by Opal Carew
But that would cause a scene and she didn’t want to embarrass Blake and Evan.
“Now would you please go before I call security,” the woman said.
Danni’s hands clamped into fists, anger flaring through her.
“Danni?” Evan had just stepped into the reception area and a big smile stretched across his face. He’d clearly been in a hurry, but he stopped beside her. “It’s nice to see you. What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you and Blake for a few minutes.”
His smile faded. “I take it it’s important.”
She nodded and he glanced at his watch.
“Look, I really have to be somewhere, but Blake’s still in his office.” He turned to the receptionist. “Kim, call Mr. Hawkins and tell him I’m sending someone in to see him, then get someone to accompany Ms. Jenson to his office.”
“I can find my way,” Danni said.
He smiled. “Okay.”
He grabbed the visitor’s badge the now-nervous receptionist held out and clipped it to her collar. Just the brief touch sent shivers through her, a need building inside her to be with him and Blake again.
“His secretary said he’ll be back in a minute,” the receptionist said, “so Ms. Jenson can wait in his office for him.”
“Good.” He turned back to Danni. “I have to go.”
He stared into her eyes as if he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. She certainly wanted him to.
But he turned and hurried away.
Danni walked down the hall past the smaller offices, then turned a corner. A tall brunette sat behind a desk between the two big offices. The woman’s gaze fell to the visitor’s badge.
“You’re Ms. Jenson?” she asked cautiously.
“Yes, I am.”
“Please, go right in.” She gestured toward the office door on the left.
But before she did, Blake appeared.
“Danni, what are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you about something.”
“Of course. I only have a few minutes, but we can talk in my office.”
He led her through a door past his secretary’s desk and into the huge corner office with a spectacular view of the city. She’d seen it before, when they were building the office space, and it had been impressive then, but now, with his strong presence, it was even more striking. And a little intimidating.
“Sit down.” He gestured to the sleek leather couch by the window.
She sat down and he settled beside her with a smile.
“What is it?”
She sucked in a breath, losing her nerve. “If you’re in a hurry, maybe we should talk later.”
“Nonsense. You felt it was important enough to come here to see me. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
She bit her lip. “I have a favor to ask you.”
“Really? And what is it?”
“My stepfather—”
“Whom you don’t like.”
She frowned. “We don’t always get along, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like him.”
“He’s family. I get it.”
She nodded. “That’s right. Well, my mom just told me that he’s having some problems . . . with his business. She tells me that if they don’t get an investor right away, that he’ll lose it. And everything else.”
“So you’d like Evan and me to invest.”
“I really don’t want to ask. My mom . . . well, she’s really worried and . . .”
He glanced at his watch, then stood up.
“Fine. I’ll take care of it. I’ll arrange a meeting with him this week.”
“Really?” She stood up, too.
“Of course.”
But she heard the curtness in his voice.
“Is there anything else?” he asked, glancing at his watch.
“Uh . . . no . . . I . . .”
“Good.” He strode across the office. “You can find your way out?” he asked as he opened the door.
“Yes, of course.”
Then he stepped through the doorway and disappeared around a corner.
Her heart was pounding and she had to suck in air. She’d asked the difficult question, and he’d actually agreed. At least to meet with her stepfather.
But then he’d turned curt and rushed away.
Fear welled up inside her that maybe by asking him for this favor, she’d endangered the only romantic relationship she’d ever truly cared about.
* * *
An hour later, she got a text from her mom asking her to call. As soon as Danni finished work, she made the call and Mom was thrilled because Jerrold had already been contacted about the meeting. It was set for noon the next day.
Danni was pleased and surprised that Blake had acted so fast setting up the meeting.
“Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight and we’ll celebrate?” Mom said, her voice bubbling with joy.
Part of Danni wanted to, just to see how Jerrold would behave toward her now. It would probably drive him crazy having to admit that maybe she wasn’t a total screwup after all. More likely he’d ignore the fact she’d been the one to arrange the meeting. In fact, she was pretty sure he’d be embarrassed as hell that she even knew about their financial problems.
Did he know Mom had told Danni about it? Or was Mom hiding that from him?
Oh, God, her head hurt just thinking about it.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m really tired. It’s been a long day. A lot of heavy lifting today. And I banged up my thumb putting up some drywall.”
“Is it okay? Are you putting ice on it?”
“Yeah, I was just about to do that.”
“I hope it won’t be swollen or bruised on Friday. I can hardly wait to show you off with you all dressed up so everyone can see how pretty you are.”
“Mom, any guy who would lose interest in me because I had a bandage on my thumb isn’t worth getting to know.”
“You’ll have a bandage on it? Oh, no. Well, maybe you can pretty it up by wrapping it in a nice fabric or coiling ribbon around it. Make it a whimsical accent to your outfit.”
Danni sighed. “Don’t worry, Mom. I don’t think it’ll need a bandage, but if it does, maybe I’ll wear a pair of evening gloves.”
“Oh, that will look very elegant,” she said with a glow of approval in her voice. “And they’ll hide your nails.”
Which Mom often expressed concern over because they were short, unmanicured, and made her hands look like a workman’s.
Of course they did. She worked in construction.
“Are you sure the dress you got will be appropriate?” Mom asked. “Because, you know, Jerrold and I are willing to pay for it. I told you that.”
“It’s okay, Mom. It’s a designer gown.”
“Oh? Whose is it?”
Danni frowned. “I don’t know. You know I don’t pay attention to that kind of thing.” Damn, that wasn’t going to put her mother at ease. “But don’t worry. I got Blake and Evan’s opinion on the dress and they said it’s perfect for the event.”
“Blake and Evan is it?”
Danni could hear the smile in her Mom’s voice. Danni’s thoughts turned to memories of how Blake and Evan had come into the changing room with her in E.V.’s and how the three of them had lived out her most erotic fantasy to date.
“I’ve got to go, Mom. The swelling on my thumb is getting worse.”
“Of course, dear. You go take care of it. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
She hung up. She loved her mom, but they sure had very different ways of looking at the world.
She watched a show while she iced her thumb. She wondered if she should call Blake and thank him for setting up the meeting with her stepfather, and for doing it so quickly. But the memory of his curt attitude after she’d asked him made her think twice. Maybe she’d just wait until the next time they talked and thank him again then.
She hoped they’d talk again soon. She was sure once she was with the two o
f them again, her uneasiness over this whole thing would go away. She was probably way overthinking things and being ultrasensitive to his mood this afternoon because asking a favor like this of anyone made her uncomfortable. When she saw them again . . . when they made love again . . . then she’d know everything was okay with them and she could breathe easy again.
Hopefully, they’d call tonight.
* * *
The next morning, she trundled to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed a bagel, then settled at the table. Neither Blake nor Evan had called last night.
Not to worry, though. She didn’t expect them to be in touch every day. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since she’d seen Blake.
She showered and dressed. Her thumb was still a little sore, but the swelling had gone down.
She went to work and finished the drywall they’d started the previous day. By the time she got home, she was tired and dusty. She showered, made dinner, and settled on the couch to enjoy it. The phone rang and her heart jumped. Maybe that was Evan or Blake.
She picked up the phone and saw it was Mom’s home number.
“Hello?” she said.
“I just called to say thank you,” her stepfather said over the line. But sarcasm glazed his frosty voice. “That was a fucking waste of time.”
Chapter Eleven
Danni gripped the phone tightly. “I take it the meeting didn’t go well.”
“The meeting?” He spit out a laugh. “The meeting was a fucking joke. They sent some lackey to talk to me in a show of feigned interest. I don’t know who you talked to or why they bothered, but this is clearly a dead end. What did you do? Call in a favor with some guy you know at Topaz Industries and get him to send someone to talk to the old man to shut your mother up? Was this guy even a lawyer like he claimed? If so, I bet he was just one of their interns. You don’t give a shit that you got your mother’s hopes up, as long as you come out looking like a shiny coin. And it doesn’t hurt that I come out looking like some ass who can’t even close a deal.”
Danni’s lips compressed as anger steamed through her. There was no point in talking because he wouldn’t hear anything she had to say. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to defend herself for doing something nice for him that she hadn’t even wanted to do in the first place.
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” she said through clenched jaws. “I’ll see you at the party.”
She ended the call.
She sat down and sucked in deep breaths, trying to calm down. Trying to blink back the tears welling in her eyes. Goddamn it, she wouldn’t let Jerrold of all people hurt her feelings. She was used to his belligerence.
But as she stared at her dinner, she realized her appetite had dried up. She took the food into the kitchen and put it in the fridge, then went back and slumped on the couch.
It was a long evening, and had been an even longer week. She still hadn’t heard anything from Blake or Evan. She was tempted to text them, but what would she say? Just tell them she was thinking of them? That sounded so needy. And they might interpret it as her pushing to find out about the meeting with her stepfather.
She had hoped one of them would call her and arrange for her to come over. That they would just feel they’d done what she’d asked—given her stepfather a chance—and now let that whole thing slip into oblivion, while the three of them moved past it.
But now she worried that they were done with her. They might have considered her fun and sexy to be with, but if she was going to start pushing them for favors, she wasn’t worth it.
Her heart ached. She was used to her stepfather telling her she was worthless, but she’d never expected Blake or Evan to make her feel that way.
* * *
Danni stared at her very shiny red nails. She’d had them done at the salon and had decided on a simple manicure with no design on top in a color to match her dress, but the woman had talked her into a pedicure, too. And it wasn’t just nail polish. Apparently, it was something called gel polish and it needed to be cured under a special lamp. The manicurist told her it would last two to three weeks.
Given the kind of work she did, Danni would believe that when she saw it. As long as it lasted the evening, she’d be happy.
She wiggled her toes with a smile, admiring the red nails.
What would Blake and Evan think when they saw them? She could just imagine Evan taking off her shoe, his hand caressing her ankle, then the look of surprise on his face when he saw her shiny, cherry-red toenails. A shiver danced through her at the thought. And the images of what would come next.
She hadn’t been with the two men in days and she was really looking forward to tonight. They’d dance and talk at the party, then they’d invite her back to their place afterward. If they seemed at all reluctant, then she’d make this dress work for her. She remembered how they’d looked at her the first time they’d seen her in it in the store . . . and how quickly they’d gotten it off her again.
She was determined that tonight she’d show them the best sex of their lives. After that, there was no way they’d want to give her up.
* * *
Danni stepped from the limousine and walked up the steps to the country club with her mother and stepfather. The ride over had been tense. For her anyway. Her mother had chatted with her stepfather all the way over. Danni, however, was intensely conscious of her stepfather’s sour gaze every time he glanced her way.
Now that they were at the party, she could mingle with other people and ignore him.
They stepped into the ballroom filled with people. The women all wore dazzling gowns and the men elegant tuxedos. She noticed that men turned and gazed at her as she went by. Women, too, but the flickering heat in the men’s eyes was disconcerting. She stayed close by her mother’s side as she walked across the ballroom, scanning the crowd for Blake and Evan, but she couldn’t see them.
A waiter stopped and offered them drinks from his tray. Danni took one and sipped it. Mom took her arm and led her to a group of people and introduced her. Danni didn’t really get all the names, but Mom made a point of subtly repeating the names of the two young men in the group—Frederick and Don. They both smiled and told her how lovely she looked. She thanked them, trying to hide her discomfort.
Mom told her Frederick was a partner at Michelo, Smith, and Burns, which Danni knew was a very prestigious law firm. Don was the owner of an up-and-coming brokerage company. Mom headed off their questions by saying Danni was involved with Annex, a large architectural firm, which was not technically a lie since the construction company she worked for did a lot of work for Annex.
Frederick and Don continued the conversation with her and Danni noticed that somehow along the way, Mom managed to draw the other people in the circle to another conversation, leaving her alone with the two men.
“Your drink’s empty,” Don said. “Would you like something from the bar?”
She’d love a beer, but her mom had insisted she order cocktails or wine so she would look more ladylike.
“Yes, that would be nice.”
“What would you like me to get you?” he asked.
She smiled. “Why don’t you surprise me?”
“Of course.”
Don headed toward the bar and Frederick took that opportunity to move in closer.
“I’ve never seen you at one of these affairs before,” he said.
“I usually don’t have the time,” she said.
“Yes, it is difficult to meet all of one’s social expectations while spending the long hours needed to build a successful career.”
She just nodded and wracked her brain trying to remember any of the topics Rhett and Marcus had suggested she discuss. Fortunately, Frederick asked her what she liked to do in her spare time and as soon as she mentioned she loved to go swimming, he told her about his house on Lake Tahoe.
“Maybe I can show it to you sometime. In fact, we could fly out there on my private jet next weekend.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t really get away.” She couldn’t believe his audacity at asking her away on what he probably assumed would be an intimate getaway when they’d just met.
Then she remembered that day by the pool with Blake and Evan and her cheeks heated. Luckily, Don returned with her drink and she took a sip of the fruity cocktail.
“Thank you, it’s very nice,” she said to Don and he beamed.
She asked them what books they liked to read, but when they both started on about thrillers and political suspense, she just listened halfheartedly.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” her mother interrupted, “while I borrow my daughter.”
“What’s going on, Mom?” she asked once they were out of earshot. “I thought you wanted me to meet men here.”
“Yes, but you’re clearly not interested in either of those two, so let’s not waste time.”
Danni had to smile at her mother’s single-mindedness.
Mom introduced her to a group with several young men, then did her subtle disappearing act again. Danni held up her end of the conversation well enough for a while, until one blond man turned the conversation back to jobs and asked her what she did at the architectural firm.
She tried to be vague, but when he asked her if she was an architect, she didn’t know how to answer. She wouldn’t lie and say she was, but had no idea how to describe what she did in a way that wouldn’t embarrass her mom.
She glanced down, trying to think, then noticed a piece of fluff on her red dress. She leaned forward to brush it away and suddenly realized this was exactly what Marcus had suggested she do.
She straightened up again and every man in the group was staring at her, their eyes glittering in the soft light from the chandeliers. They all seemed in a daze.
“Excuse me,” she said, “I see a friend.”
Their eyes filled with disappointment as she moved away.
She placed her empty glass on a waiter’s tray and picked up a full one. She sipped as she walked through the room looking for Blake and Evan. She glanced at her watch and realized almost an hour had gone by. Her heart compressed as she wondered if they had decided not to come after all.
