Dante
"I look forward to celebrating with you tonight, your friend Tatum is quite convincing."
I watched as her face grew red with anger and frustration, but before she could get a word out I was gone. Turning towards the direction of my office, with a smirk on my face I left her there.
At the night of the club just a week prior, I had gone for business. That night was supposed to be an in and out kind of night. I didn't necessarily hate clubs, but with my status I hated the attention. There was a certain business deal that had to take place there, something that so obviously went wrong. No one was supposed to walk in during any part of that meeting, especially not the part that made me look like a monster. But Amelia Rhodes did. She walked in and changed everything.
Now my reputation was on the line, everything about my business and what I built would crumble at the first word she gave to the press. So I did the only logical thing, I threatened her. It was no secret that my money spread into places it shouldn't have, but the benefit of it was the intelligence. I had a team who could find anyone on this planet with as much as a hair color.
So of course I had them gather as much as they could on this woman. It wasn't hard either. The past she so desperately wanted to hide was not very well hidden. Maybe to an untrained eye yes, but anyone who wanted to find out... could.
"Here you go sir," said my personal assistant Rebecca. She handed me some files to look over before the end of my day.
"Thank you," I mumbled and opened the door to my office. Large and modern. That's all it was. It was kept neat and properly clean because if not I'd go out of my mind.
Sitting down behind my desk I got to work on those files. Signing documents that needed my approval and reviewing prospective clients. When going through the folder I noticed a group of paperwork clipped together labeled Program Applicants. I remember giving this list to my co worker Daniel to go over and narrow down. Curious because of a certain woman in attendance I flipped through the papers.
Amelia Rhodes it read at the top. When I landed on her application, my eyes quickly scanned the paper before me. Listing the address I already knew and her job history. Turning to the back page I looked to her signature at the bottom, and the message that was left;
"I look forward to this program and am delighted to learn under the great Dante Brown. His reputation is unscathed, not a bad report, and because so... l'm honored. I look forward to our first meeting.
Sincerely,
Amelia Rhodes."
That little spit fire. She knew what she was doing with this note and she's lucky Daniel is as oblivious as it gets. I clenched the paper between my fists, eyes narrowing at the message.
My mind raced back to earlier when she hadn't seemed surprised to see me, clearly expecting me. I should've known, should've looked over my own paperwork. Fuck.
Picking up the office phone I called Rebecca.
"Clear the rest of my schedule, I'm leaving for the day." And I hung up not waiting for a response.
Making my way to the car awaiting my arrival, my mind was hyper focused on a certain brunette.
Amelia Rhodes was supposed to be a business deal and just that. From the first night I met her, it was supposed to be professional and strictly business. But we were walking on the fine line of something more. I didn't know what it was about her, or her challenging personality that drew me in, but I didn't like it. My life was centered around control and I wasn't going to lose it.
We were playing a cat and mouse game and I wasn't quite sure who started it. Or how it was going to end.
Once the driver arrived at my apartment building I immediately headed for the door. Pressing the penthouse button, the elevator took me up to my floor.
Arriving at my door I unlocked it and entered the living space. It was only around 6 so I had plenty of time before I was expected to go out. I headed for the bathroom deciding a shower was what I needed and did just that.
As I was getting out of the shower, I heard my phone ringing from across the apartment. Wrapping a towel around my waist I headed for my room. Not reading the name before answering I hit accept.
"Hello."
"Dante, Jamison is dealt with. Completely," I recognized the voice of my best friend Rodney.
"Good, keep it that way." I said back.
He laughed and continued "of course boss, you still coming out tonight?" He questioned.
"Why, I wouldn't miss it for the world." I said back, smirking to myself and lacing it in sarcasm.
"Great, I'll let Tatum know we're all still on." And with that he hung up.
The reason I agreed to go tonight was simple. To get under her skin.
If there was one thing I enjoyed more than watching a deal go smoothly, it had to be watching Amelia Rhodes get angry. And the one thing that made her angry was me. I smirked at the thought of it.
I didn't know of her existence before that night, but she sure had known mine. And she made it clear she didn't appreciate my existence at all. Watching her fight back and get angry was enough to draw me in. No one ever challenged me. Not even my colleagues. Everyone I did business with knew who I was and what I stood for. And messing around with disrespect was not one of them.
Getting changed into casual clothes for the club is what pulled me out of my head. I had decided to heat up leftovers from the night before seeing as I didn't have the time or patience to cook.
When it was about 9 I decided I'd probably should get ready to leave. I texted Rodney I'd be leaving soon and called my driver to meet out front.
Clubbing wasn't an everyday occurrence for me. It wasn't even a common occurrence. I kept the women I mingled with to a minimum and made sure to keep a tight eye. I didn't particularly like to be feasted on my random women at the club, so I kept my profile to a minimum. My height towered over others, my green eyes and structured face, a feast for the young women. It wasn't like I could hide.
My driver arrived at the club in no time, and before I knew it I was stepping out onto the curb. I kept my head down as I walked up to the bouncer. Nodding my head I watched as his eyes widened and he immediately let me by. I was behind a young woman wearing a small red dress, I'd admit she had a delicious physique. She stopped and went to turn around as if forgetting something but was met with my body.
"Shit I'm sorry, I thought I dropped something on the ground," she said while apologizing and backing up a step. I took note of her blonde hair and blue eyes. Pretty.
"Why that's quite alright..."
"Mads." She finished for me. I gave a small smirk back, entertaining her obvious attraction to me.
As she walked forward through the entrance she continued,
"Seriously I am sorry, I don't usually make a habit of falling into strangers," she laughed and I couldn't help but smile back.
"Mads! Over here!" Came a voice further in the club. The woman in front of me looked up and I followed her eyes to a red head seated at the table with two others. As soon as I found the table, my eyes met hers.
Well I'll be damned. Mads here is friends with our little Amelia Rhodes.
I did a scan of her face... she was clearly going for a darker look tonight with a cherry red lip. My eyes scanned her slender neck and moved to her chest which was hugged by what I could tell was a black dress. My body immediately reacted to hers and I put on a smirk as our eyes met again.
There is no denying that Amelia Rhodes was attractive. And there was no denying she not only tested my patience but my control.
The girl who I assumed was Tatum was saying something to the woman Mads. As we walked up to the table Mads took the seat between the two friends. Leaving the seat next to Amelia wide open. I smiled at that, loving I had an opening.
I came to a stop behind Amelia, taking in her fresh fruity scent. She smelt delicious.
My fucking brain wandered to what it'd be like wrapped up in it, wrapped up in her. But quickly pushed that thought away and shuffled my legs.
My mind seemed to blur the line between pleasure and business as I stood behind this woman.
Something about her was addicting, thrilling and I'd be damned if she ever found out.