Page 4 of Don't Lie To Me

I spend my life in this place, rushing about making sure it runs like a well-oiled machine, but I’m sure no one actually knows what I do to keep it running. The pressure I feel every day to keep a smile on my face while I balance the books so we all have a job to come to, while keeping my staff happy and safe. The Raven’s Nest, my exclusive club, is more than a way of making an income for me. It’s my whole life. This place and the women in it raised me, and I owe it to them to make sure they have the best work environment possible. That means keeping the cops at bay and the creepers out on the streets where they belong.

I inhale deeply, the relaxing scent of vanilla filling my nostrils from the candle I have just snuffed out. My office is my home away fromhome since I spend most of my life here. I’ve made my office feel like a cozy bedroom, complete with everything I need, rather than a stuffy, old-fashioned workspace the previous owner, Syd, had. I tug off the white sheath dress I arrived here in this morning and move to my closet, pulling out a simple black dress that hugs my petite figure and accentuates my perky tits. It’s also way more suitable for working behind the bar. I rush into my personal bathroom and check my makeup, touching up my peach-colored lipstick. I also brush my long platinum-blonde hair up into a high ponytail so I look like the other staff. As the owner, I don’t have to wear the dress code, but I think it looks more professional, and I’m all about professionalism.

Before I leave, I nod to the beautiful women whose portraits line my office walls. They are why I do this day in and day out. Someone has to keep the women of Ravens Hollow safe, and I decided long ago I would be the one to do it. As I step out of my office for the night, the hushed quiet of the hallway, lined with flocked wallpaper, is broken only by the gentle tap-tap-tap of my heels. Onyx, my broody, badass bodyguard waits patiently for me at the end. His eyes hold mine for just a second before he pushes open the door for me. He’s been doing that lately, making my heart flutter with just a look of his dark and dangerous eyes. It makes my pussy throb with a desperate need for him. One that doesn’t seem to be getting any better no matter how much I tell it to fuck off. Yes, I will admit it. I have it bad for my bodyguard, a man who is out of bounds in so many ways it’s not even funny. But my horny little body won’t get with the fucking program.

“I get you as my desk buddy tonight, girl?” Myriah smirks as I join her behind the bar. She’s busy wiping down glasses and lining them up on the marble countertop.

“Looks that way. Is there something on in Ravens Hollow tonight I don’t know about?” I ask her, assessing the rather empty club before me. Where are all my regulars?

“Girl, you know everything that happens in this town.”

“Why is this place dead and all my usual staff busy then?” I click my fingers, remembering. “Jagger, he has that event on at the Precinct tonight.”

“Damn big bro, stealing your clientele.” She laughs, knowing I could give two shits about what Jagger is up to. His establishment is on the other side of town, and where my club is classy, in moody blacks and silvers, with hanging chandeliers, fresh flowers, and girls who charge upward of one thousand by the hour, his dive bar is more what you would expect from an emblem-wearing biker-gang leader. Dingy and rough around the edges. Because that is exactly what my big brother is.

“What can I get for you, honey?” I ask the handsome specimen sitting alone at the bar. He must have just come in. I can’t help but check him out, my eyes leisurely roaming over his face and body—well, what I can see from this side of the bar, anyway. The sun has kissed his skin to a deep tan, and his sandy-blond hair styled longer on one side gives him a surfer vibe, strange for round these parts since we have no surf.

“A Bud Light, thanks.” He smiles, a charming smile that reaches his dimples, crinkling the corners of his eyes. Piercing green eyes that suck me into the depths of his soul. Who the fuck is this guy? I need to know.

I return his grin. “Coming right up,” I say all flirty, then cringe as I turn around to open the fridge. Christ, I sound like Myriah, the most massive flirt you have ever met. I need to get laid and fast, the number twenty-five lighting up in my head like a fucking neon sign. What kindof a sex club owner is still a virgin at that age? The extremely sad, horny kind, that’s who. And I need to do something about it desperately, because that number is haunting me and I’m running out of time fast. My birthday is in three days!

I crack open the frosty beer and slide it smoothly across the bar top to him, watching as he takes the first swig. “Are you new in town? I haven’t seen you in here before,” I ask, knowing I sound corny as hell, but it’s the truth, and Jagger would kill me if I didn’t keep a good eye on who walks through my door. You can never be too careful in this line of business.

“Moved here yesterday.” A happy chuckle punctuates his reply, making it clear he’s up for a friendly conversation.

“From California?” I ask when he doesn’t give me anything else to go off.

“From New York.” His brow rises, and his green eyes twinkle like sparkling gemstones. “Originally from California.”

I slap the cool smooth surface of my stone bar top. “I knew it.” My grin widens. I love to be right, but who doesn’t. “Why of all the places on this planet would you choose to visit Ravens Hollow? I love this town, but it’s a shithole.”

He chuckles, and I think it’s the best sound I have ever heard. This guy is something else. “My gran is quite ill and needs help, so I’ve come to take care of her for a couple of months.”

I gush even more; this guy is just adorable. “How kind of you. Your next drink is on me.”

He slowly scans my face, and I can see I intrigue him. “Thanks. Do you own this place?”

“Sure do.” I do enjoy the surprise in people’s faces when they find out this place is mine. No one expects it. They think my brothers run it and I work for them. But the truth is I’m more successful than all ofthem, and they couldn’t run this place if their lives depended on it. I adore my brothers, but they are more about having a good time, less about responsibility.

“And you choose to work behind the bar?” he asks, surprised.

“My manager is sick tonight, and I didn’t have a replacement at short notice, so here I am. I can’t say I’m disappointed. It’s not every day I get to meet someone new.” I would like to say someone so damn fine, but I keep that last bit to myself. I feel like a bitch in heat right now, and I’m sure he can tell.

“You’re not the only one. I’m glad I stumbled on this place tonight.” His gaze holds mine, and it’s like the rest of the room fades out. I’m captivated by the intensity in his eyes, a swirling vortex I want to get lost in. “With you working here, I’m sure men are drawn to your club like moths to a flame.”

The way he says it makes me wonder what he’s trying to get at. He might be new in town, but has someone told him what we do here and he’s looking for a quick fuck? Or is it something more sinister? “Thank you for the compliment, but most nights I’m hunched over my desk, the glow of the computer screen illuminating the late-night paperwork and the ever-growing pile of staffing issues. It’s not all glamorous running a club.”

“I bet it’s long days, filled with the constant pressure of looming deadlines and stressful situations most of the time.” He leans forward, and I prop my elbows on the bar so we’re a little closer. Man, am I glad we’re not busy tonight. “And the threat of constant danger present.” I know that he is implying the table of bikers behind us is getting rowdier.

My lips curve into a smile as our eyes meet, the air crackling between us, as the rest of the bar seems to fade away. I don’t know his name, but there’s a palpable energy about him, a quiet intensity, like he’s silentlypromising to be my knight in shining armor. Swooping in and saving me. I know what this life would look like to an outsider, but to me, it’s normal, and if anything I want to corrupt him, lure him into the dark side with me. “It is a chaotic life, but it’s my life, and honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“I admire the hustle, but don’t you ever wonder if there’s an easier way? Something a little more fun. Maybe letting someone sweep you off your feet and take care of you instead?” His eyes meet mine, causing my heart to kick up a beat.

I gaze back at him. I knew this was where our conversation was going, I could see it in his charming eyes. He’s too pure to be in this place, too genuine and kind. I sigh heavily; he wants to save me when I don’t need saving.

He takes a swig of his drink as the silence hangs in the air between us. It’s not uncomfortable. Not at all, in fact. “I think it would be more fun if I corrupted you.” I smirk cheekily. “I’m not all work and no play.”

He chuckles light-heartedly. “You’re a wildcat.”

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