Beyond the Velvet Rope

by Tiffany Ashley

Noticing her fascination with Matrix, Elliot inclined his head. “I don’t believe you two have met before.” He held out his hand to his friend. “Thandie, this is Matrix Lang. Matrix, this is Thandie Shaw.”

  Matrix held out his hand to Thandie. When her hand settled into his palm, he bent over it and kissed the smooth skin. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s refreshing to see the rumors were true.”

  Thandie blushed a little under Matrix’s dark gaze, but retracted her hand as soon as she could without being offensive. Matrix spelled trouble, in all capital letters.

  “And I’m sure you remember Nico,” Elliot went on smoothly.

  Nico did not reach for hand. Instead, he chose to wink at her.

  Thandie couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the three men. All of them dark and handsome. Elliot with his serious yet aloof nature, brightened by his pale gray eyes. Nico with his dark charm and devil-may-care attitude. And Matrix, with his dark good looks and even darker mystic. She imagined the havoc they caused to the women of South Beach.

  As usual, Elliot’s beauty eclipsed everything in the room. Against her will, her gaze was drawn to him. And there it stayed.

  “I trust you’re having a lovely evening so far?” Elliot probed.

  “We are,” Rex answered with an affectionate glance in her direction.

  Thandie noticed with some alarm, Elliot’s observation of Rex’s reaction. Something flashed across his features. It was so quick, she couldn’t make it out, but she was wise enough to be on alert.

  “Are you coming or going?” Rex asked the men.

  “Going, I’m afraid,” Elliot said with a derisive smile. “Otherwise, we would love to join you.”

  Thandie released a sigh of relief. Her celebration was premature, because at that moment their eyes met. Something foreboding loomed in those cool gray orbs. Thandie shook her head ever so slightly, willing him to understand her desire to have him out of here and far, far away from her. The tips of his lips lifted, and she saw him give the barest shake of his head.

  “However,” Elliot said smoothly, “it would be rude of us to pass without at least joining you for a drink.”

  “Uh—yes, of course,” Rex stammered, clearly thrilled by the suggestion. “We’d love you to—”

  Without waiting for him to finish, Elliot slid into the booth next to Thandie, moving so close their thighs were pressed together. She attempted to slide over to put a little space between them, but her efforts were pointless when she felt Elliot’s large hand land on her leg.

  Powerless to stop the train wreck that was sure to happen, Thandie watched as Rex slid into the booth beside her, followed by Nico. Matrix pulled out one of two chairs facing their booth, and took his seat. With dread, Thandie knew what was happening. Like trained assassins, Nico and Matrix had settled themselves on the opposite side of Rex, making it easy to distract his attention away from Elliot and Thandie.

  Rex chanced a glance at Thandie, but before he could turn his head entirely in her direction, Nico said, “You have excellent taste, Rex.” He lifted up the wine bottle. “This is one of my favorites.”

  Rex turned to Nico. “A special wine for a special lady,” he said.

  “So you say,” was Elliot’s reply.

  Thandie reached for her wine goblet, and murmured “asshole” into her glass. Apparently, Elliot heard her, resulting in a squeeze of her leg. She fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. The movement caught Rex’s attention. Again, he turned to look at her. And yet again, his attention was stolen away. This time by Matrix.

  “So what else do you have planned tonight?” he asked conversationally.

  Rex turned to Matrix and explained how, if time permitted, he hoped to take Thandie to Bleau Bar for after dinner drinks. The conversation got complex when Matrix began suggesting a list of lounges he preferred over Rex’s destination. He even offered to call his contacts to place Rex on the VIP list.

  Thandie lost the thread of the discussion almost immediately, when she felt Elliot’s hand expertly slide past the folds of her gown, and find bare flesh. She gasped when she felt his hand make an unhurried path up her thigh. He stroked the tender flesh, his fingers edging dangerously close to her sex. She slammed her thighs closed, but was momentarily paralyzed when he pinched her tender flesh, causing her to muffle a cry of pain. Instinctively, her thighs fell back apart, just as he had planned.

  With her date so easily occupied, the dimness of the lighting, and the dark folds of her dress offering ample coverage, Elliot was free to do whatever he wanted beneath the table. And he took great pleasure and time doing just that.

  With erotic slowness, his finger flicked across the thin material of her panties. Thandie was now shivering with anger and anticipation. The pads of his fingers were so dangerously close to her womanhood, her thighs were shaking with keen arousal.

  As if nothing were amiss, Elliot signaled the waiter over with his free hand and announced he was buying another bottle of wine for the table in celebration of Rex and Thandie’s special night out.

  As the waiter ticked off their long list of selections to Rex, Elliot took the opportunity to gather the crotch of her panties into his palm, and with one firm tug, ripped the material right off her body. The cacophony of whispered conversations and usual restaurant noises, compounded by Rex’s inattention, made the sound of ripping material go unnoticed. Elliot transferred her panties into his other hand and pocketed them into his suit jacket.

  Now vulnerable to his eager hand, Thandie licked her lower lip nervously when she felt his finger slide into her dripping wet folds. She tensed and her stomach gave a lurch. He inserted another finger into her hot center.

  * * *

  Thandie’s natural juices poured over his fingers like thick honey. He enjoyed the feeling of her body trembling at his touch, and delighted in watching her fight to keep composure. Turning her face away from him, she pretended interest in the discussion between Rex and Matrix. He knew she was feigning it; her eyes were glassy and unfocused.

  Elliot enjoyed his affect on her so much, he allowed his fingers to play with her for tortuously long minutes. In and out. In and out. His fingers dipped, teased and stroked her until Thandie had no choice but to give up the pretense of following the table conversation and attempting to eat. She resorted to staring down into her plate, her fork dangling precariously from numb fingers.

  Smoothly, his palm along her inner thigh, he caressed her skin until he cupped the underside of her knee. Effortlessly, he lifted her leg, hooking her knee over his thigh. She did not fight him. She was too far gone, too defeated, to put up any resistance. With her thighs now spread wide, he was free to roam and discover ever intimate corner of her sex. This time, when he slid his fingers inside her, he went possessively deeper. Thandie began to chew on her bottom lip in what he suspected was an effort to stop from moaning aloud.

  In spite of the sensual torment he was inflicting on her, Elliot was suffering from his own arousal. His throbbing groin pressed against the zipper of his slacks. He wanted to pull himself free and place the weight of his engorged cock into her palm. The thought alone made his testicles tighten painfully.

  And yet, for all his imagination, what he wanted most of all was to simply kiss her. He wanted to feel her lips beneath his own, tasting her sweet, sweet mouth, until her lips were wet and puffy from his kisses. But he could not. At least, not right here. Not with Rex seated so close, and so clueless, beside her. He wanted her badly. So badly, the line between social decorum and savagery was beginning to blur. What would happen if he pulled her into his lap right now? The thought had merit.

  While he pondered this, he watched the rise and fall of her breasts. He was enchanted by the way the candlelight danced across her golden skin, as her breath came and went in short gasps, in rhythm to his fingers.

  Eventually, Elliot’s fingers slid up and began making slow torturous circles around her sensitive bud, applying just enough pressure to keep her highly aroused
but not giving her release. From time to time, Elliot would insert himself into the ridiculous conversation. He did not say enough to overtake the exchange, but just enough to tie him to the discussion. His tone however was disinterested, giving him the appearance of a bored participant. Meanwhile, beneath the table, he was driving Thandie closer and closer to the brink of insanity. Her orgasm was just within reach. And just when she thought he was going to take her over the edge, he slowed the progression of his finger, bringing her down slowly. After she calmed, he would begin his seduction again.

  * * *

  Thandie’s legs were shaking so badly she feared she would start vibrating the table. And her thighs were so slick with moisture, she was certain she’d formed a puddle beneath her. She could smell her arousal and knew Elliot could as well. What she feared was Rex discovering what was happening under the table.

  The waiter returned with the bottle of wine and additional goblets. He made quick work of filling their glasses before quietly departing. Without warning, Elliot held up his glass in a gracious gesture.

  “I’d like to toast this moment,” he said.

  Rex, Nico and Matrix held up their glasses, forcing Thandie to follow suit. Her fingers shook as she held up her glass. Elliot was applying more pressure between her thighs. With the pad of his middle finger, he plied the taut bud with soft sliding motions. Thandie was now seeing red and blue stars. Her breathing was choppy and her pelvic muscles began to pump against his hand, making her stomach contract.

  “To new beginnings,” Elliot said, with an air of detachment. “I wish you both one climactic turn after another.”

  Rex tipped his glass and drank, although he wore a quizzical look at Elliot’s words. Nico grinned and drained his glass. Elliot sipped from his glass as he watched Thandie. Fighting the beginning sparks of ecstasy, she held her glass to her lips and took a calming breath. She had just begun to sip when the first wave of rapture washed over her. Her body went completely still and then began to shudder. The wine she’d been drinking flowed down the wrong tube, causing her to go into a fit of coughs, interrupted by more body-ripping contractions of elation. She clapped her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. It was the strangest coughing spell any of them had ever seen.

  She didn’t have enough time to recover before Rex turned wide eyes on her, asking if she was all right. Elliot followed suit by asking the same question, although his words held no sympathy. His fingers were now buried inside her, pulling in and out of her as her inner walls squeezed him.

  “Here, drink your water.” Rex insisted.

  “Yes, Thandie,” Elliot said in his mocking voice, “drink some water.”

  Without warning, she jumped to her feet, bumping the table again. “Excuse me,” she said in a near panic.

  “Are you okay?” Rex asked. He moved to get up, but Nico blocked his exit, and seemed slow to register his attempt.

  “Yes,” she squeaked. “Ladies’ room.” All but stepping over Elliot in her haste to get away from him, she slid out of the booth.

  She could feel everyone’s gaze on her, making her escape all the more desperate. But her legs felt rubbery and were unwilling to cooperate. She stumbled once, only to catch herself by planting a steady hand on a fellow diner’s chair. Pulling herself up tall, she shot Elliot a hateful look before stomping off to the restroom.

  * * *

  Several hours later, Thandie let herself into Elliot’s house. Rex had offered to walk her inside but, still tense after what had happened earlier at Zuma, she’d politely declined.

  After her hasty flight to the ladies’ room, Thandie had to deal with cleaning herself up. It had not been easy and, thanks to Elliot, she did not have panties. Thandie had stayed in the bathroom as long as manners would allow.

  Luckily, Elliot and his friends were gone before she returned to the dining area. The only person at their table was her worried date.

  Aware that their uninvited guests might have dampened the romantic dinner he’d planned, Rex made a gallant effort to redeem the evening. He’d been charming and well-mannered. Reacting to her sudden lack of conversation, Rex seemed eager to regale her with tales about the places he’d traveled and the people he’d met. At any other time, Thandie might have been entertained, but tonight she was not. Her enthusiasm for the evening was gone. It wasn’t Rex’s fault. It was Elliot’s, and Elliot’s alone.

  True to his word, Matrix had indeed put them on the guest list at a series of private lounges. Thandie had half expected to see Elliot at one of the venues. Mercifully, she had not. If he meant to spoil her night, he had succeeded. Thanks to him, she was jumpy, irritable and uncomfortable.

  He’d even managed to ruin her and Rex’s good-night kiss. Thandie could tell Rex had been anticipating this moment with about as much as excitement as she had been dreading it. Thandie’d had about all the intimacy she could stand for one night.

  Elliot had coaxed an orgasm out of her that was so strong, she was still recovering from it. And like any woman who’d recently experienced the best climax of her life, she was drained of all energy. The only thing that kept her lucid was the turbulent argument she planned to have with Elliot as soon as she got home. And if he wasn’t there, she intended to drive to club and find him. Her anger had been boiling for hours, waiting for a chance to erupt on the silver-eyed devil who’d earned her enmity.

  Locking the front door behind her, Thandie walked through the foyer and crossed the formal dining room. She found the culprit exiting his private gym. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants cut off just below the knee; his chest was bare and slick with sweat. He had the audacity to smile when he saw her.

  “How was your date?” he casually asked.

  “Sonofabitch!” she spat at him.

  “That bad, huh?”

  She stomped her foot. “How dare you do that to me!”

  “You enjoyed it,” he retorted.

  She tossed her purse at him, which he easily dodged. “You intentionally embarrassed me tonight.”

  “I’m not going to apologize for touching you. I’ve given you ample opportunity to handle our affairs privately.” He grinned.

  She could not hide her disbelief. “You humiliated me in front of a crowd, Elliot.”

  “You have only yourself to blame for this escalation.”

  She screeched with anger. “Damn you, Elliot!”

  He crossed the room with that predatory stalk of his, stopping only when he hovered over her. His voice was steely when he spoke. “No one knew what took place except for you and me, and I certainly won’t apologize for touching you.”

  “Are you crazy? ”

  “If my memory serves me correctly, you came quite willingly—and loudly, I might add.”

  “You’re certifiable,” she whispered.

  “So you say,” he said with a grin.

  She shook her head in disbelief. She was on the brink of screaming from sheer frustration. “Why do you insist on putting me in such awkward positions?” She held up her hand to prevent him from speaking. The wicked grin that had just snaked across his mouth told her he would turn her words into something juvenile. “I’m a businesswoman who happens to have peers who look to me for guidance. I can’t mentor them properly if I’m constantly struggling to keep your hands off me.”

  Visibly annoyed, he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Stop using Raja and Len as a shield. I’m not buying it. Your assistants are adults, if you hadn’t noticed.”

  “They’re barely out of college.”

  “They’re old enough.”

  She planted her hand on her hip. “Old enough for what?”

  “Old enough for everything that matters.”

  The look he gave her was one of sinister intent. She gasped. “Don’t you dare touch one of them.”

  He only lifted his brow in challenge.

  “I’m serious, Elliot. Leave the girls alone.”

  “What makes you so sure the girls want to be left alo
ne? I happen to personally know that Len and Raja would love nothing more than to get me in bed.”

  Her face stiffened. “Elliot, I swear if you so much as touch—”

  “Are you sleeping with Rex?”

  “What?” The question caught her completely off guard.

  “You heard me,” he snapped.

  “What does that matter to you?”

  “Answer the question, Thandie.”

  She jutted her chin up determinedly. “Who are you sleeping with?”

  “Would you like me to make you a list?”

  She snarled at him and turned away, meaning to put an end to the discussion. She got no farther than an arm’s length in distance before Elliot grabbed hold of her and pulled her around to face him.

  “I asked you a question,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “No,” she seethed. “I’m not sleeping with Rex.”

  “Good,” he said. “Keep it that way.”

  “How dare you tell me—”

  Her words were cut off by his kiss. It was hot, hard and punishing. Planting her palms on his chest, she pushed against him, trying to break his embrace. But it was no good. Elliot was too determined. He broke off the kiss abruptly. His silver gaze raked her before saying, “Run along to bed, before I completely lose my patience with you.”

  She was stunned by his callousness, and astonished by his offhand reference to Rex. He showed no traces of jealousy when he spoke about the man. His tone seemed to imply he saw Rex as no more than an inconvenience to him. Infuriated by his lack of respect, she planted one hand on her hip and jabbed an index finger at him. “You have no right to tell me what I can and can’t do. What happens between Rex and me is none of your—”

  He effectively cut her off by holding his hand up. “Push me on this and you will see a side of me you won’t like.”

  His words were delivered with such malice, she almost recoiled. But refusing to be intimidated, she glared at him instead. “Behave yourself, Elliot, or I’ll quit and I’ll take all my contacts with me.”

  “Drop the shit,” he snapped. “You and I both know you got more enjoyment under that dinner table than you could ever hope for with Rex.”