Bitter Black Kiss (11 page)

“That was fun, but I’d better get back to work.” She hoped he didn’t notice her reaction. There was an odd squint to his eyes as he looked out at the dance floor.

“Who’s next?” The throng of girls dancing below the platform squealed and waved their arms. As he pulled one up, a white-hot punch of jealousy ripped through her.

By the time she had climbed down from Brody’s platform, Sean and Tony had left the bar. The drink area was packed, but few were being served. Angry patrons voiced their agitation that only one bartender had shown for work.

Nicole hurried over. A flustered Molly stood on the other side and filled drink orders fast as she could. Nicole would have to make a few frantic calls until she either located the tardy bartender or found someone who could help out. She supposed she could do it if the customers just ordered a beer.

She joined Molly behind the bar then donned a petite red apron patterned with black lips. The line split and the people sitting at the end of the bar motioned her over.

She managed to fill a few orders with Molly’s verbal instructions. Mostly, she made a mess.

“Give me a blue-eyed blonde,” a man with a pierced septum and bald head demanded.

Was this a real drink or the man’s weird way of flirting with her? Molly was no help as she bent in search of some clandestine bottle.

She dropped a glass. Her face burned, and her discomfort grew as he continued to glare.

The man slammed his hand down on the bar. His eyes looked dangerous and animal. He leaned forward and revealed yellowed teeth.

Brody hopped over the end of the bar. His hand wrapped around her elbow. He pulled her away from the counter with gentle hands. “I’ve got this.”

Molly and Brody thinned the crowd down to a manageable number. Brody wiped down his work area and stowed the extra apron she’d worn beneath the counter.

“I didn’t know you were a jack of all trades.” Nicole watched his fingers brush the hair off his forehead. Her insides quivered at the memory of his touch.

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” His gaze fell to her lips for a moment.

Molly looked on with raised brows. A hint of a smile suggested she was privy to something they weren’t.

Nicole took one of his hands and pulled him closer so she wouldn’t have to yell. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

“Meet me after work?” His words were urgent. Maybe what he had to tell her couldn’t wait. “I need to talk to you.”

Nicole couldn’t read anything in his eyes. Maybe he wasn’t the free and easy party-boy she’d first believed him to be. Her rational side warned her not to get too close.

He acted like her hesitation didn’t bother him. “I just had a few questions. You know, about what we talked about before.”

Disappointment rushed through her, and she was glad she hadn’t said anything stupid. “Sure, of course. Just wait for me in the lounge, and we can grab a coffee or something.” She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and hoped that her cheeks weren’t scarlet. Judging by the amount of heat that flooded her face, they were.

She reminded herself that any interest in him had to remain friendly and on a professional level. No matter how beautiful his eyes were or how talented his hands were, she could not throw her career aspirations out the door. Besides, he’d come to her with a problem and wanted to discuss it. That was all. There was nothing to get worked up over. He wasn’t even the type of guy who typically held her attraction. Besides, she had just told Sean she wasn’t ready for a relationship. What kind of message would that send her boss if she dated the DJ?

Brody touched her hand, started to say something, but decided against it. He slunk to his booth instead.

Molly watched him hop onto the platform. “What’s going on with the two of you?”

“Nothing.” She cut her gaze around to Brody once more. “Why?”

“Bull crap. You look like you want to undress him, and he hasn’t stopped looking over here since he left. You got the hots for him, Nicky.”

Nicole frowned and shook her head. So what if her fantasies had led her down that path. She didn’t need Molly to point it out. Her mind reeled back to the night at the beach. Dancing with him tonight had been damn near sexual.

Molly filled another order. Afterward, she turned to Nicole with a stern frown. “The guy is cute and you need to get back into circulation.”

“I’m not ready.” Her standard answer tasted stale as soon as she uttered it.

“Do you have a precise date and time picked out?” Molly rolled her eyes. “Brody’s available and interested. Give him a chance.”

“I don’t think I’m the type of girl Brody hangs out with.”

Molly threw a wadded napkin at her. “How would you know?”

“He’s not my type.”

“Brody is everyone’s type, Nicky. Are you blind? The boy is gorgeous.” She stood with hands on hips. “Besides, it sounded like he was your type when you gushed about seeing him on the beach. What about a few minutes ago when you were dancing with him? You were dancing, Nicky!”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Stop it.”

“Can you say hooked?” Molly patted her on the shoulder. “You got it bad for him, and you know it.”

“He’s got a lot going on right now. A girlfriend is the last thing he needs.” Nicole cast a forlorn glance in Brody’s direction. His back was to them, and he bounced to the beat. A couple girls just below the platform ate it up.

“What’s that mean?” Molly demanded with a laugh. “You should just screw his brains out and see how you feel the next morning.”

“Valid point,” Nicole agreed.

“You like him and he likes you. I don’t see what the problem is.”

Instead of answering, Nicole rested her hand on the doorknob that would take her upstairs and to Sean’s office. She chose her next words with care. “I’ll see if Tony is upstairs. He knows how to mix drinks and can help until I can get someone else.”

Molly pulled a face. 

“Brody can’t do both jobs all night. Tony will behave, I promise. Besides, we close in a couple hours.”

She didn’t give her friend a chance to comment and instead bustled up the stairs. Her knock on Sean’s office went unanswered. After a few seconds, she pushed the door open. “Sean? Tony?”

Chapter Nine

The lamp was on, and several manila folders lay on the desk. Nicole sat in the visitors chair and rummaged through her purse. She didn’t want to use the employee lounge because the television blared, and a couple of the wait staff was hanging out in there.

Sean’s voice drifted down the hallway. Nicole left a quick message on the bartender’s voicemail.

Sean pushed through the doorway, Tony close behind.

His gaze swept across his desk. The suspicious expression was replaced by a slow smile. “I thought I saw you slip in here.”

“I hope you don’t mind, but the lounge was too noisy.”

“Of course not. Were you looking for me?”

Nicole stood and brushed a hand down her skirt. “I need Tony to give Molly a hand at the bar. We’re swamped, and I just fired the guy who didn’t show up.”

Tony didn’t get a chance to answer.

“Of course he’ll help. And now that’s taken care of, I want you to accompany me to the Black Moon site. I want to give you the grand tour now that it’s almost finished.”

She nodded and picked up her purse. “Sure, just let me give Molly my keys. I’d hate for her to have to wait around for us to return.”

“I’ll be here.” Sean brushed the folders into a neat pile. He deposited them into his briefcase. "I have a couple calls to make."

Nicole made her way down the stairs and glared at the back of Tony’s head. Once he reached the bottom, he turned and snarled up at her. The gold front tooth glinted. Nicole remained poised on the next to the last step, one eyebrow raised.

Tony stabbed a blunt tipped finger at her. “I saw you and that kid. It looked like you were about to orgasm up there. It was pretty hot.”

“Mind your own business.”

He flashed a grin. “Sean is my business. You fuck him over, and I’ll fuck you up. Understand?”

"Just how does my dancing with the DJ affect Sean?" Nicole drew her shoulders up and took a breath that was meant to calm. It didn’t help. “You know what? Never mind. Get out of my way.”

“I’ll help that lesbo because Sean wants me to. Don’t get the idea that just because the boss wants to bang you, I’ll do whatever you say.”

“Get out of my way.”

“A fat disgusting pig is what she is.”

“Shut up!”

He ignored her. “Do you go both ways or just make an exception for the redheaded bitch?”

His shitty remarks and the smirk on his face touched every nerve within her. She lunged off the stairs and knocked him against the wall with her momentum. Hands on his meaty chest, she gave him a shove hard enough to make him wince and snarled. “Don’t mess with her. If you even give her a dirty look, I’ll rip your balls off.”

Tony’s fist came up. Even though she flinched in the past with Aaron, she didn’t this time. Things were different now. She wasn’t the scared, helpless girl she’d once been.

The door behind Tony burst open and bounced off the wall.

“Hey!” Brody grabbed Tony’s arm and forced it down.

Molly backed away from the open doorway and turned to wait on a customer. Her face was pale. Perhaps she heard their conversation.

“Let go of me,” Tony snarled.

At some point, Sean must have come down the stairs behind her. He grabbed Nicole around the waist and hauled her backward, against him. “I see the two of you can’t be left alone for more than two seconds.”

To Tony, he said, “I’ll deal with you later. Go help Molly and mind your manners.”

Tony nodded, but Nicole didn’t miss the glare he shot at her.

She couldn’t help but notice the worried look on Brody’s face as he followed Tony out. She couldn’t be sure, but she hoped he’d take it upon himself to keep an eye on Molly.

Once they were alone, Sean led her out the back door to his limousine. “I think I’d better take you home instead.”

The vehicle pulled away from the curb, and the driver made a right hand turn into traffic. Nicole secured her seatbelt and rested against the leather seat. It seemed like she had apologized for irresponsible actions and insensitive words for days on end. She was tired of it.

Sean scrubbed a hand down his face and shook his head. “My heart nearly stopped. He’s at least three times your size.”

A tremor ran the length of her spine. The anger boiled to the surface once again, and she experienced some trouble keeping it tamped down. How dare that asshole say those things about Molly!

Sean scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. His warm hands smoothed down her back. “Calm down and tell me what’s going on. Let me help you, Angel.”

She shrugged him away. He released her and glanced at the driver whose eyes were fixed on the road.

Nicole groaned and reached for her purse. She knew she was losing control, but she was hesitant to take the wolfsbane in front of him. It was in an unmarked bottle, but she just knew he would figure it out. Screw it. She was going to lose more than her job if she didn’t get a grip on her emotions. She shook the last white tablet of wolfsbane into her palm and swallowed it without the aid of water. She could only wait for the bane to saturate her system. At this point, she wasn’t even sure one itty-bitty pill would do the job.

Sean cupped her chin and tilted her head and peered into each her eyes. “Should we stop at the pharmacy?”

She bit her lower lip and looked away. What could she say? Tears pricked her eyes but did not fall. Shame and worry overwhelmed her — shame that she needed the pills in the first place and worry over obtaining them illegally. She might as well be completely honest now. “I don’t have a prescription and that was the last one.”

“Have you seen a physician?”

Unable to meet his eyes, she mumbled an excuse.

“How many do you take?”

Her bark of laughter sounded loud in the confines of the car. Even the driver glanced at her in the mirror. “Some days require more than others.”

He removed a brown pill bottle from his breast pocket. “Sounds like withdrawal. Take this. It’s is the lowest dosage, but it should help until we can wean you off.”

Nicole shook her head. “You take wolfsbane?”

“Occasionally, even I require some help with control. But I can always get more. Take these.”

She took the bottle from him and shook a pill into her palm. She examined the bottle again and frowned. There was no label.

He smiled with expectation. “Go ahead. Take it.”

Doubts still surfaced in her mind, but she swallowed the medication anyway. She dropped the bottle into her purse and settled back into the seat.

Sean pressed his lips against her ear. “I don’t like to see you suffer. Let me know if you need more.”

The driver pulled to the curb outside her apartment complex. Sean got out and opened her door. She pulled herself from the plush leather seats then gripped his arm for balance.

“Hold on,” Sean said and ran his finger down her spine. He returned to the front of the car and leaned down to speak to the driver through the window. “I’ll call when I’m ready for you.”

Sean held her elbow as they navigated through the courtyard and up the stairs.

Once they reached the apartment, she shoved the key in the lock and thrust the door open. She threw her purse on one of the chairs next to the door. “Thanks, Sean. I’ll be okay now.”

He cupped a hand behind her head and guided her toward him. “Don’t mention it.”

He leaned against her, eyes half closed. His arms wrapped around her waist. His tongue sought out hers and Nicole’s back stiffened. Thus far, he hadn’t noticed her hesitation.

Nicole’s hands pushed against his chest. “You should go.”

Her cell phone rang. She reached for it, and Sean grasped her wrist. He brought it to his lips. “Ignore it.”

The back of her legs pressed against the couch. They sank into the cushions, and Sean’s mouth sought hers out again. His right hand opened the buttons of her blouse to expose the lacy bra beneath. Within seconds, his fingers slid under the fabric to cup a bare breast.

Nicole pushed his hand away. “Wait, Sean. Hold on.”

His hand returned to the other breast. He tweaked her nipple through the fabric of her bra. She tried to twist away.

Her limbs felt heavy and lethargic. Her mind spun, or was the room spinning?

Sean’s hands were everywhere at once. They pushed the skirt up over her thighs. His excitement touched her through soft cotton and a whisper of lace. He pushed his hips against her pelvic bone. She shoved him away and sucked in a much-needed breath. “Stop.”

His gray eyes smoldered with desire. “Are you sure?”

One of his hands slithered beneath her skirt to cup her cheek. The other wrapped around her waist and pulled her against him. His tie was gone, and his shirt was unbuttoned down to the navel. She didn’t remember undressing him, and his hands had never left her.

“I can’t do this."

"Don't do this to me, Nicole." He pressed his hips against her, making sure she knew how hard he was. "You turned me on. You can't leave me like this."

She pushed his hands away and struggled to sit up. "There's someone else…"

Keys rattled in the door. Outside, Molly said, “She should be home soon. Do you want to come inside and wait?”

Both Molly and Brody stood in the doorway. Brody averted his eyes and stared at the keys in his hand. “Now’s probably not a good time.”

Molly sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh no, Nicky.”

Sean stood and buttoned his shirt with nimble fingers. There was a shadow of regret in his gaze. “Something’s come up and I may have to go out of town tomorrow night. We’ll have to postpone the dinner party until next week.”

Nicole smoothed the skirt down her hips and buttoned her shirt.

Brody didn’t stick around. His tennis shoes pounded a quick rhythm down the stairs.

 “Brody, wait!” Nicole scrambled off the couch. Her legs were leaden and pitched her forward. Somehow she caught herself before she fell across the coffee table.

A strange expression flickered across Sean’s chiseled features. “I’ll see you after I get back, Angel.”

He made quick strides across the living room but stopped in the doorway. He held his head high and met Molly’s glare. “Are you coming with Nicole?”

“I have other plans.” Molly bit off the words. She glared at him until he cleared the doorway.

She shook her head and folded her arms over her chest. “Are you seriously hooking up with him?”

“We’re not hooking up.”

“That’s not what it looked like,” she huffed. “You just ruined any chance you had with Brody, you know that, right?”

Nicole cringed inside. Of course, she knew it. She saw the disgusted look on his face. She flopped onto the couch and gathered a throw pillow to her chest. She rested her chin atop it and stared at her best friend. “Sean wouldn’t take no for an answer. Besides, Brody’s not interested in me that way. He knows I’m not available.”

It was Molly’s turn to laugh. She eased onto the cushion next to Nicole. “Don’t be a friggin’ idiot. He almost fainted when he walked in on you and Stone writhing around on the couch. Shit, I almost did too.”

"Don't." She held up her hand in a request for silence. “I don’t want to have this conversation right now.”

“Am I supposed to ignore it?”

“Yes, you are. Be a good friend and keep your mouth shut.”

Molly’s eyes squinted. “Because I am such a good friend, I can’t.”

“Yeah, you know all about it.” Nicole’s words sounded harsher than she’d meant for them to.

“Excuse me?” Molly’s face contorted. Her arms wrapped around her middle. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Why didn’t you tell me when it happened? I thought it was something I did.” Nicole ducked her head and shut her eyes. Maybe she should just shut her mouth before she said too much.

Molly pulled herself from the beige cushions and glared at her. “Not everything is about you. I got pregnant with the first boy I was ever serious about. He dumped me as soon as he found out. In order to protect the football hero's ass, the entire team said that they'd passed me around at a kegger. And I was supposed to worry about how 
you 
felt?”