Page 36 of Devious Temptation
“You can’t fuck the employees,” I remind her, though she doesn’t need reminding. I happen to know she gets away with it in the New York office because no one blinks twice if a woman in power wants to dally with men who work under her.
“Like I told you earlier, Law. They aren’tmyemployees.”
From the outside,Lauren’s Fault looks like a hole in the wall with a blue neon sign. The L and F are dimmer than the rest of the letters, and a bunch of newspaper clippings are plastered over the front window.
Inside the bar, however, it’s all smooth black walnut,with maroon and forest green vinyl booths and golden stools with tufted vinyl cushions. The establishment stretches far beyond the large bar and pool table area to a patio. And hanging on the walls are framed news articles from various major events throughout the years.
I recognize the flash of Lucy’s wild mane at the end of the bar as she throws her head back with a shot of something clear lifted to her lips. She slams the glass on the table with the rest of the group as they all cry out, “It’s Lauren’s fault!”
Jules hears them before she sees them, grabbing my hand to pull me through the crowd toward a bunch of employees I haven’t bothered getting to know yet.
“Whoo! Looks like you all got the party started already!” she shouts.
Many sets of eyes turn our way, but I can’t pull my gaze away from the deep hazel ones currently glaring in Jules’ direction before they fall to where our hands are still locked together. Untangling my fingers, I turn toward the bar without greeting anyone, sneaking glances at Lucy as she walks toward one of the dart boards, where Anna and Justin are having an animated conversation over a pitcher of beer.
Lucy’s let her hair down from her ponytail, and the curls are tousled like she’s just run her hands through them—or like she just got fucked roughly into a mattress. Her dress is a swatch of rainbow watercolor fabric that hugs her breasts and is only secured by thin straps around her neck. A cutout over her sternum shows a stretch of sun-kissed skin before the skirt ripples down, kissing the tops of her toned thighs.
It’s both incredibly sexy and incredibly Lucy-like. I always wondered if she kept wearing her brightly-colored patterns or if she’d dull herself down to please the bleak monochrome masses of the business world.
“Guess some things never change.”Her words from earlier haunt me.
“You made it!” Mike shouts over the clamor of the bar, coming over to us from one of the pool tables. He’s removed his suit jacket, and his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows with the top two buttons of his dress shirt undone. Holding the pool stick out to Jules, he asks, “You play?”
“Oh, honey. I’m a lot older than you. I can probably show you a thing or two.” She smacks my chest lightly. “Get me a vodka soda, would you?” As Jules walks away with Mike, I can’t help but notice one of the guys I don’t know hand Lucy a tumbler with amber-colored liquid in it.
Thought you couldn’t handle the amber ones, rainbow?
She sips it before making a face, shoving it back into his hands before picking up a glass full of a pink drink while the guy laughs. The music changes from a song I’ve never heard of to a dance version of a popular hit from the eighties. Lucy lets out a whoop and grabs Anna, pulling the blonde from her chair abruptly and dragging her out to the dance floor. While Anna flounders around like she’s never danced before in her life, Lucy twists and turns her body sensually, attracting the attention of multiple men around her.
None of the employees try to talk to me over the course of the next thirty minutes. I don’t blame them. I don’t exactly make myself look approachable while I watch Lucy bounce from the dance floor to a spot at the bar to takeshots and back again. By now, Jules is on her third drink. She and Mike aren’t even trying to hide the fact that they plan on going home together after this.
My little rainbow doesn’t think I notice the way her eyes dart to me every now and then. She’s trying to be discreet while she checks to see if I’m watching. Every time she knows I am, she sways her body just a little more, the skirt of her dress riding up as she entices me with her bare skin. Or she’ll thrust her hands into her hair, lifting it as she dances before letting it fall slowly to hide the naked expanse of her back.
She’s daring me to approach her. Tempting me like a siren luring a sailor out to sea.
I’m still nursing my first glass of whiskey when a random guy appears behind Lucy, caging her in by placing his hands on the bar top. He leans down to whisper something in her ear, and she makes a face before trying to get away from him. I’m out of my seat before I can even think about my actions—think about what it might look like to the rest of the employees—as I grab the guy’s arm and yank him away from her.
All I see is red as I step into the piece of shit’s personal space like an angry bull. “Keep your fucking hands off her.”
“What the fuck, man?” the guy shouts at the same time Lucy grabs my bicep to stop me.
“It’s fine, Lawson! I’m fine!” But her eyes are glassy, and her words are slow, and I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t been watching.
“I think you’ve had enough to drink.” I pull the shot she’s holding out of her hand and slam it back on the bar.
“Oh? You think I’ve had enough to drink?” she parrots. “Why don’t you go worry about your girlfriend,Mr. Morgan? She looks like she’s had enough to drink for all of us.” Lucy sloppily motions toward where Jules and Mike are now making out. “Besides, you’re not my daddy,” she sneers in a bratty tone, shaking her head saucily and crossing her arms.
Oh, I’d very much like to be your daddy, rainbow. I’d love nothing more than to put you over my knee right now and punish that smart mouth so the whole bar can hear you scream for me.
Instead, I grab her arm and haul her through the crowd to a long, empty hallway. The din of the bar finally dies down, and when I stop and turn around, it’s only her and me in the pink-lit space.
“Is this how you spend your weekends? Getting blackout drunk and letting random men take you home?” I demand, tossing her arm away from me a little rougher than I probably should.
“What’s it matter to you? Like I said, you’re not my daddy. Go worry about yourgirlfriend.”
“Jules isn’t my girlfriend, and she’s the least of my worries right now. I’d be more worried about Mike. He has no idea what he’s getting himself into. Now answer my damn question, Lucy.” My growl reverberates through the space, the acoustics expanding my voice even though I’m speaking lower than normal.
“Maybe I do, Mr. Morgan.” She steps into me, probably thinking I’ll step back, but I hold my ground as our chests press together. “Maybe I do spend my weekends letting random men do whatever they want to me. What are you going to do about it?” Her index finger jams into mychest. “You haven’t cared enough to speak to me in the last six years. You blocked my numberandblocked me on Iconic. So what. Do. You. Care?”
