Jessica looked me in the eyes. “I know you don’t like to talk about him. You know I don’t agree with what he did, but he’s still my brother. Anyway, Selena’s pregnant, and he’s left her, claiming the baby isn’t his. Mom and Dad are beside themselves. Selena is calling everyone to help her. Jake isn’t taking anyone’s phone calls. It’s a mess. I wanted you to know what was happening.”
I massaged my temples. Selena was pregnant and probably with Jake’s baby. I was trying to process all this information, but the anger and hurt I’d expected never came.
“Jake is an asshole. He always has been and always will be. I don’t know what to tell you, Jess. Selena made her choice. I have no influence on Jake at all.”
Jessica kicked a couple of rocks around. “I know. I guess I needed someone to talk to about it. Selena asked that I reach out to you for help. She’s going to be a permanent part of the family now with the baby. I’m trying to help. I don’t want Mom and Dad not to know their grandchild.”
Grabbing Jessica, I gave her a hug. “I’m sorry, sis. I hate that you’re in the middle, but don’t get me involved. I don’t want that for Mom and Dad either, but you can’t fix this. Don’t mention to Selena that we talked. There’s nothing I can do. I hope they figure their shit out, but that’s it.”
My sister pulled back, and the stress in her face was evident. “I like to fix things. You know that. You seem different, Adam. I thought this would hurt you deeply, and I wanted you to know before you found out through the grapevine. You seem like you’re moving on though. Are you seeing the woman I saw you with when I pulled up? Is she an actual relationship or the same ole, same ole?”
After giving her a chaste kiss on the forehead, I pulled back and started walking toward club. “I have a situation brewing in there. Have fun at dinner. This is Jake’s problem to fix. He needs to own up to his shit. I hope he does.”
She called after me, “Thanks for letting me talk to you. Love you.”
“Love ya, too, sis.”
I turned and jogged back into the club.
How the hell did Jessica pick up that I am moving on?
The thought of Jake knowing about Ainsley caused my heart to start clenching in pain as I thought about him taking Ainsley from me. He had succeeded in doing it before, and I wasn’t prepared to go through that heartache again.
I entered the club. As twilight set, the club lighting became more pronounced with the different colors coming through the frosted glass. There weren’t any windows. It was an auto setting we had put into place.
My mind was racing with all this new information Jessica had told me.
Selena is pregnant. Jake abandoned her.
Jake is available now. Selena is available now.
Shit.
Regardless of what they had done to me, that was a shitty hand to be dealt to Selena, but that mess was for them to figure out.
I wanted Ainsley and no one else. I needed to get my head into the game and give her the night she deserved.
Ainsley was still at the bar, chatting it up with Nora. Ainsley needed to know about Gerald, and I wanted to tell her before we got to the rest of our evening.
I walked up behind her and wrapped my hands around her waist. Nora went to a customer who had just walked up to the bar.
“I need to tell you something.”
Ainsley turned and looked at me in concern.
I continued before her mind had a chance to race out of control, “It’s nothing bad. Everything has been handled, but your dad called, wanting us to hire them back.”
Fear shot through her eyes.
“I’m not hiring him back. He asked why I had let them go. I told him it was Brandt’s decision and that I support my partner. Brandt knows, and he is going to go along with it. He wanted those fuckers fired anyway. Nothing is going to come back on you.”
She swallowed hard. “Did he say anything else?” Her blue eyes searched mine.
“He tried to prod my thoughts about your run-in with him at the party. He blamed it on the divorce and said you were having a hard time adjusting to it. I said that divorce was a hard adjustment and left it at that. Ainsley, I promise you, everything is okay. He’s already called Brandt.”
She let out a big sigh. “I trust and believe you. Thank you.”
I needed something to take the edge off after dealing with Gerald and now my latest family drama. “Want to do a shot before we head back?”
Ainsley tilted her head to the side. “I’ve never done a body shot before. Should we try it?”
I gave Ainsley my answer as I ordered, “Two shots of tequila, limes, and salt, Nora.”
Nora responded with a teasing tone, “You’re good, Ainsley. Coming right up, boss man.”
Ainsley giggled as I looked around to make sure we didn’t have any direct onlookers. We were in the dark part of the bar area. I spun Ainsley around to the side facing the wall as Nora set down the salt, limes, and two shots of tequila. Ainsley took the shot, downed it, and then sucked on the lime. She scrunched up her nose as the alcohol burned her throat. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You forgot the salt, baby.”
She started coughing a little bit. “Ugh, that is harsh. Oh, gosh.”
Nora came up and handed her a napkin. “I have done a disservice to you, my friend. You need shot practice. It gets better with time.”
Ainsley took the napkin. “The problem is enduring the time it takes to get used to it. Oh, I forgot how gross tequila is.”
“Oh, give your man his body shot, so you can get to those orgasms he promised you. Be prepared for shot lessons soon.” I gave Nora a look to give me privacy. She winked at me and turned her back and went to tend to another customer on the other end of the bar.
Ainsley and I were semi-alone now.
“Are you ready, baby?”
In response, Ainsley dipped two of her fingers into the tequila. Delicately, she ran it from the middle of her cleavage to the jawline of her neck. Her nipples pebbled underneath what had to be a thin bra. She had on a low-cut tight shirt and a short skirt that flowed out.
Damn.
Her mouth was slightly ajar as she grabbed the salt and covered the path of the tequila with it. I placed my hand on the inside of her leg, and I was tracing small circles as I made my way up higher on her inner thigh. She raised her eyebrow, challenging me to check. Oh, baby, I’ll be happy to oblige. I looked around again, and everyone else was otherwise engaged with their fuck choice for the night. I noticed Tyler was with Jasmine again.
Ainsley looked me in the eyes. “I hope you’re ready to take me to the Afterburn room after this. I’m in need of some serious attention.”
My hand went up her skirt and I felt that she was bare like she had said. “I think you need a little attention right now, while we do the shot.”
She gasped as I made contact with her clit. My hand began playing with her folds as she tried to encourage my hand to go inside her with small squeezes from her legs.
“Finish setting up the shot, and we’ll be on our way.”
“Wh-Wha-What?” she responded.
The more we were together, the faster Ainsley was letting go of her mind and putting her body in command instead, ultimately letting me take control. It was one of the ultimate signs of trust. I treasured the feeling.
Her eyes were cloudy and I repeated, “Finish, setting up the shot and we’ll be on our way.”
I pushed against her clit harder as she grabbe
d the tequila shot, nearly dropping it as her mouth opened in an O. I let up on the pressure as she put the shot in between her breasts. Ainsley placed the lime in her mouth. My finger began barely touching her and she leaned her head back against the stool, opening up her neck for my lips to touch. The pulse in her veins was chaotic. The club music was low, but added to the ambience of carnal need. I leaned down to start sucking the trail of salt on her skin up to her jawline. Ainsley was making small little noises as the intensity of my touch continued to increase minutely every few seconds.
As I finished tasting her sweet skin, I moved to the shot between her breasts. In the same moment, I stood and downed the shot while my fingers plunged inside her, giving her more. She let out an audible gasp around the lime as I continued to finger-fuck her in the corner of the bar while I watched her become clay in my hands. My thumb was pushing on her clit while my middle finger was stroking her walls while I put the shot glass back on the bar.
She was close to coming and I pushed her sweet spot just right. That made her bite down on the lime and I encapsulated her mouth with mine, sucking it dry. Her orgasm was rolling through her body while I continued to massage it out. I loved feeling her around me while she came.
I pulled back and discarded the lime on the shot glass. “Did that take the edge off?”
Ainsley was still in the aftereffects of her high as she responded, “Yes. Did it for you? You seemed a little edgy.”
“I’m more than good. I’m going to blindfold you now, Ainsley. I want to surprise you with something.”
A smile spread across her face as she picked up the gift bag she had brought into Club Envy. She gave it a shake, reminding me that I had a surprise, too. “Okay.”
I took the black silk blindfold out of my back pocket and placed it over her eyes. “Can you see anything?”
“No. I love the feel of silk.”
“I know you do. I’ll take it slow.”
Grabbing her hand, I walked us back to my office, locked the door, and then led her into my bedroom—our bedroom now.
“Are we in your office? It would have taken us longer to get to the Afterburn room.” Her voice was inquisitive.
My ever analytical girl.