Domino Effect Read online

  I asked Adam, “You guys going home or staying here tonight?”

  Adam took a swig of Guinness. He ordered the beer special for the bottle. I thought it was better from the tap, but to each his own. “Nah, we’ll be at home tonight. Ainsley has class in the morning, and those cock-blocker books apparently need her attention.”

  He looked around me at Ainsley and winked. She giggled. Adam turned back to me. “Have you given any more thought to hiring a manager?”

  Adam thought we should hire someone to come in and manage Club Envy. I’d asked for a few days to think about it. There were additional liabilities we could incur by not being as involved. Plus, I’d run some numbers to see if the finances added up. The club was doing extremely well, but we still had to make sure our return on investment was there. Hiring someone else was a big step for me to take. The club was my security blanket, in a sense. But Quentin gave me some perspective. I remembered his words, It’s okay to take a step back. Not being able to do everything doesn’t make you a failure. The club required a lot of attention, and it was time to enjoy life a little more.

  “I think we need two managers so we’re covered,” I told Adam. “One can be designated for the bar side and one the sex club side. It’ll help keep Trigger and Snake from bouncing back and forth. The club can support the extra personnel and has probably needed it for a while. We’ll oversee everything and cut back our hours significantly.”

  I ran my hands through my hair and pushed my sleeves up to my elbows. In the end, I was relieved and knew I had made the right decision.

  Adam raised his beer, “I’ll get Hampton to start looking for candidates.”

  Hampton was our guy who helped do background checks and investigations. Last year, some guy had been taking photographs of the inside the club. Cameras were prohibited, but an employee had snuck the guy in. Hampton found the two guys and handled it.

  I nodded. “Tell Hampton we want people with at least five years of experience.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’m going to give my girl some attention.” Adam set his beer on the iridescent bar top. “I’m going to out-maneuver the cock-blockers.”

  “I heard that,” Ainsley called.

  We laughed, and I said, “I’ll see you guys later. Good luck.”

  Adam picked up Ainsley, throwing her over his shoulder as she slapped his ass. He slapped hers back and said, “Oh, luck has nothing to do with it.”

  No, luck had nothing to do with being with the person you were meant to be with. Fate. Fate had everything to do with it.

  ADAM AND AINSLEY disappeared into the crowd. Brandt turned to me and came into my space, pushing me against the bar. I put my elbows on the bar top, which lifted my breasts. The moment we’d walked into the club, memory after memory had assaulted me like a freight train. When we’d pulled into the parking lot, the fear of not being what we had been felt all-consuming. But having a few minutes to talk to Ainsley had helped as I eased back into the club and felt Brandt’s hand on my back. I knew Brandt thought it was good that I was different now, but this step was still intimidating for me.

  The place was alive with sex. Members had to be clothed in the main area, but touching and groping and practically anything else was okay.

  Brandt looked into my eyes as I watched him. We were both figuring out the next step. I tipped my head back in invitation, and Brandt accepted as his warm lips touched the base of my neck and worked their way up. Couples around us were engaged in their own fun. No one cared what we were doing.

  He murmured against my skin, “Nikola…”

  Goose bumps prickled my flesh as his hand wandered up and cupped my breast. His leg came between my legs and Brandt’s mouth found mine. The kiss intensified, and I wrapped my hands around Brandt’s neck, knotting my fingers into his hair. He kissed my ear and brought the lobe into his mouth.

  His breath tickled my ear. “Do you want to go to our room?”

  I nodded and Brandt picked me up, cradling me in his arms so we could continue tasting each other as we walked. The music wrapped around us, building the desire. I lost track of where we were, until I heard a door open and close. I looked around the room.

  “Brandt, this is our room…” I never thought he’d have kept this room. It was our special place at the club. I had assumed our room was gone. My head turned back to Brandt, who watched me closely. “You kept our room?”

  We searched each other’s eyes, not sure what to say to each other.

  Finally, Brandt spoke, “I did keep it. Tonight marks one month since you agreed to give us a shot. I thought we could be together somewhere that was special to us.”

  He put me down. I imagined so many of the times we were together as I looked at every piece of furniture. The Tantra Chair, the bench, the sex swing, and the bed all had beautiful memories of us. Brandt put his hands on my hips. His fingers flexed. He seemed unsure of what he was supposed to do next. I was unsure, too. The bed had black satin sheets. The walls were painted a dark silver-gray. Mirrors hung on the ceiling.

  My nerves shot up. I didn’t want to mess this up. I wanted it to be perfect like it had been before. I shifted my purse and remembered my Magic 8 Ball. I turned and stepped back. As I handed Brandt the 8 Ball, he furrowed his brow, taking it, bewildered.

  “You want me to fulfill my bet now?” He chuckled.

  I nodded. “I do.”

  “Okay.”

  I know it seemed way off-base, but this was the only way I knew to lower our barriers. Brandt was unsure on where I stood, and I was afraid to ask for what I wanted.

  Running my tongue across my lips, I said, “Ask the Magic 8 Ball if you should fuck me hard.”

  Brandt nearly dropped the ball and took a step forward. I took a step back and took my top off, leaving me naked from the waist up in my tiny silver skirt and heels.

  As Brandt started to speak, I shimmied out of my skirt, kicked it off, and left my heels on. “Magic 8 Ball, does Nikki want me to fuck her hard?”

  Using the nickname he only used during hard sex had me squirming with anticipation. My magic 8 ball better be on my side tonight. Brandt shook the 8 Ball and closed his eyes. When he looked down, I held my breath waiting for the answer.

  “That glorious blue triangle has spoken. It is certain that you should be fucked tonight.”

  Brandt prowled toward me, discarding the 8 Ball on a nearby chair, as he pulled his thermal shirt over his head. “Leave your heels on,” he commanded.

  He unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. I could see the base of his dick—Brandt was commando. Next, off came his boots. Then I was the hunted again. I stood firm as he approached without slowing. In an instant, I was thrown over his shoulder. A finger trailed down my spine, toward my ass. As he passed lightly over my back entrance, my muscles flexed involuntarily. There was more pressure as he passed over my other opening, making a trail of wet desire to my clit and then back to my core. I squirmed, wanting him to enter me. Brandt had taken control, and I gladly gave it to him.

  “Grab the straps, Nikki.”

  As he pulled me off his shoulder, I saw the black straps of the sex swing. I held the straps as he positioned them: one below my ass and the other to support my back. When those were in place, I let go and let the other swing straps hold me. My legs were threaded through the holders to support them. I was on display as I leaned back and looked at myself in the mirror on the ceiling. My body was slightly tanned and my hair cascaded behind me. My eyes were wide and my breathing had accelerated slightly as I watched the rosy pink tips of my breasts rise and fall.

  “You’re beautiful, Nikki.” Brandt appeared in the mirrors as he trailed his finger tip from between my breasts to my navel. A flip-flopping feeling came over me as he passed over my lower stomach. I was still looking up at the mirror as Brandt came to stand between my legs and his fingers felt my opening again. The tatted tops of his arms and messy hair were all I could see.

  I glanced at his face. His jaw was set and his m
uscles taught. “Keep your eyes on the mirror. I want you to watch yourself come undone. Don’t shut your eyes.”

  “I won’t.”

  My eyes focused back up to the mirror, and Brandt lowered to his knees. He pushed my body out on the swing, then brought it back in. When my sex touched his lips, Brandt sucked my clit into his mouth before releasing it, allowing my body to relax again. On the next motion inward, his tongue entered me and swirled about and noises of pleasure escaped my mouth. He repeated the motion, alternating between my clit and core. The moans were becoming desperate as he kept me just out of reach of my orgasm. It was heaven and hell simultaneously. Desire and need were at the surface, waiting to escape.

  I was close to begging, which I knew would only prolong the agony. I clamped my mouth shut and kept staring at the ceiling, where the mirrors were, watching Brandt devour me. The noises in my throat turned to whimpers. My body couldn’t take any more. I was on the verge of cracking. Brandt’s name was on the tip of my lips when he brought me back swiftly to him and flicked his tongue on my clit in that way that made me scream incoherently as a mountain of an orgasm exploded like a volcano that had been waiting to erupt. At the peak of euphoria, my back arched from onslaught of feeling.

  As the orgasm ebbed, my body went limp in the swing, and Brandt let me go, allowing the swing to sway. I closed my eyes.

  “Feeling better, Nikki?”

  The rough sound of his voice had desire building within me again.

  “Yes. Much better. But I’d feel better with you inside me.”

  “Open your eyes.” They shifted open. Brandt still had on his jeans, but they were pulled down enough for his cock to be free. It pulsed with lust. He started swinging me a little more. “I love watching you hang here with those fuck-me heels on. They’re about to get what they want.”

  “I hope so.”

  The swing moved enough now that I was getting close to being able to touch Brandt. On the next move toward him, his dick touched my entrance but didn’t penetrate, even though I tried to keep the swing from swinging back. Brandt knew how to build my body and take it to the edge of no return.

  He smiled at me. “We’re going to watch each other in the mirror as I fuck you.”

  “I’m ready to feel you in me.”

  On the next swing in, Brandt grabbed the strap to hold me in place and minimize the swinging motion. He slammed into me, and I hissed at the stretching sensation. Pain mixed with pleasure was one of the headiest combinations I could ever want.

  Brandt became a machine as I watched him move in and out of me in the mirror. His cock would nearly leave my body before ramming back in. The inner pool of desire began to rise, waiting to break and release again.

  He came into me faster, harder, and deeper. I was at the edge and I couldn’t hold back as I called his name.

  Brandt called out, “Nikki!” And we reached bliss simultaneously.

  I was exhausted and covered with sweat. Brandt hoisted me out of the swing, then laid me on the bed. He unbuckled my shoes, and they disappeared from my feet. The lights dimmed and a low, classical melody replaced the silence. Brandt slid next to me and pulled the sheet on top of our bodies. Our legs entwined and our faces were mere inches from each other, making our breath mingle. The smell of sex filled the air.

  “I’d say we are still quite compatible in the club fucking department,” Brandt declared, grinning like he’d won the lottery.

  I matched his expression. “I’d have to agree. I don’t know why I was nervous.”

  “I think we’re both scared to lose the only things we want in life—love and happiness.” He stroked my bottom lip with his thumb.

  “I agree. I’m glad we found this side to us again.” Our noses grazed each other as we talked.

  An unwanted thought came into my mind. I bit my cheek.

  Brandt looked at me for a second. “What’s on your mind?”

  Brandt was one of the few people who noticed my nervous habit. A lump formed in my throat and I closed my eyes. I knew Brandt had been with one other person while we were apart.

  Just above a whisper, I asked, “Did you sleep with her in here? In our room?”

  Silence came, and I squeezed my eyes tighter, afraid of what he was going to say.

  “Nikola—,” I waited. “Nikola, look at me.”

  My eyes slowly opened. Brandt watched me, concerned. He shook his head. “The last time I was in this room was with you. I told you, I took over the security office. It was because the reminder of you, that close, was hard. But I couldn’t bear to get rid of anything. It made it feel too final, and I wasn’t ready to give up on us.”

  I breathed a shaky sigh of relief and kissed him. “I’m glad you didn’t give up.”

  “I’ll never give up on us as long as I’m alive. We’re forever.”

  I believed him. Brandt was my happily ever after. I had all I’d ever wanted in my life. Tonight, another piece of the puzzle had fallen into place for us. We were piecing us back together. I was excited to see what the puzzle would look like when we were done.

  A week had passed, and I was at the doctor’s office with Grandmama. The doctor had decided to take some precautionary chest x-rays, even though they still believed it was bronchitis. I’d spoken to my parents this morning. They’d signed on for another three years in China for my dad’s work. I missed them, but it felt like I was a stranger to them.

  Grandmama sat on the red, plaid chair as I walked around, looking at all the certificates Dr. Grieger had received. His list of accomplishments was extraordinary. He was a pulmonary specialist, and we’d been lucky to get in so quickly when I called in to make the appointment. I wanted to become more proactive with Grandmama’s bronchitis. Hopefully, we could become proactive with the yearly battle of bronchitis Grandmama seemed to face.

  “Did Brandt tell you what he’s planned tonight after dinner at his mom’s house?”

  I turned and smiled big. “No, I can’t get it out of him. All he says is that it’s my early Valentine’s Day surprise and to be ready by six.”

  Brandt’s mom, Faith, had returned from the Bahamas, and I was going to see her for the first time since the breakup. I’d missed her. Faith had been like a mom to me, and it had been devastating when I’d lost her too. Part of me had still wanted to keep talking to her, but I knew it wouldn’t have been fair to Brandt. He needed his mom.

  Glancing at my watch, I saw it was after four. Ainsley was working on a broom analysis I’d left her with. Gavin had challenged our initial findings regarding his lack of diversification in broom styles. We’d talked a few times, but the majority of the time, all communication with Gavin happened via e-mail.

  We’d been waiting for a while. “If you need to leave, Nikola, you can.”

  “No, I’m waiting on a report from Ainsley. She’s handling the broom piece of the Livingston account. She’s doing extremely well.”

  Grandmama crossed her legs the other direction. “Do you think you’ll hire her on at the end of this? She seems to help you, and I like her. Ainsley has a good heart.”

  “I’m hoping to, but we’ll see if I’m able to compete with the other offers she’ll probably receive.”

  The door cracked open and Dr. Grieger came into the office carrying a large envelope. His face was blank, which was how he’d been during the entire examination. “Sorry to keep you guys waiting so long. Can I get you anything?”

  We both answered, “No, thank you.”

  The board the x-rays were on lit up. It was a picture of Grandmama’s lungs. A massive white ball on each side covered more than a quarter of the lung.

  “Oh man, Grandmama. Your bronchitis is bad. I’m glad we came so we can get you fixed right up.”

  I smiled at her, and she gave me a small smile in return. The doctor looked at me as I waited to hear what we needed to do to get her better.

  He cleared his throat. “After examining the x-rays closely, it appears you have either Stage Three or Sta
ge Four lung cancer.”

  I stood. “What?” Panic rose in my voice.

  “Until we do a biopsy, we won’t know the type of cancer, but it is definitely advanced.” The doctor’s voice was calm and steady.

  “Lung cancer? Are you sure? This has to be a mistake. She can’t have lung cancer. She can’t. She has bronchitis. Please, check again. The first doctor we went to never mentioned lung cancer.”

  Tears were beginning to stream down my face as I let the emotion take control of me, knowing Grandmama needed me strong, but not being able to push it down. My chest rose in jagged breaths. I felt like a knife was being dragged through my gut. I went to sit next to Grandmama and grabbed her hands. Tears were in the corners of her eyes. The look of sadness on her face tore me to shreds.

  The doctor continued as tears created a haze over my vision. The lung x-ray looked like one big blob. “Yes, this is undoubtedly lung cancer. We’ll first need to do an MRI to see if the cancer has spread elsewhere. If it hasn’t, then we may be able to operate and remove it.”

  My brain was on fire. “How long do you think she’s had it?”

  Dr. Grieger sat in the chair opposite us. “It’s hard to say. We won’t know until we get the results of the biopsy.”

  “When do we start treatment?” Tears continued to race down my cheeks.

  I squeezed Grandmama’s hand, and she returned the pressure. Her hand shook.

  The doctor put some papers he’d been holding on the table. “If you guys can make an eight a.m. appointment, we’ll do an MRI. Then, we’ll discuss the next step. All the information is in these papers. The appointment is in this building. Afterward, we’ll meet here to talk about all our options.”

  “Okay.” My voice was shaky, and I turned to Grandmama. “We’re going to get through this. Everything is going to be okay.”

  Her blue eyes looked back at me, and I wanted to start crying again. Grandmama tried to be strong as her lower lip slightly trembled. “Yes, we are. We’re going to get through this.”