Trying to make sense of everything, my stomach rolled as I wondered why the hell Jett turned on his word of seeing me tonight. There was no way he could have seen Rex, at least I didn’t think so. He was supposed to be at a meeting. Did he have a playback of security footage? Was he that controlling? If he hadn’t seen Rex, they why was he not inviting me upstairs?
I grabbed my robe and headed for the stairs so I could take my make up off and go to bed. I was not in the mood for any after-presentation celebrations...aka, let’s drink until Goldie gets wasted so we can make her do stupid things.
I started to walk upstairs when a firm hand pressed against my back.
“Lo, you okay?”
Kace, of course he would come after me to see if I was okay. If the man didn’t pull a bipolar mood on me every day, then I was shocked.
“I’m fine,” I said, without turning around.
“You can’t get attached…”
“I know!” I said a little more harshly than I meant. “I just…was surprised, that’s all. I expected to see him tonight since he said he would, that’s all.”
“The man is an ass and doesn’t know what he wants. I told you, you can’t…”
“Don’t Kace, alright? Just don’t.”
Kace backed away as I walked up the stairs, contemplating what the hell I had gotten myself into.
Chapter Thirty Seven
“Poison and Wine”
Jett
I paced my office as I tried to figure out how the hell my dad was able to put in a bid for Lot 17 before bids were even being accepted. I spent the afternoon wining and dining some boring-as-fuck city officials trying to find out more about the property that was consuming my life and, lo and behold, my dad’s name came up. Apparently, he’s been pulling some major strings with some higher-ups to get what he wanted. Fuckhead.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket and dialing his number, I pulled on my hair as I tried to figure out what my next move was. The phone only rang once before his maniacal voice answered.
“I’ve been expecting this phone call,” he said with a laugh. Smug bastard.
“You’re not going to get away with this. I will be sure of it. Lot 17 belongs to the kids, not some idiotic high rise that only benefits you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. As I see it and many other men I have been in touch with, they think of Lot 17 as a perfect place for my idea of an apartment building and gentlemen’s club where men go to conduct business.”
“You fuckhead,” I spat out, not so eloquently. It was one thing to mess with a property I had my eye on but it was another thing to mess with my club. A club that was used for Justice. “You really think you would be able to establish a club like mine? You know no one really likes you in this city, right? They only talk to you because you don’t care whose dick you have to suck to get ahead.”
“I see that you have been hanging around that trash of a girl lately, with the mouth that I am hearing.”
I knew my dad was trying to goad me by talking so poorly about Goldie and I knew I shouldn’t take the bait, but I couldn’t stop the rage that was coursing through my body.
“Watch it,” I gritted out.
That same raving laugh came through the phone as my dad realized he’d hit a sensitive subject.
“Never thought I would see the day that the playboy Jett Colby would be affected by a girl; it’s so very interesting and a pleasure for me to know. To know that my own flesh and blood has a weak spot.”
“I am not affected by her and Goldie is not up for discussion.”
“The hell she isn’t. What you fail to see, son, is she is the puzzle piece I have been waiting for, the little pawn I will have to hold over your head one day. As much as you choose to deny it, you care about her and, thankfully, I can use that to my advantage. So, mess with my business and I mess with your precious little Goldie. The property will be mine, so I would just back out now because you are in way over your head. You might have a lot of pull with top-notch people around this city, but I know people who would wipe that smug smirk off your face.”
“Goldie has nothing to do with this.”
“You’re right, she doesn’t, but the minute you showed an ounce of care toward her, you dragged her into this fight. So if she gets hurt, she only has you to thank for it. Leave Lot 17 alone, Jett. You might be able to bury the evidence of your friend’s crime, but you don’t have enough security to keep Goldie safe.”
I was about to scream at him when the line went dead. Not wanting to break my phone, I set it on my desk then picked up my chair and threw it against the wall, causing a picture to fall and break apart on the floor.
Did I really want to believe my dad when he said he could hurt Goldie? The only way he could is if he got in on the inside of my club and that was not possible, since I warned all security about keeping him out.
What really bothered me was why I cared so much. I cared about all the girls in the club, but why did I freak out every time my dad mentioned Goldie’s name?
Flashes of last night ran through my mind as I tried to calm myself. Her soft body pressed against mine, her luscious lips all over mine, the way she looked at me as if I was the only man in the world who could give her such pleasure.
Shit.
I ran my hands through my hair as I tried to push down the feelings that were boiling in my stomach. I didn’t allow women to get under my skin, but for some reason, I let Goldie. Fucking maneater. I let her kiss me, for fuck’s sake. Let her…I laughed to myself, I practically mauled her. She had nothing to do with it, it was all me.
When did I lose my self-control? I thought about yesterday and the way she looked in her yellow dress, the way the flower in her hair cut to my core, making me want to run my hands all over her body and make sure no other man even glanced at her. Fuck, I was losing it.
I turned on my TV to see how the night’s presentation was going and that was when I saw Goldie, giving a man a lap dance. I knew I said it was okay, but I didn’t like it. I tried not to think why it bothered me so much, but I knew it was because I wanted to claim her as mine. I wanted no one else to touch her, feel her, or even look at her.
“Christ,” I muttered as I poured myself a drink out of my crystal decanter. I took a deep breath and gathered myself. Goldie was nothing; she was just new. A new pussy to fuck and that was always exciting. I needed to get my head on straight because last night was a one-time thing.
Just out of curiosity, I looked down at the list of men that were attending the presentation tonight and the minute my eyes hit the name, Rex Titan, my head flew up to the TV where I zoomed in on Goldie.
“Motherfucker,” I blew out, as I saw Goldie with her back pressed against Rex Titan as she rode his lap. The look on her face seemed like she was enjoying every aspect of what she was doing and the way Rex bit down on his bottom lip was a sure indication that he was not only enjoying himself, but most likely was going to take a trip to a booth later.
I knew I needed to be concerned about why Rex was at the club, what were his intentions and who he was conducting business with but for the life of me, I couldn’t take my eyes of him and Goldie.
My chest tightened at the sight in front of me, of Goldie riding another man. Jealous rage burned through my bones as I finally turned off the TV and downed the rest of my drink. This was not the man I became after Natasha, my ex-fiancé, left me. The minute she chose Rex over me, she took my heart with her. I didn’t feel, I didn’t get jealous, I didn’t kiss women. I fucked them, controlled them and dominated them in the Bourbon Room and then sent them on their way. So why the fuck was I letting a little honey-haired girl get to me?
I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed the thin lines that started to form at the corner of my eyes. I wasn’t that man anymore, I told myself. I wasn’t the man that let women bury themselves deep into my soul because, the minute I let that happen, they took what they wanted and left, just like Natasha. That was why my contracts for the Jett Girls were so easy, no relationships, no love, just sex.