Prologue
Ethan
I slide the whiskey across the bar as the man slaps his money down for a drink. One of the bartenders grabs the cash for me and heads toward the register knowing that I want nothing to do with it. I’ll help make drinks but I’m not taking any orders. My eyes flick to my watch, thankful to see that my little brother should be here in about ten minutes. He’s bringing a few more bartenders from another one of his clubs to help out.
Then I’ll be able to get the hell out of this place. I don’t know how I got sucked into helping the bartender, but here I am in a twenty thousand dollar suit serving drinks to save my brother’s ass. That little shit is lucky that I love him.
This is the fifth club that he’s opened and it is packed like all of the others. When he said he wanted to open his first night club, I gave him the cash to do so as a silent partner. To be honest, I wasn't sure if he was going to pull it off but I wasn’t worried about losing the money. God knows I had enough of it. He was fresh out of college with big dreams and shallow pockets. I wasn't going to be the one to crush them so I gave him the money.
Now he’s turned into a workaholic like me. It must run in the family. It is actually something I wanted to talk to him about. It is the main reason I’d asked him to meet me here. Now he is running late because he’s stuck in traffic and I am helping make drinks because four of his bartenders called in sick.
I turn, grabbing a beer order that came up on the printer, setting it at the end of the bar with its ticket. My eyes catch a glimpse of blond hair that immediately grabs all of my attention. I stand up a little straighter as I take in the woman, who has legs for days. I didn't know I had a type until now. She’s not only my type, she’s going to be mine, my mind whispers. I watch her stroll across the club with a few other girls as one of the bouncers shows them to the VIP area.
I can’t take my eyes off of her. I’ve never seen such a beautiful creature in all of my life. I don’t have time to date. I’m too busy working. It consumes my life. I’d never wanted a wife or a family. I didn’t have the time but now, after seeing her, I am questioning everything. How long has it been since I wanted something? Since something has given me a thrill of excitement? I can’t remember. I'm sure it was something to do with work.
“Turn around,” I command, wanting to see her eyes. Wanting her to see her future. Of course she can’t hear me because she’s across the club and the music is loud. Men turn to look at her. My hand wraps around another beer, gripping it tight so that none of these men get hurt. I drop it down so hard that I’m surprised it doesn't shatter.
“Take it easy,” my brother says as his hand comes down onto my shoulder. He lets out a whistle as he spots who I’ve been looking at.
“Don’t,” I snap at him.
“Aren't you the one who said I should find a woman? That I needed to settle down?” I can tell from his tone that he’s only teasing me but I don’t find jokes that include my future wife funny. I did tell him those things. It’s one of the reasons I am here, to tell him that shit again. He doesn’t need to work himself to death. He needs to have a life.
“She’s not the one for you. She’s mine.” I look over to my brother, whose face fills with surprise.
“That so?” A slow smile pulls at his mouth.
“Fuck off.”
“I’d love to fight it out with you, brother, but I’ll never win. I know when you get that look in your eyes.” People say that I have a killer look when I’m closing a deal or when I have something in my line of sight that I want.
“Meeting cancelled.”
“Yeah. I’m short staffed and I’m going to have to work the bar.” He rips off the few tickets that I printed. I grab the one on the end, putting it with the beer I almost shattered.
“Tell security no one is to go near her.”
“You shitting me?”
“Have I ever shitted you?” I give him a hard look. He pulls his phone from his pocket, firing off a text. I’m sure he’s issuing the order I gave him.
“I wish I could fuck with you about this.” He waves the tickets. “But I got shit to do.”
I give him a nod. He shakes his head at me before getting to work. My eyes go back to the blonde, who is swaying her small hips to the beat of the music. Her hair bounces with each of her movements. I want her. No, fuck that. I need her more than I’ve ever needed anything in my life.
She finally turns, laughing at something her friend said. Her gaze meets mine. Her beautiful green eyes take me in. I can tell she likes what she sees but I also see a second of hesitation in those stunning eyes before she turns back around to engage with her friend. I grab another beer, dropping it down and sliding it across the bar.
Seconds later when I glance back over, her eyes are trained on me. Her lips part when I hold her gaze, her shoulders straighten, she says something to her friend, and then those long, gorgeous legs make their way toward me.
I rest my hands on the bar, bracing myself to meet who I know will be the love of my life. She stops before me, her green eyes trained on me. Her little pink tongue peeks out to wet her lips and it’s almost my undoing. I want to take that mouth, to hear it scream my name, to have her gorgeous lips wrapped around my cock as she pleasures me and ultimately to hear the words I do come from it. Her strawberry scent hits my nose, going straight to my dick.
“You should buy me a drink.”
I smirk, loving that she’s not shy in the least. “Is that so?” I raise my eyebrow at her.
“Yes, gentlemen buy women drinks without them having to explain why they should do it.” Her eyebrow lifts at me this time in a challenge.
“Who said that I’m a gentleman?”
That brings a full-on smile to her lips. “I’m Amelia.” She leans over the bar, reaching her hand out to me and giving me a glimpse down the front of her dress to the soft valley of her tits. Somehow I get my own name out. I grab hold of her small hand, engulfing it in mine in a possessive hold. My instincts take over and before I know what’s happening, my lips are on hers.
She’s hesitant at first but then her mouth opens, giving me the entrance that I crave. That’s the moment I know for sure that I’ve found my forever. Everything else fades away as I take my kiss. Or maybe it’s her who’s doing the taking.
She jerks back, those green eyes looking bigger than ever. Her lips are swollen from my assault. That cotton candy pink tongue comes out again to wet them.
“We’re leaving.” I release her, putting both of my hands back on the bar to brace myself as I clear it in one jump, landing beside her.
“There is a hotel next door.” She surprises me by suggesting it. I had planned to take her to my place since she should get used to her new home. If she doesn't like it we can deal with that later. I wanted to take her for the first time in my bed, but the way those eyes are looking at me has my cock so hard that I know I can’t wait that long to have her underneath me.
She lets out a scream as I lift her up, press her warm body to mine and exit the club as quickly as humanly possible. No one is trying to stop me, the bouncers all knowing who I am. They all just have shocked expressions on their faces.