Masters Forever (Masters #3)

by Ginger Voight

  It was probably too late by that point, considering Caz had to help me back to the hotel room. PING, who waited around for Dev to return, snapped our pictures as Caz rushed me through the lobby and towards the elevator. I leaned miserably against the wall as he pressed our floor number.

  He turned back to me, bracing himself against the railing, an arm on either side of me as he studied my face. “Oh, girl. You have got it bad, don’t you?”

  I looked away.

  I was sure after all the forced foreplay that Devlin had orchestrated that I’d have to beat off Caz with a stick once that elevator door opened, but he was positively gentlemanly as he let me in my room. He took my key from my hand, let us in and then practically carried me to my bed, where I landed with a thud. He said nothing as he pulled off my shoes and leaned me against the pillows. He retreated only to fill the ice bucket so I could have cold water by my bed, that way I could stay hydrated. He cooled my brow with a damp washcloth as he sat next to me, fully clothed, and completely proper.

  “Why are you being so nice to me, Caz?” I mumbled.

  He leaned forward. “Because you’re my pussycat, baby. The only one I got.” He punctuated his claim with a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Get some sleep, CC. We got a big day tomorrow.”

  I nodded and watched him leave, before curling into a miserable ball.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  I dozed in and out, fending off minor alcohol poisoning and the certainty that at any point that hotel door would open and Dev would walk right in like he owned the joint.

  He, too, took mercy on me that night. He didn’t show up until he arrived with room service the next morning. He surveyed my greenish complexion with an amused grin. “Hard night?”

  I glared at him as I turned back to crawl into my bed. “Come back at four. I should be human by then.”

  He poured the coffee I didn’t want into a cup, adding my creamers and sugars just the way I liked it. “Come on, darlin.’ We’ve got a big day today.”

  “Fuck off,” I mumbled as I pulled the covers over my head.

  He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled them back down again. “I do believe Caz is a bad influence on you.”

  Again I glared at him. “You have a lot of nerve to say such a thing after you spent the entire night plying me with booze and chocolate and…,” I trailed off because I didn’t need to finish the thought. He knew damned well what he did.

  “Come on, Coralie. Just living out the fantasy in Sin City. Nothing wrong with that, is there?”

  “Why are you doing this to me, Dev? You say you love me and then practically shove me at another man. A man you hate, by the way. What’s your angle this time?”

  He ran his hand up my leg. Even though it was over the covers, my skin still caught fire anyway. “You were right yesterday. We have plenty of time to figure things out. It’s about time you learned that no one will fill that ache inside you but me.”

  I glared at him. “So it’s a test?”

  “More like a lesson. You love him. You want him. But he’ll never be me. Deep inside you know that or else you would have fucked him by now, simply out of spite.”

  I groaned as I covered my eyes. “God, can’t you leave me alone?”

  His voice was soft. “No. And you’d be miserable if I did.”

  I shuddered. Both the angel and the devil on my shoulders suspected he was right. “I’ll be ready at four,” I reiterated pointedly.

  He chuckled as he rose from the bed. “Very well. Sleep while you can. Because you’re going to be up all night.”

  I threw a pillow at his retreating back before I fell back against the mattress with a groan.

  As it turned out, I didn’t have much time to recuperate. Oliver had booked stylist extraordinaire Jorge Navarro, who was in town for the weekend, to show up at my hotel for a complete makeover by three o’clock that afternoon. He and his fashion elves turned my room into magical kingdom of disco music and fragrant incense, where he transformed me into a princess for our masochistic little ball.

  I allowed him to run some color through my dark hair, adding my favorite cobalt blue in colorful chunks mixed among the satiny black. I knew Dad would have a fit, but since I was no longer “officially” an executive, virtually a trend-setting diva in my own right, I decided to take some liberties.

  This eye-catching color brought out my blue eyes even more, so he really amped up the drama with a smoky eye look with sparkling glitter to make me look like a dark and sexy fairy princess in the white dress. With its crystal belt and my brand new choker, I sparkled like a disco ball myself. The only thing I was missing were my crystal studded shoes I had worn to Lucy’s wedding the year before.

  My fairy godmother–or whatever–decided to call in a favor to a showgirl in town that he knew. Thanks to her professional wardrobe, she had access to a lot of spectacular footwear, including the high-heeled, crystal studded pumps she sent over. With that my ensemble was complete, and Jorge’s magical entourage loaded out just a few transformative hours after they arrived. I gave him a big hug before he departed. “Will I turn into a pumpkin if I stay out past midnight?”

  He laughed. “It’s Vegas, baby. You’ll turn into a slot machine. A jackpot on every pull.”

  If only he knew.

  I decided against drinking prior to the event. My stomach hadn’t completely recovered from the night before, so instead I resorted to edibles and my vaporizer. It took the edge off of my nerves without sending me to the toilet to pray to the patron saint of bad decisions. This would have left a terrible stain on my pristine white dress.

  When my date(s) knocked at six-thirty, I was as mellow as I was probably going to get, considering the charade we were about to attend. I took a deep breath as I walked to the door and opened it to Caz and Dev, both of whom looked devastatingly handsome in their tuxedos as they leaned on either side of the door. Each carried a single rose. Caz’s was coral. Dev’s was white.

  Desire. Enthusiasm. And a new start. The messages were loud and clear.

  Each man appraised me in similar fashion, taking in everything from my long, colorful hair to the neckline of my dress, which plunged daringly all the way to my rhinestone waistband. This daring décolletage revealed an impressive amount of cleavage, and the halter design of the dress bared the sinewy muscles of my back. All of which had been dusted liberally with a shimmery, fragrant body powder by Jorge and his magical elves, making my pale skin shimmer like diamonds whenever it caught the light.

  “Wow, pussycat,” Caz beamed with a wide smile. “You look like a million bucks.”

  “Don’t be silly, Caz,” Dev corrected with that intoxicating smirk. “A million is not enough for our Coralie.”

  His use of that particular possessive pronoun set my numb nerves atwitter. I fetched my clutch before I virtually pushed them out into the hallway, where each held out an arm for me to hold onto.

  Unlike the day before, the press wasn’t waiting for us at the hotel lobby. This allowed us to discreetly climb into a waiting limo to take us to Harvey’s. I declined the champagne that Caz was quick to pour. I knew that once we got to the hotel, I’d have to resort to booze in order to schmooze with the likes of Suzanne and Harvey Everhart and all their phony friends. But I couldn’t lose control of my senses this early in the game, particularly if Devlin was sincere in his plan to seduce me later.

  I wanted to keep my head about me, even though every brief glance into those potent eyes was like taking a shot of pure moonshine.

  “So what’s the game plan?” Caz asked as he sat back against the seat.

  “We’re trusting Coralie,” Dev answered. I felt his stare on me even though I didn’t dare look his direction.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this, CC?” Caz asked softly, which reminded me what kind of treacherous waters I was about to navigate. Even Caz Bixby took it seriously.

  I nodded. Facing off against Suzanne, taking my stand and letting her know that she couldn’t in
timidate me wasn’t really the hard part. It was leaving that party with both of these men on my arm, which I knew I had to do in order to let her know the game had changed.

  I had even booked a night at the Harvey, in the celebrated Overture suite, to seal the deal, making sure the stage was set with champagne and roses so there was no question how the room would be used. It was all a ruse, of course. At least that’s what I kept telling myself. But one very intoxicating fact remained: these two men were ready to bring every last fantasy I might have entertained to life. It was up to me to say yes or no.

  Everything I pretended could be real. It was up to me. And knowing me like I did, I totally didn’t trust myself with the decision.

  The whole thing nearly had me crawling into the nearest bottle and not coming out again until we went back to Los Angeles.

  As predicted, PING and all the major media outlets flocked at the entrance of the hotel, which had a red carpet entrance for all the important VIPs who rolled up in their limousines and rented cars to attend Suzanne’s 45th birthday party. When we arrived, we barely registered as a blip on their radar, given all the notable people who had been invited. Thanks to our previous night being hounded and stalked, we were old news now. We were a bit like the screenwriters at a film premiere. No one really knew who we were or cared, especially when actors, singers, television personalities, athletes and politicians rolled in one after the other.

  It allowed me to link my arms in both Dev’s and Caz’s and let them lead the way down the red carpet towards the ballroom where the shindig was being held.

  It was a splash of red everywhere, clearly Suzanne’s favorite color. Kind of like the devil, I thought to myself with a sneer.

  We were met by uniformed staff the minute we crossed over the threshold, all of whom carried silver trays with flutes of champagne. I knew what kind it was before I ever brought the glass to my lips.

  Devlin surveyed the crowd until his eyes found the birthday girl, who wore a full-length red velvet dress that clung to her curves. Rhinestones scattered across the square neckline, which had been dropped to bare both of her shoulders and a good deal of her cleavage. Her blonde hair was pulled into a severe bun, which I couldn’t help but cattily wonder if it served to give her a little bit of a face lift as well. Her skin was stretched so far backwards that it gave her the kind of severe beauty of some evil queen from a fairy tale.

  All she was missing from her ensemble was a coat made from Dalmatians.

  “We should go say hello,” Devlin told us, and we nodded before he led straight to our hostess. Both Dev and Caz held my arms tightly so I couldn’t retreat or withdraw, so I just held my chin high as I approached.

  Suzanne’s blue eyes glittered with unspoken hostility when she saw us, but her smile was picture perfect. “Devlin,” she greeted first, leaning forward to kiss his cheek.

  “Happy birthday, Suzanne,” he offered with his most charming smile. “Though I suspect you haven’t aged one second since the day I met you.”

  “Aren’t you a charmer? Thank you.” Her eyes then met mine. “Coralie, darling. What an unexpected surprise.”

  She kissed my cheek as well, one of those high-society brushes that indicated civility where there was none.

  “I couldn’t miss your birthday,” I smiled.

  “You’re too sweet,” she murmured, though the pointed look in her eye suggested I was anything but.

  Finally she turned to Caz. “Casper. It’s been too long.” She leaned forward to kiss him, and I saw her squeeze his arm with her bony fingers, laden with jewelry. It was a possessive squeeze, a warning squeeze. I could tell by the subtle shift in his face. He wasn’t necessarily afraid of her, but he was wary, like someone handling a live cobra.

  She stepped back to assess our company. “I have to say I’m surprised to see you three here together. Have we all kissed and made up, then?”

  Devlin tugged me closer, and by default tugged Caz closer as well. “You know what they say. The kissing and making up is the best part.” He looked down at me. “Isn’t that right, Coralie?”

  I nodded as I met her gaze. “We all represent Youniquely Cabot in our own ways. It seems silly to let petty differences get in the way of our ultimate goal, doesn’t it?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Absolutely. We’re all adults after all. Please. Enjoy the festivities, and you two naughty boys save me a dance,” she instructed before she moved along to her next set of admirers.

  I didn’t even realize I was trembling until Caz and Dev led me toward the bar, where Suzanne’s newest boy toy, Rhys, expertly mixed drinks for the guests. I withdrew from my dates to approach him on my own.

  “Coralie,” he smiled as he greeted me, and I was impressed that he remembered. “You look lovely,” he said as he inspected me. “Did you ever get that screaming orgasm you wanted?”

  I chuckled. “Not yet.”

  He looked back at my dates, both of whom had opted wisely to hang back. “Looks like you’re in capable hands. Four of them,” he added.

  I shrugged. “What can I say? I book up quickly.”

  He smiled. “I guess I’ll have to move a little quicker next time.” He topped off my glass.

  “Be sure you do,” I winked before I turned back to my dates.

  “What do you plan to do with him?” Dev wanted to know. I just shook my head.

  “I don’t know yet. I figure if nothing else, I can pay for his time and any information he might be willing to share.”

  He frowned. He didn’t like the sound of that at all. “You get a guy like that alone and he’s not going to stop at just talking.”

  “You should know,” I commented.

  He was surly when he answered, “Indeed.”

  “I guess you’re going to have to trust me just a little more.”

  It was my line in the sand and he seemed to know it. He turned to Caz. “Dance with Coralie. I want to keep close to Suzanne.” Off my frown, he said, “I guess we’ll just have to trust each other, won’t we, darlin?’”

  I took Caz’s arm and practically dragged him to the dance floor, where a contemporary dance hit played. “He’s such an asshole sometimes,” I muttered as Caz pulled me closer.

  “You definitely have a type, don’t you, pussycat?” he grinned as he ground himself against me.

  “An obsessive compulsion is more like it,” I muttered. “But Lucy tells me that one day I’ll be able to appreciate the nice guys after a parade of bad boys.”

  He chuckled. “You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. You’ve drawn first blood now. All you need is a full moon and you’ll turn into a beastie like the rest of us.” He turned on some of his best moves to the music, wearing that damnable smirk. I looked away just so I wouldn’t accidentally trip into those teasing amber eyes of his.

  Instead my eyes fell on Devlin, who decided to lead the birthday girl to the dance floor for a dance himself. Just seeing him take Suzanne into his arms was like a stab in the gut.

  “Yeah, I figured that out last October.”

  He followed my line of vision before he sighed. “Does it help if I say I’m sorry?”

  I met his gaze. “Are you?”

  He searched my face. “Sorry I hurt you, yes. Sorry that it meant we’re here, together? Not in the least little bit.”

  I shook my head. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “You set me free, Coralie,” he murmured as he looked around at all the men who now took his place as one of Suzanne’s sex slaves. “I’ll always be grateful for that.”

  “If you really mean that, then you need to do me a favor.” He glanced back at me. “Let this farce end tonight.”

  “What farce is that?”

  “That you suddenly want me or care about me.”

  He ran his hand along my bare back, resting along the curve just above my hips. “What makes you think I’m not sincere?”

  I couldn’t even look at him. “Caz.”

  He let his hand drift lower. �
�I get it. You need to believe deep down that you’re the respectable lady you’ve been groomed to be, one who doesn’t have dirty desires like the rest of us. But if you think a good girl, a sweetheart, someone with morals and ethics and discipline and righteous moral indignation would ever take down someone like Suzanne, you might as well leave right now. You’re out of your league, pussycat.”

  “Thanks,” I gritted.

  “Hey, I’m just telling you the truth. I always tell you the truth. Truth is you aren’t really a pussycat at all. You’re a lioness. A hunter. A queen. That’s who you have to be to get those things you really want, like Dev,” he said as he nodded Dev’s direction, who danced sexily with Suzanne to the seductive beat of the song that was playing. “And like me,” he added with that grin as he held me closer.

  “Caz,” I frowned.

  “Lie if you want to, baby. But you know there’s a part of you that is curious to see where all this goes. That’s what it means to live life on your own your own fucking terms.” He leaned closer. “You gotta learn to say ‘Fuck em.’ Take what you want, and never fucking apologize. Apologies are for the weak. You don’t need permission. You’re Coralie Masters for fuck’s sake.”

  “Cabot,” I corrected.

  He chuckled. “You keep telling yourself that. You’ll always belong to him. Even now, I know you’re simply on loan.” I scoffed, so he went a step further, because he was Caz and that was just what he did. “Otherwise you would have fucked me the first chance you got.”

  “You’re such a cocky son of a bitch,” I gritted. He responded by holding me closer, grinding that legendary package against me.

  “You should know,” he murmured. I braced against him, to put some distance between us, but he wasn’t having it. “Stop fighting it, Coralie. You’re strong enough. You’re brave enough. You just have to shed all that people-pleasing bullshit. That isn’t who you are. Dev and I are proof of that. Admit it. You’re happier here with us than you ever would have been living at Daddy’s house, taking care of everyone else like some self-sacrificing martyr.”