The next day as I headed into the meeting, I was still thinking about Rachel. A trip to Ace’s would help me figure out how far she’d go, how devoted she was to her mission. Or send her running back to her boss. Either way, I’d have some fun, but I knew it would be a lot more if she showed up.

The market expansion merger I was working on would be the crowning achievement in taking Rose & Thorne to the next level. Jamie Rose had been a silent partner since forever, providing the name and reputation needed for me to get a foothold in the industry and in return I’d made him a very rich man. He’d be able to step from under his family’s thumb and with this merger, I’d be able to buy him out.

“Mr. Thorne, I think you need to take a look at the numbers again. Our company has been doing well over the past three quarters,” the young man said, pointing at the folder in front of him. I had an identical one sitting in front of me. I’d been over the numbers a dozen times. That was the only reason we were having this meeting in the first place.

“I’ve looked at the numbers, Thomas. And your father has too, which is why he’s been smart enough to keep his mouth shut during this meeting. With the latest purchase of twenty thousand shares in your company, I’m now the majority shareholder.”

His eyes got wide and he glanced from his dad to me. “What?!”

“It seems your shareholders didn’t have the same confidence in your company that you do. I’m the majority shareholder and as per the bylaws, I get to appoint three new members to the board. I’ll be doing that shortly, but these three will outweigh the votes of the other two board members, more specifically, you two.”

I chucked the board appointments at him, the paper sliding across the table. He stopped the paper with his hand and looked down at it in disbelief.

“While you think it’s your company, I know it’s mine. This meeting was only a courtesy.”

“This is bullshit!” he raged. “Dad, you’re just going to let him do this?” Thomas shouted. He stood up, his chair flying back and slamming into the glass wall of the board room. Rage poured off him. He charged toward me as his dad caught his arm.

He was young, maybe just out of college. I’m sure his daddy told him all about running his own company. How they’d be doing it side by side and then I come and rip it out from under them. Too fucking bad.

“Stop, son. Just stop,” his dad said, gripping his arm tightly.

“Dad, you can’t let him do this,” he said, fiercely, with what looked like tears in his eyes.

“It’s okay, son. It’s okay,” he said, rubbing his son’s hair. A small pang hit me in my chest watching their interaction. My mother’s last words to me, practically sliced into my chest. Thomas stared over his father’s shoulder. And jabbed his finger at me.

“You may have gotten away with this, but don’t think you’re going to be on top forever, Thorne.”

His dad escorted him out and I went back to my office. The Boardroom Bastard. It was a moniker I wore proudly. People like them finally got a taste of what it was like to be on the losing side of a deal. No one to bail them out once I had my sights set on them. No one escaped my wrath.

As I stared out over the city, I was thinking how the thrill of conquering had waned in the last few years. The satisfaction I’d gotten from it was wearing thin. Maybe I was getting soft. Too comfortable and forgetting where I’d come from. The day dragged on slower than I’d ever experienced after the meeting. I wanted to see Rachel again.

My phone rang, and an unknown number appeared on my screen. I answered.

“A collect call from—” I ended the call. I didn’t have time for this shit right now. I had more important things to worry about. Like whether or not Rachel would show. Half of me hoped she wouldn’t come to the club. That last night would be the end of it and there’d be nothing else to discuss. She could run back to Rhys with nothing.

The other half of me wanted to play. Wanted to get a taste of those lips I’d touched yesterday and to see what she was hiding under all those layers.

I got to the club a little before eight. I let the security at the door know she’d be coming in later. Generally, only members were allowed in, guests only occasionally and with a full background check, but I’d greased the wheels a bit. Knowing the owner had its advantages. I made sure they knew which band she was to wear. She’d get a white mask. The mask for first timers who were still a little wary of being seen in a place like Ace’s.

I sat in my usual booth, and they sat my regular drink down in front of me. I tipped it back, letting the scotch’s smooth burn settle me as I leaned back in my booth, ready for the show. I was on my second drink when the door from the changing room opened into the club and Rachel stood, frozen in the doorway. Her head on a swivel, she took her first tentative steps into the room.

She took in everything in the room from the bar to the stage to the tiered seating that ran the length of the back wall. I could see her rapid breathing from there as she clutched her hands in front of her, like they were protecting her from prying eyes.

They weren’t.

Certainly, not mine.

Her plain black bra and panty set stood out amongst the more elaborate displays of leather and lace being showcased down here. But it confirmed what I’d already suspected. She was rocking a tight body under all those layers. Her tits surprised me most. Was she wearing a few sports bras under that outfit from before? They were more than I’d predicted. I was already imagining my hands on her. She’d be an overflowing handful and I didn’t have small hands. I could only imagine what her nipples would taste like in my mouth. Would she moan and cry out when I teased her with my teeth?

Her lips were the first thing I recognized. She was always nibbling on them when she hung in the background behind Rhys. I’d remember those anywhere. I was getting ahead of myself. I wasn’t going to go straight for the kill. I liked to play with my prey first.

She’d surprised me, twice now, and that didn’t happen often. I’d gotten pretty good at reading people over the years, and to me she came across as the good girl who always played by the rules. It shocked me that she came in at all. I’d have loved to have been there when they told her she’d have to take her clothes off to enter. I thought that would shake her off my tail once and for all, but it seemed she wasn’t going to back down as easily as I thought. Sturdier and more determined than she had looked. But now was the time to put that to the test. She glanced around and I knew she’d spotted me. I had a drink in my hand, and I’d smirked at her when she walked in. She faltered and turned away.

She saddled up to the bar, her wallet clutched in her hand, and slid onto a stool. Moments later, a woman slid into my booth, running her hands over my leg. She got a bit bolder when she saw my cock standing at attention. She licked her lips and it took everything in me to not push her out of the booth. I didn’t need her distracting me. The salute wasn’t for her and the glare I shot her had her slinking away in record time.

She put on her best wounded puppy look and I signaled to the bartender to get her a drink. I didn’t need her causing trouble for me. Not tonight. Frankie would kill me, if she had to ban another member for trying to attack me in the bar. I couldn’t help that women didn’t take rejection well, I’d suck it up this time. But my red band should have been a signal that tonight was not the night to fuck with me.

Rachel was a new arrival with a nubile body, her green band and white mask, which meant she attracted attention. A lot of attention, and the more she sat there, the more it pissed me off that men couldn’t tell she was taken. I shouldn’t have told the bouncer to give her that one. I’d thought it would be fun to watch her squirm, but the more men approached her, the more I wanted to rip their throats out. My desire to mark her was nearly overwhelming, and unsettling. I wasn’t territorial. I didn’t give a shit about any of the women I screwed.

I cared about a willing partner, a hot body, and an eager-to-please attitude for a session. But beyond that, I didn’t have time for the complications that came with a relationship. I didn’t play games and hated to be kept waiting, but this was different. I bided my time. I wanted to see how things would play out. I knew things were safe here. Frankie didn’t let anyone belong to the club who didn’t know how things worked, and if anyone crossed the line it only happened once.

There was no touching without permission or if someone wore a bright red band. And she wasn’t, so I’d sit back and let her squirm. Her charcoal curls tumbled down her back. She’d taken the chignon down, probably to try to hide her face away, but it wasn’t working. Any man within a five-mile radius could see how beautiful she was, even with the half mask on. She was fresh faced. Almost nothing on it as far as I could tell and not a natural look that actually took two hours to perfect. She was doing everything in her power to downplay her beauty. But when she was nearly naked it was even harder for her to hide behind all the roadblocks she put up.

A guy sat next to her at the bar and ordered a drink. She crossed her legs and turned toward him on her stool. The minutes ticked by and she wasn’t dismissing him. Wasn’t telling him to get lost and it irked me. When she threw back her head and laughed, the melodic sound invading my brain, I clenched my fists in anger and frustration. She was supposed to scamper off to a dark corner where I could pick her off easily. Show her how much of a big bad wolf I could be, and scare her away. But something told me that this place fascinated her more than it scared her. Perhaps she was looking for a wolf. She was wandering in the wilderness looking for a little big bad in her life. I was happy to oblige. I’d show her just how good my bite felt.

She slid down off the stool and began following the joker toward one of the back rooms. I nearly cracked my glass on the table as she tested my limits. As if she’d forgotten her whole reason for showing up here. Didn’t she know what happened back there? Was she really up for screwing someone she just met? If she was going to fuck with anyone, it wasn’t going to be with him.

My vision clouded with red and the blood pounded in my ears. She thought she could play games with me? I’d show her exactly the kind of games I liked to play.