Killer Romances
Page 155
Julie melted back in with the crowd. The bright lights and warm bodies had muffled her thinking, steering her off course from her original plan. But playtime was over.
It was definitely time to refocus and get down to some serious business.
Chapter 3
Damon strode along the back of the bar where clusters of patrons hid in the shadowed corners, lounging on overstuffed furniture. All he wanted was to get to Elvis’ office, collect his check and get out of the club without groupies hanging on his arms. He just wasn’t in the mood for empty sex with some fan girl tonight.
The evening’s sets had been loud and raucous, no doubt successful in the eyes of the owner, but they took their toll on Damon and he had no desire to expend more energy continuing the charade. Elvis was one of the few people who knew the real Damon Corey and would understand. It had been Elvis who’d convinced him to move to Maine and take the gig at the radio station. Of course neither of them could have foreseen the meteoric rise Demon Jones would have in the small town. And now that the station was paying him bonuses to do extra public appearances, it was important to keep the Demon’s rep intact. He understood that. Damon didn’t like it, but he knew he had to play the game or risk losing his job. It wouldn’t be the first time Elvis had covered for him and made the public believe that Demon Jones had pulled his usual playboy routine and headed out the back door with a woman on each arm.
He stopped short when he realized the door to the back offices of the club was blocked. A raven-haired beauty stared down the bouncer guarding the entrance from unauthorized customers. The woman stood defiantly with her hands on her hips. Her breasts pushed forward, brushing the guy’s barrel chest.
“Well, I guess I just don’t understand. You’ve let all kinds of people go through that door behind you. I’ve seen them coming and going. Why not me?”
He recognized the feisty woman. Twenty minutes ago, she’d acted like she didn’t understand what was going on when the dance floor spotlight flooded over her. It hadn’t taken much coaxing from the crowd to get her to join the dance competition. Damon had seen lots of women appear all innocent until they were nearly naked in front of the crowd. Not this one. He’d watched her ride her partner’s thigh, her body swaying sensually to the music, her lids hanging heavy with desire. He was sure she’d be like all the rest, slithering out of her clothes and satisfying herself in public. But she hadn’t. She’d done some kind of slink and roll and extricated herself quite gracefully from the writhing bodies on the dance floor, then disappeared.
She’d definitely caught his attention. Damon’s body reacted to the memory. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t too tired to enjoy a drink or two with a lively number like her.
“As I told you, only members can go through, or guests on the list.” The bouncer looked down his crooked nose at her, the strobe lights reflecting off his bald head. He pounded his stubby finger on his clipboard. “Ma’am, if you’re not on the list, you’re not going in.”
“Ma’am? Do I look like a ma’am to you?” she asked, poking the big man in the sternum.
Damon bit back a laugh. There weren’t many who would stand up to this particular bouncer. Just the size of his tattooed forearms was enough to intimidate most patrons of Starry Knights. She seemed unfazed by his size and gruff scowl. Maybe he could save the poor schlep blocking the door, give the woman access to the back rooms and find if she was interested in a little something more.
He didn’t feel quite so tired anymore.
“Hey, man,” Damon said to the bouncer as he stepped out of the shadows, getting a closer look at the sexy brunette. “How’s it going?”
“Hey, Demon. It’s going just fine. Nothing I can’t handle.” He inflated his chest and stepped between Damon and the woman. “You going up to see Elvis?” The man reached for the door handle behind him.
“Yeah, and I’d like to take the lady with me.”
“This one?” The bouncer’s face wrinkled in confusion.
“Yeah, she probably didn’t mention she was waiting for me.” He took the woman by the arm and pulled her around the guy’s sizable bulk. “I guess we got our signals crossed, babe.” He leaned in, stealing a surprised kiss. “I wanted you to wait by the bar, not the door.” He winked at her.
She flipped her hair and batted her lashes. “I just can’t keep anything straight.”
Damon smiled as the woman sent the bouncer a smug look and filled her lungs, no doubt to tell the guy exactly where he could go. Not wanting to referee another confrontation, Damon hustled her through the door the bouncer reluctantly held open for them.
“Thanks for helping me through door number one,” the woman said, batting her lashes and skillfully slipping her arm from his grasp before the door had completely closed.
“You’re welcome…” He let the last word hang, hoping she’d offer her name.
The muted light of the wall lamps mounted in the paneled hall seemed bright after the smoky haze of the bar. Color rose in her cheeks, her breath coming in sexy little pants. Nervous or excited? He couldn’t be sure
The door clicked shut, muffling the loud music. Only the pulsing beat of the percussion sections came through the insulated walls. Her eyes flicked from him to the door and fear snapped across her features before she schooled them.
“Well, it looks like it’s just the two of us. Alone,” she said quietly.
He was sure she hadn’t intended him to see her swallowing her fear before leaning into him and pressing the soft roundness of her breast against his arm. Her hip rubbed provocatively along his thigh. The woman didn’t seem to know which persona she wanted to wear: innocent victim or erotic seductress.
He chose the vamp. Perhaps he was just projecting, but the woman clinging to him like a cat in heat currently seemed to be looking for a plaything. He guided her down the hall. “Alone indeed. I’m Demon Jones and you are…”
“Jul…” She looked up at him through long lashes, her cheeks pinking. “Just Jewel.”
“Do you come to Starry Knights often?”
“No, this is my first time here,” she said, wrapping her hand around his biceps, her tiny steps quickening to keep pace with his lanky strides. “Starry Knights is an interesting place.”
“Well, Just Jewel,” Damon smiled and covered her hand with his, “I need to talk with the owner. But when my business is over, perhaps we could have a little private party of our own?”
“The owner? You mean Elvis Castonguay?” Jewel pulled him to a stop in the empty hall, excitement sparking in her green eyes. “You know him?”
“Yeah, we’re good friends. Why?”
“I was just hoping to talk with him, that’s all.” She shuffled her booted foot over the carpet.
The woman flitted back to chaste innocence. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Though either side of her could be fun in bed, Damon wasn’t sure he wanted to tangle with her split personalities. The dominatrix-style wig was cute on her, but it didn’t fit the heart-shaped face or the childlike green eyes staring up at him.
“Elvis knows a friend of mine who was a regular here at Starry Knights,” she said. “I just wondered what he can tell me about him.”
Damon steered her toward the elevator doors. Sliding the card key from his back pocket into the control panel on the wall, he heard the car descend with his falling libido.
A male friend? More likely a boyfriend. Damon definitely didn’t want to become entangled in that headache. Well, that decided it. He’d take her up to Elvis, dump her at the office and head out the back door into the private garage. The Demon’s reputation as a lady’s man would remain untarnished since only Elvis would know he bailed on the woman and kept himself out of someone else’s problems.
When the doors hissed open, he motioned for her to enter the plush elevator. “Shall we?”
* * * *
Julie wasn’t sure what she was thinking. Evidently, she wasn’t.
Her over-stimulated body seemed to have been call
ing the shots since Demon had stepped into her argument with muscle-boy. Her head still buzzed from the hazy, blue smoke and the heat generated from so many bodies. And now Demon Jones stood next to her, his presence sucking all the air from the elevator, making it hard for her to fill her lungs.
Keeping her eyes facing the door, Julie checked Demon out in her peripheral vision. He was even better looking close-up. A man like him invited a woman’s fantasies to run wild. She’d like to take off his dark glasses and peer into those eyes, watch them cloud with desire while her hands slid over the sinewy muscles of his chest. Julie had felt the heat and power of him in their brief contact in the hall and had tried to ignore her body’s reaction to his proximity. But when he’d flashed that lazy smile of his, all she could think about was sinking her teeth into his pouty bottom lip.
The wig swished as she shook the thoughts from her head. Where the hell had her common sense gone? They were headed to a private party. Julie knew what he meant when he said it, and yet she’d still followed him into the elevator. Her nipples grew taut, straining pleasantly against the leather of her corset. Her stomach dropped even as the elevator rose. She shifted the weight on her feet, trying to ease the heaviness gathering between her thighs. She’d never had anything remotely close to a one-night stand, but the thought of doing that now intrigued her. Isn’t that how she’d hoped this night would end? But the real question still plagued her—could she actually go through with it?
The doors opened to an office bathed in a soft light emanating from the glass shelves lining the wall on her left. A man she assumed was Elvis Castonguay stood with his back to them. His wide shoulders and narrow waist were silhouetted in the lights pulsing through the line of windows filling the wall on her right. She could feel the throbbing beat of the music more than hear its melody. No doubt he was surveying his kingdom below.
Elvis turned to them. “Demon.” His long legs brought him to them in a few strides. “Another wonderful show as always.” He pumped Demon’s hand. His appraising gaze swept the length of Julie, heating her skin as if he’d touched her. “And who is this ravishing beauty?”
“Elvis, Jewel. Jewel, Elvis Castonguay.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Castonguay,” she said.
“Please, call me Elvis. And the pleasure is all mine, Jewel.” He took the hand she offered, gently kissing her knuckles. “May I get either of you something to drink?”
“I’d like an iced tea,” Julie said, feeling the heat of the room surround her.
“Long Island?” Elvis asked casually.
“No, I’m from Delmont, right here in Maine. Why does everyone keep asking me that?” She shot a glance from one man to the other.
“She is delightful, that one.” Elvis chuckled and waved his long fingers elegantly over his shoulder as he walked away. “Anything for you, Demon?” Lifting the phone on the corner of his desk, Elvis’ hand poised over the buttons.
“No, I’m not staying. I just brought Jewel to meet you.”
Elvis raised an eyebrow. “It’s barely past midnight, my friend. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to enjoy the company of one of those blonde beauties you displayed so nicely on the platform? As always, you know you have a standing offer of my business.”
“Elvis.” Demon let out a heavy sigh, “I appreciate your hospitality, but it was a long set. I think I’ll just call it a night. I’ve still got a long ride home.”
“Such a shame.” Elvis clucked his tongue and dialed the phone. “I guess Jewel and I will enjoy a drink together.”
As Elvis talked on the phone, Demon turned to her. “Jewel, it’s really none of my business what the hell you do…” His fingers raked through his hair as he blew out a breath. “But you do understand that I’m leaving you alone with Elvis.”
“I’m a grown woman. I came here to meet Mr. Castonguay. You’ve introduced me. Now I’m going to enjoy an iced tea and a chat.” The words came out much more relaxed than she felt.
“No, it’s a Long Island iced tea. From your innocent reaction I gather you’ve never heard of it. Or is that just playacting as well like…” His hand swept the length of the corset. “Like the rest of this?”
Fear knotted cold in her gut. Perhaps she was in a little over her head. The man had seen right through her ruse and now she was stuck. But damn, she needed to find out what Elvis knew about Jason. She lifted her chin and threw back her shoulders, hoping to exude a confidence she didn’t quite feel. “I assure you I am not playacting. I have no idea what a Long Island iced tea is, but if that’s the iced tea they serve here, I think I’d like the recipe.”
“You had one of those?”
“Two. And now I’m about to have a third.”
“And I can only assume your designated driver is downstairs still enjoying the music?”
“No, I came here alone. And I’ll be driving home alone as soon as I have a drink with Elvis and talk with him about my friend. I assure you I haven’t been drinking. I don’t need anyone to drive me home.” She brushed her hands down her skirt gathering her dignity. “But like you said, it really isn’t any of your business. I appreciate you introducing me to Elvis, but I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
He grabbed her elbow, pulling her away from Elvis’ desk. “Please tell me you’re not here alone.” He ripped the sunglasses off his face, his nose only an inch from hers. “Are you just begging for trouble? A beautiful woman alone in Starry Knights? Does anyone know you’re here?”
Julie pulled her arm from his grasp, comprehension dawning in her thick skull. “I repeat, that’s none of your business.” His eyes were dark pools holding her captive. He stared at her with, what was that exactly—concern or hunger? At the moment she wasn’t sure which one she preferred.
“Listen, Jewel, you made it my business when you agreed to accompany me up to this little soiree.” Demon spoke the words evenly, but they carried an undercurrent of anger. “If you’re intent on having a Long Island iced tea, which by the way contains equal parts gin, rum, vodka, tequila and triple sec with a splash of cola, then it would be ungentlemanly of me not to insist on taking your car keys and spending the night with me.” His mouth curved in a smug smile as he held out his hand. “It would be irresponsible of me to let you drive home intoxicated.”
Julie stared at him, trying to wrap her head around what he’d just said. No wonder she was finding it hard to think straight. She had been well on her way to getting hammered. How foolish of her. She tried to smile at him, but her lips merely quivered with nerves. “I guess I’d prefer not to have another then.”
He dropped his hand and moved back, giving her room to breathe.
“Well, since you seem to be unwilling to give up your keys, my only question to you is,” he quirked an eyebrow, making him look even more arrogant than he was acting, “would you prefer coffee or cola to sober you up?”
“Either is fine. Thank you, Mr. Jones.”
Folding the sunglasses, Demon tucked the earpiece into the pocket of his shirt so they hung over the black material. He turned back toward the man at the desk. “Elvis, I’ve had a change of plans. I’ll take my usual, and the lady will have a diet cola.”
* * * *
Damon sat on the leather couch, only half listening to Jewel’s conversation with Elvis. He wasn’t sure why he was feeling so protective and it was pissing him off. How she got here and who she left with was none of his damn business. If the woman seated next to him wanted to spend the night with a man, more power to her. It’s what he’d intended when he brought her up here.
But something about her just didn’t sit right.
With her split personalities of erotic vixen and naïve virgin, he wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. One of those personalities didn’t fit and he was pretty sure the woman didn’t have a clue what she’d walked into. He still wasn’t sure if the wig was meant to disguise or aide in her playacting. At this point, it seemed neither did she.
Well, as Neanderthal as it
sounded, he wasn’t about to leave her alone. He was fairly certain Elvis wouldn’t use her for his own gain, but Damon wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened to her. He intended to babysit Jewel until she was safely locked in her car and headed away from here.
Elvis sat across from them, sipping from a champagne flute. He’d chosen some bright orange button down shirt to go with his trademark tan pants, creased sharp as knives. Though he had a casual air with his loafers without socks, his long hair was pulled back in a ponytail which meant he’d been doing some serious business. Damon really didn’t want to know which one of his many illegal ventures the man had been working this night.
“Why do you ask about Jason McCarty?” Elvis asked.
“We went to school together. Our families are quite close.” Jewel reached in her purse, pulled out a newspaper clipping and handed it to Elvis. “They quoted you in the paper. It sounds like you knew him.”
“School chums, hmm?” Elvis’ eyes narrowed and he studied the woman next to him. “He actually mentioned being friends with some Tilling sisters. Did you go to school with them?”
“Yes, I’m Julie Tilling.” The enthusiasm drained from her face. The woman’s head swiveled, panic shooting through the doe eyes staring at Damon. “I mean…” She turned back to Elvis. “What I mean is…well, Demon misunderstood when I introduced myself.” She let out a nervous giggle, her hands waving in the air as if to clear away the confusion. “My sisters call me Jules, short for Julie, not Jew-wels, like you wear.” Even in this light, Damon could see her blush. “Anyway, why do you ask?”
Elvis stood abruptly, striding over to the desk. “No reason, I, uh…”
This was odd. Damon had never known Elvis to stumble for words.
Julie rushed over to the desk. “Please, Elvis, if you know anything, anything at all, Jason was my friend. The Delmont police are finished with their investigation. They’ve officially ruled Jason’s death a suicide.” She stopped and looked down at her hands, obviously trying to control her emotions. “I just don’t believe he killed himself. I’d like to find out what really happened.”