Yellow And Chunky

Marcella’s POVI hold the used condom up in my gloved hand, and a wave of nausea rolls over me. How can people be such pigs? If you can't hit the waste basket with your own biohazard, get your fat, lazy ass out of bed and pick it up yourself. The things I do for minimum wage and minuscule tips.Sometimes, I feel like staying in bed in the morning and pulling the worn sheets over my head. But I have only myself to depend on, and that's a fact.“Miss Marcella,” a deep voice calls from the doorway to the two-room suite. No, God. Please, not today. I'll take vomit and dirty Kleenex. Anything but him. “You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, baby.”I take a deep breath and face him. “Hey, Bob. How's your day going?”Now, he'll interrupt me, talk my ear off, make vague come-ons, and keep me from finishing my work so I can get my ass home. All I want is to take a hot shower and wash the dirt of the day along with any lingering fantasies about Nixon Caldwell from my weary body. I wish Lita was her

Looming Ahead

I'm about to embark on another mission of open mouth and insert foot, but it has to be said because I can't hold it in. “Can you make sure when I'm working with Lincoln that Mr. Caldwell isn't involved? It would be better for Lincoln's therapy that way.”I think I hear a chuckle on the other end, but that can't be possible. I know that Mr. Cass is Nixon's friend as well as his employee. At least that article in Vegas magazine said as much, and this isn't a laughing matter.“I'll make sure he stays away. Most days, he's so busy with meetings, he doesn't even make it to the casino floor until the afternoon. But Miss Castillo…?”My heart flips over. “Yes?”Nixon told me he can’t stay away from you. That his heart free falls every single time you leave…“I know his lunches with Linc are very important to him. You'll probably see him in passing at lunch time. Other than that, I doubt it.”I heave a sigh of relief tinged with the tiniest bit of disappointment.“Thank you.”I inhale a cleans

Not On My Watch

Nixon’s POV“You fucking piece of shit!”I want to grab the rat bastard by his expensive merino wool suit lapels and shake the shit out of him until his corpse falls on my office floor. My fingers itch, and a light sheen of sweat breaks out on my forehead. He's ruined my day before it's even begun.“Watch it, whelp,” the condescending voice says, not even piercing through my anger. “You'll raise your blood pressure. It's not a good look on you.”Dante leans back in his chair and tents his hands as if we're discussing the weather and not the fact that he's just asked Pink Autopsy to break their iron-clad contract with the Armónico. And they've agreed to take a huge financial hit as well as a black mark against their stellar reputation. I wonder what the hell he has hanging over their head to make them do something detrimental to their career. The Mona Lisa isn't a place for a band like them. It will most certainly hurt their street cred. Dante’s joint caters to the Tony Bennett crowd.

Pure Stubbornness

“I didn't really care for Pink Autopsy anyway,” I admit, which is somewhat true from a personal standpoint. From a business aspect, this is a royal pain in my ass. “They were always my second choice. I really should be thanking you. Now you've freed up my time to book an act that will draw even more people to the Armónico.”“Hmm.” His hand strokes back and forth on his thigh like some kind of nervous tick. It's the only indication that I've finally gotten to him. He checks his expensive watch and stands. “I've got a lunch meeting, so I'll be leaving now. Good luck finding a new headliner on such short notice.”“Have a nice day,” I call to his retreating back. What I really want to say wouldn't be appropriate for Carol's ears, and I watch my mouth in front of her out of sheer respect. Besides, getting into it with him inside my casino is an exercise in futility and makes me look unprofessional. I need to apply patience because his time will come.“Piece of shit motherfucker.” Troy isn'

Hot And Cold

Marcella’s POVI stand in front of the most attractive man I've ever met, trying to hold everything I'm feeling back when all I want to do is scream the sordid truth until my throat can no longer voice my frustration. Since I met Nixon, my emotions have gotten the better of me. I just don't get this guy.He's hot and cold. Passion and indifference. Light and shade.I never read that fifty shades book, but this dude's at least a thousand hues of that dull, lifeless color. Probably more like a million. I'm off kilter because I can't control any situation I'm in that includes him, and I don't like it which makes me not like the guy who's causing it. Dante Giovanetti is a piece of shit, and my intuition tells me that there's no reason for him to be atthe Armónico unless they're in cahoots with each other.It's now my job to protect Lincoln, even if that protection is from his own brother. The sweet, little munchkin already owns a part of my heart. I don't think I've ever met a kinder chi

Truth Or Dare

My heart throbs against my chest with such a powerful rhythm it borders on discomfort. I squirm on top of Nixon, seeking an end to the physical torment he's caused since the first day I saw him. Every nerve ending in my body awakens and fires with fierce intensity. His hand movesdown my rib cage and lands on my thigh. My core contracts in response. God, I want him to touch me so bad. Just when I think he's never going to move it, he does. Releasing my swollen nipple, Nixon leans in closer. His breath against my ear sends a little shiver down my spine.“I want to feel how wet you are,” he whispers.“Yes,” I say, the word sounding more like a strangled moan. His hand hovers over my heated slit, but before he can touch me, a thought pierces through the fog of lust. “Truth or dare.”The question stops him in his tracks as his body stills. When his eyes meet mine, I delight in the fact that his are just as cloudy as mine must be.“Truth. I never, ever take a dare.”“How do you know Dante