But I loved bartending. More, I loved the club. I’d only started my
graduate work because I needed more to do. Something to keep me“occupied” was what Brian had said when he offered to pay for myexpenses beyond what my scholarship and financial aid covered.It was a good decision—the right decision since it essentially stoppedmy life from spiraling out of control. For the past three years I’d thrown mylife into school and the nightclub. Problem was that graduation took most ofmy preoccupation away. And now bogged down with student loans, I had tofigure out how to make ends meet without having to leave The Sky Launch.But I had a plan. I wanted a promotion. I’d been helping withsupervisory duties for the last year, but had been unable to get an officialtitle since managers had to work full-time. Now that school was over, I wasavailable for more hours. David had been grooming me for the position.The only wrinkle in my trajectory could be a new owner. But I wasn’t goingto worry about that. Yet.Explaining my intent to strangers was never easy, though. How wisewas it to use an MBA from Stern for a career in nightclub management?Probably not wise at all. So I swallowed before answering the suit.“Actually, I’d like to move up here. I love the nightclub scene.”To my surprise, he nodded, his eyes shimmering as he sat forward intothe bright white light of the bar. “It makes you alive.”“Exactly.” I couldn’t keep back my smile. How had he known?“It shows.”Hot, rich, and in tune with me. He was precisely the kind of man that Icould obsess over, and not in the healthy way.“Laynie!” The shout of the Regular from earlier drew me away from theintense gray eyes of the stranger. “I’m out of here. Wanted to say congratsagain and good luck. And, hey, here’s my number. Give me a callsometime. I can help you occupy your week off.”“Thanks, uh,” I read the name he’d written on the napkin he’d handedme, “Matt.” I waited until he’d walked away before tossing it in the trashunder the counter, catching the suit’s eye as I did so.“Do you do that with every number you receive?”I paused. It wasn’t like I hadn’t hooked up with customers before, butnever with regulars. That was a rule. I didn’t want to see them again. Toomuch temptation to go crazy over them.But I had no interest in having that conversation with the suit. And withhis eyes constantly on me, I finally believed that my attraction to himwasn’t one-sided. Not when he’d tipped me so generously. “Are you tryingto figure out if I’d throw away your number?”He laughed. “Maybe.”His reaction made me smile and made the moisture between my thighsthicken. He was fun to flirt with. Too bad I had to end it. I placed my handson the counter and leaned toward him so he could hear me better over themusic, trying not to delight in the searing look he gave my bosom as I didso. “I wouldn’t throw yours away. I wouldn’t take yours at all.”His eyes narrowed, but the laughter from earlier still danced in them.“Not your type?”“Not necessarily.” Pretending I wasn’t attracted to him was futile. Hehad to be aware of my reaction to him.“Why then?”“Because you’re looking for something temporary. Something fun toplay with.” I leaned even closer to deliver my punch line—the one thatwould deter even the horniest of men. “And I get attached.” I stood back upto my full height so I could take in his reaction. “Now doesn’t that just scareyou shitless?”I’d expected to see panic flash through his face. Instead, I saw a flickerof amusement. “You, Alayna Withers, do anything but scare me.” Butdespite his words, he stood, buttoning his suit coat as he did.“Congratulations again. Quite an accomplishment.”I watched him for far too long as he walked away, more crestfallenabout his abrupt departure than I wanted to admit.It took me a good five minutes after he left to realize I’d never givenhim my name.OceanofPDF.comCHAPTER TWO“HAVE you met the new owner yet?”I glanced up from my clipboard at Liesl’s backside as she studied thecontents of the small fridge behind the bar, her cascading purple hairdancing with her movements. My brow furrowed. I hadn’t forgotten aboutthe new owner but had tried not to think about him, knowing I’d obsess.Irritation at being reminded of him now filled my response. “Whenwould I have met him?” I hadn’t been at the nightclub since my graduationmore than a week before.Liesl closed the door to the fridge and shrugged. “I don’t know. Youcould have stopped by or something.”She knew me too well. I’d stopped myself several times that past weekfrom wandering over. It had been a battle, but I’d stayed away. “Nope.Actually, I spent most of the week at a spa near Poughkeepsie.”“Well, la de da!” Liesl raised a studded eyebrow. “Did you win the lottowhen I wasn’t looking?”“Hardly. It was a gift from Brian.” He hadn’t bothered with a card, justan envelope containing the train ticket and voucher for the resort deliveredto me by my doorman the morning of my graduation. It was thoughtful.And so very unlike my brother. Maybe it had been his wife’s idea.“How…nice.” Liesl detested Brian and never bothered to hide it. One ofthe few people in my life who knew my history, she was fiercely loyal andalways on my side. My brother, not so much. That automatically put themat odds.“Don’t sound so shitty. It was nice. I did a bunch of crap I’d never donebefore—horseback riding, rock climbing. Tons of spa treatments—feel myskin!” I held out my hand for her to feel. “My hands have never been thissoft.”“You’re not kidding. Baby smooth.”
“It was good for me. Really. Exactly what I needed. Relaxing but stillkept me preoccupied.”“Wow. Score one for Brian. Maybe he’s finally growing up.” Her voicelightened. “And how was your time not at the spa?”Miserable. The five days at the spa had been perfect, but after the tripwas over, I had to return to my real life, which meant an empty apartmentand a mind that refused to stop working. “I’m glad to be back, if that’s whatyou’re asking. And I may have four or five files of new ideas for the club.”She laughed. “Hey, at least that’s healthy obsessing.”I smiled sheepishly. “Healthyish.” I searched for the Skyy Vodka thatmy report said should be on the shelf and marked its presence on my paperwhen I found it. There were benefits to an active mind. I always had perfectinventories and flawless presentations. It was in relating with people—men,to be precise—that obsessing had its disadvantage.I leaned against the back counter and checked my watch. Fifteenminutes until opening. That meant fifteen more minutes before the lightswent down and into club mode. The club with all the lights on made mevulnerable and bare and out-of-place. Even Liesl’s sassy gossipypersonality was muted as if someone had turned down her volume. We’dnever have this conversation in club mode.My eyes traveled across the bar, lingering on the spot the suit had sat inthe last time I’d worked. It wasn’t the first time I’d thought of him sincethat night. He’d known my name. Had he overheard it? Not my last name.He must have asked someone, although I hadn’t seen him talking to anyoneelse. But maybe before I’d taken his order…I hadn’t been paying attentionto him. Maybe someone had told him then.“Whatcha thinking?” Liesl cut through my thoughts, mimicking mylean against the counter.I shrugged. She’d freak if I told her some random guy knew my name,assume that my safety was at risk. I, on the other hand, had distinct empathyfor people who had the need to gather more information than they should.And I didn’t want a lecture on would-be stalkers. I knew all about stalking.But I could tell her other things about the mysterious stranger. “Lasttime I worked, this guy—” I paused, remembering how magneticallyattractive the suit had been. “This incredibly hot guy, actually—gave me ahundred dollars for three fingers of Macallan. Told me to keep the change.”“And did he expect you to blow him after your shift?”“No. I thought that was what he was about, but…” What had hewanted? He’d seemed so into me, or had I imagined that, swayed by myown intense desire for him? “I don’t know. He left without trying anything.”I’d meant to scare him off, but that hadn’t seemed to be the reason he left.“It was…odd.”“Midnight masturbation material?”“I’ll never tell.”“Your face says it all.”Over the past week, he had entered my thoughts, wearing decidedly lessthan he had when I’d seen him at the bar. And while sexual fantasies wereinnocent enough for most people, thinking too much about any guy wasnever good for me and Liesl knew it. But I didn’t need her lecture. As longas I didn’t see him again—and chances were slim that I would—I’d be fine.I moved to straightening things on the counter that didn’t need to bestraightened and changed the subject. “So the new owner…you’ve methim? What’s he like?”Liesl shrugged. “He’s all right. Younger than
Pieces began to fit together. That was how he’d known my name. He’dprobably come that night to check out his would-be staff. But that didn’texplain his possessive staring. Maybe he was the type to think of women asobjects. Maybe he took the definition of owner to a whole other level. Thethought made my skin pebble in goose bumps.And underneath that, panic crept into my gut.I could not be this twisted up over my boss, the head honcho, the guywho would determine my fate at the club. Freaking out over him would endin serious consequences.I placed a hand loosely over my belly, encouraging a deepdiaphragmatic breath to calm my growing anxiety.Hudson tilted his head and studied me. “I’ve heard many things aboutyou. And witnessed your work.” He paused, moving his gaze up and downmy body once more, scorching my skin as he did. “But none of what I heardor saw prepared me to find you wearing this ensemble.”The color drained from my face. I wasn’t sure where he was going withhis
I glanced down at the black slinky pants that were so tight they gave mecamel toe. They made me feel sexy, and for some reason that made methink of Hudson’s dark expression when he’d first laid eyes on me. Theexpression I’d since convinced myself was imagined.“Great. Now you’re telling me I have to throw these out too?”“Well, just don’t wear them while you’re working.” He stood so hecould reach the printer on the corner of the desk behind me. “For therecord,” he said as his arm brushed my waist. “I don’t disapprove of thisoutfit in the slightest.”I, on the other hand, wanted to burn the whole ensemble. It had causedme nothing but trouble all night—drunk patrons thinking they could touchme and say things to me that they otherwise wouldn’t.But I’d worn it for David—for the moment when we’d be alone. Thiswas it.I put on a fake pout. “Too bad your opinion isn’t the one that matters.”David leaned in close. “My opinion doesn’t matter?”“Actually,” I said, grabbing his jacket
”“Would it be that bad if he did?”“Yes. It would be utterly, wonderfully, horrible.” But mostly it washorrible how not bad that idea sounded.While trying to empty my mind of Hudson blowjob images, I surveyedthe club. The place was slow, even for a Wednesday night. From the bar, Ihad full view of the ten bubble rooms that circled the perimeter of the upperlevel. The bubble rooms were The Sky Launch’s highlight. Each room,round in shape, featured a glass wall overlooking the dance floor on thelower level, and had private access much like box seats at a stadium. Theyall had a curved seating area around a table, and fit eight peoplecomfortably. The bubbles provided a relatively quiet and discreet area whilestill being very much part of the club. When the occupied lights were on,the outer walls of the bubble rooms glowed red. Only two were lit up. Ashame. If the club had the kind of notoriety it could have, those roomswould fill within the first ten minutes of being open.“G
“Oh.” I thought about saying I’d been to an amazing spa, but really, didhe care? And besides, talking was difficult with that thing he was doing tomy skin, burning it so thoroughly with his caress.His phone rang and he let go of my hand. I pulled it to my lap, needingthe warmth of my body once it’d lost the warmth of his.“Excuse me,” he said, taking his phone out of his pants pocket andsilencing it without looking at the screen.“You can take it if you need to.” I could use a few minutes to gather mythoughts. Because, what the hell did he want with me? Not only was notknowing killing me, but the more time I spent with Hudson, the easier itwas for me to think about him and his amazing gray eyes. And his hardbody. And his smooth voice.“There can’t be anything important enough to interrupt thisconversation.”And even smoother lines.I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the dooropening. Sasha entered with a tray of food and drinks. I watched as she setd
Semantics. But I understood what he was attempting to do, separatinghimself from me and my job at The Sky Launch, so I nodded.“This wouldn’t affect your employment at the club.” He removed hisarm from the couch and sat forward. “Maybe hire is not the correct term.I’d like to pay you to help me with a problem. I believe you’d be perfect forthe job.”The whole conversation had my head spinning, but he had my attention.“You win. My curiosity is piqued. What’s the job?”“I need you to break up an engagement.”I coughed, wondering if I heard him correctly, knowing I had. “Um,what? Whose?”Hudson leaned back, his dazzling gray eyes flickering in the strobelights. “Mine.”OceanofPDF.comCHAPTER FOURHUDSON TAPPED one long finger on the table in front of him. “Closeyour mouth, Alayna. Although it’s quite adorable to see you flabbergasted,it’s also very distracting.”I closed my mouth. A million questions circled through my mind, tooquickly for any to take shape. And somewhere behin
As he often did, he answered my unasked question. “I own the bank thatholds your loans. I looked them up today. It would be very easy for me tohave them written off. No actual money would exchange hands, if thatmakes you feel better.”“That’s an awfully generous payment.” Too generous. And just like Ijumped to buy a lottery ticket whenever the pot got particularly high, Iwanted to jump on his offer. But nothing that paid that well ended in good.“It’s worth it to me to see this project succeed, Alayna.”My answer was no. I’d already decided. It had to be no. There was toomuch risk at entering into an arrangement—any arrangement—with him.But I couldn’t help but want to know more of the details. “What exactlywould you want me to do?”“Pretend we’re a couple. I’d invite you to several gatherings where mymother would see us together. I’d expect you to hang on my arm andbehave as though we’re madly in love.”“And that’s all?” I couldn’t imagine it would be that hard to pretend to
CHAPTER FIVEI WOKE up right before noon the next morning when I heard my phonebuzz an incoming text. It was plugged in on the nightstand next to me, but Iwasn’t ready to wake up, having gotten to bed after six.Lying with my eyes closed, I grinned into my pillow and recalled theevents of the night before. The things Hudson had said to me, the way he’dkissed me, touched me—my heart sped up at the memory. Had all of thatreally happened? My obsessive relationship disorder made it really easy forme to imagine that things happened between me and others that actuallyhadn’t. It had been several years since I had fallen into those old habits.Now, was I doing it again?No, I wasn’t making it up. I couldn’t make up a kiss like that. It hadhappened. And I had wanted more to happen. But in the morning withdistance and fresh eyes, I could see so much better how it shouldn’t happen.As much as I wanted him, I was already thinking about him way more thanwas healthy.I went through the st