Chapter 8
“Mr. Ellis is right this way.” The host led the way through the hall down to a private box suite there inside Madison Square Garden. The space could have easily hosted ten or twelve people, but instead, it was just going to be the two of them.
Eric had been insistent that they continue to be seen together, for appearances’ sake. It was always about appearances, wasn’t it? Money and power, and what you did with it. This was especially true among people in their line of illegal dealings.
Originally, he had tried to convince her to go to the New York Ballet, which was a hard pass for Layne. She had nothing against seeing people in tights and tutus weightlessly glide across a stage, but it was far too stuffy of a way to spend a night out.
His alternative suggestion of seeing a rock music concert at the Garden seemed far more appealing, and it was a bonus that she wouldn’t have to get dressed up. Instead, she opted for a set of flattering and snug jeans fashionably torn in a few places across her thighs and a small black tank that had multiple straps crossing over her back and a glimpse of her smooth stomach depending on which way she moved.
Layne’s hair was styled into a few edgy braids that fed into a teased ponytail for additional volume and sass. The makeup she opted for matched the rest of her, dark and edgy. Since she didn’t anticipate kicking anyone’s ass tonight, she had put in a pair of gold hoop earrings in each ear. Under normal circumstances, they just weren’t practical when there was a risk of getting them caught up and torn from her lobes. Not something she wanted to experience; she would rather take a bullet to the shoulder. Oh, wait…
When she arrived in the suite, every beverage she could order was available for consumption. Multiple hot trays of food were on display along with various cold platters. She’d never have to worry about eating for the rest of the week given the sheer amount of food laid out for just the two of them. If nothing else, Eric was excessive in everything he did.
Eric greeted her immediately, wrapping his arms around her in a hug before pulling back to take in the sight of her with a smile. His right hand gently drifted over her shoulder, his fingers caressing along the shiny scar from where Mick’s bullet had entered her body last year.
Self-consciousness caused her to draw her shoulder back from his touch over that grim physical reminder that would never disappear.
He spoke with words filled with awe. “I will never stop being amazed at how much you take my breath away.”
At least he was making the effort to stay in her good graces, or maybe he was just hoping that it would help sway her decision in his favor.
She noticed he was dressed down the most she had ever seen him, yet there was still an air of sophistication wrapped around him from the designer jeans to the plain long-sleeved tee that was sure to cling to the fit outline of his upper body.
His hand dropped down to the small of her back as he guided her over to the bar. “I wasn’t sure what you’d feel like drinking, so I made sure there would be a little of everything.” If this was his definition of a ‘little bit,’ she was scared to see him go all out.
Setting her small black purse on the countertop, her eyes scanned the beverage collection before she selected the tall can of Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Lager from the mini-fridge. “I see that.” Her finger popped the tab, prompting the smooth sound of the metal opening up and the quick fizz of the pressure release.
After taking an initial taste of the brewery’s flagship beer, she offered him a light smile. She should have felt a sense of awkwardness, but instead, he somehow managed to keep things on the lighter side.
The lights dimmed inside the suite as the remainder of the venue darkened in anticipation of the opening act taking the stage.
Layne walked over to the two nearest seats with Eric following behind her. Expectedly, he took the seat to her left after she sat down.
Continuing to indulge in a couple of beers over idle conversation, Layne propped her booted foot up against the empty seat in front of her while the band she hadn’t ever heard of continued its opening set. What had started as light topics of conversation began to take a turn into more serious things she had been avoiding.
“Layne, I need to know how things are business-wise,” he urged her.
“Until you’re on a need-to-know basis, Eric, I can’t get into it with you.” She shook her head hoping he would leave well enough alone.
“I can’t help buy you time if you don’t let me.” The weight of his arctic blue eyes were on her, even though she was avoiding looking at them. His hand reached over and turned her face toward him. “Let me help, as a show of good faith that I’m serious about investing in all of you.”
Briefly, she met his eyes but was quick to find another reason to escape. “I need another drink.” She left her seat, tossing the empty can into a trash bin on the way back to the fridge. After pulling out the next beverage for herself, she reached into her purse that had been sitting there on the counter since she arrived and pulled out her emotional support pill bottle.
Beer was not going to numb her nearly enough to deal with Eric’s probing. Just like it was nothing more than popping an aspirin for a headache, she swallowed down the tablet, chasing it with the freshly opened lager.
Layne returned to her seat, knowing that he was still waiting for her to provide the necessary details he had asked for. She turned in her seat so she could face him as her hands focused on the cold of the beer can between her palms.
“Things are not great, but I’m sure you already knew that. Funds are getting tighter, and it’s getting harder to rely on people to stay in line. The list of people working for us is getting shorter by the day. I can only do so much trying to clean up the messes.” She slowly dragged in a breath as her thoughts jumped to the last mess she had tried to clean up, thanks to Liam running his mouth to one of their oldest clients on the books. Not to mention, the warning she had been given by one of the Russian families.
With another long sip of the slightly hoppy beer, she made an effort to lock all those problems away for another day.
That’s when she noticed that Eric’s gaze had turned into something more serious as he took in the words she had spoken. His hand reached over and eased the can from her grasp and set it off to the side.
“All you have to do is give the word, little harpy, and I will make it all better.” Eric placed his hand on the back of her neck and drew her in closely. “I promise. All you have to do is say ‘yes’. I won’t even ask you to add a ‘please’ with it.”
Now that the main act had shown up, the inside of MSG was only lit up on the bottom floor where the stage itself had come to life and fans were screaming in excitement as the first chord erupted across the speakers. The remaining notes of the song followed but Layne barely noticed over the roar of her resulting self-medication taking hold from behind her eyes and spreading quickly like a violent invasion of her senses.
Not thinking clearly, let alone wanting to think at all, her senses and inhibitions were quickly fading. Instead of committing to one problem of giving him a definitive answer, she committed to another. She latched her mouth onto Eric’s. Taken by surprise, Eric gave a pleased smile into the kiss as Layne made the first move and he was more than happy to embrace the connection with her.
Quickly, he drew her into his lap while his mouth feverishly captured hers and wrangled for dominance. Layne straddled his lap, feeling the growing erection press up against her body.
His arm wrapped around her body, tightly pulling her slender figure up against him while his hips pushed up against her to feel their clothed bodies rubbing against one another.
The more she kissed him, the more her head swam, relying on his hold to keep her in one place. Her lips ran along the line of his jaw as she tried to focus on what she was doing here with him. His cologne filled her nostrils, reminding her of a forest just after the break of dawn, but what it was missing was the scent of sage that she craved the most.
Eric pushed her hips down on him forcefully, eliciting half a moan to be exhaled into his ear which only encouraged him further. His mouth ventured down to the juncture where her neck met her shoulder and his teeth sank into her flesh in a possessive bite intended to leave a red ring behind on her unbroken flesh.
Layne didn’t feel a whole lot on so many levels, especially in that moment. The result was her poor choices leading to exactly what she had been after, an escape from all the stress and pain in her life that had nowhere else to go. Her hands held onto his shoulders for stability, her face pressed into the side of his neck as she succumbed to the high taking over.
He grasped onto her and stood to shift and swap their positions. He placed her back down on the seat in a way where she was on her knees and the front of her body was up against the backrest.
Layne latched her hands onto the top of the back of the seat, using it like a handlebar for support. Eric’s hand slid around to the front of her stomach and down to the waist of her jeans. His fingers pushed the button free, and as he slid his hand directly down the front of her, the loose zipper slid down on its own.
His other hand wrapped itself in the length of her ponytail and tilted her head back enough so he could growl his words into her ear. “I can’t wait to hear how you call my name.”
Her eyes were barely focused; the ceiling looked hazy from this angle. Yet, she didn’t care. She was getting the distraction away from the cruel whispers of her past and current traumas.
Eric’s fingers dove deeper between her skin and the fabric of her thong until they slid against the wetness of her slit. Her mouth parted in a breathy moan. He didn’t make her wait long before two of his thick fingers found her entrance and buried deep inside of her.
“That’s it, baby. You’re going to give yourself over to me.”
A sensation of pleasure mixed with the sedative effects of her impromptu cocktail of pills and beer. Seeking an even further high, her hips moved her body against his hand.
The heel of his hand stroked over her clit every time he thrust his fingers back into her. At first, the rhythm was slow and predictable, but it quickly began to elevate to something more. His touch was claiming her wet pussy and she was encouraging it as a means to her own unraveling.
Her sweet moans grew more intense, though overpowered by the loud music of the band blaring across the speakers throughout the building. Layne’s body shivered from the escalation of pleasure marking the approach of her release. “Mm, I’m gonna… come…”
“Go ahead and come all over my fingers. Show me how much you like it when I make you squirm, my little harpy. And, when you’re done, you’re going to do it again for me until I’m all you can think about.” The tips of his fingers curled and pressed against the spot deep inside of her causing her body to bear down around him as she cried out in release.
The sticky sweet arousal from her body coated his fingers that continued to massage against the sensitive spot they had found, extending the lustful ride she was getting.
The surge of oxytocin gave a brief reprieve from the haziness of her thoughts. As her chest rose and fell due to the breathlessness, she attempted to get up off the seat.
He withdrew the hand from inside of her, only to release her ponytail with his other hand and press down on her shoulder to keep her right where she was. “Not yet, I want to see what else your hot little pussy can take.” Eric brought his fingers to his mouth sucking the taste of her off of each one.
“I need a minute.” Mentally or physically, she wasn’t even sure.
That’s when some prying eyes decided enough was enough, and a strip of light cut into the suite as the velvety privacy curtain slid to the side.
Layne’s eyes tiredly looked at the intruding figure and saw Joey walking into the room. She questioned if she was seeing correctly. Maybe she was dreaming again and things were going to get really hot in here.
He was wearing a white shirt with the black outline of a skull on it underneath a thin black jacket with the sleeves pushed halfway up his forearms, and a pair of slim-fitted deep blue jeans on his muscled legs.
Eric stepped back from Layne as if he hadn’t just been fingerfucking her moments ago. “Private suite, asshole.”
Joey’s jaw clenched tightly as he approached the two of them, his size and build overshadowing Eric easily. He glanced down at Layne, his brown eyes set in a stony cold look. “I’m Miss O’Reilly’s personal security, asshole.”
An arrogant and judgmental scoff immediately came from Eric. “As you can see, she’s fine.” He leaned down and turned Layne’s head to face him as he slowly assaulted her mouth with his lips for a moment. “Isn’t that right?”
Images of snapping Eric’s neck flashed through Joey’s mind. “She’s had enough fun for the night.” He shoved himself between Layne and Eric.
A spark of anger rose in Eric’s eyes. “That’s not your call.”
Now, Joey was imagining all the other creative ways he could send Eric to the grave in the most spectacularly gruesome way. If he didn’t need Eric alive for his current job, he would have acted on his urges without hesitation.
Layne pushed up against the seat, underestimating just how woozy and uneasy on her feet she was. Her legs trembled underneath the weight of her body and caused her to stumble.
Joey’s strong hand immediately caught her by the upper arm, ensuring that she remained upright. The first flicker of emotion reached his eyes in a fiery glare at Eric. “The fuck it’s not. She’s done here.”
When her eyes finally found Joey’s, she recognized the indication that a dangerous shift in his demeanor was quickly approaching. It was not something that would easily be quelled if pushed too far.
Still being supported by Joey’s hold on her, she looked over at Eric. “It’s fine. He takes his job a little too seriously.” Her eyes tried to give an annoyed glare at Joey, but it fell flat when she didn’t have enough energy to expend on it.
Eric stepped around Joey to come around in front of Layne. His hand touched her cheek, paired with a smile filled with future promises. “Next time, we will pick up where we left off.” He leaned in to give her another kiss.
Before their lips made contact, Layne was pulled to the side as Joey’s hands guided her away with a gentle firmness. “C’mon, you have a busy day tomorrow.”
On her way toward the exit, Layne snagged her purse. The strength of Joey’s hold never faltered as he led her out, keeping her supported on her own two feet.
He shook his head at her, but it was his lack of words that was the loudest.