"Seriously? It's been an hour! How long does it take you to get-" Tucker slammed to a halt in the doorway, "ready... holy fuck."
I smoothed out a stray curl and turned to him, eyeing the sight of his black jeans and seemingly signature white top. Stepping forward, I let his arms circle me and leaned into him, tracing the artwork peeking from the bottom of his sleeve with my fingertips.
He shivered under my touch. "Barbie, that outfit is... no. Please don't wear that tonight."
I frowned and pushed him away, instantly pissed. "Excuse me? You're not going to fucking tell me what I can and can't-"
He laughed, kissing me to cut me off. "Not what I meant. I know goddamn well better than to tell you what to wear and not wear, baby. I don't care much for another wrench at my head. But that skimpy little skirt and low cut top? Fuck, your tits are goddamn perfect. You're killing me here." He pulled me closer, closing the distance I'd put between us a second ago. He lowered his head, trailing his lips down my neck. "How am I supposed to dance and have fun with you when all I want to do is throw you over my shoulder, carry you somewhere private, and fuck the living hell out of you?"
He pressed his hips tighter against mine, proving his point at the erection he was already sporting just seeing me.
"You know," my lips curved into a smile at the marking red lipgloss line I left on his shoulder and neck, leading up to the base of his beard, "that doesn't sound like a bad idea. Maybe that was my plan all along."
I stepped away and made my way to the front door, smirking when he groaned at the sight of my ass in my leather skirt and heeled black boots. With a bellybutton-low top hugging perfectly to my curves and bra-less tits, and my favorite leather jacket to top it off, I felt sexy as hell, especially knowing his eyes were glued to me as I walked away.
____________________
"You said you'd dance with me!" I pouted obnoxiously, hoping he'd finally give in and let me pull him up from the padded bench we sat on in the back corner of the club.
"I need one more drink first," he grumbled, waving the closest waiter over.
"What can I get for-" the waiter's eyes bugged out of his head when they landed on my cleavage and traveled down my legs, lingering too long on the top of my thighs that my skirt clung tightly to, "damn! Hey, how are you? You new around here? I've never seen you here before."
Before I could answer, a familiar, large tattooed hand curled into the wrinkled collar of the white button down sloppily worn by the young worker.
I rolled my eyes. "Tucker, let him go. I can handle myself."
I tried to sound sincere, but while I wasn't lying about taking care of myself, I would be if I said the jealousy pouring from him over me wasn't the sexiest thing I'd ever seen.
"You come over here, you take the pretty lady's drink order, you fill that order, and then you waddle off to the next table. Got it?"
"Um, y-yeah. I-" the waiter tripped over his own words, but his gaze stayed locked on my body.
"And where on that list did you fucking hear me say to undress her with your perverted little thoughts?"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry."
"Run. And don't fucking look back, because if you do, I'll be the one fucking chasing your ass, you little fucking shit."
Tucker let the man go and sat back down, but I frowned slightly, wondering why that line seemed so familiar.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. "You good?"
I snapped myself out of it, blaming a movie line or something of the sort for the familiarity. I stepped over and sat next to him on the bench, smirking up at his angered face.
"You were jealous."
"He was eye-fucking you. Without a condom, too."
I laughed, throwing my head back, and patted his shoulder. "You were jealous."
"Bite me, Barbie."
"I will, but I don't think this is the place considering where that led earlier. Though it is loud here..."
He huffed a laugh. "Not loud enough to drown you out."
"I am not that loud."
"You are, Barbie. But it's fucking hot."
"You definitely are." The familiar voice popped into the private conversation, mine and Tucker's heads turning simultaneously to see Eli standing a few feet away.
"Care to explain why my new waiter just ran out like a blubbering little jellyfish? Also, hell of a conversation to walk into, I must say. We can compare notes, if you'd like."
Oh, what perfect fucking timing. I glared at my friend and smacked a hand to my forehead, wanting to crawl in a hole and pretend I wasn't in the situation I was.
But Tucker surprised me, as he almost always seemed to. With his darkening eyes locked on Eli, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dance floor, planting me against his chest with my back to my irritating friend.
I glared up at him. "That wasn't jealousy, walking away like that. What the fuck was it?"
When he ignored my question, I repeated it to no avail, left alone with my curiosity and irritation. But it wasn't just Tucker. Eli was also a target of my anger. He'd never once interrupted me with anyone like that before, unless he'd noticed that Tucker clearly wasn't just another nightly fling. And if that was the case, Willow deserved better than his harping ass.
I let my mind stew while we swayed, though it was harder than I would've thought to stay mad at the man holding me. I'd get the truth from him, sure, but I still wanted to enjoy the first time we actually got to go out together.
I swallowed my pride and circled my arms around his neck, pulling him down so I could kiss him deeply. He let go of his thoughts and smiled against my lips, quick to return my fervency. The song ended and a new one began, this one with a deeper base and sexier beat. I spun, arching my back to press my ass against his hips, and let the beat take over.
A solid half hour of dancing later and my hair clung to the sweat on my neck, nipples pressed harshly against the inside of my top, and pussy wept to be touched. Tucker's hands had roamed just enough to let their callouses taunt my overly-sensitized skin on my thighs, fingertips brushed against my pussy through my skirt, and his lips had played at the crook of my neck the entire time.
I was a goner.
I groaned, pushing away from him before I did something illegal.
I snorted. Too late on that one though.
"I'm gonna go get a water!" I yelled over the booms of the base vibrating the club.
He nodded, placing a finger under my chin and lifting my face for a searing kiss. "Meet me in the bathroom!"
Faces of surrounding people turned, some in disgust and others whooping to cheer us on.
I couldn't help but laugh before shaking my head. "Go to the office! Fuck the bathroom. If Eli's out here, it's empty."
Something sparked in his eye, but I turned too quickly for him to reply again, heading for the bar in desperate need of hydration. I waved Eli over, ignoring his glare as he scanned the dance floor for the man I'd been with.
"Beer?"
"Just a water, actually."
Nodding quickly, he set a glass down and filled it for me, sliding it forward. He began to wipe the bar top down, cleaning up the ringlets of condensation from the night's constant flow of drinks.
"That guy a friend of yours?" Eli cocked his head in no particular direction, aimlessly prodding into my life.
"Something like that. Why?"
He shrugged, tossing the rag over his shoulder and waving off another customer trying to get his attention. "Just surprised is all."
I rolled my eyes. "He doesn't prod into my life, E. He gives me my space and knows when to ask questions and when to leave me fucking be."
He held his hands up in defeat. "Easy, killer. I just think it's funny that you wanted to all but kill the guy a year or so ago. And now, what? You're fucking him?"
I ignored the judgment coating his deep voice and chugged down my water instead, about to make a beeline for the office just for the extra 'fuck you' to my pissy friend.
But then something hit me. "I haven't known him a year."
Eli nodded, eyebrows raised. He jerked his thumb back towards the main door of the club. "Like a year ago, remember that bike in your so-called spot? That's his. You hated the fucker for that. I knew I recognized him from somewhere. He used to come in a lot a while back."
"I-" I frowned, "he doesn't-"
Eli gave me a knowing smirk, though he tried to hide it and show some sympathy as I let the pieces fall into place.
Tucker ran an auto shop specializing in motorcycles. Who ran a bike shop without owning one themselves?
That was the bike I'd seen after every transaction I took from each businessman.
Tucker knew Albert Bancroft personally.
Tucker. He's been spying on me for Bancroft? It was him the whole time...
No. No no no.
I slammed my glass down on the bar, my jaw clenched to the point of pain as I pushed through the crowd and made my way back to the office. Knowing he didn't do well with blatant accusations, I forced myself to wear a calm demeanor. I wanted to fuck him as badly as he fucked me. And what better way for me to do that than to make sure he fell for me like I had for him? To make sure he'd given in to himself and gotten past the hatred and self loathing of caring for someone else after his wife, only to be dropped?
So I was going to take that and run with it. And then stomp on him like he'd done to me so effortlessly.
Playing with businessmen's pockets was rewarding, sure, but playing a game of hate-fueled seduction tonight with the man holding my heart? It seemed like a nice night to be his wicked company.