I flinch at the sudden change in the tone of his voice, but I like that he’s in agreement and doing exactly as I ask. When I open my mouth to tell him to fuck off and that I’d be down when I’m good and ready, I quickly close it when I see a flash of pain in his eyes before he turns and walks out of the bathroom.
I sigh the moment I hear the door slam when he leaves the suite.
This situation is all kinds of fucked up.
After getting myself together after a quick shower, I make my way down to the pool party that the Hard Rock calls Rehab. The scene before me causes me to raise my eyebrows. This place is something straight out of the Spring Break handbook. There are bodies everywhere—all of them dancing to the techno beat spun by the DJ.
This is seriously where King is meeting a business contact? Good luck talking business out here.
When I get through security, I merge into the crowd. Several pairs of hungry male eyes watch me intently as I pass by, and suddenly I wish I would’ve let Alexander wait on me. I don’t like feeling like a piece of meat on display.
One dark-haired man with a set of toned abs and wide smile grabs my wrist as I pass by. “Damn! You’ve got the nicest set of tits I’ve seen all day.”
I fight the urge to smack him in the face because I know that technically I’m out here for business purposes and getting arrested for assault wouldn’t be a good look.
“Not interested.” I attempt to twist out of his grasp, but there’s no such luck.
The man tightens his hold and attempts to jerk me against his chest. “Let me feel those titties on me.”
“Get off me!” I shove my arms between us and push with all my might, but he’s too big and I can’t force him off.
“Play nice, baby,” he says, and the distinct smell of beer wafts into my face.
Before I have a chance to say anything else, the man flies back and Alexander steps between us. Alexander’s hands ball into fists at his side as his entire body tenses.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll walk away. Now.” The low growl in Alexander’s voice emits such a warning that the man instantly throws his hands up in surrender and backs away without another word.
Alexander stands still, shielding me until he’s sure the man is gone, and I have to admit that I’m grateful for his presence.
He slowly turns toward me. “You all right?”
I nod. “Yes. Thank you for that. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been here.”
“Don’t worry, Margo. Nobody will dare touch you while I’m around.”
His confident words cause butterflies to erupt in my belly. It makes me feel safe knowing that he’s looking out for me.
“Oh, shit. Did you see that?” The voice comes from a small Asian man who looks like he’s straight out of a rap video with his gold chains and baseball cap. He slaps Alexander’s shoulder and laughs. “Dat madafucka just got punked. I think he shit his pants. He better not come back for seconds because Yamada might just have to step in and he doesn’t want any of this.”
Alexander rolls his eyes and then turns toward the man. “Next time he’s all yours, big guy.”
The man turns toward me and lowers the gold-rimmed sunglasses down the bridge of his nose. His dark eyes drink me in from head to toe before he flicks his gaze in Alexander’s direction. “Are you with dis fine piece?”
Alexander sighs. “Yamada, this is Margo Buchanan. She’s my assistant.”
“I bet.” Yamada laughs and then pushes his glasses back over his eyes. “Just like old times, King. You bring all the fly honeys to the party.”
That takes me back. Old times? It sounds like Alexander’s relationship with Yamada goes far beyond a business one. How in the hell am I supposed to possibly find a way to infiltrate their business relationship if they are as good of friends as they seem to be?
“Don’t look so serious, Dime Piece,” Yamada says to me. “This is a party. Lighten up. We need to dance.”
My mouth gapes open as I look at Alexander, but he’s no help. He simply shrugs. “There’s no stopping him when he’s on a mission to party. Just go with it.”
Yamada grabs my hand. “Come with Yamada. I’ll show you a good time.”
I glance back at Alexander while this odd little man leads me along, and he just simply grins and waves before the crowd swallows him up.
“Why do you keep referring to yourself in the third person?” I complain as he weaves us through the crowd.
He turns toward me, pulling the sunglasses down the bridge of his nose and peering at me over the top of them again with an expression that I can only describe as dumbfounded. “Because that’s what all the badass madafakas do.”
For a split second, I don’t know if he’s actually serious or not, but when he winks at me, I can’t hold back a chuckle.
Yamada smiles, clearly pleased with my lightened mood, and then pushes his sunglasses back up. “Now that’s a killer smile. Let’s go shake it so I can show off that the hottest chick in this place is grinding on me.”
This man was so not what I was expecting when I imagined coming out here to meet Alexander’s business contact. I guess what I expected was a man that was, well, something more along the lines of my father—an accomplished older man. Instead, I get a younger guy who’s busy twerking in front of me at a crowded pool party.
I’m not sure I can take this guy seriously when it comes to anything business related, but he seems to be a damn good time. I’m going to have to rethink how I’m going to get in good with this man. For now, I’m going to dance because that seems like what he wants to do.