“Entertainment here and ready?” Dane tried to make the question sound casual. Like he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about his singer since he’d woken up Friday morning. Like he didn’t keep flashing back on their hot night together, the way she’d looked, felt, sounded . . .
He realized Tonio had said something. “I’m sorry, what?”
Tonio repeated, “I said, yeah, they’re here and ready.”
Dane opened his mouth to respond, but took in the sudden frown on Tonio’s face and followed his gaze. “Something up?”
Tonio’s thick brows furrowed. “Not sure.” He stared at a man standing alone by the booths a few seconds longer, then leaned in to speak in a low voice to Dane. “That guy along the wall, by himself? Dark hair with gray in it, shaggy looking. See him?”
“Navy shirt and jeans?” Dane offered.
“Yeah. He’s been here for the last two weeks, hasn’t missed one of their shows. Stays for both sets. Drinks nothing but ginger ale. Leaves as soon as Julia gets offstage for the night.” Tonio pitched his voice even lower, so Dane had to lean in closer to hear. “Don’t get me wrong, he hasn’t done anything suspicious, but he just . . . he sets my gut hummin’. The way he looks at Julia the whole time she sings. I dunno. Bad vibe.”
Dane’s gut churned too. “I trust your instincts, Tonio. Keep an eye on him.”
“Oh, I have been.”
“Good man. You need any backup, you say the word.” Dane looked Tonio in the eye. “That goes for this guy, or anyone else. Julia’s beautiful, she’s getting some attention in the press lately by being here . . . so if she gets any, uh, admirers that she dislikes? Handle it. Or tell me, and I’ll handle it. But I trust you.”
Tonio nodded curtly. “Done.”
The audience started applauding, and Dane turned his head to see Julia and Kelvin get onstage to start their first set. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” she said, her rich voice a caress. Dane had a flash of that voice moaning in his ear, crying out his name, and got hard right then and there. He shifted carefully in his seat.
Kelvin started playing and Julia launched into an upbeat, swinging standard. With casual ease, Dane turned to look over the crowd . . . and at the guy Tonio had singled out. The man stood in the shadows, a perfect vantage point: he could see Julia, but Julia couldn’t see him. His eyes were fixed on the redhead, just like Tonio had said. And, just like Tonio had said, something about the guy gave Dane the creeps. His jaw tightened as something he couldn’t really name surged through him. Anger? Protectiveness? Concern? Maybe all of the above.
He didn’t want to make Julia nervous, so he wouldn’t say anything. After all, it was likely nothing. The guy probably just thought Julia was hot, which she was, and liked her voice, and liked watching her perform. Hell, who didn’t? She was magic up there.
Dane turned back to the bar and took a long swallow of his drink.
“You rocked it tonight, girl,” Kelvin said from his sprawl on the couch.
“You rocked it tonight, babe,” Julia replied from her couch. Their usual post-gig banter made them both grin.
“He’s back tonight,” Kelvin said.
Julia shrugged. “I know. I saw him sitting at the bar during the first set.”
“Then at a table with two friends, it looked like, for the second set.” Kelvin slanted her a look. “Stop sulking and go talk to him.”
“I’m not sulking,” she said.
“Really? Then your imitation of someone sulking is damn good.”
She snorted and flopped back to lie down. “I’m an idiot sometimes. Sorry.”
“I know. Don’t sweat it.”
Someone knocked on the door. They looked at each other.
“Five bucks says that’s the boss,” Kelvin said, his full lips curving wickedly.
“You’re on,” Julia said, sitting up. “I bet it’s anyone but him.” She got to her feet, crossed the dressing room in a few strides, and flung open the door. Dane stood there, looking damn fine in a cornflower blue button-down shirt under a dark gray suit. The very picture of casual sophistication, as usual.
“I’ll just get my five from your wallet, sweetie,” Kelvin said with a smug grin, standing.
“Hi.” Dane’s tone and smile were friendly. “You were great tonight. But you always are.” He craned his head and added to Kelvin, “Both of you. Great sets.”
“Thanks, Boss,” Kelvin said as he rifled through Julia’s bag. Pulling out a five-dollar bill, he shoved it into his pocket with another grin as he walked to the door. “If you two would excuse me, I’m going to go have something to eat before I head home.” He glanced at Julia. “Should I order something for you?”
“You go ahead,” she said. “Don’t wait for me.”
“Mm-hmm.” Kelvin looked from one face to the other. “Okay then.” He dropped a kiss on Julia’s cheek and whispered, “Take it easy, girl!” before walking out.
Dane moved in past her. Annoyed, she closed the door behind him and stayed where she stood, hands on her hips.
“How are you?” he asked, amiable and light.
“Fine,” she said. A wave of cool detachment had washed over her and she couldn’t shake it.
He picked up on it, she could tell. His grin morphed into a slight frown. “You don’t look fine. You look . . . well, pissed.”
“I’m not.”
He paused. “Yeah, that was convincing. What’s up?”
“Nothing.” She shrugged, chastising herself to knock it off. She had no right to be annoyed at him. She knew that. But then the words came rolling out of her mouth anyway. “You weren’t here last night. I just thought that was interesting timing.”
“What does that mean?” His frown deepened.
“If you were sending some kind of message, it was received. That’s all.” Her stomach tightened and she fought to keep her features neutral.
He stared at her with open confusion. “What? What are you talking about?”
She crossed to her makeup stand and grabbed her bottle of water. “You know what I’m talking about.”
He threw his hands up as if in surrender. “Okay, I have no idea what I just walked into here. Obviously, I don’t speak fluent Shay-ese. Enlighten me.”
“You’ve been at every single show I’ve done since opening night,” she said in a heated rush. “You didn’t have to do that, but you did. Now I know why. It was a tactic, a ploy. Because as soon as you got me into bed, look at that! Nowhere to be seen.”
He gaped at her openly, unable to hide his shock and consternation. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
She paused for a second. Uh oh. Shit. Cornered, she said, “Am I wrong?”
“Dead wrong!” he sputtered. “I wasn’t trying to—I didn’t not show up because—holy shit.” He raked his hands through his hair, eyes flashing with anger. “I like you, Julia. But I don’t owe you, or anyone else, any explanations for my whereabouts. Ever.”
“I know that.” She shot it back hotly, but she cringed inside. He had every right to spit at her like that, and she knew it. Mad at herself, she jerked the bottle cap open and downed some water.
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I’ll tell you where I was anyway, because you obviously need to hear it. So I’ll tell you. This time.”
“No.” She felt her face heat and winced. “Just forget it.”
He ignored her. “I was out on Long Island last night. At my father’s, at a family party. It was my nephew’s birthday, and mine’s next week, so we do a joint birthday dinner every year. That’s where I was last night. I went out there yesterday morning so I could spend the day at the beach with my sister, then we had the party.”
Julia felt the color drain from her face. Oh crap. “Dane—”
“I was tired, so I slept at my sister’s,” he continued, stepping toward her as he went on. His blue eyes glittered dangerously. “I slept late, had brunch with her, and got back to the city around three. Then I went to the gym—”
“Dane, stop.”
“—I went to the gym”—his voice rose as he barreled on—“then took a shower and changed, had dinner, and got to the hotel around seven. I checked in with different people to see how things were going, and got here at ten.” He was only inches away from her now, and his tension was palpable. She could feel heat coming off his body, but stood her ground as he stared at her. “I was looking forward to seeing you. This sucks.”
She winced again but said, “I made assumptions and I was obviously wrong. I’m sorry.”
“Damn right you did.” His mouth tightened, and it was obvious he was taking pains to reel himself back to a calm place.
She said nothing. What else could she say now?
He searched her face, stretching out the moment. She almost squirmed under his searing gaze. “I’ve treated you with nothing but decency from the moment I met you,” he said. “Why are you always so quick to think the worst of me?”
Her stomach flipped and her heart sank a little.
“I know, you told me. You don’t trust anyone.” He shook his head slowly. “It was fun the other night. Really, really hot, and fun. And we were relaxed, in between rounds, you know? I thought that showed you that I . . .” His voice trailed off and he took a step back, his face darkening. “You know what? Forget it. My mistake.”
“Wait. Just wait. Put yourself in my shoes for a minute,” she said, maintaining her composure despite the way her stomach was desperately twisting. “You’ve been here every night. You wanted to sleep with me. You did. And then that happens to be the first night you don’t come around. It felt like a message. A snub. Come on, what would you think?” She threw up her hands. “Sorry. That’s where my mind went.”
“I’d think maybe you had plans,” he said, low and tight. “I’d think maybe you had a life outside this place. Which I do. A very full life. And I don’t answer to anyone.”
She stiffened at the rebuke. Her throat closed with embarrassment. Unable to speak, furious with herself for what she’d done, how she’d lost her cool and played into the jealous shrew stereotype, she turned her back to him. She leaned her hands against her makeup counter at the vanity, but kept her head high. Clearing her throat, she said, “Again. I’m sorry. I was out of line, and I was wrong about why you weren’t here. I apologize. You can go now.” Only then did her eyes fall away.
She hadn’t heard him move, but his hands settled on her shoulders and turned her around. Her heart thumped as he looked into her eyes, searching, studying. Finally he said quietly, “I’m sorry too.” He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I just went off on you. Yes, you pissed me off, but I should’ve taken it down a notch.”
She swallowed, her throat uncomfortably dry, as he continued, “So you thought I was . . . what, thumbing my nose at you? Blowing you off? No. No way. But now that you explained what was going through your head, I understand why you thought that. I might have.” His hands slid slowly up and down her bare arms. She still wore her black sequined sheath dress, and his eyes roved over her body, apparently liking the view, before he lifted them to meet her gaze again. “Kind of like how I woke up to a note, instead of you, yesterday morning.”
Now it was her turn to be confused. “What was wrong with that?”
He paused, then said coyly, “You could’ve at least kissed me good-bye.”
Damn. Why did that make her feel awful? “You were passed out cold when I got out of the shower. I saw no need to wake you just to say good-bye. So I did what you’d suggested—I went and got a room of my own, here at the hotel. Passed right out. Slept ’til almost noon.”
“Good for you. I slept like a rock. Bet you did too. It was a hell of a night.” His eyes softened as they roamed over her face. “Okay, Julia. Truce. Yes?”
“Yes,” she said. Relief washed through her and she tried to swallow down whatever it was that still had her heart thumping against her ribs. “I don’t know what came over me. I’m an idiot.”
“Far from it. You do still look tense, though.” His blues took on a devilish glint. “Maybe I need to just kiss you hello and find a way to make you relax.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, slowly, teasing. “C’mere,” he whispered as his hand cupped the back of her neck. He kissed her once, twice, then longer and deeper the third time. Long and deep enough to bring that tiny whimper of submission he’d come to adore. “You missed me, didn’t you,” he murmured in a taunt against her mouth. “I think you did, Red.”
“In your dreams,” she whispered back, but her arms snaked around his neck so she could tangle her hands in his hair to hold him close. She loved playing with his curls. They were soft and springy and adorable and sexy, all at the same time. “So what’s your idea to make me relax? A massage in your spa?”
His eyes sparkled and his grin turned wicked. “Not even close.” He untangled himself from the embrace to go to the door and flip the lock, then strode back to her.
She arched a brow. “Locking the door?”
“Don’t want to be interrupted while I’m helping you relax. Relaxing is serious business.” He took off his jacket and laid it over the back of her vanity chair, still grinning dangerously. “Come here, Red.” He held out his hand.
She couldn’t help feeling like this was making a deal with the devil, or something like it. But damn, he was so sexy. Why fight it? She slipped her hand into his.
He pulled her to one of the sofas and nudged her to sit down. Within seconds, he was next to her, kissing her, then easing her back to lie down and shifting to lie on top of her. They kissed hungrily, the fiery passion between them sparking in an instant. As the kisses deepened, making heat flood through her, her mind blurred as need filled her and sharpened.
“Relaxed yet?” he whispered against her lips.
“Nope. Keep trying, though,” she teased. “I’m a tough nut to crack.”
He chuckled. “Understatement of the year.” Then he took her mouth in a possessive crush of a kiss.
As they kissed, she let her fingers slip through the longer curls at the back of his neck, returning his kisses with the same enthusiasm he exerted. Damn, he was so good at it. She could have kissed him forever. But when she whimpered into his mouth, he pulled his lips away to trail them sensually along her throat.
“Relaxed yet?” he murmured against her skin.
“Getting there,” she said. Her fingers left his hair to trail gently down his broad back. “I don’t know, though . . . you might have to work a little harder. I was pretty tense before.”
He looked up at her, eyes dancing, as his low, sexy voice rumbled, “Challenge accepted.”
Her stomach flipped with anticipation and her heart skittered as she wondered what he had in store for her. Something told her it would be delicious.
Later that night, Dane stared at the ceiling in the bedroom of his Tribeca apartment as his mind spun and whirled. He couldn’t sleep, not with so many questions and thoughts in his head. Not with that gorgeous redhead consuming him.
He’d gotten Julia to relax, all right. He’d seduced her right there in her dressing room, and they’d both loved every second of it. After teasing her for a while, he’d simply hiked up her dress and gone down on her, shocking her at first. For about five seconds. But then the tigress in her enjoyed the ride. He could still feel her fingers fisting in his hair, holding his head as his mouth brought her to orgasm three glorious times. He could still hear her muffled moans, then how she’d shoved her own fist in her mouth to keep from screaming out her passion to anyone in the lounge who might hear. He’d been so aroused by her response that he was rock-hard and ready to explode. “I need you now,” he’d told her roughly.
Still gasping for air, Julia had sat up, pulled him back up to the sofa, and opened his pants. As soon as the condom was on, she’d straddled him and ridden him until he came, groaning her name into her full breasts as he’d held her tightly against him.
But she wouldn’t come up to his suit
e with him after. They’d lain together for a few minutes, catching their breath in content silence . . . then she’d slipped out of his arms and into the adjoining bathroom. He’d realized she was cleaning up and changing into her street clothes to head back to Long Island. Buttoning up his shirt, he’d joined her in the tiny bathroom. As he washed his hands and face, a silence had settled over them. He’d straightened to dry his face with the towel and marveled at her. She’d stood there in her lacy peach bra and panties like a goddamn Greek goddess, totally without self-consciousness. His eyes couldn’t help but rest on the swell of her huge breasts, pushed up in the cups of the bra. He could have feasted on them for a week.
“Stay in my suite tonight,” he’d said as he tucked his shirt into his pants.
“Not necessary, but thanks for the offer,” she’d said.
He had been taken aback, but played it cool. “Any time. Standing offer, you know.”
She’d smiled and looked away, back into the mirror to fix her hair. He had gone back out to the dressing room and drunk down a bottle of water as he’d waited for her to emerge.
“You can stay here,” he’d said again as they had prepared to leave the dressing room. “At the hotel. It’s two in the morning. Take a room. You must be tired. . . .”
“Thanks, but I’m pretty wired right now, actually,” she’d said with a sultry smile. “Red-hot dressing room sex. Who’d have thunk it?”
He wasn’t going to beg her to stay, for God’s sake. She’d wanted to go, of course she could go. No strings. So he’d pulled her in and given her a long kiss instead. “At least let me call you a car. You need to get home safely. It’s 2:00 A.M., Julia.”
She’d cocked her head and considered. “You know what? That’s actually a nice idea. Yes. That, I’ll let you do. But I’ll pay for it.”
“No way. It’s on me. I’m pulling rank.” He’d winked, then held her face in his hands and kissed her once more. “Go get a drink at the bar. I’ll stay here and make the call, then come out in a few minutes so we’re not seen coming out of your dressing room together. A car’ll be waiting outside, at the side door, in about ten minutes. Okay?”
More Than You Know Page 13
