Abraham Read online

  But not for long.

  Not if I could nail this next song.

  I slowly peeled my eyes away from him and threw them back to the stage. I couldn't get distracted now, I couldn't lose this chance. This job could change everything for me. And trust me, it wasn’t easy to change your situation being a lounge singer with no education in Charleston.

  I couldn't think about how wonderful those bulging arms would feel around me, though I knew I would think about it when I fell asleep tonight.

  Right now, I had another song to nail. That’s where my attention needed to be.

  3

  ABRAHAM

  The moment she stepped on stage I knew she was beautiful, but when she sat down at the bar she was absolutely intoxicating. My bear roared at the sight. Those crimson red lips beckoned to my cock while she flagged the bartender down, and I couldn’t help but swivel my chair towards her. The outfit she had on was perfect. It molded to every curve of her body while keeping the most important parts a complete secret. She was a boxed up present-- perfectly wrapped for the shape it was but never once gave away what was underneath.

  I watched her grasp her martini glass and swirl the olives around the edge. She was a classy woman underneath that sultry act. There was hardly a woman in this city who didn’t order a cocktail that was brightly colored, and I watched as her eyes connected with mine. What was even more intriguing was she acted as if she didn’t recognize me. There was hardly a woman in the surrounding area who didn’t know the face of a Johnson. I raised my glass to her in a toast. I was toasting outwardly to her success, but I was toasting inwardly to mine.

  I didn’t know how, but this was the woman I was taking home tonight.

  She turned back to the stage after she had studied me for quite some time and I turned my attention back to the bar. I had no intentions of watching any of the other acts unless she hit the stage again. I could tell by the panting of her chest that she was just as caught up in the moment as I was. And it only solidified my theory when I caught her eyes flicking back towards me.

  Every once in a while, when she thought I wasn’t looking, those stunning blue eyes would find their way back to my face. So, I grabbed my drink and headed towards her before I took a seat at the bar next to her.

  “Your performance was incredible. Was that arrangement your own?” I asked.

  I saw the eyebrow she cocked onto her head. I knew she thought no one in the club would recognize how foreign the song was, but I did. I knew of every rendition and every remix that song has ever taken on, and even that was new to me.

  “Yes, it was. I’m surprised you knew that,” she said.

  “A woman like you must have her talents on and off the stage. Call it a lucky guess,” I said.

  “Then I shall consider it as such.”

  “It’s also interesting how you chose the color red anyway, given that your eyes are substantially blue. Most women would’ve played off that,” I said.

  “Well, I’m not most women,” she said.

  “I can tell that simply by the drink you ordered. An actual martini instead of a brightly-colored, sweetened concoction passed off as one,” I said.

  “You are martini connoisseur, Mr…?”

  “Johnson. Abraham Johnson. And no, I’m simply a connoisseur of women.”

  “Which translates into ‘I’m going to attempt to take you home with me and make you part of the platter’. Correct?” she asked.

  I heard the bartender snicker and I couldn’t help but grin. Now I understood why she chose the color red. It wasn’t some stereotypical ploy to woo the men from the stage she had just been on. It was the color that matched her attitude.

  And I would enjoy silencing that attitude with my cock tonight.

  “There is no platter, Miss…?”

  “You can simply call me ‘Summer’,” she said.

  “Miss Summer. There is no platter. Simply yourself and a man who wants to let you know how thoroughly beautiful and entertaining you are,” I said.

  “Your words are very kind, Mr. Johnson.”

  “They should be. Everyone deserves a bout of kindness every now and again,” I said.

  She turned her gaze towards me and I caught it. I knew if I could just get her to look at me, to see the passion in my eyes and the way my strong body was leaning towards her, she would cave. I watched her body instinctively lean in towards me, trying to get closer as my eyes fluttered up and down her perfect physique.

  “Mr. Johnson?” she asked.

  “Yes, Miss Summer?”

  “It’s-”

  “Yes?”

  “I-”

  “Mhm?”

  Our lips were close. So close that I could smell her perfume. So close I could feel her body heat. So close I could see the shimmering accent of the powder she’d placed onto her luscious bosom before her performance. So close my bear was clawing to have a taste for himself.

  “It has been a pleasure. However, it’s time for my second debut,” she said.

  Before I could register what was going on, she threw back the rest of her martini, slid the olives off the stick with an incredibly long tongue, and left to go backstage. I could feel the bartender smirking at me, taunting me with the laughter that threatened to burst forth from his throat.

  For the first time in my life, a woman had left me breathless.

  Had she really not known who I was? I can’t tell you the last time a woman refused a Johnson man. Who didn’t want a taste of the luxury life that everyone knew we lived? Wining and dining and the best lay they’d ever have. Yet, somehow Summer either resisted temptation or didn’t know just how lucky she was to have peaked my interest.

  I made my way to the side of the stage just as she came back out. The men in the room went wild as I took a seat in a dark corner, and I simply watched her performance. I watched the way she walked effortlessly in her blood red heels. I watched the way her hips naturally swayed to the rhythm of the little number I could tell was also arranged by her. The way her low notes simply slid from her tongue rumbled my bear in a way no woman’s voice ever had before.

  It made me wonder if she sounded like that in bed. If her pleasure would rumble my ribcage or shatter my eardrums or silence my bear.

  I was impressed. With the way she moved and the way she sang. With the songs she had arranged and the outfit she had chosen. She was bringing the entire package to a performance I could tell meant a great deal to her, and I wanted to catch her after tonight and ask her why it was so important.

  Why she was so invested in a club like this.

  I bet she had a story. I bet she had dreams and aspirations this club would help her to obtain. I bet she sat around in whatever dank apartment she could afford on this end of town and daydreamed about song arrangements with her sticky little keyboard. I bet she was a starving artist type-- living off her dreams and passions while eating ramen noodles every night.

  I could treat her to the most decadent foods this city had to offer, if only she’d let me.

  I stood and clapped as her performance came to an end, and I swelled with pride when I saw her scanning the crowd. She tried to make it look as if she were just taking it all in, but her eyes were searching.

  Looking.

  Hunting.

  And I knew exactly who she was looking for.

  I knew exactly what I would do to her. I’d shove my cock between those pretty lips just to see what her throat felt like before I’d spear her down onto my lap. I’d mark her tits and her stomach just so she’d need extra makeup for the rest of her performances this week. I’d bury my face into that sweet pussy and ruin it for any man that came after me. I’d pull orgasm after orgasm from her body until she was begging me to stop.

  Then, I’d give her one last bout of pleasure before I finally let her rest on the silk sheets her juices were sure to drench.

  She walked off stage and I headed towards the bar. I knew that’s where she would be heading. She’d order herself a
nother martini and act as if she was simply taking a break, but the relief would waft over her face when she’d see me sit right down next to her.

  And the pride that flooded my chest when her eyes lit up at my presence made me smirk.

  Deep down, every single one of them was the same.

  “Sir? Put her drink on my tab and close me out,” I said.

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” she said.

  “Consider it a ‘congratulations’. You were phenomenal up there. I expected you to change your costume, but it worked for a second time. It’s hard for a performer to pull that off.”

  “Ah well, I try my best,” she said playfully.

  My bear roared in impatience, knowing the bait was already taken and it was time to reel her in. But I wanted to play the game a little longer. Every minute we would wait would build the anticipation, stoking the fire that was already consuming both of us.

  “Is this what you’ve always wanted to do? Perform in a cabaret club and sway your hips to hungry men whose eyes are full of you?” I asked.

  “I’ve always wanted to perform, period,” she said. “And now that I’ve officially been hired, this will provide for me the money I need to live the life I want.”

  “Well, then actual ‘congratulations’ are in order,” I said as we clinked glasses. “To the future.”

  “To the future,” she said.

  “So, what is this glamorous life a beautiful woman like yourself seeks?”

  “An apartment I can afford on my own, so I don’t have to have roommates and a little labradoodle that curls up with me at night,” she said.

  “I didn’t realize men were being called by dog’s names nowadays. I mean, I know some of us have high sex drives, but that’s a bit much,” I said.

  She giggled and the sound flowed over my body like hot caramel. It was deep and chested. Like the low notes that flowed like melted butter from between her lips.

  Holy hell, I was never going to want her sounds to be silenced

  “Clever. I meant an actual labradoodle. They aren’t the cheapest dogs to own, but they’re beautiful and incredibly loyal.”

  “So is the right man, if you play the game correctly,” I said.

  “Are you putting your bid in the hat?” she asked.

  “I could be convinced, for the right price,” I said.

  I watched her cheeks flush red, and for the first time her innocence pulled to the front. I caught of glimpse of just how round her cheeks were and just how doe-eyed her blue eyes were. She obviously contoured her makeup to make her features seem slimmer on stage, but the way her petite little nose crinkled when she laughed flooded my system with a sense of relief.

  And I honestly wasn’t sure why.

  “And what price would that be?” she asked.

  “Why don’t you join me on the third floor and we can talk about it without all the hustle and smoke around us?” I asked.

  I watched her smile, and the sultry maiden from the stage was gone. In her place was a flourishing young woman who had just been handed her dreams. She’d been given an opportunity to fend for herself in the way she wanted, and the unadulterated happiness in her eyes that sparkled only added to the innocence I was slowly pulling to the surface. My bear was consumed by this beautiful, ambitious woman, roaring louder than I ever had ever heard before.

  “I think I can do that,” she said.

  4

  SUMMER

  I didn’t think there was another floor to this place, and as we walked up the back staircase I could feel my hands shaking in anticipation. I knew there was a main floor and a VIP balcony, but that was it. Where was he taking me? The bouncers in this club had a stark reputation for protecting their performers, so if someone thought I was in trouble they would’ve come to get me.

  Right?

  We stopped at the third floor and he pushed the door open, revealing a decadent room with incredibly low lighting. There was a separate bar with a bartender in a suit as well as leather furniture peppering the main room. There were people on the couches writhing all over one another. One woman was taking off her own shirt while a man sank to his knees in front of her, and I saw another man pull out his dick right there on a leather chair before someone started sucking it!

  “What the hell is this place?” I asked.

  “This is The Woods. The Wild is where you perform, but this is a secret hideaway that was built above the club and bar itself about ten years ago,” he said.

  I listened and moans and groans filled the room, and I couldn’t help but look away. I caught the bartender’s stare and I could tell his eyes were sizing me up. I felt uncomfortable in the atmosphere with everyone taking off their clothes. I felt Mr. Johnson’s hand lightly descend onto my waist however, and he led me over into a dark corner.

  A corner that was concealed from everyone else.

  “Mr. Johnson, I don’t think-”

  “I’m just going to educate you a bit. I’m not going to touch you if you don’t want me to,” he said.

  “Good, because I’m getting out of here,” I said. “What the hell is this place? Where did you take me?” I asked.

  “It’s The Woods, Miss Summer. It’s a secret hideaway that the billionaires of the city donate to in order to keep it open. It runs solely off our donations, which means that bartender back there makes a serious amount of money to keep this secret. It’s where men like myself bring our little playthings for the evening.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked. “Did you just call me a ‘plaything’?”

  Did he really just call me a ‘plaything’? Did he actually think that I was going to get down on my knees and willingly suck his dick in front of other people? There was a man currently cumming down a woman’s throat in the corner while another woman panted and moaned while she chased her own orgasm on another man’s face! I wasn’t staying here a second longer, much less taking my clothes off in it.

  Who did this man think he was?

  “Mr. Johnson, I don’t know what kind of woman you take me to be-”

  “You’re the kind of woman who knows what she wants,” he said as he ran his hand up and down my arm. “The kind of woman who can toggle between classic, sultry, and innocent depending on the needs of the situation. You’re a talented, vibrant, independent soul who probably secretly enjoys giving over her control to a man who knows what he’s doing. And Miss Summer, I most certainly know what I’m doing,” he said.

  “You’re disgusting.” I shoved him away and headed for the door. My heels hit the floor desperately as I tried to get away, but just as I swung the door open I felt his fingers curl around my hand. His long, intentional fingers that boasted of experience and desire. I could feel the way he guided me and didn’t force me to stay, and for a split second I wondered what those fingers would feel like traveling up my thigh.

  “Is that all you wanted me to be?” I asked.

  “It’s all most women want when it comes to me, Miss Summer. You’re lucky, you know. I pick and choose my women with prudish standards. Women experience nights of wining and dining. Women have been known to receive presents from me they can pawn for cash that’ll help them thrive for years after the fact. I change lives, Miss Summer. And I’ve chosen to change yours. Don’t you understand? I’m Abraham Johnson, of the Shyft Johnsons.”

  Of course, he was. I couldn’t believe I’d fallen for the act. What the hell was I thinking? And how could I have been so naive? Decent men didn’t come to The Wild. Men who were looking for decent women didn’t come anywhere near this place. Rich man-scum came to The Wild for an evening thrill. I couldn’t believe I’d allowed him to convince me that I was somehow special. That I could possibly be of more worth to him than his wealth. That I was somehow going to wake up next to this beautiful man and swim in his dark, brooding eyes while we ate pancakes in the morning ass naked in his home.

  Change my life? No man changed my life. I changed my own life the moment I walked off that stage with everyon
e chanting my name. I didn’t need a Johnson giving me some diamond necklace I could pawn for money. I’d changed my own circumstances with the hard work, dedication, and long hours I’d put in waitressing and living in a one-bedroom apartment with three other people.

  What the fuck was wrong with me? What the hell had I expected?

  I turned my gaze back to him and he dropped my hand. If he thought he’d seen the innocent and the sultry and the whatever else he called me out for, then he was really going to enjoy this side.

  The stone-cold side that could cut someone off and never look back.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed the performance tonight, Mr. Johnson,” I said lightly. “I hope you do come back and enjoy the next show.”

  I saw the hesitancy flash behind his eyes just for a second. In that very moment, he recognized the grave mistake he just made and I watched him lean back onto his heels. My eyes stayed hooked onto his while my mysterious stare turned to one of ice. My body went rigid and I held my breath, not wanting the trembling of my limbs to give away how absolutely petrified I was of this entire situation.

  I was never coming back up here so long as I lived.

  Then, when I was sure he was good and turned off, I turned my back and started down the steps.

  5

  ABRAHAM

  Even as I was sitting in this meeting, I still couldn’t get my mind off Summer. I should’ve fucking slowed it down with her, but when your bear growls as loud as mine did, it’s hard to shut him up until you claim what he wants. I should’ve known from the moment I laid eyes on her that she wasn’t the type of woman that would simply fall into bed with me whenever I crooked my finger. She had style, she had class, she had confidence. She wasn’t the type of woman to simply drop to her knees because I offered her a night of fun and good wine.

  And I couldn’t get her voice out of my head.

  Those sultry notes and the way they fell from her lips. The way her toned legs commanded that stage in those thin little stockings. The way those heels flexed her legs lusciously, beckoning for my fingertips was enough to drive my bear wild. She was a woman who wasn’t worried about covering up her imperfections, either. I saw the glimmer of a few stretch marks on the outside of her bosom while she was on stage. I saw the little dimples of cellulite on the backs of her thighs.