Chapter Twelve
CHAPTER TWELVE
Soren
“Did you find anything other than the rats?” I asked the exterminator as he came back out of the club, saying a silent prayer that termites hadn’t been hiding anywhere. Sure, the building itself was brick, but there was plenty of wood inside to worry about. Especially since the place had been empty for so long.
“Nope. Don’t even see any damage from the rats, so I don’t think they’ve been around for long.”
That was good news.
This was the nerve-racking stage of opening a new club—finally getting inside the building and going over it with a fine-tooth comb to make sure you catch even the smallest of problems before they turned into a bigger ones in the future.
Early on, I’d hired a subpar contractor and private inspector who both somehow missed a slow leak in one of the bathrooms. Until, one day, during a busy night, the floor collapsed.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. But the whole place had to be shut down until it could be fixed.
With that experience under my belt—and a much more skilled and thorough crew working on my projects—I made sure nothing got past us. Even if it meant adding on a few weeks or thousands of dollars.
“You sure you want us to save this?” Gav, the contractor, asked as he gestured to one of the boards covering one of the windows.
Saff had mentioned liking it when we’d toured the place. It did, like she said, definitely look vaguely vaginal.
It wouldn’t fit the club décor.
But I was going to get it sealed and then hang it on the wall in the office for Saff.
“Yes. Store it in the office for the time being.”
Technically, the windows could stay boarded up for a few more weeks while the work was being done. But hoping to stir up neighborhood interest, I’d opted to get blackout window panels with Coming Soon printed on them.
No one would be able to see inside.
Everyone would be curious about what was coming to their neighborhood.
I glanced up and down the street, feeling a sinking sensation in my chest as I realized Saff wasn’t anywhere in sight.
Not that I could expect her. She’d said nothing about being around for the beginning stages of the project.
That didn’t stop me from wishing she would turn up, though.
Both at the job site… and my doorstep.
After the elevator, I’d been so sure she would want to give in to what was clearly between us.
The paperwork was all officially signed.
There was no way for things to blow up now.
There was nothing to lose.
And a lot of mutual enjoyment to gain.
“You weren’t kidding,” a familiar voice said, appearing at my side as I stared at the building, lost in my own thoughts.
“Saff,” I said, turning to find her standing there in simple black jeans and a white tee. So different from her usual style. Yet it seemed to suit her better. “Kidding about what?”
“Getting things going right away,” she said, holding out a cup of coffee toward me. “It’s the best in the neighborhood,” she explained. “Right there on the corner,” she added, jerking her chin toward the building.
“Good to know. Thanks. Were you coming to check on me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I was heading to the bookstore and saw all the hubbub. Figured I should come over and see what’s going on.”
Everything about her was more relaxed, authentic.
“Extermination,” I explained. “And the contractor and inspectors checking things out, so they can give me—us a list of everything that needs to be done.”
To that, she nodded, looking at the men walking in and out of the front door. “What’s the timeframe?”
“Barring no major structural issues, I’m hoping for under six months.”
“That feels ambitious. Haven’t you heard all the jokes about construction in the city?”
“I find if you toss enough money at things, you get what you want when you want it. I think the thing that might take the longest is the elevator since it isn’t a replacement but a full frame out and build. The company for that will be coming tomorrow, if you want to be here to hear about that from the horse’s mouth.”
“How many different crews will there be?”
“That should be it,” I said. “That’s Gav. He’s the contractor. If we need any other guys, he will handle it.”
“Do you come to the site every day during renovations?”
“It depends. If things are going smoothly, not usually. But if we keep hitting roadblocks, it makes sense to be here so no one has to wait a half an hour to an hour for me to get down here to check things out and make a decision.”
“Makes sense.”
“But Gav seems optimistic, so here’s hoping it’s one of the few projects without an issue.”
“That’d be nice. Opening in the fall seems ideal. People will be looking for inside places to go to again.”
“Exactly.” I glanced back at her as she took a sip, gaze moving to the fingers holding the cup, the knuckles all cut open, little red slivers running perfectly across them. “What’s this?” I asked, reaching for her wrist.
“What’s wha—oh,” she said, brows scrunching. Almost like she hadn’t even noticed the cuts. But who could overlook them? “Word to the wise,” she said, words stunted, like she was struggling to find them. “Be careful with box cutters.”
They didn’t look thin enough for cuts from a box cutter. But why else would she lie?
Suddenly, Teresa’s words came drifting back to me.
About there being no social presence for Saff.
Not even a business page.
But she had an office, a company.
Right?
I’d been so busy trying to get my hands on her that I’d forgotten all about that little twinge of distrust I kept feeling each time we interacted.
I either needed her to be more open to me, or I was going to need to actually investigate her. Whether I did it myself or hired someone else to do it.
“You should have something on these,” I said, thumb sliding across her fingers just under the cuts.
“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
“Used to cutting yourself with box cutters?” I asked, brow raising.
“No,” she said, eyes going wide. Caught. That was the look of someone who was caught in a lie. But why lie about how your hands got cut up? What was she trying to hide? “No, I just… get hurt a lot. I’m, you know, kind of careless sometimes.”
That felt like it was possibly partially true.
“Want to take another walk around now that we have electricity?” I asked, figuring that spending more time with her might reveal more about why she was so secretive. Especially about things as innocuous as cuts on fingers.
“Wow, you really do move fast. Sure,” she said, making her way inside. I hung back, enjoying the view for a second. Without the heels she clearly hated, she had a lot more sway in her hips as she walked. “See, this is why clubs are dark,” she decided when we both moved into the middle of the dance floor. She turned in a circle, nose scrunched up. “It’s kind of bleak.”
“To be fair, it’s filthy,” I said, kicking a random plastic bottle out of my way.
Saff made her way toward the stairs with me a few feet behind.
“Boss,” Gav called.
“Boss es ,” I corrected, gesturing up toward Saff.
“Right. Sorry, Miss…”
“Amato,” I supplied.
“Me and my crew are gonna head out. Get the report ready for you. I’ll start ordering supplies. Oh, and the rat guy said he’ll be back tomorrow morning to seal up those couple of entry points he found and catch any rats that might be stuck inside.”
“Sounds good,” I said, giving him a nod. “Thanks for coming in at such short notice.”
“Anytime. Mr. Vale. Miss Amato.” He gave us each an incline of his chin, then headed back out.
Saff said nothing as she turned and made her way back up to the balcony.
“Settling in nicely, I see,” she said, gesturing toward the folding chairs and table.
“We needed somewhere to look over plans. Gav brings ‘em to every project.”
She placed her empty cup down on the table before walking over toward the balcony, resting her hands on the railing.
“Now that I saw the design boards, I can pretty much see it,” she declared.
I put my cup down next to hers and moved up behind her, putting my hands to the outsides of hers. I was close enough to hear the way her breath gasped inward, to feel the way she tensed.
“What do you see?” I asked, stepping closer, my front pressing into her back.
“I…”
“A crowd of people just below?” I asked, leaning down so my lips were close to her ear.
“Yeah,” she said, trying to hold onto the conversation. Even as she melted against me.
“Dancing to the music?” I asked as my hands slid across the railing, over hers, up her arms, over her chest.
“Mmhmm,” she said, leaning her head back against my shoulder, eyes at half-mast.
One of my hands tracked upward, closing around the front of her throat. Not aggressive, just possessive.
The other slid down the center of her stomach, then pressed between her thighs.
A soft whimper escaped her as my fingers rubbed against her through her jeans.
“Do you think anyone would look up, see what I’m doing to you?”
My hand slid up, working her button free and lowering her zipper, then moved inside under her panties.
There was no toying, no teasing.
My fingers slid inside her as my palm pressed against her clit.
Saff’s moan filled the empty club as her hips rocked against me, begging for more.
Wanting to remind her how good we were at this, how soft and sweet she got for me, how easily I could make her come, I worked her hard and fast, pushing her right to that edge.
Feeling her walls tighten around my fingers, my other hand closed around her throat just as the orgasm slammed through her.
Her body shuddered hard as a gasping sound escaped her while her pussy clenched around my fingers over and over.
As soon as the climax loosened its grip on her, I loosened my hold on her throat, then slid my hand around to the side, forcing her head to turn just enough for my lips to claim hers.
After a moment, she turned, her arms sliding up to loop around my neck. Her body crushed to mine as she kissed me harder, deeper.
Her teeth sank into my lower lip, pulling to the point of pain, then slipping her tongue in to claim mine.
I felt that way right then.
Claimed .
Her hands slid down, pressing into my shoulders, pushing me backward.
And as I moved, the only thought that crossed my mind was: I’d happily go anywhere she wanted.
My legs hit the folding chair, making it scrape across the floor until Saff’s hands pressed down on my shoulders, urging me to sit.
As soon as I lowered down, she was moving down, her hands slipping over my chest, stomach, then thighs as she went down on her knees between my spread legs.
Anticipation sizzled across my nerve endings.
Saff’s hands slid across my waistband, working my belt free, then wasting no time getting my button and zipper undone.
Desire was a live wire through my system, making me achy with need as her hand slipped in, closing around my cock, then stroking down to the base.
There was no stopping the groan of pleasure that escaped me as her fingertip teased across the head.
She lowered down then, sucking me into her mouth.
“Fuck,” I hissed as my hands went down to gather her hair, pulling it out of the way as she started to work me. I fisted it at the back of her neck as her mouth moved faster and faster.
She had me right there at the edge when there was a creaking sound below, then footsteps, and the slam of the front door.
Saff stiffened, but my hand grabbed the back of her neck, keeping her down, my cock deep in her mouth, as Gav’s voice called from below. “Forgot my phone,” he called.
Around my length, Saff made a little whimpering sound that only had me getting closer.
“Don’t stop,” I demanded softly to her. Then, louder, to Gav, “Alright.”
Saff started moving again.
Going faster.
Taking me deeper.
But Gav’s footsteps weren’t retreating back to the door.
They were moving across the floor below.
They were getting closer.
Saff moved faster still, her hand working me as she sucked me in little twisting movements.
“Fuck, I’m—” I started to warn her as I heard Gav’s feet start up the steps.
Saff sucked me to the base, letting me come down her throat with a low curse.
She swallowed down my release, but was back on her feet in seconds as Gav’s steps continued to climb closer.
Her hand shot out toward the table, and I was still too fucking out of my mind to realize what she was doing as she turned and strode toward the steps, fastening her pants with one hand before she got there.
“Here you go, Gav,” she said, holding out the phone she’d grabbed off the table.
“Thanks, Miss Amato,” Gav said as I just sat there, come-drunk, cock out, unable to do anything but watch her back as she told Gav to have a good day.
His footsteps retreated before Saff finally turned to look at me.
Her gaze was intense, her smile self-satisfied.
She knew what she’d done to me, what power she had over me now.
Then, without a fucking word, she turned with a smile and left me there just like that.