Cash (Sexy Bastard #2) (5 page)

Parker holds up his hands. “I
told him about it, not my fault if the man can’t get to his
computer or get his ass on a plane.”

“He’s in…Thailand?”
Ryder says.

“Back in
Florida,” I say. “Training there.”

“There’s internet there,
right?” That’s Jackson for you, brilliant but practical.

“Without Knox—or his
vote—we can’t carry out any new business,” Jackson
says.

“We need new bylaws,”
Parkers says. It was years ago when we drafted a stupid business
plan. Back then we all ran on Ryder’s one rule:
we’re family. We’re in this together. We may each
have our issues with family, but the one thing we can always count on
is each other. I’d bleed for these guys.

The rules have been mostly forgotten,
but now that we’re running on a serious cash flow, we have to
have some standards and act legit.

“Find us a new lawyer,”
Ryder replies with a grunt.

“Look, he’s
probably fine with it. Let’s just set the date and send him a
postcard,” I say. “All in favor?” All hands go up.
There,
done
. Next?

The doors to Altitude fly open, and in
walks Cassie and the rest of the girls, holding our pizza hostage.

“This is a closed party—”
Jackson starts, looking directly at his younger sister, Shelby.

“Shove it, bro. We’re here
for the game, and seeing as you ordered this most excellent pizza,
we’ll take a cut of that, too. Go on, continue your Boy Scout
meeting.” Shelby dumps the pizza on the bar and heads for our
alcohol.

“We’re also here for your
beer and your seventy inch TV,” Avery adds. She brushes her
dark hair behind her ears as she rolls up Jackson’s
plans.

“Because size really does
matter,” Ruby agrees, taking a beer from Shelby. Together
they’ve done as much for the club as we have. The law of the
nightclub business is pretty simple: get pretty girls to show up, and
guys who buy them drinks will follow. Men flock to Shelby’s
dark hair and biker sense of style, and when they can’t
get her, Ruby’s right there to show them the truth about
redheads. Shelby and Ruby are professionals at promotion by now.

“Don’t listen to them.
They’re just hangry,” Cassie
says, draping herself around Ryder. “I’m here for
something tastier than pizza and beer.” She gives him a long
kiss. I can’t help but roll my eyes and look away.

Scanning the bar, I stop on a rare
specimen of a grade-A ass bent over my bar. Encased in a pair of
blue, skinny jeans that would look great on my apartment floor, is
the tightest, sexiest ass I’ve ever seen. Who in the hell has
Shelby found to torture me with now?

A head with blond curls comes up, her
hands full of beer bottles. That ass belongs to Savannah Sunday.
Fuck
me.
Especially if your name is Savannah.

She needs to get out of her business
suits and date night dresses more often. Her Harvard t-shirt is tight
across her chest and misses meeting her jeans by inches. If she
dressed like that after hours, she’d have men tripping over
each other to ask her out. She’d probably collect more numbers
than I do in a single night. Hell, I’d give her my number and
definitely try to talk her upstairs and out of those jeans.

She gives Cassie and Ryder a playful
shove as she passes. “Get a room and stop making us single
people hate you.” Her curls bounce around her heart shaped face
as she takes a seat across from me and holds out a beer for me.

“Yeah, we don’t want to see
any of that here. This is a
classy
establishment,” I add, hastily giving my mouth something to do
besides think about what it would feel like getting Savannah off.

I take a swig of beer and lean back in
my chair, balancing it on two legs.

“Interested in some tales from
the trenches?” Savannah asks, forcing me to break my
concentration. The other girls are still over by the bar pouring
drinks, so we’re pretty much alone here in the corner.

“Lay it on me.”

“I met this guy at a bar—he
had me doing a bunch of tequila shots, even made me an indecent
proposal.”

I flash her a smile. “Yeah?
What’s this one called?”

“Let’s call him Mr.
Fuckable,” she says, staring me directly in the eye. Whoa
there.

“I’m
with you on the name.” I say, trying to figure her out.
I thought we were just playing the other night, but she’s
looking at me with a new glint in her eyes.

Sexy as hell.

“Mr.
Fuckable’s tall, blond, and muscular,” she
continues. “He’s got this tattoo that just barely winks
at me and I really want to find out where it goes…”

I don’t know what’s gotten
into her tonight, but this feels like a challenge I’m not
backing down from. “So what
will it take, Savy?”

“Hmm.” She pretends to
think hard. “Well, the thing is, I think he is a big talker.
I’m not sure his moves can live up to his mouth.”

“Just wait ‘til you feel
what this mouth can do, especially when applied liberally and
vigorously.”

“So sure of himself.” She
tips her beer back, wrapping her lips around the top of the bottle,
provocatively. “But it’s the talkers that are often the
biggest disappointments.”

“Really? I think it just proves
their tongues are nimble.” I give her a wink, and she looks
away.
Don’t
worry, Savy, I promise
to leave you screaming for more
. I can already feel her
thighs lock around my head as I lick her to
climax.

I’m not sure if we’re still
playing, but I figure I’ll leave my cards on the table while I
still have the chance.

I get up, and rest a hand on her
shoulder as I pass. I lean in, close enough to get a lungful of her
perfume, something spicy and fresh. “Just so you know, the
offer still stands,” I murmur in her ear. “You let me
know if you ever feel the need to explore.”

“Explore what?” Shelby
interrupts us, coming over. She looks between us. “How exactly
are you putting Cash’s mind to work? It’s really only
good for one thing. Also, does using Cash have anything to do with
Mr. Fuckable?” Shelby leans forward, innocent smile in place.

Busted.

Savannah looks away, letting her curls
fall over her face to hide the rising color in her cheeks. Shelby’s
involvement tips off the rest of my makeshift family to drop in on
our conversation. They all crowd over.

“Cash, I can’t believe you
let some guy do that to Savannah at your bar,” Cassie says,
jumping to Savannah’s defense. “You should have kicked
his ass.”
Yes, please keep
thinking it was someone else.
I don’t
want to expose who we are really talking about here.

“It was just an offer, no need to
panic,” Savannah says. “I can handle myself. I’m a
grown woman.”

“Nope, you’re not escaping
that easy,” Shelby says. I glare at her. She may not be my
sister, but I will not hesitate to bust her balls about this. “Cash,
did you make an indecent offer to our girl Savannah? An offer like
that sounds exactly like your MO.”

“Who’s being offered up?”
Ruby asks. She’s come back for chips. The girl could snack for
days and she’d still never gain a pound. “And to whom are
we offering them? And for what?”

“Nothing,” Savannah and I
both say.

“I have one word for you, Cash,”
Cassie says from the comfort and protection of Ryder’s lap.

“What’s that, darlin’?”
I ask, turning up the charm. “You finally realize you
took up with the wrong partner? I promise, you will hate my
apartment, but enjoy everything else.”

Savannah kicks me under the table. Was
she kicking me because I was offering something to her off-the-market
friend, or because she considers me hers?

“No,” Cassie says.

“What is that supposed to mean?”
I ask, feigning innocence.

“Exactly what you think it means:
stay away from my best friend
.”
Cassie knows. She’s too sharp for her own good sometimes.

“The best friend is right here,”
Savannah says, rolling her eyes. “And my reply hasn’t
exactly changed in the last twelve hours.”

“You did proposition Savannah!”
Ruby exclaims, putting two and two together for anyone who hadn’t
done the math.

No point in trying to put the cat back
in the bag now.

“It only seemed polite,” I
shrug. “And how did this get to be everyone else’s
business anyway?”.

“Exactly!” Savannah cries.
“Before you get all defensive, Cassie, I’m a big girl and
I can take care of myself.”

“Are you sure? ‘Cause if
this guy bothers you –” Ryder points to me, and I throw
my hands up.

“Your concern is appreciated but
not needed,” Savannah grinds out. “If I want to screw
your bartender, Ryder, I will, and it will be none of your concern.”

BOOM. With that little bomb, Savannah
has successfully shut up everyone in the room.

“Savannah—”
Cassie starts.

“Cassie, it’s
my life, and if I ask Cash to fuck me senseless that is
my
business.” She looks me dead in the eye and all at once I’m
more certain than ever that she’s not playing anymore.

I’m gonna need a stronger drink.

Savannah

Tonight is it. I’m either going
to clinch the head of my department or I’m going to end up
staying put for another year. Or two. Hell, I’ll probably be
the same associate until I retire if I don’t land this.

The ballroom at the Intercontinental is
full of the best entertainment Atlanta has to offer. Plenty of small
time actors about to make it big, and the music scene goes on for
days. I take a flute of champagne from a passing waiter and casually
survey my chances of landing a big, new client tonight.

For once, my evening is looking up.

“There you are,” Thomas
says, parting the crowd to find me, an imposing figure with his slick
cut suits. His skin is dark brown, and he’s just as likely to
bandage your scrapes as he is to take you down over a contract.
Thomas Briggs is the good half of where I work, and if it were up to
him I’d be made partner. But he’s got to contend with
Meyers, and Meyers would prefer that women stay home, barefoot and
pregnant.

The only reason I’m still at the
firm is because Briggs insists on it.

“Where have you been?” he
chides me, not unkindly. “Maxwell has been here for an hour,
wooing potential clients. You need to sign someone tonight—and
someone big.”

“Don’t you worry. I’ve
got it covered.” I smile, hoping I sound confident.

As long as Rob’s intel is
correct, tonight is already in the bag, and I trust Rob with my life.

“Are you sure?” Thomas
prods gently.

I mock-glare at Briggs over the rim of
my glass. It’s nice that he’s worried about me, and I
know he wants me to succeed, but it’s a little annoying that
he’d never be this worried over, say, Maxwell.

Briggs, Meyers, and Associates has been
hit pretty hard by female clients leaving because of Meyers and his
condescending attitude and leering gaze. I’m the logical choice
to bring them back, but Meyers refuses to see it that way. If I can
land a new client, it’s one step closer to proving Briggs’s
point.

“I’m sure. And thank you.
But I really do have it under control,” I finally say.

Briggs nods. “I believe it. Is
there anything I can do to help you?”

I hand him my empty flute. “Watch
me work. And possibly get me another drink. I’m off to find
Mathias and conclude our deal.”

“That’s what I like to
hear. Give ‘em hell.” He gives me a genuine smile.

Oh, I plan to do just that.

Mathias from Triton Entertainment is by
the stage. His dark hair and olive complexion make him look like some
sort of Greek god. We’ve talked on the phone, and sometimes it
felt like we were going in circles, but I’d been told by other
colleagues in the industry that he just needs to be handled right.
And if there’s anything I know how to do, it’s handle
difficult people. But speaking of which, right now I need to call in
a favor from Mathias—the favor that could clinch my career
trajectory. Triton Entertainment reps mostly music acts—country
music, specifically.

And Meyers loves country music.

“Mathias, Savannah Sunday.”

“So good to meet you, finally.”
He gives me a light hug.

“Yes, well, it’s been my
pleasure to work with you on this. I hope you got the bourbon?”

He smiles. “I did, thank you. It
was much enjoyed. You have great taste.”

I send up a silent prayer of thanks to
Cash for helping me pick exactly the right bourbon to get me on
Mathias’s good side. “You said you have someone special
for me to meet tonight? Someone who’s going to knock my socks
off?”

“Absolutely. I think you’re
really going to love him.” He leans in conspiratorially. “It’s
probably best that you didn’t wear socks.”

“He’s that good?”

“He’ll be bigger than Tim
McGraw, and he’s got all the appeal of Luke Bryan.”

Now this I have to see.

“I can’t wait to meet him.”

“I was just about to introduce
him, actually. We’re showcasing him tonight. He’s in the
market for an attorney, as you know. He wants a real fighter.”
Mathias adds a wink, and I work hard to suppress an eye roll. “You’ll
have the best view from right where you’re standing. I’ll
just say, his first song has been topping the charts and I think
we’re going to have a lot to talk about after he’s
finished up there.”

A flashy smile, and Mathias disappears
into the crowd only to reappear moments later on the stage. The
back-up band comes on behind him and starts setting up while Mathias
announces the performer. My heart’s in my throat. This is it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you
for coming out tonight. It is my pleasure to announce our newest
artist, Tanner Jakes, and his hit song: “Old Dirt Roads.”
”