Page 94 of Bourbon Sins
“You fuckhead,” I spat out, not so eloquently. It was one thing to mess with a property I had my eye on, but it was another thing to mess with my club. A club that was used for justice. “You really think you would be able to establish a club like mine? You know no one really likes you in this city, right? They only talk to you because you don’t care whose dick you have to suck to get ahead.”
“I see you’ve been hanging around that trash of a girl lately, with the mouth I’m hearing.”
I knew my dad was trying to goad me by talking so poorly about Goldie, and I knew I shouldn’t take the bait, but I couldn’t stop the rage bubbling up, ready to pour over.
“Watch it,” I gritted out.
That same raving laugh came through the phone as my dad realized he’d hit a sensitive subject.
“Never thought I would see the day when the playboy Jett Colby would be affected by a girl; it’s so very interesting, and a pleasure for me to know—to know that my own flesh and blood has a weak spot.”
“I’m not affected by her, and Goldie is not up for discussion.”
“The hell she isn’t. What you fail to see, son, is that she is the puzzle piece I’ve been waiting for, the little pawn I’ll have to hold over your head one day. As much as you choose to deny it, you care about her and, thankfully, I can use that to my advantage. So, mess with my business and I mess with your precious little Goldie. The property will be mine, so I would just back out now because you are in way over your head. You might have a lot of pull with top-notch people around this city, but I know people who would wipe that smug smirk off your face.”
“Goldie has nothing to do with this.”
“You’re right, she doesn’t, but the minute you showed an ounce of care toward her, you dragged her into this fight. So if she gets hurt, she only has you to thank for it. Leave Lot 17 alone, Jett. You might be able to bury the evidence of your friend’s crime, but you don’t have enough security to keep Goldie safe.”
I was about to scream at him when the line went dead. Not wanting to break my phone, I set it on my desk then picked up my chair and threw it against the wall, causing a picture to fall and shatter to the floor, just like my fucking dreams.
Did I really want to believe my dad when he said he could hurt Goldie? The only way he could is if he got inside my club and that was not possible, since I warned all security about keeping him out.
What really bothered me was why I cared so much. I cared about all the girls in the club, but why did I freak out every time my dad mentioned Goldie’s name?
Flashes of last night ran through my mind as I tried to calm myself. Her soft body pressed against mine, her luscious lips all over mine, the way she looked at me as if I was the only man in the world who could give her such pleasure.
Shit.
I ran my hands through my hair and I tried to push down the foreign feelings bubbling inside me. I didn’t allow women to get under my skin, but for some reason, I let Goldie. Fucking maneater. I let her kiss me, for fuck’s sake. Let her . . . I laughed to myself, I practically mauled her. She had nothing to do with it, it was all me.
When did I lose my self-control? I thought about yesterday and the way she looked in her yellow dress, the way the flower in her hair cut to my core, making me want to run my hands all over her body and make sure no other man even glanced at her. Fuck, I was losing it.
I turned on my TV to see how the night’s presentation was going and that was when I saw Goldie, giving a man a lap dance. I knew I said it was okay, but I didn’t like it. I tried not to think about why it bothered me so much, but I knew it was because I wanted to claim her as mine. I wanted no one else to touch her, feel her, or even look at her.
“Christ,” I muttered and I poured myself a drink out of my crystal decanter. I took a deep breath and gathered myself. Goldie was nothing; she was just new. A new pussy to fuck and that was always exciting. I needed to get my head on straight because last night was a one-time thing.
Just out of curiosity, I looked down at the list of men who were attending the presentation tonight and the minute my eyes hit the name, Rex Titan, my head flew up to the TV where I zoomed in on Goldie.
“Motherfucker,” I blew out when I saw Goldie with her back pressed against Rex Titan riding his lap. The look on her face said she was enjoying every aspect of what she was doing, and the way Rex bit down on his bottom lip was a sure indication that he was not only enjoying himself, but most likely was going to take a trip to a booth later.
I knew I needed to be concerned about why Rex was at the club, what his intentions were, and who he was conducting business with, but for the life of me, I couldn’t take my eyes off him and Goldie.
My chest tightened at the sight in front of me: Goldie riding another man. Jealous rage burned through my bones as I finally turned off the TV and downed the rest of my drink. This was not the man I became after Natasha left me. The minute she chose Rex over me, she took my heart with her. I didn’t feel, I didn’t get jealous, I didn’t kiss women. I fucked them, controlled them, and dominated them in the Bourbon Room then sent them on their way. So why the fuck was I letting a little honey-haired girl get to me?
I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed the thin lines that had started to form at the corners of my eyes. I wasn’t that man anymore, I told myself. I wasn’t the man who let women bury themselves deep into my soul, because the minute I let that happen, they took what they wanted and left, just like Natasha. That was why my contracts for the Jett Girls were so easy, no relationships, no love, just sex.
I grabbed my phone and sent a text to Kace.
Jett: Send Pepper up to the Bourbon Room.
Pulling my tie off, I thought how I didn’t need Goldie, I had four other women to choose from, well technically two, since I respected Tootse and Francy’s relationship. I was going to make sure I reverted back to the man who took what he wanted, because I couldn’t get attached for many reasons and reason number one, as much as I hated to admit it, was I needed to protect this girl who’d dug her nails into me. I had to protect Goldie from my dad, and I had to protect myself from Goldie.
* * *
When I walkedinto the Bourbon Room, Pepper was standing naked, in the middle of the room, with her hands behind her back and her chest puffed out, just like I wanted. I walked toward her and took in her body—her beautiful body—but to my dismay, there was something missing, a spark that ignited a fire in my bones. I ignored the lack of spark, even though a voice in the back of my head was screaming she wasn’t Goldie.
“You pleased me tonight, Pepper.”
