“What the fuck?”
Momentarily taken aback by the swear word coming from Blaise’s beautiful mouth, Greyson’s response was delayed. And the delay gave Blaise another opportunity to walk away again.
“Oh no you don’t.” Greyson caught her arm, tugging her gently to a stop. “You’re not going to walk away until I explain.”
“Take your hand off of me.” Something in the tone of Blaise’s words had Greyson immediately releasing her. “Don’t ever grab me again. Go back to your fiancée, Mr. Steele, and stay out of my life.”
“Let me explain, Blaise, please.”
“I don’t need an explanation. And, I certainly don’t want to hear your excuses.”
She looked at him, and a knife twisted in his belly at the look of distaste and hurt. Then she was off, getting away from him as quickly as she could in her three-inch heels.
“Blaise, please.”
She didn’t slow down. He wanted to reach for her again, but restrained himself. When she pushed through a door, Greyson groaned in absolute frustration, contemplating going in the Ladies Room after her.
“SON OF A BITCH!” Blaise leaned against the door, her attempt to make sure Greyson didn’t follow her in, and to hold herself up. Of course! She thought miserably. Why would this thing with Greyson be any different for her? Blaise Knight was notoriously unlucky when it came to dating. And she wasn’t even dating the guy! At least she found this out before she made an even bigger fool of herself and slept with him.
She untied her mask as she walked to the sink, laying it on the counter with shaking hands. Hearing that woman call Greyson ‘darling’, and seeing the ring, affected Blaise more than she wanted to admit. She thought about that ring for a moment, thinking about how it didn’t look like Greyson’s style. Then, she laughed at herself. Like you know Greyson, she chastised herself. You certainly didn’t know he was fucking engaged!
“Do you always go after other women’s fiancés?”
Goosebumps formed on Blaise’s bare arms from the sheer iciness in Pricilla’s tone.
She caught Pricilla’s furious stare in the reflection of the mirror. Well, hell, if her voice could freeze, her eyes could catch you on fire, Blaise speculated.
“I didn’t go after anyone.”
“I saw you! Don’t lie to me, bitch!”
Blaise felt her temper getting perilously close to snapping. She tried to remember that this woman just found out her husband-to-be was just hitting on another woman. Why women blamed each other instead of the roaming bastard, she’d never know.
“I didn’t go after anyone,” Blaise repeated. “Talk to your fiancé, not me.”
“You don’t tell me what to do!”
“It was a suggestion,” Blaise told her calmly.
“I suggest you stay out of my business, and out of my fiancé’s life. You have no idea who you’re dealing with. I will make your life miserable.”
Blaise turned and gave her a fiery look. “First, you’re already making it a bit miserable, so good for you. Second, don’t ever threaten me. You have no idea who I am.”
With that, Blaise plucked up her mask and stormed out, practically running into Greyson.
“Blaise.”
“Don’t. You want to talk to someone, go talk to your fiancée. She’s in there,” Blaise jerked her thumb towards the bathroom door. “She’s perfect for you. You both possess delusions of grandeur when it comes to your importance in my life.”
Blaise never looked back as she walked out of the hotel, stepped into a waiting cab, and gave directions to the one person she knew could help her.
THE RIDE TO the diner did nothing to calm her down. Blaise was angry and embarrassed. Plus, she had spent a fortune on a dress that she didn’t get to fully utilize. Ignoring the appreciative murmurs and whistles, Blaise made her way through the diner and straight through to the kitchen. She didn’t stop when Ellie gave her a questioning look, going straight to the refrigerator to grab the extra red velvet cake she knew Ellie kept there. She turned, hands full, only to have Ellie snatch the cake from her.
“What are you doing?”
“Ellie, I need that!”
“You are not going to eat a whole cake, Blaise. Especially in that beautiful dress! Sit down and tell me what’s wrong.”
Blaise didn’t sit, opting to pace instead. Quite a feat in three inch heels that she didn’t wear often. “He’s engaged! And, then she threatened me. How dare she threaten me! I didn’t come on to her damn fiancé! He came on to me! Ugh! How dare he come on to me when he’s engaged? Then he has the nerve to tell the cute bartender that I was taken! Of all the…”
“Blaise!” Ellie put the cake on the counter, and stood in front of Blaise, placing her hands on Blaise’s shoulders to stop her pacing. “Stop. Take a breath.” Ellie paused and Blaise drew in a deep breath. “Now, what the hell are you talking about? I thought you were at the Gallo’s charity event.”
“I was! Greyson was there.”
Ellie’s eyebrow rose and she nodded slightly as though ‘Greyson was there’ told the whole story. “I see.”
“No. You don’t. He’s engaged!”
“Say what now?”
“Exactly! Engaged. Ring—God-awful ring—but a ring, tall, skinny blonde…”
“I take it she’s the one who threatened you?”
“Yes! Can you believe that? Why wasn’t she threatening him? I didn’t do anything!”
Ellie guided Blaise to her office. Some things were too private for a kitchen full of staff. She nudged Blaise into the chair, and sat down next to her.
“Now, let’s start from the beginning. You went to the charity event,” Ellie began for Blaise.
“Yes. I got there, spoke briefly to Fiona, and then decided to look at the art that was being auctioned. I’m even more pissed that I didn’t get to finish browsing! I was looking forward to seeing some of Eve’s work.”
“Focus, sweetie.”
“Right.” Blaise sucked in another breath. “Okay, I just started browsing, then poof, there’s Greyson. You were right, by the way, he really loved the dress. Anyway, he said all of his arrogant,” Blaise lowered her voice, imitating a Neanderthal, “’me man, you date me’ shit. He got so close, I thought he was going to kiss me!”
“Okay,” Ellie said when Blaise stopped talking. “And?”
“And, that’s when she walked up all ‘darling, engagement, blah, blah, blah’, thrusting that God-awful ring in my face.”
Ellie’s lips twitched, which made Blaise want to smile. She knew it was the right decision to come here. Though it would be much better if she were stuffing her face with cake.
“And, how did Ms. Blah Blah Blah threaten you?”
“I ran into her in the bathroom. How cliché is that? I was running from Greyson after he ruined my chances with ‘Surfer Boy Bartender’.”
“We’ll come back to ‘Surfer Boy Bartender’. Let’s stick with the threat from tall, skinny and bitchy.”
This time Blaise did laugh. “I really do love you, you know.”
Ellie smiled. “Back at ya, sweetie. Now on with the story. This is the most entertainment I’ve had all night.”
“TS&B was in the bathroom when I went in there to hide. She asked if I always went after other women’s fiancés.”
“Bitch.”
“I know! Ugh. Anyway, I told her she needed to talk to her fiancé. She told me not to tell her what to do.”
“Because we’re in elementary school?”
“Right?! Then she told me that I had no idea who I was dealing with, that if I didn’t stay away from her fiancé, she would make my life miserable.” Blaise snorted with displeasure. “Please. Like I’m afraid of some self-important socialite.”
“I can’t believe she said that to you. Who does that? Besides people in bad gangster movies.”
“Pricilla Chapman does, apparently.”
Ellie’s eyes widened. “Chapman? As in the Chapmans that own hal
f of LA?”
Blaise shrugged. “Don’t know, don’t care.”
“Yes, I can see you’re shaking in your Manolos,” Ellie snickered. “What did you say to her?”
“I told her not to threaten me, that she didn’t know who she was dealing with,” Blaise responded with defiance.
“You go girl!” Ellie laughed. “Wow. So, you had an interesting night. I can’t believe Greyson is engaged. He doesn’t seem like the kind of man that cheats.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think so either. I guess we were both wrong.” Blaise sat back, slouching slightly which wasn’t the best position to be in considering the way she was dressed.
“Did you see him again?”
“Only in passing as I was leaving.”
“You didn’t give him a chance to explain?”
Blaise stared at Ellie. “Explain what? Why he was coming on to me when he had a fiancée?”
Ellie sighed, and shook her head. “I just don’t understand. Blaise, I am usually a great judge of character. You know that. The way Greyson looked at you, how much he wanted to be with you, I just didn’t see this coming.”
Blaise sighed. “It’s me. No luck with the opposite sex.”
Ellie studied her for a moment, then smiled. “I’m sure it’s not you, or your luck. I really think there’s an explanation.”
“You’re supposed to be on my side,” Blaise muttered.
“I am, sweetie. And I’ve seen how Greyson affects you.” Ellie raised her hands in surrender when Blaise glared at her. “What is this about a Surfer Boy Bartender?” Ellie asked out of pure self-preservation.
“He was the cute bartender that was making me a Whiskey Sour and flirting with me when Greyson came up and shut him down.”
“Wow,” Ellie said once again, furrowing her brows.
“I know what you’re thinking.”
“Do you? Tell me, Madame Mind-Reader, what am I thinking?” Ellie smiled.
“You’re thinking again that you couldn’t possibly be so wrong about someone, and there has to be a reasonable explanation,” Blaise responded confidently.
“Well. We should take this on the road! Imagine the money we could make having you read people’s minds.”
Ellie was teasing her, but Blaise knew she was right. And, though she would never admit it out loud, she wished there was a reasonable explanation. Unfortunately, seeing Pricilla and that King Kong sized rock on her finger, Blaise just didn’t believe there was.
“Only if we traveled by RV with a functioning oven. Now feed me cake before I have a complete meltdown.”
“YOU KNOW THIS is illegal, brother.” Cade tapped the keyboard a few more times, then hit Enter.
“I won’t tell if you don’t,” Greyson answered, peering at the screen that began filling with information.
“Just saying, man, you could just wait until the morning…”
“Cade, she ran out of there without giving me a chance to explain. Her shop is closed on Sundays, and I don’t want to wait until Monday to see her. I went to the diner, but Ellie wouldn’t give me her number.”
“Chick code,” Cade grouched.
Greyson spared Cade a glance. “It’s a wonder you’re still single.”
“If you had told me you were going to see Ellie tonight, like a good friend would have, I could be getting me some of that sweet…”
“Don’t finish that sentence, man. For both of our sakes.” Greyson found the information he needed, and jotted it down on a piece of paper he found on Cade’s cluttered desk. “How do you work like this?”
“I’ll have you know that I know where everything is. And, you just used a piece of paper with important info on it.” Cade cleared the screen, and sat back. “What are you going to do when you get there? Beg her?”
“If I have to.” Greyson keyed Blaise’s address and phone number into his phone, handing Cade the piece of paper. He knew what he was doing, getting Blaise’s information illegally, would probably piss her off even more than she already is. But he had to do something.
“Fuck. You’re really hung up on this one, aren’t ya?” Cade flipped the piece of paper back on to his desk, and scratched his head, giving Greyson a look. “Greyson Steele begging a woman. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“You heard what happened, man, but you didn’t see the look on Blaise’s face. She was hurt. So, yeah, if I have to beg for her to listen to me just to take that pain away, I will.”
“All right. Well, good luck, brother. You owe me for this. I’ll take payment in the form of a date with Ellie.”
“You think she’ll listen to me if Blaise doesn’t hear me out or forgive me?” Greyson stopped at the door of Cade’s office, turning to him. “She has a daughter.”
“Blaise?” Cade asked, clearly surprised.
“Ellie.” Greyson laughed as Cade’s eyes grew wide. “A teenager.” With that, Greyson left to hopefully salvage whatever he could with Blaise.
IF GREYSON HAD ever been nervous standing in front of a woman’s door before, he didn’t remember. But here and now, in front of Blaise’s, he could swear his palms were sweaty. I should have brought flowers, he thought. Then immediately rejected the idea. Flowers for the flower shop owner. Stupid idea. Besides, he has seen Blaise’s talent. Flowers from anywhere else would just be inferior. And, it was probably in bad taste to buy from a competitor. Greyson certainly didn’t need more reasons for Blaise to reject him.
Grateful that he had taken the time to change into well-worn jeans and a black t-shirt—may as well be comfortable while begging—he knocked on the door.
The door slid open. “Honey, I told you I was fine and you didn’t have to…”
Greyson was struck dumb by the sight before him. Mere hours before, Blaise was the epitome of grace and class. The gown she wore accentuated everything about Blaise that Greyson found sexy. But now. Damn. Her hair was piled on the top of her head in a messy bun, her face was clean of any cosmetics and she wore a men’s white button up shirt and white fluffy socks. Whether she had on anything under that shirt, Greyson didn’t know, but he ached to find out. To him, Blaise was sexier right at this moment than he had ever seen her.
“Hi.”
“What?” She frowned, and waved a spoon in his direction. He hadn’t noticed the carton of ice cream until then. “What are you doing here? How did you know where I live?”
“I’m here because you wouldn’t listen to me before. I need to explain.”
“You need to go home to your fiancée, Mr. Steele.”
“Goddamn it, Blaise. She’s not my fucking fiancée. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”
Blaise raised an eyebrow, and Greyson wondered if she was aware of just how beautiful she looked right now.
“The ring and the woman say something different,” she shot back. “And, you certainly didn’t deny it at that moment. If you just broke up with her and came here, that’s even lower, Mr. Steele.”
Greyson let out a frustrated growl, and scrubbed his hands over his face. “May I come in?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“No.”
“Blaise.” The tone of his voice was one he used when he wanted to intimidate those around him to do as he demanded. He shouldn’t have been surprised when it didn’t even faze her.
“Do not ‘Blaise’ me. And, don’t you dare use that tone with me. I am not one of your employees, or lackeys or whatever. You have something to say, say it right here.” She leaned against the door jamb, crossing her ankles, and waited. Digging the spoon into the carton, Blaise looked up at him. “And, don’t think I don’t realize you totally skipped over my question of how you found out where I live.”
He watched her wrap her lips around the spoon. Just as he had when he sat at dinner with her a few nights ago, he found watching her eat completely erotic. And, as much as her stubbornness irked him, he couldn’t help but feel an equal—or more—amount of respect for her.
“Fine,” he sighed. If he had to do
this out in the hallway, so be it. “I am not engaged. That’s the most important thing I need you to know.” He held up a hand when she opened her mouth. “If you’re going to make me talk out here, the least you can do is hear me out.”
Her jaw tightened with annoyance, but she nodded before taking another bite of what he could now see was Ben & Jerry’s Coffee, Coffee flavor.
“I’m not engaged,” he repeated. “I’ve never been engaged, and I certainly would never even contemplate marrying Pricilla. She surprised the shit out of me with the ring, as well, which is why I didn’t say anything. It’s my mother’s ring, but I didn’t give it to her. Fuck, I wouldn’t give that hideous thing to anyone.” He took a deep breath. “I was there with Pricilla because my mother asked me to escort her. ‘Keeping up appearances’, she calls it. Padding her fucking portfolio by trying to merge the families is what it really is. I’ve already resigned myself to taking over the family business. I refuse to give her this. Tonight was a mistake. I should never have agreed to it.” He braved a step closer to her. “I never wanted to hurt you, or make you think I’m that kind of bastard.”
SHIT. SHE HAD gone from complete shock—with a touch of embarrassment at her attire—to anger, to resignation, to relief, and now? Now she just felt sad for him.
“What is the family business?”
She could tell she caught him off guard with her question. She caught herself off guard. What she really wanted to know was more about this ‘Pricilla’ person. Or maybe she didn’t.
“What?”
“The family business. You said you have resigned yourself to take over the family business. What is it?”
“Steele Industries.”
Blaise raised her eyebrows. Perhaps she should have figured that out for herself by his last name. But Blaise never put two and two together that Greyson Steele was of the Steeles. “And, that’s not something you want to do?”
“Can we go inside and talk about this?” Greyson asked, running a hand through his hair. It was something Blaise had noticed as impatience and frustration.
Coming Home: An LA Lovers Book Page 9
