Little Black Box Set (The Black Trilogy) Read online

  The first night was brutal. I dropped multiple drinks and bumped into customers. I almost slipped and broke my leg, and a few times I got the order wrong. Vick didn’t believe in training, she believed in learning by experience, which meant I was thrown straight into a busy Friday night. I failed miserably.

  Two hours in, I was sure I owed Clive’s more money than they owed me, but I wasn’t going to give up. I needed this job, and I wasn’t about to let it slip through my fingers—like half of the drinks I attempted to serve.

  “Just keep smiling, Roz. The guys like you. You have that innocent thing working in your favor,” Trish said, as she slid beside me with a full tray.

  “What innocent thing?” I asked loudly over the music.

  She turned and winked at me before disappearing into the crowed.

  Was I missing something completely obvious? I thought about this while I waited for the bartender to load me down with my order. The lights above were too bright—the music, too loud. I reached up and swiped at the sweat coating my forehead. I was exhausted.

  The work shirt Vick had given me was two sizes too small and squished my boobs together. It didn’t help that I’d spilled several drinks down my front, giving everyone a view of my bra.

  “She’s right. Your innocence works for you.” A deep voice sounded from beside me, startling the crap out of me. He was so close, he didn’t have to scream over the music.

  I could feel his body heat against my bare skin, and it sent chills down my body. Peeking over at him, I caught a glimpse of a stylish black suit, before turning away and waiting for the bartender. I didn’t see his face, but it didn’t matter what he looked like. I needed to focus on my new job, not the men in the club.

  It was obvious I was ignoring him and I heard his deep chuckle when the music paused before the next song started.

  “You’re holding your tray wrong. That’s why you keep spilling your drinks.” This time I felt his warm breath against my neck. “Don’t use your palm, use your fingertips.”

  Without him knowing, I adjusted my fingers beneath the tray and instantly felt the extra control my fingertips provided. I turned to look at him and was met with the most gorgeous man I’d ever laid eyes on.

  His soft blue eyes were a deep contrast to his tanned skin and dark hair, which was styled in a strategic mess. He ran his fingers through it, pushing some strands out of his eyes. If that wasn’t enough, he grinned at me, showing off an adorable set of dimples. Perfect white teeth shined back at me, as he bit his bottom lip.

  I almost swore out loud. Quickly, I turned my eyes away from him, before I embarrassed myself. “Thanks,” I said out of the corner of my mouth.

  He was already gone. I didn’t see him leave, but I felt it. The side of my body cooled and the ear-splitting sounds of the music came back in full force.

  Mike swept by and set the drinks I needed on my tray. He winked at me like he was sure I was interested in him. His cockiness was in vain because he couldn’t have been more wrong.

  I didn’t spill another drink that night. By the time I was cashing out my tips, I was exhausted and in desperate need of a shower.

  “So what do you think?” Trish asked. She was picking up old beer bottles and empty glasses from one of her tables.

  The room was empty, except for a few workers who were cleaning up. No one was looking at me, but I couldn’t help but feel eyes all of over me. Something about being in Clive’s after it closed was unsettling.

  “Earth to Roz… What. Do. You. Think?” she asked louder, signing to me like I was deaf.

  I wanted to say I’d never come back, but after counting all the cash I had from tips that night, I knew I couldn’t turn the job down.

  “I’ll be back tomorrow night.”

  I STOOD AT THE TWO-WAY mirror, looking down into the empty club. A few of the workers, including the new girl, cleaned and chatted.

  She bent over a table with a wet cloth and wiped it down. Her shorts rode up and the bottom of her ass cheeks popped out. My cock grew hard just looking at her. I hadn’t reacted that way over a woman in a long time, and I wasn’t sure I could be the patient man I needed to be, in order to claim her as mine.

  She was different. I knew propositioning her right off the bat was going to be a bad idea, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to get to know her and I didn’t want her to get to know me.

  First things first, I had to fire her. I never mixed business with pleasure, and being between her creamy thighs was much more important to me than an extra waitress.

  “The new girl worked out nicely, don’t you think?” Vick asked while sorting paperwork.

  “She did. Too bad I’m firing her,” I said, tilting my glass to my lips.

  “What? Why?” Vick spun to face me and papers flew from the desk. “She just started.”

  I turned and found her bent over, picking up her mess from the floor. “She’s my Jessica.”

  Vick stopped and stared at me. “Are you sure? You just said the other night that Jessica Rabbit was a myth. What makes you think this girl has it?”

  I was glad she had the smarts to not tell me the girl’s name. If I found out her name, all bets were off.

  “I just know.”

  She batted a piece of sweaty hair from her face and rolled her eyes with a hefty sigh. “I guess I’ll fire her tomorrow then. I’ll start searching for her replacement.”

  She was pissed off, but she knew me well. When I wanted something, I went after it. I didn’t care how I got it.

  “Don’t bother. I want to fire her.”

  “Fine,” she said tightly, but I ignored it.

  “You can fire Mike for me, though.” I didn’t like the way the little bastard was looking at my Jessica, and since I was never one to share, he had to go.

  “Mike, the bartender?” Vick asked confused. “Why?”

  “Because he doesn’t know how to keep his eyes to himself.”

  I didn’t need to say more. She didn’t need to know anything other than the fact I wanted him fired as soon as possible.

  I could feel Vick staring at me, before she finally headed for the door.

  “I’ll look for his replacement as well.”

  It wasn’t like she had to look very far. We had, literally, hundreds of applicants who wanted to work at Clive’s. I sat behind my desk and thought about Jessica. Her image alone was enough to make my dick throb painfully.

  I undid my belt and unbuttoned my pants. Easing back into my chair, I slipped my hand in my pants and palmed my cock, squeezing hard. I could have easily called on one of my girls to take care of my needs, but it was easier to imagine a certain redhead’s lips wrapped tightly around the head of my shaft.

  Firing her was the only way to go. I needed her desperate. A good girl like her wouldn’t be working at a place like Clive’s, unless she absolutely needed the money. Money was something I had in spades, so money would be what brought her to me. I wanted her to need me. I needed to feel it in her touch—in the way her body rocked against mine. I wanted it more than my next breath.

  THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, SHE WAS late to work. I could have fired her on the spot, but I wanted to spend the night watching her move. I sat tucked away at the bar, letting my eyes roam over her curvy body. The sway of her hips, as she slid through the room with her newfound tray holding skills, was almost too much to take. I thought about all the things I wanted to do to her—the noises she would make.

  The bar hid my raging hard-on, while I sat and sipped my drinks. A few times our eyes locked and I was sure she was blushing. She was starting to sweat and the back of her tight shirt was clinging to her body. The strands of red hair close to her face, stuck to her cheeks. She looked incredibly sexy, exactly the way I imagined she would when I was done fucking her.

  Once the doors were locked, I downed the last of my drink and waited to make my move. Firing someone had never been hard for me, but knowing she needed the job made it a little difficult.

  I d
idn’t want to hurt her, and I knew when she walked out of my club, she’d have no idea how much money I was going to start paying her. She would probably be upset, until I made my proposition.

  One minute she was there next to her friend, cleaning tables, and the next she was gone. I stood from the bar and moved around the room, pretending I wasn’t searching for someone. Finally, I gave up and moved outside. I made my way into the alley beside the club and that’s where I found her.

  She was leaning into the window of an Oldsmobile. It wasn’t the smartest place for a girl to be out alone, and I was about to walk over and bring her back inside when I heard her speak.

  “I’m sorry, Kyle. I know it’s boring, but we don’t have any other choice until I make enough to get into an apartment.” She swiped at her cheek and I was sure she was crying. “I’m almost done. I just needed to come out here and check on you. Let me run in, finish cleaning my tables, and grab my tips. Don’t unlock these doors for anyone and stay low.”

  And then she was coming toward me. I stepped into the shadows and watched as she passed on her way back into the bar. When the door shut behind her, I crept into the alley and peeked into the back window.

  A boy. A young one at that, was curled up on the backseat reading a book with a tiny flash light. My Jessica looked too young to have a son his age, but then again, what did I know about how women aged. I’d once slept with a forty-year-old I was sure was younger than me.

  Going back inside, I went straight upstairs to my office.

  “Vick, I have a job for you.”

  She looked up from the night’s paperwork and frowned at me. “Right now? Can’t it wait? I have work to do here.”

  I knew she was still pissed off about losing two people, but she could get the fuck over it. “Leave the paperwork, I’ll do it. There’s a car in the alley beside the bar. Follow it.” I didn’t give her time to answer, before I turned and left my office.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, I went straight to Jessica and prepared myself to fire her. I wasn’t about to let the fact that she possibly had a son get in the way of what I wanted. More mouths to feed meant she needed money. It was the perfect scenario.

  “I need to speak with you,” I said from behind her.

  She turned around and gasped like she was surprised I was still inside the club. Obviously, she hadn’t figured out who I was yet.

  “Excuse me?” she replied, looking around for help. “The club is closed. You’re not supposed to be…”

  I laughed. “Sweetheart, I own the fucking place. I assure you, I have every right to be here.”

  I turned and walked toward the bar, without waiting for her to follow.

  SATURDAY NIGHTS WERE EVEN BUSIER than Friday nights. By the time we closed, my feet were aching and so was my lower back.

  I’d been too busy to even go out and check on Kyle during the night. He refused to stay at Trish’s house, and honestly, I knew I couldn’t keep depending on her. Instead, I parked our car in the abandoned alley beside the club, with plans to sneak out and check on him every thirty minutes.

  He had books and a flashlight and I made sure he knew not to open the door for anyone, but still, I was a nervous wreck all night. As soon as I could, I left the bar and snuck out to the alley to check on him. I found him sitting there reading with an annoyed look on his face. He obviously felt too old to be checked on.

  When I got back inside to finish up, I was met with the gorgeous guy from before. I’d noticed him staring at me earlier in the night. He was always staring, and a couple of times I thought he was going to approach me, but he never did.

  Most of the men in the club had no problems with expressing their interest. It wasn’t like I was surprised by their groping hands or fuck-me eyes. We were practically wearing nothing, so it was to be expected. That didn’t mean I liked it, in fact I hated it. It made me feel sleazy and dirty.

  That wasn’t the case when tall, dark, blue eyes looked at me though. There was something dangerous about him. He encouraged the extra sway in my hips when I moved through the room, and as much as I wanted to be embarrassed by it, he was the reason I pulled my shirt down a few extra inches.

  The way he watched me made me think he was interested in me, but apparently it was because he was the owner and I was obviously doing something wrong.

  I followed him over to the bar and he motioned for me to sit down on one of the stools. I sat and he moved to stand in front of me. He turned his baby blues on me and reached up to tuck a stray hair behind my ear.

  His simple touch heated my skin and my breathing got harder. I felt embarrassed by my reaction to him. Experienced girls didn’t fall apart at such an innocent gesture. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the motionless bodies of the staff and if I strained, I could hear their whispers.

  It wasn’t normal for the owner of a club to tuck the wait staff’s hair behind their ears.

  “Jessica,” he said with a seductive grin.

  I almost didn’t realize he called me by the wrong name. His voice was so dark and deep—hypnotic. I shook my head, my correction on the tip of my tongue. “No. My name is—”

  He stopped me with a rough finger over my lips.

  Sparks tickled my lips, making me roll them together.

  “No. When you’re with me, you’re Jessica.”

  And then it all made sense. The owner of Clive’s was certifiable. It was a shame for such an attractive man to be totally crazy, but there you go.

  “Sir, I’m not really sure what this is about, but…”

  “My name’s Sebastian.” His words were rough and clipped.

  “I’m sorry, Sebastian…” I said slowly, not wanting to make any sudden movements. “Is there something I can do for you? I really need to get back to work so I can get out of here as soon as possible.” My eyes flew toward the club doors and I was ready to flee any minute. But Sebastian, a.k.a. my crazy boss, obviously had other plans.

  He put his head down and chuckled softly to himself. It was a deep, erotic sound that punctured all the right places.

  “As a matter of fact, there is something you can do for me. A lot of things actually, but we’ll get back to that later.”

  The bartender slid him a drink across the bar, and he watched me over the rim of his glass as he took a quick sip.

  “I hate to do this, but I have to let you go. We at Clive’s appreciate you applying for the job, but I don’t think this is the right position for you.”

  He said the word position like it was the name of a dirty movie. Listening to his smooth voice and staring into his never-ending pools of blue, I almost missed the point behind his words.

  And then, his words sank in and gutted me.

  This couldn’t be happening.

  Not with my brother, outside parked in our home, waiting for me. I had to do something. I wasn’t certain I could find another job quick enough. Things were already sitting at rock bottom. I wasn’t sure I was going to come back after this hit.

  “Sir…” the word slipped from my lips. It sounded broken and afraid.

  “Sebastian,” he corrected.

  “Sebastian, I—”

  He cut me off again. “I love how you say my name.” He appeared to be thinking to himself.

  “You’re actually the first one to know my name. It’s inconvenient, somewhat forbidden, but I kind of like it.”

  I had no idea what he was talking about. Of course people knew his name. Before I knew who he was, I distinctively remember Trish talking about the owner who was named Sebastian Black.

  I didn’t know how to respond to him, so instead I chose to ignore what he said. “I can’t lose this job. Please, let me try again tomorrow night. I know I’m not perfect, but I didn’t drop anything tonight. I’ll be even better next time. Please, give me—”

  Again, he silenced me with a single finger. What was with this guy?

  “I have something else in mind for you, my beautiful, perfect myth.”

&
nbsp; I didn’t hate that he was flirting with me, and I already gave up trying to understand what the hell he was blathering about, but I sensed if I wanted to keep my job, it was best to not respond.

  “A proposition of sorts.” He grinned before turning on his drink again.

  I watched his smooth lips close around the edge of the glass and a strange tingle ran down the length of my spine. I wondered what it would feel like to feel his lips against my skin.

  My thoughts surprised me and I shifted them back to his last comment. “Anything’s better than nothing. Tell me what it is, and I’ll do it.”

  He made a soft noise resembling a growl. “I love the sound of that, especially from those lips.”

  I swallowed hard.

  “Stay behind once everyone’s gone. We’ll talk about this privately. Understood?”

  I nodded, even though I knew leaving Kyle in the car any longer than needed was a bad idea. Still, I couldn’t lose my job, and if that meant staying an extra five or ten minutes, I was doing it.

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  I stood to go back to work, and he stopped me with a hand on my arm. My flesh prickled and that same, strange sensation from earlier worked its way up my arm.

  “No, sit until everyone’s gone,” he said before casually strolling away. His confidence filled the room like water.

  I ended up sitting at the bar, while the other waitresses stared holes into the back of my head. I couldn’t imagine what it looked like. The new girl, sitting on her butt, flirting with the owner in a remote corner of the bar. Great. Just perfect.

  Once I convinced Trish I was staying behind to ask some questions, and the last worker left, Sebastian made his way across the club in my direction. His walk was slow and deliberate, making me feel like prey.

  I swallowed hard, trying my best to keep my eyes off his tall frame and orgasmic eyes. Yes… orgasmic fit him nicely. I knew the meaning of the word, but I’d never actually experienced it. Either way, he was the equivalent of the definition.