Two Lives in Waltz Time

by Vivien Dean

  Her eyes were soft, her mouth crooked. “I think it would take a lot for you to be at any kind of disadvantage with anybody.”

  He flushed even brighter, though now it was in embarrassment. “So what do you think I should do? What do I say to him?”

  “Say to who?”

  “Mack. About Maddy and Cash. Last time Mack was here, he was talking about her and him getting hitched. He’s not going to be happy when he finds out she’s taken up with Cash.”

  Ava still looked confused, but Gino didn’t understand why. She had been around a lot longer than him, not to mention the fact that she and Maddy had been roommates. This had to be old news to her.

  “So, nobody has told this…Mack that Maddy and Cash are together?” Ava asked, her voice hesitant.

  Gino’s eyes shot wide. “You want to be the one to tell the bossman his favorite girl dumped him for a bouncer? I mean, I know Maddy was only humoring him because he owns the joint, but—”

  A sharp knock at the door jerked both of their heads around, and Gino leapt to his feet, nearly knocking Ava over in his haste.

  Gino’s distress was putting her on edge, but it was the unexpected interruption that made her nerves go to red alert.

  “Who is it?” Ava called out, scrambling to her feet. Instead of answering, the visitor turned the knob, pushing open the door and holding it ajar as a small, genteel man stepped inside. Though slight of build, his expensive suit and ramrod posture made him appear taller, gray eyes glittering with intelligence while they honed right in on the pair, his thin lips curling into an amused smile. Everything about him screamed power, and Ava knew without having to be told that this was the Mack that had Gino acting like a cowering puppy.

  He was accompanied by two men, similarly dressed, both taller than him. Her eyes flickered over the one who had opened the door, but when she saw the familiar blond hovering behind Mack’s other shoulder, Ava’s throat went dry.

  Aaron. In the painting.

  That couldn’t be good.

  “Miss Reisman.” Mack’s voice was a silken rumble, the deep baritone incongruous with his diminutive form. Her attention immediately snapped back to him. “I heard you had another accident. You seem to have recovered.” His eyes scanned down her long stocking-clad legs, lingering a moment too long before returning to her face. “Nicely.”

  She felt Gino tense at her side and immediately stepped in front of him before he did anything foolish. “Thank you.”

  “You’re alone, I assume?” Mack stepped further into the room, his gaze darting around to each of the corners.

  For a moment, Ava was reminded of Alice’s White Rabbit, and she had to stifle the giggle that bubbled to her throat. If he pulled out a pocket watch, she was definitely going to lose it. Out loud, she replied, “Just us.”

  “Pity,” he murmured. “I was rather hoping…” Mack’s features hardened when his eyes settled on Gino. “I’m surprised to see you back here, though, Mr. Paonessa. Shouldn’t you be at the door?”

  “Yes, sir.” With a last furtive glance at Ava, Gino hurried out of the dressing room.

  She wasn’t sure she liked being alone with the club owner any better. “Is there something I can do for you?” she asked, trying not to look at Aaron.

  Mack ran a finger along the nearest dressing table, as if inspecting it for dust. “I’m looking for Maddy.” He pulled a silk handkerchief from a pocket and wiped his hands. “But since she’s not out front and she’s not in here, I can only assume she’s running late as usual.”

  He seemed to be waiting for confirmation of that. “Yeah,” Ava stammered. “You know how Maddy loves her grand entrance.”

  He chuckled. “That she does. Nobody knows how to command a room like she does.” Turning back to the door, he was halfway out when he paused. “When she arrives, Miss Reisman, would you be so kind as to let her know I’d like to see her at the bar? We have…much to catch up on.”

  He didn’t wait for a response. Only Aaron’s tentative touch on his arm stopped him from leaving completely.

  “I need to have a word with Miss Reisman,” Aaron said. “Can I meet you out at the bar in a couple minutes?”

  Mack nodded. “Take all the time you need.”

  As soon as the door closed, Ava launched forward, wrapping her arms around Aaron in a desperate hug before realizing she had just effectively thrown herself at her boss. Quickly disengaging, she stepped back and smiled at him in embarrassment. “Sorry,” she said. “It’s familiar face syndrome. It makes a girl act kind of crazy.”

  Aaron suddenly looked worried. “You haven’t seen Maddy and Cash here?”

  “Oh, no, they’re here,” she corrected. “I just meant—Never mind. That’s not nearly as important as finding out if you’re okay. Are you okay? You don’t seem freaked out by finding yourself in this place.”

  “I’m not.” He grinned. “Well, not too much. Kate gave me the heads up about what I might expect when we touched the painting.”

  “Who’s Kate?”

  She listened as Aaron explained how Cash’s sister had shown up at the museum, worried about her brother, and how she had done the research to figure out exactly what had happened. When he got to the part about how to get back to their own world, Ava brightened, only to have her hopes sink when he finished with, “Except I haven’t seen any sign of Kate since I showed up in Mack’s car on the way here. We’re going to need her to find this safety. She’s the only one who can identify the mark.”

  “If she touched the painting,” Ava said, “she’s here someplace. We just have to figure out what her job is.”

  For the first time, Aaron seemed to notice her scanty clothing, drawing a deep flush to Ava’s cheeks. “Jobs here are…interesting.”

  She sighed. “Don’t get me started.” She gestured toward the gun that was visible beneath his jacket. “You’re not scared about whether or not you’ll have to use that?”

  He glanced down at the holster under his arm. “I’m trying not to think that far ahead.”

  The door opened and a pair of chattering girls came in, blushing and going silent when they spotted Aaron. “Hey, Mr. Keating,” one said, while the other promptly giggled.

  Ava rolled her eyes. “We gotta get to work,” she said, grabbing Aaron’s arm at the same time she scooped up her shoes. She dragged him out of the dressing room, waiting until the door was closed before speaking up again. “You find Kate, and I’ll focus on letting Maddy and Cash know what’s going on. Then we can all meet up at their place after work and figure out what our next step is going to be.”

  They were halfway to the dance floor when Aaron asked, “Maddy and Cash have a place together?”

  Chapter Twenty

  Their late arrival meant the car pulled up first in front of the Rising Sun, allowing Cash to slip inside and take his post without wasting any more time. Before he climbed out of the car, however, he pulled Maddy onto his lap, taking her face between his hands and giving her a thorough kiss.

  “What was that for?” she said breathlessly when he pulled away.

  “Because I can’t look at you without needing to remind myself that you’re real.” His broad thumbs stroked her swollen lower lip. “I’m still trying to figure out how I ever managed to get you past hating me.” Cash chuckled. “You were very good at that.”

  She couldn’t resist an impish smile. “That’s because you made it so easy to.”

  “Wench.”

  Maddy squeaked as he pinched her ass, giggling as she scooted back onto the seat. “And you love it. Admit it.”

  Some of the playfulness in his eyes faded, and Cash leaned forward to brush a knuckle across her cheek. “Yeah. I do.”

  He was out of the car before she could reply, closing the door and marching up to the club with a hurried step. As the driver pulled away, Maddy watched Cash through the window, noting how he hesitated at the front door to glance back at the moving limo. Her mouth was suddenly dry. She had only been teasin
g, but something about Cash’s tone told her that he wasn’t, that his simple admission carried with it more import than either was willing to recognize.

  It left her glowing with unexpected delight as she rushed to the employees’ entrance at the back of the club.

  Lombardi stood inside the door when Maddy pushed it open, her arms full of her skirt as she held it away from the rough edges of the jamb. “You know, just this once, I’m actually glad that you can’t be on time to save your life,” he growled, grabbing her gloved arm and pulling her the rest of the way into the hall.

  “It’s good to see you too,” Maddy commented, more than an ounce of sarcasm lacing her words.

  “I got no time for games right now. We both got bigger fish to fry.”

  “As long as it’s not halibut. I’ve always been more of a salmon kind of girl.” She smiled. Not even Lombardi could cut through her good mood right now.

  He glared at her, chewing on the end of his cigar. “You need to know Mack’s back, and he’s looking for you.”

  Maddy felt the fine edges of her euphoria begin to fray at the severity of Lombardi’s tone. Another new development. She had to play along until she figured out what this one was about. “What does he want?”

  “Whaddaya think? Nobody’s told him yet about you and Cash, though, and I don’t want you to say a word, either. I’ll be the one to break it to him.”

  “And Mack should care because…?”

  Lombardi sighed in exasperation. “For once, can you just do what you’re told? Play along with him, ’til I get a chance…”

  His voice trailed off, and his watery gaze darted over her shoulder. She began to turn around, only to be stopped when an arm slipped around her waist.

  “God, I missed this smell…”

  The baritone was unfamiliar, and Maddy couldn’t help but stiffen when whoever it was—this Mack maybe?—lowered his head to her neck, inhaling deeply. His hands splayed possessively over her stomach, and even through her voluminous skirts, his unmistakable arousal nudged against her ass.

  “Good evening, Mack.” The Lombardi Maddy knew was gone, replaced by this smiling, acquiescent figure. She had never seen him kowtow to anybody, which could only mean this new arrival was someone of power. The club owner, perhaps, though for some reason, she had always assumed the Rising Sun belonged to Lombardi.

  Mack wasn’t paying any attention to the manager, his nose still buried in her hair. “Next time I have to go away on business, I’m taking you with me,” he murmured. “My bed’s too empty without you in it.”

  There was no doubting his insinuation, but the images it evoked made her skin crawl, and Maddy whirled within his embrace to face the man who seemed to think she belonged to him. He was only a few inches taller than she, and though he looked to be in his mid-thirties, his dark hair was already peppered with a distinguished gray. A cunning intelligence lurked in eyes the same shade of steel, and while he was attractive in a pinched kind of way, there was an aura of danger about him that immediately put her on the defensive.

  His gaze drifted over her face before wandering downward, stopping at her neck. Tilting his head, he appraised the emerald choker with a hint of a smile. “I knew that was one of my better investments,” he said, lifting a hand from her hip to trace the edge of the necklace with his fingertip. Goose bumps erupted where his skin met hers, and she had to fight not to noticeably shiver.

  “It goes with the dress,” Maddy said faintly.

  His eyes returned to hers. “I prefer to believe that you chose to wear it tonight because of kismet.”

  Lombardi chose that moment to clear his throat. “Can I have a word with you in my office, Mack? There’s some business we need to discuss.”

  “Can’t it wait?” He spoke without looking away and she felt like a butterfly pinned to a display. “The joint’s still standing. It can’t be that serious.”

  “Better we get it over with now.”

  Mack sighed. “I’m just never going to get some alone time with you, am I?” Before she could move away, he pulled her close enough to press his thin lips to hers, the kiss expert yet leaving her cold. “Save me a dance,” he said when they parted, then stepped back to allow Lombardi to lead the way to his office.

  Maddy stared at the door for a long moment after she was left alone. This wasn’t good. Though she had no idea why their lives had taken this sudden twist, she was fairly sure it wasn’t going to bode well for Cash. After all, the painting’s entire purpose seemed to be to kill him. The magic holding the place together was obviously trying a new tactic.

  Whirling on her heel, Maddy headed for the dance floor. She needed to find some way to talk to Cash in private. If he saw her with Mack before she had a chance to explain…

  She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep, shuddering breath. It wouldn’t get that far. She wouldn’t let it.

  Kate hadn’t anticipated being separated from Aaron. Maybe it had something to do with the time of the day they had touched the painting. The others had touched it closer to the club’s opening hours, while she and Aaron had entered in the early afternoon. If it hadn’t been her only brother’s life on the line, she would have found the entire enigma of the H’roven a fascinating one to tackle.

  But Cash was in danger, and what was worse, she was expected to take the stage at any moment. Kate had tried to argue with Lombardi when she first found herself in his office, signing a contract as the nightclub’s new torch singer, but the man had been firm, adding zeroes to her agreed-upon price until she finally capitulated. It would give her a bird’s-eye view of the club, she reasoned. It would be impossible to miss spotting Cash or Aaron.

  While she waited to make her entrance, Kate barely noticed the elegantly suited man disappearing into Lombardi’s office. The blonde in white, however, did grab her attention. It was the first time she had seen Madeline Cardinale in person, and Kate decided quickly that the painting had not done her justice. Maddy was as tiny as she had been depicted, but there was undeniable fire in her eyes, a sensual appeal to her fine features that Kate knew her brother would have found irresistible. Whether Maddy deserved Cash was another matter, though; Kate would refrain from passing that judgment until she had a chance to talk to the other woman.

  Then the band was starting up, and the squirrely stage manager was pushing Kate through the door, and all other thought was banished. She had a show to put on. She would find Cash on her first break.

  Seeing Kate take the stage only cemented Cash’s good mood.

  In spite of Gino’s attempts to talk about some Mack character, Cash had tuned him out, choosing instead to relive the feel of Maddy in his arms, Maddy on his lap, Maddy with those gorgeous blue eyes fixed on him when he’d admitted to having deeper feelings for her than just lust. They had been dancing around the subject all day, so to have something out there just as Kate showed up, most likely with the means to get home, meant life was looking far too good to be caught in the gloom of Gino’s warnings.

  He wasn’t even questioning why Aaron was all of a sudden hanging around. He would get the answer for that soon enough.

  So absorbed in watching Maddy glide across the floor in the arms of a man old enough to be her grandfather, he didn’t notice the small man emerging from the back until Gino stiffened at his side. A cursory glance shifted into a more protracted scrutiny as the suited figure strode determinedly toward the front doors, his jaw tight as his eyes locked with Cash’s. Instinct drew Cash straighter. He’d seen too many predators in his day not to recognize one prowling right toward him.

  “Evening, Mack,” Gino blurted as he approached.

  Cash noted the name. So this was the man who had Gino running scared.

  Mack stopped a few feet short of where they stood. This close, Cash noted the height difference between them and realized the other man probably chose his position to lessen that impact. As tempting as it was to crack a joke about it, he held his tongue.

  “I’d like a word wit
h you, Mr. Vinci,” Mack said. Any sign of the tension in his body was absent in his voice.

  Cash shook his head and deliberately looked over the other man’s head to gaze out at the floor. “I’m on the clock here. Sorry.”

  Gino’s elbow in his ribs made Cash wince, but Mack seemed not to notice. “Well, since it’s my clock, I believe you’ll do as I say.” His voice grew even colder. “Out front. Now.”

  Cash barely had time to step out of the way as Mack brushed past him, exiting the club without a glance back. “Wanker,” he muttered, glaring at the closed door.

  “The wanker who signs your paycheck,” Gino clarified. “You better do what he says. You don’t want to piss him off.”

  With a snort, Cash shook his head. “Maybe he should think twice about pissing me off,” he snapped, and then marched toward the door, shoving it open so hard that it slammed into the outside wall with a satisfying bang.

  The evening was already settling into an orange glow as the neon began to twinkle up and down the street, the sun long gone on the horizon. At the curb, Mack stood gazing out at the passing traffic, a pack of cigarettes in his hand, but at the sound of Cash’s exit, he turned back to face the nightclub. His well-manicured fingers played with the gold foil of the wrapper as the two men stared at each other, and after a moment, Mack held out the pack in silent offering.

  “No, thanks,” Cash said with a barely disguised sneer. “Dirty habit.”

  He wasn’t entirely sure what it was about this guy that rubbed him the wrong way, but as he watched Mack light up, Cash had to thrust his hands into his pockets to hide his fists. Likely, it was the condescending attitude, like he deserved some special recognition just for being the boss. When it came to authority figures, Cash had always possessed a rather wide rebellious streak. The fact that this one came with a Napoleon complex only made it worse.

  Cigarette smoke swirled around Mack’s head, dissipating into pale clouds as it floated away, and after another moment of intense scrutiny, he turned his back on Cash again, returning his attention to the cars passing by on the street. “You’ve been very busy since I’ve been away.”