Page 5 of Bad Business

2

DALLAS

I watch on camera as Willow hurries out of the club. Throwing my cup against the wall, I let out a roar of frustration. Willow is an enigma to me, a woman shrouded in mystery, one I can’t seem to unravel. It’s driving me crazy. When my uncle told me he had hired a new manager for me, I believed it was a ‘he’—hell, my uncle called her Will. It wasn’t until she showed up two months ago that I realized my error. Will is, in fact, Willow. My hesitancy to let her work here was overruled by my uncle, seeing as he owns half of the club. It isn’t because she is a woman… well, that’s a lie. It is because she’s a woman—a woman I’m very much attracted to.

Since I don’t mix business with pleasure, having her here is maddening. She’s nearly a foot shorter than me, but her body is a work of art. Her curves are perfectly proportioned, making it impossible to ignore her presence. Couple that with her piercing blue eyes and long dark hair, and I can’t stop my body’s reaction every time she’s near me. To hide the fact that I’m almost always hard in her presence, I treat her like a complete dick.

The surveillance footage continues to play, showing her as she strides purposefully across the parking lot. Her confidence, even in the face of my constant antagonism, only fuels my desire. She’s tough, determined, and utterly captivating. Every interaction we have is a battle of wills, and I look forward to those clashes more than I should.

I run a hand through my hair, pacing the office to burn off some of the restless energy coursing through me. This isn’t just about attraction; it’s about control. Willow disrupts the carefully constructed order of my life, and I hate that she has that power over me. Yet, the thought of her quitting and never seeing her again is even more intolerable.

Storming out of my office, I take the steps two at a time. I barely make it to the floor before someone steps in my path.

“Hey, Dallas.” Clarissa runs her hand down my front, her blood-red nails grazing the front of my trousers. “I was looking for you.”

I made the mistake of taking her to bed once, and now she seeks me out on the regular. Sex with her was underwhelming, so I didn’t go back for more. She, on the other hand, seems to think I want to fuck her again.

“Clarissa,” I grumble at the irritation of her presence.

“I need a good fucking… think you can make some time to take care of that for me?”

“No,” I say, shoving her hand away. “We fucked once, Clarissa. I’m not going there again with you. Go peruse the club; I’m sure you’ll find a willing man to shove his cock into you.”

She harrumphs as her foot stomps the floor. “But I want your cock.”

“Too bad. My cock is no longer an option. If you’ll excuse me.”

I shove around her and head toward Calli. She grins when she sees me approaching.

“I see Clarissa found you.”

“Unfortunately.”

She shrugs. “You deserve it for fucking her.”

My eyes narrow at her. “You keeping up with who I fuck now?”

“No… but that woman brags to anyone who will listen that she scored with the owner of the club. You must’ve really fucked her good because she goes on and on about your dick. Something I wish I didn’t know about.”

“Do I need to ban her from the club?” I glance back at the woman in question. “It’s not like we need her.”

“Nah…. but maybe you should pick better next time.”

I shake my head. “There won’t be a next time. My days of picking up women at my place of business are long gone.” What I didn’t tell her was that my cock wasn’t getting hard for anyone other than Willow. That was something she didn’t need to know. “Any chance you have Willow’s address? The only thing she has on file for me is a P.O. Box, which surprises me since Loren is adamant about getting a physical address.” Another layer of suspicion when it came to the pixie driving me irrational.

“Yeah, I can write it down for you. But maybe let her be tonight… she has a lot on her plate.”

Ignoring her words, I head to the front, where my head of security is standing.

“Carlos, I’m heading out for a bit; hold down the fort while I’m gone.”

“You got it, sir.”

Slipping behind the steering wheel of my Audi, I barely get out of the lot before my phone rings. Of course, my damn sister would call right now.

“Danika, what’s up?”

“Dallas.” Her voice cracking puts me on alert. “Can you come get me? I tried to call Ryker, but he didn’t answer.”

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