One Day (The Private Club #3)(21)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“Your body is so warm after lovemaking, and it glows.” He stared at me wonderingly. “Did you know that?”

“I didn’t.” I smiled at him, exhausted but wanting some answers.

“I love just being with you.” He pulled me closer to him and held me tightly.

“Greyson, will you tell me what happened to Maria please?” I leaned back and stared at him.

He closed his eyes and sighed. “Why do you want to know?”

“It’s important.”

“She died.”

“How did she die, Greyson?” My fingers traced the lines on his face as I tried to memorize his features.

“You don’t want to know.” He shook his head and he opened his eyes again. They looked at me bleakly. “You really don’t want to know, Meg.”

“Do you know where Nancy is?” I prodded.

“No.” He looked away from me and then his phone started ringing. He reached down and picked it up. “Greyson.”

“Greyson, it’s Patsy. Mr. Stephanopolous is here to pick up the girls.” I closed my eyes and pretended that I wasn’t listening to the conversation.

“Okay?”

“One of the girls is refusing to go.” Patsy sounded stressed through the phone.

“Tell her that her life will be better this way.” Greyson sighed. “Take care of it, Patsy.”

“Yes, Greyson.” She hung up and he looked up at me.

“I suppose you heard that.”

I nodded, too choked up to say anything. It was true then. It was confirmed. Greyson was in the human trafficking business.

Chapter 8

A Few Days Ago

Greyson

The résumé in my hands didn’t make sense to me. Why would a lawyer apply for a bartending job? Or a job she thought was bartending? She didn’t fit the profile of the girls I hired to work at the club. A lawyer would only mean snooping and trouble, but I was curious as to why she was here. What sort of woman went to two interviews for a job that had to cry out as being not very legitimate? Not a woman with any sense.

“Your next appointment is waiting in the hallway,” Maggie said throught the phone to me. “Though I don’t know if she’s right for the club, Mr. Twining.”“Why’s that, Maggie?”

“She wanted to know your name.” She continued. “They never want to know your name.”

“Thanks, Maggie.” I hung up the phone and sat back.

It was possible, of course, that she was a journalist trying to find out what was going on at the club. Though this would be an odd way to go about it. I would think she’d pretend to have been a dancer in her previous life, not a lawyer.

I stood up with an odd feeling in my stomach. I felt excited about seeing who this girl was. Her résumé didn’t have her name on it, which I thought was odd. I walked to the door, opened it, and looked outside into the dark hallway.

My breath caught as I stared at the beautiful redhead sitting waiting for me. She had an air of confidence about her that I wasn’t used to seeing at the club. She didn’t look like a lawyer though—not with the sexy outfit she had on.

“You here for the interview?” I asked her roughly. I was angry at myself for feeling drawn to her. I always prided myself on my complete and utter lack of feelings. It was how I had gotten so far.

“Um, yes,” she squeaked, jumped up, and walked over to me. Her dress was even shorter than I’d thought, and I stared at her legs as she made her way towards me. She looked like sex on legs. I shifted as I stood there staring at her, surprised that I was already starting to grow hard.

“What’s your name?” I barked at her, annoyed with myself. I should just send her away. Every nerve in me was shouting that this woman was trouble and that she did not belong at the club.

“Jada.” She swallowed and I stared at long, graceful neck. I tried to hide my smile as she lied. There was no way that this girl’s name was Jada. No way at all.

I invited her into the room with me and we made small talk. I wasn’t really sure what she was saying. I was too caught up in her heaving br**sts as they teased me from the top of her dress.

I shifted in my chair uncomfortably as I stared at her résumé. This woman was different from every other woman I had ever met. I wasn’t sure how I knew that or why I knew it. But instinctively, I knew.

“Take your clothes off,” I commanded, trying to gain control of the situation and my mind. I needed to think of her as every other girl.

“What?” Her jaw fell open as she screeched. Her eyes looked at me in shock, and I tried not to laugh. She definitely was not private club material.

“I said, take your clothes off.” I stared at her impatiently. “Now,” I demanded, curious to see what she was going to do.

“I heard you.” She glared at me, and I missed the rest of her words as I watched her eyes sparking anger at me.

She was angry and shocked, and she wasn’t hiding her emotions from me. I found myself liking how strong she was. In this business, I very rarely came across strong women. I knew then that I had to tell her to leave. I didn’t want to find myself liking her. I was about to tell her to leave when my phone rang.

“This is Greyson Twining,” I answered while still staring at her face. She was beautiful even while she stared at me with contempt.

“Greyson, it’s Brandon.” I stilled as I heard his voice. It had been a long time since we’d spoken, and I was surprised to hear his voice.

“Listen, there is a girl coming to interview at the club. Her name is Meg. She’s a cute blonde. Do not hire her. Whatever you do, please do not hire her.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Brandon. You can’t tell me who I can and can’t hire.” I was annoyed at his call but noticed that the girl in front of me had started looking at the ground. I stared at the top of her head and could see a slip of blond at the front. She was wearing a wig! “No cute blondes named Meg have come in today. I gotta go.” I hung up then, suddenly curious as to how she knew Brandon and why she was here.

I stood up and walked closer to her. I could see her looking at me with a confused expression. I stared back at her and grinned inwardly as I saw her staring at me body and take a step back. She looked back up at me and I could see the desire in her eyes. It made me happy.

I leaned towards her and she closed her eyes, eagerly awaiting a kiss. I pulled her wig off and laughed lightly as she opened her eyes slowly. There was disappointment in them, and I knew then that I had to have her. Her face was so expressive and her eyes told me everything she was thinking. I wasn’t going to turn her away.