grumbles under his breath.

  Curiosity has me wanting to know about this mysterious guy that just seemed to come out of nowhere, looking like pure sex and sin. “How long have you been friends?”

  Cole lets out a frustrated breath and pushes his earpiece in his ear, listening to whatever someone is saying in it. “Shit, I have to go downstairs. They need extra security.”

  Grabbing the back of my head, he crushes his lips to mine, before roughly biting my bottom one. His kiss leaves me speechless and panting against his mouth as he speaks. “If I don’t see you again tonight, I’ll call you tomorrow when you get off work.”

  He rushes off, leaving me to stand back and watch his sexy ass as he disappears through the crowd and down the stairs.

  I’ve had a crush on Cole King for a few years now and I just recently got up enough courage to hit on him and give in to my temptation. Hitting on him led to the bedroom and I can’t deny that he is hot as hell and extremely talented behind closed doors.

  The man uses his body and tongue in ways I’ve never even imagined were possible and I am far from ready to give that up.

  I’ve heard he’s not the relationship type. That he’s sort of a playboy, but it won’t hurt to stick around for the ride. After the men I’ve been with . . . hell, I deserve a little fun. Even if it is unattached.

  That’s exactly what Cole is and his friend looks to be just as fun and tempting as he is.

  Karson waits until Cole is out of sight, before nudging me to get my attention. “What was that all about? Did you see the way Cole’s friend looked at you and right in front of him too?”

  Swallowing, I try to hide my smile, but it’s no use. Jameson definitely has my curiosity piqued. “Yeah . . . is it bad that I liked it?”

  “Not at all. Two hot friends giving you attention. What’s not to like? Think he’s outside?” She laughs and grabs my hand, pulling me toward the exit. “But you did start with Cole first, so you should be generous and help a girl out. That is . . . unless they’re into sharing. Then I guess you can have both.” She lifts her eyebrows, grinning like a maniac. “That would be really hot.”

  Her words leave me sweating. I’ve never really thought about having two friends at once, but I definitely am now.

  “Tell me about it.” I shake my head and follow her through the crowd, looking around for Jameson once we make it out the door.

  I can’t deny that I sort of hope he is outside so I can get another glimpse of him before we leave.

  Feeling his eyes on me inside the club was enough to excite me and that hasn’t happened in a long time, other than with Cole.

  I want to see if seeing him again now, will feel the same way as it did back when we were inside. Maybe it was the adrenaline from dancing that had me all worked up.

  I see disappointment wash over Karson’s face, once she realizes he must no longer be out here. “That’s a shame,” she says on a small breath, “I wanted to properly thank him for the shot.”

  “Maybe next time . . .”

  Just as I’m about to look away, my eyes land on Jameson, looking hot and sweaty as he comes from around the corner, smoking a cigarette.

  He looks rough as though he’s just chased someone down or just had hot, wild sex.

  My heart speeds up and excitement courses through me as his eyes seek me out and he flashes me a confident smile, while leaning against the side of the building.

  Smiling back, I quickly grab Karson’s hand and pull her through the parking lot, knowing that I need to get away now, before I change my mind and want to stay.

  I notice an Uber driver, dropping off a few people, so I quicken the pace, pulling her behind me. “I have to work at eight so let’s just head out. He must be gone already.”

  “Ahhh,” she groans, while throwing her head back. “It’s too early to leave. You’re killing my buzz right now.”

  “Well then, good. Cause it’s usually the other way around. Welcome to my world, babe. Doesn’t it taste fucking great?”

  Muttering, she just hops into the back of the jeep, giving up.

  Good . . . cause for some reason, I don’t want her getting her hands on Jameson. Not yet . . .

  TONIGHT AT DIAMOND’S HAS BEEN pure hell and if this asshole in front of me attempts to grab my waist, thigh or ass one more time, he will be eating my shoe, instead of anything on the menu.

  My limit is being pushed, and I’m about two seconds away from telling Hal to fuck off and find another waitress for his stupid, poorly ran sports bar.

  Not to mention these spandex shorts look utterly ridiculous and spend about eighty percent of the time, riding up my ass.

  Kind of like my customers.

  I wish more than anything right now that I was still at the club, just dancing and having fun with Karson, instead of dealing with this shit.

  Maybe I should’ve gave in and stayed.

  “Listen here, asshole.” I slam a pitcher of beer onto the table, splashing it all over my hand. “The only way you’ll ever get laid is if you crawl up a chicken’s ass and wait. So, touch me again and you’ll lose a finger.”

  The idiot’s two friends laugh at the insult, and begin pouring their glasses full of beer again.

  They’ve been here for the last three hours and they’re already on their seventh pitcher of beer and apparently, they started to get confident and hallucinate after the fourth one.

  “Oh come on, beautiful. Don’t pretend you’re not going to let me take you home as soon as your shift ends. We both know where this is headed.” He smirks and reaches for my waist, gripping it. “I promise you’ll have the best night of your life.”

  “You know . . . it’s better to let someone think you’re an idiot, than to open your mouth and prove it.” Smiling down at him, I grab what’s left of the pitcher and slowly pour it over his head. “Now, you might want to go home and take a shower before you get sticky.”

  “Fucking bitch!” Yelling, he releases his grip on me and stands up, shaking his hair out, before wiping his hand over his face. “Are you insane?”

  I slam the empty pitcher into his chest, making him stumble back a bit. “Only when it comes to creeps like you. Learn some damn respect. I’m not here for your touching pleasure.”

  “Brooke!” I step away from the jerk in front of me and look over to see my boss storming his way over. I haven’t seen him look this pissed in a while. “Please tell me I’m seeing things and you didn’t just pour a pitcher over a customer’s head.”

  Reaching behind me, I undo my money apron and toss it at Hal’s oversized head. “You’re not seeing things and if you were, then this wouldn’t be a damn problem. Learn how to control your customers, before you wor
ry about your staff.”

  I go to walk away, but Hal grabs my arm, stopping me in place. “Don’t walk out, Brooke. You and I both know you’re the best I have here. I need you. But I can’t have you making a scene every time someone pisses you off.”

  Narrowing my eyes, I yank my arm out of his grip, tired of dealing with his bullshit. I’ve put up with it for over two years now and he’s yet to get better control over this place. “Oh save your fucking breath. You’ll need it to take the rest of the orders tonight.”

  Everyone in the bar has their eyes on me, watching as I snatch my purse out from behind the register and storm out the door.

  Once I step outside, I take a breath and slowly release it, in an attempt to calm down and catch my breath.

  I’m so worked up right now, that I’m finding it almost impossible.

  Honestly, if I didn’t need this shit job to pay my rent and other expenses, I would’ve left over a year ago. Hal has done nothing but brush off his customers acting badly to keep his business running and them coming back for more.

  I can’t do it anymore. I won’t.

  Looks like tomorrow, I’ll be on the hunt, but unfortunately, the only experience I have is in waitressing and bartending.

  Before my mom passed away twenty-eight months ago, I helped her out at the little café she ran.

  I tried keeping it going after she was gone, but I just couldn’t. I got depressed and couldn’t deal with promoting and finding ways to keep the customers coming in enough to keep the money flowing.

  I ended up having to sell it.

  After four months of sitting around and grieving, I went to Hal, my mother’s old friend, and asked him to give me a job at his bar.

  Unfortunately, Diamond’s Bar and Grill, went downhill just months after I started and Hal became desperate to make money and keep it going.

  Good luck to him, because there’s no way in hell I’m going back to that shithole.