“You just answered my question.” I sighed, running my hand over my buzzed head. “What’s going to happen now is you’re gonna leave. If Astin ever pops up in your life, you walk the other way.”
Nick’s expression changed from confusion to anger. “Who the fuck are you to decide something like that for her? She even said you haven’t known her any longer than I have.”
Luca moved in on him, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled him forward until they were nose to nose. “Listen, you little shit stain, you know nothing about that woman. If you want what’s best for her, then you forget you even met her. Walk away now while you can, or else you leave me no choice but to ensure her safety with your body six feet under. You feel me?”
Shoving Luca off, Nick fixed his shirt, not daunted but cluing in on the fact he’d stepped into something way over his pay grade. “Who the hell is she?” Nick demanded.
“You learn that information and a whole shit storm is going to rain down on us far sooner than we’d like,” I explained. “Now, get the fuck out of this club and don’t ever come looking for Astin. You ignore our warning, and I’m not sure you’ll keep living.”
Even though we were being as crystal clear as possible, Nick wasn’t backing down. “Fuck you guys. I bet this is all about getting me to back off so you can have one less dick to compete with.”
I looked at Luca over this idiot’s head and gave him a signal I knew he’d understand. Turning, I motioned to one of Boykov’s guys who came right over. “I need you to escort our friend, Nick, out of the club and get him in a cab home. He’s not to enter this club again tonight.”
The grunt nodded and took Nick by the scruff, dragging him away. “You bastards can’t do this to me. I have every right to be here if I want to,” Nick hollered, thrashing in the grunt’s hands. “Just wait until I tell Astin what you did. You’ll never get a shot with her.”
Luca charged up to Nick and slammed his fist into the dude’s face, knocking him out in a single blow. “Nothing is more important than keeping Astin safe. She doesn’t have to like me or like what we do as long as she’s alive to rule the empire.” With the proclamation, he waved the grunt off and headed for the bar.
I stood there a moment, shocked at hearing Luca make that kind of declaration. We had great respect for the boss, but we knew he didn’t want us to be his people—we were marked for another. It seems she’d already made quite the impression on a few of her lieutenants, and it’s only been a fucking day. Things were going to be far more interesting than I think any of us expected. Right now wasn’t the time to worry about the future. Down below was a woman I wanted to dance with and a man I couldn’t get enough of.
Braxton might think we’re only fuck buddies, but I knew better. Many nights he crawled into my bed for no other purpose than because he didn’t want to sleep alone. It was more like we were in a non-monogamous relationship he refused to put a title on. He never kept his dates a secret from me and was honest if he slept with them. On occasion, I had a fling with a woman or man who caught my attention here and there, but Braxton is who I wanted at the end of the day.
Heading down the steps, I paused to search the sea of people for the pair. It was hard to miss them the way they moved so in sync, his hands on her hips, her arm up around his neck as he whispered something in her ear. Watching them, you’d have no idea they’d just met each other. Some connections were just that instant, and those two shared a kindred spirit for mischief, making me thankful there was more than just myself looking after them.
Wading through the masses of people, I brushed off advances from men and women alike until I reached them. Braxton met my gaze first, giving me a questioning look, and I nodded, letting him know we got rid of the dead weight. In an expert move, he unhooked one of Astin’s hands and twirled her away from him right into my arms.
“Oomph,” Astin grunted as I caught her against my body.
She started to push away then looked up and saw it was me. Knowing I needed to act, or she would second-guess herself, leaving me to dance with someone else. “Wait,” I said, leaning in so I didn’t need to shout. “I know I have a lot to make up for since our first meeting wasn’t great. What do you say to a do-over?”
She leaned back against my arms, searching my face, then she held up a hand for me to shake. “Hi, I’m Astin Caprioni, the underboss of the Caprioni Family.”
Smiling, I took her hand. “Nice to meet you, Astin. I’m Jace Cohen, lieutenant in charge of gambling and assistant to Ryker who leads security.”
“Would you care to dance, Jace?” Astin asked.
“Fuck yeah, I wanna dance with you,” I answered, pulling her tight against me and slipping my leg between hers.
The song morphed into one that was a perfect beat to grind up against this sexy-as-sin woman. I had no doubt this woman could chew me up and spit me out if I let her, and fuck was it tempting to give into her pull. She had this confidence about her that told you she was someone important, but yet I’d seen the compassion she had for Atticus. This woman was as complex as a Rubix cube, and I wanted nothing more than to figure her out. What more did she have in that wicked brilliant mind of hers?
As time passed, Braxton came up behind her and boxed her between us, rolling his hips so she rubbed against my jeans. We all knew she didn’t have anything on under that dress, and it made me so fucking hard I was worried people could see it clearly outlined against my jeans. Thank fuck black hides a multitude of sins. As she ground on my leg, her dress started to rise until it was barely covering her pussy. The urge to slip my hand between her legs and finger fuck her right here on the dance floor was all I could think about.
Fuck it. I’m just gonna ask her.
“Does that feel good to have your naked pussy rub on my jeans?” I said into her ear, lifting my gaze to meet Braxton’s. “Do you like having Braxton thrust against you, forcing you to grind on my thigh?”
Astin’s eyes started to glaze over with pleasure at my words.Damn, I love a woman who enjoys some good dirty talk. Too many women get in their heads or take it personally, missing the theater of it all.
“Do you know how simple it would be right now to slip my hand between your legs? Your dress isn’t even covering your pussy at this point, almost like you’re begging me to touch you,” I purred into her ear. “Is that what you want? Do you want me to make you come right here on this dance floor with all these people around us?” Her whole body shivered as Braxton ground her into me again, making her clutch at my arms to keep herself upright.
“What do you say,Mistress? Do you want your lieutenant to finger fuck you right here?” Braxton questioned, letting his hand skate up her sides until they reached her breasts. “I think you know exactly what you want right now, but you can’t bear to admit it.”
Astin let out a moan that had the people next to us smirking as they tried not to watch. “Careful, you wouldn’t want to draw attention to us now, would you? Unless that’s something you enjoy… being watched as you get fucked.”
Her breath came in quick pants as she shifted to try and finish herself on my leg, but I caught her chin and made her look up at me. “Sorry, babe, but if you want to come, you’re going to have to ask me for that.”
Biting her lower lip, she looked at me with heat in her eyes telling me she wanted this so badly. What I couldn’t tell was if she was hesitant to ask because we didn’t know each other all that well or the fact I was making her submit to get what she wanted.
“I want to come,” she announced.