Mikala's Passion (Pulse Series Book 2) (5 page)

Rolling onto her back, the view from upside down supplied a new concentration level. She needed to prioritize what was most important. Pulse ranked first, of course it did. It was her baby, her livelihood, all she had in the world. Her biggest fear at the moment was being vetoed by the insurance company.

She spent hours wracking her brain, trying to come up with ways to get extra money to rebuild the club, while taking care of staff and paying for a place to live. Since there were no rooms available for clientele use, even the escort service was taking a major hit. Perhaps she could get a loan, but cringed at the thought of the last time she tried and the bank manager had called it a strip club, and talked to her like she was a whore. No way was she going through that again.

Room service was quick to bring the mickey of vodka and chef’s salad she had ordered. As she scrounged in her wallet for a tip, she was struck with an idea, an ingenious idea. Taking a handful of change and dropping it into the young man’s hand, Mikala grinned at him and planted a big wet full on kiss to his lips. “Thank you!’ he chuckled, as she closed the door in his bright red face.

“Fuck!” she said, plunking her ass on the bed and uncapping the bottle when she discovered it was after one in the morning. Her idea would have to wait. At least part one.

With a quarter of the bottle down her neck, a braver, cockier Mikala dialed the phone and sat waiting for a connection. She panicked and hung up after a few rings and stared at the screen. Juggling with whether it was a good choice or a stupid one, she dialed again. It rang twice this time before her chest constricted and she disconnected. She place the phone on the bed beside her thigh and took a long draw from the bottle before dialing the phone yet again, this time the connection was made before the second ring.

“Hello? Sugar, what’s wrong?” Mason asked, sounding confused and groggy. She hung up without answering him.

“Can’t do it,” she told herself aloud, her heart was practically thumping from her chest, as she capped the bottle and set it on the bedside table. Her phone rang from beside her on the bed and she stared at it willing it to stop.

He was persistent she would give him that and snatched up the phone, nervously holding it to her ear without saying a word.

“Say something, sugar,” his voice was soft and sweet and low, just the way she remembered when he made gentle love to her and she would have given anything to be with him at that moment, nested under his hulking body where it was always safe and warm.

She stared at her feet and sucked in a deep breath. “I need you,” her voice drifted off.

“Say again?” He listened to the hush. “Do you need me, sugar? I can be there in twenty minutes. Just say the word.”

“No,” she blurted out, “I mean, not here. I don’t need you.”

“What are you saying? Are you okay?” Mason’s voice was rising, his frustration level peeking, though he talked to her all sweet like molasses. “Have you been drinking, sugar?”

“I’ve had a few, so what?” she slurred and giggled, sitting up straight and adjusting her skirt as if he could see her. She made an attempt at a serious expression before continuing, “I have to ask you a favor.”

“Sure, sugar, anything you want.” His answer was quick.

He blew out a loud sigh when she laughed into the phone, which made her laugh all the more. “Silly fucker, you agree before you even know what it is.”

“Don’t care. I’d do anything for you. Walk over hot coals, shards of glass, burning lava, you name it,” he boldly confessed. Never one to give a shit about cliché crap, or coming off like a pussy to his woman, he said what he felt.

“Stop Mason,” she paced back and forth across the room, her mind all a whirl with alcohol and commotion as she played her request over and over in her head.

“I need to stay with you for a few weeks, only a few until the insurance does some fucking investigation.”

“Whatever you want, sugar. I’ll come get you.”

“Wait. I want to make one thing clear.” The line sat quiet, a strong indication he was listening, “I don’t
want
to stay with you…I
need
to. I’m desperate. Not tonight, it can keep until tomorrow. I’ll meet you for lunch at O’Rourke’s at twelve thirty.”

“You got it,” he assured her.

Mason scrubbed his knuckles over his chin and smiled. He hooked his arm under his pillow and relaxed as he imagined having her in close quarters, waking and sleeping in the same house again. He would work his magic, prove to her he was worthy of her love again. He had a few weeks and with any luck that’s all it would take.

Mason spotted Mikala sitting in
their
favorite booth near the end of the bar. She was on the phone and waved him over. Obviously her mood had not changed when he smiled and she didn’t bother to return the token. He raised his hand to the bar tender and swept his finger between them, a gesture O’Rourke understood to mean the usual for them both.

“Mase old man, I didn’t know you were back.” James O’Rourke, the pub’s owner and good friend to them both greeted Mason with a hand shake, after placing a tall pint and vodka over rocks on the table. “When’d you get into town?”

“Few days ago,”

“Well it’s great to see you in one piece,” he laughed.

“Thanks, James. It’s good to be home,” Mason answered his friend, although his eyes kept gazing over to Mikala.

“Look Mase, I’m really sorry I can’t help out. You know I’d do anything for you guys but all my money’s tied up in this place, I feel really bad.”

Mason eyed Mikala across the table; she shrugged her shoulders and dipped her head down. Something wasn’t adding up in this conversation, and it had a lot to do with a certain pair of hazel eyes that impishly met his. He wondered what the man was talking about but didn’t want to appear the fool, slapping his hand against Jame’s bicep he replied, “No worries, Jimmie. Thanks.”

James thumbed in the direction of the bar. “Best get back to work before Haley has a stroke. She seems to think I goof off too much. It was good seeing you, don’t be a stranger.”

Mason nodded as his friend walked away. Lifting his glass to his lips he scrutinized Mikala talking on the phone. She completed her call and placed the phone on the table. She squeezed lemon from a bowl into her glass and took a long sip.

“So, you want to tell me what that was all about?”

“It’s not really any of your business.”

“I think it is, especially when James apologizes to me for not being able to help. I’d say that makes it my business, and what help does he think I need?”

Mikala fiddled with another lemon wedge and got comfortable in her seat. “Okay, it’s like this,” She rested on her elbows moving in closer. She explained the insurance problem in detail and the fact that she was lacking in funds, majorly lacking in funds. And then shared the idea of taking on an investor or investors if need be. “So that’s why I asked James to invest in Pulse. He once told me I was sitting on a gold mine. I just needed a hand to excavate it properly. That’s also why I need to stay with you. I can’t afford to stay in a hotel long term, pay my bills, staff wages and save the club too.”

“Long term,” Mason mused, thinking how perfect the situation was as his cock did a happy dance in his pants. He bit into the inside of his cheek trying to get a grip on his libido. This wasn’t about sex he scolded himself; it was about making it all up to Mikala for all the wrongs and ultimately getting her back.

“A few weeks max,” she told him, in no uncertain terms, jumping when her phone vibrated.

Mason could see the name on the screen, Mr. Dean. It was Chase calling Mikala, not unusual, but it made him wonder all the same.

“Hi Chase,” Mikala answered sweetly, far more sweetly than Mason had been greeted since his return.

His eyes followed her finger as it poked the ice cubes floating in her glass while she listened. God she was beautiful, he thought, especially when she was concentrating. He could watch her all day as she moistened her lips with a stroke of her tongue over her bright red lipstick. His favorite shade of red, although it was a bitch to get out of fabric. He threw out plenty of boxers with memorable lip prints left behind, after the mood would take her to give him head while he was driving or waiting in line at a drive-thru. He smiled and Mikala’s brows knit together. Mason shrugged and finished his drink.

“Are you sure, Chase?” she asked. “Fuck yeah, you tell me when and where,” she nodded her head and laughed. “Sorry, hell yeah, better?”

Chase had obviously scolded Mikala for the swearing as he often did and, like a big brother, she very rarely disobeyed him. He was a formidable male, alpha all the way and women sat up and took notice. Mikala laughed again and hung up.

“Fuckin’ A,” Mikala said.

Mason raised his brow and Mikala raised hers right back.

“Care to share?” he asked.

“Later. I don’t have a lot of time so here it is.” She handed him a folded piece of paper and he watched her dubiously, while he unfolded it and started to read her list of demands.

Three golden rules:

1-There’s no ‘us’

2-There’s no ‘we’

3-There’s no ‘sex’

“Are we clear?” she asked, when he folded the note and tucked it into his pants pocket.

An amused smile broke across his face. “Are you trying to break rule number 2 already?” He laughed, but when he saw the seriousness in her glare, he put his hand to his forehead and saluted.

“Clear!”

“Smart ass,” she slid from the booth, “I have to meet Chase. I need a key.”

Unclipping a key from his key chain, he placed it in her palm and followed her out of the pub onto the busy street, walking her to her car.

“Look Mason, I don’t need a babysitter,”

“You were going to tell me what Chase wanted.” He made up the first excuse that came to mind. He was after all trying to prove that she needed him, she always needed him. He just needed to remind her how much.

“He wants to talks to me about a partnership.”

“Partnership…?”

“Gotta go, see you whenever,” Mikala said flippantly, as she dismissed Mason and climbed into her car, starting the engine and speeding off without any eye contact.

“Whenever,” he mimicked, lost in his thoughts.

Almost with the speed of lightening he dialed Chase walking to his truck, he leaned on the bumper when Chase answered.

“I guess she told you?” Chase chuckled.

“Only that you want to be a partner. What the fuck Chase?”

“That’s right,” Chase said smoothly. “And before you go off halfcocked, an inside scoop tells me the insurance isn’t going to come through, because the fire was set intentionally. Arson. I have no choice in the matter. Mik is Eden’s best friend and like a sister to me. The club is all she has and I’m not going to sit back and watch her lose it all.”

“I get it, I do… I just wish I could help.”

“Once I’m a partner I have a few plans for the place, ideas to class it up a touch.”

“Such as?”

“Such as beefing up security, I may install one of those high tech security systems I’ve been hearing about. Know anyone that might be able to hook me up?” Chase chuckled.

“I just might my man, I just might.”

***

Mason’s attention moved swiftly from the computer screen to the sound of a key sliding into the doors lock, followed by the ever so eloquent cursing of the sexy red head he longed to smooth up to and stroke his hands over. He grinned when he caught sight of her struggling with a few grocery bags and the thing she had the nerve to call a purse. The thing was as big as a suitcase and contained everything known to man. She even had a kitchen sink keychain that she produced after he teased her on the outrageous contents of women’s purses.

“Need help?” he asked, surprising her as he swooped in, taking the bags from her arms before she could protest. “What’s all this?”

“I picked up a few things for dinner.” she started unpacking the groceries setting them on the counter as Mason inspected each item.

“The fridge is full, I have plenty to eat. You don’t need to buy food, sugar.”

Mikala stomped her feet on the ceramic tile with her hands on her hips shooting a glare like fire and brimstone. Mason’s brows shot up and his eyes drifted over her before he burst into wild laughter.

“Stop calling me that!”

“Sugar?” he asked, “I’ve always called you that.”

“Well stop.”

“Why, is it
that
terrible?”

It wasn’t terrible at all. In fact, no other name he called her was such a turn on. Her skin tingled and a fire ignited below when he said that name. Mikala wanted to be here, wanted to be nowhere else, but if she was going to resist him, he had to stop being such a temptation. The sensual spice he emitted from every pore needed to die away. The flame, although tucked safely away in the far recesses of her heart was still burning for him and it had to be extinguished, and the only way that was going to happen was if she acted as if she hated him.

“It’s just not appropriate.”