Page 49 of Laila Manning
“Yes, Sir.” One bouncer said, grabbing the man off the floor and hauling him toward the door.
“Now, now.” Peter announced boldly, “Let’s get back to enjoying our evening, shall we?” He smiled at his guests and played the part of the host setting the mood before turning back to me. The crowd returned to their conversations, leaving us alone in ours as he lowered his voice. “My partners and I have been meaning to set up a meeting with Mr. Lawson. To formally introduce ourselves and make sure we’re all on good terms—,” He hesitated. “I hope this doesn’t affect our chances of—”
“Rectify this situation so it never happens again, and I’ll keep it between us.” I paused, so he had time to understand just how fucking serious I was. “Allow anything negative to happen to her again while under your roof, and I mean anything,” His eyes rounded, “And I’ll wipe every single person you care about off the face of this planet. One at a time until you know it’s your fucking turn. Clear?”
“Crystal.” He swallowed. “She’s my biggest priority now. I’ll treat her like family.”
“Good.” I repeated, “Now point me in the direction of your office where I can have a private word with her.”
“Upstairs.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder to a nondescript door along the wall by the kitchen. “Take all the time you need.”
“Laila.” I called, holding my hand out to her as I rounded the podium. “Come with me for a minute.”
She flicked her eyes back and forth between me and Peter before sliding her hand in mine and falling in step behind me as we walked through the bustling bar to the dark stairwell leading to his office.
“Am I fired?” She whispered as she ran up the steps behind me, but I didn’t answer her until we walked through the only other door in the hallway.
“Do you want to be fired?” I asked, closing it behind her and sliding my hands into my pockets as I leaned back against it. “Do you like it here?”
“I do.” She answered quickly and then grimaced. “I mean, sometimes the customers suck.” She shrugged. “But most of my coworkers are nice.”
“You can work here for as long as you want to.”
“Because Peter is scared of you?” She wrapped her arms around her waist as she cocked her head to the side. “He folded to you as if you were the most powerful man in the world. Instantly, without hesitation.”
“Right now, I am the most powerful man in the bar.” I said evenly. “And I work for the most powerful man in California.”
Her pupils dilated slightly before she dropped her gaze to my shoes. “You were—,” She started and stopped, and I forced myself to stay silent while she worked out her thoughts. Was she going to say scary? Did I frighten her with my violence? Did she flash back to the violence she saw over the years? Every second of time that ticked by dropped my heart deeper into my stomach as anxiety crawled up my spine. “Menacing.” She flicked her eyes up to mine, and my heart stopped beating in my chest completely. “I don’t think there’s another word to describe the terrifying power I saw in your eyes when you faced that man down. You didn’t even blink.”
I licked my lips and forced my chest to rise, taking in a much-needed breath as her words assaulted my head over and over.
That was it. She was done.
I fucked everything up by showing her the monster inside of me like a fucking moron.
“I understand.” Nodding, with my eyes fixed on the floor, I was suddenly unable to meet her gaze, just as she always struggled to meet mine. “I’m sorry you saw that side of me.” I leaned off the door. “But I won’t apologize for defending you. Not ever.”
“Zeke.” She tilted her head to the side with that curious little kitten stare she got when she was out of her depth.
“Your job here is secure, work here for as long as you want to. No one will bother you anymore. You have the crew’s protection.” I had to get out of the room.
It was closing in on me as I saw the one thing I’d wanted more than anything else slipping through my fingers.
“Zeke.” She whispered again. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m sorry I scared you.” Turning the handle, I opened the door, and the dim room was bathed in light from above the doorway. “I’ll never do that again.” Turning and walking into the hallway, I felt as if my chest might collapse and explode. I never lost control, ever. Yet there I was on the verge of losing it all because her rejection was the worst thing I’d ever imagined.
“It aroused me.” She called as I stepped away, freezing me in my tracks. I looked over my shoulder at her as my brain tried to comprehend what she had just said. She held her hands out at her side and shrugged her shoulders like she didn’t understand any of it, either. “Seeing you like that—,” She shook her head and licked her lips as her chest rose and fell quickly, “Turned me on.”
“Laila.” I growled, cracking my neck to the side as I turned back to face her.
“I’m soaking wet.” She bit her bottom lip, and I walked back into the room, closing the door behind me again and locking us inside. “I don’t remember a time in my life I’ve ever gotten wet for any other man but you, Zeke.” She nearly purred like she was on the verge of coming right there, from just words. “Last night when you touched me was the first time I’ve ever orgasmed from someone else’s touch, and tonight, watching you defend me like that,” her eyelids fluttered closed as her head tilted back just a little bit. “That power is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen before.”
“Fuck it.” I cursed, closing the distance between us, and slamming my lips down on hers with my hand tight in her hair. She whimpered and clawed at my jacket as she opened her lips and licked my tongue seductively. “Tell me to stop.”
“Don’t stop.” She panted, digging her nails into my pecks over my shirt. “I don’t know how to control myself around you.”
“Dove.” I groaned, sliding my hands under the back of her thighs, lifting her. She wrapped her legs around my waist and clung to me as I crossed the office and sat her down on the desk.
