Page 13 of Passion and Deception

“I heard a rumor that some of the men who come to the place I work spend over a hundred thousand dollars on their watches.” She laughed, shaking her head. “I heard one guy brag about how his watch would still work under five hundred feet of water.” She rolled her eyes, then shivered when she felt Ramit’s hands stroking her back before curling around to her stomach. “The man weighs over three hundred pounds.” She closed her eyes, sighing as her head fell backwards. “I can’t see him diving anywhere except into a hot tub.”

He laughed, then leaned forward to take her nipple into his mouth again. “Watches are a way for men to flaunt their wealth and status. But I’ve found, the bigger the watch, the less power a man actually has.”

“I agree,” she laughed, then hissed when his teeth scraped gently against her nipple. “Do that again,” she pleaded. He did and she shifted against him, his erection stroking her gently. At the moment, she enjoyed the sweet movement. But she knew that, very soon, it wasn’t going to be enough. “Should we move to the bedroom?”

In response, he picked her up, his shoulder muscles bunching as he shifted their positions so he was on top. “No time,” he claimed. Hovering over her, he started thrusting and Maggie groaned, lifting her hips to meet his thrusts. This time, their movements were slow and easy, the climb to their ultimate release more of a smooth journey instead of the frantic need of their first mating. And in the end, their mutual climax was just as intense, both shuddering to a release so complete, she nearly cried with the beauty of it. And afterwards, when he finally carried her into the bedroom, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and sighed with delight.

Later that night…much later…Ramit made a phone call and two delicious meals of lasagna, garlic bread, and salad were delivered. They ate in the kitchen, still naked and laughing as they talked about their preferences and the foods that they hated or loved. And finally, he took her back into the bedroom and made love to her all over again.

Chapter 9

“What has you smiling like a loon?” Ann asked, sidling up to Maggie.

Ann Fuller was another waitress at The Billionaires Club, an exclusive, nearly secret, club for the wealthy men of the world. It was located on a large piece of land outside of Philadelphia, protected from the street by trees on one side and rolling hills on the other.

Ann, Maggie, and Emily, the club manager, had been working at the club for years. They were the only remaining staff left over from the previous owner, Jerry Harris, who had passed away. Levi, Sean, and Matteo used to spend more time at the club, but since each had found the love of his life, they’d shifted their responsibilities to others, especially Emily.

“She’s got a boyfriend!” Emily sing-songed, grinning at Maggie.

Maggie rolled her eyes while she quickly stocked the napkins at the bar. “I do not have a boyfriend,” she argued. But the blush staining her cheeks warned her friends that she was lying. Emily and Ann snorted with disbelief.

“Maggie, darlin’, I’ve known you for seven long years. We’ve been through a lot together,” Ann replied affectionately. “And I have never seen you glow like this. So, stop trying to convince us that you don’t have a new beau, because there’s zero chance we’re gonna believe you.”

Maggie smiled, enjoying Ann’s sweet, southern drawl.

Maggie opened the jar of olives and dumped them into the canister so that they were ready to plunk into martinis. “I don’t–”

“Stop,” Emily interrupted, leaning her elbows against the polished bar, her eyes alight with eagerness. “Just spill!”

Maggie laughed and, because she was so happy after last night and this morning, she couldn’t stop herself from gushing. “His name is Ramit and he’s in his mid-thirties. He’s very tall and distinguished looking.” She sighed and looked around at the luxury of the gaming room of the club, shaking her head slightly. “He’s not wealthy, thank goodness.” She glanced at the poker tables. “After working at this place for so long, I know the cheating, manipulative, merciless, usually illegal tactics that rich people use to grow their wealth. Ramit is just a really nice, average guy that…makes me smile!”

“And how is he in bed?” Emily whispered.

Maggie rolled her eyes. “I don’t kiss and tell,” she said, then laughed when Ann and Emily screeched with excitement.

“No way!” Emily laughed when they’d finally calmed down. “Margaret Denault, did you finally have sex last night?”

Maggie’s face was going to be in a permanent state of redness with all these questions. “As I said, I don’t kiss and tell.”

Ann snorted. “That means she had sex last night AND this morning!”

The three of them laughed as Levi walked in. “What’s going on?”

The trio smothered their laughter and continued prepping the bar for the night. “Maggie finally found a man!”

Levi’s eyes narrowed, his big brother-protective instincts kicking into high gear. “What’s his name?”

Maggie shook her head, still smiling but determined to keep her private life private. “Not this time,” she told her boss. “This guy is truly nice.”

Levi stepped closer, leaning his arms on the bar next to Emily. “Maggie, just let Hendrix run a background check on him, please?”

Maggie shook her head, clutching the napkins to her chest. “Really, Levi? I know that you put a lot of faith in your head of security. But this guy,” she paused, trying to figure out how to explain. “He’s special. And I don’t know where it’s going yet, but I don’t want everyone in my business. Not this time.”

Levi watched her for a long moment, then sighed. “Fine. I’ll keep Hendrix out of your love life.” He pointed a finger at Maggie. “But if this guy lays one finger on you in anger, I want to know. Understand? Violence is never acceptable.”

Maggie beamed, then levered herself up over the bar to kiss his forehead. “Got it, boss.” Then she jumped back to the floor and spun around. “We need more napkins. I heard that it’s going to be a busy night tonight.”

Maggie moved to the storeroom right behind the bar. She was loading up one of the carts with supplies when Emily walked in and closed the door.

---