Mr. Right Now: Vol. 1: Party Boys Who Get What They Want (4 page)

Well, that wasn’t awkward at all, Chloe thinks to herself as she takes a seat at the table. The other men greet her and even offer to buy her drink. Chloe orders another one and then studies the menu. She looks up every once in a while to see Eli’s chair empty.

She halfway wonders if he recognized her and left. There was nothing in his eyes or mannerisms that said he did. Her mind wanders to the brothers and their lack of recognition. For Christ’s sake, there was a Chloe Thompson permanently glued to their brother’s hip through their whole childhood. She chalks it up to their being preoccupied by a multi-million dollar project.

  Clint entertains the men with small talk varying from sports to pussy. Most women would blush at such brash language, but Chloe is used to Clint’s tactics. She notices Dax sit up a bit taller as Clint tells all kinds of wild stories.

“Whose pussy we talking about?” Eli pulls out his chair and sits down across from Chloe, not making eye contact.

“Dude, Clint here is sharing all his outlets for pussy.”

A waitress approaches the table as the men continue talking shop. She finally clears her throat to gain their attention.

“Are we ready to order?”

“I’ll have the black and blue salad.”

“How would you like your steak cooked?”

“Medium rare, please, with ranch dressing and another drink.” Chloe runs her finger down the condensation on the outside of her glass.

The men order and she focuses on anything but them. Her eyes roam the crowd for familiar faces just to be distracted.

“Chloe.” She feels a light touch on her shoulder. When she looks up, she sees Landon standing before her.

He’s dressed in a full suit with every button in its proper place. The man could be on an ad for GQ, clean cut and shaven with everything in order.

“Landon.”

Chloe jumps to her feet and wraps arms wrapped around his neck. His strong hands lace around her back and pull her close.

“What are you doing?” Chloe asks, stepping back a bit but still hanging on to his shoulders.

“I’m in town for a couple weeks. You were going to be the first person I called, but I found you here.”

Chloe watches as Landon studies the table of men. He’s always been protective of Chloe from the moment they met.

“Please excuse me for a couple minutes.”

The men at the table look mystified at Chloe’s abrupt departure, but she doesn’t give a fuck. Not even one.

Landon guides her over to the bar then lifts her up into the seat. She tries to spread her legs just far enough for him to settle in, keeping her arms locked around his neck. Chloe doesn’t miss the chance to look over at Eli out of the corner of her eye and finds him staring, but so is the rest of the table.

“I’ve missed you, Landon.”

“Chloe, I want to take you back when I go.”

This isn’t the first time she’s heard him say this. Landon and Chloe were neighbors for years and became best friends, spending every single night together eating dinner and watching movies. Both of them were set on climbing to the top of the business world, so their social life was obsolete.

“You know I can’t go back with you, Landon. I actually shouldn’t even be over here with you right now.” Chloe leans her head down on his shoulder and lets out a large breath.

“Yeah, that table is staring us down hard.”

“It’s a business meeting. That big one I emailed you about.”

“A bit whored up for it, my love.”

Chloe uses Landon’s broad shoulders to sit back up. Her hands look so petite placed on his dark black lapels. “Dinner tomorrow and I’ll explain everything.”

Chloe reaches in for a light kiss on the lips and then places one more on his cheek. She uses her fingers to wipe away the smears of lip gloss left behind on his skin before she stands. Landon smacks her ass, and Chloe giggles as she strides back to her table.

“Old lover?” Dax spits out as Chloe sits down.

“No, my best friend.”

Her eyes meet Eli to find the blonde from the bathroom in his lap. Chloe forces herself to focus on her salad and not the train wreck.

“Looked a little cozy to be a friend.” Dax refuses to give up on the issue.

She squeezes her fork until her knuckles turn white. “This is a business dinner. I don’t have to discuss my personal life with you or any of my clients. Landon has been my best friend for years, after my boyfriend kicked me out of his life.”

Chloe’s words are directed toward Dax, but her eyes zeroed in on Eli. Clint tries changing the subject, and that’s when the whole table turns to look at the commotion taking place at the bar. Landon is lip locked with one of the waiters, and the two men are going at it.

Chloe has always known Landon to be quite the player, so she’s the only one not shocked by the action, while the other men stare with their mouth agape. “Checkmate, motherfuckers,” she thinks to herself. The blonde squirms a bit in Eli’s lap, gaining attention. Chloe fills her mouth with steak, hoping some of the food will catch up with the alcohol again. Her brazen mouth may get her in trouble. She has to focus on getting the men to sign the contract and then leave.

“How much longer?” the blonde whines. “You promised you’d be back and never showed up.” She doesn’t try to disguise her words as she runs her hands through Eli’s hair.

Eli pats down his front pocket. “I’m out of keys, baby. I’ll find you later.” The grown woman squeals at his words and goes in for a kiss. Eli doesn’t push back; instead he leans in, diving deep into the kiss. Chloe turns to Kam, who is on her left, and begins talking to him and blocking out the sideshow in front of her.

“So, have you guys come to a decision?”

“Chloe?” Kam covers her hand, finally appearing to recognize her.

Tears pool in her eyes as Eli has the woman giggling and moaning in his lap. Chloe shakes her head in his direction. “No,” she whispers. “Please.”

“Let’s get this shit show on the road.” Dax slams his hand down on the table, clattering the plates. “I want to get an hour or two of rest before going out, and it looks like Eli already landed him some grade-A pussy.”

“Enough. This is business, and you two are being assholes.” Kam’s voice is threatening and his message clear.

The blonde jumps from Eli’s lap as he settles up to the table and begins to cut his large steak. His movements are slow and steady as he slices into the meat and takes a bite at a time while staring at Chloe. She uses her napkin to dab at her eyes, trying to make all the tears disappear.

Cole addresses the group. “We are willing to sign the current contract under certain circumstances.”

“Excellent. We look forward to working with you,” Clint offers before hearing him out.

“We want Chloe as our representative on this job until it’s complete, if we’re happy with Seidman Construction and the flow of the work. We’ll pay ten thousand now, and the other half when Made To Sin is up and running here in L.A. We feel this is more than fair.”

Clint picks his jaw up from the table. Shock covers his face, and he’s left speechless.

Chloe steps up and handles the situation. “That does sound fair, Mr. Sterling, but this is Clint’s project, and he will be more than capable of working through it with you.”

“And that’s exactly why we want you, Chloe.” Cole points to Clint. “We don’t need a smooth talker behind us. We need the brains, and that means you.”

Eli reaches under the table and produces one of the thick folders, passing it to Chloe. She takes it with a steady hand, hardly able to believe what they want. They’re asking for her. Motherfuckers. It will be several more months of the Sterling men in her life. All she needed was them to sign the paperwork and send their happy little asses down the road along with Clint as their go-to person.

Chloe opens the folder to see four signatures scrawled in black ink on all the correct lines. She lets out a sigh and grabs a pen, scribbling out the additions, and then signs it. Clint signs his name. Chloe Thompson has just signed herself over to the Sterlings, and something in her gut is screaming she’ll never survive this.

“Shots,” Cole yells across the restaurant. The server is in front of them with a tray full of clear liquid shots in a heartbeat. She places the tray down, and the men pass out shots. Eli slides one across the table in her direction. Chloe’s fingers wrap around the glass and she raises it up in the air, following suit with the men.

“To Chloe. To Made To Sin, and one hell of a ride,” Eli toasts. The whole table tilts back the liquid. Club music seeps in from the bar.

“Fuck, I miss the life,” Dax says, standing.

He grabs Chloe’s hand, dragging her to her feet, and begins dancing with her. Chloe finds her body dancing back against Dax. It shocks her because he’s the last guy she’d ever touch, but she plays into the game. His hands roam her ass as he maneuvers her over to the bar. They enter a small swinging door. The heat from the dancing bodies hits them hard as the music blares.

Only Dax Sterling would have enough balls to pull a business partner onto a dance floor and begin grinding with her. The shot warms up Chloe’s tummy and sends a buzzing sensation through her blood. Glancing over Dax’s shoulder, she sees the rest of their group leaning against the bar watching them.

As Chloe looks around the dance floor, there are only a few others dancing to the thumping music. Dax spins her around in his arms, pressing her back up against his chest and splaying his hands out across her pelvic arch. Chloe pushes back on Dax, encouraging him.

Eli’s friend joins him at the bar, hanging all over him. Chloe watches as her hands roam over his entire body, finally settling on his crotch. Eli catches Chloe staring. She darts her eyes away quickly. The song comes to an end and the crowd howls in approval. Several other women line up to dance with Dax. Chloe steps to the side and lets them have him.

She sends a quick wave to the rest of the men, including Clint, leaning against the bar. Her nerves can’t handle any more tonight, and she’s definitely not into self-torture watching Eli get a hand job over the top of his dress pants. Chloe grabs a cold bottle of water from the front desk to sober up a bit and then finds a seat on the edge of the fountain.

She slips off her shoes, placing the ridiculously high heels next to her. Her toes wiggle in freedom. Chloe pulls out her phone and looks for the app to call a cab. The quiet lobby relaxes her a bit as the water cools her body. She can’t believe she just agreed to what she did. Chloe convinces herself she can and will remain professional and in her office. All sorts of communication can happen via technology.

A noise draws her attention. Eli and his fling are making their way out of the restaurant. They’re both completely sloshed as they stagger over to the elevator. Eli peers back over his shoulder as he pushes the call button. Chloe’s toes make patterns in the tile, trying to avoid him. The ding of the elevator causes Eli to turn around, and he disappears on to it with the blonde.

Clint:  The Sterlings need you at the hotel ASAP. Have fun with this project.

Chloe:  It’s Saturday. They can fuck off.

Clint:  You gotta kiss ass, baby, if you want to keep it. They can still pull out at any time.

Chloe’s eyes shut again. She spent most of the night crying into her pillow just like a love-struck high school girl. Her heart broke all over again when Eli entered the elevator.

Business is business, and she knows she has a job to do. Clint’s right about the ass kissing. It’s part of the job when managing a project of this size. Chloe would give anything to slide on a pair of her workout pants and a hoodie, but decides against it.

A hot shower and forty-five minutes later Chloe is heading out her apartment door dressed in a white business suit. She settled for a pantsuit today with no blazer, opting for a vest and tie. It’s one of her favorite suits because the pants are so dang comfortable. Her white blouse is snug in all the right places, with a black pinstriped vest and a plaid tie.

Joe, her doorman, gives her his normal friendly nod as she passes.

“My job is never finished. Have a good day, Joe.”

Chloe’s heels click rhythmically down the sidewalk as she enters her favorite coffee shop. She orders an extra-large mocha before hailing a cab. Her aviators shade her eyes from the bright sun and ease her lingering headache a bit. She pulls her hair up into a pony, trying to rid the extra warmth from her neck.

Her phone buzzes several more times in her purse, and she turns it off when she sees Landon’s name. He’ll just have to wait until after lunch.

“Ms. Thompson.” A bellman steps up to Chloe. “I’ll take you up.”

Chloe’s thoughts race as he guides her over to the elevator and selects the twenty-fifth floor.

“Thank you, but how did you know who I was?”

“Mr. Sterling described you to a T and asked me to wait for you.”

Chloe’s fingers fiddle with the heart charm on her necklace. “Do you by chance know which one?”

“I believe it was Cole. Yes, it was Cole.”

The elevator doors glide open. “Here’s your floor, ma’am.”

Chloe clutches her oversized purse to her chest as she steps off the elevator and finds herself standing in the middle of a vast room filled with couches and tables. She can’t tell if it’s a living room or lobby. The cream colored couches catch her attention. They are huge and demand all the focus in the room. She looks around a bit longer and notices several bedroom doors.

“Chloe.” Kam comes into view exiting one of the rooms, fully dressed in casual wear. “Thanks for coming. We want to get stuff underway.”

She can only nod, not able to produce any words. Cole’s door opens next, and a woman and another man follow him. They are clearly still groggy, and even Cole looks half asleep. Shouts and screams emanate from another room. A female voice screams over and over as a rhythmic pounding sound grinds out. Chloe feels her face burn with embarrassment and a strong mixture of anger. She recognizes that voice from last night. It’s the slut bragging about bagging Eli in the bathroom, and who later entered the elevator with him.

Cole escorts his company over to the elevator, then returns to the cedar table in the middle of the room. Fruits, pastries, and juice cover its surface.

“Chloe.” Cole holds his arm out and pulls a chair out for her. “Breakfast while we wait.”

The screaming orgasm has not silenced, and Chloe’s not sure how she can focus on anything but that sound. She’s polite and takes a seat and is joined by Kam and Cole. It’s stunningly awkward at first, but she fills her plate and tries to concentrate on the food.

After several minutes of screaming, the room finally goes silent. Everyone at the table lets out a collective sigh of relief.

“Chloe, can we get you anything that’s not here?” Cole offers.

Chloe goes to open her mouth to say no thank you, but a scream cuts her off.

“That’s fucking it,” Kam says, jumping to his feet.

“No, don’t. Really, I’ll come back in an hour or so.”

Chloe bolts to the door, leaving her coffee on the table. The elevator doors don’t shut fast enough for her. When they finally do, Chloe slides down the wall and slumps to the floor. She refuses to cry as her body shudders in disgust with what she just heard. She made the biggest mistake of her life; she never should’ve signed the contract last night.

Her stomach flips as the elevator jars her body, then she hears the sound of the doors opening.

“Chloe.”

Looking up, she sees a very sweaty Eli in front of her. He's clothed in black gym shorts, a red shirt, and a ball cap. The cap is sitting backward on his head, while beads of perspiration fall from his forehead.

“Chloe, are you okay?”

He picks her up from the floor and leads her over to the fountain. He sits her down and kneels before her.

“Chloe?”

When she looks up, the tears have won the battle as they roll down her face without shame. She finds her sunglasses and pulls them on, wiping her tears away as fast as they fall.

“What the fuck happened?” Eli’s voice comes out as a growl and Chloe flinches.

“I, uh, I…” She doesn’t even know where to begin. Eli doesn’t remember her, so how in the hell is she supposed to go about explaining this to him? “I was up in your suite trying to meet with you all. It was just Cole and Kam, and then extremely loud noises and that girl’s voice from last night.”

“And?” Eli asks leaning on her knee and waiting for an answer.

Chloe’s hands bunch into fists with the effort of keeping herself from slapping him right across the face. She looks up at him and pushes her sunglasses back from her eyes, exposing her tears and messed up make-up, pleading for him to see her. Just see her.

Eli runs his fingers up the back of Chloe’s necklace, delicately picking up the chain resting on her neck. He traces his hands down each side of her throat, holding the chain until he comes to her cleavage where the bottom of the necklace is hidden. He continues down into her crevasse and pulls out a small heart charm.

“Did you really think I didn’t recognize you, Chloe?”

Chloe sits back, trying to put distance between them. “Why would you do that?”

Her question could be taken so many different ways. Why did he leave her? Why did he fake not recognizing her? Why did he get on that elevator with her?

“It’s too painful, Chloe. I can’t do this.” Eli stands and backs away from her like she’s a venomous snake.

“You pushed me away, Eli. I did nothing wrong. I would’ve walked to the end of the earth for you.”

“I know,” he whispers and then makes his way to the elevator. She watches it close once again and crumples in a sobbing mess. His words were short and left no opening for interpretation. He walked away, pushed her away, and brought her straight into her eighteen-year-old self when she was left begging for him.

Leaving the asshole who didn’t want her any longer was the hardest thing she ever had to do, and now he’s recreating the whole fucking scene for her to relive once again. This time the joke’s on him. Chloe stands and wipes away the final tear she’ll ever shed for a Sterling. And this is a promise she intends to keep.

Chloe Thompson can be as bullheaded as they come when she sets her mind to something. Again, she enters the elevator and floor twenty-five with the pass code the attendant used earlier. This time when she enters the hotel room there are several voices yelling, not just orgasming whores strewn about.

The four brothers stand facing each other. Chloe is one hundred percent sure not one of them is listening. The blonde whore sneaks past the roaring lions and slips on to the elevator before any of them notice her. Chloe decides to take a seat back at her breakfast plate and enjoy the delectable pastries that were sure to have cost a fortune.

When the men silence for a few seconds, Chloe takes the opportunity to speak.

“Could we please get to business? I have a very full afternoon,” she lies.

Four pairs of eyes stare back at her, and it’s obvious they missed her re-entrance. Each Sterling takes a seat and begins piling plates high, with the exception of Eli who reaches for a bottle of water.

“So, what was so urgent that you needed me here this morning?”

Cole speaks up first. “We all agreed you’d be best for the job with your strong personality and fighting attitude. We want to get you acquainted with our expectations for the clubs. They need to be spot-on to the ones on the East Coast.”

Chloe pulls a notepad from her purse and begins taking notes.

Cole continues as she scribbles down details, and the others listen. “The only reason we signed this contract is because we all agreed that having an extra set of eyes and ears on site would be beneficial to all. We need you to become as familiar with Made To Sin as possible.”

Chloe only nods and continues to write. There’s a brief moment of silence when she looks up and goes in for the kill.

“Boys, you made the right choice. You’re correct in the fact that I’m a fighter.” Chloe’s eyes narrow in on Eli’s. “Nobody, and I mean nobody, can hold me back or break me. I think there’s been a huge misunderstanding. I’m
the
Chloe Thompson who grew up in your hometown, dated Eli, and lost her virginity to him. I’ll fight for your fucking club to get the advancement I need in my career.”

Chloe snaps her notebook shut, stuffs it in her purse, and then grabs the bit of pastry on her plate. Her heels are deafening as she stomps from the table straight to the elevator. She has no clue if that’s the only business the men have with her this morning, but it’s the only time of day she’ll allow them.

And by god, she knows her ass looks luscious in the white pants and would love to turn to see all four of their jaws hanging open, but won’t give them the satisfaction. Fuck you, Sterlings, and thank you, Sterlings, for boosting my career.

The knife of all knives was stabbed in her back for the second time when Eli walked away, so if he wants to play this game, she’s in. All in, and ready to win.