Page 9 of The Toy Maker (The Pink Cherrie #1)

EIGHT

When I regained the ability to stand without shaking, I stumbled off the stage to find something to drink.

I wove through the crowd, past the curious, lingering stares of the other Cherries who watched every second of my performance. Their gazes followed me, and though I could feel my cheeks burning, a flicker of pride curled in my chest.

“It’s about time!” Jade cheered for me when I found them.

Before I could say anything, Sarah sprang forward and wrapped her arms around my neck from behind, her breath warm against my ear. “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” she declared, her voice giddy.

Kitty handed me a silk pink robe to put on. “I think it was the hottest thing a lot of us have ever seen.” My cheeks flamed at her words.

My confidence wavered now that reality had settled in.

“Oh, now you’re embarrassed?” Jade teased, leaning in to mimic my moans with exaggerated theatrics. Before I could protest, Kitty and Sarah joined in, harmonizing in a chorus of over-the-top, cringe-inducing moans.

“Shut up,” I said with a grin. They were being ridiculous, and I loved them for it, even as I glanced nervously around to see how many people were staring.

The giggling abruptly stopped, and I turned around to see what had stolen their attention. The noise in the room diminished when a man walked over to the front of the stage, heading right for us.

My heart strained to remain calm as I looked at him, my eyes going rogue and scanning him against my will.

His pale green shirt, casually unbuttoned at the top, clung to his broad shoulders, the color eerily matching his eyes.

I blinked, sure the lighting was playing tricks on me, because eyes like that couldn’t be real.

They were sharp and predatory, set against skin so pale it almost glowed under the dim lights.

Black hair fell across his forehead, just messy enough to look like it was on purpose, the dark strands making his skin seem even brighter. He wasn’t just attractive—he was the kind of good-looking that felt dangerous. The kind that made you want to ruin your life for a taste.

Before I processed the stream of dirty thoughts scrolling through my head like a weather alert, he was right in front of me. My mind crackled with static instead of coherent thoughts.

“This is the new Cherry?” he asked, but he wasn’t even looking at me. His gaze slid to Kitty instead, like I was some object to be discussed and not a person standing inches away.

She wrapped her arm over my shoulder and flashed him a cocky smile.

“This is our girl,” she replied smoothly. I glanced at her serious face; I was officially one of them.

His unnatural eyes roamed over me like he was inspecting a toy that sat on a shelf. “Hm.”

Seriously? I was just hm ?

“Don’t act like she didn’t just make you imagine fucking her ten ways till Sunday, Jason,” Kitty said with so much authority I almost believed her. She spoke so cavalierly about fucking me.

Jason’s mouth twitched, but not into anything close to a smile. “I’ve seen better.”

Oh . Out of all the rumors, not one of them prepared me to face a massive dick. Not the good kind, at least. “Bullshit,” I snapped, the word flying out of my mouth before I could think better of it.

Jade stifled a laugh beside me, and for the first time, Jason actually looked me in the eyes. Those too-green irises locked onto mine, and despite his shitty attitude, the intensity made my knees feel dangerously weak.

“What?” His head tilted slightly, daring me to repeat myself.

I swallowed hard, refusing to back down. If he wanted a fight, I could give him one.

“I think you heard me.” I ironed out the nerves in my voice, but the knot in my stomach remained.

His expression remained carefully blank as he searched for any holes in my composure. After several seconds of stiff tension, he blinked. The stubbornness drained out of his eyes, and I could almost see a smile forming on his face, but it only took a moment to go back to the same stony resolve.

“Next time, run all your hires past me,” he said to Kitty without breaking eye contact with me. It sounded like a threat, but the grin made it clear I’d amused him.

Before we could try to respond, he strolled off to the back of the building where his workshop awaited him.

“Well, shit,” Jade spoke up first, glancing between the Cherries.

“Bull shit .” I could tell by Sarah’s tone that she enjoyed the spectacle. “Bullshit!” she repeated with a laugh.

I bit the inside of my cheek. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.” What were my chances of being fired now?

Jade grabbed my shoulder and grinned. “Don’t be sorry for it. That was awesome.” Her hand squeezed briefly, a little burst of reassurance that settled the nerves still buzzing under my skin.

“Yeah, he usually just looks at us and leaves, but that…” Sarah put her hand over her heart, practically swooning. “Did you see his eyes?” she gushed.

Jade scoffed, shaking her head like she couldn’t believe what she’d witnessed either. “I swear they looked so blue at Macy’s induction.” It didn’t matter what color they were; I was still recovering from him being so close.

“Kind of a dick, though,” I said more to myself than them.

“Guess you just bring out the best in him.” Kitty nudged me with a smirk.

I snorted. “I’m sure that’s it.”

At that, Kitty laughed outright. “At least you don’t have to see him every night.” All of us stared at her, and she flushed. “Not like that. For closing.”

“Sure,” Jade teased. “We all know you’re nailing the guy.”

“Gross.” Kitty scrunched her nose in disgust.

“Dick or not a dick,” Jade went on, shrugging like the facts spoke for themselves, “almost every Cherry in this building wants to jump him, and he knows it.”

Sarah nodded sagely. “It’d be like screwing a mythical creature.”

“I highly doubt that,” I retorted, trying to convince myself.

He couldn’t be that good. Right?

“Maybe one day you’ll find out.” Jaded waggled her eyebrows, and I laughed at the idea.

“I think we should go out tonight,” Kitty suggested, a gleam in her eye. “To celebrate the hoe who stole our hearts.”

“I think I should change first.” I glanced down at the thin silk robe still barely covering my thighs.

Sarah eagerly grabbed my hand, practically vibrating with excitement. “I have something perfect for you.”

I didn’t fight her enthusiasm, agreeing to head back to Sarah and Jade’s apartment after work to change.

The night was far from over, and apparently neither was their plan to properly corrupt me.

Once Kitty left, pulled away to handle some Cherry-related meltdown, Jade continued talking about The Toy Maker.

“Seriously, I haven’t seen him in months. I don’t know how he runs a business without being in it,” she rambled.

“That’s ‘cause Kitty does it for him,” Sarah added.

I walked with them to the backroom, furrowing my brows. “Yeah, they seem to know each other pretty well.”

Before they could comment, a Cherry I barely knew popped out of nowhere, shoving my phone into my hand. “This thing’s been ringing non-stop,” she said, before disappearing as quickly as she arrived.

The screen glowed with an unknown number, and no voicemail was left behind, but I knew what they wanted. My stomach tightened with familiar dread.

Money was all Dad ever wanted.

I slipped into the narrow back hallway, the one hidden behind posters of glossy, overly-oiled men, their eyes forever half-lidded in fake ecstasy. The alley outside of Pink Cherrie reminded me of a place where women and children disappear without a trace, so I propped the door open.

I pressed call . It rang once. Twice. Three times. There was no answer.

Typical.

Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I took a breath, staring down the dark alley as if it held some kind of answer. All it gave me was silence and the distant sound of laughter spilling from the club’s side door.

Whatever happened tonight, it couldn’t be worse than what was waiting on the other end of that call.