Intensity Read online

  Later, I’d do some calculating and figure out which bills to tackle first. I’d have to hire an attorney or private investigator in the future and deal with my biggest headache. Just thinking about it made my blood boil. The longer I let the issue go unanswered the worse it got. Avoiding it for much longer wasn’t wise, but dealing with it now wasn’t possible either. I’d buried the past a long time ago, and if I opened the wound now, it would bleed me dry. Yeah, like it hadn’t already.

  I glanced down at the check and the LBJ, Inc. stamped in the corner. How did it work, I wondered? He’d have to conceal this place from the IRS. A dummy corporation? I chuckled. What the heck did I know? Mylaynee mentioned he’d been doing this about eight years. What would make him do it? It wasn’t like you woke up one day and said, “Hey, Mom and Dad, I want to go into business. Oh, by the way, I’m gonna open a sex club.”

  Aargh, I had tons of things to accomplish today. On the agenda, jog to the bank, deposit the check, and get some bills paid.

  Plan formulated.

  And executed.

  I stepped off the elevator and found B.B. pounding on my door.

  “Is something wrong?”

  She whipped toward me and crossed her arms. “You got some nerve, bitch,” she ground out between lips colored a disgusting Pepto-Bismol pink.

  Not this again. First Tanya, now her. Well, I had enough of this bull. “Is there a problem?” I asked in a sugar-sweet voice.

  She spat out through clenched teeth, “He. Is. Not. Your. Man.”

  Huh? Honestly, if I didn’t want to make things worse I would’ve laughed in her pissed- off face. My rule, avoid confrontation. I took a few steps back, tightening my muscles for any impending attack. “If you have a problem with that you need to take it up with Linc, not me. I’m here to do my job.” Irritated by this whole ordeal, I turned my back on her and tried to fit the key in the door. Not finished with me, she grabbed my shoulder and shoved me, knocking it out of my hand and blocking my entry. I growled, “Don’t touch me again,” and bent down to pick up the key. As soon as I clasped it in my palm, she stomped her wedged sandal on my curled hand, crunching it into the carpet.

  When I glanced up, she clenched the door frame and exerted more pressure, cementing my hand to the floor. “I’m the only exclusive he’s got or needs. I’m his woman—before…” Crunch. “during…” Grinding harder. “and after.”

  Abrupt and to the point I warned, “I’ll tell you what, take your foot off my hand right now, and I’ll let you walk away…without a bloody face.”

  She tilted her head back and burst into a throaty cackle, grinding her shoe along my knuckles and scraping the protruding bones.

  Every muscle in my upper body tightened, and on a full-force upswing, my fist blindsided her snickering mouth, landing a roundhouse punch to her nose.

  Multiple reactions resulted almost simultaneously—she screamed bloody murder, cupped her nose, removed her shoe from my aching hand, and began to creep backward as blood gushed down her shocked face.

  As I straightened from my bent position, doors opened at her screeching. I flexed my sore knuckles, willing the blood flow to return. B.B. entered her apartment, leaving a disgusting bloody trail along the tan carpet.

  Mylaynee rushed down the hallway that still echoed with faint wails and positioned herself next to me, my supportive friend. The other women took in the after effects and closed their doors. Evidently they weren’t concerned with the altercation or didn’t want to get involved.

  “What the hell happened?” She looked between my face and B.B.’s door, shaking her head at the red stream.

  “You wanna come inside? I’d rather not discuss it out here.” Not waiting for her reply, I turned the key, leading her to the living room. She sat next to me on the sofa as I plopped my feet on an ottoman and reclined my head on the back of the couch. I looked at her and shrugged with nonchalance. “She pissed me off.”

  “Uh, you think? What’s that about?” she inquired, smirking like an eager child in a candy store loaded with an armful and anticipating a night filled with juicy treasures.

  “She has a problem with me and Linc. I told her to take it up with him. She didn’t like my answer and crushed my hand with her foot. I warned her, she didn’t listen, so I clocked her.”

  She twisted toward me and confided, “She’s got a thing for him, been wantin’ him a long time.”

  “Figures.”

  “She hasn’t been here long, but we never hit it off. I don’t like her and the other girls don’t either. She’s worse since she got buddy-buddy with Tanya. Those two are trouble.” She shook her head and advised, “I’d steer clear if I was you.”

  If she thought so, then I would, but I hadn’t done anything to invite their anger. “I’m not here to create problems, but I’m not gonna let anyone bulldoze me either. I’m here to work, that’s it.”

  “Girl, your job is fucking hot.” She fanned her face. “He keeps his distance, and that just makes him more irresistible. Fair warning, it’s not just B.B. gunnin’ for him.”

  “Hmm…has he been with any of them?” Uncertain whether I wanted to know or not, but unable to help myself, I watched her face for the slightest revelation.

  She leaned closer, setting a hand on my knee and confided, “I know they’ve tried. I’m not gonna lie. They talk about clients and experiences. As long as I’ve been here though, I’ve never seen him touch any of them that way. Except you,” she emphasized, pinching my chin and shaking it.

  I stared at a nonexistent spot on the wall, finding her claim hard to believe. What man wouldn’t indulge? No way a sexually charged male like Linc could resist. Although, he sure did with me. Shoot, maybe he wasn’t attracted to an average woman…or virgins.

  Mylaynee squeezed my knee, pulling me out of my disconcerting thoughts. “Don’t worry about it, Serena. Whatever happened before you is in the past. When you two are in the same room he can’t keep his eyes and hands off you. I can tell you feel something for him. Just take it slow, see what happens, okay?”

  My eyes closed, and I confessed, “He’s getting to me. I’m inexperienced and maybe that’s all it is—a crush—lust, but it scares me. I’ve never been in a relationship before, and I don’t even know what this is.” I sat up and clasped my hands together, making them hurt worse. As I rubbed them I tried to explain my convoluted feelings. “It’s different here. I mean, he’s paying me…and B.B., she says they’re together.” I watched Mylaynee, hoping for the best but planning for the worst.

  She folded her legs up, tucking them behind her on the couch. “First, B.B. is full of shit.” A gush of air left my lungs. “Second, he’s paying you, yeah, but think about it this way. You’ve been bartending, right?” Not waiting for a reply she continued. “So he’s payin’ you to serve drinks. Claiming you as exclusive, to me it’s like he wants you to be his girlfriend.” Her words dug in, but I still didn’t speak. “Don’t think about what he’s payin’ you for. That isn’t what you should focus on.”

  I processed what she said and tried to put it in some perspective. But with the drama in the hall and a never-ending hurricane named Linc, my brain twisted and whirled.

  Caught in the middle of a storm, my response had been nothing…for now.

  The office door opened, and Tanya exited, followed by a much shorter, stout bald man and Linc. As they wove through the lounge, Linc’s eyes remained steady on mine. He tipped his chin up, acknowledging me, and followed them out.

  Damn, that couldn’t be good. I bet B.B. spouted a bunch of bull about her condition. What would Linc say? Would he be upset? Oh God, would he fire me?

  Crap, I didn’t have time to think about it. I still had plenty to do and the doors would be open in a few minutes. My attention redirected, I got back to work.

  Paulette and Sage worked alongside me. They seemed nice, so I invited them to stop by and hang out sometime. I planned to be here a while, so I’d rather make friends, not enemies. Hmph, after
the B.B. fiasco, I’d be lucky to still have a job.

  Couples gathered on the dance floor and the temperature in the room got hotter in more ways than one. Dirty dancing I’d never seen before even in movies kept pulling my attention away from the three rows thick of non-stop orders. Clients acted like they’d been in the desert and were suffering from dehydration. Everyone drank a lot, including the women. No wonder—gyrating and twerking took a lot of muscle energy. Lord forbid they cramp up and lose out on an impending orgasm. Geez, my virgin eyes couldn’t take much more. Maybe I should take notes.

  A blond guy with an expression that said he knew he had it goin’ on motioned me over. The same one I’d seen Mylaynee with and had yet to ask her about. I leaned over the bar and asked, “Can I get you anything?”

  “Jack neat.” His phone sex operator voice buzzed in my ear, sending a shiver down my back. Men—damn they were potent.

  I fixed his drink and placed it in front of him. Before I could remove my hand, he clasped his on top. Our fingers joined, he lifted the glass, ran his tongue along his bottom lip then swallowed the entire contents. His blue eyes never left mine. Whoa!

  He set the empty on the bar, but didn’t release my hand. Instead, he pushed his mouth to my ear and asked, “What’s your name, beautiful?”

  Blankness—what did he say? Pupils in pinpoints, the color so light blue, it felt like I took a swim in the Caribbean.

  “Name.”

  My eyes closed and registered what he said. I breathed a faint response he couldn’t have heard over the thrumming music. “Serena.”

  His body shook, and it sunk in that he found my catatonic state hilarious. “Jax.” I had no issue hearing him, because his lips spelled each letter and sound against my ear. I couldn’t miss it or the vibrations resounding in my eardrum.

  Damn. I pulled away and slipped my hand out of his. About to respond, I looked up from those piercing eyes to Linc’s peering over top of him. He pitched his head to the right, pointed to his office, and moved on, expecting me to follow him.

  The hunk left behind, I informed Sage of my break. The closer I got to his door, the more my nerves hopped. As much as I wanted to delay this, I knocked once and entered. He looked regal behind his desk; hands clenched on top, face expressionless, not revealing a clue. I sat and waited for him to speak.

  “I just got back from B.B.’s.”

  I didn’t talk, just listened, expecting him to elaborate and deliver my punishment. Gram always taught me to respect authority. Since I was an employee, even though I kinda slept with him, he got my full attention—as the boss.

  “She told me an interesting story.”

  I didn’t move, just remained mindful. Again, no reply.

  He leaned back and cut to the chase. “She said you attacked her.”

  Taken aback, I shifted around in my seat and calculated a response. “That’s interesting.” I reinforced my shoulder against the padded armchair, trying to gauge his position and how he might respond to employees not getting along.

  “Come over here, Serena,” he commanded, but in a very soft voice, pointing down to the empty space beside his desk.

  I shuffled forward, similar to my death-defying Ferris wheel movements. When I got closer, he grabbed my twisting hands and pulled me into his lap, cradling me in his arms. “What happened?”

  “Linc…I hope you’ll understand, but I’d like to keep it between me and B.B.” I scanned his face, but he masked it so well I had no idea the outcome. I’d never been in trouble at work before, so this was new to me.

  He leaned back, and the chair tilted with our combined weight, knocking me off balance and bumping my shoulder into his chin. I began to get up but his hold on me tightened, locking me in place. “Let me know if I need to intervene.” His response calm and sure, punctuated with a peck to my temple.

  Heart lightened some, my wringing hands relaxed in my lap. Stunned by his understanding nature and the fact he didn’t fire me for assaulting another employee, I remained speechless, nodding my reply.

  “There’s something else we need to talk about.” His ominous tone and hundred eighty- degree change made the air stuffy, and his tightened arms strangled my waist, forcing the breath from my lungs. On high alert, my spine stiffened and my fingers and toes cramped from clenching over and over. No idea where this might be headed, I let him speak first, again.

  “Stay away from Jax.”

  My mind flitted to the bar and what he must have seen. Crap. I didn’t know what to say, so I nodded again.

  He must have accepted it, because he reverted to our first topic. “B.B. can’t work tonight, and I have a client interested in Sage. Paulette’s there. You two okay or do you need help?”

  Grateful for the reprieve and ready to get back to work, I quick-stepped it toward the exit. “We’re good. You want me to get Sage?”

  “No, beautiful, I’ll be out in a minute and introduce her.”

  On that note, I scooted out, unsettled by the events and the entire exchange. An ache growing in my head warned of an impending migraine.

  Get your act together, Serena. Don’t screw this up.

  “You ready to go?” Paulette asked after drying the last glass. “You look like you’re gonna fall over.”

  “I’m so ready for bed. These hours are killing me.” I kicked off my heels and looped the straps around my fingers. “I have to get Linc. Go ahead without me. I’ll turn the lights off.”

  “You sure? I could wait.”

  “Nah, go. He wants me to walk back with him.”

  She laughed and tossed the towel on the counter. “Yeah, he wants you to.” She winked and waved on her way out. “See ya. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she yelled loud enough to be heard in the next town.

  I nudged the door open and came to an abrupt stop. B.B. had both hands jammed in Linc’s long hair, sucking his face off. His back to me, neither noticed I’d entered. My heart lodged in my throat. Unable to stomach another second, I dashed back to my apartment.

  After a lot of tossing and turning, exhaustion somersaulted me into an intense dream about a knight in shining armor. Distant pounding pulled me out of it. Groggy, I rolled over and covered my head with a pillow, but the hammering didn’t stop. What the heck? I peeked at the clock—four in the morning. Ugh, go away. A bang and thump like someone kicked my door down got me out of bed.

  Drowsy, I stutter-stepped down the hall and squinted through the peephole. I flipped the lock, and before I could turn the knob, Linc rushed in, scooting me back to my warm mattress. Too tired to argue or talk, I crawled in and collapsed.

  In the distance, I heard him discarding clothes. He slid in behind me and spooned my back, whispering, “Go back to sleep, Serena.” He nuzzled my neck devotedly, and I did as he said.

  My alarm blared with an insistent beep. Warm cozy arms snuggled around me, pulling me backward while I hit the off button. In the same motion something else got turned on. Or should I say, someone. Linc draped his leg over top of mine, and trailed butterfly kisses across my shoulder, along my neck, and made an emergency landing on my lips. Greeting—good morning, Linc style.

  I mumbled against his insistent mouth, “Shower. Millers.” He froze and dropped his face in the pillow. “Get up.” His steady breathing and closed eyes could’ve been mistaken for sleeping, but I knew better. Hmph, big faker.

  Draped over me like a human blanket, I inched an arm loose and pinched his side. “Linc—” I couldn’t contain the snort that escaped. “I mean it. I have to go. Move. You’re crushing me.”

  No response.

  I pushed on his ribs, demanding, “I…” shove, “can’t…” nudging my chin into his shoulder, “get…” smacking his butt, “up…” bucking beneath the behemoth I yelled, “with you on me.” Uncontrollable giggles took over as he pressed two hundred-plus pounds into me, smashing me flat against the mattress and knocking any remaining oxygen out my body. “You’re making me late. Move, I can’t breathe.” My pl
ea sounded like gurgling water since I tried to suck in air while laughing and talking at the same time.

  He cracked up too. His hot and husky baritone tickled my ear and other primed intimate spots, every one of my muscles thrumming from waves of aftershocks as his body rocked against mine. Dang it. During his next disappearing act, my vibrator would be getting a lot of attention.

  He picked up his head; long, black hair nestled each side of my face—irresistible. Damn him. He smelled like heaven in the morning, and I no doubt had goat breath.

  Oh God, he’s going to make me fall in love with him.

  I called myself every foul name in the book. Get a clue, girl, B.B. had him. Face the facts.

  He rolled to the other side, crossing an arm over his brow.

  I jumped up and shuffled toward the bathroom. Unable to resist, I glanced back and examined the charming man who had no idea the power he had to destroy my naive heart.

  He peeked out from under his arm. “I’ll make coffee and bring it to you.”

  Once I’d escaped to the bathroom, I sank to the floor and dropped my head into my shaking hands. A screeching, frustrated scream echoed in the enclosed space, and right now, I didn’t care one bit if he heard me.

  Yep, one more complication to add to the list.

  High gas prices and the fact I needed to save money compelled me to jog most places. Linc’s morning antics put me behind schedule, and I had no choice but to drive. After I saw my car, I called Mrs. Miller and told her I’d be late.

  Mylaynee opened her door with a fruit drink in hand, her version of morning java. “Hey, girl, I thought you’d be gone by now.”

  “Yeah, me too. I have a flat. Can you drive me?”

  “Sure, let me get my keys. I have some packages to drop off at the post office anyway.” She handed me a box, picked up another one, and snatched her purse. “Let’s go.”