“Absolutely, and my best friend is helping me find galleries that might be interested in my work.”
He scowled. “Wait, this isn’t the bitch that cheated with your boyfriend is it?”
“No, I haven’t seen her since I discovered that. This is Cassie, my new friend who I’m pretty sure would never do that to me.”
“So, you’re working on getting your Mum sorted and in the meantime trying to get your art happening?”
“Yeah. And working at a strip club to pay the bills,” I winked at him when I said this.
He scowled again. “Harlow, if any of our customers give you trouble I want you to come to me with it and I’ll sort them out.”
“You seem worried about that but I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“I’ve seen some of those motherfuckers in action, babe. You bring it to me if there’s an issue. No-one else; me,” he asserted in a way that made his request clear.
“Okay, Mr. Bossy,” I teased him but he wasn’t in a mood to be teased.
We were sitting across from each other and he dipped his head so that his face was closer to mine. Determination was clear in his eyes. “I’ll always be bossy where your safety is concerned. I’m not mucking around here; these men aren’t all your standard Joe Blow and you need to take that in. They fuck with you, it means they fuck with me. And babe, I’m not one to be fucked with,” he warned in that deep, threatening voice I’d heard him use before. The fact that it made me feel safe didn’t escape me. I kind of liked it; no man had ever made me feel safe like that before.
Later, when he dropped me back at the café, he reiterated what he’d already said. “Remember, no putting up with shit from Indigo customers. I want to know if there are any problems,” he said as he met me on my side of the car.
I only just stopped myself from rolling my eyes. “Okay.”
He moved close to me, backing me up against his car, his right hand sliding behind my neck and holding my head. Then he delivered another strong warning. “Something tells me you don’t plan on involving me, babe, so let me make myself clear. I’m not a man who likes finding shit out later; especially if something happened that I could have stopped. There will be problems between you and me if you don’t do as I’ve said. Understand?”
Shit. Who could argue with that? “I understand,” I agreed.
“Good,” he murmured, eyes on my lips, “Now, I don’t do this dating thing so I’m not sure, but I reckon I’m supposed to get a kiss out of it.” His left hand had made its way to my face and he was holding my cheek.
Smiling, I bantered, “That would only be if you were dating a woman who didn’t have a three date policy.”
“What the fuck’s a three date policy?”
“You take me on three dates before you get a kiss.”
His eyes twinkled. “Babe, you’re deluding yourself. We’ve already kissed and you’ve already made it clear you want me to fuck you. I’d say your three date policy is null and fucking void.”
“Well, have you made your mind up about having sex with me yet?”
Smirking, he asked, “Are you trying to bribe me with a kiss for sex, Harlow?”
“Would it work? Because if it would, I’d break my three date policy right here and now.”
Leaning even closer to me, he promised, “Fucking you was always on my agenda. First I’m going to fuck you with my tongue, and then I’m going to fill your pretty pussy with my cock. So I’d say it’s time for you to give up that sweet mouth.”
His dirty mouth sent jolts through me; who would have known that I’d love dirty words so much. I pulled his mouth to mine and kissed him with a passion I’d never known. He devoured me with his mouth, his tongue and his potent desire for me. My body became alive under his touch, and my mind was overrun with lust and thoughts for how I wanted him to possess me. I craved more than this kiss and would make damn sure he fulfilled those promises he’d just made.
Ending the kiss and pulling away from me appeared to be hard for him. “Fuck, baby, that mouth of yours should be fucking illegal.”
I smiled. The same could be said about him, but I wasn’t telling him that; not yet, anyway. I wasn’t handing my heart over to a man that easily anymore.
Chapter 19
Scott
Thoughts of Harlow consumed me for the rest of the fucking afternoon. Christ. This was why I didn’t do anything more than one night stands with women. It was distracting me from the business at hand. I couldn’t fucking think straight and that was a problem. A problem I didn’t have time for at the moment. And yet, every time I thought of her, it warmed my fucking cold heart and drove my dick wild. Shit. I was fucked.
I spent the afternoon going over the current Black Deeds problems with Griff, J and Dad. Griff had sent Nash and Stoney to do some of the recon we’d discussed. Bullet’s club was involved in drugs and porn. We needed to get a better idea on those operations and this type of thing was Nash’s specialty. If there was something to be found out, Nash was the man.
At seven o’clock Mum turned up. She was here for Dad but I took her aside while Dad was still talking with Griff. “How are you?” I jerked my chin at Dad, “He treating you alright?”
She sighed. “You and Madison need to back off him. He’s changing. For the better.” She emphasised that last sentence.
“Men like that don’t fucking change and you of all women should know that. You’ve seen enough shit go down in the club, seen enough men who beat their women and cheat on them to know they don’t fucking change. When are you going to open your eyes?” I remembered the conversation with Harlow from this morning; she just needed to open her eyes and see what was in front of her.
Flinty eyes hit mine. “Your father has given you everything, Scott, and you need to remember that.”
“The way I look at it, he’s given me nothing but lies,” I fumed.
She flinched at that. “Well you need to look at it a different way.”
I shook my head. “Not going to happen,” I said, and then added, “Any respect I had is gone, simple as that.”
“Kind of makes it hard to work together.”
“No, Mum, it doesn’t. He’s my President, that’s it. I get the shit done that needs doing, just like I always have. Any relationship outside of that doesn’t exist.”
Her voice lowered into a hard, angry tone. “You can be a cold hearted bastard sometimes, Scott. Perhaps it’s time for you to learn how to forgive.”
She was upset and making a move to leave but I had one more thing to say, “Call me cold hearted, call me whatever you want. I make no fucking apologies for the way I live my life. I do however expect shit from those I love and when it’s not delivered or when my trust is broken like that, I will never, I repeat never, fucking forgive or forget. Are we clear?”
Her eyes widened. Then a look of resignation came over her and she walked away.
Fuck. I hadn’t meant to be so forceful with her, but the way she was carrying on, like we could all just forgive and play happy fucking families, was not on and it had pissed me off.
I watched her go to Dad. She said something to him and he landed a filthy glare on me before taking her outside. Griff caught this too and whistled once they’d left. “You think you guys will ever sort that out?” he asked as we locked the office.
“No.”
“Figured as much.”
I checked my watch. “Fuck, Griff, I’ve gotta go. I want to check on Lisa before I head over to Indigo.”