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  Poison

  Cora Bell

  Copyright © 2020 Cora Bell

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  SUMMARY

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

  BOOKS BY CORA BELL

  SUMMARY

  RANSOM

  Sometimes love is poison.

  I’ve been burned by love before, which is part of the reason I created the bar, Poison. It was my outlet after my ex cheated on me. And the employees are like family. Everyone except for Sky. I can’t see her as family when I want to see her as something else. Mine. But falling for her is a huge risk—until I learn her secret. Now I’ll fight to be with her and fight for her with everything I have.

  SKY

  Poison is my home away from home and the only place I feel safe. It also doesn’t hurt that my boss is sexy as hell. But he doesn’t know anything about me and it’s better that way. Safer for both of us. But that doesn’t make wanting him any less painful. And it doesn’t stop that first passionate kiss. I don’t know where we go from here. I long to be touched by Ransom again, but how can someone like him truly love someone like me?

  Dear Reader,

  This is the first book of the Poison series, but it can be read as a standalone. You get a sexy alpha male, lots of heat, and a happily ever after. If you’re looking for a steamy afternoon or weekend read, you’ve come to the right place. Hope you enjoy it! XOXO Cora

  1

  Pulling into the parking lot at Poison, the bar I worked at five days a week—more if I could convince someone to give me their shift—felt like coming home. Much more so than the tiny two-bedroom five minutes away, where the only part of me which still seemed to live there was the heavy guilt I felt almost constantly.

  That, and fear.

  My hands trembled when I pulled down the visor and checked my lip. Fuck. It was starting to swell.

  I dug through my purse, searching for the same concealer and powder I’d tried to put on as I drove here, already knowing I’d be late for the meeting. I hated being late, but worse than being late was being late with a fat lip.

  I winced as I dabbed the concealer on the corner of my lips, holding my mouth still so I wouldn’t split the skin again. It hadn’t bled much, but it looked terrible.

  The powder didn’t do much more to hide the wound. It looked like I’d gotten into a fight. I guess I had in a way—a very one-sided fight. As in, I got to be the punching bag for my dad because he wasn’t home when the men he owed money to came looking for him.

  I pulled in a shaky breath and shut the mirror. Damn him. What had he done? Told them I was the one who took care of the money? That I was the one that would settle up even though he was the one who kept buying and taking all the drugs?

  I slammed my door and rushed to the back entrance. Nerves danced in my stomach and covered the hunger that I’d been feeling a short hour ago. I’d planned on grabbing a sandwich on my way out of the house.

  Instead, I’d made the mistake of answering the door.

  Inside, the hallway was cool and quiet. Only the soft murmur of voices reached my ears, indicating the meeting had already started.

  Damn it.

  I was quiet as a mouse as the bar came into view and then the entire staff of Poison, seated around tables and listening to the more outspoken of our bosses, Hale.

  Keeping my eyes averted from both my bosses, I shuffled around the back of the group, my shoulders slumping in relief when I saw Liam had saved me a seat. His eyes widened when he saw me, then narrowed when I sat beside and cast him a grateful smile.

  It was followed by a grimace when my lip throbbed.

  “Nice of you to join us, Sky,” Hale said, gaze touching mine just briefly before he continued.

  But another gaze lingered, one that scorched me like I stood too close to the sun. Ransom was a bright ball of fire, the quiet one, the one that stayed in the background but still managed to make a big impact. He was the one who’d hired me, the one who’d taken a chance on me even though I hadn’t had any experience as a bartender. The one who made my breath catch every time I even thought about him.

  “Sky,” Liam whispered. “You’re never late.”

  My stomach twisted. No, I wasn’t. I couldn’t afford to be. I needed the job, needed the money, needed the family I’d built here. I didn’t have much to hang onto each day, but this job was one thing.

  When I glanced back to the front, Ransom’s attention was on the floor. His jaw was clenched under a soft spray of stubble that meant he’d probably been here all day and had rushed in this morning without shaving.

  He was more dedicated to this job than I was.

  Liam touched my knee softly. “Hey,” he whispered.

  I glanced over, heat rising to my cheeks. “Just got a late start, that’s all.”

  “Like you’re going to distract me with that bullshit.” His eyes dropped to my lip and then came back up, concern furrowing his brow. “Did he do this to you?”

  He meant my dad. I shook my head firmly. No, my dad was a mean drunk, but he usually used words to hurt me, not fists.

  “You don’t have to cover up for that asshole,” Liam said, fire in his voice.

  Several people turned in our direction and Hale stopped talking again, giving us an expectant look.

  We both mumbled “sorry” at the same time.

  The meeting went back to normal, but I still felt eyes on me. When I glanced up, my gaze connected with Ransom’s. It was steady, piercing, a direct line to my soul. His eyebrows creased with something like concern.

  And something more. Something very much like the hot flash of anger I saw in Liam’s face a moment ago.

  Liam shifted next to me, clearly following the exchange, but I couldn’t look away. Ransom’s simple stare held me captive and left me breathless. Heat unraveled in my core, making me squirm. Part of me wanted to hold the stare forever, to take the opportunity to uncover all the secrets he seemed to hold inside. But the other part wanted to run away. Because I knew I’d give up all my own secrets to him with a simple look.

  “Holy fuck,” Liam whispered under his breath.

  I finally yanked my gaze away. “What?”

  “He’s totally staring at you.”

  I choked on a soft laugh and squeezed my hands together in my lap. “No, he isn’t—he wasn’t. He isn’t doing anything.”

  Liar.

  Even if he was, it was probably just because he was pissed at me for continuing to interrupt the meeting. For us acting like little kids. After all, Ransom was at least five years older than me. Way out of my league. And, no doubt, far more experienced.

  And sexier than any man had a right to be.

  “Yeah, he was definitely looking at you,” Liam said quietly.

  I gritted my teeth. “It’s because we keep talking and he wants us to shut up.”

  Liam ignored my frustration and instead, shook his head. “No, it was more like…a full-on got-to-have-her kind of stare, like he wants to gobble you whole—”

  I clamped my
hand down on Liam’s leg hard, trying to get him to shut up. We were causing a scene. And I’d already risked my job once today, I didn’t need to do it again over a conversation that didn’t mean anything anyway.

  Ransom was my boss. End of story.

  He wasn’t interested in me any more than he was Liam—though Liam had told me more than once that he wished Ransom swung his way because he’d be all over that.

  Hale’s voice Sky as he finished addressing the group. “It’s summer and traffic is going to pick up. Now that we have live music on Thursdays as well as the weekend, we’re going to see a full house more often. Let’s make sure people are happy and want to come back, okay?”

  There were nods and murmurs of assent. No one would dare say anything else to Hale. He and Ransom were equal partners in the business, but Hale was a lot less forgiving. A lot more business-oriented. And the rumors about him were even more widespread. That he and Ransom were like brothers. That he’d traveled all over the world. That he was a player.

  I totally believed that one.

  “Any questions?” Hale asked, already standing.

  Ransom crossed his arms and let his steady gaze wander the crowd. It skimmed over me, giving me goosebumps, and I swore it lingered a little longer than necessary before moving on.

  My entire body hummed, adrenaline racing through me. How the hell did he do that?

  Liam was practically falling out of his seat beside me, keeping his lips pressed together tightly so he didn’t say anything.

  But once the meeting ended, he practically dragged me down the back hallway toward the bathrooms. He tugged me inside the woman’s restroom, which was thankfully empty, and then spun around to face me.

  “You’re awful dramatic tonight, aren’t you?” I said, rolling my eyes. Basically just trying to keep the focus off of me.

  “You’re the one Ransom keeps eyeballing like you’re candy.” He sagged against the counter with a sigh. “You know how many women—and men—would die to have him looking their way? Those eyes. God. And his muscles. And…”

  He went on to describe almost everything about Ransom I’d already had the painful pleasure of noticing myself. Every extremity I’d seen and wished to see. Every muscle that bulged and flexed as he moved. Every sexy stare that made me throb between my legs.

  All of it.

  “And he was staring at you,” Liam finished, drawing me back to the conversation. He glanced at himself in the mirror and ran a hand through his hair. “He totally wants you.”

  “Liam.”

  “You can’t deny it, Sky, my love. And it wasn’t just tonight.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Liam smiled at me, his features softening. “I’ve seen him look at you like that before.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like he wants to devour you.”

  I squeezed my thighs together. Devour. It was such a primal word. And perfect for someone like Ransom. I’d heard Hale say something about Ransom once. When he falls, he falls hard. That seemed just about right. Ransom seemed like the kind of man who went all in. If he was going to love someone, he was going to do it with his heart and soul.

  With everything he had.

  Rough. Passionate. Ugh… Desire fluttered through me. I couldn’t keep thinking like this or I was never going to make it through tonight.

  But because it was making me feel better about what happened earlier at home and making me relax because I was somewhere safe—somewhere I liked to call home—I continued playing along.

  “You’re making me hot,” I told Liam with a smile, lifting my eyebrows suggestively.

  He grinned. “You are hot. Not my type, though, so I’ll just have to imagine someone else.”

  I turned to face the mirror, my gaze flicking over my swollen lip. Not much else I could do about that. I straightened the hem of my solid black tank top and turned to the door. We were already supposed to be behind the bar.

  Liam moved in front of me before I could grab the handle.

  “Sky.”

  My heart clenched. Then turned to jelly when I saw the soulful look he was giving me. The one that made us friends in the first place. The one that showed he was the most compassionate person in the world.

  He reached out, touch feather-light, and brushed the corner of my mouth. “You did okay covering it up, but it’s going to hurt like a bitch the rest of the night.”

  I ducked my head, embarrassed. It was already hurting like a bitch.

  “Sky,” he said, his voice full of pain. “I can’t stand this.”

  “It was a mistake. It—"

  “It’s your douchebag dad.”

  “I told you he didn’t do this.”

  He frowned. “Then who did?”

  “It’s…someone else,” I mumbled.

  Liam lifted my chin. “You don’t have to keep secrets from me. I know what an asshole he is, and I don’t want you staying there anymore.”

  I blew out a frustrated breath. “Like I have so many other options. Just dozens of people willing to let me stay with them for free.”

  “You can stay with me for free,” he said simply.

  I knew that. He’d offered before. And I’d almost taken him up on it every time. But Liam had two other roommates in a place that wasn’t much bigger than the dance floor by the bar.

  “You’re sweet for saying that,” I told him.

  He folded his arms. “But the answer is no.”

  “I’d be imposing—”

  “The hell you would.” His voice went stony. “It’s not like you’re a lazy old woman sponging off me. You’re my friend and you need to get away from there.”

  “I’m working on it,” I said. And I was. I was saving money and I planned on asking Ransom—no Hale, that was safer—for more hours.

  “One more week,” Liam said. “That’s all I’m giving you.”

  I choked on a laugh. “You can’t—”

  “I sure as hell can. Or better yet, we’ll call the police on your dad’s sorry ass, and then you can live at the house since you’re already paying most of the rent. He can rot in prison.”

  I pressed my lips together to keep from responding. It wasn’t entirely Dad’s fault. I mean, he was okay before Mom died. He just hasn’t processed. He wasn’t as strong as she was.

  “I’ll figure it out,” I told Liam, reaching for the door handle again. “I promise.”

  He followed me out to the hall. “One week,” he said.

  I ignored that, though I knew I was going to have to think about it later. Liam made sense. I should give myself a time limit. I should leave. But there were a lot of things people should do and life just didn’t work out that way.

  “Come on,” I told Liam, linking my arm through his. “Let’s work and you can tell me all about Ransom’s generous assets.”

  He smiled at me. “Where to start?”

  With a laugh, we made our way to the bar to get to work.

  2

  Despite its lack of necessity, I let Hale hold the Thursday afternoon meetings every week. He liked to know everything was in order before the weekend. And I guess it gave me a sense of peace, too, to know that all our employees were on the same page.

  But I knew our crew could handle it regardless.

  We made sure we only hired the most capable employees. Ones that fit the environment and were young, but also seemed like they’d be consistent. Strong. After all, once they started working at Poison, they were family.

  Just how I pictured it when Hale and I batted around the idea of opening the bar. It might have been a joke at first—fueled by too much liquor and mutual anger toward someone who had wronged us, but then it had turned into something bigger.

  The memory made me grin as I walked to the office to store the money in the safe. Our something bigger had become one of the hottest bars downtown.

  When someone came in here looking to drown their sorrows, they became part of our family. And maybe they’d get
a little healthy advice as well. Mostly, they’d just end up having a good time and getting the chance to forget their worries for a night.

  After all, sometimes life was poison. Hale and I knew that first-hand. It would chew you up and spit you out. But that didn’t mean you couldn’t fight back. And I definitely saw that fight in everyone who worked here—especially Sky McNeil.

  I spun the dial on the safe. When I heard the beep, I tossed the bag of money inside before standing and blowing out a breath. Sky. God, I remembered the first time I saw her. I spotted that fight in her right away but I’d also seen that she was barely holding it together. I’d seen the weight of the world on her shoulders. But she still had her chin up—and I knew then she was right for the position.

  But dammit, just that one little spark had set me off. I’d fallen a little for her that night. Okay, maybe a lot. Yeah, I had a soft spot for the underdog. But it was the fire inside her that gave me a fucking hard-on. She was normally quiet, hard-working, but that night, she’d walked right up to me and insisted she was the person for the job.

  I hadn’t regretted hiring her once. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t stop thinking about her and her tight little body. The flames in her eyes when she was determined to get what she wanted. I had dreams about those same eyes staring into mine when I drove into her and brought us both to a shattering climax.

  Fuck. I sat at the desk, making my fingers into a temple under my chin and trying to erase that image from my mind. It was far from the Sky I’d seen tonight, one with haunted eyes. One who was late—and she’d never been late before.

  I had a gut feeling there was more to the story, and it wasn’t good.

  The door opened, and I jerked in surprise.

  Hale grinned. I flipped him off with a grunt.

  “Jumpy, are you?” he asked, stepping inside and shutting the door. “You’re not the only one.”

  “Who else is jumpy?”

  Hale shrugged. “Sky. She went pale as a ghost when I came around the corner and almost ran into her. Wouldn’t even look me in the eye.”