I watched her for most of the night. You can’t help but stare at something, or someone, as beautiful as she is. And I know a beautiful woman, it’s my job to find a beautiful broken woman who needs money and can be loyal all at the same time. Women are a specialty of mine, they always have been. I can read them like the back of my hand. The only problem is, I can’t read her. And that alone puts me a step back.

She rubs her arms as we step outside, looks around at everything except for me. She did a good job tonight, I knew she would. The girls expressed how impressed they were with her, and that they didn’t have to go back to correct any orders. Johnny also said she was the one for the job.

“Are you cold?”

She looks back to me and it’s the first time I notice her eye color. When the blue in the sky is at its lightest, and the sun shines that perfect amount of light through it, that’s the color of her eyes.

“No, I’m good. Honestly, you don’t have to walk me home. I don’t live far.”

“Our girls are escorted to their cars for their protection.”

“I don’t have a car,” she says back to me while she continues to walk. Very few street lamps are on, but I can still make out the curves of her body.

“You should get one. Walking home this late at night is dangerous.”

She shrugs her shoulders. “I carry a knife. I was raised by my brother. I learned how to protect myself.”

“Color me impressed.” I openly look her up and down. She catches me then stares forward.

“You can go now. This is me.” She stops out front of an apartment building, one I’ve passed many times before. One I’m very familiar with, to be exact. “Thank you,” she says as she reaches for the handle, pushing her key in and unlocking it.

Once she enters, I start to walk off, not looking back because that could be dangerous. A girl like her could be precarious to a man like me. But like a predator seeking its prey, I’m curious.

“You hired her? The girl who assaulted the customer! You hired her?” Darby’s pacing back and forth as he looks through his glass window to where she’s serving downstairs in the bar, on time and dressed in red.

“I hired her,” I say sitting back, watching him freak over something that doesn’t concern him.

He stops, turns to me and pins me with his stare. “You do realize this is an elite club. You know what would happen to her if she hurt someone or fucked up in here?”

I nod my head. “I do. She would be taken care of, like everyone else who fucks us over.”

“Good, as long as you can live with that.”

Standing so I’m the same height as him, Darby shakes his head. “You do realize the girls are my responsibility, right?” I say. “Each and every one is here because of me.”

“And you think falling in love with one is a smart move?” A manic laugh bubbles up at his words, he crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Not once have you watched any of the girls, or any girl the way you’ve been watching her.” My eyes find her at his word. “See what I fucking mean? Fuck her and fire her. Because the other outcome isn’t so pleasant.”

Walking out, I don’t even bother to reply. He may own the vast majority of this place, but what I do he could never replicate. And he knows it. None of them can. It’s why I do it. Going downstairs, I check on the girls. Those not with a client tell me how they are, their hands touching my chest or my hands. Touch is what they crave, no matter how they get it. It’s what they need, to know they’re wanted.

Leaving them, I walk over to the bar, to her. She’s serving Bethany, one of my girls who’s been here since the very beginning. Bethany walks over, kisses my cheek then steps off. She’s dressed much like the other girls in lingerie. It is sex, after all, that I’m selling.

“They all speak very highly of you.” Her voice surprises me. Turning around to where Bethany left, I watch her go to the other woman who currently doesn’t have any clients.

“We treat them well. Very well.”

She nods her head and her hair bobs, it’s curly today. Ringlets hang down past her shoulders and she has on a touch of makeup. Seems that’s all she wears and needs.

“I want to thank you again. You don’t know how important this job is to me.”

“I think I do.” And I do, I checked her financials, she doesn’t have any dollars to her name. Nothing but an empty bank account and shitty lodging.

“Did you do a police and credit search on me?” She laughs.

I don’t. Because I did. Well, Echo did. He is, after all, our security whiz.

“Oh my God, you did.” She looks away and steps off, walking to the other end of the bar. I sit and watch, waiting for her to come back. When she does her cheeks are blushed. “Okay, I guess you had to do that. Sorry.”

“I didn’t have to,” I tell her honestly.

Her eyes go wide. “Do you do a check on every other bartender you hire?”

“No.”

Her breathing picks up before she walks away again, cleaning an empty glass which I’m pretty sure is already clean. Then walks back again. “I know I shouldn’t be asking, considering I’m very thankful for this job. But why? Is it because you thought I would hit your customers?”

“No.”

“You aren’t going to tell me much, are you?”

“No.”

She releases a deep breath just as one of our customers comes up for service. Her eyes go wide when she realizes who it is. She looks to me, but I do nothing as I watch her shocked expression. She better get used to it, all our customers are high-profile, and all earn at least seven figures. They need to, to be able to afford to come here. When he walks off, she treads back to where I am, and I try to not watch the way her hips sway when she does. The excitement in her eyes is evident, as she leans across the counter to me with a smile so big I wonder how I can put it there more often.

“I watch his show every day. He’s one of the highest paid television stars right now.” She looks past me to where he left.

“Follow me.” She exits the bar as I walk to where our best paying customers are situated. They don’t get ultimate exclusivity from our other customers, but they get some perks. She keeps walking but I stop her with my hand. I nod to her, and she takes a deep breath. I don’t bother watching the customers, I’m more interested in her reactions.

“Him…” she points. I turn to see a popular celebrity fucking one of our girls, her hands hog-tied to the bed as he takes her from behind. He’s fucking her in the ass and has a dildo in her. I watch Elicea as her breaths become laboured and heavier. She’s turned on.

“All our customers are celebrities, or wealthy people, some are politicians. Your discretion is a must. You do not use their names, you only address them as sir.” She looks back to me, her eyes somehow darker than last night.

“I would never—” Just then Darby’s hand lays on my shoulder.

“You must be Elicea. Creed said he stole your services.”

She straightens up, turning her back to the client. Her crystal blue eyes find mine, then they skim back to Darby. “He did, and I’m very thankful. I really am enjoying it here.”

Darby taps my shoulder, looks around then back to me. “I’m sure Creed is making you feel very welcome, but if you need anything at all come to me.” He nods his head then walks away. Her eyes track him until he’s gone then she looks to me.

“Are you all good-looking?”

My lip twitches at her words. “You like him?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “He seems nice enough,” she murmurs watching where he disappeared. Darby isn’t nice. But I’m not going to tell her that. Walking back to the bar, I resist the urge to touch her, or ask her if she’d like to be fucked just as the girl was getting fucked.

“I don’t know him, just like him. I don’t know you, either.” Then she walks away again, serving another customer. I step off as she finishes, knowing I should before I pull her over that bar and take her to one of our private rooms.