“I want you to come to my home after the club,” Drake says, opening the door for me after the valet retrieved Tori’s car.
He reads the grimace on my face, and his face reddens like before because he’s gotten my answer. “It’s not that I don’t want to,” I begin. “I have to get home by ten in the morning. I’m working a long shift tomorrow. It’s just…”
It’s his turn to return my grimace with his scowl. “And that’s why we’ll change your living arrangements if you become mine.”
“Yes, thank you, Sir,” I agree as the wind whips my hair into my face. He pulls the tendrils behind my ear, leaning in to place a chaste kiss on my forehead.
“I want you to wait until they bring my car around. Then follow me to the club?” he asks but even in his question is a demand. But it’s the control and not the man that makes my core ache for release tonight.
“Yes, of course I will.”
I settle into my car after he closes the door for me when he goes to settle the bill. The beep of my phone reminds me I’ve not checked it since leaving Tori’s house. Pulling it from my purse, I smile at Tori’s text.
Tori: Hey, babe. What time will you be back tonight? I won’t be home until three? You?
It’s almost midnight, but after I change and get ready, I can’t imagine leaving before two.
Me: Probably the same time. I have to be home by ten tomorrow. So, if we don’t touch base, I’ll see you in a few days. I’m sure my dad will have me landlocked for now. Come visit me.
She immediately sends me a thumbs-up emoji and then a little smiley face. She knows I hate the thumb so much. I always threaten to break her actual thumb when she sends it.
Scrolling through my texts, I see an unknown number. As I pull it up, my first thought is it must be my new boss. Maybe he’s changing the shift on me. He had said he does a lot of his communication through texts. Fudge cakes, knowing my luck, he’ll want me in at eight a.m. or even earlier.
Unknown number: I hope you know how much you’ve affected me. I’m sitting here, ignoring the world around me, wishing I could give you what you need.
He wants to mess with my day, with a person who will give me something he’s not willing. My eyes turn to the man on the curb, waiting for his car giving me a shrug. I take the time to return this jerk’s message.
Me: All I ever wanted was you. I didn’t expect perfection. But I find it odd that after three months of pursuing you, I can finally find happiness tonight, and you are texting me. You can’t have what you want all the time. You realized I’m off-limits now, and that’s the only reason you finally have the decency to reach out to me.
I receive a return text immediately but delete it before I read it, then block the number. A knock on the passenger window has me turning my attention to the commanding man who wants to cherish me. “You ready?” he mouths, and with a nod, I pocket my phone, prepared to follow this man who wants me. I have to forget about the man who apparently only wants what he can’t have.
Chapter Seven
Maddox
I’m staring at the text I sent Jewel, after her reply.
Me: Precious, believe it or not, I’m trying to be selfless. I want you, and that hasn’t changed since the first time I’ve had you. Then after today, my desire is to sink myself into you whenever I can. But I’m not good for you.
I hold the phone, waiting for a return text, and when one doesn’t come, I place my phone down. I don’t know what I should expect. Her to beg me? Would it change anything?
There’s a knock on my door as the club is a little slow for a Wednesday night, especially at midnight.
I don’t answer because with my security cameras I see who it is. I buzz him in, though with his codes, he can get in if he wants to.
“Yo, Chadwick wants you on the floor.” Anton’s voice carries past the music wafting in from the main club. I don’t respond to Chadwick’s demand. I’ll stay in here all night if I have to. “Oh and Jay has a message he wants me to pass on to you. Apparently, you aren’t talking to him?” It’s a question, and I answer with a slight nod before I take a drink of my Pepsi. I’ve moved past alcohol hours ago because it had not been numbing the pain.
“I heard I wasn’t the only person who missed dinner,” I begin, waiting for the message I know I won’t like from the dungeon master, even if it’s Anton delivering it.
“Yeah, I got an earful from Chad, too. But it couldn’t be helped.”
I continue, attempting to get him to talk about the complication in his life so I can go on living without whatever Jay feels I need to know, which I’m positive has to do with Jewel. “So tell me, asshole,” I begin, “what the hell has you all twisted up?”
His stare doesn’t leave mine. “Yeah, nice try there, talk about being all jumbled up.” He sits down, looking at my Pepsi. “Oh, that reminds me, the message from Jay.” He brings out his phone with a scowl on his face. “Tell Maddox when you see him that Drake Danner has requested the stage tonight with his new possible sub. We didn’t have anything planned so I had to give it to him.” He looks up and then continues without reading. “Jay then goes on to tell me how he would rather have his left nut removed than to deliver this information to you.”
I stay silent, but my eyes turn to the liquor in my office, wondering if I should switch back to it again.
“What is it about this girl?” Anton questions, and my eyes focus on him yet again. “What? You are my very best friend, even before my twin, so I think I know you better than anyone in this world. I’ve heard you call out for her in your dreams, and I’ve seen how you stare at your screen when she walks in the club. Hell, I’m not dumb.”
He gets my attention with the word hell. Anton doesn’t swear. Not ever. It’s the oddest thing, but if he’s very passionate, he’ll use hell on occasion.
“Does this mean you’re going to tell me about your girl troubles, too?” I chuckle, drinking my soda.
“I think that is enough for you, my dear friend.” He yanks my Pepsi from me like Chadwick had earlier, probably thinking I have liquor in it, but I don’t argue with him. “So this is about Cheryl, right? You’re back to this again, just like you are every time you have to deny yourself someone good.”
I push from my chair, and it flies behind me, hitting the wall. It’s my turn to start on him. “And you aren’t denying yourself happiness right now by sneaking around? So I’m your best friend, more so than the man who shared a womb with you, and you what, can’t tell me about her?”
Anton has always been the most calm and collected of all of us, and he displays this now as he leans back in his chair, not letting my words get to him.
“So,” Anton begins, “there’s truth to what you said, you big old baby, but we’re not talking about me. My issue isn’t about to cross the doors of the club as she begins a scene with her new possible Dom. So, yeah, this conversation is all about you, not me.” I attempt to sit down but forget my chair had been flung away from me and fall flat on my ass. Anton chuckles as he looks over my desk. “You okay there, buddy?”