Sweetness Read online

  “What about we finish our beer and get the hell out of here?” Zach proposed.

  “Good idea. I got our names on the guest list for the grand opening of the Whiskey Bar & Lounge at the Health and Fitness Tower.”

  “Is there a place to dance?” I asked.

  “I think so.” Krystal didn't seem certain but I was willing to take the risk. It couldn't be as bad as this party.

  “I heard this place is huge, different sections and all.”

  I drank the remainder of my beer and hurried outside, needing some fresh air. The brisk wind hit me head on. God how I missed home and the warm weather.

  We got into a taxi, warming up before attending what seemed like the ultimate event. A valet was waiting for the cars as they arrived. Although we had arrived in a taxi, the valet opened the door for us and let us out taking Krystal’s and then my hand to steady us as we stepped out. We were escorted by a tall man at the entrance and Krys was telling him about the invitation we’d received. He confirmed all three of us were on the guest list. Our jackets were taken to the coat room and we were offered a small glass of whiskey. It tasted like no other whiskey I had ever tried before. So much flavor. Feeling the warm liquid trickle all the way to my stomach. If I could afford it, I would have bought a second one, but I doubted I could afford the price.

  “Now, we're talking.” Zach licked his lips, confirming he loved it, too. “I think I'm going to like this place. It’s cozy, and it has class.” He glanced around the bar, looking satisfied with our decision to come.

  “Only you could afford it.” I chuckled. “Working in a fast food restaurant doesn't give us that possibility.”

  Zach had no money issues. His father was one of the busiest real estate agents in New Jersey. Once every two or three months, Zach had to give his father a hand with all the paperwork, but otherwise, he didn't need to work to afford the dorm experience. It never made sense to me, why he was living in the dorms if he could stay in the family home. When I questioned it, he said he didn't like to live alone.

  “Iris, isn't it?” A voice spoke from behind me. It didn't sound familiar. Before spinning around, I noticed Krystal's jaw dropping to the floor and her eyes were round like a couple of saucers.

  Oh my God. It was him. The guy who flirted with me earlier... “Hi.” Was just about all I could manage to get out, stunned.

  “Here, I got you another one of those.” He smiled and his charm hit me, making every inch of my skin shiver. I took the glass of whiskey from his outstretched hand and when our fingers touched, something strange happened. My eyes met his and... and... what was that? Something happened in my chest, as if my heart had stopped beating for an instant.

  “Thank you.” I flushed.

  “You look different.” He said looking at me from head to toe.

  Laughing, I nodded. “Thank god, a hairnet isn’t exactly in right now.”

  He chuckled too. “I’m happy to see you here. It’s a pleasant surprise.”

  Zach sighed.

  I felt my face flushed. “Thank you.”

  “You and your friends can have anything you want. It’s on me.”

  I shook my head in disagreement. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I can’t accept.”

  “You will. Julia here will make sure you guys have everything you need.”

  His generosity left me speechless, but it wasn't in my nature to accept anything that was handed to me with no good reason, even more so when it came from a complete stranger. “Why?”

  He stared at me as if I was missing something important. “Because I own this place, and I want to make sure you're having a good time.”

  “Thank you.” Krystal accepted his offer for us.

  He startled me when he placed his hand on my forearm, squeezed my forearm for a second with his fingers and then left. What was that all about? I didn't know his name or the reason behind his attention. I had only just met him today and nothing had happened, other than him flirting a little. At the time, I thought it was innocent, but doubt was starting to make me rethink the whole situation.

  “I think he wants something from you.” Zach said, sounding unhappy.

  Krystal chuckled. “That much is clear. His name is Calvin Banks. He owns this, the gym next door and most of the building, if not all. He is big into health, sports and everything in between. He’s also the owner of one of the most prominent sport agencies and he’s recruiting young athletes around the country. He used to play football professionally for a couple of years and he became some sort of a sex symbol. I knew I’d seen him somewhere before. He’s sort of Jerry McGuire, except he’s hotter.”

  “Okay, so? Why are you telling me all this just now?” I asked, nervous.

  “I hadn't figured it out this afternoon. Now, though, he’s making it obvious – he wants you in his bed.”

  Zach tensed beside me. “He's too old for you.”

  “I don't think he's even thirty yet,” Krys announced, giving Zach one more reason to worry.

  I had no idea who he was. I knew his name because Krys had told me. He didn't even have the decency to introduce himself, when he decided to offer me a drink. Calvin had money, that much was clear, but he didn't interest me.

  Yet.

  Chapter TWO

  JULIA APPROACHED US, UNDER THE watchful gaze of Calvin who stood behind the bar. I tried ignoring him but couldn’t, my gaze kept diverting back to him.

  “What would you like to drink?” Julia asked with a beautiful smile.

  “Tequila for me,” Krys announced. That woman and her tequila are inseparable!

  “I'll have a... ah... a whiskey,” Zach ordered, his eyes focused on me.

  “I'm okay for now, thank you, Julia.” I refused the offer, if only to contradict Calvin.

  Julia nodded and returned to the bar to prepare our order. I followed her with my eyes and I felt bad for her. Calvin waited for Julia, after a small conversation, he turned to me. Offer declined, I thought.

  My feet were already hurting and we hadn't even danced yet. “Do you guys mind if we sit over there?” I pointed to a leather couch in the corner.

  Zach took my hand and walked with me towards the couch. Holding hands had become normal for us. He might also have done it to provoke Calvin and I didn't mind. Zach and I, we shared something special. I was confident that our friendship would turn into something a little bit more serious. We both knew it and I had a feeling it would all become clearer after tonight.

  Krys followed us and took my free hand, placing it around her small waist. “If we're going to tease him, we might as well give him something to ponder.” She kissed my cheek as Zach released my hand, to place his own on my behind.

  “I feel like a sex toy. You guys can stop anytime now,” I chuckled. I could feel the heat on my cheeks. I felt exposed. I sat on the couch in between Zach and Krys and lifted my eyes towards the bar. Calvin stood still, his eyebrow crooked. He probably thought I was some kind of slut or, at the very least, bisexual. So many things he could be thinking about me. Why did I care? Because... just because.

  Julia returned with the drinks and before she left the table, she handed me a Vodka and Cranberry Juice. “Mr. Banks insisted,” she proclaimed.

  I rolled my eyes and found his again. He didn't smile or show any kind of facial expression. His face was a blank mask, testing me.

  “Mr. Banks likes you, my friend. Trust me, it’s obvious.” Krys confirmed looking between Calvin and I. “Well, this is getting awkward.” She added.

  I took a sip, never letting my eyes leave his and lifted my glass in a salute. A hint of a smile traced across his lips and it almost made me break the connection between us. Why was he so intriguing and good looking?

  “Okay, we better get this party going. Who wants to dance?” Krystal distracted me from what had just happened between Calvin and I by pulling me to her side.

  “Dancing sounds great,” I agreed and looked back into Calvin’s direction to find him still staring at me
while Julia spoke to him. He gave me another barely noticeable smile. This time, I smiled back.

  Why couldn’t he stop looking at me?

  Why did I catch his attention?

  We are from two different worlds.

  The dance floor was in another area of the bar. The lights were turned down and mixed with colorful spotlights, which followed the beat of the music. Acrobatic dancers joined the DJ on the stage. They made me look like an amateur. Their dance moves made my joints hurt. They were incredibly flexible, very impressive.

  Zach's hands found their way to my waist and he pulled me closer to him. His cologne brought my attention back to him and only him. The sexual tension between us returned and intensified. Zach had a way of reaching out to me and we’d become close. We had been friends for a couple of months, but I had told him about my history with Damien and that my trust had to be earned. He had proven to me numerous times how much he cared about me.

  “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” he murmured against my ear.

  “No, you haven’t and I was starting to wonder if I still had that little something to rile you up.”

  “You’re gorgeous, Iris, and your legs are killer in that skirt.” He kissed my cheek. “Don't worry, you still make me hard in a heartbeat.”

  Thankfully the dim lights stopped him from seeing the blush spreading across my face. I gripped his hair and pulled him down to meet my lips. He kissed me and we got lost in our moment, until Krystal nudged me in the ribs and stopped us. “Watch out. Banks is coming.”

  “Excuse me, Iris.” Calvin had some nerve to interrupt us. “May I have this dance?” he asked, at the exact same moment as one of John Legend's songs started playing. He took my hands into his and walked me away from Zach and Krys. I turned back to look at Zach, he was fuming. I’d never seen him like this. Krys was trying her best to distract him, but then I lost sight of them when I was pulled into Banks' arms. My face was a few inches away from his. His strong arms enveloped me. I was standing there with him, still breathless from my kisses with Zach.

  “Is he your boyfriend?” he questioned as we were now dancing dangerously close.

  “It's complicated, and none of your business.”

  He smirked. “I'll take that as a no.”

  He frustrated me. What did Calvin Banks want from me? “Look, you’ve lost me. I don't know you and you know nothing about me, apart from where I work. You're a business man, I'm a student. I’m younger than you. Our worlds don’t interact.” Did I say this to convince him or myself? I had no clue. “You didn’t even introduce yourself.”

  “You’re right, I’m Calvin Banks.” He offered me his hand. “Where are my manners?”

  “You know my name.” I grinned and slid my hand into his. Within a second, he lifted it to his lips and kissed the top of my hand.

  “You're beautiful and I see something special in you.” He let go of my hand and removed a lock of hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear. “I’m not that much older than you,” he teased and chuckled. The sparkle in his eyes caught my attention. “Besides, age is just—”

  I cut him off. “A number, I know.” He sighed at my arrogance. “You can have anyone you want with no questions asked.”

  For an instant, he was quiet and I thought I had angered him. “That’s true. I can. I'll give you that, but it doesn't mean I want any of them. I’ve had my share of fun and I can see that you have too.” He looked in Zach’s direction. I never felt so embarrassed in my life. I tried pulling away, I didn’t want to have this conversation with him. This whole thing was embarrassing.

  “Look, I came here with my friends, I don’t know what you want from me but I can’t give it to you, okay?” I paused. “I’m not interested and...”

  “Wait, don’t go. I want to talk for a minute, get to know you.” He insisted and I saw something in his eyes.

  “What do you want to talk about? You have one minute.” I grew impatient. I couldn’t stop thinking about how furious Zach looked. This wasn’t how we were supposed to spend our night out. I felt bad for him. Although, Calvin did have me curious.

  “What are you studying?”

  I had a hard time following his abrupt subject changes. “Marketing and Art.”

  “Why are you working in a fast food restaurant?”

  Was this an interrogation or something? “Why do you ask?”

  “Please, answer my question, Iris.”

  I sighed and said “because I have no other work experience other than working for my parents at the ranch.” His hands lowered on my back and he led the dance. “Moving here wasn't easy, okay? I had to take whatever job I could get.” I felt the tears coming, but I refused to show any weakness.

  “Do you like your job?”

  I started laughing. “Not really, why would I like it? It pays my bills. It’s all I need right now.”

  “Come with me.” He whispered in my ear sending shivers all over my body. I closed my eyes for a second while I pulled myself together.

  He interlaced his fingers with mine and I followed him into the unknown.

  “Where are we going?”

  My heart was beating fast, something was happening here and I didn't know what it was. With my free hand, I dried the corner of my eyes. I didn't want him to see me cry. He opened a door and pushed me inside. A small desk lamp lit the room. I looked around and guessed that we were now standing in his office.

  “I want you to work for me,” he said, less than an inch away from my lips. The tension between us made me speechless. “I’ll give you my business card and I want you to meet me upstairs in my office. Then, we'll talk.” His virile voice gave me all kinds of feeling, it made my heart flutter and my hands clammy. The fact that we were alone added to it.

  “Why did you bring me here?”

  “Because I wanted to talk without distraction.” His pale green eyes locked into a heated gaze with mine. He closed the distance between us. My cheeks were cradled in his hands. “You're so beautiful.”

  “So are you, Calvin...You’re so...I don’t know. You make me speechless when you’re staring at me like that.”

  “I’m sorry if I’m too intense.”

  My lips parted and I lost myself into the depth of his sex-appeal. His lips crushed against mine, savouring me. He lifted me into his arms, pushing me against the wall. “I can't believe you came here tonight. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you walk in.” He chuckled out of breath. “I went back to the restaurant earlier tonight. I had to get your phone number or some way of contacting you, but they wouldn't give me anything.”

  “It's against policy,” I muttered.

  “Right. Anyway, I don't know what I did to be so lucky, but here you are.”

  “I am.” I had lost any sense of conversation. I sighed, too astounded to say anything. I didn't expect this. My night had taken an unexpected turn and it excited me more than I wanted to admit. He was gorgeous, but still not the type of guy I normally went for. Although, his kisses had changed that a little – I wanted to get to know him more and soon.

  “Do you do this often?” I asked him while watching him.

  “Do what?”

  I waited a few short seconds before explaining my question. Calvin seemed at ease with me, he didn’t have anything to hide. “Bring girls here to offer them a job. I mean, you don’t know me. I could be a serial killer.”

  “I doubt it.” He chuckled. “But the answer to your question is no. I like to be surrounded by people I care about. If the opportunity presents itself, I will offer a job to a close friend, normally not a stranger. There’s something about you.”

  He gave me a great answer, something to think about.

  “I don’t know what to think about you.”

  “Go with your gut, it’s all I can say. I’m not a bad guy. Helping people is what I do.” Part of me wanted to trust him and jump on board. A better job would help me a lot.

  “You want to help me.”

&nb
sp; “If you will let me.” His words were a whisper. There was strong chemistry going on between us and I could tell he wanted to taste me again. His eyes kept looking at my lips.

  I chewed on my lips, trying to find the courage to kiss him again. I missed the feel of his lips against mine. He must have felt it, because his lips found mine and we kept on kissing. It wasn't innocent, the passion between us soon got out of control. I fiddled with his belt, while he lifted my skirt over my waist. His pants dropped on the floor and he used his fingers to push aside my panties. Things were about to get real. So real, it scared me. Never in my life had I been the type of girl who would sleep with a complete stranger. Not to mention I had always stayed away from that type of sexual freedom.

  He bit on my lips before he whispered into my ear. “Are you okay with this?” His voice low and ragged, seduced me, it seemed to zing all the way from his lips to create a spasm of desire, deep in my groin.

  “Uh huh.” I answered, hiding my hesitation. His hands felt good, they awakened something wonderful in my mind. Calvin didn’t hesitate to touch my curves, making me feel sexy and desired. His voice made me want him. Clearly, this man knew what the hell he was doing and it made me feel awkward.

  My legs were wrapped around his waist, not letting go, he whirled around and sat me on the desk and he stared down at me, making me blush. Calvin wasn’t looking at me; he was studying me. The intensity in his eyes made me feel so self-conscious. He rubbed the back of his hand against my arm while he angled his head and approached my neck. I held my breath, I expected a kiss but who knew what he would do? His lips touched my neck and he took a deep breath. I heard a small moan coming from deep within his chest.

  He entered me. I didn’t expect him to slide inside of me that fast, but damn, I loved it. Fuck the foreplay, he wanted action. His hands made their way under my top, to my breasts. He touched me, in a way nobody had ever touched me. The touch of his fingers on my breasts heightened my pleasure. I couldn’t understand why he made it feel so different, but it was. He showed no fear, no hesitation as we had fucked.

  He groaned again, as he kissed and touched me. Calvin was devouring my body, inch-by-inch. Every part of me was screaming aloud, and the orgasm was coming anytime now. I grabbed his hair and his lips crashed onto mine. I needed him to slow down, or I would explode, too fast, too soon. Everything overwhelmed me. It had to slow down.