Surreptitious (London) (3 page)

I really couldn’t take much more of watching her grind her ass against that gay guy she was with so I threw my jacket over the back of my chair, locked the office door and was planning to join her on the dance floor when Mase grabbed me in hallway. He had a huge grin on his face and his eyes were bright with mischief.

“No way, bro seriously, tell me the chick in the black dress ain’t the one you’re going after!”

“Um no, red dress, killer figure, sleek hair – fuck me, so much hair ‘n’ her name’s Taylor. Wait, why are you even asking me?!” He scrunched up his nose, pursed his lips, raised his eye-brows and replied in a tone so smug I could have clocked him one.

“Ahh bro, are you crazy?! Dude that chick has got some mouth on her! Gave me shit outside, just for giving her a damn VIP pass like you said!! What’s the deal with her? You know her before or something?” He asked.

“Haha, no! Seen her earlier, wanted her, heard they were coming here and kept an eye out.” He whistled under his breath, gave me a pitying glance, leaned in so I could hear him easier and said...

”Damn, you know I never doubt you bro, but you’ve got your work cut out with that one! She’s a firecracker alright!! Balls of steel, I swear!! Good luck anyway, if you need me, buzz me, I’ll be on the top deck, speaking to a certain friend in a knock-out black dress and fuck-me heels!!”

Before I could lecture him on the fact that I was actually paying him to be there to work, he turned a jogged back in the direction he came from. I shook my head and chuckled, crazy kid! Well, he’s not a kid anymore but he’ll always be a kid to me.
Again, don’t go there Jax.

Chapter three

Taylor

Fuck. Me. The entire place had undergone a serious transformation, literally couldn’t believe my eyes. Mr Stranger, who, as it turns out, was called ‘Mason’ lead us through the front door and explained...well more shouted, seriously loud, over the volume of the music that hit us as soon as we were inside... that they when they were talking to the designers about their vision for ‘Blaze’ his brother has told them he wanted ‘pure class...with an edge’, now I’m good at what I do but even I couldn’t have come up with anything like that.

The walls were a deep red and the wooden floors were painted a glossy black that sparkled when the lights hit it, it really did look amazing. All the surfaces we’re shiny, sleek and modern. Mason showed us to the main floor, which was decorated the same as the entrance but my attention was drawn to bar, which if you didn’t drink, you’d be seriously tempted to do it anyway just to spend more time in the area!

There weren’t any bottles hanging from the back and there weren’t any taps on the surface of the bar either, and I vaguely wondered where all the drinks came from but the thought was fleeting since I couldn’t stop staring at the back screen. The display looked like the whole bar area was on fire, huge flames playing on the monitor that travelled the length of the entire section, it looked seriously...like
out of this world
cool
.

I decided I really wasn’t interested in touring the rest of the place so I told Mason he was free to go back to work. Yes I really did say “Ok Mason, you’re free to go back to work now” then grabbed Harp’s hand and dragged her, closely followed by Jase to the bar and proceeded to show everyone how real drinking is done!!

Two Vodka, lemon and lime’s and four shots of Tequila later and I was dancing...well more like just making a twat out of myself with Jase on the dance-floor to Ne-yo’s ‘
Closer’
which was an song but I loved it anyway and I was more than grateful that I had seriously amazing friends who always seemed to know when I needed a good night to blow off some steam.

I was having a whale of a time, the music was great, the drinks were great and Jase was a freakishly good dancer. I had no idea where Harper had gone off to but she had a habit of wondering off on nights out and she always managed to find her way back to us so eventually we just stopped trying to follow her!

“Babe, I’m gonna head to the bar, you wanna come or d’ya just want me to bring ya something?” Jase shouted over to me. Instead of answering him I just waved him off and kept on dancing by myself. I held my arms in the air and rolled my hips to the beat, a few people (men) tried to dance too close to me so I threw them my best dirty look, sneered at them and stepped away to keep moving by myself.

What could have been no more than about five minutes later I felt a body press up behind me and start grinding his groin into my ass. Now, I fully blame my actions on the amount I’d had to drink and not how good it felt.
Yeah you keep telling yourself that Tay!

But I kinda figured Jase was back from the bar already (even though the queue was ridiculous in here as well) so thought I’d give him a performance he’d be proud of. I pushed my ass back into him and ground my body along the length of his, the music was sexy so I played along with it. His hands ran down my sides and came to rest on my hips; we started swaying together so I put my hands up behind my head and ran them through his hair.
OH SHIT...NO, NO, NO THAT IS NOT JASE’S HAIR!!!

My entire body froze and I was praying that he would get the message and just dance with someone else but clearly, lady luck had never been my biggest fan, so why start then?! I felt my his breath on my ear as he whispered...

“Damn girl, you can seriously move. Fuck me, so god damn hot!! Wanna come to the bar? Let me get you a drink?”

Seriously could this get any worse? I know that FUCKING voice.
OH. SHIT.

“Um, no thanks...I, um...I have to go find my boyfriend”

That lie, it’s always been my rule, any unwanted attention, Jase is automatically promoted from best-friend to boyfriend. It’s easier to fight them off that way!

Mr Gorgeous ran his hands around my waist but... Did. Not. Let. Go...and came to stand in front of me. He leaned down so that his lips brushed my ear and said

“By ‘boyfriend’” His tone indicating he definitely did not believe my lie...

“do you mean the tall guy that you’ve been dancing with all night who is now standing next to the bar sucking-face with the blonde haired GUY standing with him?” He didn’t even attempt to hide his amusement and that just pissed me off even more.

Damn Jase and damn Harper too...where the fuck are they when I need them?! Both off pulling strangers that’s fucking where. Arghhhh!

“Ok so I lied, I don’t have a boyfriend, but he’s still my best friend and he’s protective as all hell, and I don’t want to have a drink with you, I don’t want to dance with you”
Liar liar pants on fire

“
And I won’t be going home with you tonight either so you can move on to some other poor victim now ok? Because he might be...um...busy at the minute but he won’t be happy if you keep bothering me.” I figured that would be enough to convince him that I’m a total bitch and he was wasting his time with me but this, unfortunately, was not the case.

“Whoa! What the hell? That’s a serious attitude you’re carryin’ there baby girl! I’m a nice guy, I just wanna buy you a drink, have a dance, and maybe...if I’m lucky, get your number at the end” He lied.

He held his hands out in front of him in an ‘I surrender’ action but I knew his type and I was definitely not going to fall for it. Instead of answering him, I just turned on my heel and stalked over towards Jase.

I glanced back at Mr Gorgeous to see that he hadn’t followed me. Well...good.
Yep, you’re not even a little bit disappointed that he didn’t try and follow you are you Tay?

I didn’t wanna interrupt Jase so I walked to the bar, waited in the queue and ordered myself another drink. I stood at the edge of the bar for a few minutes and looked out across the dance-floor.
I really wasn’t looking for Mr Gorgeous though, nope, not doing that at all. I was definitely happy he had left me alone
.
Happy? Yes. That’s exactly what I was feeling?!
After being left by myself by my friends for another few minutes I decided to take a walk around see the rest of the club.

Chapter four

Taylor

Urgh, definitely no more drinking ever again Taylor!! Alcohol is bad.

I hadn’t even opened my eyes yet and my head was already pounding, I don’t usually suffer with hangovers so they always seemed a thousand times worse when they did hit. I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times to adjust to the light. I looked around the room and my body locked tight.
Oh Shit. Not my room. Oh no, oh FUCK this is not Harper or Jase’s room either. Fuck.

Thankfully there was no one in bed with me, but still, I had no idea where the hell I was. I lifted the covers and, yep, it got worse. I was not wearing the clothes I had on the previous night, but instead, a plain black t-shirt that fell to the middle of my thighs, that was definitely NOT mine. I gingerly lifted my head, turned on my side, leant up and slid out of the bed. I immediately missed the warmth, and if I weren’t scared out of my damn mind and actually had a clue where I was...I would have jumped straight back in!

I walked to the door, cracked it open slightly, heard the sounds from the TV and immediately smelt bacon cooking. My stomach growled loudly so I walked towards the sound of the TV and thought I may as well get this horrible situation over with.

I really didn’t pay attention to what the bedroom looked like but when I stepped into what I assumed was the lounge, I just stopped and thought... wow, my place was nice, but this was like...
spectacular!
Undeniably decorated to a guys taste, the whole room consisted wholly in all blacks and greys, with THREE huge leather sofas facing the TV and a stunning electric fire on the chimney breast that was turned on. It seemed more like the focal point to the whole room and I was transfixed. Amazing. I might not have had a clue what the fuck happened the night before, but I can still appreciate taste!

I came unstuck and carried on through the room until I came to the entrance to the kitchen. I stopped in my tracks and my breath caught at the sight. Sitting at the central island with a coffee in one hand and an electronic tablet in the other...was only...Mr
fucking
Gorgeous... FUCK. He glanced up and did a double take when he saw me leaning against the door-frame.

He opened his mouth and then closed it...twice, before he said...

“hey...”

“Um, not to be rude or anything...but WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING HERE???...THIS IS NOT MY HOUSE!” I couldn’t help but get slightly hysterical at the end of my sentence and his face transformed before my eyes. He looked gorgeous, obviously, but relaxed before. When I said that, his eyes darkened and his mouth pulled into a tight line and his whole demeanour turned to pure ice. He opened his mouth again and growled...he actually
growled
at me!

“Maybe before you start screaming your god damn head off in my house and waking my brothers up, you could use your fucking manners and say thank you for looking after you last night since you were high as a fucking kite and passed out, falling straight on to one very pissed off head doorman.”
What. The. Hell...I have never done drugs and I definitely did NOT do them yesterday. Did i?!

“I...” He cut me off before I could even try to form a sentence.

“Listen, ‘Blaze’ may well have been the go-to place for smack-heads when it was ‘Skank’ but I don’t allow druggies in there now. Drugs don’t touch any of my clubs but seeing as I couldn’t find your friends last night, you were out for the count and I’m guessing you wouldn’t much like waking up in a police cell, I didn’t have much choice but to bring you back here and look after you.” He failed to notice just how confused and ill I was feeling at that moment and continued...

“You’re a beautiful girl, really beautiful, why on earth would you want to do that to yourself? I don’t understand it. You’ve obviously got money because you dress good, you smell fantastic, you clean up real nice and you live in a really nice part of the city, so again...Why the hell would you do that to yourself?”

I was struggling to process much of anything he said to me seeing as I was still stuck on the fact he thought I did drugs! I stood there staring at him with my mouth hanging open until I realised what he said. Oh...My...GOD he thought I was beautiful? He’d paid attention to my clothes...and again...OH MY GOD...he’d
smelt
me?!  However, instead of addressing any of this, I had a slight brain to mouth malfunction and came out with...

“I might live in a nice part of the city, but your place is nicer than mine.”
Yep, word for word, that’s exactly what I said!! Standing in a stranger’s kitchen, getting a lecture from said stranger about taking drugs that I don’t take, whilst wearing what I assumed was that same bloody stranger’s t-shirt...I TOLD HIM HIS HOUSE WAS NICER THAN MINE!! What an actual idiot...stupid stupid Taylor.
He paused with his cup half way to his mouth and raised an eye-brow in a way that suggested he had the exact same thoughts I was having.
Again...stupid stupid Taylor.

“That’s um...good to know? But again, what gives?” I pulled in a deep breath and answered him.

“Sorry but I really don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t remember anything from last night; well...um...I think maybe I danced with you? It might not have been you, but well...I’m pretty sure it was and then I went to the bar, and um...hmm...yeah I really can’t remember a thing after that. I don’t understand, I never forget, ever. I don’t know why you keep talking about drugs, I’ve never even tried drugs, wouldn’t touch them, I definitely didn’t take anything last night either. Why couldn’t you find my friends?...Oh no, they must be so worried about me!”
Oh god, the nervous babbling
!! Awful. Just...awful.

“Whoa, take a deep breath and have a seat...” He kicked out a stool next to the island and I sat down. He didn’t look like he believed me any more than he had, but for some reason...I wanted him to.

“Honestly, I really don’t do drugs! I have no idea what happened last night, or what state I was in. I don’t understand it.”

“Ok, I don’t know why, but I believe you. I hate to break it to you baby girl...”
Baby girl? What the hell?

“But it sounds like you had your drink spiked. We really try and keep an eye out for that sort of thing at my clubs but there’s always some asshole that flies under the radar. I’m really sorry that happened to you, but if you like, we can take a look at the CCTV, see if we can spot the guy? You were out of it last night...like comatose, dead to the world, lights-out-no-one’s-home...
GONE...
I’m sorry I didn’t think that you might have been spiked” He looked slightly sheepish but I didn’t care.
He though I did drugs!!

“Well that’s shit. Jackass...can’t believe I didn’t watch my own fucking drink enough. Fuck...hey wait a second, you OWN that place?!” ...
um...WOW!!

“Uh... yeah, I just said that a few minutes ago.” I waved a hand to the side as if this was not important and he looked at me with a furrowed brow.
He really must think I’m crazy!

“Oh well it was also around the same time that you assumed I was taking drugs and proceeded to put me in my place about it without knowing the full details. So forgive me for not paying attention to the details of your accomplishments during that lecture!”

I watched as his face transformed from confused and his mouth turned up at one side into a full-on cocky smirk.

“Wow, so it seems it’s not just alcohol that brings out your attitude problem then? My brother was right; you’re not going to be easy to deal with. No worries, I’ve always been one for a challenge.”

“Ok so I didn’t understand most of what you just said? Yes I have an attitude. I like it, I especially like when I’m standing in the kitchen of a perfect stranger, wearing his clothes, having listened to his bitching first thing in the morning and since when I walk out of your door, we’ll never have anything to do with each other again, it really doesn’t appear to be any of your problem.” I paused for effect, yeah yeah I know, pure bitch right? Seriously though, he needed bringing down a peg or two, no scratch that, he needed a good
beating
down a bloody peg or five, anything to wipe that arrogance right off his stupid perfect face.
Anger management therapy anyone?

I stood up and started pacing whilst I continued my rant. “I mean seriously, who the hell do you think you are? And what are you talking about, your brother? I don’t know anyone related to you. Even if I did, I’d seriously re-think my association with them after the way you’ve spoken to me this morning.”

I looked over at him to see he had both hands resting behind his head, he just stared at me and quirked his lips like he found me amusing?
Damn it, I’m not trying to be funny
. But I didn’t care, I couldn’t stop literally gawking at his arms, they were huge, but not like body-builder huge, with veins running along them, no, these were just defined, tanned and looked so damn smooth.  I wanted to know if he had been in the sun a lot, or if he was naturally tanned like that all over. His skin was perfectly sun-kissed and when he stretched out and flexed his biceps, I followed the movement with my eyes because, damn, I really didn’t need to be fixated on him but I couldn’t help it. He had a tribal tattoo running the length of his upper arm on one side, though I’d never really considered tattoos hot, I definitely changed my mind after seeing his. I wanted to lick him, like actually walk over to him and run my tongue along his skin. I figured he’d taste like sex, salt and.....
Girl get your mind out of the damn gutter!!
Shit, really shouldn’t be having those thoughts at all. I mean seriously? I’m practically panting...over his arms?!

“You met my brother last night, you remember Mason right?”

“Who remembers me? Why are you talking about me?” I screamed and jumped nearly a foot in the air at the gruff voice coming from behind me; I whirled around, tripped over my own feet and toppled straight into a naked torso.
Where did these men come from? Swear if you created a ‘what every man wants to look like’ guy, both of these would fit into that vision perfectly.
He caught me by the waist, hauled me up into his body, grabbed my upper arms and then set me back on my feet. He held on until I was steady, then he bent at the knees, looked straight in my eyes and asked

“Are you ok Taylor?”

“Um...I...you...yes, yes I’m ok thank you. Wait, how do you know my name?” He looked momentarily stunned by my question; he glanced over my head to look at his brother and visibly swallowed. I narrowed my eyes at him but was prevented from questioning him further when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind and a woman lifted up on her tip-toes to start kissing his neck. A woman, who by any stretch of the imagination, I definitely did not expect to see standing in Mr Gorgeous’ kitchen making out with the guy who spent all of five minutes with us last night. Clearly, he spent a little more time with one of us than I was aware of. I cleared my throat loudly and said

“Errr, mornin’ Harper Marie.” Her lips froze on their way up the side of Mason’s neck and her eyes hit me and she
screeched
, right in his ear...

“HOLY. FUCKING.SHIT...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE? WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU GO LAST NIGHT?” Mason flinched from the volume and she stopped, gave him a sheepish grin and looked back and forth between me and Mr Gorgeous then down at my attire before smirking and continuing at a normal volume “well, apparently you don’t need to answer that now do you Ice? Wow, I gotta say, that is one
fine-ass
piece of man and what a way to end your drought hey chick!” 

Seeing as right then I was more than pissed off with the fact that she had spent her night, and by the looks of things most of her morning wrapped around a man rather than looking for best-friend, whom as far as she knew up until that point hadn’t made it home safe last night and could right now be in the hands of a freaking murderer!! Yeah it was fairly safe to say I was
not
in the mood to watch her suck-face with any man, let alone make comments on what I was doing in the same kitchen as her, when it wasn’t either hers, or mine.

“Harper, last night I was left by myself seeing as you disappeared, Jase pulled and left me on my own, I was drugged, passed out on a poor doorman, and had to be taken home – and not MY home mind you – by Mr Gorgeous over here” I waved a hand in his direction and didn’t realise what I’d said until it was too late to take it back but carried on regardless. “So no, I’m not ‘over my drought’ as you put it, I just happened to sleep here, and in all honesty I actually don’t know what happened to my clothes.” I kicked out a foot and flicked my hand towards my leg to demonstrate my point about my lack of clothing.

Most the colour had drained from Harper’s face and I started to regret laying it all out for her like that, it’s easy to forget how much we rely on each other, co-dependency doesn’t even come close. But before she could say anything that beautiful rumbling voice came from behind me, sounding a little more than amused...

“Mr Gorgeous?!”

“
Shit...
” I whispered and flinched.
I forgot he was there!!

“Thanks for the compliment baby girl, but in case you wanted to know, the name’s Jackson.”

I leaned towards him and hissed “No I didn’t want to know, I wasn’t finished with you either, I still don’t like you, even if did look after me. I don’t care what your name is
Jackson,
and yes, I prefer Mr Gorgeous, it fits. I’m honest, and you’re hot, more than hot...you’re
the
Mr Gorgeous, but it doesn’t mean I want anything to do with you!! So could you
please
stop calling me
baby girl!
”