Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Adelaide
M y shower was running when I woke up, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee was wafting into my room. My bladder quickly reminded me of why I woke up, and I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. When I looked around, I noticed River’s cut was laying on the foot of the bed, and his phone was still on the charger on my nightstand.
He’d stayed.
I got out of bed, striding to my bathroom. I could see River’s muscular frame through the glass, and he turned at the sound of me entering the bathroom. “I have to pee,” I sheepishly admitted when his eyes met mine.
He stepped out of the shower, leaving the water running. My breath hitched in my throat as I ran my eyes over him, locking on his hard cock. God, how did I already want him so early in the morning?
A knowing smirk tilted his lips, but he didn’t comment or make a move on me. “Go ahead,” he told me, pressing a kiss to my temple before he stepped out of the bathroom. Once I was finished, I called him back in as I stepped into the shower, sighing as the hot water ran over my tense muscles. God, the water was the perfect temperature.
This man was perfect for me.
“Fuck, woman, you’re breathtaking,” River gruffly commented as he drew me against him, leaning down to slant his lips across mine.
I moaned into the kiss and ran my hands over his wet body until I grasped his cock in my hand. River growled softly as he shoved my knees apart with his thigh. Then, he slid his fingers along my pussy, dipping inside. I ripped my lips from his, moaning his name as he stroked his fingers in and out of me just fucking right.
He pressed me against the shower wall, lifting me easily as he removed his fingers from my sopping core. I instantly wrapped my legs around his waist, moaning when he began peppering kisses down my neck. “Fuck, I really want to draw this out—” he started, but I cut him off, grabbing his face in my hands and kissing him hungrily.
I needed him inside of me.
Muttering an expletive against my lips, he thrust up into me. “ River !” I choked out, throwing my head back against the tiled wall.
He gripped my wrists and pushed them above my head. Holding my wrists in his large hand and his other hand gripping my ass, he thrust in and out of me hard, his lips trailing kisses over every part of my body that he could reach.
And I swore that when I came, I saw fucking stars.
I snatched my phone off the counter next to where I was sitting at the bar in my kitchen eating a bowl of sugary cereal. Henry’s name popped up on the screen. I sighed, knowing he was calling me in to cover someone’s shift. It was the only reason he ever called me. “Yes?” I asked when I answered, putting it on speaker as River set a cup of decaf coffee in front of me.
I shot him a thankful smile. He leaned down and softly kissed me in response.
“I know tonight is your night off, but one of the dancers called out. I need you to fill in,” Henry informed me as River leaned back against the kitchen counter near my sink.
“Out of the fucking question,” River snarled, alerting Henry to his presence. I swung my alarmed eyes to River’s. I did not leave Tristan’s club just to have my moves dictated by another man. “The only thing Adelaide will do at that bar is serve drinks. Find another dancer.”
“River, I don’t have any other dancers—” Henry started, but River cut him off, his voice cold and full of authority.
“Are you fucking arguing with me right now?” River barked, making me swallow at the rage that spilled into his voice. He reached over and trailed his fingers over my cheek, soothing me, his eyes soft as they locked with mine.
“No, Prez,” Henry quickly answered. “I’ll find another dancer.”
Henry hung up, and I looked up at River. “Was that necessary?” I asked him. “I could have used the extra money.”
River leaned back against the kitchen counter again, taking a sip from his coffee. “You won’t be dancing, Adelaide,” He stated as if his word was final. I gritted my teeth. I was my own woman, and I was so sick of men dictating my fucking moves. “You’re lucky that I’m letting you continue to serve drinks at that bar, but I understand your need for independence, so I’m not stopping you.” Some of the fight left me at his words. “Dancing for a bunch of sleazy assholes is where I draw the line though. And if you need extra money, that’s what I’m here for. You’re not alone anymore, darlin’,” he reminded me. “From here on out, what’s mine is yours.”
My heart warmed at his words.
He understood me. I hadn’t been understood in a long fucking time.
A knock sounded on my front door, and River set his coffee down, moving to answer it. He came into the kitchen a moment later with his VP, Sam—the asshole from last night. “Sons of Death has finally gotten back with me,” Sam informed River, making me jerk my eyes up from my bowl of cereal. My heart pounded hard in my chest at the thought of having to face Tristan again. I couldn’t take the broken, betrayed expression in his eyes. It cut me deep. I knew I’d hurt him, but dammit, he’d hurt me numerous times, too.
“Tristan refuses to work with us, but Troy doesn’t mind,” Sam informed River. I grunted. River chuckled, knowing me and Troy always tended to butt heads. “He wants to set up an exchange three days from now.”
River nodded. “Set up a time and location and get back with me on it,” River told him.
“Already did,” Sam informed him. “At the bar in a few days.”
River looked over at me for a second before he nodded. “That works. I’ll have Adelaide serve our table that night.” River smirked at me. “Try not to drop the tray this time,” he teased.
I scowled, making him chuckle. He leaned over and brushed his lips with mine. “Finish your breakfast, darlin’.”
“Hey, baby doll, bring your pretty little ass over here and get me a beer!” a man shouted through the loud noise of the bar, making me scowl at him as I snatched a beer from the cooler behind me and popped the top off for him.
I slammed the beer in front of him with a disgusted look his way. I fucking hated it when men gave me little pet names. The shit pissed me off.
Henry grabbed my arm and yanked me around to face him. “Kill the attitude with the customers,” he snapped down at me.
“Get your fucking hands off of me,” I seethed, glaring up at him, my hands clenched at my sides.
“Adelaide, table twenty-two is asking for you,” Amber told me, her eyes nervously flickering between me and Henry.
Henry roughly shoved me away from him, and I caught myself before I collided with the counter, glaring at his back as he disappeared through the door that led to the back of the restaurant where his office was located.
God, I fucking hated him .
Clenching my jaw, I walked over to table twenty-two, my eyes meeting River’s as I approached. He ran his eyes over me, his eyes darkening at the red, hand-shaped mark on my arm from where Henry had grabbed me. He gently pulled me toward him. “Who the fuck put their hands on you?”
“It was no one,” I told him softly, not wanting to cause shit within his club. Henry and I had never seen eye to eye. The only reason he hired me in the first place was because I knew the drinks, so I didn’t need training, and I was a good dancer.
River’s eyes darkened in a warning, but I ran my hand over his hair, silently pleading with him not to do this right now. With a grunt, he leaned back in the booth again, but there was a promise in his eyes that we would continue the conversation later.
My gaze flickered around the table, my eyes locking on Troy and Kyle. “Well, well, well, been wondering where the fuck you disappeared to, Adelaide,” Troy commented, letting his eyes run over me.
I bristled. “Put your eyes on my fucking face,” I snapped at him, making Kyle snicker next to him.
Troy shrugged. “Figured since you seem to spread those sexy ass legs for just about anyone, I might get a taste of my own.” Troy smirked.
“Watch your fucking mouth before Tristan has to find a new president for his North Carolina charter,” River snarled at Troy, leaning forward threateningly.
Troy looked between us for a moment before he barked out a laugh. “Fucking hell, you two ?” Troy demanded. “This is fucking priceless. Does Tristan know?” he asked, looking up at me.
“Don’t know nor do I give a fuck,” I retorted. “Now, what do you want to drink?”
After taking their drink orders, I walked back over to the bar, making the drinks since I knew River wanted me to make them—not anyone else. He had club business to take care of, and he wouldn’t want potential eavesdroppers. “Henry wants a word with you,” Natalie informed me as she walked up. “I’ll finish the drinks for you.”
I shook my head at her. “That table will be fine, I promise,” I assured her. “River is picky. Doesn’t want anyone else serving his table.” She nodded in understanding as her eyes flickered nervously to the owner of the bar. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
I strode down the back hallway to Henry’s office, which was next to the restrooms and the rooms that the dancers got ready in. “You called?” I asked as I stepped into his office. I hated being in the same room alone with him. It made my skin crawl. There was just something about him that made me wary. Even before he’d tried coming on to me, I’d had a bad feeling about the man.
I jumped in fright when he slammed the door closed behind me, shoving me back against it. My heart thundered in my ears as my mouth ran dry. “So, you can fuck my boss within hours of meeting him, but you ignore my advances for months ?” he seethed. “I treated you decently, woman. I took pity on you when you begged me for this job, and this is the fucking thanks I get?”
“River and I have known each other for a while. And I’ll never fuck you, Henry, so fuck off,” I sneered, thankful that my voice came out steady. I refused to show him how afraid I actually was.
Fear was a weakness in these situations. Men like him fed off of it.
I cried out in pain as his fist cracked against the side of my face, sending me sprawling to the floor. Blood welled in my mouth, and I gagged at the metallic taste in my mouth, my stomach churning. My head was spinning from the punch, pain pulsing through my face. My vision blurred when I tried to push myself up, the room spinning around me.
Henry shoved me onto my back, straddling my hips. I bucked them, my hands clawing at his face. “Get off of me!” I screamed.
His fist slammed against my temple, and that time, it was lights out.