Teased (The VIP Room, #1) (7 page)

“
I don’t know what you’re talking
about.” Vida looked out the restaurant window, avoiding his
eyes.

“
Yes, you do,” Colton
countered.

The waitress brought their food, setting it
down in front of them. Vida took a bite of the warm, sticky
pancakes and found herself starved, eating most of the plate
without looking up. The waitress refilled her coffee and it was
when she took a sip of the strong brew that she caught Colton’s
amused gaze on her.

Blushing, she looked at her almost empty
plate with a smile. “I guess I was hungrier than I thought.”

Laughing, Colton teased, “I see that, do you
want me to order you another stack?” Vida couldn’t help staring at
the change in his face that the laughter had brought.

He was extremely good looking; his long,
dark hair was tousled from the wind, giving him an untamed
appearance while the metal ball that pierced his sensual bottom lip
caused Vida to lower her gaze to his mouth. Reverend had talked him
into it last week. Vida had almost died laughing when Rev had also
offered to pierce his cock and Colton had told him where to stick
his needles.

Vida could understand why he didn’t have any
trouble getting women in his bed. He was a woman’s fantasy with the
sexual vibes emanating from him. In fact, several women in the
restaurant were constantly looking at their table. Even the
waitress kept making frequent trips back to their table, brushing
against him unnecessarily every time she refilled his coffee
cup.

“
Are you finished?” Vida suddenly
became aware the waitress and Colton were looking at
her.

“
Yes, thank you.” Vida turned to the
waitress and asked, “Could I get a to-go box?” Both Colton and the
waitress looked at her almost empty plate.

“
Be right back.” The waitress left to
go get the box. Colton didn’t say anything to her when the waitress
returned, silently watching as she put the remains of her meal in
the box then waited expectantly for her to finish the
coffee.

“
Ready?” Colton rose to his feet,
going to the cash register to pay. Vida waited patiently by the
door, watching as the waitress flirted with him now that Vida’s
presence wasn’t stymieing her.

The two men sitting at a nearby table smiled
at her, Vida turned her eyes away, not wanting to encourage their
attention. It didn’t matter, within seconds the younger of the two
got up from the table, finally brave enough to approach her.

“
Me and my friend think we recognize
you from the Purple Pussycat. Aren’t you Trouble?”

“
Yes, she is, so you better move along
before it finds you,” Colton said from behind the young man, who
jumped when he heard the threatening voice behind him.

“
Sorry, man, just curious.”

“
Yeah, well curiosity got the cat
killed.” The man practically ran back to his seat at Colton’s
threat.

“
That happen a lot?” Colton asked,
glaring at the embarrassed man’s friend smirking from the
table.

“
Some,” Vida responded
evasively.

“
At school?” he probed.

“
No, thank God.” Colton held the door
open for her and Vida walked through the doorway, aware of several
sets of eyes watching their departure.

She climbed on Colton’s bike after putting
the helmet back on. He never wore a helmet, but he refused to let
her ride without one. The restaurant was only a block away from the
apartment; Vida wished it was a longer ride. She had grown to enjoy
riding with Colton; he was a good driver and handled the bike
expertly.

Colton unlocked his apartment door, letting
her go through first. Vida came to a dead stop seeing Tessa
sprawled across the couch completely naked. Vida tried not to let
her mouth hang open, but didn’t think she was successful. She
didn’t know why it shocked her so much. After working at the strip
club, nudity should have become familiar to her, yet she thought it
was simply the surprise of finding Tessa with all her assets on
display right on the very couch where she usually slept.

“
What the fuck?” Vida felt Colton come
to a stop behind her.

Tessa’s face was priceless. Vida didn’t
think the woman appreciated that she was standing and gawking at
her. The woman’s face turned a dark red as she jumped up from the
couch, pulling on her clothes.

“
What the hell is she doing here?” she
screamed at Colton.

“
Don’t worry why she’s here. You need
to get out, now.” Colton came further into the room and closed the
door behind him. Vida jumped at the sound of the slamming
door.

“
I need to take a shower,” Vida said,
moving towards the bathroom.

“
You need to get out. Colton and I
need to talk.” Tessa tried to regain control now that her clothes
were back on her body.

“
You have something to talk to me
about, talk to me tomorrow at the shop,” Colton told the woman.
Vida almost felt sorry for Tessa. Pulling her gown and robe out of
the hall closet, she tried to ignore their voices as she went into
the bathroom. The loud yells were smothered with the water as she
turned on the shower.

Vida took her time showering, washing her
hair, shaving her legs and then combing and braiding her hair.
Dreading going back into the living room, she was relieved to find
it empty. Putting her to-go box in the refrigerator, she carried
her sheets and blankets to the couch. Pausing, she hurriedly
flipped over the cushions then laid out the sheet on the couch and
neatly made it up for the night.

The front door opened just as she finished
with the couch and Vida saw him hesitate after it had closed. When
his eyes then brushed over her body in the blue toweling robe and
neatly braided hair, Vida’s stomach clenched at the look in his
eyes.

“
I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know
she had a key. That won’t happen again.” Vida would take that bet.
Tessa had been humiliated in front of Vida. No woman would risk
that twice in a lifetime.

“
It’s all right. I’m sure she was as
embarrassed as I was,” Vida lied.

“
That’s doubtful.” Vida saw the anger
in his face, glad that it wasn’t directed towards her.

Running his hand through his hair, his
frustrated sigh filled the silent room. “I’m going to bed. Need
anything?” He paused before leaving, waiting for her reply.

“
No thanks.” He gave a sharp nod at
her reply.

Vida turned out the lights before lying
down. She had actually slept better the last two weeks in his
apartment than she had in a long time. Colton’s presence made her
feel safer than she had felt in King’s guarded nightclub. Vida’s
mind shied away from figuring out why, snuggling down into the warm
blanket and letting the sound of the shower lull her to sleep.

Chapter 6

Vida woke with a start when Colton shook her
shoulder.

“
Shake that ass; we’re running late.”
Vida sat up; looking out the window to see the sun was bright.
Forgetting that she was only in her t-shirt, Vida jumped from the
couch then, disoriented, she tripped over her backpack and fell
against Colton before he could move out of her way. Putting her
hands on his chest to regain her balance, Colton’s hands landed on
her hips to steady her.

“
You all right?” His voice sounded
amused.

Vida nodded. “Sorry,” she mumbled, moving
away towards the hall. She picked out clean clothes, went into the
bathroom, and pulled on loose jeans and an oversized shirt. She
hurriedly brushed out her hair before pulling it back.

She was in the kitchen eating her leftovers
from Waffle House when Colton came into the kitchen. Giving her a
sour look, he pulled out a box of cereal and made himself a bowl
before joining her at the table.

Vida finished eating, licked off the last of
the syrup from her lip and was rising from the table with her plate
when Colton’s eyes caught hers. Vida froze, she had seen that look
enough on the men’s faces in the front row to know exactly what it
meant. Quickly averting her gaze, Vida washed her plate before
putting it in the drainer to dry.

Gathering what she would need for the day,
she put her recharged computer into her backpack while waiting for
Colton to wash his bowl. Getting his keys, they went outside to the
motorcycle. Vida ignored the tension-filled silence from Colton,
grabbing his waist when he throttled the engine.

She had promises to keep and future plans
that a man like Colton would derail. He obviously enjoyed a variety
of women and Vida had no intentions of being just another piece of
gum he chewed and discarded.

Sawyer, Vida and Callie had made promises to
each other that they wouldn’t grow up to be like their mothers.
Vida’s own mother would fall in love with any man who wanted her,
making her false promises that were never kept. Each time Vida
watched her mother sink further and further into depression,
blaming herself because it never worked out.

Sawyer’s father had been killed in a car
accident, devastating her mother. She had never sought solace in
another’s arms. She had held her heart untouched by another until
the day a vicious mugger had taken her life for twenty dollars in
ones and some change.

Callie’s mother had been by far the worst.
Even now, Vida’s mind shied away from thinking about the monster
that had given birth to such a beautiful child, both in body and
spirit. She had used men to her own advantage and had been a
ruthless, money-grabbing whore.

Vida felt tears and had to swallow the lump
in her throat at the thought of Callie and the promises the three
had made each other. Their bubble gum promises had seemed so simple
in their childhood, yet they remained unfulfilled. Sawyer was held
at the mercy of an unknown man, Vida found herself in the same job
that her mother had been unable to escape and Callie hadn’t even
made it out of childhood alive; a victim of the very life that had
created her. The wind dried the tears that Vida couldn’t prevent
from falling.

Colton drove the bike to the side of the
tattoo shop where Vida climbed off as soon as he stopped and then,
without waiting for him, she rushed into the shop. The lobby was
empty, but Tessa, hearing the bell, came into the room. Her
expression showed she wasn’t any happier than she had been the
night before.

Ignoring Vida, she turned her anger towards
Colton. “You were supposed to be here an hour ago. I rescheduled
your client for twelve. Since you’re so late, you can make the time
up during your lunch hour.” Vida didn’t think Colton was going to
be happy with Tessa’s bossy attitude.

Vida tried to ignore the tense situation as
she sat behind the desk. She pulled out her computer and turned it
on.

“
Let’s not forget who the boss is
here, Tessa. I called from the apartment and had already
rescheduled the appointment. Call him back and ask which time he
prefers.”

Tessa stiffened. “I ran this shop while you
were in prison; it’s more mine than yours.”

“
Don’t forget who is the one
responsible for putting me in prison, Tessa. I bought this shop
with my own money. Now that I’m out, I’ve told you that you need to
move on. There are other shops in town who would be happy to give
you a job.” His deadly calm voice had Vida glancing up from her
computer. She had no doubt that Colton could be a mean son of a
bitch.

“
I’m not leaving!” she
yelled.

Colton shrugged. “Then don’t, but you’re not
going to boss me around and bitch at me every five seconds. If you
stay, you’re just another employee to me.”

“
Colton, I’m your wife.”

“
Actually, in thirty days you will be
my ex-wife,” Colton informed her.

“
You filed the papers?” Vida could see
the shock on Tessa’s face.

“
I signed the papers the day after I
was released from prison. I told you to take care of it, you
didn’t. I did.” Unremorsefully, he continued, “Now all we have left
is a business relationship, one I no longer want, but I will leave
that to you. Me and you, in any other way, does not exist. Do you
fucking understand me, Tessa?”

Tessa’s pale face stared back at Colton
mutely before storming from the room.

“
I think you should tell her why I’m
staying with you. It will calm her down,” Vida advised. “I really
don’t want her blaming me for you wanting a divorce.”

“
Tessa knows exactly who is
responsible for our divorce,” Colton said grimly.

“
Then why is she throwing all these
dirty looks at me?” Vida asked in confusion.

“
Because she thinks she owns me and
doesn’t want to admit our divorce is her fault.” Colton crossed his
arms over his chest, his t-shirt stretched, leaving the tats on his
forearm visible. Vida’s eyes traced the lines of the various
tats.

“
And,” he continued, “she thinks I’m
fucking you.”

“
Her name is on several of your tats;
a woman begins to think a man
is
hers when he brands himself with her name. I would appreciate
it if you would tell her I’m not sleeping with you. It will
definitely make my day go easier when I have to deal with her
clients.” Vida was getting tired of Tessa’s snide
remarks.

“
It won’t matter; she won’t believe
me.”

“
Why?” Vida asked, looking down at her
computer and refusing to gaze into his eyes.