Nights In Paradise

“How in debt are you?” I ask, mentally figuring out how much cash I can withdraw to help her.  As long as she doesn’t stay here.

“Doesn’t matter and that’s really none of your business,” she huffs out, her pouty lips tightening.  Which immediately makes my one track mind think about those soft lips wrapped around my aching rod.

Yeah, I’m a pervert.  Sue me.

I stalk up to her and she backs away slowly, her little white teeth digging into her lush bottom lip.  I hold out a finger and run it along the seam of her lips, feeling her breath hitch and then fan over my finger.  I tug her lip out of her teeth and groan.

Dammit!  I want to bite that fucking lip.

“It is my business.  Anything about you is my business.”  I push her until she’s backed into a wall.  She’s taller than most women I am attracted to.  But she still barely comes up to my chin with heels on.

“Not true.  I’m just a dancer here.  I’m nothing to you.”

“Don’t say that,” I hiss, incensed that she could even think such a thing.  Doesn’t she feel what I feel?  The need, the want, the absolute certainty that’s pumping in my veins.  That we belong together.

“Hey, boss.  Christoff is here.  He’s wanting to talk to you about the wedding.”  My right hand man comes skidding in the door and stops, his head ping-ponging between the two of us.  If it wasn’t so funny I swear to god, I’d want to pull out a gun and shoot him.

“Something wrong?” he asks, his eyes lit with curiosity.

“Nope,” Aspen says and stalks over to the door.  “I’m gonna go out and get the lay of the land before my first set.”

“No you’re not,” I growl, stalking her.

“Do I have a job here or not?  Because if I don’t I’m leaving.  I’ll find another club to dance at.”  Her slim back is ramrod straight and I know she means it.  She’s dead fucking serious.  But so am I.

“You don’t go on the stage until you dance privately for awhile.”  Like forever and only for me.

I run my hands through my hair, tugging at it.  I’ve never felt so crazed in my life.

Johnny shoots me a puzzled look but says nothing.

Aspen on the other hand has plenty to say.  “What!  I won’t make any money that way!  Absolutely not.  I’ll find another club.”

“I can promise you at least fifteen hundred a night.”  Now everybody in this room has their mouth hanging open except me.

“But…boss…” I slice a hand in the air and hiss.   He shuts up and stills instantly.

She tugs at her lip again and I want so fucking bad to tug at it with my teeth.  I want to eat her she’s so damn sweet.

“Fine.  When do I start?” she says and relief floods me.  Now I’ve got a shot.

“Give me about an hour.  Go ahead and go to the dressing room and get ready.  I’ll have someone call you when you get your first client.”  Only client.  Because nobody else is ever fucking seeing her gorgeous body.

She nods and steps out of the room, closing it quietly behind her.

Johnny immediately stares at me.  “What the hell was that all about?”

“That is my future right there.”

He shakes his head and growls.  “That’s a piece of ass.  Your future is with Angel Carmine.”

I shove my hand into his shoulder to slam him into the wall.  “Don’t talk about her like that!” I grunt, more angry than I think I’ve ever been in my life.

“But, boss.  You’re engaged.  You can’t fuck around on Carmine’s baby girl.  That’s a surefire way to start a damn war.”

“You think I don’t know that.”  I stalk off, my pacing hurried and angry.  “I’ve spent so long trying to find the right woman.  I just figured she didn’t exist.  That’s why I felt good taking this deal for Vincente.  I’m the man who he expects to be the right hand man for Alejandro.  And if he wasn’t so damn stubborn it would be him walking down the primrose path with this girl to tie the knot and unite the families.”  I slam my fist into the wall so hard that I feel my bones shift and I glare at the hole in my wall.  “Dammit!  Why the hell did she have to show up now?”

“I don’t know, boss.  But the point is…you’re engaged.  And I don’t think that woman wants to be a side-piece for the mob.”

I glare at him and hiss, “say one more word like that about her and I swear to god, I’ll pull my gun and shoot your ass.”

“She’s not going to be a ‘side-piece’ as you so delicately put it.  I don’t want her for a mistress.  I want her to be my wife.”

“Maybe I missed something.”  Johnny shakes his big bull head.  “You are already engaged.  You already have a wife waiting in the wings.  A very well-connected bride.  One that you can’t really say no to.  How do you plan to get out of that?”

“Let me worry about that.  You just keep an eye on her and make sure that no other men get near her.”

He sighs and shoots me an aggrieved look.  “Fine.  But don’t say I didn’t warn you.  And how exactly are you planning on making sure that she thinks she’s working when she’s not.”

“My problem.  Just keep an eye on her.  I’ll go talk to Christoff.”

Johnny grunts and stalks out the door.  But just before he closes it, I hear him sigh.  “I hope you know what you’re doing, boss.”

“Yeah, me too,” I whisper softly.  This is some fucked-up shit and I hope like hell I can figure it out or I’m gonna lose my princess before I even get her tied to me.  Right where she belongs.

Or I’m about to start a huge mob war for the girl of my dreams.  Either way I’m seriously fucked.