by S. Valentine
Eva rolled her eyes. “Anyway.” She held her glass in the air. “A long overdue toast, but to you, me, and The Black Door.”
Darion reluctantly tapped his glass against hers before finishing his drink. When Eva drained hers also, he was surprised to see her go and refill them. He accepted it. It had been a long night and he didn’t have the energy to fight with her.
“You don’t mind if I have one of these, do you?” She took a cigar from his desk, not waiting for his answer.
Darion crossed the room and collapsed on the sofa. He shuffled over when Eva sat too close for his liking. Lighting the cigar, she took a drag.
“Do you remember Iceland?” She nodded her head toward one of the photographs on the wall, grinning.
“Hmmm.”
“We got so drunk―”
“I remember,” he snapped, cutting her off. How could he forget? They had had urgent, animalistic sex in the back of a taxi.
“Trust us to get a pervert driver.” She giggled softly.
“You loved the fact he was watching.”
Eva blew out smoke and grinned. “Yeah.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I probably did.” After a couple more drags, she held out the cigar. “Do you remember that time in Amsterdam…”
“Eva. Stop,” he said sternly, before holding the cigar to his lips. He didn’t need any reminders. He wanted the sensitive subject of the past over.
“We used to have so much fun.” Her tone was low and sultry as she looked at him.
“We also had a lot of unpleasant times too,” he said, averting his stare.
“The good times definitely outweighed the bad.”
When Darion finished the cigar, he stubbed it in the ashtray that Eva held out before him. He then lazily reclined in his seat, exhaustion taking over. He felt the sofa dip and noticed Eva tucking her feet underneath her, making herself comfortable. She was close again, and he flinched when her arm brushed against him.
“Want another drink?” she asked, curling her hair around her finger.
Darion declined and leant further back, his top riding up a little, revealing his firm, tanned stomach. He spotted the dark hunger in Eva’s expression, the look she used to give him when she wanted him. As she inhaled deeply, her bosom rose. Images of the fantasy he had had about Eva flooded his mind. Her erotic sounding moans, her smooth skin, her sharp nails on his back, her perfectly firm buttocks, her breasts, her long, slender legs. Fuck. His head rolled back on an exhausted sigh.
“Everything okay?” Her hot breath met his ear.
The feeling of unease increased when Eva stroked his hair back gently, as if trying to soothe him. Then she leant toward him, her gaze on his mouth. Darion tried to control his breathing and erratic heartbeat. When her fingers tightened on his hair, pulling his head in closer, he knew she was seconds away from kissing him. He abruptly pushed himself to his feet.
“They probably need you upstairs.”
He wanted Eva out of his territory. He didn’t like the way she was haunting his thoughts, how she helped herself to his things, and the way she was lounging on his sofa, looking all relaxed. He wasn’t about to let her become comfortable in his space. He also didn’t trust her not to try and seduce him. If she thought she could worm her way back into his life that easily, then she had another think coming. She was lucky he was even maintaining a level of professionalism with her.
“Are you sure I can’t tempt you into having another drink? Make a night of it?” She flashed him a sexy smile, her luminous green eyes sparkling mischievously.
“I’m more than sure.”
She groaned and stood up. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
Darion watched as she left the room. Out of her line of sight, he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his cool. He wouldn’t let Eva spoil his newfound happiness with Gabi. No way.
Chapter
Thirty-Five
Gabi
By the time Monday came, Gabi was back in the office. She had spent two hours editing a manuscript. It took all of her concentration not to think of one of the worst weekends she had ever had. Maybe if she blocked it all out, she could pretend it never happened.
Slouching in her chair, she threw her head back, knowing that pretending was impossible. She felt tears forming on her lower lids and quickly blinked them away. So she had slipped up. So she had kissed Lawrence for all of a few seconds, before pulling away. She had regretted it instantly. She wasn’t having second thoughts about Lawrence. She had simply clung onto comfort when it had been offered. Not only had she been drunk, but her mind had been a hurricane of sickened thoughts of Darion at the club, the way that his lips moved against Leah’s, how his tongue had tasted of strawberry, and his eyes had searched for Eva.
Darion probably thought she hadn’t noticed, but she’d seen him. In the playrooms, he’d come to a standstill, focused on a woman that resembled Eva. He had that look in his eyes again like last time, which she couldn’t quite make out, a look of either anger or lust.
She blew out an exasperated puff of air. She had cheated on Darion. Although he didn’t mind her kissing other men and whatnot in the playrooms, it was to satisfy one another, to lose their inhibitions and have fun together. There was nothing secretive or deceitful about it.
Yet, she had kissed Lawrence behind his back, betrayed him. Her heart ached as she was flooded with disappointment and regret. She couldn’t help but feel hypocritical, having preached trust, and she’d broken it. She had to tell Darion. She needed to confess what she had done. Gabi believed there were two types of cheaters. The ones who cheated and hid it, further betraying the other and sometimes having no regrets at all. Then there were the ones who regretted it every single day of their lives, intending to come clean. Gabi was the latter.
What if she lost him?
At that moment, the telephone on her desk interrupted her thoughts. Taking hold of it, she held it to her ear. She expected it to be a client querying their manuscript, wanting an update. The voice that came through the line made her shudder.
“Lawrence.” How could she have forgotten he knew her work number? “What do you want?”
“It’s quite clear what I want.” He paused for a second. “I want you back, Gabi.”
“You can’t have me, Lawrence. I’m with Darion.”
“What happened last night happened for a reason.”
“No, it didn’t. It was a drunken mistake. Nothing more.”
“I don’t agree.”
Gabi rose to her feet, feeling her cheeks heat in anger. “Lawrence, please. We’re never getting back together. I’m sorry. I wasn’t myself last night. I was drunk, upset…” Her voice was meant to be stern, but it shook with emotion instead.
“You used me?” he spat. “You get my hopes up and then you just discard me and continue with your happy life?”
“No, Lawrence. It’s not like that.”
“Why don’t we see what your boyfriend makes of our kiss?”
She shook her head. How dare he try and threaten her. “You wouldn’t know where to find him.”
“I think The Black Door would be a good start.”
Gabi’s stomach flipped. She dropped back in her seat, all of a sudden feeling nauseous.
“Gabi, when we were together and you were dressing up like some tart pretending to meet Mallory, you think I didn’t know there was someone else?”
Gabi swallowed.
“I knew you’d visited the club, and fallen for that wanker’s charms. How can you be with someone who owns that kind of establishment?” She sensed the disgust in his voice.
“You knew all along?”
“I had my suspicions. Stupidly, I didn’t think it’d last as long as it has. I thought you’d go through some wild rebellious phase, get it out of your system, let it run its course, and come back to me.”
“Wait a minute,” Gabi sat forward in her chair, her voice sharp. “How did you know he was the owner? How do you know what sort of estab
lishment it is? I thought you never visited The Black Door.” She tapped her foot against the floor, unable to keep still. “You told me those matches belonged to Tom.” Gabi put a hand to her mouth. That time she had found personalised matches to The Black Door in Lawrence’s pocket, and suspected him of cheating, she must have been right. Everything she had had with Lawrence had been a lie. Minus him mistreating her, the loyalty, predictability, and the love she’d thought she’d had with him, she’d been wrong. “So, when I questioned you that time, you lied to me?”
The line was silent.
“So, you did cheat on me?” she asked. “Answer me, Lawrence,” she yelled.
“It was one time.” She heard him sigh. “I stopped at the club for a quick beer on my way home, and ended up getting drunk.”
“Who was she?”
“One of the dancers. It meant nothing.”
“What did she look like?”
“What does it matter?”
“Tell me,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Gabi, it was a while ago…I don’t know…Good body, black hair…”
Probably Wendy. “You asshole.” She clamped her lips together to stop the sobs that were threatening to escape. “You guilt tripped me on so many occasions about betraying you with Darion, and you’d already slept with someone else. There was a difference between me and you, Lawrence,” she cried out. “You mistreated me. You neglected me, came home late, criticised me, controlled me and pushed me into the arms of another man.” She wiped a stray tear away. “I was nothing but good to you.” She blew out air again, utterly bewildered. “And that speech you gave me.” She laughed mirthlessly. “You said no one could ever love me like you could. And I almost believed it. Shows how much you love me.”
“I do love you. It was one mistake.”
“I bet you cheated on me countless times, Lawrence. Loyalty was one of your good points, but now you don’t even have that anymore.”
“I was stressed with work, I was…”
“Don’t even go there,” she spat.
“Give me another chance, please.”
“Never.”
“I know you’re unhappy. I can see it in you. He’ll cheat on you too. Mark my words.”
“How would you know how I feel?” She gasped. “Have you been following me?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, it does.” She tried her hardest to keep her tone quiet.
“I miss you. I can’t sit back and watch you get hurt. Hypocritical, but I’m a changed man. We’re good together. Believe me, please.”
“Did you get a new car?”
“The Toyota? It’s Tom’s.”
“If you come anywhere near me again, I will call the police.” She tightened her grip on the phone. “And don’t worry about mentioning the kiss to Darion. I was going to tell him everything myself.”
She slammed the phone down and dropped back in her chair, taking deep breaths. She had felt guilty about the way she had treated Lawrence for months, and he’d cheated on her anyway. Would he have really married her, had children with her holding that secret? It didn’t even bear thinking about. At least when she had got intimate with Darion, she had tried countless times to end the relationship with Lawrence. She had then ended it, with no intention of getting back with him.
She was outraged that he had been following her, watching her with Darion. Did he really think she would go running back to him? He was crazier than she’d thought.
She was about to stand up to make a coffee when her mobile rang. Taking it out of her bag, she noticed it was Darion. Shit. She bit her lip, wondering whether she should answer, whether she could act normal with him.
“Hello.”
“Gabi,” his low, sexy sounding voice met her ears. It sent a delicious chill through her body, which at that moment she hated.
“How are you?”
“I’m good. I’m just at home watching television.”
“Are you not going to work?”
“I’ll pop in on the evening. I spend too much time there, Gabi. I need a break.”
“Oh. Is everything okay there?”
“Yeah. We’ve made a fortune these past weeks. I’ve paid off my vehicles and everything.” She detected the happiness in his tone and was pleased. “We need to go out and celebrate at some point.”
“Sure.”
“How was the rest of your weekend with Mallory?”
Gabi squeezed her lids shut. “It was good.” She wondered whether to tell him about Lawrence stalking her. She decided against it. She hoped threatening to inform the police would cause him to back off.
“I’m glad to hear it. Am I seeing you later?”
“I’ve got a dance class. I could pop by the club after?”
“You do that.” Silence. “I can’t wait to see you.” He groaned as if he was frustrated.
She opened her mouth, and then closed it, at a loss for words. She was relieved when he continued talking.
“Darlin’.” She heard him take a deep breath. “I do love you…you know that, right?”
Gabi swallowed. Her heart raced. She felt a hot flush spread up her chest. “I love you too.”
“I’m so grateful you’re being patient with me.” With what? When it came to him declaring his feelings, or when it came to swinging? She was about to ask but he cut her off. “Anyway, I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Okay.”
“See ya, Gabi.”
“Bye.”
Gabi dissolved into a fit of tears. She buried her head in her hands. All she’d wanted was for Darion to open up to her, to trust her, and she had destroyed it. She needed to come clean about the kiss and soon, in case Lawrence got to him first. And if he didn’t, it wasn’t something she wanted hanging over her head. Honesty had to be the best policy, no matter what.
She clapped a hand over her mouth as if she were about to be sick. How would Darion react? What if she lost him?
Chapter
Thirty-Six
It was 9:15 p.m. when Gabi entered The Black Door. Dance class had managed to occupy her mind for an hour. She’d then showered at The Royal Dance Academy and hurried home. She’d slipped into a navy, tight knee-length dress, and cream stilettos to match her clutch bag. She’d straightened her hair to perfection so it hung silkily down her back. She felt good on the outside, however inside, she was a quivering wreck.
As she meandered into the room, she scanned the place for Darion. No sign of him. Assuming he was busy in the office, she pulled out a stool and ordered a white wine. A woman she had never seen before served her. Darion hadn’t mentioned he’d hired new staff. Gabi was disheartened to see she was gorgeous. As she handed her the wine, she introduced herself as Jasmine. She advised her that Darion was on the telephone and would be with her shortly. Gabi was about to make polite chit chat with her when Lexi strode over, grinning.
“Gabi. How’s it going, pretty lady?”
She held back a sigh. “Good. How are things with you?”
“Great.” Her mouth moved as she chewed gum. “I’m sorry if I’ve been a moody bitch lately. Work has been stressing me out.”
“That’s okay. Are things running smoothly here now?”
“For now, yeah.” She flicked her hair back. “Eva must have waved a magic fucking wand, because the place is booming.”
Gabi felt envy twist her heart. So Eva was a great asset to the place, and obviously sticking around for the foreseeable future. “Have you heard anything from Gina?”
“She sent me a text message saying that she was still in London. Johnny’s with her, so I think she’s okay.”
“Any news on her mom?”
“Nah. She was very brief. I tried to call her, but her mobile was switched off.”
“If you speak with her, send her my wishes.”
“I will.”
Gabi scratched her head for a second, deep in thought. “Lexi.” She looked up. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Does, um…Does Darion ever flirt with Eva, or anything?” she asked, linking her hands together. She was unsure whether she was asking out of distrust, or whether she was trying to make herself feel better about her kiss with Lawrence.
“Gabi.” Lexi shot her a serious look. “Darion never flirts with Eva. He can’t stand being in the same room as her.”
Gabi chewed the inside of her cheek, unsure of what to respond with. She felt a pain in the back of her throat. Darion’s loyalty made her feel guiltier. “Do you think he still has feelings for her, though?”
“I wouldn’t know.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry.”
She nodded.
“I’ve gotta go speak with my favourite client, but we’ll catch up properly soon, K?”
Gabi offered her a smile.
She focused on the stage where Wendy was occupying the stage. Gabi watched her intently as she hung upside down on the pole, opening her legs wide in the splits, her hair falling underneath her. She seemed to move with such ease, such confidence. The audience clapped and wolf whistled. Gabi wondered whether she should question Wendy about Lawrence, but then decided against it. What good would it bring? He had cheated and that was that. There was no point in dragging up the past.
She averted her gaze, and toyed with the stem of her glass. She hoped Darion wouldn’t be too long. Just as she picked her drink up to take another sip, she felt a chill run through her body. Oh no. Not now. She gulped half of her wine back quickly, and turned her head to face Eva. She was taken aback when she sat down.
“Jasmine. I’ll have a vodka and Coke.”
“Sure.”
“Hey, Gabi.” Eva flashed her a saccharine smile which didn’t meet her eyes.
“Hi.”
“Where’s Daz?”
“On a call.”
Jasmine handed Eva her drink, and then left them alone, whilst she served other customers.
“So…” Eva took a sip of her drink, before setting it down. “How were your antics in the playrooms?” She giggled. “Maybe you’re not so prissy after all.”
