Eight years later
Kendall
"You aced your finals. We have to at least celebrate with a drink once I close up for the night," I insist to my best friend, Skye. She just finished telling me how well her first year back at school went as she works hard to become a nurse. I'm so proud of her for going back to school and following her dreams after several disastrous years involved with a man who always put his dreams first. I'm so glad that relationship is over and she's moved on to a much better man and a blossoming future career.
"One drink, maybe two, but then I'm calling it a night. Noah hasn't had a day off in weeks. He's having a hard time finding new bartenders that meet all of his strict requirements. I don't want him waiting around for me for too long. He needs to get home and catch up on some much-needed rest."
"Something tells me once I get some alcohol in you the last thing Noah will be doing when you both get home is rest." Grabbing the closest thing on my desk I fist my pen and simulate a hand job as I give her a teasing wink. "I'll keep my promise. You just have to stay for one drink."
Pulling her short blonde hair with fresh new blue and purple highlights up in a ponytail she replies, "And I'd actually believe you if you didn't have a huge grin painted across your face as you try and convince me."
She knows me so well.
She continues, "A drink does sound good right about now. All of the science and math required to get my degree is giving me a permanent headache. I've been working so hard at trying to retain as much information as possible. My head is always in a book or researching online. Now that finals are over I finally feel like I can breathe a little. I'm going to make the most of summer break and do as little as possible so my poor mind can recuperate."
Jumping up from my black leather chair I shout, "Hell yes! This means I'll have my partner in crime back. I feel like I haven't had a block of quality time with you since September. Does this mean I get to drag you to workouts with me again?"
"As long as you promise to buy me a slice of my favorite cake afterwards, it's a date."
My hands pat down the creases in my black skater skirt before I sit back down in my chair. "Don't worry, best friend, I remember just how you like it," I tease.
"How do you always manage to make everything you say sound dirty? With that mouth of yours and your runway model looks, you're going to make some guy very lucky one day."
Skye always knows just the right thing to say. If she weren’t already my closest friend, I'd hang out with her just for the self-esteem boost. She's right, though. I've always been aware of the way men look at me. With my tall, slender and fit frame, straight long black hair, light eyes too unique to assign a color, and creamy clear complexion, I'd fit right in with the super models of the world. Karlie, Gigi, Kendall, and Bella would have one more woman to add to their squad.
The fact that I think about sex just as much, if not more than a man, makes me the entire package for most guys out there. Too bad I'm not interested in anything long-term.
Skye is my physical opposite but still cute and sexy. She's short–I mean, pixie short, while I have legs that go on for days. She has beautiful small curves that work for her petite frame, while my curves are voluptuous on my svelte frame. Her short hair is sexy and edgy; her green eyes are hypnotizing with their hint of blue and yellow rings around the iris. She has an infectious smile. She's kind and generous, and honestly, if I was a dude or a lesbian, I'd be fighting Noah for her ass.
"I just say what's on my mind, Skye. The sexual innuendos flow naturally, especially when all I can think about is having a drink with you and then going on the hunt to find someone to help me release some of this pent up sexual frustration."
"You act as if you haven't had sex in a while. Weren't you telling me how just two nights ago you ran into a guy who looked like Taye Diggs at a club down in Tribeca, and ended up screwing him inside one of the bathroom stalls?"
"Oh, yeah," I answer thoughtfully as I remember his hands on my body. "He had me pressed up against the green partition wall. It was a good night." I lift up three fingers indicating how many times he made me come, as I sigh out and lean back in my chair.
"How many guys is that for you now?"
"How should I know? Sex is supposed to be fun. If I start counting and keeping track then we're bringing math and guilt into my bed. That's not going to make my orgasms come any easier."
Skye laughs. "That's true. Plus, you should get it all out of your system now because once you meet the right guy the only number that will count will be his."
"Awe, that's romantic. I don't believe a word of it, but it's sweet."
She sighs and rolls her eyes. "So you've given up on Levi then. Couldn't he be the love of your life?"
Just the sound of his name makes my back tense, my shoulders fall back, and my heartbeat race with unwanted anxiety. Levi Bryant is over six feet tall and two hundred forty-five pounds of pure muscle. I want to trace each line on his chiseled chest with my tongue. I've never been more physically attracted to a man. He's also the most frustrating man on the face of the planet. He's the Rubik’s cube I can't figure out. He's played hard to get for so long that I'm on edge even thinking about him.
I met Levi about a year ago. In fact, it was the night before Skye's engagement party to her ex-fiancé, Caleb. Caleb, Noah, Skye, and I had all been drinking at Bar Forbidden when Levi stopped by our table to talk with Noah. That's when Noah introduced us all to the guy who won't give me the time of day. Back then Levi was the newest member of Noah's security team and I've wanted him ever since he smiled over at me with those gorgeous dimples of his. I haven't been able to seduce him yet. Honestly, the chase was fun in the beginning but now I just want to know why he's so hard to crack.
"Hardly," I answer honestly. "After all this time I'm still trying to get him under me. I want to rub my hands over his closely shaved head and lick his dimples. Have you seen his dimples?"
"I have."
"I mean, come on! I want to ride his dimples until the lips between them work me so good I'm screaming out his name. You could help me, you know? Start fishing for details about him from Noah."
"I've tried but Noah is a sealed vault. He won't tell me anything. He said he's not meddling."
"Well, if he doesn't start meddling I may do something crazy. I've tried just about everything else to get the man to notice me but nothing works."
It's true. I've tried everything short of dragging him to a secluded space and laying on a table naked in offering.
"He notices you, Kendall. Any man in the same room with you would have a hard time not noticing you."
"Thanks, doll. I needed to hear that." Not to sound conceded but she's right. I'm a fucking catch. "New subject. Do you have any plans to go back to Michigan and visit your parents?"
"I booked the flight last night. I'm excited to go home for a little while. I enjoy the craziness that is New York, but I miss my small, quiet hometown sometimes." Skye tells me about the next trip she has planned and we talk for hours while I work. I pay invoices, work on next week's schedule, arrange a lunch with Noah and one of the city alderman, and clean up the office, all while taking the occasional phone call and answering client emails about bookings.
When I lost my job several years ago I never thought I would find a new job as quickly as I did, especially not one I love. Meeting Noah at the bakery that fateful afternoon was the best thing that could have happened to me. I was in no immediate need for cash, but I knew I needed to find a job so I didn't spend my inheritance. Noah gave me this job and working at Forbidden Desires is the longest I've ever held a job. I make mistakes all the time, yet Noah is patient with me. He could have fired me last year after the whole incident with Skye being attacked and secretly working for the company behind his back, but he didn't. I'll forever be grateful for that.
The sound of the phone ringing makes me glad the office will be closing soon. The phone in the office has been dead for the last fifteen minutes so it pains me to have to answer another phone call. "Forbidden Desires, Incorporated. What's your pleasure?" I try and hold back an irritated groan begging to be released past my lips at the sound of this guy's desperate voice. I'm glad Skye is here because she understands the type of men I have to deal with night after night. Whenever she visits, the evening goes fast and I'm always erupting with laughter. Laughter is good for the soul but not so good when I'm trying to answer the phone for this line of work.
"This is my last night in town before I have to head back home to Idaho and I need to get laid. Do you have any women available tonight?" I let out another irritated groan. There's always a desperate guy who doesn't quite grasp our services.
"We don't sell actual sex here, sir. That's illegal. What I can do is check if any female escorts are still available for the evening to offer you companionship."
"I don't care if you want to call her an escort, prostitute, or hooker, as long as she still gets the job done."
Like I said. Desperate.
"Sir, we do not solicit sex here but let me see if an escort is available for the night." I click a couple buttons on the keyboard and watch the monitor to see if we have any last-minute openings. After a careful appraisal, I see we don't.
"I'm sorry, sir, but it looks like we have no one available for the evening. We book up quickly so it's rare to find an escort available this late at night unless there is a last-minute cancellation. What I can offer you, if you're interested, is a phone date with one of the beautiful women on our PSO staff."
I hate when these men call last-minute and think they can just get whoever they want sent over to them. Forbidden Desires is as classy as the sex industry gets. Most of our girls get booked weeks in advance and I'm speaking the truth when I say we don't sell the act of physical sex. Our escorts are there to accompany men who need a date for the night. If sex happens on those dates it's completely the escort's decision and we don't want to know anything about it.
"I guess that will have to do. Are you sure no one is available?"
"I'm sure, sir," I answer as I dramatically roll my eyes and Skye covers her mouth with her hand to mask her giggle. "I'm going to put you through our automated system. You'll need to follow the prompts and after you put your financial information in you can select one of our friendly and passionate women to talk to. Have a great night and remember to contact us in advance the next time you're in New York."
I send him to the automated system and look at the clock. It's time to close up. Tossing the key over to Skye I instruct her to lock up and she does. I make quick work of shutting down the computers, phones, and lights and then we wait inside the door for Levi to come walk us down. A member of the security team always walks me out. Noah used to send up whoever was available at the end of the night, but ever since Levi started working for him I've requested Levi be the one to walk me out. I thought Noah would give me shit over the request but he never teased me.
We only have to wait a few moments before there is a knock at the door. "Kendall, I'm here to walk you out whenever you're ready." Levi's deep masculine voice is muffled behind the office door, but I know it's him. He says the same exact thing to me almost every night.
"His voice is so...yummy," I whisper.
"I think you've mentioned that before." Skye smiles. "Instead of admiring his pipes from in here you should probably open the door for him."
We walk out and I lock up before turning around to see him for the first time tonight. When I look into his hazel eyes with flecks of sea blue and muddy green, he gives me that adorable smile and I swear his dimples dare me to kiss them.
Levi is huge. I'm talking NFL linebacker huge. His buff arms and broad shoulders practically want to bust from the body-hugging Bar Forbidden t-shirt he's wearing. He's got on a pair of black slacks that are tight around his quads and a pair of black sneakers. It's not the most stylish outfit around but it does a good job at flaunting his perfectly muscular body. He must work out constantly to maintain that body.
"You're looking sexy tonight, Levi." In the past my flirtatious comments made him blush but now he's used to them.
"You look beautiful as always, Kendall. The same goes for you, Skye. Can I get you girls a cab?"
"We're going to have a drink at the bar while I wait for Noah," Skye answers, and we begin to head over to the bar. Bar Forbidden is just one of the many businesses under Forbidden Desires, Incorporated and Noah owns them all. As Noah's secretary, I work in the office and handle the customers who call in for escorts, phone sex operators, strippers, our web cam girls, and the pole dancing classes we just started offering on Tuesday mornings. Across the street from the office is the hottest bar and club in New York. Everyone has heard of Bar Forbidden and Club Desire, and if you're a celebrity in town it's the first place you go.
Bar Forbidden is your typical bar thrown in the center of the Upper East Side. The place has an old charm to it, with modern touches like the seven flat screen televisions playing a different sporting event on each channel. The lighting is intimate and it's what makes the place so perfect. It's great for a date or a guys' night out.
If you walk through Bar Forbidden, you'll find the entrance to Club Desire. There's a separate cover to get past the velvet rope, and it's not cheap. If you plan on going in you should plan on spending a small fortune and it's totally worth it. The music is loud and seductive and there are always beautifully flawless women dancing on each stage. It's not a strip club–none of the girls get completely naked. It's more of an erotic dance club. The women on the stage dress in expensive lingerie and dance sensually as the patrons look on.
What Noah's grandfather created when he started this business was a genius idea, and over the years Noah's perfected it.
When we walk in, Bar Forbidden is getting ready to shut down for the night. The club will remain open until four but since Skye only agreed to a quick drink we stay in the bar. I walk us back to a round table top and sit down on one of the vintage stools.
"What do you ladies want?" Levi asks and I notice he doesn't sit down with us. "I'll go get it for you before I get back to work."
"You don't want to drink with us?" I ask disappointed.
"I'll have to pass, but thanks for the offer."
"I want tequila," Skye requests enthusiastically. "Want to do tequila shots, Ken?"
"Tequila it is!" I shout and Levi turns without a word and heads over to the bar.
"Look at his ass. You could bounce a quarter off that thing."
Skye looks his way and agrees. "He does have a nice ass–"
"Are you looking at another guy's ass, shorty?" Noah interrupts as he comes up behind Skye and wraps his arms around her. His beard rubs against her skin and he kisses her temple before adding, "We haven't even been married long enough for you to be bored with me."
He tries to discreetly slip a Hershey's kiss in her hand but I see it, and I know the story behind those kisses. It's incredibly romantic.
"Kendall was commenting on Levi's ass again, and I was just agreeing with her. The guy is fit."
Noah laughs and then directs his next question at me. "You're still trying to hook up with Levi? I don't know how I feel about two of my employees dating. If things go bad I'll have to choose and we all know Skye will make me choose you. I don't want to lose the best bouncer on my security team."
"Oh, please," I say, getting ready to defend myself. Noah's like the big brother I never had, and when your big brother gives you a hard time, you have to fight back. "Who said anything about dating? Besides, weren't you the one who brought Xaria to Skye's engagement party last year? Last I checked she dances at Club Desire and the boss dating a dancer is an HR mess." Skye visually flinches as I bring up that bad memory for her and I give her an apologetic smile.
Kissing Skye on the cheek, Noah lets go of her and stands up straight. He looks brooding and sexy with his messy brown hair, brown eyes, and gorgeous colorful tattooed sleeve. Underneath his sexy rough exterior is a sweetheart who loves my best friend more than anything. "Do you mean Skye's engagement party to another man? I brought Xaria to make Skye jealous and it worked. She was making a huge mistake marrying Caleb. I needed her to see it. Thankfully she did, although it took her forever to figure it out."
Turning around on her stool, Skye wraps her hands around Noah's neck and stares up at him adoringly just as Levi approaches the table with a tray full of shots. "Have I mentioned how much I don't deserve you?" Skye asks. "I'm going to spend my life showing you just how much I love you."
"You don't need to, shorty. I already know." He leans in to kiss her and it's all I can take of their sappy love fest. Grabbing a shot off the tray Levi abandoned, I lift the glass to my lips and tilt my head back, consuming the hard liquor. It goes down smoothly and instead of chasing it with a lime, I grab another glass and down it. I get a glimpse of Levi's ass before he walks into Club Desire and I have to suppress a moan.
I hate that I may never get to be with him. I hate that I might never get to feel what that body can do.
"Slow down, Ken. At the rate you're going I'll be picking you up off the floor before I even get a chance to knock one back."
I grab two more shot glasses off the tray and hand her one. "Here's to finals being over, and to you and Noah getting a happily ever after. I still can't believe the two of you up and got married last year without telling anyone." The glass hits my lips and the tequila slides down my throat before I even give her a chance to add her wisdom to the toast.
Setting the glass down I can already feel my head getting foggy and my lips tingle. Skye chases her shot with a lime and I wait for her to finish. Noah sticks around and the three of us continue talking. Levi is nowhere in sight.
It feels like an hour later and I'm six shots in and dancing to the music coming through from Club Desire. The bar is closed and Skye and I are the only two people in here that aren't working.
"If you two ladies are done having fun, I think it's time I take my bride home," Noah says, interrupting our dancing.
Tripping over her own feet Skye leaps into his arms and gives him a sloppy kiss as her hands assault his body. "Please take me home," she begs and I sigh out frustrated, knowing she is getting laid tonight while I'm going home alone.
Skye sucks on his bottom lip before he pulls away and agrees. "Anything for you, shorty."
Grabbing my purse off the table and digging through it for my phone I gently slur, "I'm going to head home, too."
"Let me call you a cab," Noah insists.
I open the app and request a ride. "No need, I just requested an Uber. My driver is four minutes away."
Noah looks like he wants to fight me on this. He's always such a gentleman and I know it must kill him when I act independently and he can't be chivalrous.
"I'll walk her out." Levi's hand falls against my lower back and his chest presses against my shoulders. "I requested off early tonight so I'm headed home now, too." His voice sends a strong shiver down my back that I'm sure he can feel through the tips of his fingers.
"Okay, thanks, man. Hope you’re able to get a few hours of sleep once you get home," Noah replies before looking directly at me. "Please send Skye a text once you're in your apartment."
"I will."
"I mean it, Kendall. Last time you got drunk like this I asked you to send her a text and you passed out instead. I ended up across town at six a.m. banging on your front door to make sure you were okay."
Putting my hands up in surrender I giggle. "Okay, okay. I'll text her."
I give Skye a hug and then head outside for my Uber. Levi's hand never leaves my back and I like the comforting feeling his touch gives me. If only he would move his hand a little lower.
"You don't have to wait with me." Looking down at the app I add, "My driver will be here in less than two minutes."
"I don't mind waiting. Besides, I have twenty minutes to get to the subway."
Twisting my neck around so I can look at him more directly I ask, "Why are you taking the train? You can just share an Uber with me."
"I don't think we live near each other."
"Who says we have to make two stops?"
He smiles down at me sympathetically just as a red sedan with Uber signage displayed on the windshield pulls up to the curb. "I'm flattered, Kendall. I really am-"
"No need to finish that sen...sentence." I'm having a hard time focusing on what I'm trying to say. The alcohol hit me a lot harder than I thought. "I know...when I'm being...rejected." I can tell he wants to say more to me, but he listens to my request and opens the back door for me to get in. The driver gives me a courteous greeting and Levi studies him for a moment before sliding in the backseat with me.
"Wha-what are you doing?"
"I changed my mind," he speaks roughly. "Sharing an Uber isn't a bad idea." His words fill me with hope. Just when I thought there was absolutely no chance of anything happening between us, he shocks me by coming home with me. He's the most difficult man to read.
Our driver pulls away from the curb and my renewed hope for a wild night with Levi is crushed all over again when he tells the driver, "We're going to be making two stops."