An Act of Restraint: Order & Chaos Book 1 Page 8

  A knock on my office door pulled me out of my reverie. I pursed my lips, hoping it wasn't A.J. I didn't even want to look at him right now.

  "Come in," I called out in an irritated tone.

  The door cracked open and Angel peeked in with a soft smile. "Hey, you got a minute?"

  "I always have a minute for you," I managed to return her smile. Angel was my closest friend in the world. I always had time for her.

  She walked in, plopped down right next to me, and laid her head on my shoulder. "A.J. is practically all over his client right now," she said quietly.

  "I know," I grumbled.

  "Are you going to have a talk with him again?"

  "Maybe next week." I leaned my head on hers. "I don't have it in me to deal with it today." My voice sounded pathetic even to me.

  "What's going on, Ford?" she asked in a worried voice as she patted my knee absently. "You haven't been yourself all week. Did breaking up with Sarina bother you that much?"

  I let out a little laugh. I'd barely given Sarina a thought since I broke up with her. "Are you ready for a true confession?" I asked her. I needed to talk to somebody about Jenny, since keeping it to myself and hoping my feelings for her would go away obviously wasn't working.

  "Oh, that sounds juicy," she said excitedly as she sat up and turned to face me with an intrigued expression. "Lay it on me."

  "I slept with a client last weekend." I just blurted it out, and it felt good to tell someone.

  "Get the fuck out!" Angel's eyes were wide and incredulous. I looked back at her sheepishly. She waited a beat, like she thought I'd tell her I was joking. "You're not kidding, are you?"

  "Nope," I said in resignation. "Your boss is a hypocrite."

  "What the hell happened?"

  I told her everything, from the instant attraction to how unbelievable the sex was. I even told her how hurt that I was to find Jenny gone, and the nightly sex dreams about the girl I couldn't seem to stop having. I just couldn't get her out of my head.

  "You've got it bad, Ford," she said with a frown. "That's the same way I felt when I met Raina. Are you sure there's no way you can try to find her?"

  "Nah," I said dejectedly. "She paid cash and I didn't even get her last name. I have no idea where she works or lives. It figures, first I strike out on that stupid fetish dating site, and then the first time I feel anything real for a girl she fucking disappears on me. I feel pathetic."

  Angel was one of the few people who knew about my kinks. She never judged me for it, and I didn't give a shit that she was a lesbian. It was nice to have a friend I could share anything with and be myself around. You had to be careful who knew about your kinky proclivities. There were some who considered people like me a pervert and a freak. I found that out the hard way. Being judged harshly by someone you trusted for something that was a part of you, and only involved consenting adults, pissed me off. Both Angel and I understood how that felt.

  "I have just the thing to cheer you up," Angel said with a wide grin as she tucked a stray lock of purple and blue hair behind her ear. Her eyes were lit up mischievously.

  I eyed her suspiciously. "Like what?" I crossed my arms defensively.

  "Devon and I are going out after we close tonight. You should go with us."

  I gave her a dubious stare. "Going out where?"

  "Some dance club, I think," she answered with a shrug. "It was Devon's idea." I rolled my eyes. Devon's taste in clubs ran to blinding strobe lights and shitty DJs.

  "You're not selling it, Angel," I growled at her with a grimace.

  "Come on, you never go out anymore," she pleaded reasonably. "Raina will be there. She was just complaining the other day that she rarely sees you anymore."

  "That's because I'm here all the fucking time," I complained, but she turned her best pleading look on me. I sighed. I loved Angel's girlfriend. I hadn't seen her in a while, and I did miss her. My business was taking up most of my time lately, and I really needed a distraction from thoughts of Jenny anyway. "Alright, fine. I'll go." I uncrossed my arms and slumped down further on the couch in resignation.

  Angel practically squealed as she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. "I promise. You won't regret it." She hopped up, bounced toward the door, and flung it open.

  "I already do!" I called out petulantly as she walked out. Her only response was giddy laughter as she disappeared down the hall.

  **********

  I was pretty sure that The Indigo Room was where dreams went to die. I was assaulted by loud thumping dance music as I trailed Angel and Raina into the club. I followed them here in my truck, so I had an escape route when I had enough. It was looking like that wouldn't take long to happen.

  The dance club was in an old warehouse. There were lights shining upward onto the exposed brick walls that changed color, rotating through blue, green, and purple. The dance floor was huge with several slightly raised seating areas flanking it, and blue lights shone across the floor along the raised edges. A DJ booth sat along one wall overlooking the throng of gyrating bodies as LED lights swirled over the crowd, changing colors as they flowed around the room. The whole place made me glad I didn't have a seizure disorder.

  "There's Devon!" Raina announced as she pointed toward the bar. Angel's girlfriend was striking, tall and slender with long black hair cut into thick bangs that framed her blue eyes and high cheekbones. A large tattoo of bright flowers wrapped around her right upper arm. She was wearing skinny jeans and a black leather bustier. She looked like the complete opposite of Angel, who was in a short bright floral dress. I liked Raina a lot, and she was good to Angel. They complimented each other and made a good couple.

  I followed the girls past the bar to a nearby table where Devon was waiting for us. He was tall and muscular, with dark skin, short black hair, and multiple facial piercings. He did all the piercing at Apex Ink, and was very good at his job. I was lucky to have him, even if the club he dragged us out to was a nightmare.

  "Hey, guys!" Devon greeted us with a wide grin as we took a seat. "Isn't this place nuts?"

  "It's amazing!" Angel said as she glanced around. I guess she and I had different ideas about what constituted amazing. "I can't believe you snagged us a table."

  "I can't believe you got Ford to come out." Devon eyed me with a wry smile. "I was starting to think he forgot how to have fun."

  "I know how to have fun just fine," I answered, returning his wry smile.

  "Good," Angel added. "Then let's go dance."

  "Oh hell no," I blurted out incredulously. "There's no way in hell you're dragging me into that. I'll just stay here and guard the table."

  "See?" Devon added. "Told ya. No fun whatsoever."

  I flipped him off as the three of them rose to go dance. I watched them walk away with a sigh, thinking maybe I should have stayed home. I ordered a beer when a waitress came by, then sipped on it and started people watching after she dropped it off. This place was a meat market. It was like watching a nature documentary on the mating habits in the urban environment. It was definitely entertaining, and there were a lot of smoking hot women to ogle too. Maybe coming here wasn't a complete waste of time.

  Then a familiar face on the dance floor caught my eye. I blinked and did a double take, not quite believing my eyes. There was Jenny in the middle of the dance floor, wearing the most heart-stopping blue dress that I'd ever seen. It hugged all those luscious curves of hers that I ran my hands all over last weekend. She was dancing in front of some asshole and running her hands up his chest. I ground my teeth together as a surge of jealousy ignited inside me. I watched as the guy grabbed Jenny's hip and moved closer to her. A deep growl rumbled in my chest, and I gripped my beer tighter. I guess I was the only one that thought our night together meant something. She was already out trolling for someone else.

  I continued watching them, bitter anger roiling inside me. Within moments, they were grinding against each other. I had a sudden urge to go over there and beat t
he shit out of that asshole for touching what was mine. Mine? Where the hell did that thought come from?

  Jenny whispered something into the jackass' ear, and the two of them headed toward the bar. She didn't notice me at all as they passed by my table. He bought four shots and stood there leering at her tits while she drank one of them with her back toward me. I didn't like the way he was looking at her at all. Something was off with this guy.

  Jenny downed her second shot, and the asshole was suddenly all over her, grabbing her ass and kissing her. I barely caught myself before I leapt up to go kick his ass. Why was I this possessive? She wasn't mine. She made that abundantly clear when she took off on me. Fine, he could fucking have her. I was better off without her anyway.

  I was just about to turn away and try to forget that I'd ever met her, when she abruptly pushed him away. The asshat looked angry. Apparently, he didn't like what she was saying. I hoped that meant she was giving him the brush-off. I didn't think I could stomach watching her leave with some other guy.

  Jenny walked away from him, and the surge of relief that hit me was unbelievable. He glared at her back, an ugly hateful look crossing his face. Oh, this guy was bad news alright, and I watched him closely as his eyes followed Jenny until she disappeared down the hallway to the restrooms. He snatched his last shot off the bar and tipped it back before taking a few moments to pay the bartender. Then the asshole took off in the same direction Jenny went with an angry determined expression. Shit. I didn't know what he had planned, but it wasn't anything good. I jumped to my feet and hurried after him, skirting the edge of the dance floor to shorten the distance.

  Suddenly, a leggy brunette with massive tits was blocking my path in a red dress that had barely enough fabric to cover all of her assets. She put her hands on my chest and smiled up at me seductively.

  "Hey, stud," she purred as she leaned in close, so I could hear her. "Why don't you come dance with me."

  "I'm sorry. I don't dance," I answered her as I glanced in the direction I'd been heading. I didn't want that asshole to lay a hand on my Jenny. My Jenny? Holy hell, I'm insane.

  "We could get out of here, and find something else to do together." Her voice was breathy and suggestive.

  "Sorry. Not interested," I said dismissively, and tried to step around her, but she sidestepped to block me. She looked offended and opened her mouth to speak again. I didn't have time for this shit. I grabbed her upper arms and lifted her off her feet, then set her back down out of my way. I hurried past her, ignoring the obscenities she yelled after me.

  I entered the hallway and it was empty, so I followed it back to where it turned to the left. I came around the corner to see that son of a bitch pinning a struggling Jenny face first up against the wall to my right. He had already pulled her dress up and was now fumbling one handed with his fly. Hot red rage like I'd never felt before blazed to life inside me. The next thing I knew I was pulling him off of Jenny and pounding my left fist into his face with a satisfying crunch. Blood instantly burst from his nose and spilled onto his shirt. I grabbed his collar as he tried to stumble away from me. I lifted the piece of shit up and shoved him up against the wall. I pressed my forearm against his throat and watched his eyes widen with fear as he looked up at me. At six-foot-five, I was a lot bigger than he was, and he knew he was the one in trouble now.

  "You're a real fucking man aren't you?" I snarled in a harsh deep bass that I barely recognized as my voice. "Trying to rape someone in a club because they turned you down. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

  "I...I wasn't...that's not..." he started blabbering.

  "Shut up!" I snapped, then punched him in the gut. He grunted and stopped talking as he gasped for air. "Did he hurt you, Jen?" I asked with a quick glance toward her. She had already pulled her dress back down and was staring at me in wide-eyed shock.

  "N...no, I'm...I'm okay," she answered in a shaking voice.

  "You're a very luck man," I growled at him threateningly. "I don't know what I would have done to you if you'd hurt her." I looked at Jenny again. "What should we do with him, Jen? Do we get security or do I beat his sorry ass?"

  "I have a better idea," Jenny answered as that fiery anger of hers ignited in those gorgeous blue eyes. She came up next to me, and before I could figure out what the hell she was doing, she kneed him in the balls, hard.

  The guy let out a sickening whimper and slumped down as his legs gave out on him. I was in such shock over what Jenny just did that I let him go. He curled up in the fetal position on the floor, moaning in pain. Jenny then pulled her foot back like she was going to kick him. Oh, shit.

  "Whoa. Settle down, Jen." I grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her away from the dumbass.

  She struggled against my grip. "Let me kick him. That motherfucker deserves it," she snarled as she glared up at me.

  "I know," I said soothingly. "But you're wearing sandals, and you're going to hurt yourself."

  Her face softened. "Oh," she said as she relaxed into my embrace, and I was suddenly very much aware of her body's close proximity to mine. She met my eyes and that sexy vulnerability ghosted across her face. I felt the sudden urge to kiss her and found myself staring at her lips. "What are you doing here?" she asked curiously. Her question brought my attention away from her mouth. "Are you stalking me?" Her lips quirked up on one side.

  "Nah," I answered with a warm smile. "Just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I saw him following you back here, and he looked like trouble."

  "Thank God you were here, Ford." Her eyes softened again, and they were turning a little glassy. "He was going to...he almost..." Her voice began to waver.

  I wrapped her wordlessly into a comforting hug, trying to ignore the swell of her breasts pressing against me and her ungodly musky vanilla scent. Fuck, I wanted to take her home with me. I wanted to touch her and kiss her all over again, but I was already too emotionally involved. I didn't want to waste my time on someone who wasn't looking for more than just sex, no matter how badly I wanted her. I wanted more than that, and it didn't look like that was anything she was interested in.

  I stepped away from her and let her go, trying to ignore the stray tears on her cheeks that pulled at me. "If you're alright now, I'm going to head home," I told her. I needed to get out of here before temptation got the better of me. "I'll see you around," I said dismissively, feeling disgusted with myself for thinking this was more than it ever really was. I just jumped from one stupid decision to the next, from that fucking dating site to sleeping with a client, two things I always swore I'd never do. I was a fool.

  "Okay," she said quietly, and she looked disappointed and hurt.

  I turned and walked away before I ended up holding her again. I only had so much self-control after all. I left her there without looking back and headed across the club over to my table. Angel, Raina, and Devon were sitting there now, taking a break from dancing to order drinks. I leaned in close to Angel's ear and told her that I was taking off. She gave me a pouting face that quickly morphed into concern.

  "Is everything alright?" she asked with worried eyes.

  "I'm just tired, Angel." I didn't want to get into what just happened with Jenny right now, especially in a noisy nightclub. "I'll see you tomorrow. Okay?"

  "Sure." She nodded at me with a pensive expression.

  I said my good-byes to the others and left. I walked out into the muggy night and headed across the parking lot to my old pickup. I was halfway to my vehicle when I heard my name being called out.

  "Ford!" I whirled around to find Jenny hurrying toward me, her spectacular silver stiletto heels clacking across the pavement. She walked like a fucking sex goddess, her tits jiggling hypnotically as she hurried toward me. I gave her an expectant look, unable to find words just yet as I rolled my tongue back into my mouth before I started drooling like an imbecile.

  She stopped right in front of me with a sheepish expression. "Um...I...I'm sorry about taking off on you las
t weekend." She stared down uncomfortably at the ground.

  "Why did you leave?" I blurted out, needing to know the truth, because the fact that she followed me out here had to mean she felt something for me. Right?

  "I guess I just panicked," she said quietly, still staring down at her feet. I waited for her to say more, but she didn't. I guess that was all the explanation that she was willing to give me.

  "I thought..." I caught myself before I said that I thought what happened between us was more than just sex. Instead, something equally stupid came out of my mouth. "I thought we could do it again sometime." What the hell was I saying? Was I so desperate for this woman that I'd pretend it was just about the sex to spend more time with her?

  "I'd like that, Ford." She met my eyes again. A gentle smile flowed across her luscious lips, her eyes turning warm and soft. When she looked at me like that, it made me wonder if maybe she really did feel a connection between us. It made me want to get to know her better, to spend time with her and talk to her, so I could discover if it was real. I suddenly wanted her bad enough to try, even if I let her use me for sex to find out.

  "Do you need a lift home?" I offered, leaving the decision up to her. If she accepted, so be it. If not, then I'd move on.

  "I have a better idea." Her tone turned sensual as she stalked toward me. She stopped mere inches away from me and placed her palms on my chest, her eyes locked on mine. She invaded my senses, her touch and that heavenly musky vanilla, intoxicating me all over again. That same electric surge I felt last weekend zinged through my body. "Why don't we go to your place?" Her tongue licked across her lips languidly. "I promise I won't even try to take off again."

  "Maybe I won't let you, if you did," I said salaciously as I put my hands on her hips, splaying my fingers down onto the lush curves of her ass.

  "What are you going to do?" she asked with an impish smile. "Tie me up if I do?" Holy fucking hell. A shudder ran through my body. She had no idea what her flirtatious comment was doing to me. I was starting to wonder if she just might be the woman of my dreams.