by Tara Rose
She picked at the sandwich on her plate, eating it bit by bit only because she had to eat something. And she still had to walk home once the pain from this afternoon had numbed to a manageable level. Or whenever the bar closed.
As she glanced at the crowd reflected in the mirror behind the bar, she saw faces she knew from Phoebe’s Playthings. It was impossible not to see them, no matter where on this island she ventured. Roughly seventy percent of the residents worked in the complex. The rest of them ran businesses like this bar, or worked in the mansions on the hilltops where the majority of both the Durante and Raleigh families lived, liked lords of old looking down over their serfs.
“You want another one?” Laila pointed toward her glass of fruit juice.
Alaina nodded. “Why not? I’m not driving.” Or doing anything else, for that matter.
Laila chuckled. “You sure you don’t want just a tiny shot of rum in there?”
“I’m positive. But thanks.”
“You started dinner without me.”
She nearly fell off her stool at the sound of Jeff’s voice. She turned to face him, at a loss for words. His gaze slipped over the half-eaten food on her plate and her nearly-empty glass. When Laila put another one down in front of her, Jeff nodded. “I see.”
Great. Now he thinks I’m sitting here sucking down Hurricanes. What a perfect end to a perfectly shitty day. “No, you don’t. You don’t see it. Not even close.”
Taj slid onto the stool next to Jeff and leaned across his friend. “What don’t we see? Enlighten us.”
Alaina glanced around. The bar was packed, as it always was on a Friday night, but there were far too many Phoebe’s Playthings employees standing within earshot. “Not the place to talk privately.”
“Does this take privacy, then?” Jeff craned his neck. “You’re right. We won’t have that here. That’s for sure. Why don’t you join us at my house? I’ll cook you a real dinner.”
She shook her head slightly, wondering whether Laila had snuck some rum into her drinks tonight after all. There is no fucking way he had just invited her home. “Why aren’t you upset with me?”
“Is there another reason I should be beyond the fact you blew off our date?”
His voice was soft, but she heard it regardless. She stared into his dark eyes, wishing like hell she’d never said anything to him or Taj about Alex’s fuckups. “No. And I am very sorry about that.”
He shrugged. “We found you. Let’s get out of here and talk. You look like you need to.”
That’s an understatement. She paid for her drinks and food, and then nearly fell flat on her face as she slid off the stool. “Fuck.” Now he would think she was drunk for sure.
She caught Taj’s chuckle and shot him what she hoped was a dirty look.
“Sorry.” He held out his arm. “Let me help you so you don’t fall. It’s just that what you said struck me as funny. It was the tone of your voice. As if you were surprised you stumbled.”
“It’s only fruit juice.” She shoved the glass toward him. “Here. Take a sip.”
He did, and then he had the grace to look guilty. “I apologize. I made an assumption.”
How could she stay angry with him after that? “It’s all right. I would have done the same thing.” She took his outstretched arm as a wave of nostalgia washed over her, bringing regret with it. Once upon a time she had a man’s arm to curl her hand around. It was such a simple gesture, but one she missed terribly right now. She did not, however, miss the bullshit that had gone along with having that particular man around.
Taj and Jeff steered her toward a Jeep, and she started to climb in the back, but Jeff stopped her. “Take the front seat. Less chance of vertigo that way. We have to climb the hill to get to my house.”
“Oh. You live up there.”
He slid into the driver’s seat while Taj climbed in the back. “Almost all of us do. Taj’s place is near mine, but my refrigerator is better stocked right now. What are you hungry for? You didn’t eat much of that sandwich.”
“You’re very observant.” She clung to the grip handle above the passenger-side window, which he’d removed. She was grateful for that fact because it would be nice to drive with the wind on her face. The night air was warm and fragrant, and she breathed it in, letting it fill her senses and calm her nerves. He started the climb up one of the many hills that overlooked the complex, and Alaina closed her eyes as she realized who she was with and where they were going. Holy shit.
“What would you like to eat when we get to the top?”
“I’m not picky.” How about you two? How picky are you?
“All right.”
It didn’t take long to reach his house, and as Alaina stepped out of the Jeep and glanced around, she realized how different everything below looked from this point of view. She inhaled again. How long had it been since she’d simply stood outside and done that? Birds and insects sang in the twilight, filling the air with soft song. The flowers and trees filled it with heavenly scents. Even California had never been this lush and serene. This island soothed the senses and conjured up images of hammocks and lazy days, as well as sticky, sultry nights.
She followed them inside Jeff’s house, which reminded her of the straw bungalows they always featured in old movies about the jungle. But the outside wasn’t straw. It was the same brick-and-cedar siding that most of the buildings here were made of, with terra cotta tiles on the roof.
Inside, he’d kept everything light, airy, and open. She loved it on sight, although she thought a touch of color on the walls wouldn’t hurt. But it suited him, and the ambiance put her at ease. Maybe once she ate something she’d tell them the truth about Alex. They had a right to know, especially since she’d stood Jeff up. Alaina bit back a laugh as she followed them to the kitchen. She’d never stood up a guy in her life. It had always been the other way around.
“Wow…” She twirled in a slow circle and tried to take it all in. Stainless steel appliances, a cooktop that boasted six burners, and tiles along the backsplash whose colors reminded her of the sea. The countertops were granite, and the floor was hardwood. “This is amazing.”
He smiled. “Thank you. I enjoy it.”
Taj perched on a stool that overlooked the counter next to the cooktop, and patted the one next to his. “Have a seat. And prepare to be even more amazed by his cooking skills.”
Jeff opened the fridge and began pulling out items. “He’s here all the time mooching off me. Hasn’t cooked for himself in years.”
“It’s true.” Taj winked at her, and she bit back a moan. Good God. These two were even fucking sexier when she looked at them through the eyes of hunger and fruit juice.
She crossed her legs and turned to face him. “Don’t you cook?”
“I can boil water better than anyone I know.”
Alaina laughed. “I’m not much of a cook either, to be honest. I mean I can, but I just don’t enjoy it.”
Jeff placed three swordfish steaks on a cutting board, then reached into a cabinet beneath the cooktop and pulled out a frying pan. “Well, I hope you’ll enjoy this much more than that nasty sandwich. What was that supposed to be?”
“A buffalo burger. It’s healthier than cow meat.”
He shook his head. “Looked more like tanned leather than meat.”
“Tasted like it, too. Laila and Justin should stick to offering the dishes they do best.”
Both men chuckled. She leaned her elbows on the countertop, rested her chin in her hands, and watched Jeff add butter, shallots, and chives to the frying pan. Soon, the pungent aroma had her stomach growling. “Can I help at all? I can toss a salad or something.”
“I got it. Help yourself to something to drink while I cook, but I’m fresh out of fruit juice.”
She smiled and slid off the stool. “That’s okay. I’ve had enough of that tonight.” Opening the fridge, she made a sound of delight when she spotted the Starbucks Vanilla Iced Coffee. She took one out, then
resumed her place on the stool. “Where did you get these?”
“We have them flown in.”
“Oh, man. I really miss Starbucks.”
“We’ve heard that from a lot of people who come here from the mainland. Asa tried to get them to open one on the island, but they didn’t think it would be profitable.”
“Really? Are they insane?”
Taj chuckled. “No. Just practical. They were concerned about not being able to keep their employees up to date on training and all. Too difficult to get on and off this rock.”
She nodded. “I can understand that.” Then she took a large sip of the beverage. “Wow. This is really good. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
She watched Jeff sear the swordfish, wondering if she should just blurt out what had happened with Alex all those years ago, or if they would ask. How does someone confess such a thing? She’d worked with them for eight years, but really didn’t know them well at all.
Taj eyed her carefully, and she found it difficult to maintain eye contact without her thoughts racing toward what he looked like naked. He was so fucking beautiful. They both were.
“Mind if I ask you a question?”
Jeff glanced up from his frying pan for a quick second at the sound of Taj’s voice.
“Not at all,” she said, holding his gaze. “Ask me anything you want. Either of you. I’ll tell you the whole truth.”
Taj raised his brows. “Okay. Cool. What happened between you and Alex Nesfield?”
Alaina put down her coffee drink and shifted her weight on the bench. It was now or never. She’d either lose any chance she’d ever had with one or both of them, or she’d win their sympathy. She only hoped they believed her version over whatever Sallyanne had told them.
Chapter Five
Jeff hadn’t intended to ask her. It was a matter of pride. She’d brushed him off and that still stung, but his heart had thawed a bit when he and Taj had strolled into Lady of The Night and spotted her sitting there, sucking down what at first he’d assumed was a Hurricane. He’d been there often enough to know that Alaina wasn’t a frequent flyer, so obviously this afternoon’s events had upset her a great deal.
“I don’t know what Alex or Sallyanne told you two, but he did not dump me. It was the other way around.”
“Why didn’t you tell us before that you’d had a relationship with him?” Taj’s voice was soft, but Alaina had probably not caught the tone of annoyance in it like Jeff had. Neither he nor Taj were happy about the fact that Alaina had failed to mention that over the years. It didn’t change what Alex had done, but it made him wonder about all the times she’d complained about him. Would she have pursued it so diligently if she hadn’t known Alex intimately?
“I didn’t think it was relevant. He had his job to do and I had mine. When he first came here, I confronted him. He assured me he was over what had happened between us and that he’d never mention it to anyone.”
“So what actually happened?”
“It’s an ugly story.”
“Tell us anyway.”
Jeff turned the steaks over, and then he added olive oil, crushed garlic, and just a touch of lemon to the mixture. He took out the ingredients for a salad, and set about tossing it while the steaks cooked and he waited for Alaina to continue.
“I dated him as an undergrad. I was in love, and I thought he was, too. He took my virginity, and we had a decent sex life. One day I let him take nude pictures of me. When he wanted to add another woman to the mix, just to see what it was like, I told him I wasn’t sure I could handle that.”
She held up her hands. “Don’t misunderstand me. I have nothing against any of that, but it does need to be consensual. He kept pushing, and the more he pushed, the more I realized that Alex and I had very different ideas of what a committed relationship entailed. He was in it for the thrill. I was in it for a long-term commitment.”
Jeff placed the salad on the counter and returned to the steaks.
“So you dumped him.”
She shook her head. “No. That wasn’t why I broke up with him. He got pissed off one day when I told him that if we were going to explore a poly relationship, it had to be when and if I was comfortable with it, and not because he badgered me every damn day about doing so.”
“Would you do that?”
She stared at Taj for a second before answering, but Jeff couldn’t interpret the expression on her face. “Honestly? Probably not with another woman. I’m straight. But two guys? Yes.”
Jeff actually heard Taj swallow, and he bit back a grin. He and Taj had fantasized about sharing a woman in and out of bed so many times now that most days Jeff forgot that no one else knew their secret desire. He busied himself with the food and tried to keep his hands from shaking while images of him and Taj kissing Alaina’s naked body coursed through his mind.
He had to get a grip. She was here for dinner. She hadn’t said or done anything that should lead either of them to believe she expected or wanted anything else tonight.
* * * *
Alaina could barely take a full breath as images of fucking both Jeff and Taj raced through her mind. Her pussy was soaked and her clit throbbed. Holy hell.
What the fuck had she been talking about?
Oh. Right. Alex.
She drained the bottle of iced coffee. “Could I have one more, please?”
Taj jumped off the stool. “Absolutely.” Once he’d retrieved it and handed it to her, she forced her gaze to stay on his face. If she glanced at his crotch and saw a bulge, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep her hands to herself.
After she’d opened it and taken a sip, she took a couple of deep breaths before continuing with this story. She could do this. Once she got it all out, she’d feel better. At least they’d know the truth. Whether they chose to believe her version of it or Sallyanne’s wasn’t something she could control, but she hoped like hell they chose to believe her.
“Okay. I wasn’t finished telling you two about Alex. I didn’t break up with him because he wouldn’t stop asking me to fuck another woman with him. Remember those pictures I was stupid enough to let him take? He e-mailed them to several friends. He claimed he was drunk and didn’t remember doing it, but the accompanying tale of what else we’d done that night, that he’d sent along with the pictures, was perfectly coherent. He’d even used correct grammar and punctuation.”
Jeff looked absolutely mortified. “I am so sorry he did that to you.”
“What a fucking asshole,” said Taj. “To break a trust like that is unforgivable. We had no idea he’d put you through something like that.”
“No one did. I’ve never told that story to anyone. I wonder if Sallyanne knows? I doubt it. Maybe we should tell her?”
Taj exchanged a guilt-filled glance with Jeff, and then he cut his gaze back toward her. “I have to tell you this. I was pretty upset earlier this afternoon. I felt like you’d played us. I know the guy was a fuckup, but after hearing the story from Sallyanne that he’d dumped you and you were still bitter about it, I thought there was at least some truth to it. I’m sorry we misjudged you.”
Jeff placed the steaks on plates. “I am, too. We should have asked you right away whether what he’d told Sallyanne was true.”
She could have kissed them both. It was too good to be true. They honestly believed her. It was over. She had nothing more to fear from Sallyanne. But there were still a few unanswered questions from earlier. “How did all of you come to be in the hallway outside my office at the same time? I assume it has something to do with the bullshit story Alex told Sallyanne?”
“She came to our offices right after Alex was fired,” said Taj. “He called her and told her what had happened. That’s when she told us what Alex had said about his past relationship with you. And then Sallyanne called Tim and Asa, demanding that they confront you about it.”
Alaina took a deep breath. So much for things being over. That was a worse scenario tha
n she’d imagined.
“We followed her to her office to try and calm her down, and when Tim and Asa showed up, the conversation moved into the hallway after Asa said he didn’t give a shit who had done what with whom. He said the bottom line was that Alex had fucked up more than once, and he hadn’t been treated unfairly.”
“I see. I imagine that wasn’t the reaction Sallyanne had been hoping for from Mr. Durante.”
Jeff handed them each a plate, and then Taj slid off his stool. She followed them out onto the back deck, which overlooking a stunning view of the valley below.
“Not even close,” said Jeff. “She wanted you fired.”
Alaina took her seat and stared at Jeff. “But why? I did nothing wrong.”
“She said you should have told everyone that you and Alex had a past together.”
She stared from one man to the other. “Do you two agree with her?”
“Let’s just say there were a few times we wish we’d known.”
Taj passed her the salad bowl. “But it’s over now. And whether you told us or not doesn’t change what Alex did. Or rather, what he didn’t do. He was a fuckup.”
“I’m sorry I never told you. I should have. I realize that now. But it wouldn’t have changed anything. Alex didn’t do his job.”
Taj waved a hand. “You’re right. It’s water under the bridge. As far as I’m concerned, it’s ancient history now. And after hearing what the asshole did to you, I only wish we’d have fired him sooner.”
“I agree,” said Jeff. “It’s over and done with.”
“Thank you. Both of you. That’s what really matters, you know? That the company keeps its customers and orders go out correctly and promptly.”
Jeff rose. “Absolutely. I’m getting something to drink. Do either of you want anything?”
“I’ll take that beer you promised me two hours ago.” Taj winked at her, and she smiled back.
“Alaina? Anything else to drink?”
“I’m okay for now. Thanks.” Once Jeff returned, she watched them eat for a few seconds. “How long have you two been such good friends?”
