2am secrets, p.1
2AM Secrets, page 1
2am
SECRETS
M. Piper
Lauren and Brandi, thank you for sticking by my side, not letting me give up, and helping me finish this book. I love you two forever.
<3
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book is for sale to ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains substantial sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be access by minors.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
Copyright 2020 M. Piper
Cover design © 2020 Inked Imprints
Chapter 1
Sadie
“Shit, shit, shit,” I cursed. “Fuck!”
“Language!” my grandma yelled downstairs and I let out an annoyed huff.
“Sorry, Mimi,” I yelled back and cringed when I heard her scoff at my tone, but I didn’t have time for niceties. I was about to be late for work, which couldn’t happen tonight. So instead of apologizing again, I continued searching the foyer for my keys. They had to be somewhere in this house. Hell, I got home last night with them so they couldn’t have just walked away. Tonight was the busiest night of the year, the New Year’s Eve Resolution Gala on Navy Pier, and I finally snagged the top spot. I was the head bartender in the VIP area. You had to have money to get in, which meant I’d probably leave work with tips that equaled out to more than my monthly pay.
One night.
Thousands of dollars.
Well. Maybe. No keys meant no way to work and no way to work meant kissing those tips goodbye. God, I needed those tips.
“Lost them again?” The low voice, speckled with a hint of a southern accent, rumbled me to my core and sent a warm tingle down my spine. I knew that voice all too well. I’d dreamed of that voice almost nightly for years.
I spun around and my eyes hit the face of the hottest guy I’d ever laid eyes on. And unfortunately for me, that was about as far as my thoughts could go. Even with as much as I wanted to take them further and daydream about his lips on mine, I couldn’t. Archer was my brother’s best friend and if there was one rule my brother and I stuck to, it was the whole rule about not touching each other’s friends. We had a deal, and that was that.
No fucking each other’s friends.
It was a pretty rock solid pact that I had no trouble following. Well, at least until Archer had to go and hit puberty like a beast, coming out the other side looking like a damn GQ model with the perfect amount of tanned skin and scruff on a daily basis. He was twenty-five, three months older than me and almost to the date, but he carried himself like he was in his thirties, which reminded me daily that I needed someone on my own level. Not the level that Archer was on. The fact that he owned his own security company that hit the Fortune 500 list last year put him miles above me, the bartender who never finished college and lived with her grandma.
He was completely out of my league.
“Sadie. You need a ride to work.” It wasn’t a question as much as it was a demand. He knew I had lost my keys again. It was something I did frequently but usually I’d take Sam’s car. Archer had been a part of my brother’s life for years but he and I never really had much of a friendship. In truth, he should have felt as much of a brother as my own flesh and blood. I shouldn’t, in any way, be fantasizing about his lips on mine. But I did. Plenty of times. So no, it was definitely not a close relationship we had.
“No,” I said, finally answering him. I made a face as I tried to cover up the lust in my expression. “Nope.” I threw my hands to my hips and tried to pull my eyes from his gaze but it was useless. He had me locked in and damnit if he didn’t know it. “I’m good, thanks.”
“Yeah, you are aren’t you?” The left side of his mouth curved up and he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, then, very obviously, let his eyes rake down my body and back up until he met my gaze again. The swipe of his eyes made my stomach clench and my spine tingle with feelings I didn’t need to experience. Ever.
He pulled his keys from his pocket and waved them in the air. “Let’s go. Your brother is still sleeping so I can kill some time before waking his ass up.”
“I- er- no.” I wanted to kick myself for how awkward I was being, but I was too busy fumbling over my words to attempt that. “No thanks. I really need to get to work.” I grabbed my purse, flung it over my shoulder, and headed for the front door. Keys be damned, I refused to get into a car with Archer Crowe.
“How are you doing that without any keys?” He wasn’t going to give up and I didn’t blame him. Lately, any time the two of us were in the same room you could practically feel the sizzle of electricity between us. I wanted him and vice versa, which would never be able to happen. The one time he tried getting closer was about a month ago, and I ran away faster than I used to run on the school track team. He knew how I felt. I knew how he felt. That meant putting the two of us in a tight space together was the worst idea I’d heard in a long time.
“I’ll walk,” I snapped back at him and flung the door open.
Negative three. It was negative fucking three degrees outside and I was walking out in a tiny black dress I was sure as shit going to rock tonight for those tips.
I stood on the porch, half in and half out of the house and stared at the frozen city before me. I could do this. I had to.
I was so wrapped up in getting away from him, that when he pressed his body against my back and leaned down to my ear, I yelped and jumped almost slipping on a patch of ice.
His arm went around me first then he pulled me to him and chuckled so low it reverberated between my legs and became an intense need. God, that laugh. Not to mention how perfect his strong arm felt around me. He could hold me like this all day if he wanted to. Especially if he kept looking at me like he was. Like he wanted to devour me.
“You won’t make it like this, Sade.” The nickname he gave me rolled off his tongue like his favorite whiskey and my body shuddered. We’d been through a similar song and dance like this plenty of times in the past few months. He’d approach me, I’d turn to a puddle at his feet, but I always got away before taking it too far.
Having my body pressed against his like this was probably too far, but I couldn’t stop it from happening.
“I’m okay,” I whispered weakly. “You can let go of me,” my voice said but my heart wasn’t behind it. Because for the first time in forever, I finally felt as if everything was going to be okay. My parents died when I was sixteen and everything in my life crumpled. My grandma got sick two years ago and I moved back home to take care of her, but I knew that feeling of loneliness all too well. I felt it ebbing into me every day as I watched my grandma’s health deteriorate.
My brother didn’t get it. He wasn’t as invested in the emotional side of it as I was, and maybe that was my curse for having a vagina, but I knew soon he’d move out, Mimi would pass, and I’d be alone in this massive house.
So having Archer pressed against me like this? It felt way too good. And didn’t I need something good every now and then?
“You can let me go, Archer. I won’t fall.” I looked up at him and my breath hitched. He wasn’t looking at me like I was a friend. He was looking at me like he wanted more from me than just the warm embrace he had me in.
That cocky smirk he wore on a daily basis was plastered on his face as his hands snaked ever so slightly lower on my back and curved onto my ass. The satisfaction on his face when I didn’t stop him was hot as hell. It was like he’d wanted to do this a million times in the past and he was finally striking gold. Jesus, his hands felt good.
“What if I don’t want to let you go?” He searched my eyes then dipped his head and pressed his lips to mine, gently at first. As if a warning of what was to come. Warmth spread over me despite the negative temperature at my back. I gave in to the kiss, darted my tongue out to taste his lips, and let his slide through my lips at the same time. My body was on fire, hot from need and lust. I didn’t want to think anymore.
But I had to.
With a snap, I pulled back and looked at him like he just kicked a puppy across the road.
“What did you do?” I whispered, panicked as the realization of what we just did set in.
“Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” he whispered, but before I could reply I heard footsteps stomping down the stairs.
Shit!
I pushed away from Archer so fast I almost fell on my ass again, making him laugh and me want to slug his smug ass.
“Sadie?” I heard my brother call out. “Sades! I have your keys!”
“Oh!!” I scurried around Archer, but not before getting a good whiff of his cologne and mentally slapping myself for what I just did. Great, now every time I smell that thick, spicy scent I’m going to think of him. “In here!” I called out to my brother as I rounded the corner. He stopped at the bottom of the steps and his eyebrows shot up.
“What the hell are you wearing?” His fist gripped my keys and I rolled my eyes. Of course he’d give me trouble for this outfit.
“I’m late for work, Sam, just give me my keys.” I stuck my hand out and waited for him to toss me the keys to my car. But he didn’t.
He stepped down in front of me and his eyebrows bunched together. He was three minutes younger than me and yet he acted like an overprotective big brother. In high school it drove me nuts. In college it worked out a few times when we partied too hard and I needed an out from guys I clearly had beer goggles for. But now? I was old enough and didn’t need his overbearing opinions.
“That’s not your typical work attire, Sadie.”
“No, it’s not. It’s the attire that’s going to land me some awesome tips tonight.” I wiggled my eyebrows to piss him off and heard someone clear their throat behind me. Knowing full well it was Archer, I tried to ignore him but Sam’s eyes focused behind me and I, for one moment, assumed I’d been caught.
Until my brother spoke.
“Is her ass hanging out? I can’t look at my sister’s ass. But is it hanging out, man?” Sam sounded panicked and when I turned to look at Archer my cheeks immediately heated at the dark look he was giving me.
“You want me to check out your sister’s ass?” Archer smirked and Sam growled.
“Just…Fuck, no. Not check out. Just look. You wouldn’t let your sister leave the house like this either, Archer.”
“Just happy I don’t have a sister,” Archer mumbled while trying not to look too pleased at the open invitation to check me out.
I watched as he took his time appreciating my backside, the length of my legs, and studied my ass to appease my brother. The whole thing was fucked up and I knew I should just go. Hell, I was already late for work.
But I really enjoyed the way he was looking at me.
“Looks fine to me.” Archer shrugged nonchalantly and my mouth almost popped open in offense until I found Archer’s eyes and they said way more than his mouth just did. They said everything I was thinking and feeling about that kiss. Everything wrong about it and everything oh so right.
Hell, I needed out before my brother caught on to the look Archer was giving me.
“Keys,” I snapped, then reached out and snatched them from my brother who looked like he might have a coronary. Great.
I didn’t look back on my way out to the car. And I definitely didn’t take a deep breath as I walked past Archer.
Nope. I didn’t. Just like I didn’t feel my nipples tighten when he locked eyes on me as I passed by and I definitely didn’t let out a whimper when my shoulder accidentally brushed his arm.
Fucked. Fucked was the term I was looking for.
On the drive to work I spaced out three times and almost wrecked once. The ice was ridiculous and we were about to get hit with another storm in a few hours, but that wouldn’t stop people from coming out to the party. It was Chicago, after all. If you couldn’t survive winters in Chicago, you weren’t meant to be here.
When I finally made it, I checked my makeup in the flip down mirror of my ten-year-old Chevy and slid out of the car as ladylike as possible. Bartending in a dress like this on a normal night was a risk, but on a night like tonight it was needed. I knew the money would be there for tips tonight and money was one thing I needed.
“You’re twenty minutes late,” my friend Amanda whispered as I snuck in through a back door and tried to log in without anyone noticing my incorrect time stamp.
“Car problems. It’s so cold it didn’t want to start.” I gave Amanda a quick hug, thanking her silently for not ratting me out like some other employees would have. This was a cutthroat industry and there were plenty of people out there that wanted the position I had worked years for.
“Lee’s on a warpath already. The delivery was late this morning so nothing’s as organized as he wants it.” Amanda clutched onto my hand as she gave me the rundown of the day and then we got to work stocking the bar so we wouldn’t have to make too many runs to the back when we opened in a few hours.
The minute the doors opened it was go time. I got to work pouring drinks and Amanda and I fell into a routine that kept the booze flowing and the money coming in. It had been five hours since Archer’s lips were on mine, not that I was counting, but even with as busy of a night as it was shaping up to be, I still couldn’t shake how good it felt.
But I had a job to do. And I had to do it well. Tips were on the right track, but midnight wasn’t happening for a while so I had time to earn more.
A lot could happen before midnight.
“Ma’am,” a man said as he approached the bar while I was cleaning up from a spill one of my waitresses had stupidly made. “Hey,” he said louder, then slammed his glass down on the bar. I had to remind myself to breathe so I didn’t end up plucking this asshole’s eyeballs out with a spoon.
I rolled my eyes before turning around and smiling at him, throwing all the charm at the asshole I’d like to drop. He was an older man, pudgy around the middle with a receding hairline that made him look more like a cartoon character than anything else.
“What can I get you?” I laid down the towel I was holding and slowly leaned forward on the bar, knowing the ladies were looking like they wanted to spill out, but I also knew the man in front of me had the tip ready. All for a little show.
His eyes traveled down to my cleavage which made me feel dirty, but not enough to stop the game. He smirked and his eyes flashed back to mine.
“Body shots?” His eyes were glossed over and I forced out a laugh even though my nerves were rolling.
“No.” I said flatly then pointed out to the dance floor. “But I’m sure there are plenty of women out there that would let you.” For the right price, I thought. “I can get you a regular shot, however.”
“I want it from your tits.” His slurred words made me cringe. “Don’t make that face, it does nothing for you doll. Whatd’ya say? Four figures for a few shots from those beauties?” He licked his lips and my hands trembled. It was a natural response any time the drunks got a little rowdy. Unfortunately, this wasn’t my first rodeo when it came to handling a very forthcoming one.
But it never got any easier.
“You can either walk away and not come back to my bar tonight, or I can call the bouncer over here to fully escort you off the property.” I glared at him, stood my ground, and fully expected him to walk away. He was a creep, but he didn’t look stupid as he smirked slowly and shot back at me.
“Or you can bend over this bar so I can see how nice those tits hold my shot glass.”
The minute the words left his mouth a hand clasped onto his shoulder from behind. My eyes snapped behind the drunk and landed on my brother who looked absolutely deadly.
“Or I can take you out back and knock your teeth out as a reminder that just because you have money doesn’t mean you can fuck with good girls.”
Sam was a fighter by nature and had gotten himself into plenty of fights back when we were in high school. But the look in his eyes as he stared at the greasy drunk told me that he had never seen a fight like the one he wanted to give this man.
“Sam,” I managed to blurt through the nerves this creep was giving me. I was terrified to be honest, and while I wanted to be tough I was actually relieved Sam showed up tonight. He had mentioned possibly dropping in if nothing else panned out but I hadn’t expected it. With him something better almost always came up and it was almost always in the form of a walking Barbie doll. “He was just leaving.” I wanted to downplay it but my brother could always see right through my lies.
“The hell I was,” the man grumbled and I thought my brother’s eyes were going to pop out of his head.
“Excuse us.” He yanked the man away from the bar and I let out the breath I was holding. I didn’t want to know what Sam was doing to the man. I could only hope my boss didn’t find out.
“He may kill him,” Archer’s low voice rumbled from the other side of the bar and my spine tingled.
