“What’s wrong, Meg? You seem sad.” His gaze changed as he stared at me.

“Make love to me, Greyson.” I leaned up and kissed him. “I want you to make sweet, passionate love to me.”

“You do?” He grinned.

“Yes.” I nodded. I wanted one last lovemaking session with him so that I could remember every detail of it.

“You can’t get enough of me, can you?” He swung me around and laughed. He put me down and ran his hands through his hair. “We’ll go to my room.”

“Your study?”

“No, my bedroom.” He grabbed my hand. “I want you to see my bedroom.”

“Okay.”

I followed him until we got to a small room in a side of the club I’d never been to. He took out a key, opened a door, and led me in. I gasped as I looked around the room. It was beautiful and full of light. There was a big king-sized bed with grey sheets and a large cream shag rug next to it. It was very masculine, but very welcoming.

“I love it.”

“I love you,” he said softly and I froze.

“What did you say?” I blinked up at him and he stared back at me with a shocked expression.

“Nothing.” He shook his head and turned around. “Let me get some wine.”

He walked away from me and I stared after him, wondering if I had heard correctly. Greyson walked back with two wine glasses and a bottle of wine and sat on the bed.

“Join me.” He called me over and I walked to the bed and sat next to him.

“This is different.” I made small talk as I waited for him to open the bottle.

“You wanted different, right?”

“I’m surprised you’re not telling me that I should be begging you right now.”

“I don’t need you to beg.” He handed me a glass and put the bottle down on the ground.

“Really?”

“I’m a changed man.” He laughed, and I stared at him to see if he was being serious.

“Sure you are.”

“Brandon really loves Katie.” He looked at me seriously. “I’ve never seen him like that before.”

“Does that make up for his sins?”

“He’s not perfect. But are any of us?”

“Katie doesn’t deserve to be hurt and used.”

“He wouldn’t hurt her.”

“Not as badly as he hurt Maria, right?”

“You know, when I met Brandon, he was a different guy,” Greyson said slowly. “He was the guy that I wish I had been. He had the values and the right ideas.”

“So what happened?”

“I happened.” Greyson lay back on the bed. “And I always wonder what would be different now if I hadn’t happened.”

“Do you wish anything was different?”

“I wish everything was different.” His eyes connected with mine for a few seconds. “I wish that everything was different.” I saw pain in his eyes then and my heart broke for both of us.

Greyson was a man broken by his past and perhaps even his present. He was a man filled with regrets that were eating him alive. I put my glass down on the ground, moved up the bed, and took his face in my hands.

“You can always change your future, Greyson.” I leaned down and kissed him tenderly. I pressed down on his lips and allowed my tongue to lick them slowly. I wanted to taste every small piece of him. I wanted to consume him. I wanted him to know that this was special. I wanted him to remember this for the rest of his life.

Greyson stared at me as I kissed him and I sat on him gently.

“Are you okay?” I whispered as I lifted my head slightly.

He nodded at me and I bent down again to kiss him. This time, he kissed me back. His lips were moist and eager, and I fell down on top of him as his hands wrapped around me. My tongue eagerly entered his mouth and his tongue met mine with just as much vigor. They danced together in slow motion as his fingers worked their way up my back and into my hair. He rolled me over onto my back and gazed down at me.

“I’ve never been better in my life.” His words sounded thoughtful, but I didn’t have time to respond before he kissed me again.

This time, his lips were rough and his hands roved my body as if seeking salvation from my every skin cell. We both sat up and pulled our clothes off, not even thinking about what we were doing. Both of us just needed to be together. We were both broken, and it was as if our bodies together made us feel whole again. We completed each other. He made me feel more alive than I’d ever felt before. His lips kissed my cheek and then down my neck. They didn’t stop moving until they came to my right breast and he proceeded to bite my nipple. My fingers scratched his back as he teased me, and I pushed him back so that I could get on top of him again. I looked down at his laughing eyes.

“I like a woman who likes to take control.”

“Shhh.” I placed my finger on his lips. “This is my turn.”

I proceeded to kiss his lips and then his cheek, making my way down to his chest, licking his ni**les lightly, and then biting on them hard. I could feel his breathing speed up and I grinned as I continued kissing down his body until I got to his abs. I ran my fingers across his stomach and moaned as I felt his c**k move against me encouragingly.

“In its own time, Greyson.” I laughed. And then I continued on my journey.

I took him into my mouth, gently at first, licking him as I would an ice cream cone I wanted to savor. Then I increased my pace. He tasted salty and sweet at the same time, and I sucked him eagerly. I felt him still and his fingers gripped my hair and pulled roughly. It hurt a little bit, but it only intensified the feelings of lust that were coursing through my body. My fingers gently rubbed his chest hairs as I continued sucking him off, and I knew that he was moments away from coming.

“Stop,” he whispered and pulled me up. “I don’t want to come in your mouth.”

“I don’t mind.”

“You’re the first girl I’ve ever had in here. I want it to be special.” He rolled me over to my back again. “I want to watch your face as I make you cl**ax.”

I lay back as he slowly lowered his boy on top of mine.

“Just give me a second.” He grinned wickedly. “If I enter you now, I’ll come within seconds.”

“I don’t mind,” I said again.

“No, I don’t want to come until I hear you panting.” His fingers played with my hair. “I don’t want to come until I feel you coming all over my cock.”

“You’re so rom—” I started but gasped as I felt his fingers gently rubbing my clit. “Oh, Greyson.”

“Oh, Meg.” He grinned back at me. “Cat got your tongue?” He winked as he slipped a finger inside of me. I closed my eyes and tried to stop my body from trembling as I felt a second finger entering me. “You’re going to be the undoing of me.”

“No,” I moaned. “I, oh my!” I screamed as soon as I felt his tongue licking me and his lips descended on my clit. “Oh my...” My legs clutched his head between my legs. “Greyson.”

“I lied,” he whispered. “You’re the undoing of me.” He pulled up and within seconds he was inside of me, moving slowly so that I could feel every inch of him as he entered me. “You were the undoing of me as soon as you walked through those gates.”

“The pearly gates of hell,” I moaned as I writhed against him.

Greyson grabbed my hands and increased his pace. My br**sts bounced against his chest, and I wrapped my legs around his waist so that I could feel him deeper inside of me. Greyson groaned as my hands squeezed his ass and I started gyrating my h*ps underneath him. We moved in beautiful symphony as our bodies built up to their final release. I knew the second it was going to happen for both of us, as we both stilled for one second before our bodies started moving frantically, anticipating our sweet releases. We held on to each other tightly as we came, and our lips sought each other as our orgasms took over our bodies and connected as us one.

***

“Your body is so warm after lovemaking, and it glows.” He stared at me wonderingly. “Did you know that?”

“I didn’t.” I smiled at him, exhausted but wanting some answers.

“I love just being with you.” He pulled me closer to him and held me tightly.

“Greyson, will you tell me what happened to Maria please?” I leaned back and stared at him.

He closed his eyes and sighed. “Why do you want to know?”

“It’s important.”

“She died.”

“How did she die, Greyson?” My fingers traced the lines on his face as I tried to memorize his features.

“You don’t want to know.” He shook his head and he opened his eyes again. They looked at me bleakly. “You really don’t want to know, Meg.”

“Do you know where Nancy is?” I prodded.

“No.” He looked away from me and then his phone started ringing. He reached down and picked it up. “Greyson.”

“Greyson, it’s Patsy. Mr. Stephanopolous is here to pick up the girls.” I closed my eyes and pretended that I wasn’t listening to the conversation.

“Okay?”

“One of the girls is refusing to go.” Patsy sounded stressed through the phone.

“Tell her that her life will be better this way.” Greyson sighed. “Take care of it, Patsy.”

“Yes, Greyson.” She hung up and he looked up at me.

“I suppose you heard that.”

I nodded, too choked up to say anything. It was true then. It was confirmed. Greyson was in the human trafficking business.

Chapter 8

A Few Days Ago

Greyson

The résumé in my hands didn’t make sense to me. Why would a lawyer apply for a bartending job? Or a job she thought was bartending? She didn’t fit the profile of the girls I hired to work at the club. A lawyer would only mean snooping and trouble, but I was curious as to why she was here. What sort of woman went to two interviews for a job that had to cry out as being not very legitimate? Not a woman with any sense.

“Your next appointment is waiting in the hallway,” Maggie said throught the phone to me. “Though I don’t know if she’s right for the club, Mr. Twining.”“Why’s that, Maggie?”

“She wanted to know your name.” She continued. “They never want to know your name.”

“Thanks, Maggie.” I hung up the phone and sat back.

It was possible, of course, that she was a journalist trying to find out what was going on at the club. Though this would be an odd way to go about it. I would think she’d pretend to have been a dancer in her previous life, not a lawyer.

I stood up with an odd feeling in my stomach. I felt excited about seeing who this girl was. Her résumé didn’t have her name on it, which I thought was odd. I walked to the door, opened it, and looked outside into the dark hallway.

My breath caught as I stared at the beautiful redhead sitting waiting for me. She had an air of confidence about her that I wasn’t used to seeing at the club. She didn’t look like a lawyer though—not with the sexy outfit she had on.

“You here for the interview?” I asked her roughly. I was angry at myself for feeling drawn to her. I always prided myself on my complete and utter lack of feelings. It was how I had gotten so far.

“Um, yes,” she squeaked, jumped up, and walked over to me. Her dress was even shorter than I’d thought, and I stared at her legs as she made her way towards me. She looked like sex on legs. I shifted as I stood there staring at her, surprised that I was already starting to grow hard.

“What’s your name?” I barked at her, annoyed with myself. I should just send her away. Every nerve in me was shouting that this woman was trouble and that she did not belong at the club.

“Jada.” She swallowed and I stared at long, graceful neck. I tried to hide my smile as she lied. There was no way that this girl’s name was Jada. No way at all.

I invited her into the room with me and we made small talk. I wasn’t really sure what she was saying. I was too caught up in her heaving br**sts as they teased me from the top of her dress.

I shifted in my chair uncomfortably as I stared at her résumé. This woman was different from every other woman I had ever met. I wasn’t sure how I knew that or why I knew it. But instinctively, I knew.

“Take your clothes off,” I commanded, trying to gain control of the situation and my mind. I needed to think of her as every other girl.

“What?” Her jaw fell open as she screeched. Her eyes looked at me in shock, and I tried not to laugh. She definitely was not private club material.

“I said, take your clothes off.” I stared at her impatiently. “Now,” I demanded, curious to see what she was going to do.

“I heard you.” She glared at me, and I missed the rest of her words as I watched her eyes sparking anger at me.

She was angry and shocked, and she wasn’t hiding her emotions from me. I found myself liking how strong she was. In this business, I very rarely came across strong women. I knew then that I had to tell her to leave. I didn’t want to find myself liking her. I was about to tell her to leave when my phone rang.

“This is Greyson Twining,” I answered while still staring at her face. She was beautiful even while she stared at me with contempt.

“Greyson, it’s Brandon.” I stilled as I heard his voice. It had been a long time since we’d spoken, and I was surprised to hear his voice.