“What’s back there, hidden by those great big shiny doors, Jayda?” The sarcasm was evident but not malicious.
“It’s a surprise. And it’s a private area. That’s why the doors are locked.” She smiled sweetly at him.
“Well, I have a private area in the bar, too. I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours.” His tongue flicked out to touch the center of his top lip.
Jayda chuckled and looked away from him and his double innuendo. “I almost bet you would show me yours even if I didn’t show you mine.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave him a coy look followed by a lascivious wink as she glanced down to his crotch. The bulge there looked promising. Apparently his biceps and abs weren’t the only muscles he worked out regularly.
“Ooh, kitty has claws. I like it.” He looked at the doors again. “Well, are we going in for a little private area tour?”
Jayda crossed her arms under her breasts and noted that he eyed the cleavage openly. “Hmm. I don’t show men my private area before I know their name, honey.” She looked up at him defiantly.
He smiled at her play and rocked back on his heels, locking his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans. “All right. Fair exchange to get the privilege of seeing your private area, Jayda. My name’s Drake.”
Ah, this was the Drake the girls had told her about. They had definitely not embellished his allure at all. If anything, they had understated it.
“The Dragon. Seems your name is fitting, too, Drake.” She let her gaze drop to his crotch again. It was measured. It was a game. She’d played before but not with such a worthy opponent. The throaty little groan of desire escaped before she even realized it was there.
Jayda didn’t make eye contact. Instead, she turned on her heel and made for the lock box under the bar where she kept the key to the back.
Jazmyn squealed in delight as one of the guys smacked her ass hard enough for it to crack like a whip. Yep, I daresay much more than a tour happened at Harley Heaven. Madison was twisting her curl around her finger as she blatantly flirted with the man she talked with. Pepper was nearly straddling another man’s leg. Tavia and her friend sat quietly across from each other at a window table, seemingly discussing something important.
Had they all turned into slovenly sluts so quickly? Even Jayda had taken more liberty with Drake than was normal for a first meeting. Maybe it was the drinks before the men showed up. The girls had imbibed almost a fifth of liquor and probably none had taken breakfast.
Keys in hand, Jayda took a deep, steadying breath and told herself that she would behave from now on with Drake. At least for today, she told herself as she neared him.
She put the key in the lock and then turned to her friends at the bar. Even though they were pretty well occupied by the men, Jayda knew she needed more than just Drake in the private area or she might not behave. She hadn’t noticed a ring on his finger, except a silver band with scrollwork on his thumb, but she still thought it best to not throw herself on him at their first meeting. She liked sex but she wasn’t a slut.
“Hey, Madison, Jazmyn, Pepper, Tavia! Come on, show them the back rooms, so we can move upstairs and then get back to work.” She was pleased with Drake’s surprised expression when she yelled unexpectedly at her girlfriends.
“Oh, you don’t trust me in there alone even though I told you my name?”
“I said nothing about being alone with you back there, did I? Your friends introduced themselves early and so I can show them my private rooms without qualm.” Grinning, she shoved the big door open and kicked down the floor prop to hold it in place. Though large, the doors were very light and moved easily.
Drake went inside, his rigid body rubbing against the length of her body. She could feel the tensed muscles, his heat, and his package as he pressed against her ass more than necessary to squeeze between her and the other door.
At her sharp intake of breath, Drake grunted and moved into the room. When Jayda turned to him, a mixture of lust and anger in her head, he said, “Tight fit. Sorry, I thought there was more room to get through.” He thumbed his jawline and watched her with hooded eyes before turning to inspect the rest of the room.
Jayda was so shaken by the sudden intimate contact with Drake that she couldn’t think straight. She pressed her back against the wall by the door and let everyone file in past her. Jazmyn took the lead and started telling them about the private areas and the rules in place for them. Jayda sent out a silent thanks to her friend.
Drake walked ahead and touched things, running his massive hands over cushioned trunks, chrome railings, and finally the pole. Jayda watched him from the wall where she’d stood since his brush against her. He turned to her but never changed his expression as he looked in each booth.
Jayda slipped out and back to the bar. She needed a drink to calm her nerves and slow her thoughts before facing him again. After a double shot of Maker’s Mark, Jayda propped against the bar, waiting to feel the warm tingle through her midsection from the alcohol.
The tour ended and everyone exited. Oddly, there had been no groping or dirty comments from any of them. Jayda rolled her eyes and laughed at that. Out here where anyone could walk in and hear them, see them, they had been all over each other like sex crazed teens. In the back, where the walls had been sound-proofed and there was quite a bit of privacy, they had refrained. I’m sure that’s the polar opposite of the tour they gave the girls when they were at Harley Heaven.
“Jayda. Keys, girl.” Jayda stood smiling like a fox in a henhouse at the door, her hand held out.
Jayda grunted and then tossed the key ring to Jazmyn. “Put ‘em back in the lock box when you’re done, please.”
Jazmyn walked behind the bar and gave Jayda a knowing look before dropping the keys noisily into the metal lock box and then thumbing the numbers on the combo lock.
Chapter 3
The Elusive Dragon
Opening day was truly grand. Although it was on a Tuesday night, their sales were through the roof and all the comment cards held compliments instead of complaints. Jayda had shut the front doors and closed for business at four in the morning. All five women were exhausted. Since Jayda lived closest to The Hideaway, they all crashed at her place for the night.
That was their first weekend of business and when Sunday rolled around, they were all still crashing at Jayda’s place, too tired or tipsy, or both, to drive the curvy mountain road any farther. The Hideaway was closed on Sundays and Mondays. Jayda planned on spending both days catching up on her rest.