“You’re not the boss of me,” she said.
The music was fast, but Gabe pulled her into his arms. His hands landing on her ass, he held her close. His lips brushed across her ear. “That’s where you’re wrong, baby, but I can wait.”
She gripped his shirt. “This is my workplace.”
“This is my bar. Dance with me.”
The music suddenly turned to a slow number, and couples all began to hold one another.
“What are you’re doing?” she asked.
“You’re not impressed?”
“It’s going to take a lot more than slow music to impress me.”
“You know, Laura, you’re turning out to be quite a challenge. You don’t accept gifts. You don’t like losing your work and that is the only time I get a reaction out of you. I can support you.”
She laughed, stroking the hairs at the back of his neck. “I wonder how many women have fallen for that. Sure, you’ll support me. For a year, maybe two. If I’m lucky, maybe even ten, until my much younger replacement takes over.”
Gabe leaned forward. “I’m the one with the reputation for being an asshole. For being deadly, and yet, I’d say you’re overtaking me in being a cynic.”
“I know what the world is like, Gabe. There’s no getting away from that, even if people try.” She shrugged. “I’m not hiding. I know.”
“And what exactly do you know?” he asked.
“You think I haven’t seen up close men with wives? Men who claim to love their woman for all eternity, then turn at the sight of fresh pussy? How they negotiate to get into it for the smallest crumb of food, perhaps?”
He tensed beneath her hands. “This happened to you.”
She froze in his arms. She’d said too much. Flicking her hair over her shoulder, she pressed her body against his. “Thank you for the dance, but I need to get back to work.”
Laura made to pull away, but he tugged her close. His hand gripping the back of her neck, he took possession of her mouth. She should fight him, tell him to stop, but instead, she melted against him for several seconds before she finally pulled away from him.
Without a backward look, she went to her section of the nightclub and made the rounds, gathering orders. She ignored the quiver in her hands and focused on what was important, keeping her job.
Gabe didn’t leave all night. He sat at a table, watching her. Every now and then, waitresses would go to his table. Some would flirt, and she didn’t like the rush of possession that flooded her at seeing them.
Get your head back in the game.
The game she played was well and truly fucked at the moment.
By the end of the night, she finished cleaning up the bar along with the barman and waitresses. She grabbed her jacket and bag, and left out the back, intent on not encountering him.
Only, Gabe had other ideas. He captured her hands and pressed her against the wall.
She tilted her head back. “You caught me.”
“And you keep sneaking off.”
“It doesn’t matter now. The question is, Gabe, what are you going to do to me?” He had her hands locked on either side of her head. Completely at his mercy.
He took her lips in a searing kiss. She’d never been kissed like this before, and his lips on hers was everything. She couldn’t begin to explain it.
Within seconds, he had her skirt up to her waist, her panties out of the way. She was able to get more sense as she ordered him to use a condom, which he did. Gabe, it would seem, always came prepared.
He pressed his cock to her entrance. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she began to fuck her. His hands cupping her ass, he held her up as he took her, driving in deep.
She moaned his name, feeling an answering spiral of heat swirling inside her. She couldn’t get enough of him, and with the way he took her, neither could he.
He kissed her neck, his tongue dancing across her pulse. He nipped at the tender flesh and she melted against him, crying out at the instant hit of pleasure.
“Touch yourself,” he said.
“No, you come.”
“Touch your fucking pussy,” he said, growling the words against her neck.
She reached between her thighs and even though there wasn’t much space, she found her clit and began to stroke.
“That’s it. My good girl.”
She groaned. Teasing her clit, she sank her teeth into her lip, trying to contain the noise, but it was no use. The pleasure was intense, and with his cock deep inside her, she came.
“That’s right.” He thrust inside her, going deeper, pounding into her, and she moaned his name, hungry for more. Gabe gave it to her. Against the wall of his nightclub, he took her harder, and even as she wanted to hate it, she loved it. Each thrust and grind of his pelvis sent an answering hit of need throughout her own.
When he tensed up, she groaned, wanting more.
He came, pulsing into the condom as he did.
They were panting for breath and reality set in. She needed to get home. The moment Gabe pulled out of her, she kissed his cheek and made her escape, shoving her skirt down to her knees as she left.
****
“No charges have ever been brought against him. Rumors have surfaced, but like so many things, they disappeared,” Felipe said.
Gabe tapped his fingers on the file spread out in front of him.
A Mr. Pinal stared back at him. A man with an innocent smile, surrounded by his children and wife. Known for taking in foster girls. On rare occasions, foster boys. The girls didn’t stay for long, apart from Laura, who stayed for eighteen months. At first, she ran away.
With what she said to him last night, he knew there was more to this story.
“Thank you, Felipe.”
His guard nodded his head and turned to leave.
Gabe had nothing to go on. He picked up the file on the man with Laura’s words ringing in his ears. Another picture of her fell out of the file. She was a pretty girl, no denying it. Slightly mousy features a teenager would have. Her body had already developed. The shape of her could easily draw every single male’s attention, and he had a feeling the man in that photograph was the result of her cynicism.
Slapping the file closed, he got to his feet as another knock happened at the door.
“Come in,” he said.
“Sir, Anya is outside, waiting.”
He blew out a breath. Anya was an ex-lover who had enjoyed spending his money for as long as he enjoyed being between her thighs. She hadn’t been anything special. Easy. She’d whined all the time, and he’d found her utterly droll. Many times, she’d brought up the subject of marriage.
“Get rid of her,” he said.
Felipe nodded. The man knew how to do his job.
He had a date somewhere else. He left his office and made his way down to the car.
“I just want to see him. It’s really important,” Anya said.
“You need to leave,” Felipe said. “You were aware of your time with him being over.”
“He loved me.”
“No, I didn’t,” Gabe said, stepping toward Felipe, who had his hands on the woman, trying to restrain her.
“Please, Gabe. I need you. I’ll do whatever you want.”
He saw the look in her eyes. The dilated pupils. He’d suspected she was using, and now he was completely convinced. At the time, he’d offered her a full-expense-paid rehabilitation. Drugs were always supplied, and he had a portion of the pie. He’d never given them to Anya, nor had he ever taken them himself. The world, when it came to drugs, was a messy one. He didn’t like it, but he also knew the market.