Chapter 4 #2
His jaw tics at my disrespect. I know my tone is more antagonizing than it should be. His monstrous hand moves to the side of my face. His touch is as light as a feather under my chin, gently grazing the scar that I don’t try to hide as he eyes it with curiosity.
I got it my first month of training with Briggs, after he swept my leg, and I landed chin first on the hard mat in his studio. Four stitches and almost two years later, it’s still visible.
Aiden moves on, using his thumb to tilt my head up farther so I have nowhere to look but into his eyes, and I ask myself why the hell I’m not stopping him from touching me.
Because remember, Mia, you have a mission here.
“The other girls’ belongings are theirs, not yours. Understand?” It’s an order. “It doesn’t matter who you work with, Mia, it only matters who you work for.” His voice deepens as his thumb grazes my chin again. I move closer to him this time, so there’s hardly any space between us, challenging him.
“So, this is a know-your-place kind of conversation? Boss big, employee small?” I ask in a breathy whisper, hoping he doesn’t hear the erratic thud of my pulse.
An evil sort of smirk lines his face with my sass, and then it’s gone just as quickly as it came.
His hand slides to my throat faster than I can prepare for.
I clench my thighs tight, as one insane moment passes while I wonder what it would feel like to have a man like him slide his rough hands over my skin, gripping me and pulling me close, forcing our bodies together.
It’s a visceral reaction that I can’t control as I take it a step further, imagining my hands sliding under his cut, feeling that hard body shudder beneath my fingers as they press against him—
“I’m not your boss yet.” He cuts into my depraved thoughts, applying just enough pressure to my throat. My traitorous body heats even more.
“You’ll have to take that up with Roz then. She just hired me…darlin’.”
I struggle not to get trapped in his gaze. There are secrets there, but there’s something more. This man is stoic, observant, and it’s already clear that he’s not just the dumb, hardened outlaw I imagined him to be.
“I don’t generally hire women who back-talk me. So, if I hire you, you’ll learn to watch that pretty pink mouth.” His eyes drift to my lips and he nods. “Or I’ll be forced to teach you a lesson with it.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “And exactly how would you teach me, boss?”
It feels good to push his buttons. He has no idea who I am, and for a moment, I feel like I can be brave here, like I can be anyone I want.
But I’m not even remotely prepared when his hand suddenly slides from my throat to wrap around my waist, pulling me tight to him, just like I imagined moments earlier.
Every part of him is powerful, hard, and effortless, and when his lips hover just above mine, I almost stop breathing altogether.
“Many ways… I’ve been known to cut a man’s tongue out for less,” he offers simply.
“But for you, I’d have something entirely different, and you’re nowhere near ready for that lesson, Rhiannon.
So, I suggest you don’t fucking test me.
” Aiden lets me go so suddenly that I stumble back a few steps, almost whimpering with the loss of contact as he turns around and slowly moves down the clothing rack, his knuckles grazing over the soft fabrics.
I can still feel the ghost of his hand around my throat.
I search for something, anything I could defend myself with if he tries to violate me. I’m strong enough that he wouldn’t expect it. But the closest thing to a weapon in here is a curling iron or a stiletto, and they aren’t a match for his brute strength.
“No one works in my club without my approval, and I have no idea who you are, Mia.” He’s calm and controlled, yet I’m unnerved and uneasy with the realization that I want to both strangle him and find out how he’d plan to teach me that lesson.
Aiden stops abruptly, his wide back covered by the cloaked insignia of the Disciples of Sin.
Pulling out a dress, he runs his fingers along the fabric, assessing it, then turns to close the space between us in just a few quick strides with his long, lean legs.
The dress is a deep, cherry red, and the fabric is thin and shimmery when it hits the light.
It’s very short, with spaghetti straps, and is exceptionally low cut.
My double D tits would never fit in it, and it would barely cover my ass.
“This.” Aiden holds the dress out to me, his ruinous eyes focused on mine.
“Excuse me?” is all I’m able to ask, yet I reach out and take it.
“You’ll wear this dress to my clubhouse tonight.
You’ll come with Roz. Then we’ll discuss whether or not you’ll work for me.
” As if I’d never dare to say no to his command, he turns to exit the room.
Before I have a chance to answer him, or protest at all, he’s gone.
Blowing out a shaky breath, I drop to the bench beside the clothing rack, still in my underwear.
The true irony here is that while I was searching the room for something to stab him with, all he was searching for was a dress for me to wear.
I flip the tag over. Son of a bitch. The dress is exactly my size.
* * *
“Yeah, that’s Aiden for ya… He can be a lot when you first meet him,” Roz says apologetically as I tuck my tank haphazardly into my jeans. I had just finished getting myself dressed again when she returned.
“That’s the understatement of the year. Never had someone I just met pick out my clothing before,” I scoff. Not to mention studying my almost naked body and wrapping his hand around my throat.
She assesses me now. “You can start tomorrow, once I have boss’s approval. It’s Thursday, so it might only be a two- or three-hundred-dollar night.” That gets my attention.
“Three hundred dollars?”
She nods. “Yeah, more on the weekends too.”
I’ll sort out how to balance the contradiction of my attraction and contempt for my new boss later. After only a few minutes with him, I know that standing up to him will earn me his respect, and the more respect I have, the closer I’ll get to finding my answers.
“I’ll take it,” I say before I can change my mind.
“Yay!” Libby exclaims, coming over to slink her arm through mine. “We’re gonna be the best of friends.” She smiles at me, and I can’t help but smile back.
“Good. I’ll have some paperwork for you to fill out. Simple stuff, since we’re not paying you on the books.”
I nod.
“This clothing is all wear-once. It’s yours to borrow, but when you’re through, it goes here for dry cleaning.” Roz points to a commercial-grade bin against the opposite wall from the rack. “Meet me back here at eight, buttercup.”
“I thought I was starting tomorrow?”
She winks. “You are. But like I said, what Aiden says goes. So tonight, you’re with us.”
“It’s a good chance for you to get to know some of the other girls. They’ll be here too,” Libby adds.
As Roz starts to leave, she stops and turns back. “And you might want to wear the dress he picked for you.”
“What happens if I don’t?” I ask, genuinely curious.
Roz and Libby share a look. “You’ve got guts, honey, I’ll give you that. Reminds me a little of myself when I was your age,” Roz notes.
“Red is just not my color,” I offer, even though it’s completely untrue.
“Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
I have to admit Roz doesn’t seem like the type of woman who would work for a man that was okay with assault on a minor.
In fact, she seems like the kind of woman who would cut off a man’s dick for even thinking about it.
But I won’t do what Aiden Foxx says, regardless of her warning.
Following the two women out of the dressing room, I smile smugly to myself.
Because I have the perfect dress at home that I’ll wear tonight just for him.
I’m not letting a fucking Disciple tell me what to do.
As he already reminded me, he’s not my boss yet.