Night & Day--A Time for Love Series Novella Read online

  Night & Day

  A Time for Love Series Novella

  Bethany Lopez

  Night & Day

  Copyright 2019 Bethany Lopez

  Published April 2019

  ISBN: 9781093344462

  Cover Design by Opium House Creatives

  Editing by Red Road Editing / Kristina Circelli

  Formatting by Bethany Lopez

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  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. All rights reserved.

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  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please don’t participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  This ebook is also available in print at most online retailers.

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  Created with Vellum

  For the ladies of Blackout: A Romance Anthology. It was truly a joy working with all of you and creating this “world” together.

  Contents

  Preface

  1. Simone

  2. Micah

  3. Simone

  4. Micah

  5. Simone

  6. Micah

  7. Simone

  8. Micah

  9. Simone

  10. Micah

  11. Simone

  12. Micah

  13. Simone

  14. Micah

  15. Simone

  16. Micah

  Epilogue

  Bonus Epilogue

  Want more?

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Bethany Lopez

  BLACKOUT: A Romance Anthology

  ♥️Night Games by T.K. Leigh: “Note to self: Never agree to play an innocent dice game during a blackout in Vegas. I should have known it wouldn't remain innocent, not in the city of sin.”

  ♠️Night & Day by Bethany Lopez: “One explosive weekend together nearly ruined them. But, there's no way Simone and Micah can ignore their chemistry when they're alone in the dark.”

  ♦️Close Encounter by Stephanie St. Klaire - Author: “The day started with a quick screw, a couple of quirky two-bit cons and ended with a diabolical serial killer. What do you do when the lights go out? Run.”

  ♣️Absolutely Mine by Terri E. Laine: “I made a promise to stay away from my best friend's little sister. But it's Vegas and that's one promise I'm probably going to break.”

  ♥️Honeymoon Hideaway by Cary Hart Author: “What's worse than being locked in room with a vibrating bed and your sworn enemy? Waking up next to him... naked! Did I mention he's also my boss? Oops.”

  ♠️The Do-Over by Christi Barth: “The best way to move on after being dumped? A hot fling. An even better way? Revenge sex and the chance to turn the tables on the guy who dumped you…”

  ♦️Just Us by JH Croix: “Ellie asks me to promise her one thing. We can't tell her brother about us. Small problem though. One night will never be enough.”

  ♣️Dirty Thoughts by Author C.A. Harms: “He was the crush I never thought I'd see again. Yet here we were in Vegas, during a total blackout. I figure why not explore all the possibilities, or more like let him explore me?”

  ♥️Hard Luck by K.A. Ware: “Ellis James is my kryptonite, the only person who could drag me back to Vegas after I promised myself I was done with that life. I'd bleed for her, I'd die for her, but can I save her?”

  ♠️Becoming His by K.I. Lynn: “When I slammed into Hollywood heartthrob Reid Gallagher, I never imagined it would turn into a first date I'd never forget. After all, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...right?”

  ♦️Going Down by Lisa Shelby: “She's the only person I've ever loved and I'm the last person she wants to see. She'd hoped to avoid me as much as possible in Vegas, but when we get stuck alone in an elevator, not even she can deny that our chemistry still runs hot.”

  ♣️Blind Faith by Lauren Runow - Author: “I never expected to be locked out of my room basically naked in a total blackout. Thinking that would be the biggest shock of my night was my first mistake.”

  ♥️Free Bird by Leddy Harper:

  “She’s a showgirl who wants out of Vegas. He’s a rugby player who wants a bit of company. Can they both get what they want?”

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  To learn more about our contributors, and their stories:

  www.privatepartybookclub.com/blackout

  One

  Simone

  I looked around the dimly lit bar. It was a good crowd tonight. The customers were happy. Mostly drunk, but happy … and the girls were really on their game. Diamond’s routine to the new Halsey hit had the guys in the front row practically drooling in their draft beers.

  Every once in a while, on a night like this, I missed being on stage. Then I’d catch sight of a particularly wasted dude in his sixties with his hand indiscreetly down his pants, and the moment passed.

  “Simone.”

  I turned my head toward the bar to see Carlos, one of the bartenders, calling me over.

  I eased off of the wall I’d been leaning on, partially hidden in the dark, and sauntered over to him.

  Sure, I was a manager now, and my clothes stayed on, but I still had an image to project. The same image that had gotten me this far in an industry that ate women alive. Untouchable, supreme bitch of the club, the one woman all the men wanted, but couldn’t have.

  I’d almost broken a guy’s wrist once when he’d grabbed my ass after a show and Big Mike, the owner, had fucking loved it. He called me his secret weapon, his prized possession.

  Of course, no one owned me but myself and everyone knew it … including Big Mike. But, I was a draw and as long as I was, Big Mike would do just about anything to keep me around, including agreeing to promote me.

  I’d been working here almost six years, which made me one of the senior girls, so no one said shit when I became the boss. They were used to me calling the shots already.

  “What’s up?” I asked Carlos when I was close enough for him to hear me.

  “Micah’s on break and Gina just went to the bathroom, you think you could run and get me a fifth of Johnny Walker out of the back?”

  “Black?”

  “Yeah. Thanks,” Carlos said and went back to helping customers, of which there were many.

  I hurried into the back, down the corridor, and out the door as comfortable in heels as I’d be in flip-flops. Our dry storage was actually in a separate room that you could only get to from outside of the club.

  I unlocked and pulled open the door, careful to prop it open with the doorstop. The door had been broken for ages and if it shut behind you, you were stuck until the next time someone opened th
e door. I’d been on Big Mike to get it fixed, but he was allergic to anything that cost money.

  I grabbed the bottle, annotated it on the inventory sheet, and left the storeroom, shutting the door firmly behind me and making sure I locked it.

  As I headed back inside, I wondered how long Micah had been on break. Even with Gina, Carlos wasn’t going to be able to keep the customers happy for long. Micah was the lead bartender, the bane of my existence, and the man who’d broken my heart.

  “Seems like his breaks are getting longer and longer,” I muttered bitterly, brushing off the possibility that I was so annoyed because he’d been taking his breaks lately with a certain redhead.

  “Here you go, Carlos,” I called as I put the bottle behind the counter.

  I got quickly out of the way, surveying the room as I walked the club.

  Emerald was currently up and when I heard the chorus of the song, I grinned, knowing she was about to rip her dress down the front and would have these men eating out of the palm of her hand, and throwing bills at her, in mere seconds.

  I’d shown her how to use scissors to cut a starter in the bosom of her dress, so when it was time to rip it off, it would come off smoothly and not throw off her mojo by getting snagged, or worse have her up there trying to get it to rip and looking like an idiot when it stayed intact.

  I swear you could hear that rip clear across the Strip and the crowd went wild.

  When I turned toward the corner booth, my gaze landed on Micah and Ginger, and my grin fled.

  Ginger was everything I wasn’t … tiny, sweet, kind, always ready to lend a helping hand, and had a twinkling fairy laugh. I wanted to hate her on principle alone and hang her by her toes for spending time with Micah.

  It’d be like torturing a puppy, and even I wasn’t that much of a bitch.

  I spun on my heel, intent on checking out the dressing room and giving myself a minute to regain my composure.

  I hated that Micah still affected me the way he did. It had been almost a year since our weekend together at the Bellagio. The weekend where I’d forgotten all my rules and had thrown caution to the wind. We spent two days entangled in each other, enjoying room service and getting to know each other inside and out.

  I’d thought I’d finally met the one. We’d connected on a deeper level and I’d gotten swept up.

  Forgetting everything except what had occurred within that room, I’d told him I was falling for him … and he’d laughed in my face.

  Since then, I’d tried to keep my distance, while he constantly tried to get me to give him another chance.

  “Simone.”

  This time, I didn’t turn, because I knew it was Micah calling my name.

  “Hey, boss, wait up.”

  He threw the “boss” in there because he knew I’d have to listen since we were both on the clock.

  “What, Micah? Aren’t you about done with your break?” I asked, arching my brow as I took him in.

  Damn, he looked good.

  He always looked good. That was the problem. The attraction I had for him was off the charts, which was what had gotten me in trouble in the first place.

  His dark hair was short on the sides and longer on top, with a styled, yet floppy thing going on. Plus, he’d recently started growing out a beard, which he kept neat and trimmed, and only made him look ten times better than usual.

  Which meant he was panty-dropping hot.

  To say he worked his looks to his advantage and made a killing in tips would be an understatement. We all worked here for a reason and cashing in on the attributes the good Lord gave us was only part of it.

  “It’s been twenty-five minutes, Simone, I’m actually getting back early. Not that I’d expect you to give me props for that.”

  “You’re right, I won’t congratulate you for doing your job. What do you need?” I tried to keep my tone even, but Micah always brought out the worst in me.

  “I was hoping we could talk later,” he said, his eyes dropping a moment before coming back to mine. Like he was shy, or nervous, or something … yeah, right.

  “The answer is the same as every other time you’ve asked. Unless you want to talk to me at work, I’m not available.”

  “C’mon, Simone. You can’t avoid me forever. We need to clear the air … put this shit behind us.”

  “This shit.” I huffed out a breath. “You mean my vulnerability. The fact that I dared to have feelings and you threw them back in my face. Is that the shit you speak of?”

  “God, Simone, just let me explain.”

  I leaned in closer, my heart pounding and a familiar feeling of embarrassment and pain in my stomach.

  “Fuck you, Micah. Oh, that’s right, I already did, and there’s no fucking way I’ll ever let you make a fool of me again. Now, get back to work.”

  Two

  Micah

  Jesus, she’s fucking magnificent.

  I watched her walk away. Her posture was rigid, but her ass looked amazing thanks to the killer stilettos she was wearing.

  Even in a strip club, Simone turned heads and made me wish for more.

  She didn’t have to be on stage, taking her clothes off or shaking what the good Lord gave her; all she had to do was enter your orbit, and you were mesmerized.

  I’d wanted Simone since the day I’d interviewed for the bartending gig and saw her on stage practicing with some of the other girls. I’d nearly fallen out of my chair when my gaze had landed on her, unable to believe that a woman like that actually existed.

  The fact that she had a strict no customer/no co-worker policy only made her more appealing. Hell, I don’t think I saw her with anyone my first three years on the job, which is why I’d figured I had no chance at all with her.

  She’d surprised the hell out of me the night of the end-of-year party at the Bellagio. And, after spending the whole weekend with her, tangled in the sheets and really getting to know each other, I’d felt like the luckiest man alive.

  Still, I’d never thought it would go farther.

  This was Simone, after all.

  The woman ate glass for breakfast and could crush a man’s balls with a single look.

  When she’d said she was falling in love with me, I’d figured she was fucking with me and laughed. It was more self-preservation than anything. I didn’t want her to think I expected more from her, and honestly, I wasn’t ready myself to progress further and potentially get my heart stomped on. I’d assumed when the weekend was over things would go back to the way they were.

  I was so sure this was the case, that it took a few minutes for the pain on her face to register. The way her shoulders sagged, then snapped back like a steel rod was in her spine, as she erected the wall back around her.

  By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. She was back to stone and had been freezing me out ever since.

  I turned around with a shake of my head and a rueful smile.

  “Did she say yes?” Ginger asked hopefully when I went back to the table.

  That was the thing about Ginger, she always wanted to believe the best in everyone, and every time I tried to talk to Simone, Ginger was sure she’d cave and let me plead my case.

  “No, babe, she told me to fuck off. Literally.”

  Ginger frowned, which looked wrong on her perpetually happy face.

  “She loves you, Micah, I’m sure of it. She’s just guarding her heart.”

  I looked down at Ginger and said, “Yeah, with a fucking fortress.” I sighed and added, “I’d better get behind the bar, it’s starting to fill up in here.”

  “Yeah, I’d better get back, too … Check on the girls.”

  Like Simone, Ginger used to strip, but now she hired and trained the girls. She’d worked here for years, but that was about to end. I hated to see her go, but was happy to see her moving on to do something else. She was a great girl, and if she was happy, that’s all that mattered.

  “I’m back, you need to take five?” I asked C
arlos as I stepped behind the bar.

  “Nah, I’m good,” he answered without breaking stride.

  “What can I get you?” I asked the first person I saw leaning against the bar, waiting patiently.

  I was right, it had gotten packed, and it looked like they’d all come in and headed straight to the bar.

  “A vodka cranberry, Bud Light, and Sex on the Beach.”

  The last was said with a wink and sultry smile from the leggy brunette.

  I grinned back and pulled the beer from the cooler, popping the top and setting it on the bar.

  I was used to flirting, sexual innuendo, and sometimes out and out requests for sexual favors.

  As a bartender, especially a bartender at a strip club, it went with the territory. You may not think I’d get a lot of female customers, working at a strip club with female dancers, but you’d be wrong.

  We had women in here constantly. Sure, some were here for the entertainment, while others came to pick up guys, and others just liked the atmosphere.

  Mine was the perfect job for a young, single guy. The problem was … I wasn’t all that young anymore, and, if I had it my way, I’d no longer be single. I’d loved all the action when I started out, but lately I’d been thinking I’d like something else.

  Something with less G-strings and pasties, and more focus on the quality of the drinks.