Thrusting into her, my balls screamed as my whole body tensed up for my impending release. My hand reached down and pinched her nipple which erupted an orgasm in her body that clenched my hard length, sending me over with her. We both thrust our hips, inching out every last pleasure until we were spent.

I hovered over her, my arms straddling her little body as I tried to catch my breath. Slowly, her eyes opened and looked up at with me with fondness. It was like a blade to my heart, I didn’t want anyone looking at me like that because it meant attachment but I would be damned if I could look away. There was something about this woman, this sassy woman that had me by the balls. She was a man-eater, that was for damn sure.

“Thank you for accompanying me tonight,” I said as I looked down at her.

A smile spread across her face and she said, “Thanks for blowing a hole through my pussy with that massive meat sword of yours.” She shifted on the table and said, “I’m pretty sure you popped a hole through my bladder.”

Trying not to smile, I said, “Did I hurt you?”

“No.” She caressed my cheek, something I normally didn’t allow but with Goldie…things were different.

“You sure?”

She nodded her head and ran her hand down my chest, making me swell again but I didn’t allow for a second round because I knew it was time to part from her for the night. I had some mending to do. I was a shallow ass most of the time but I knew when I was wrong.

I pulled away and fixed my pants, and released her from her confines. Her body was fantastic, every man’s dream and she was all for me. I was a privileged man and damn lucky for it.

“Keep looking at me like that and you will find yourself strapped to that bed, waiting for me until I’m ready for you again.”

“Is that supposed to be a punishment?” she asked with a straight face.

I leaned over, grabbed her chin with my thumb and forefinger and said, “Yes, yes it is but a delicious one.” I pecked the tip of her nose and pulled away completely. “Get dressed, little one. You have a long week ahead of you.”

Disappointment fell across her features as I pulled away and walked out the door. If I wanted to, I could spend the whole night playing with her, seeing how many times I could make her scream my name or come on my fingers but I had others thing to do. I grabbed my bourbon, two glasses and headed down the back stairs through the dark hallway that led to Kace’s room.

I leaned my ear toward the door before knocking in case he had a woman with him but it seemed like the coast was clear so I knocked on the door. Kace’s voice rang through in a gruff tone, telling me to come in.

His room was dark, besides a light on the night stand that casted a light shade of yellow in the room. Kace was sitting in a chair, facing the window. His feet were stretched out on the sill and he was slouched in his chair as his hand held up his head. His stature was deflated and rightfully so, the man had so many demons to deal with, I didn’t know how he went day to day holding his shit together.

“What do you want, Jett?” Kace said without turning around.

“I brought bourbon.”

Kace just nodded as I brought up a chair next to him and handed him a glass. I poured us both a generous amount, not really saying anything to each other as we sat in silence, drinking away our problems. This was a tradition we did on this day, this day that changed Kace’s life forever. We didn’t talk about it, we didn’t share, all we did was sit and stare into oblivion. We didn’t need to talk, we knew what happened, we knew what we did to cover it up and we knew the effects it had on the innocent people involved. Instead of rehashing everything, we just sat and drank.

We sat for what seemed like hours until Kace broke the silence and asked, “Everything settled with Lo?”

He held out his cup for a refill and I obliged while I responded, “Everything is fine. I was a protective ass that just ended up hurting her.”

Kace took a sip from his glass. “If she didn’t hear you, would you have changed your mind?”

I thought about his question and answered honestly, “Probably not but seeing the look on her face was enough pain for the day, so I relented.”

Kace nodded while he continued to look out his window. “You okay with that?”

“No, but do I have a choice?”

“You used to.”

I did, I thought as I took another sip of my bourbon. I used to have many choices but now that Goldie has graced me, I find myself with a noose around my neck, not being able to do what I want because the fear of Goldie getting hurt plagues me. I don’t want her to hurt…ever. I don’t want her to get into trouble or see fear. I want to make everything okay for her which is a big problem because I wasn’t expecting to feel that way.

“Don’t let her get hurt,” Kace interrupted my thoughts. “You have to help her if you bring her into your world.”

“No shit,” I responded as I shifted in my seat suddenly starting to feel uncomfortable in my skin. “You’re the one who pushed the idea of bringing her with me.”

“And I meant it but you have to be fucking careful. She’s not like everyone else in your world. She has feelings, she has a heart, she can easily be burned, ripped up and spit out by a simple stare from one of your elites. You can’t let that happen…I can’t bear to see it,” he trailed off.

I gritted my teeth from the protectiveness Kace had for Goldie. I hated it, fucking hated it. I was the one who was supposed to protect her, not Kace and every time he showed one ounce of concern for her, it grated on my nerves.

“I won’t,” I said sternly. “Miss Mary will be starting training with Lo tomorrow so just stay the fuck out of it.”

I saw a slight grin spread on Kace’s face from the corner of my eye which only irritated me even more.

“You’re so far gone,” Kace said as he drained the rest of his drink and got up out of his chair. “I need to hit the head and then meet up with Claire.”

“Claire?” I asked, a bit curious.

He shrugged his shoulders and said, “She’s a good fuck with no intention of being a clinger.” Kace walked off toward the bathroom but then turned around before shutting the door. “Thanks for the bourbon…dickhead.”

I nodded with a smile. “Anytime, asswipe.”

And that was it. That was the extent of our night together. Silence between us spoke a thousand words. Sometimes conversation was overrated, sometimes, you just needed to sit with another breathing soul, knowing that they understood you, that they felt for you and that they were going to make it through the next day.

Before Kace completely shut the door, I called out, “Next year, just pay me to beat your ass. I would love taking your money.”

From the cracked door, Kace called out, “In your dreams, Colby. Any fist fight between us is going to be a guaranteed honest one.” With that, he shut the door and I took off for the third floor.

Jeremy, my assistant, met me at the top of the stairs and said, “I found Keylee Zinc’s information, sir.”

“Put it on hold for now. Call Miss. Mary, she has some etiquette lessons to give.”

A smirk spread across Jeremy’s face as he typed away on his tablet.

“And wipe that smile off your face. Lo was always my number one choice.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jeremy took off downstairs as I went back to my office. I set my bourbon down on the bar and walked over to my window that looked over the Lafayette Club lawn and the wonky tress that graced the streets of the garden district. Beads from past Mardi Gras parades still dangled from the trees’ limbs and sparkled in the street lights. Pepper was walking to the back entrance, from the street, returning from one of her outings, ones that she had been going on lately. I had a feeling she was fooling around with someone else but honestly, I didn’t give a fuck. A girl needed to be fucked and she wasn’t getting it from me.