The Lion and the Lamb

Taking a deep breath, she didn’t want to ruin her afternoon by thinking about the hurdles she had gotten over in her life. She liked Leo, enjoyed his company, and saw him as a man she could possibly fall for, but her past was sticky and a ball and chain around her ankle, and she knew what the end result would be.

Not a lot of men could handle how screwed up in the head she was. Her past relationships, or lack thereof, were a testament to that.

Resting her head on the seat, she stared ahead again and let her mind drift back to Leo. God, even now, her panties were soaked. All her good intentions went out the window when it came to him. Her mind screamed at her to stay away, but her body demanded she let herself go for it.

Is this how it’s always going to be with him, or am I just the flavor of the week?

The temptation to quit analyzing it sat strong inside her, so strong that she found herself picking up her phone and sending a text to the man who invaded every single one of her thoughts as of late.

Tatum: Had a wonderful time today. Thank you for lunch.

She set her phone back down, and a second later, it vibrated with an incoming message.

Leo: Believe me, the pleasure was all mine.

Her body heated uncomfortably.

The stupid grin on her face would not go away, but at that moment, she didn’t want it to.7It was Saturday, and the club was packed with men and even several women. Music pulsed all around, the bass low, and the sultry voice a good sound for the girls dancing on stage. Tatum had been working at The Lion and the Lamb for over a month now, and although she hadn’t gone out with Leo again, his presence was a very big factor in her life. It seemed he was always there at the club.

Of course that wasn’t unusual, since he owned the place, but she did find herself very aware when his eyes always seemed to be locked on her.

No matter where she was, he seemed to always be there. A little unnerving? Not in the least, and that realization did not sit well with her. The heat in his gaze when their eyes locked reached out and grabbed hold of her. It seemed the sexual tension between them was going to explode at any moment.

It was because of her dodging him at every turn that had resulted in them not going out again, despite Leo asking several times. The man just didn’t give up, and Tatum didn’t know if she should be irritated or flattered. In all honesty, she wanted Leo with a passion that burned brightly inside her, but she was just too damn scared of what would happen if she let herself go there.

Tatum could admit she was a coward, but a part of her knew that if she let herself fall for her devilishly handsome boss, things would only go downhill. It was her curse to screw up the good things in her life.

The front doors were pulled open by Zeb, one of the beefy bouncers working the door. A group of sophisticatedly dressed men walked in. The man in the center of what looked like a protective detail was incredibly attractive in an exotic way. His green eyes were piercing as they scanned his surroundings, and his short dark hair and equally dark suit reminded her of an investment banker. It was clear he was the hotshot of the group by the way he held himself, especially given the fact that he wore a three-piece suit in Las Vegas when it was hot enough to roast an egg on the concrete.

She smiled brightly, putting on her sugary personality that made her seem like a good girl ready to do what she was told. She had lived in Vegas long enough to know men of power seemed to like a little submissiveness in a woman. It put them at ease and made their “he-man” personalities roar and beat their chests.

“Good evening, gentleman. How many in your party this evening?” The hairs on the back of her neck tingled, and she knew it was because Leo watched her. She always had that reaction around him, even if he wasn’t physically touching her. His eyes were like fingers from across the room, and the sensation of being touched had her instantly turning liquid.

The man with the emerald eyes snapped his focus away from his surroundings and looked at her. She wasn’t surprised when he let his eyes travel up and down her body. He either wondered why in the hell she worked at the prestigious gentlemen’s club—because obviously she was a hell of a lot thicker than the dancers—or he honestly liked what he saw.