“Okay, let’s get out of here. Grab your journal; we wouldn’t want you to miss anything,” she grinned, pulling me to my feet.
At the mirror, I looked at my full reflection in satisfaction. The dress hugged every curve of my body, and my stiletto heels accentuated my legs. Although my makeup was very natural, my green eyes seemed to sparkle a little bit thanks to the glitter that was lightly dusted over my eye shadow. I still wondered why Julius acted so bored with me.
As Gia and I made our way to the front door, Julius was coming down the hall. He immediately stopped in his tracks and stared at me for a second before frowning at Gia.
“Gia,” he said dryly.
“Julius,” she responded with an attitude, folding her arms across her chest. He turned his attention back my way, looking me up and down.
“Where are you off to?” he asked, moving over to me. Gia held her hand up in front of him when he got too close.
“We’re going to dinner, not that it’s any of your business. Don’t go putting your dirty paws on her. You should’ve done that last night,” she sneered, pulling me toward the door. I was at a loss for words, as Julius spun around and glared at us.
“You told her?” was the last thing I heard him yell before Gia pushed me out the door and into the cold air.
“You shouldn’t have said that. Now he’s going to fight with me about it when I come home,” I mumbled, following Gia to her car. She scoffed as she retrieved her keys from her coat pocket.
“Then don’t come home. You can stay with me tonight if you need to.”
“I’m going to have to come home eventually, Gia.”
“Hmm … not really. I’ve always wanted a roommate,” she grinned, unlocking the door and getting into the car.
I sighed inwardly. I wish it were as simple as just finding a new place to live. Although she knew my situation with Julius, she always told me that I still had the choice to leave. Right now, I didn’t have the courage to do that or the resources to fall back on when it was time to deal with the consequences of my choice.
I looked up at the bay window to see Julius standing there looking down at us. When our eyes met, he shook his head disapprovingly and walked away. I lingered a few seconds longer before taking a deep breath and joining Gia in the car. It was going to be a long night with him when I returned.
When we pulled up at Club X, I looked at Gia in confusion.
“You said we were going for drinks, not to an actual club,” I reiterated. She checked her makeup in the mirror and teased her hair a little.
“Same difference,” she simply said, unbuckling her seat belt and getting out of the car.
Gia pulled me to the front of the line, showed the bouncer a silver card, and we were immediately let in as the others began to protest from the long line outside. “Is this a membership club or something?” I asked, becoming nervous as we walked down a corridor that was illuminated by the glow-in-the-dark strips on the floor and UV lights on the walls. It was eerie, but I stayed close to Gia as we got into an elevator and headed to the penthouse.
Once we arrived at our destination, we went down another hall and finally reached another pair of bouncers who guarded two large wooden doors.
“Welcome to Club X,” said a tall, muscular man with dreads as he lowered his dark sunglasses to wink at me. I smiled at him, following Gia into the club.
The atmosphere inside was electrifying. The vibe was really relaxed and carefree, which made me quite comfortable. It wasn’t anything like I had expected. Although I thought it would be a huge dance-party type of place, it was more like a high-class lounge.
There were super-stylish black leather booths where you could sit and relax to have drinks with your friends. The walls were decorated with lavish, rich colors, and I noticed the red-lacquered ceilings. Toward the back of the lounge was an opening that led to a patio speckled with beautiful palm trees, rustic wooden benches, and wrought-iron chairs. The patio also gave a breathtaking view of the New York skyline.
“This place is amazing,” I said to Gia as I slipped off my coat. She nodded as she waved to a few people she knew.
“Yeah, a client of mine owns the place. Apparently, I saved his marriage, so he allows me to come here for free. Otherwise, it would be rather expensive,” she said, taking off her trench coat.
A man with a red tuxedo jacket and black dress pants came up behind us. “May I take your coats, ladies?” he asked politely.
Gia tossed her coat to him and walked away, leaving me shaking my head. I gave the man my coat and a tip, hurrying behind her.
People were walking around with drinks and dancing to the pop music that pumped through the speakers. As I followed Gia to the bar, something caught my eye. At first, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me as I scanned the room once more.
“What do you want to drink?” Gia asked over the music, distracting me. I turned and focused my attention on the bar.
“I’ll take a Strawberry Mimosa, please,” I ordered, smirking at Gia, who rolled her eyes at my order.
“Girl, you’re here to have fun. You may as well have ordered a glass of water,” she chided, turning her attention back to the bartender. “Give me a Strawberry Margarita,” she said, turning to face the dance floor and leaning back against the bar as she crossed her legs.
As we waited for our drinks, my eyes scanned the lounge once more, and this time, my suspicions were confirmed. I hadn’t been seeing things before. Adonis was here, and much to my surprise, he was walking toward me. Oh Holy Sex Kitten, if you haven’t heard any of my prayers before now, please don’t let me melt off this barstool before he gets here. I could only hope my prayer was heard in time. If not, cleanup would be needed on aisle Arianna.
RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE IT’S GONE.
MY HEART WAS BEATING frantically as I elbowed Gia. “Damn, if you were to nudge me any harder, my intestines would come out of my mouth. What the hell is it?” she fussed, pushing my elbow away and rubbing her side.
“That’s the guy from my journal, the one I saw while I was at the bookstore,” I said, nodding in the direction of the man who was mere feet away from us. Gia glanced at him and nearly choked on her drink once she fully took him in.
“Jesus! Your words did this man no justice!” she shrieked. My jaw twitched as I fought embarrassment. I didn’t want him to see me red in the face, thanks to Gia, who didn’t know how to control herself or the octaves of her voice.
The man came to a complete stop in front of me and flashed a dazzling smile.
“I’m not sure if you remember me, but we ran into each other this morning,” he said. I returned his smile and nodded shyly. How could I not remember him? He was the muse and inspiration behind the inappropriate scene I wrote in my journal as well as the tingle I felt between my legs when I was in the shower earlier. There was no way I could forget him.
“Yes, I remember. I tend to be a klutz,” I admitted. Gia sat next to me with a smirk on her face as she sipped her drink.
I sighed and motioned toward her. “This is my friend, Gia. I’m … Sienna,” I lied, surprised that it came out of my mouth. Gia paused mid- sip to glance at me briefly before continuing as if nothing happened. The man leaned against the bar, gazing down at me.
“Sienna … that’s sexy. I’m Zane,” he said, extending his hand. When our hands touched, a spark of electricity traveled throughout my body, leaving me warm inside.
“Nice to meet you,” I said shyly, quickly pulling away. Gia stood up and straightened her dress.
“Uh … Sienna, I’m going to go
. I’ll be back in a little bit,” she said, grabbing her drink and hurrying off before I could utter a protest. I was officially alone with Zane.
He sat where Gia had been sitting and studied me briefly. “What?” I finally asked.
He shook his head and took a sip of his drink. “You have an exotic look about you. Brown skin with green eyes isn’t something you see every day. What
’s your ethnicity?”
“My mother is African American, and my father is Italian.”
“Nice,” he replied. He looked around for a second before turning back to me. “Would you like to go out on the patio? It’s a little loud in here,” he suggested.
I nervously looked around for Gia to see her entertaining a small group of guys who couldn’t seem to stop ogling her. I cleared my throat nervously and gave him a small smile.
“Sure,” I replied, sliding off my bar stool and following him to the patio. As soon as the cold breeze hit me, I immediately shivered, remembering that I had left my coat inside.
“Here, you can use mine. I’m actually a little warm right now,” he offered, shrugging off his leather jacket. I raised an eyebrow as I hesitated.
“Are you sure? It’s freezing up here.”
“I’m sure. You need it more than I do,” he said, eyeing the mesh sleeves of my dress as he held the jacket out in front of me. I took it and draped it over my shoulders, inhaling the scent of the sandalwood notes of his cologne. We sat next to the outdoor fireplace. The close proximity of our bodies was causing enough heat without the flames from the fire.
He leaned forward and placed his drink on the table before turning back to me. “So, what do you do, Sienna?” he asked. I bit the inside of my cheek as I quickly thought of what to tell him. Since I told him a fake name, would I be better off just making up a fake life? No matter what happened between us, we could never be more than friends anyway. I was with Julius, and I didn’t know if this man had any kind of status. If he did, he must have either been new to the area or very discreet about it.
“I’m an aspiring erotica author,” I said. That was partially true, although I wasn’t exactly hoping to be one. It was an idea that was forced upon me by my dimwitted literary agent. He looked at me with surprise.
“Erotica, huh? What made you choose that genre?”
“I … just wanted to try a different genre. I always wrote romance, but I wanted to write something a little more … sexy,” I admitted. Again, that was partially true. I could see the curiosity in his eyes as he gazed at me while I told him more about my writing and my discomfort in exploring this new area.
“Sounds like it can be an interesting journey, especially if you're writing from experience,” he said with a smile.
I nodded and sipped my drink. “What about you?” I asked, wanting to turn the attention away from myself for a while.
“I own the catering company that we were in front of this morning. I’m a chef,” he said. Now it was my turn to be surprised. This man was the epitome of perfection. He was absolutely gorgeous and also knew how to cook. You couldn’t get Julius to boil water, even if his life depended on it.
“Wow, that’s amazing. It’s rare to find a man who can cook.”
“Not as rare as it is to find a gorgeous woman who wants to write books containing a lot of sex,” he said, his eyes shining with lust.
I shyly looked away, turning my eyes toward the flames. My mind went back to the line I wrote in my journal hours before.
I want all of New York to see the pleasure on your face as I fuck you … to see the pleasure on your face as I fuck you …
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked. I quickly shook my head to reassure him.
“No, I’m fine,” I said with a smile. He grinned.
“Good then.”
***
We engaged in conversation and drinks for a good while. I learned that he was the youngest and only boy out of three children. His older siblings were twin sisters who lived across the country in California. He had moved here from Georgia to try to get his life back on track by finishing up cooking school and opening his catering company. His smooth voice seemed to caress my skin as he spoke to me, causing goose bumps to rise.
“Are you cold? We can go back in if you want,” he suggested, looking at me with those soft brown eyes that were causing a pool of desire to settle deep in my belly.
“I’m … no, I’m good. Are you getting cold yet? I could always go and get my own coat.”
“You’re fine. So tell me, Sienna. Are you spoken for?” he asked. I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat. Was I spoken for? Arianna was spoken for, but was Sienna spoken for, too?
“No,” I finally answered. I felt this overwhelming sense of dread come over me as soon as the words left my lips. Unless I didn’t plan on seeing this man ever again, all of these lies were going to catch up to me. I didn’t really know what to do. I could just have fun for the night and go about my life, but I actually wanted to see him again.
Being around him made me feel normal for once. I wasn’t used to being seen as an actual woman. With Julius, I truly believed that he only saw me as the key to his estate, which I wanted no part of. Zane actually listened to what I had to say with interest, and he obviously appreciated what he saw before him. Whenever I spoke, I would see his eyes briefly travel to my lips before he would lick his own and bring his attention back to my eyes. The attention I got from him was refreshing, and I definitely wanted more of it. I wanted more of him.
“Ari … whoops, Sienna, we have to get out of here, girl,” Gia said as she strutted onto the patio with my coat in her hand. I looked back at Zane and sighed.
“It was nice meeting you,” I said, shrugging his jacket off and handing it back to him. He nodded and pulled a business card out of his wallet.
“Feel free to stop by anytime. You can call me if you’re feeling brave,” he said with a wink. I giggled and put the card in my small clutch bag.
Looking around, I grabbed a napkin and quickly scribbled my name and number on it. “Here’s mine … in case I’m not as brave as you think,” I said, pressing the napkin in his hand. He closed his hand around my own and brought it to his lips gently.
“Until again, beautiful,” he said with a smile. I shyly pulled away and softly said goodbye before practically running to Gia.
I had to get away from Zane before I completely came apart on the patio. This man was doing things to me that I was unfamiliar with, and it was scary. It was invigorating as fuck, but very scary.
Gia and I stood on the elevator to return to the ground floor in silence. My mind was summarizing my time with Zane, and I was mentally cursing myself for what I had done. I could have been honest with him, but what would a guy like him want with a woman like me? I didn’t want him to judge me by my background or the money my family had. I didn’t want him to be intimidated like most men were when they learned who I was.
“I think he would’ve accepted you,” Gia suddenly said. I looked over at her in confusion and slight shock. Had she been reading my mind?
“What?”
“You heard what I said. You don’t come off as a stuck-up rich chick. I’m sure he would’ve accepted you either way,” she explained.
I sighed and pulled my coat tighter around me as the elevator doors opened. I could tell him the truth, but then he’d know that I actually had a boyfriend. Maybe I was being selfish for wanting to create this imaginary life with him. The more I thought about the persona I was creating, the more I felt a sense of relief knowing that I would have a means of escape from the reality that I dreaded so much. Although the thought was nice, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to do it forever. The truth would come out sooner or later, and I could only hope that I didn’t destroy anything in the process.
***
My anxiety level rose when we pulled up in front of my townhouse. It was a little after two in the morning, and all of the front lights were on, signaling that Julius was still awake. “Do you want me to go in with you?” Gia asked.
I shook my head. If Julius wanted to argue with me, he’d simply wait until Gia left. I just wanted to get it over with so I could go to bed.
“I’ll be fine. He’s probably asleep somewhere in the house. I’ll call you if I need you,” I reassured her, reaching over to give her a small hug. Hugging me back, she glanced up at the door
and nodded.
“If he does anything stupid, I’ll be back in Manhattan in a flash. I’ve watched enough episodes of Forensic Files to make his ass disappear without a trace,” she warned.
I giggled and opened the car door. “I’ll be fine, G. Thanks for tonight, and I’ll call you later,” I said, stepping out of the car and heading toward the door. Once I was inside, I heard her pull away. I closed my eyes as I shut the door and leaned against it. I knew Julius would appear in 3 … 2 … 1 …
“I’m glad you decided to come home,” I heard him say. I sighed, opened my eyes, and saw that he was standing a few feet from me. He was casually leaning against the couch, shirtless with his black silk pajama pants hanging low on his hips. Usually, this would turn me on, but because of the way he approached me, I found it annoying.
Deciding to ignore him, I moved toward the bedroom. If he stayed up just to pick a fight with me, he’d be sadly disappointed. I wasn’t in the mood to argue. After having a nice night out, I wasn’t going to let him get the best of me tonight.
“Where’d you go?” he asked when he entered the bedroom behind me. I rolled my eyes as I kicked off my stiletto pumps and moved over to my vanity table to remove my jewelry.
“Out with Gia, Captain Obvious,” I mumbled, tossing my earrings into my jewelry box. I could see him staring at my reflection from across the bedroom.
“What’s your problem?” he asked.
“I don’t have one.”
“You’ve been crabby all damn day. First this morning, and now you go out without even telling me and—”
“Oh, I didn’t know I needed permission to go out with my friend. Last I checked, my parents live in Westchester County.”
“Don’t be a smart ass, Arianna. I guess because I didn’t give you enough attention last night, you had to go out with your whore of a friend to feel important,” he sneered.
The Daring Assignment Page 4
