Chapter Three
Autumn
I was still twisting my hair into a messy bun when I reached the front door. It opened and I stepped back just in time. Ayden King held it open for me. There was not a smile on his lips, but his eyes gave a friendly flash. Stunning blue eyes under arched black eyebrows. I was glad I did not stumble over the threshold.
"Just waiting for the driver to get the car." He opened his suit coat and slipped his hands into his pockets.
The light blue shirt skimmed his flat stomach. The top buttons were loose and revealed the shadow of dark chest hair underneath. My eyes trailed up to meet his laser blue gaze. Ayden's jaw flexed but, otherwise, he could have been cut from marble.
"You changed," he noticed.
The black dress suddenly felt too little, too tight, and way too low cut. His eyes swept over me, and I tingled where they touched me as if there was no fabric between us at all. I yanked the bun tighter and jammed the silver barrette into place.
"I see you didn't," I said. "The luxury of being a man."
"The luxury of a limited wardrobe," Ayden shrugged. His eyes skimmed away from me. "You look nice."
"Didn't Jace tell you about the wardrobe he had ordered for you? I actually ordered it. The stylist assured me you would have everything you needed." I was babbling and cut myself off sharply.
"I'm not taking charity," Ayden flexed his jaw.
Yet there he stood, fresh out of prison, on the steps of his friend's Las Vegas mansion. The problem was he just stood there. Instead of studying the house, peeking in the six-car garage, or assessing the cost of the custom SUV that pulled up, Ayden looked out to the horizon over the neon blitz of The Strip.
Jace exploded out the house with a booming laugh. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's get this man to the club. We have to celebrate his new job."
"You already have a job?" I asked.
Ayden pulled his hands out of his pockets and scrubbed one across the stubble on his chin. "According to your boss, but I haven't agreed to it."
"Listen to him. That's negotiation skills right there," Jace grinned. "He's going to be my new VP of Business Development."
I could not read the expression on Ayden's face, so I turned to Jace. "He's determined not to take your charity and wear those clothes I ordered. Let me guess. That means he's going to want a cash advance on his pay in order to buy things himself."
It was supposed to set off warning bells in Jace's head. He was prone to getting taken advantage of by friends and fans alike. My comment was also supposed to let Ayden know I was on to his game. He might have been playing it cool, but I was not going to be fooled. I was determined, even as a slow smile curved the corners of his mouth.
"Only if you come with me," Ayden suggested.
"That's a great idea. Set that up, Autumn." Jace jogged down the front steps and climbed into the front passenger seat of the SUV.
Ayden followed me to the back and opened the door. "I'm just glad someone's keeping an eye on him," he said.
I held my breath as I had to brush close to him to get into the car. Despite a day of travel, Ayden smelled like fresh soap. The clean scent on top of the sexy suit and his devilish smile spun my thoughts around. When I sat down, I crossed my arms tightly over my lap and refused to be a cliché. Ayden King was a bad boy and that was not attractive to me at all.
"So how exactly did you meet my best friend?" Ayden demanded. He climbed in the SUV and shut the door. His long legs stretched across the middle set and his knee brushed my thigh. In the wide interior of the big car, Ayden dominated the space and pinned me with a sharp curious look.
"I heard he was looking for an assistant, so I applied for the job. I have excellent references," I explained. "That was five years ago when he first moved to Las Vegas."
"Autumn is a local girl. She was skyrocketing through the restaurant business when I met her," Jace said.
"Yeah, I imagine you have a different story about how the two of you met," Ayden chuckled.
Jace shook his head. "Nah, imagine all you want, but the truth is I saw Autumn's resume before her, and she's not a huge fan of football. We met, she scolded me for a bad investment, and the rest is history."
"I make it a rule not to get involved with the men I work with," I declared. It felt stiff, but I needed it to stand between me and the heat radiating off Ayden King. "In fact, when I first interviewed with Jace, he kept telling me how perfect I'd be for his friend. He wanted to set me up with him."
A bellowing laugh from the front seat shook the SUV. "That was Ayden," Jace said. "I almost forgot about that."
I grabbed the door handle and squeezed hard. I could still remember Jace describing his friend, my dream match, and now it turned out I was sitting next to him. I knew Ayden was grinning, because my stomach was fizzing. It was a ridiculous reaction. I was not attracted to him.
"So I'm a daydream come true?" Ayden raised his dark eyebrows. "Or maybe a fantasy."
"Funny how the prison record never came up," I pondered. "You both need to admit, this doesn't look good."
"Don't worry, Autumn. My image will hold," Jace said with the same old overflowing confidence that made him a constant success.
He answered his buzzing phone, so I turned to continue my point to Ayden. The fizzing in my stomach erupted into fireworks when I saw he was lounging in his seat smiling at me.
"I agree," he grinned. "It doesn't look good. I haven't signed anything, and I don't plan to overstay my welcome."
"He just doesn't see it," I sighed. "Jace still thinks of you as that young kid. You made a huge sacrifice for him, and he feels guilty. What he won't admit is how much prison has changed you."
"You didn't know me before," Ayden reminded me.
"Jace talks about you all the time, the way you used to be. Smart, deliberate, calculating, level-headed, and a hero," I said. "I bet he is ignoring what you've become. What I see."
"Look at me. Tell me what you see," Ayden demanded.
I gulped. He opened his arms wide, the loose shirt revealing more of his chest, his strong hand palm up on the seat next to mine.
"Smart, deliberate, calculating, hard, and not about to give an inch," I said.
Ayden sat up, his laser blue eyes too close to mine. "I love that man up there. He's the only family I will ever claim. You were right about hard, sweetheart. That's the hard line. Make no mistake about whose side I'm on."
He made it very clear without saying another word. The only reason he had not torn me to pieces was because he understood I was on Jace's side too.
My pulse jack-hammered until we arrived at the club. Ayden slipped out of the car, and I finally took a deep breath. When he pulled open my car door, he had doused the blue flame in his eyes and his gaze was cool and steady. He helped me out of the high SUV and waited for me to catch my balance.
Walking into the club in Jace's wake was always an experience. I had gotten accustomed to the uproar he caused, and I usually trailed far behind. Ayden waited for me and we walked in together.
It was like walking next to a tiger without a leash. The normal jostling gawkers that filled in behind Jace gave Ayden a wide berth. He held out his arm without touching me, but it electrified the air around me. I felt safe and protected though he could turn and devour me at any moment.
Ayden King turned heads. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. His shiny black hair fell in negligent, sexy waves. His broad shoulders strained the expensive suit coat as he moved. He took long, effortless strides, always confident that he was in the right place.
Women lit up, displayed curves, and could not help themselves as he walked by. Men measured him with open jealousy and did not meet his eye.
It was exhilarating. I was tempted to slip my arm through Ayden's just to see what happened. I took a quick step forward and ran into a stocky man.
He reeled drunkenly and gave me an open-mouthed leering smile. "Try that again, honey. I like the way you bounce," he slurred.
He must have been drunk because he did not see Ayden until it was too late. The stocky man's feet left the ground as his eyes bulged.
"Try that again, honey," Ayden growled. He held the man an inch away from his face.
The man nodded as much as he could under the tight hold. Ayden dropped him and then steadied him with a rough grasp on his lapels. The man swayed, then feebly brushed at Ayden's hands.
"I didn't mean anything by it," the man yelped. Ayden turned him to face me. "I'm sorry, miss. It was an accident."
"Thank you for apologizing," I said. I side stepped him and caught up to the nebulous crowd around Jace. I could not let Ayden see the glowing heat on my cheeks.
"You okay?" Jace called. His fans parted to let him grab my hand. He looked over the top of my head at Ayden.
Ayden was watching the stocky drunk as he scurried away. When the man had disappeared a smile appeared on Ayden's lips. Two men near him took an extra step back. One woman tugged at the neckline of her dress and another fluffed up her hair. He took no notice and strode towards us.
"So he's a little protective," Jace said. "Having Ayden King on your side is not a bad feeling at all. Takes a little getting used to, but I think you might like it."
"I don't need prison yard show-downs every time a drunk stumbles into me," I snapped.
"That was nothing. Ayden's just big on manners," Jace explained. He punched his friend on the shoulder. "She's worried you're gonna shiv someone."
"Where's the fun in that?" Ayden asked. "Messy, ugly. Most disputes can be solved with some body language and a stare."
I tried to banish all thoughts of his body and eyes. We moved deeper into the busy club, and I tried not to notice Ayden at all. It was impossible. I could feel him behind me like a lightning rod, hard and unbending, but attracting energy from every corner.
Jace was showing off the rooftop views and leading Ayden along the edge. His eyes widened at the dizzying height. We plunged through the crowd around the dance floor and Ayden swallowed hard. The crush of people clearly made him uncomfortable. I could tell he was trying hard to not throw people out of his personal space.
"We're heading to a booth," I told Jace. Then I grabbed Ayden's hand and pulled him free.
He held on tightly. I lead him through the red and black tables with leopard print chairs to the raised dais of the VIP lounge. The bouncer nodded and opened the velvet rope. Ayden lifted my hand to help me into a black leather curved booth and then slid in tightly next to me.
I felt him let out a tight breath. "Can I just take the tour from here?" he pleaded.
"First let me buy you a drink." I held up a hand before he could turn me down. "To say thank you for playing bodyguard back there."
"You believe me yet?" Ayden wondered.
I ignored his warm smile and the way it melted my insides. "Believe what?"
"That I'm on your side."
"Prove it," I quipped.
* * * * *
"There's an open air deck outside those doors." I pointed across the dance floor and past the round bar. Bartenders circled from inside to outside around the bar with a tower of glass shelves separating the two sides. "During the day there is a pool out there, but a hydraulic floor covers it at night. See? Those wide round tables are directly over the pool."
Ayden was not looking at the tables over the pool. He lounged against the black leather of the high-backed booth. His long legs were stretched out under the table and one pant leg occasionally brushed my calf. He could not sit still and spun a coaster idly with one hand. His eyes had not left my face the entire time I talked.
"Oh, and look, there's Jace," I pointed. "He loves visiting the club. As if he doesn't get treated like royalty most places he goes. People know he's often seen here so the place is usually crawling with fans. He knows it’s not going to last now that he's retired, so he's soaking it up while he can. He loves posing for pictures."
"Uh huh," Ayden grunted. His eyes strayed from my face to where I strangled a cocktail napkin.
"He even dances. Did he do that in high school? He's actually pretty amazing at it," I commented.
Ayden sat forward and plucked the napkin from my hand. He had long, strong fingers and wide palms. They were rough but the friction left a lingering pleasant sensation. His eyes trailed back up the front of my dress to my face, and I felt the same friction. It was impossible but his gaze was a caress.
I felt the heat on my cheeks again and was glad when the waitress arrived. I took a long drink of Vodka Collins and rattled the ice to cool down my face.
"Another round," Jace declared.
Alan Hodge, his mountainous bodyguard, opened the velvet rope so Jace did not have to break his stride as he entered the VIP lounge. Eager fans were pushed back by the security guards there and formed a wall of spectators.
Jace signaled a man with a headset across the dance floor. The man nodded, spoke to his earpiece, and the lights shattered into a laser light show. The crowd spun around to focus on the stage, then erupted in cheers as the hottest D. J. appeared. Music began pumping and the dance floor flooded.
"She's telling me you go out there and dance," Ayden said. He moved over closer to me to let Jace in the booth.
Jace smiled and moved from where he was planning to sit next to me to the opposite side where Ayden had left him space. "You know me. I can make a dance floor anywhere."
"Even the hayloft of a barn," Ayden grinned. "Come on, have you told Autumn that story?"
"No I have not," Jace said. "I like my employees to respect me and not picture me dancing shirtless in knee-high hay."
"Or falling out of the hayloft as the grand finale," Ayden smiled.
Jace put his wide hands to his head and shook with laughter. "Oh my god, that was insane. If you hadn't moved that wheel barrow full of tools before we climbed up, I would have been impaled."
"I always had the gift of foresight," Ayden said.
I saw Jace's smile slip. "Good instincts, bad decisions," he said.
He felt guilty. They had a real friendship, that much I could easily see, but what neither of them saw was how that guilt was standing between them. Jace would give anything to erase it. Ayden was adamant about making his own way. One or the other was going to have to back down.
They seemed to sense it as a lull hit the conversation. I wanted to snap my fingers in front of Jace's eyes and tell him that Ayden was poised to take everything. That palpable guilt left Jace open to be taken advantage of by the one person he claimed would never do such a thing. A person he only knew briefly fifteen years ago.
It was almost a relief when Jace's business manager, David Rooke, joined us. He scowled at Ayden then covered it with a sugary smile. I suppressed a gag and moved over. Ayden threw an arm over the back of the booth to make room. His hand curled casually down around my shoulder. I shrugged it off like it was a hot coal.
David noticed the move and Ayden’s non-repentant smile. "So, Autumn, what do you think of our new VP of Business Development?" he asked.
"Jace already filled me in though Ayden has made it clear he has not signed a contract," I explained.
David puckered his thin lips. He loved being the first to know things so he could hold it over other people. "Speaking of contracts, Jace. I really need that sunglasses endorsement."
"Can't they resend it to me?" Jace groaned. His eyes were dancing along with the crowd.
"I found it." Ayden opened his suit coat and pulled out the contract.
"Did you also find out what your so-called job title means?" David snapped.
Ayden's smile had sharp edges, and I sat back wishing I was not caught between them. "It can mean any number of things," I said. "He might monitor established business for additional connections and opportunities. He may branch out into new avenues. Shake things up."
"Seems like he's already doing his job," Jace said. He cocked an eyebrow at me.
"Well, until he figures it out, I ordered bottle service," David lifted his nose in the air.
"High roller move, huh?" Ayden sneered.
"The club makes a lot of money on it," I said. "We get the bottles discounted on bulk and then mark up the price for the service. A waitress brings it out with all sorts of extras from ice to special glasses to paired appetizers."
"Low cost additions to a high price tag," Ayden said. "I get it."
He watched the waitress move towards our VIP booth with the bottle aloft on a transparent tray. The high-end vodka was in a distinct bottle surrounded by a few house recipe mixers, fancy cut garnishes, and diamond cut glasses.
"Looks pretty good, doesn't it?" Jace winked. He got out of the booth to give her room to serve.
The waitress smiled at Jace, and then gave Ayden a long look. So long that she forgot to set down the tray.
"Mind if I?" Ayden asked. He slipped out of the booth and took the tray from her. "The little flashlight is so you can see your way across the dance floor, right?"
"I can make it without it," the pretty waitress blushed.
"Graceful. Of course. Then you should hold the flashlight up like this. It'll shine through the tray, light up the bottle, and illuminate you," Ayden explained.
The waitress batted her eyelashes and took the tray and flashlight from Ayden. She held it the way he instructed, and the small penlight turned into a glowing bloom of light.
I did not like the way it lit up the waitress' obvious assets but it made sense. The more attention that was drawn to the bottle and the table it was delivered to, the more people would want it.
"Take it for a spin," Ayden said. He slipped back into the booth.
The waitress gave a pert bounce as she turned and walked around the VIP lounge with her illuminated tray. Sure enough when she came back our way and finally served the bottle, other booths were signaling their waitresses.
"How's that for business development?" Jace grinned. "We're going sell a lot more of that service thanks to Ayden."
"At upwards of $500 a bottle, I have to admit that was an impressive suggestion," I said.
Ayden sat up out of his typical lounge. "Did you say upwards of $500 a bottle? For a few lemon twists and better bar ware? That is insane. How can people live with themselves after paying that?"
David smirked. "Not everyone has the stomach for the club business. I'll go let the club manager know the new staff policy about flashlight use."
I moved over as soon as David vacated the booth. The D. J.'s music was loud, but I could still hear Jace's quiet voice.
"Maybe this wasn't the best idea. You've only been out for twelve hours," Jace said. "I got to take all this on slowly. Still, I remember being a rookie and getting thrown into the bright lights and big crowds. Used to make my hands shake. Can you believe that?"
"My hands are fine," Ayden shrugged.
"Yeah, you were always the steady one. Just remember to keep that focus. All of this is noise. Good, fun, flashy noise, but if you know what you really want then none of this can shake you," Jace said.
"I know what I really want. You don't have to worry about me," Ayden sighed. He opened the vodka bottle with an effortless twist and poured himself a heavy shot. He tipped it back, poured another that he garnished with an orange twist.
Jace stood up to let him out of the booth. I watched Ayden stand up again and look across the crowded club. His eyes had a faraway and untouchable look.
"I'm going to take a lap," Ayden announced.
"He doesn't like it here," I said, when Jace sat back down.
"Ayden'll be fine. I mean, seriously, that's the most overwhelmed I've ever seen the guy and, you tell me, does he look overwhelmed?" Jace asked.
Ayden was sipping his drink with an unimpressed smile. The gaggle of women that had waylaid him gave him dazzling grins in response. He talked with them easily, his blue eyes scanning the crowd. I tried to look away, but one of the women managed to make him laugh.
"You sure he can handle himself?" David slipped back into the booth. "I mean, he's been in prison a long time. How do you know he's not going to explode?"
"What? Because of all the women?" Jace chuckled. "Man I knew him back when he was awkward and voice-cracking. He never had any trouble then, and I doubt he's going to have it now."
"It’s just there's a lot of temptation around," David said.
"Ayden King's a gentleman, but if you want to go warn those ladies, then be my guest," Jace laughed.
David thought about doing that. Telling the hungry-looking women that Ayden had been caged up would only ensure his success. I thought about the bad boy cliché and shook my head. It was Ayden's deadly mix of manners and rough edges that made him dangerously attractive.
I tried to put him out of my mind. Jace left to join his friend, and David decided to check on the new security system he had purchased. A few friends stopped by the table, and I lost sight of Ayden for an hour or so.
"Hey, isn't that your boss?"
I glanced across the club and saw an altercation exploding near the doors to the outside patio. Ayden was pushed back by the club bouncers, but he came back quickly and got in their faces. Jace's bodyguard, Alan Hodge, stepped in. He and Ayden went toe to toe until Jace had to order his bodyguard to back down.
There was a wide circle around the men, and Ayden stalked back and forth. He lunged at the club bouncers again, and Jace stopped him. I saw Jace struggle to keep Ayden back despite being heavier and more solidly muscled.
My boss searched the VIP lounge, caught my eye, and frantically gestured for me to join him.
I slipped through the crowd easily as they were all mesmerized by the possible fight. I could not hear what Ayden was saying, but it was low and threatening.
"Ayden. Ayden! I need you to take me home. Now," I said.
His burning blue eyes came back into focus. He looked at me and took a step back. Ayden unclenched his fists and shook out his hands.
"Get out of here, Autumn," he muttered.
"Exactly," I snapped. I grabbed his arm despite the collective gasp around us. "We're getting out of here."
He blinked down at me, and I saw the ghost of a smile cross his lips. "They think you're crazy coming near me. Good intentions, bad decisions," he said.
"I'm not letting you decide. I'm telling you. We're leaving," I said. I pulled on Ayden's arm and felt a rush of relief as he came with me. He threaded his fingers through mine and kissed the back of my hand as I lead him out of No Limits and into the waiting car.