“No, it won’t be a problem at all.”
“Hurry the fuck up. We’re late.”
Dante grunts, adjusting his tie as he strides through his condo. “Who gives a fuck? She’s on our dime. She’ll get over it.”
“We’re not a few minutes late, Mr. Universe,” I jab, earning an icy glare. “We’re thirty minutes late, and it’s disrespectful. You know how I feel about shit like that.”
“Fine. I’m ready.”
We walk out the door. He locks it behind us, and I follow him downstairs.
“Why do you primp so much anyway?” I ask as he and I slide into his car.
“I don’t primp.”
“Do too.”
“Whatever. I’ve got a date tonight with Felicity, which means I’m going to need you to Uber it home. That going to be problem?”
I roll my eyes as Dante whips around a corner. “You could’ve mentioned that earlier. I would’ve driven myself.”
“Sorry, bro. Wasn’t thinking.”
“You’re never thinking.”
“Not true. Right now, I’m thinking if we can get in and out of this meeting in a timely fashion, I could have Felicity’s hot little mouth wrapped around my cock in less than an hour. Is that the place?”
I follow his gaze, double checking the address Mom sent me. “That’s it.”
He continues another block or so until he finds a spot to park, and we climb out of the car, making the short walk back to Josalyn’s office.
“Let’s make this quick,” Dante says, smoothing the lapels of his jacket. “I don’t want to make Felicity wait.”
A pang of jealousy rips through me, something I’m not accustomed to. I’ve never been jealous of my brother, much less his relationships with women, but what I wouldn’t give to have a certain sweet little brunette waiting for me when I get home tonight. That perfect body of hers spread out for me, warm mouth waiting to please.
I’ve debated calling her several times, even typed out a few text messages, but every time I do, I remind myself why I shouldn’t. She has me wanting to take risks I’m not sure either of us is ready for. So I’m leaving the ball in her court. If she’s interested, she has my number. And if she doesn’t call, well, I guess I’ll have to come up with a plan B.
Dante opens the door to the office, holding it so I can enter first.
“Dude, did we just walk on to the set of Friends, or what?” he asks, walking in behind me. “Are you sure this is the right place?”
“I’ll be right there,” someone calls from the back.
“No fucking clue. Guess we’re about to find out.”
Mom mentioned that her friend Josalyn was a bit of a free spirit, but I never expected the waiting room of a reputable event planning business to have a teal couch with plush, red chairs and—is that a wiener dog statue?
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” A middle-aged woman walks out of the back, a yoga mat tucked under her arm. “I was trying to teach my co-worker how to meditate.”
“Don’t apologize.” I step toward her with an outreached hand. “Sorry we’re late. We got tied up.”
She shakes my hand and then Dante’s. “I’m Josalyn. It’s so nice to finally meet you. Your mom has told me so many great things.”
“It’s our pleasure—”
“Josalyn,” a sweet, familiar voice interrupts me, and I look over the woman’s shoulder to see Shae walk out of a room in the back. Just like that, my night got a whole lot better. She’s fiddling with a clasp on a pink mat. “I’m pretty sure if I can’t fold the mat up, I shouldn’t be meditating.”
Josalyn clears her throat. “Shae?”
“Yeah?” She looks up and nearly trips over her own feet. Her eyes dart between me and Josalyn before settling on me. “What are you doing here?”
I’m prepared to answer, but Josalyn does it for me.
“These are the clients I was telling you about. Rex and Dante Ambrosi. But I take it you two have already met?”
“We have.” Her cheeks flush, and I wonder what she’s thinking about. Perhaps her tits pressed against the window of my condo or my face between her legs.
“Well, isn’t this an interesting turn of events,” Dante interjects, stepping toward Shae. “We’ve never met, but I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Y-you have?”
“All good things.” Ever the charmer, Dante scoops up her hand and kisses her knuckles. “It’s a pleasure putting a beautiful face to the name.”
She flushes again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The bastard is flirting with her. I’m going to kill him if he touches her again.
“Drop her hand.” My voice is low, menacing, and holds no room for argument. Dante is a smart man and does as I ask.
Jealousy rolls through me in a thick river of need. The need to claim her and tell the whole world, including my asshole brother, that this woman is mine.
I shake off the ridiculous notion.
For now.
Dante chuckles. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
Christ, what are the chances—could it be fate?—that I had this woman in my bed, beneath me, only a few short days ago, and now here she stands, with stunning blue eyes and that gorgeous body of hers fitted in tight jeans and a blouse that offers hints of the cleavage I’ve feasted on.
My mouth waters.
“Hi,” I tell her.
“Hi.” She smiles, coyly.
“How do you two know each other?” Josalyn asks, seemingly oblivious as she motions toward the chairs. “Please have a seat.”
Shae’s lips part, worry flashing behind her eyes.
“We’re friends,” I offer. “Close friends.”
Shae’s eyes widen at my declaration, but a small smile tugs those sweet lips.
Josalyn nods. “Oh, good. That’ll make planning the party that much easier. Won’t it, Shae?”
“Huh?” Shae asks, her eyes darting to her boss. She blinks, and it’s as though I can see the lusty haze lift from her eyes, leaving them a deep, clear blue. “Oh yes, of course.”
“Good. Rex, Dante, I’m sorry I can’t stay, but you’re in good hands with Shae. I’m confident she’ll make this party everything you’re wanting it to be.”
“I have the utmost confidence in Shae. I’m sure it’ll be perfect. Thank you, Josalyn.” I nod as she turns to go.
Dante and I don’t sit until Josalyn is out of the room.
Hands on hips, Shae narrows her eyes. “You planned this, didn’t you?”
“That’s absurd. I had no idea you work here.”
Clearly, she doesn’t believe me.
“If you wanted to see me again, you could’ve just called. You have my number.”
I recline on the crazy teal couch, propping one ankle on my knee and stretching my arm across the back. I want to appear calm and relaxed, though I’m anything but. Her feisty mouth and assumption that I set this up somehow have my cock twitching in my pants.
“I could’ve. You could’ve called as well.”
“This is fantastic,” Dante murmurs, scooting his chair closer. He pats the chair next to his and looks at Shae. “But I’ve got a hot date, so if you don’t mind.”
She drops onto the chair next to him, her gaze holding mine. “Right. Sorry. The party.” She grabs a pad of paper and pen from the table and settles them in her lap. “Tell me what you have in mind.”
Leaning forward, I drop my voice. “We’re not finished.”
She takes a deep breath and nods.
“It’s our parents’ wedding anniversary, and we’d like to throw them a party,” Dante says.
Shae laughs. “Well, I sort of figured that much. But what are you looking to do? Do you have a theme in mind? A certain venue you’d like to use? We need to figure out a color scheme, food, music. There are a ton of different things we can do, but I need to know where you’d like to start.”
“Well…” Dante blinks, looks at me, and I just shrug because what the hell do I
know about throwing a party? Isn’t this what we hired her for?
Men.
I swear that without females, they’d fail at life.
“Listen,” Dante explains. “We love our parents, but we don’t know the first thing about planning a party. All we know is that this party can’t be anything short of perfect, or we’ll never hear the end of it. Oh, and money isn’t an object.”
Rex nods, agreeing with his brother as his phone rings. He digs it out of his pocket and looks at the screen. “I have to take this. Excuse me.”
Putting the phone to his ear, he strides across the room.
In my head, I’m telling myself to look away, to stop staring, but for the life of me I can’t. His body shifts easily beneath his thin cotton shirt, and the blue jeans cup his ass perfectly. I know if I close my eyes, I’ll be able to remember how it felt to dig my nails into the firm flesh.
Once he’s out of sight, I manage to roll my tongue up and shove it back into my mouth. I turn toward Dante.
He’s beaming at me, his eyes wide with amusement, and he looks so much like his brother it’s a little scary. Dante doesn’t have Rex’s height, but he has the same thick shoulders, the same dark brown eyes, and that cocky smile that’s been invading my dreams.
“You and Rex couldn’t deny each other if you wanted to.”
He leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. “I am the cooler, sexier Ambrosi brother. But don’t tell Rex I told you that because it’d just start a fight, and I’d hate to kick his ass in front of his girl, because I’m also the stronger one,” he adds, puffing out his chest.
I imagine if Cami and I had grown up together, I would’ve been the Dante of the relationship, and she would’ve been the Rex. That thought makes me smile.
Refusing to say anything he could use as playful ammunition toward his brother, I decide to switch topics. “So, the party. How about we start with a head count.”
“Screw the party. How about we start with you and my brother.”
“Excuse me?” I stammer.
“I see the way you two look at each other. It’s disgusting, but interesting.”
“Interesting how?”
“I’ve never seen my brother worked up over a woman before, so it must take someone special to hold his attention like that.”
“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should.”
Smiling, I focus on the yellow legal pad. “So, head count. Any idea?” I ask.
“Probably close to one hundred and fifty.”
I hand Dante the tablet. “Why don’t you start making a list of names. I’m going to use the restroom and grab a water.” And collect my thoughts. “Would you like one?”
Dante shakes his head.
By the time I get back, he has a decent list, and I help him round it into something he feels his parents would be happy with. We include close family and friends, as well as some of his father’s colleagues, and by the time we’re finished, we’re sitting at two hundred guests.
“That’s too many.”
Dante starts crossing off names, and after a little while, he nods. “One hundred and twenty. That’s better.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “If you pull this party off without a hitch, we’re going to owe you a big-ass bonus.”
“I’ll take my bonus in the form of romance novels. Preferably eBooks so I can read them on my Kindle.”
“Done! Rex would love to do that.”
I laugh. These two have way too much fun throwing each other under the bus.
Opening the binder, I look at the capacity of different venues, and I’m able to rule out half based on size. Then I rule out another five based on price.
“What’s wrong with those?” Dante points to one. “My buddy owns this one.”
“Well, it’s way too expensive for what you need.”
Dante shakes his head. “Price isn’t an object, Shae.”
“To be honest, I really don’t think you need a venue at all because you’ve already got the perfect one.” To his questioning look I say, “Vault.”
His brows nearly hit his hairline. “Vault? But it’s a club.”
“You see a club; I see possibilities—lights, flowers, white tablecloths. It’s perfect, and once I decorate it, trust me, no one will be able to tell it’s a club. You can save your money on the venue and spend it elsewhere—gorgeous, fresh flowers, a nice jazz band.”
“We’d have to shut down for a night.”
Well, shit. “I didn’t think of that.”
He smiles. “I don’t mind shutting down for a night.”
“You don’t?”
He shakes his head.
“What about Rex? Do you think he’ll mind?” I ask.
“Mind what?” Rex asks, coming across the floor.
I didn’t even hear him walk back in.
I stand, handing him the guest list to look over. “I was just telling Dante that you guys should consider having the party at Vault. It would save money, and it’s the perfect size. Plus, you could open the bar up and bring in your own staff to work it.”
Rex looks at Dante. “I love it. What do you think?”
“I’m good with it. We’d have to shut down for a night, but I’m cool with that if you are.”
“I don’t mind shutting down for a night,” Rex says, his eyes scanning the list. “And this looks good. I can’t think of anyone to add.”
“Perfect.” I take the list, tuck it into a file folder I made for the party, and pull out another piece of paper. “Now let’s talk colors and flowers.”
Dante pushes up from his chair, hands raised in surrender. “This is where I draw the line.”
“I’m with Dante on this one,” Rex adds. “Can we just trust you to make the decisions?”
“You really don’t want any say? You have no preferences? Because I was thinking moss and wildflowers. Maybe belles of Ireland, dogwood, or some cosmos and witch hazel—something soft and simple yet elegant.”
The two brothers stare at me with blank faces, and I roll my eyes.
“Okay, I’ll just go with it. What about food and music?”
Dante shrugs. “Just go with that too.”
“No. You guys have to have some input. What if your mother ends up hating what I choose for dessert? This is her party. I want you both to have a say.”
“When it comes time to make those decisions, I’ll help,” Rex says.
Dante claps his brother on the back. “Way to take one for the team. Now, if this little powwow is over, I have a woman waiting on me. Shae, it was a pleasure. Don’t forget to have all the bills sent to Rex.” He shoots me a mischievous smile and turns to his brother. “You good to catch a ride home?”
Rex nods. “I’m good. Go. Tell Felicity I said hi.”
After flipping the sign to CLOSED, Shae and I walk out, and she turns to lock the door behind us.
“If you wanted to see me again, you could have called instead of seeking me out this way.”
“I didn’t seek you out, and I didn’t call because we both agreed to one night, remember?”
Her smile falters. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“You’ve been thinking about me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
Pressing a hand against the door, I cage her in. “I’ve been thinking about you.”
She swallows thickly, her throat bobbing with the effort. “You have?”
I nod. “I can’t stop. The way you smell. The way you taste. I didn’t even want to take a shower the next day because I could still taste you on my lips.”
“Rex.”
“I wanted to call. I’ve picked up the goddamn phone a hundred times over the last few days, but I didn’t.”
“Why not?”
Removing my arm, I take a step back. “Because I knew if I did this would turn into more, and you’re not looking for more.”
“Right.” She nods as though she’s trying to convince herself.
Shae glances at her watch, a frown tilting her lips. For a split second I get the feeling she’s a little disappointed, but the look quickly passes. “Nah. Just gonna head home.”
Not ready to walk away from her, and still hoping for that third night, I say, “Want to share an Uber?”
A soft breeze floats through the air, tossing her hair around her head, and she tucks the stray strands behind her ear. “It’s too nice to Uber. I think I’m going to walk.”
“That’s a long walk.”
She shrugs. “I need the exercise.”
“I’ll walk you.”
Shae shakes her head. “It’s not necessary.”
“It’s not an option.”
She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and tosses a thumb over her shoulder. “Are you sure it’s not too far out of your way?”
I grin, casting my eyes down before gliding them back up her body. “It’s entirely out of my way. But I’m not letting you walk home alone.”
“Okay then,” she says, smiling back.
Relief courses through me because until this moment, I didn’t realize how badly I wanted to spend time with her, and maybe I need to put myself out there even more, tell her how much I enjoyed the other night.
I take a hesitant step forward, testing the waters to see if she’ll back away.
She doesn’t.
Her sweet smile falters, her eyes casting down but with a finger under her chin, I lift her eyes to mine.
“I should’ve called.”
She tilts her head. “I wish you would’ve. I thought we had something between us.”
“Do we?”
She blinks. “Well, yeah, I think so.”
Good, because I think so too, but I need more. I need to hear her say it.
“You think so?” I ask, lifting a brow. “There’s either something going on or there isn’t, Shae. We’ve moved past the one-night stand. I feel it, and I know you do too.”
Black Page 9
