“No worries. If that is the issue,” he hollers, pulling me out of my thoughts. My body stiffens as he reaches up and places a hand in my hair. I start to breathe heavily as he leans down and places his lips next to my ear. Closing my eyes, I inhale his spicy scent as his body presses into mine. I should pull away, but I can’t. My back is already up against the bar, but even if it wasn’t, I’m not sure I could. “That won’t happen,” he whispers, and I suck in a deep breath as I try to control my thought of his body being on top of mine. “I don’t fuck women who are related to my friends,” he says matter-of-factly. Even though he speaks the words softly, I hear them loud and clear over the music.

I bite my inner cheek. Fuck? Did he just say fuck? Legs buckling and heart pounding now! “I wouldn’t ... fuck you,” I say back quickly, and he pulls away from me. I open my eyes. “Because you sell drugs,” I add trying to think of another reason why I wouldn’t touch him. But is that even really an issue at the moment? I don’t see why it is. It would just be sex. I don’t have to do what he does.

He just smirks as he reaches up and runs a hand over the scruff that covers his jawline. I’ve never been a woman who likes facial hair on a man, but it looks so good on him. It’s not too much. Just enough to lightly cover his face as if he just forgot to shave this morning. I like it. What would it feel like between my thighs while he …?

I am just about to walk away and get myself out of a situation that can only end badly for me when a waitress with bright red hair walks up to the counter beside us. I watch her as she orders a handful of drinks and a bottle of something that sounded expensive. I can’t help but look wide-eyed as she pulls a wad of cash out of the back pocket of her white shorts. There are a couple of hundred-dollar bills along with a ton of twenties. Then some fives and ones.

I want to ask her if she has made all that tonight. And if so, what does she make on an average weekend? If it was as much as I just saw, then I could work all summer and go to weekends when schools starts and still have the free time to get my studies done.

I look back up at Case as the waitress takes off with a full tray of drinks, and I sigh heavily when he gives me a knowing smirk. He can see my mind working, and I hate that. But it’s just a try, right? It’s not as if it’s anything permanent. Nothing I can’t just quit if I don’t like. And he already informed me that he wouldn’t be having sex with me. It will be strictly business.

He holds out his right hand to me. “Deal?”

I chew on my bottom lip. I mean how bad can it get? The man has already seen me naked. I need a job, and I gotta pay to have my car fixed.

“Deal.” I sigh heavily. Did I just make a deal with the devil? And if I did, what is it gonna cost me?

CASE

I watch as Taylor walks into the crowd of people to make her way back to their private room, and I smile. I knew she would come around. It happened a lot quicker than I thought it would, but that just makes this even sweeter.

I can’t help but allow my eyes to rake over her; I still can’t get the fact out of my mind that I saw her naked earlier. The fact that her brother was there wasn’t a mood killer. I know exactly how she felt at that very moment; that’s also why I just told her that I couldn’t touch her. I want her to feel safe around me. Even if I do feel the tension rolling off both of us, I want her to understand it can’t happen.

But fuck, it’s gonna be hard. I wanted her skin to be slick with sweat from my body being on top of hers. I wanted her body to quiver from my cock thrusting into her. Even in this club, with sweaty people dancing, I can still smell the fresh scent of vanilla from when she ran into me after her shower. Fuck, I’ve been hard ever since. Too bad, she won’t be the one who relieves me tonight.

I immediately look around for another woman who may catch my eye. I can’t fuck her. She’s off-limits. Not only is she Blane’s sister, but I also have rules. Rules with major consequences if I overstep them. Forget the fact that she just accepted a job at my club. If my boss found out that I did that, he’d kill me. And he will find out, eventually. But it’s easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.

Bright red hair catches my attention as Rachel comes bouncing to the bar to place another order. I take the opportunity and lean over, placing my hand on her lower back as I speak loud enough into her ear for her to hear me over the music. “You’re training tomorrow night,” I inform her.

Her head spins around as I pull back. “I’m not working tomorrow night,” she protests loudly.

“You are now. Oh, and you’re staying late tonight.” Might as well use her to get rid of this hard-on I have.

An hour later, I find myself up in my office, arms crossed over my chest as I stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling window looking down over the club. It’s in full swing, and the club is packed. The drunks are starting to feel their buzz, and the druggies are probably going to the bathroom to get their hits. The ones hoping to get lucky are seeking out that special someone who, come tomorrow, won’t even remember their name. And what am I doing? Searching for Taylor in the crowd. Of course, I can’t find her. She’s probably in the private room I gave them for the night. How stupid of me to place her where I can’t watch her.

Making up my mind, I turn on my heels and make my way down to the club level. Once I hit the bottom of the stairs, Miller gives me a head nod, letting me know that everything is going well tonight. I don’t usually come down to the club level unless I have business to take care of. The other times, I stay up in my office.

I round the bar and make my way down the hallway until I come to the door LUST. I smile as I open it up and walk in.

When I decided to make these separate rooms, I wanted then to give off the club feel yet still make them enjoyable for the people. I wanted them to have their own space to dance if they wanted yet not have music blaring in their ears while they tried to visit or talk business.

As soon as I close the door behind me, Taylor looks up from her spot on the couch. She looks away just as quickly. I guess she’s still embarrassed about what happened at her house. I wish I could tell her she has no reason to be embarrassed. She looks just as beautiful naked as she does with clothes on. Her tits look better than I could have imagined. My hands begged me to touch her in ways that would have had her calling out my name. Off-limits!

“Case.” Blane calls out my name as he stands from the couch to my right. He walks up to me and gives me one of those handshake-one handed hugs. “Thanks for inviting us out tonight, man.” I have a feeling he is still high from earlier.

“No problem.” The only reason I did it was to see her tonight. To get her on my side and to come and work for me. And it worked. Although it’s also torture to be around her, knowing that I can’t have her. But I have some self-control. Since when?

Blane starts to speak to me, but I don’t pay any attention to him. A man in the back of the room, who I’ve never seen before, gets up from his chair and walks over to the couch where Taylor sits. He plops down beside her and leans over, whispering something in her ear. She lets out a soft laugh. But it’s one of those uncomfortable laughs; the fact that she scoots farther away from him confirms it. He scoots closer to her. I fist my hands down by my side as I watch her sink further into the couch. It’s obvious she doesn’t like the guy, but he isn’t getting the hint.

He places his hand on her leg, and she jerks away. When he tries it the second time, she shoves it away. He grabs her hand and pulls on it, jerking it forward. She tries to pull away as she shakes her head. He just laughs as he leans down to her face. He is about to kiss her when she looks away. At her rejection, he lets her go, but she looks up at me. Her eyes land on mine, and I can almost hear her silent plea to help her. I shouldn’t have let it go this far. When a woman says no, she means no.