Chapter Three
I took a cab to the club that evening, which had been a mistake. Unusual traffic had me arriving at three after nine. I hurried toward the office but was stopped at the upstairs bar by Liesl.
“David and hot owner boy are already in there,” she said over the club music, playing with a strand of purple hair. “Hudson told me to have you wait here. He’ll let you know when he wants you.”
“Dammit! I’m not that late, am I?”
“No, they went in there about ten minutes ago. They have no idea what time you got here.”
I relaxed, thankful that my exclusion from the meeting wasn’t because I’d been tardy. I hopped onto a bar stool nearest the office and set my computer bag on the floor at my feet.
“Hold on, Laynie,” Liesl said coming around the bar. “Let me see you.”
I stood up again and turned around, displaying my bodycon dress. I’d picked it because the white tie color had a business style to it, but the tight black skirt said nightclub instead of office secretary.
“F*ck, girl, you look good!” Liesl’s validation calmed me more than she could ever know. Or maybe she did know. She was a good friend.
“Thanks. I needed that. Especially after Mr. Disapproval last night.”
“He is now known as the Bar and Wardrobe Nazi.”
I laughed and hopped back onto my stool. The same stool Hudson had sat on the first time I saw him. “Hey, you know he’s the suit I was telling you about, the one who gave me the hundred.”
“You’re shitting me!”
“I’m not. Do you think he wants me to blow him to get the promotion?”
“Would it be that bad if he did?”
“Yes. It would be utterly, wonderfully, horrible.” But mostly it was horrible how not bad that idea sounded.
While trying to empty my mind of Hudson blowjob images, I surveyed the club. The place was slow, even for a Wednesday night. From the bar, I had full view of the ten bubble rooms that circled the perimeter of the upper level. The bubble rooms were The Sky Launch’s highlight. Each room, round in shape, featured a glass wall overlooking the dance floor on the lower level, and had private access much like box seats at a stadium. They all had a curved seating area around a table, and fit eight people comfortably. The bubbles provided a relatively quiet and discreet area while still being very much part of the club. When the occupied lights were on, the outer walls of the bubble rooms glowed red. Only two were lit up. A shame. If the club had the kind of notoriety it could have, those rooms would fill within the first ten minutes of being open.
“God, I hope it picks up,” Liesl said, draping her torso across the counter next to me. “I can’t make it through a full shift at this pace. It’s so boring!”
“I hope so, too.” We should have been busting with the summer crowd by now. The lack of business made me feel more confident about my ideas for the club. I fidgeted, anxious to get in the office and share them with my bosses.
“What did you do today?” Liesl asked.
“I worked on a PowerPoint presentation all morning. I crashed about two.”
Liesl narrowed her eyes. “You need more sleep than that, Laynie.”
“Nah. Five hours is plenty.” I actually felt pretty good. Gathering the best of my thoughts for The Sky Launch into a presentation had been very therapeutic, easing my concerns about my future at the club. Hudson couldn’t fire me after he saw how much time and effort I’d put into the business, could he? Not if my ideas were good, and I knew they were.
I pulled my phone out of my bra cup where I kept it—no pockets in my skin-tight dress—and checked the time. It was almost nine-thirty. How long would they keep me waiting?
They walked out minutes later. I stood the moment I saw them, smoothing my dress down and looked to Hudson, eager for a sign of approval.
But the expression that met me took my breath away—an expression of total male power and dominance. Even in the dark of the club, I could make out his eyes as they perused me—the way he did every time we saw each other. Again I felt claimed by his overwhelming magnetism, my heart racing just at the sight of him. My legs turned to jelly and my knees buckled, tipping me forward.
Into his arms.
He caught me with a graceful ease that contradicted the solid body that held me steady. My hands clenched his dress shirt—how did my hands get under his jacket?—and I resisted the urge to run them across the firm pecs I felt under my grasp.
He mistook my motion, seeming to think I was searching for further stability. “Alayna,” his voice flowed over me like liquid sex. “I’ve got you.”
I’ve got you. Boy, did he.
“Laynie, are you okay?” David peered at me over Hudson’s shoulder. Did he have to ask? Couldn’t he see that I was drowning in lust?
“Yeah,” I managed. “I’m, um, new shoes.”
Hudson glanced down at my strappy rhinestone embellished sandals. “They’re lovely.” His voice came out so deep it rumbled and my belly knotted with the sound.
“Uh, thanks.” I was breathless. And embarrassed when I realized I was still in Hudson’s arms. I eased my grip and pushed myself into a standing position.
“Sorry we kept you waiting.” Hudson’s hands lingered on me until I was steady. “I had a few things to discuss with David privately.”
“No problem.” I still felt the burn of Hudson’s hands on my bare skin. For distraction, I dove into business discussions. “I have so many ideas I’d like to share about the club. I put them into a presentation. I brought my laptop.”
Hudson’s lips curled with a hint of amusement. “How thoughtful. Set up a time with David. I’m sure he’s very interested.”
How thoughtful. As if I’d done something cute. Something only big boys did. How f*cking patronizing.
My heart plummeted. I really shouldn’t have been so disappointed. It wasn’t as if I’d been asked to prepare anything. That had been my own hyper-focusing. In fact, I hadn’t even known why I’d been invited to the meeting. Especially now that it was apparently over and I hadn’t even been in on it.
“How about tomorrow, Laynie?” David suggested. “You’re opening anyway. Why not come early? Does six-thirty give you enough time to present?”
“Yeah. I’ll leave my laptop here if you don’t mind.” I bent to pick up my bag, but Hudson reached it before I did.
He handed it to David. “David, could you lock this in the office? I need to eat something. Alayna will join me. I’ve reserved one of the bubbles.” His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the empty rooms. “Though it doesn’t seem a reservation was required.”
I tensed at Hudson’s latest demand. Why wasn’t David joining us? Did Hudson plan on firing me over pecan-crusted salmon? Was that what they had discussed privately?
Or maybe Hudson’s interest in me was less business and more pleasure. The looks he’d given me had suggested it was, and after receiving the same expression on several occasions, I realized I may not have imagined it like I kept trying to convince myself I had.
And that was a scarier thought than being fired. Especially when I’d already felt a tug of fixation. I’d been so stable for the past three years—I couldn’t open myself to get all obsessive over my hot boss. That was a disaster waiting to happen. I definitely should say no to the bubble room.
Except I hadn’t given up on my promotion. And because there was a slight possibility that Hudson wanted to talk to me about that, I had to say yes to dinner, though my acquiescence hardly seemed necessary since he’d had his hand pressed against the small of my back directing me to one of the more private bubbles before I’d even agreed to join him. My body tensed under his touch, and my stomach twisted in a nervous knot that wasn’t exactly unpleasant.
And I was very aware of the eyes that followed us, few as there were in the club, sure that many of them flashed with envy. Alone in a bubble room with Hudson Pierce? All the women in Manhattan should be jealous. Kinky things had been known to happen in those bubbles. I smiled at the possibilities.
Goddammit. What the hell was I thinking? The guy had invited me to dinner, not to his bed. Just because I was all gaga over him, reading sex into his every move, didn’t mean he reciprocated. And the gaga needed to stop once and for all, even if he did reciprocate.
Inside the room, I turned on the occupied light out of habit. Usually a hostess would have done that when they seated the customer, but since we’d sort of skipped the whole hostess formality, I took it upon myself. And I had to do something with my nervous energy. Continuing the job, I grabbed a menu from the wall and handed it to Hudson who stood waiting at the edge of the seating.
He took the menu from me and gestured for me to sit. “After you.”
It had been quite some time since I’d been in a bubble room off-duty and the reversal in my role combined with the “F*ck Me” aura that surrounded Hudson unbalanced me. I slid onto the plush cushion, gripping the table for support.
Hudson stayed standing, watching me intently for several seconds before he removed his gray suit jacket and hung it on the hook behind him. Damn. He was even hotter in only his fitted gray dress shirt. I bit the inside of my cheek, admiring his hard thighs straining against his pants’ fabric as he sat down. God, he was so yummy.
God, I was in trouble.
He tossed the laminated menu on the table without looking at it. “I don’t need this. Do you?”
“No, thank you, Mr. Pierce.” I had the menu memorized. Besides, there was no way I could eat in his presence.
“Hudson,” he corrected.
“No, thank you, Hudson.” His eyes widened slightly when I said his name. “I’ve already eaten.”
“A drink then? Though, I know you work at eleven.”
I licked my lips, thinking more about the man sitting across from me than of thirst, wondering what he had in store for me. “Maybe an iced tea.”
“Good.”
Out of habit, I reached to press the button in the middle of the table to summon the waitress, but he beat me to it, our fingers colliding. I moved to pull my hand away, but he was quicker again, taking my hand into his. I inhaled sharply at the sensation of his skin against mine.
“I didn’t mean to startle you. I was admiring your soft skin.” But his eyes never left mine.
“Oh.” I thought about saying I’d been to an amazing spa, but really, did he care? And besides, talking was difficult with that thing he was doing to my skin, burning it so thoroughly with his caress.
His phone rang and he let go of my hand. I pulled it to my lap, needing the warmth of my body once it’d lost the warmth of his.
“Excuse me,” he said, taking his phone out of his pants pocket and silencing it without looking at the screen.
“You can take it if you need to.” I could use a few minutes to gather my thoughts. Because, what the hell did he want with me? Not only was not knowing killing me, but the more time I spent with Hudson, the easier it was for me to think about him and his amazing gray eyes. And his hard body. And his smooth voice.
“There can’t be anything important enough to interrupt this conversation.”
And even smoother lines.
I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the door opening. Sasha entered with a tray of food and drinks. I watched as she set down a plate of sea bass and a glass of Sancerre in front of Hudson and a glass of iced tea in front of me. Hudson must have preordered, but how did he know I’d get iced tea?
He must have sensed my question. “I asked Liesl what you usually drank. If you had said you wanted something different, I wouldn’t look quite so cool at this moment.”
That earned him a smile. Whatever his game was, he was working for it. “Hmm, cool is not quite the word I’d use for you.” Hot, blazing, volcanic. All of those words were much more appropriate.
“What word would you use for me then?”
I blushed and delayed answering by taking a swallow of my tea.
Thankfully, Sasha spoke at that moment. “Anything else, Mr. Pierce?” I raised my brow. Would he invite her to call him Hudson as well?
“We’re good.”
Nope. No first name basis for Sasha. Only me. Well, didn’t that have liquid pooling between my thighs?
The door had just shut behind Sasha when Hudson asked again. “What word would you use for me, Alayna?”
The way my name sounded in his sensual voice brought goose bumps to my skin. “Controlled,” I said, without hesitation.
“Interesting.” He took a bite of his bass and I watched, hypnotized by the way his mouth curved around the fork. “Not that controlled isn’t an accurate description of me. But I had thought from the look on your face that you would say something else.”
I began to ask what he had expected me to say, but I wasn’t certain I wanted to walk through that door he’d opened. He didn’t press it, spending the next few minutes eating in silence.
Wanting to let him eat, I turned my body to look at the club below me. Even with my eyes averted, I felt Hudson’s presence hanging on me like a cloak. I wondered about the man sitting across from me. Why had he bought The Sky Launch? What did he want from me? And the most intriguing question, how did I feel about this domineering male who bossed me and chastised me and made me want to climb on to his lap and rub against him like a kitten? Yeah, he was good-looking, but did I like him? Or was he just another rich pompous ass that I was inexplicably drawn to?
“I know why you agreed to dine with me, Alayna.”
I turned back to face him and stilled, wondering where he was possibly going. First of all, I hadn’t actually agreed to dine with him, if that’s what this was. He’d sort of led me there. Secondly, many of the reasons I hadn’t fought against coming with him would be embarrassing if he voiced them. They were numerous: to find out his plans for the club, to get a promotion, to make David jealous. To get in Hudson’s pants.
No, not to get in his pants. That could not be on my list of reasons. Could. Not.
Hudson took a swallow of his wine, then wiped his perfectly formed lips with his napkin. “I have to be honest with you. I don’t intend to help you with your desire to make management.”
I fidgeted, not knowing if I should relax or be disappointed. On the one hand, that was probably the least humiliating reason he could have mentioned for me dining with him. On the other hand, there went my promotion.
“That doesn’t mean you won’t be promoted.” Did Hudson have some sort of mind-reading capability? It would explain how he did so well in the business world. “David said you’re quite capable, and I’m sure you’ll get the position without my help. I may own The Sky Launch, but I am not your boss. David is your boss and will continue to be unless the business no longer thrives under his command.”
Well, then. I could live with that. David had all but guaranteed me a place in management. Plan back on track. And it likely meant that Hudson wasn’t planning on spending a lot of time around the club. I might have sighed audibly.
Hudson leaned back against the couch, draping his arm across the top. “But I didn’t invite you here to discuss the club.”
Finally. I swallowed. “Why did you invite me?”
A hint of amusement crossed Hudson’s face. “Perhaps I like you.”
I shuddered as a thrill traveled up my spine. But I didn’t trust that he was merely trying to pick me up. He was taking too long to make his play, and that would never be Hudson’s style. There was more.
God, I hoped there was more. If he was just trying to pick me up, what the hell was I going to say?
I took a sip of my iced tea, wishing it were something stronger. When I lowered my glass, I said, “Perhaps I’m seeing someone.”
“You aren’t. No man would let his woman wear the outfit you wore yesterday. Not in public, anyway.”
The mention of the outfit I’d nicknamed trouble and the idea that any man would let me do anything ruffled my feathers. “Perhaps I’m not into controlling boyfriends.”
His mouth twitched slightly. “Very well, Alayna.” He cocked a brow. “Are you seeing anyone?”
Of course I wasn’t seeing anyone, damn it. I looked at my lap, my expression telling Hudson all he needed to know. Why did this man make me so flustered? I was a confident, well-spoken woman on a normal day. But not around him.
I sat straighter, attempting to find some semblance of sure footing. “That isn’t why you invited me, Hudson. You have an agenda.”
“An agenda.” Hudson made a sound that I think must have been his version of a chuckle. “Yes, Alayna, I have an agenda.”
And then, instead of sharing his agenda, he changed the subject. “I presume you enjoyed your time at my spa last week.”
Startled by absolutely everything he was saying, I attempted to follow the topic swing. “Oh, I didn’t realize you owned…wait...” And the light went on. “The gift was from you?”
“Yes. Did you have a nice time?”
“No. Way.” I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped. Actually, physically, literally dropped.
“No way?”
Realizing my remark hadn’t expressed what I meant it to express, I tried again. “I mean, yes, I had a nice time—a wonderful time, in fact—but no way could you have done that. Why did you do that? You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why ever not?”
A whole range of reasons ran through my head, number one being because it was creepy and psychotic. But I had been called both of those things many times and would not throw them easily at another person. I grabbed for the next reason. “Because that’s big!”
“Not for me.”
“But for me it is.” How could he not understand? The vastness of it built in me like champagne bubbles in a newly uncorked bottle. “It’s huge! And you don’t even know me! It’s completely inappropriate and unprofessional and unprecedented and inappropriate. And if I’d known it was from you, I never would have accepted it.” This couldn’t be only about getting in my pants. I could have been won over by much less, as ashamed as I was to admit that to myself.
Hudson took a deep breath, trying to remain patient. “It’s not inappropriate at all. It was simply a gift. Think of it as a golden hello.”
My voice was tight as I strained to keep myself from screaming in frustration. “But you don’t give gifts like that to women who work for you unless you’re running an entirely different kind of club.”
“You’re overreacting, Alayna.”
“I’m not!” Finally his previous statement registered. “And what do you mean a golden hello? You mean, like a signing bonus?” Several of my peers had talked about the bonuses they’d been offered when they’d accepted their six-figure positions after grad school. Cars and stuff like that.
“Yes, Alayna.” He tossed his hand in the air. “That’s my agenda. I would like to hire you.”
He couldn’t have startled me more if he’d asked me to strip for him. Or maybe that’s what he was asking. What exactly did he want to hire me to do? “I already work for you and I’m happy where I am.”
“Again, I don’t feel that you do work for me. I am not your boss. I own the establishment that you work for. That is all. Is that clear?”
Semantics. But I understood what he was attempting to do, separating himself from me and my job at The Sky Launch, so I nodded.
“This wouldn’t affect your employment at the club.” He removed his arm from the couch and sat forward. “Maybe hire is not the correct term. I’d like to pay you to help me with a problem. I believe you’d be perfect for the job.”
The whole conversation had my head spinning, but he had my attention. “You win. My curiosity is piqued. What’s the job?”
“I need you to break up an engagement.”
I coughed, wondering if I heard him correctly, knowing I had. “Um, what? Whose?”
Hudson leaned back, his dazzling gray eyes flickering in the strobe lights. “Mine.”