CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Daisy
“He requested you. Is there something you want to tell me?” Nico didn’t look pissed, exactly, just intense.
But it still made me uncomfortable.
“Jack Lancaster requested me?” I couldn’t help the zing of excitement that ran through me at those words.
“Yeah. Now tell me what’s going on.” His blue eyes were locked on me.
I was sitting with him at the premier table in Sugar, before the doors opened for the night.
I wasn’t even ready yet. My hair needed straightening after the humidity made it double in size on my bike ride over, I had on zero makeup, and I was still wearing the shorts and Dinardo’s Deli shirt I wore to work my second job every day.
He was in a suit, looking perfect, ready for the evening to begin.
So, I told him everything while he listened silently, barely moving a muscle. When I was finished, he stared at me, as if assessing me. I was barely able to keep myself from squirming in my seat under his scrutiny, but I did it.
“You’re telling me that Jack fucking Lancaster, billionaire game designer and playboy, asked you out twice, and you turned him down?” He looked both scandalized and intrigued.
“I mean, I said yes the first time…”
“Then you saw him out with another woman and overheard his family talking about how much he fucks around, and you ghosted him?”
“Kinda. Yeah.”
“You made an excuse to get away from him and quit delivering his lunches.” He was staring at me as if he was seeing me for the first time.
“Yes. Is that a problem? Like, are you going to fire me or something?” I was getting worried. I wasn’t sure why he was making such a big deal about this.
Nico leaned back in his chair and rubbed a tattooed hand over his handsome face. “That’s fucking awesome. And he’s not giving up. The only reason he agreed to this tour tonight is so he can see you.”
My eyes got wide, but I didn’t know what to say to that.
“And,” he said, narrowing his eyes and tapping the table with the fingers of one hand, “you want to do the auction.”
I frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Sweetheart,” he said, “are you kidding? A billionaire who has asked you out, got turned down by you, and asked specifically for you on our tour… that’s your auction winner right there. If,” he held up a finger, “you play your cards right.”
“What do you mean?”
“We both want something from Jack Lancaster. And you’re going to make sure we get it.”
If I’d thought I was nervous before, that was nothing to how I was feeling now. I just watched Nico, waiting for him to finish.
“Carmen said you’re nervous you’ll end up with someone you don’t know or that you don’t like in the auction.
You know Jack, and, at least at one point, you liked him.
You need him to bid on you in the auction.
And I need him to join this club. You can make sure both of those things happen.
” His eyes raked over me. “But you’re going to have to ditch being a good girl for tonight.
Just like I know you’re planning on doing a couple of nights from now with that performance Enzo is looking forward to. ”
My cheeks pinked up. Of course he and Enzo would talk. They were brothers after all. “What…what is it you want me to do?”
He grinned, and I wasn’t sure I liked how he was staring at me—as if I was a piece of meat and he was getting ready to dangle me in front of a tiger. “You’re going to make both things happen tonight.”
Now I thought he was just grasping at straws.
This wasn’t the kind of club I could picture Jack Lancaster hanging out in.
I couldn’t really picture him hanging out in any club.
He just didn’t seem to enjoy talking to people that much.
“I think you might be overestimating the effect you think I have on him…”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he said, reaching across the table and grasping my hand, “I’m not.” He waved his hand and Nora, one of my roommates and a bartender for the Salazars, hurried over.
She winked and smiled at me, her long dark hair flowing back over her shoulder. “What can I get you, Mr. Salazar?”
“Get me a whiskey and make something for Daisy that will help calm her nerves.”
Nora gave me a look behind Nico’s head. “Sure thing.” She hurried off to go make it happen. I was just as shocked as she had looked. Drinking on the job was absolutely a fireable offense. Carmen had made that clear from day one.
“I don’t think I should…”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle Carmen, and I need you nice and relaxed tonight.”
I swallowed hard. “What is it you want me to do?”
He locked eyes with me. “I’m realizing that Jack Lancaster has agreed to this tour for one reason only…
because he’s found out you work here. So, we have one chance to make this work.
I need him to think the only way he’s going to get to see you is if he joins the club.
And you need him to want you so badly that he freaks out when he finds out you’re going to be the featured girl in the upcoming auction. ”
“And how do we make that happen?”
He grinned at me. “I’m going to make him go on a tour showing him everything but Sugar first. I mean, he’s already seen Cayenne.”
“He has?”
He nodded as he brought his glass to his mouth. “Yeah. Couple of weeks ago. I’d given up on him coming back to tour the rest. But then he found out you work here.” He grinned at me. “Now I have another chance. As long as you do… enough to keep him interested.”
“Like what?” I sipped the drink Nora had delivered to our table. Damn, it was strong. I almost sneezed at how much the liquor burned in the back of my throat.
“I know you don’t work the VIP rooms.”
My eyes slowly came up to meet his. “That’s right,” I said cautiously.
“But would you be willing to work one room with one particular man in it tonight?” He tossed back his whiskey and motioned for another.
“If so, I guarantee we’ll both get what we want.
I’ll get a member who will bring my clubs even more positive exposure than they’ve already received.
More positive exposure means more celebrities will join the wait list…
” he rolled his hands, “you get the picture, I’m sure.
And you,” he said with a gleam in his eyes, “will get the man you want to win you in the auction.”
“You’re saying you just want me to…”
“Give him whatever he wants. To a point. He needs to leave that room still on fire for you. Do I need to be more clear than that?”
I blinked at him.
He chuckled. “Jesus, Daisy. What I’m saying is suck him off, let him do whatever he wants to your tits and cunt, but don’t actually fuck him. You have to leave him wanting more.” He took another sip of his drink. “Believe me. I don’t usually go back for seconds with women.”
I gave him a look.
He held up his hands and laughed a little. “Just telling the truth.” The smile left his face and his intensity returned. “But if a girl sucked me off and I liked her? And I didn’t actually get to fuck her? Well, I’d go back for that. He’s dying for you. Make him work for it, sweetheart.”
I nodded, squirming a little. Nico was hot, and him talking about sex combined with the alcohol I was drinking was making me feel warm all over.
“So let him eat you out, let him suck on those perfect breasts of yours,” he reached out as if he was going to touch me, and then seemed to get control of himself.
He pulled his hands back with a sheepish grin.
“Let him grab that ass. But don’t fuck him.
If he comes, it needs to be in your mouth or on your tits after you’ve sucked him off. Got me?”
“Yes.” I could feel my face heating up. I wasn’t used to anyone talking to me quite so… frankly. But Nico was known to be fairly blunt.
It must be a Salazar trait.
“Now, I’m not in the habit of forcing anyone to do anything. That’s not how we run things around here, and you know it. If you’re not okay with this, just say the word. I’m not going to fire you or anything. I’m not like that. But I will find another woman to try to reel him in.”
A pit formed in my stomach at the thought of Jack with anyone else. I must’ve made a face or given some other signal, because Nico smiled as if he knew he’d won.
“Daisy, it’s you he wants. But there aren’t very many men who are going to turn down time in a VIP room with, say, Madeline or Bethany. Or both. You know that, right?”
I nodded, miserable. Jealousy was my least favorite emotion.
But Madeline and Bethany taking Jack Lancaster into a VIP room for whatever he wanted?
There was no way he’d come back out of that room even remembering my name.
And, I realized, I truly wanted him to be the man to bid on me in the auction.
Did I trust him? Not with my heart. But I knew he wouldn’t physically hurt me, and I was attracted to him. Very attracted.
“In fact,” Nico said, standing up, “just forget I asked, sweetheart. I can tell you’re uncomfortable.
” He looked at his watch. “I still have time to talk to Madeline and Bethany before I go pick up Lancaster for the tour.” He started walking off, heading to the dressing rooms, and I knew I was about to lose my chance.
“Wait,” I called, standing up so fast I almost knocked the chair over. He turned back to me, a questioning look on his face. “I’ll do it.”
A slow grin came over his face, and I was pretty sure I’d just been played. But I didn’t care. I was desperate enough to keep Jack for myself, and I had enough personal interest in him becoming a member, that I was ready to do it.
Besides, I’d been dreaming of him doing whatever the hell he wanted to do with me ever since the day he’d dropped me off at Cinnamon House after I’d spilled soup on him.
It seemed like those dreams were about to come true.