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Oh, I can think of a few ways to reward you, Talia.
“Ugh!” I toss my phone onto the coffee table, far away from me. I’m irritated at the fact that my cheeks burn, and that something else dark and pleasurable begins to burn deep within me.
This isn’t the turn I expected my life to take after starting at Midnights, but when Gia asked me if I would leave Apollo Sole to start the club with her, it felt like the right thing to say yes to. I was itching for a change, something that my mother would disapprove of, and more life experience. Being a receptionist was easy, but not fulfilling. Granted, at the time, I had no idea who Kaywasother than that he was Gia’s business partner in this venture.
Even then, if I’d known what he was like, I’m still not sure I would have said no.
With a sigh that feels more like a surrender, I reach for my phone and type back a text I will most likely regret.
Chapter Four: Kay
I hate Tuesdays.
Tuesdays are the lull before anything good happens. At Midnights, the three of us work nearly every day. With weekends being our busiest days, and weekdays being the only time we can get anything logistical done, we’re hereallthe time. It makes that work/life balance difficult, but there’s not much life outside of work these days anyway.
And besides, that also means Talia’s hereevery daywith me.
A satisfied grin tips my lips around the cigar pinned between my teeth. Gia hates when I smoke them in the office, but I cracked a window out of courtesy.
It felt like a day to celebrate. I keep thinking about Talia’s texts from last night. She fell for my trap, finding my note and texting me about it just like I’d hoped. The response was even grander than I’d imagined.
After I told her I’d love to think of the ways I could reward her for her hard work, she’d replied,Is that a threat or a promise?
The thought of it makes my cock hard, stretching my pants taut against it. Normally, I would’ve given up by now. Chasing after someone playing hard to get wasn’t really my thing. I liked a good game, but I didn’t like feeling like I had toconvincea woman to get in bed with me.
Talia’s different. She plays hard to get, yes, we play games, and I want nothing more than to have her naked in my bed—I wantthatmore than anything—but there’s somethingaboutour daily banter that I’ve come to rely on. The frustration’s new to me.
I’ve never met someone so wholly determined to deny me.
At the risk of soundingarrogant, Talia’s favorite word to describe me, I’m not usually denied by women. It’s new for me, and Ilikenew. Some part of me knows she’ll never say yes, but I can’t stop what we have going. Not yet.
Sucking in a long drag of my cigar, I pull it from my lips and exhale the smoke into the room. Gia might scold me for smoking the cigars, but Talia isinfuriatedby it. With the work I gave her last night and the note that prompted the texts, I’m hoping this adds enough to the pile that she storms in here with that delightful frown of hers, that knot between her perfect dark brows. I’m starting to crave the look of disdain she gives me.
I think I’m an ill man…
As if summoned, the door crashes open and Talia storms in, stack of documents in tow. “You’re a bastard,” is all she says as she stomps her way to my desk and drops the stack with a heavy thud. The tall pile tips over, a few of the folders sliding off. “This took me all night. You couldn’t have takensomeof it?”
“Oh, I could have taken all of it, Talia.” I grind the butt of my cigar into a bowl. I don’t even need the cigar to spark an argument. She’s already laid one at my feet.
“You’re insufferable,” she snarls, turning on her heel, which gives me a beautiful display of the shape of her ass in the mini skirt she’s wearing today. A sick part of me likes to think she put it on formetoday. She knows exactly what she does to me, and yet seems to dress more promiscuous by the day.
“It’s both, by the way,” I add before she can escape me.
“What?” She halfway turns, and I rise from my seat. Taking a slow approach, I enjoy the way her scowl softens for just a moment as she realizes I’m walking up to her, not stopping until we’re only inches from each other. Vanilla and cinnamon swarm my nose.
“A threat,” I clarify, cocking my head to the side. Leaning in, not close enough to scare her away, but just close enough that she would feel my breath on her neck, I add softly, but with an edge to my words, “Anda promise.”
To my surprise, she doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t pull away to glare at me, or hit me, or look like she’s about to spit in my direction—though spittingwouldbe welcome.
Instead, she turns her head, her eyes meeting mine, our lips only inches apart. I remain still, letting her come to me if she wants to. I know she won’t, but I want to see what she’ll do next.
She holds my gaze. Her neck cranes just a fraction, and for a moment I really think she might be leaning in to kiss me. There’s a pounding in my chest that intoxicates me, and I begin to lean in as if drawn to her by some undeniable tether.
Suddenly, she stops, her mouth so close to mine I feel her breath on my lips as she says, “Then let the battle begin. But I should warn you, my threatsarea promise.”
She pulls away, leaving me feeling cold, the spell broken as she disappears out the door, her scent lingering behind like a ghost.
All I can do is stand frozen to the spot. I’ve tied up a man and beat him nearly to death to send a message, butthatwas one of the most thrilling moments of my life.
