Levitate (3 page)

THE DELIVERY TRUCK was late. By the time the truck arrived and I had everything signed in, the staff were starting to arrive to prep for the night. I was bombarded with questions, so I’m just now getting home at a little after six. I walk into the house and I can immediately see that Brighton is not in the best of moods.

I wouldn’t really classify what comes out of his mouth as a reply. It’s more of a grumble with a little bit of a growl thrown in. I toss my keys, wallet, and phone on the table and head to the kitchen to grab a sandwich. I should have eaten at the bar, but I was in a hurry to get out of there. My staff is perfectly capable of handling things; however, they rely on me when I’m there. Me taking the night off is exactly what they need to learn how to step up and make decisions on their own. As long as they don’t burn the place down, everything else can be fixed.

I’m mid-bite of my turkey and Swiss when I hear Bright yell, “Hell yeah!” from the living room. I make my way to him to see what the fuss is about. I find him sitting in the same place grinning from ear to ear, staring at his phone. “What’s up, man?” From the sound of his yell, you would think he just hit the fucking lottery.

“She’s in. Apparently, her roommate changed plans so we could all meet up tonight.” He hops off the couch and passes me to head to his room. He slaps a hand on my shoulder wearing a smirk. “I’m hopping in the shower.” With that, he is gone and with a little more of a pep in his step. I do believe this Nicole has really gotten under his skin. This is going to be an interesting night.

I inhale my sandwich and grab a quick shower. The nap that I have been dreaming about all day will just have to wait. I throw on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. It fits tight against my arms; the ladies seem to love it, so I don’t bother putting forth any more effort. I run some gel through my hair, throw on my boots, and call it good. Bright is walking out of his room at the same time as I do mine. His grin is still firmly in place.

He’s completely distracted by his phone, so I head toward my truck. No way do I want to ride with his ass while he’s distracted by technology or maybe it’s not technology that he is so enthralled with. It might be female and have a completely different appeal.

We arrive at Studio 57 and the crowd is impressive as always. As we walk through the crowd to find a table, I observe the ladies who take in our appearance. Bright and I are not hard to miss. We are both well over six-feet tall and can’t help but stand out in a crowd.

While I appreciate the level of ladies who are undressing us with their eyes, Bright is busy scanning the crowd. He doesn’t seem to notice the come-hither eyes and fuck-me heels that are chomping at the bit to have a piece of him. No, he has singular taste tonight. That taste being a girl named Nicole. I’ve never met her, well, not sober anyway. Apparently, he introduced us at the bonfire; however, I was three sheets to the wind. I knew the next few months were going to be filled with twelve and fourteen hour days, seven days a week. I woke up in the bed of a red head that morning with no recollection of how I got there. I couldn’t even remember her name. I try not to make that a habit. I hook up, but I like to remember it. Hooking up with random girls while drunk is a risk I don’t like to take. You never know what they will try and to trick you into. You can’t trust women. My mother is a prime example. After, what she did to my dad, no how no way. I enjoy them, but I have no need for anything more than a roll in the sheets.

My buddy, on the other hand, I’m not so sure about. If you asked me before today, I would have told you we were the two amigos. Never going to settle down, never willing to fall into the trap of what a permanent woman in your life has to offer. However, watching him now as his frowned face surveys the crowd, I feel another of the mighty just might have fallen. My thoughts are justified as I study him and watch as his face lights up. I follow his gaze and see a blonde pixie coming our way. Her smile mirrors his and she only has eyes for Bright. I watch as she reaches us. She stands on her tiptoes as he leans down and places a kiss on the corner of her mouth. What the fuck? These two seem way too comfortable for just a few text messages and a coffee. I make a mental note to question him when we get home tonight.

I watch as she reaches back and places her arm around the girl who is standing behind her. She’s a fucking knock out. Brown hair that skims her shoulders and those eyes… blue—a sparkling blue unlike any I’ve ever seen before. I’m staring at her, because again she’s stunning. I feel a hand clamp down on my shoulder and I realize Bright is talking to me or maybe about me; hell, I have no idea. My brain just short circuited.

I pull my gaze from the friend to face Bright. He chuckles.

“As I was saying, Nicole, this is Maxton. Max, this is Nicole and her roommate, Kensington,” he introduces us, still smiling.

Kensington, fuck, even her name is hot. I extend my hand first toward Nicole; she accepts my handshake. This is not normally how I would say hello. Usually, I would just acknowledge them with a nod of my head, maybe hold my drink up in greeting. However, I know if I offer my hand to Nicole first and she accepts, then the lovely Miss Kensington will feel she needs to do so as well. This means I get to touch her. I need to establish that connection for what I have planned. I offer her my hand and she takes it politely in hers. When she goes to pull away, I tug her hand to my lips and place a soft kiss on her knuckles. I pull back just as fast, and act as if nothing happened. I watch as she fidgets from one foot to the next. Not the reaction I was hoping for, but we’ve got all night. I need to give Bright tomorrow night off. He just gave me an in with a beautiful woman who has my neglected dick standing at attention.

“Ladies, it’s nice to meet you,” I finally say.

They both smile in acknowledgement at my greeting.

“I called and reserved us a table,” Bright says as he places his hand on the small of Nicole’s back and leads our little party of four to the back of the club. I follow his lead and do the same with Kensington; however, my attempt is not as well received as Bright’s. I feel her entire body become rigid at my touch. This is not what I’m used to. I’ve never had a woman act this way toward me before. It doesn’t sit well with me.

We reach the table and Bright pulls a chair out; he motions in offering to Nicole. I follow his lead and do the same. I’m a little out of my element here. This girl has only been in my presence for ten minutes tops and has me off my game. I need to regroup. I’ve never really had to work for it. I’m sure once she warms up to me, it will be game on.

We all settle in and I offer to grab us some drinks. Bright asks for a beer, and I look toward Nicole. I can feel Kensington watching me, which is why I’m making her wait until the end. “Nicole?” I say her name in question. She just shrugs and says to bring her a beer as well. I then turn my gaze on Kensington. I take in her blue eyes and high cheek bones. This chick really is a stunner. I lean in close and whisper in her ear, “What about you, what do you want?” My voice is gruff as I place a gentle kiss just below her ear. I feel her stiffen. What the fuck? It’s been a while since I’ve been out. Have I lost my touch?

“I’m actually the DD, so just a bottle of water please,” she replies, not making eye contact. She’s looking at Nicole. I watch as Nicole mouths the words “Are you okay?” Kensington nods once. If I was not so enthralled with this chick, I would have missed it.

Without another word, I stand and make my way to the bar. I order three beers and a bottle of water. Two lovely ladies dressed in clothing that leaves nothing to the imagination saunter up on either side of me. I offer the blonde a wink and she moves in closer. She runs her nails up and down my forearm. “Hey handsome,” she coos. I want to roll my eyes at her antics. Instead, I wink at her and watch as her eyes light up. It’s easy to see that if I wanted her, I could have her. I glance over my shoulder at the table and see Bright and the girls deep in conversation. I’m not sure what this girl’s issue is, but it bugs the hell out of me. I wrack my brain trying to think of if I’ve met her before. Did I sleep with her and not remember? It wouldn’t be the first time. No matter how much I like to avoid that situation, it, indeed, has happened a time or two. Her eyes pop in my head and I know if that were the case, I would remember. You don’t forget eyes like that.

The bartender passes me our drinks. I give him some cash with a hefty tip and turn to leave. Blondie stops me with her hand on my arm. “Got one of those for me?” she asks. Surely her voice isn’t naturally that low. She’s trying way too hard and my already surly mood from Kensington’s brush off isn’t earning her any extra points.

“No can do, these are already spoken for.” I hate being a dick, but sometimes it’s just the way things need to be.

I make it back to the table and pass out the drinks. Both girls are laughing at something Brighton has said and that irks me even more. I take my seat next to Kensington and she acts as if I’m not even there. The DJ says he’s going to slow things down, which prompts Bright to hold out his hand to Nicole. She doesn’t hesitate. She places her hand in his and allows him to pull her to her feet. She glances over her shoulder at us and Kensington offers her a small wave.

I stand up and offer my hand as well. Seems it’s working for Bright. My usual game doesn’t seem to affect this chick. She stares at my waiting hand, but makes no move to accept. “Dance with me?” I ask.

She studies me for what seems like hours then says, “No, thank you. I’ve had a long day. I think I’ll just sit this one out.”

I give her a nod that I understand and turn and walk away. I don’t need this shit. I don’t know what crawled up this girl’s ass, but I’m so fucking over it. I have not had a night out in months and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let this girl ruin it.

I find myself back at the bar ordering me another beer. I killed mine on the way here. The blonde and her friend are still there, still on the prowl. At this point, I don’t care. She’s offering what I need.

Release.

Maybe that’s why I’m letting this Kensington chick mess with my head. It’s been way too long since I’ve been buried deep. I catch the bartender’s attention and motion to the girls. He nods in understanding. They both move in close and thank me. “Trust me, ladies, the pleasure is all mine.” I can tell they know the score. I only need one of them. I’m not greedy. The blonde doesn’t seem to be holding a grudge from my brush off earlier. After the bartender serves their drinks, she picks it up and downs it. I follow suit and slam back the beer I just ordered. She grabs my arm and pulls to me to the dance floor.

I don’t think about how rude it was of me to leave her sitting there by herself. I don’t think about how pissed Bright is going to be that I left her there. All I think about is the warm willing female grinding against me, giving me a preview of what’s to come. The release I have been yearning for is right in front of me and that’s all I want.

MY EYES FOLLOW him as he walks away from the table. He is definitely not someone who will take me as I am. I can’t believe he’s pissed off that I didn’t want to dance. Sure I wasn’t exactly Miss Hospitality, but his cocksure attitude rubbed me the wrong way. I could tell from the moment he saw me what was running through his mind. I don’t have the time or the energy to be another notch on his bedpost. Maybe it’s just that I’m not in the best of moods today, but he’s arrogant! The blonde at the bar slides up next to him, pressing against his arm. Maxton says something to her; she smiles and licks her lips. He stands and I can’t pull my eyes away as he leads her out to the dance floor. She grinds up against him as his hands roam her body. I watch in fascination as they move to the beat. Strangers… touching, grinding, and groping as if they have been intimate for years.