Club Nova Vol. 4 (Brad Grayson) (2 page)

Victoria lay on her side facing Brad, watching him sleep. They’d gotten out of bed long enough to change into more comfortable clothes and order something to eat, which Brad had delivered right up to his bedroom. She had no idea what time it was, and quite frankly, she didn’t care. All that mattered was that Brad was okay and they were together.

She closed her eyes and sighed. When he’d collapsed on the floor in front of her and hadn’t woken up right away, her world had stopped. Victoria swallowed hard. The fear that had seized her was almost too much to take. Was that how he’d felt when she’d been taken? Surely, it was comparable, right?

Unexpectedly, Brad reached over, draped his arm around her waist, and pulled her toward him. “You’ve been laying there staring at me for almost an hour.”

“You’re easy on the eyes,” she teased.

“That’s it? I’m easy on the eyes.”

She settled against him, loving how warm and safe he was. “Should there be more?”

He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her head back. Even though it was dark, she could see the concern in his eyes. “What’s up? I know that look you’re giving me. Tell me what’s going on inside that head of yours, and don’t lie to me.”

Victoria placed her palm on his chest, right over his heart, which beat strong and steady. “I almost lost you today. And for what? A business deal? Money? Peyton’s jealousy? Where will it end?” She shook her head. “Neither one of us is going to get any peace until she gets what she wants.”

“And what do you think she wants?”

She gave him an incredulous look. “You,” she said, laughing bitterly, “she wants you, Brad. And she’d not going to give up on that fantasy any time soon.”

He gave her that cocky, arrogant smirk she loved so much. “Well, she can’t have me.”

Victoria rolled her eyes. He just didn’t get it, and obviously there was nothing she could say that would change his mind. What options did that leave her? Walk out of this life all together and ensure both their safety, or stick it out and fight that crazy bitch Peyton together? Neither option was all that exciting. But especially not fighting. That wasn’t who she was. Victoria avoided confrontation when possible, and for the most part it seemed to serve her well.

“All right,” he sighed, “so we let her keep believing she’s going to get everything she wants.”

“Right, because that worked so well last time,” she snapped.

“I am literally days away from closing this deal, Victoria. In fact, my lawyer might even have the contract drawn up and ready for signatures tomorrow.”

“And she didn’t try to blow up your house,” Victoria mumbled sarcastically.

“Once she signs,” Brad continued, completely ignoring her, “there’s nothing she can legally do to back out on the deal. Then she’ll no longer be a problem.”

“Yes, of course. How could I be so silly? Peyton is such an ethical, law abiding person. She didn’t just gas you and everybody inside your house.” Victoria rolled her eyes, extremely annoyed.

“People do crazy things when it comes to money.”

“Clearly.” She gave him a stern look. “You trick her into signing with a bunch of empty promises that you don’t follow through on, and she’ll just accept it because she signed a stupid contract?” Victoria pushed against Brad’s chest and tried to roll away from him but he wrapped his thick arm around her and wouldn’t let her move.

“Then what would you like me to do, Victoria? Hmm?” He raised a brow, his stare hard but his expression pleading.

“Clearly you need to choose. Me or her. Because there’s no way in hell she’s going to let you have both.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could take them back. Victoria wasn’t stupid enough to think she stood a chance against a woman who could offer Brad the two things he loved above all else: money and power. And what did she have to offer? Nothing.

“What about you? Would you allow me to have both?” he asked.

Victoria gave a harsh laugh. “I’m not anywhere close to being in charge here, and we both know it, so what I would or wouldn’t allow doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“Victoria, sweetheart . . .”

Oh God. He was using that voice. The deep, seductive bedroom voice he always used when he wanted something from her. She knew what he usually wanted, but she had a feeling he it was something different right now. Something much more emotionally demanding.

“When are you going to realize, it matters to me.”

She jerked back slightly and stared at him. That was not what she’d expected to hear. Her heart raced out of control and her breath hitched. Something about the way he looked at her was different. More intense. Hotter. She swallowed hard.

“Forcing me to make a choice is ludicrous. She’s a business partner, a woman who can give me access to everything I need to take Club Nova to the next level. But you,” he scooted closer and she couldn’t miss his massive, throbbing manhood pressing against her belly, “you’re the woman who can give me everything else.”

Closing her eyes momentarily, she focused on taking deep, controlled breaths. If she didn’t, she was almost positive she’d pass out from him melting her hot mess of a body into a syrupy goo. Since she’d come to the condo to stay with him, he’d been saying more and more to her, confessing feelings she didn’t know he had, coming dangerously close to admitting what they shared was a lot more than just some great physical connection that could end on a whim.

His warm breath brushed her mouth seconds before his lips were on hers. Squeezing her eyes closed tighter, she whimpered slightly, then opened her mouth to welcome him once more.

Like she could ever really turn this man away. No matter how stupid she thought he was at times. The few times she had tried to leave, back when she was convinced Brad was sleeping with Peyton, were the hardest things Victoria had ever done. Her body craved him, more than any other, and his touch, his sensual, delicate, manly touch.

God, just thinking about it made her wet. And now that she’d experienced all of him, she was addicted. There was no way she could go back to not having him. She needed more. So what if she had to pretend for another few days that Brad was interested in Peyton? It would be worth his touch; the intimacy they shared was stronger now than ever. Wasn’t it? She could trust him to make the right decisions, right?

In her heart, Victoria knew Brad wanted only her. But there was a little voice deep inside her head that told her to run and hide before he really shattered her heart.

Brad yanked her over on top of him and slid his hands down the back of her pants, squeezing her ass and holding her down on him as he ground his eagerness against her. She sucked in a sharp breath as awareness shot through her, erupting a hot stream between her thighs like a damn volcano spewing molten lava. Moaning, she pressed a little harder, her breath mewing when she rubbed her sensitive sex against his hardness, teasing him to take more.

“You really want to walk away from this because of one deal that’s not going so well?” Brad asked, nipping at her bottom lip and chin, his lips tracing along her jaw.

“No,” she said breathlessly.

“Admit it, Victoria, we’re good together.” He tugged on her earlobe and she swore her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Of course, that was probably more the result of her rubbing and grinding on him, dry humping his straining staff through their thin layer of clothing.

“Yes,” she whispered, “so good together.” There was absolutely no denying that.

Brad caressed her ass before sliding her pants down over her hips. Victoria awkwardly lifted her body so she could fully remove them, needing to feel their naked bodies pressed together as one. “Then promise me, right now, that you’re on my side.” He took her face into his hands so she had no choice but to look directly into those amazingly beautiful eyes.

Her breath stopped and her heart shifted gears. She could hardly notice anything but the erratic thumping in her chest, echoing through her ears. She released the breath she didn’t even know she was holding. “I’ve always been on your side, Brad Grayson. That’s definitely not going to change any time soon. But there are two things I absolutely will not tolerate.”

A small grin pulled at his handsome face. “Look at you negotiating.” He winked. “All right, lay it on me. What’re your conditions?” he said playfully.

God, she loved his arrogance. How he played with her, treating this like a business deal. He was so flippin’ sexy. “Okay,” she licked her lips, “first of all, I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt again, so you have to swear to me you won’t do anything stupid.” When he started to laugh, she frowned. “I mean it, Brad. I know I can’t change your mind about this deal, so at least promise me you’ll play it safe. Make decisions with me in mind. No more sacrificing yourself to save me.”

This time he frowned. “I will promise not to be reckless, but your safety comes first, Victoria. Period. And that’s non-negotiable.” His face was set firm. She reached out to glide her fingers across his defined jaw line.

“Okay, fine,” she conceded after a moment and loved every word of his answer. What man had ever been so determined to keep her safe? No one. And for that, her heart sang its joyous song.

“Good.” He smiled. “So, that was number one. What’s number two?”

She swallowed hard, knowing what she was about to say was going to cross so many imaginary lines Brad had put around their relationship, but she had to try for her own sanity. It was time. She needed to know exactly what they were and what their future held. “You’re leading her to believe once this deal is signed that you’ll . . .” Victoria averted her gaze, unable to form the thought, much less speak it aloud.

“Fuck her,” he finished for her.

She slapped his chest with a flat palm.

“What?”

“I don’t like to hear you say that.”

He smiled. “Yes. I’ve led her to believe that.” He paused. “And that bothers you.”

Victoria nodded and chewed on her bottom lip, feeling uncomfortable. The familiar burn of tears stung her eyes but she refused to give them life. Now was not the time to let jealousy take control of her emotions. There was nothing to cry about. Never once had Brad led her to believe they had anything more than a sexual relationship. There were no commitments between them. If he wanted to go through with his promise to Peyton, Victoria couldn’t do a damn thing about it—except walk away, and never look back. But she knew better than anyone that if she did exactly that, she’d spend months putting her shattered heart back together.

He sighed and ran his hands down her back, stopping once he had a firm grip on her ass, and he lifted his hips, pressing his hard cock against her now naked sex. “Feel that?” His words were tight and his stomach clenched beneath her as he let out a low groan.

“Yes,” she whispered, pressing herself closer to him.

“That’s all you, Victoria. Only you can make me so fucking hard I go cross eyed. The very first day Peyton came to the office . . .” He licked his lips, rotating her hips, causing her to moan. “I’d been watching you that morning. You had on that knee length skirt and that tight top that showed off your gorgeous breasts.” He groaned again. “Just looking at you that day had me rock hard. I barely managed to get myself under control when she showed up.”

Victoria silenced him with a hard kiss, which he quickly took complete control of, his tongue dancing around with hers like tunes of Mozart. God, the things this man could do to her. It was no wonder Peyton was so desperate to get him into her bed. What woman wouldn’t want one night, just one night, with a man like him? Every woman fantasized about it at least once. How did she get so lucky?

“And the entire time I was in my office with her, nothing,” he breathed out roughly. “No hard on. No thoughts of what it would be like to fuck her. I even kept my gaze on her face the entire time.”

Victoria smiled and gave him another kiss. In his own twisted, vulgar way, Brad was opening up to her again, admitting his weakness and vulnerability. It was there, right under the surface of his hard exterior, always had been. She was only now just seeing it for what it really was.

“She doesn’t do anything for me. So even if I tried to make good on my promise, I don’t think I could get it up for her.” At that, she giggled, her eyes widening. Brad playfully spanked her ass. “If you make one crack about my manhood, you’re fired.” Victoria laughed harder, and soon Brad was laughing along with her.

“So that’s the only reason you’re not going to give her what she wants, because you’re afraid you won’t be able to perform?” she teased, giving him chaste kisses every so often.

“Don’t underestimate my powers.” He laughed.

She slid her slick folds down his shaft.

“Hell, it’s not even the biggest reason.”

“Hmm, then what is?”

Brad wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over so he was on top of her. “You, Victoria. You’re the reason. I’ve realized I don’t want anyone but you.”

“Brad—” His name came out on a whoosh of expelled breath. Had he just made a commitment to her? Was he saying he wanted to be exclusive? It was times like this when his vague way of talking made her to want him to expand, explain further and clearer. Why couldn’t he just come out and say what he means?