“No, they don’t.” For the first time, there was real warmth in her face as she looked at him, and her body language was more relaxed. She was leaning into him, so close that it would only take a bit more for him to reach down and kiss her. And maybe he’d do just that.
“Hey, handsome, want to dance?”
What?
He blinked, then watched as Lacey tensed and moved away from him, her face shutting down. She turned to look at whomever had interrupted them. Gray glanced over and nearly groaned. Great, it was the young chick who’d looked him over earlier.
“No,” he told her sharply. More sharply than he would have if his dick hadn’t been throbbing painfully from sitting so close to Lacey. What was that scent she was wearing? Raspberry? Strawberry? Whatever it was, it was making him hungry and not just for berries.
“Come on, I’ll make sure you have a real good time,” she drawled, sticking one hip out to the side and placing her hand on it. She snapped her gum, and he winced. Did she really think that was attractive?
“Are you old enough to be in here?” Lacey asked stiffly. She’d completely frozen him out. Fantastic.
“I’m twenty-one,” the blonde told her indignantly. “You oldies think everyone under twenty-five is young.” Despite the brave words, she glanced nervously over at the bouncer. Great, so underage and a bitch.
“Oldies? How old do you think I am?” Lacey asked curiously.
“I dunno, like fifty or something?” More gum snapping.
“Go away, or I’ll call over the bouncer,” Gray gave her one last warning to leave quietly. Maybe he could still salvage something from this night with Lacey. Although from the longing look she was giving the door, perhaps not.
“Come on, you know I can give you a better time than granny here.”
“Granny? Oh, God. I think it’s time I left.”
“Wait.” Gray signaled the bouncer, who walked towards them. Lacey stood, ignoring his command. Irritation filled him, and he pushed it back.
She doesn’t know who’s in charge. But she will.
Crap, what was he thinking? He was attracted to her, sure. But she wasn’t a sub. Although Hunter was right. She could use definitely use something to help release all that tension she held.
***
What had she been thinking? Had she seriously been about to kiss him?
“Idiot,” she muttered to herself as she left the bar. She stood there for a moment, glancing around. The shadows could hide someone. They could be watching her even now. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
It didn’t matter that he was dead. He still held power over her. She couldn’t let down her guard, especially at night when there was no one else around. Reaching into her handbag, she pulled out her keys. Then she wrapped her hand around her pepper spray and held it tightly. She’d parked close to the entrance, under a large spotlight, but, even so, she kept her gaze peeled for any trouble. It paid to be vigilant.
“Lacey! Lacey, wait up.”
Shit. She should have moved faster. She pressed the unlock button and opened the driver’s side. Not quickly enough. Before she could climb in, he grabbed the open driver’s door and stood close. Too close.
She swallowed heavily.
“What?”
He gave her a stern look. “You should have waited for someone to walk you to your car.”
“I’m parked less than fifty feet from the door, and it’s early. I’m fine.” But she felt a lot better now that he was there.
“I hope you didn’t leave because of what that silly child said.”
“It’s not that. I’m not really into drinking and I have things to do.” Like her laundry. And re-watching old episodes of Friends. Would the excitement never end?
She pulled at the car door. But he held on tightly. “About what nearly happened inside.”
What? When she’d nearly kissed him? Did he really have to bring that up? Couldn’t she just slink away and try to forget that had ever happened?
“Nothing happened inside.”
He frowned with displeasure. “You can tell yourself that, but we both know differently. I feel something towards you, and now I know, despite the fact you avoid me, that you feel it too.”
She opened her mouth to tell him she had no idea what he was talking about when he swooped in and kissed her. He caught her totally by surprise, and she was unprepared for the onslaught of pleasure the feel of his lips against hers brought. He drew her against him, pressing her body close. Her nipples brushed his chest, and she gasped slightly. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, and she melted.
The kiss seemed to go on forever. Time slowed. Noise ceased. Everything around her faded. There was only Gray. Only the feel of his body against hers. The scent of his cologne. The taste of his lips. And the feelings. They bombarded her, set her alight in ways she’d never felt before.
So this was what all the movies and books talked about? This was passion? Desire? Christ, no wonder she’d never been interested in sex with Lyle, his kisses had been sloppy and gross. This kiss was heaven.
When he drew back, she was breathing heavily, her head spinning. She still clung to him, uncertain she was able to stand on her own. But as the outside world penetrated her haze of bliss, she realized what the hell she’d just done.
Shit!
She took a step back, letting go of him. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
“Deny it all you like, but there’s something there. Something we could explore together.”
“You’re my boss. I can’t explore anything with my boss. Plus, I don’t like handsome, perfect men. You don’t have enough flaws.”
“Well, that’s the strangest compliment I’ve ever had.”
She could feel herself blushing as she climbed into her car.
“It just wouldn’t work.”
She reached for the handle of the door and tugged again, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned in.
“Honey, there’s no such thing as perfect. I have flaws, same as anyone else. And it will work. You’ll see.”
He shut the door on her surprised face. The automatic lock kicked in as she sat there, staring up at his smug face.
How was she supposed to sleep now after that little declaration?
Damn him.
Chapter Six
He couldn’t believe she’d gone back to ignoring him.
Gray sat at his desk and fumed. Nearly two weeks had passed since their kiss in the parking lot, and he’d barely been able to catch her alone for a minute. So either she was having an extremely busy couple of weeks—and he could see her schedule, so he knew that wasn’t the case—or she was avoiding him. Again.
Irritated, he growled as his phone rang. He’d get her to pay attention to him. Somehow. Maybe Hunter was right, and things did come too easy to him. Well, he was paying for that now. Since there was nothing easy about Lacey.
But somehow, that didn’t make him want her any less.
“What?” he snarled into the phone.
“Well . . . is that any way to greet your mother?”
He winced at the sound of his mother’s cultured voice. Turning in his chair, he looked out the window, across the Dallas skyline.
“Sorry, Mother. I was expecting a call from someone else,” he lied smoothly. Normally, he couldn’t abide liars, but lately he found himself lying to his mother more and more. He wasn’t certain what exactly that said about his relationship with her.
“Who could you possibly be expecting a call from that you would greet so abominably?” she asked.
“Debt collector,” he said quickly then winced. Debt collector? Really?
“A debt collector?” she squeaked. “Are you in financial difficulty? Did Hunter gamble away all your money? I knew he was a gambler. Or is it alcohol? He looks like an alcoholic. I never did like him. You need to cut ties with him if he’s gambling and drinking. I’ll get the family lawyers onto it.”
She would do it too.
“Mother,” he said.
“I always told you it was a bad idea to get involved with that man. He’s so rude and obnoxious. I knew he’d end up taking you for a ride. You should really listen to your mother. Don’t worry, though. I’ll get the debt collector paid off. I’m not sure you’ll get any money out of that man, though. He looks like he doesn’t have two cents to rub together. Why, last time I saw him there was a hole in his shirt.”
Gray closed his eyes, feeling a headache forming.
“Mother, it was a joke.”
“What?”
“It was a joke. There is no debt collector. And Hunter is neither an alcoholic nor a gambler.” To say that his mother and Hunter didn’t get along was putting it mildly.
“Well, that wasn’t a very funny joke, dear. I think working with that rude man has marred your sense of humor. You do know that debt collection is a very real problem for some people.”
“Yes, Mother, I know.” Gray suddenly felt like he was five again, being scolded for spilling ice cream down the front of his shirt.
“Why, the Hennesseys got their Mercedes repossessed the other day. And I hear the debt collectors are chasing them now. Apparently, they owe millions in taxes. Terrible, isn’t it, how the government can come after hard-working Americans that way?”
Yes, so terrible. Tom Hennessy had made billions in pharmaceuticals but had decided he was above paying taxes. But of course, the government were the ones in the wrong. His mother lived a life of privilege and wealth and gossip. She’d never worked a day in her life. She’d hired nannies and cooks to take care of him and his sisters when they were young. It hadn’t been until they were older she’d started to take an interest in their lives.
He’d almost preferred it when she was indifferent to his welfare. He let her continue to talk about the unfortunate plight of the Hennesseys, knowing interrupting her was counterproductive and would generally end with him apologizing and having to listen to another speech on his manners, his upbringing, and the way his actions reflected on her as a parent. He didn’t see why what he did would reflect on her considering she hadn’t raised him. But, hey, he’d learned that keeping his mouth shut was the easiest way of gaining some peace.
“Gray? Gray? Are you listening to me? I’m speaking to you.”
“Yes, I’m here,” he said tiredly. That headache was getting worse.
“Anyone would think you didn’t want to talk to your mother,” she said, sounding irritated.
He should point out that he was at work and didn’t have time to listen to her prattle on about her shallow friends and their equally shallow problems. But instead, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“What is it I can help you with, Mother?” he asked.
“What?”
“Didn’t you call for a reason?”
“Hmm . . . what . . .oh, yes . . . your sister.”
“Which one?” Of course, it was about one of his sisters. It was always about his sisters. He wondered if she did the same to them, called them up to talk about how concerned she was about him. Probably. He’d have to ask them the next time they spoke. Maybe they got an earful about what a terrible influence Hunter was.
He'd get a real kick out of that.
“It’s Rory. I can’t get in contact with her.”
“Mother, just because you can’t get hold of her doesn’t mean anything’s wrong. Remember, a few weeks back you couldn’t reach her, and she’d turned her phone off because she was at a friend’s place?”
“I don’t know why she had to turn her phone off just because she was with a friend.”
Maybe because she wanted privacy. There’d been many times when he’d fantasized about turning his phone off. Perhaps disappearing to some deserted island for a bit of time alone. Or with a tall, leggy brunette.
Hmm, what would it be like to have Lacey all to himself on a deserted island in a tiny bikini? Would he be able to convince her to skinny-dip? Probably not, she was too uptight for that. But maybe he could get her to relax a little. Perhaps he could threaten her with a spanking if she tried to keep her clothes on. His body tightened as he imagined putting her over his knees and smacking that sexy ass of hers.
He adjusted himself. Cool it. You’re at work, on the phone to your mother, you cannot be having fantasies about smacking Lacey’s tight ass.
“And I made her promise not to do that again. She said she would answer her phone from now on. But it just goes to voicemail.”
Gray ran his hand over his face. “All right. I’ll try to get in contact with her.” Later tonight. He still had work to do, and his mother would never know he hadn’t immediately jumped to do her bidding.
Rory was the youngest of the three of them. And the most rebellious. A wild child, she ran slightly crazy with a group of her friends in New York. Julia, the middle child, was almost the complete opposite of their youngest sister. She lived a few streets over from their mother in Orange County. She went to the same country club, had married a plastic surgeon with his own practice, and spent her days at the gym, getting her nails done, and lunching with her friends.
Gray was the only one with a real job. His mother had been horrified when he’d joined the Navy. She hadn’t spoken to him the entire time he’d been enlisted. It had kind of been a relief. But it hadn’t lasted, and now he’d become her port of call whenever she needed a man’s help. Her words.
“Good. I just worry about all of you so much. You’re my babies. Are you well? You’re not working too hard?”
“I’m fine, Mother.”
“Good. Well, I must go, dear. I’m afraid I haven’t got time to sit around and talk all day. I have things to do.”
As though he’d been the one to call her. He barely refrained from rolling his eyes.
“Goodbye, darling. Tell Rory to call me.”
“Yes, Mother. Goodbye.”
He circled his head around to release the kinks in his neck once he got off the phone from her. Lacey wasn’t the only one who could use some stress relief.
He stood and stretched. He was tired of waiting around for her to come to him. It wasn’t in his nature to take a passive role. It was ridiculous that one of his own employees was practically running the other way to avoid him. And it annoyed the hell out of him that he cared so much. Maybe he shouldn’t have kissed her, but that’s all it had been. It wasn’t like they’d slept together. She didn’t have to act like she was scared he would jump her. And he was going to march into her office and tell her just that.
Striding down to her office, he knocked.
“Come in,” she called out.
He hesitated for a moment. She didn’t sound like herself. She sounded defeated? Tired? Opening the door, he entered the room to find her chair turned, her back was to him. As he watched, she reached up and rubbed at her face.
“Lacey?” he asked with concern.
“I’ll be with you in a second.”
Yeah, he wasn’t standing for that. Moving swiftly across the room, he turned her chair around, ignoring her gasp of surprise. Concern filled him as he noted her red, puffy eyes and the trail of tears running down her cheeks.
“Oh, honey.” He crouched, clasping hold of the chair as she tried to turn away again. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she told him, scrubbing at her cheeks. She straightened her shoulders and stared down at him. “I’m fine.”
He growled softly. “Don’t lie to me. Especially when it’s obvious you’re anything but fine. What happened? Did someone upset you?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Lacey.” No way was he going to allow her to brush him off. And if the way she glared up at him was any indication, she’d realized the same thing.
“It was just my last client, that’s all,” she finally told him, before reaching for a tissue from the box on her desk. Her desk had changed. Instead of just a pen, notebook, and laptop, it now held a box of tissues and a small bunch of flowers in a vase.
Who’d given her the flowers? Was it a male friend? Who was he? He had to work hard to contain his surge of jealousy.
“Nice flowers.”
“One of my clients brought them in for me,” she said, looking at them with a small smile. “Mrs. Stepman.”
The jealousy dissipated and he felt a little sheepish. “I’m glad we found her son.”
“Me too.” She delicately patted under her nose.
He grabbed a tissue and held it up to her nose. “Blow.”
She looked startled then shook her head. “No.” She attempted to snatch the tissue away.
He pulled it back then gave her a firm look. He ran the tissue under her nose, noting the way she’d narrowed her eyes angrily. Well, that was better than the sad, lost look she’d had before.
“I can blow my own damn nose.”
“I figured that. But I don’t like that you’re upset. And since you won’t tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it, the only thing I can do is care for you.”
She just stared at him for a moment. “I can’t reveal anything told to me in confidence.”
“No. I’m guessing it was your last client that caused this? So . . . Jenna Jasons.” Jenna had been kidnapped and held for ransom. Her father was an extremely wealthy man. Black-Gray had helped rescue her, but not before she’d been beaten to within an inch of her life. Unfortunately, her kidnapper hadn’t been found.
“I’m trying to help her remember anything about her time in captivity. It’s harrowing.”
To say the least. Listening to that young girl speak of her ordeal would affect even the hardest of people. And beneath that cool, calm exterior he was beginning to realize Lacey felt things deeply. He’d been a bit worried she was too cold to deal sympathetically with their clients, but they had nothing but praise for her.
“Ah, baby.” He pulled her up, ignoring her surprised look then led her to the sofa and chairs in the corner of the room. Sitting, he placed her on his lap.
She stiffened, looking at him in surprise. “This isn’t appropriate.”
A Taste of Sir (Doms of Decadence Book 6) Page 6
