CHAPTER 18
Daniel was happy that his relationship with Angela returned to normal during the subsequent week, or as least how it had been after Key West. They shared the occasional showing together during the workday, but at night they came together harmoniously in bed. Her responses to him were completely open and unfettered. She was so selfless in the giving of her body that Daniel was beginning to wonder if this was what love felt like.
If so, it scared him. He’d thought he was in love with Mia and look how that ended. And then there’d been Farrah. He wasn’t sure he even knew what love was and if he’d recognize it. Love complicated things, and he led an uncomplicated life.
Or so he thought. Angela had made his life warm and inviting. With her, his life played out in vivid color while before he’d felt as if he lived only in black and white. She may not have thought he paid attention, but he’d seen her feminine touches around the house: fresh flowers in his kitchen, a framed photograph of the two of them in Key West on his shelf and her toothbrush next to his in the bathroom.
He’d never had to share his space with another woman because their presence in his life had always been temporary, but he’d never enjoyed any other woman’s company as much as Angela’s. However, he did have reservations. Would she begin to dream of a happy future with him, with marriage and the proverbial white picket fence? He would hate to shatter her world, but he wasn’t sure that it was in the cards for him. Though he had to admit she was the first woman to make him think along those lines.
He needed to talk to someone about his trepidations and it so happened that Joshua called him to talk about Millionaire Moguls, presenting him with just the outlet.
* * *
A week later, Daniel met Joshua at a waterside open-air bar near Brickell Key. They sat down to enjoy drinks and cigars and to talk strategy.
“I’ve been able to bring a few more members over to our side,” Joshua commented after their drinks were ordered, “but not nearly enough if we want to overthrow Ashton.”
Daniel chuckled. “You act like we’re taking over a monarchy or something.”
Joshua laughed, as well. “I guess that was a bit dramatic, but the Rollinses have been an institution and it won’t be easy ousting the favorite son.”
“There’s going to be fallout, no doubt,” Daniel said, “but as long as we have the majority of members on our side, it stands to reason that we will prevail.”
“You’re sounding very upbeat,” Joshua said. “Considering how helpful the Rollinses have been to you in opening doors to the elite.”
“They may have opened the door to some folks I may not have met initially on my own, but I’ve grown my business with my expertise and business acumen. Speaking of the Rollinses, I saw Ashton recently.”
“Oh yeah? What happened?”
“He knows you’re coming for him.”
Joshua shrugged. “Good. It’s good to know he’s got a little bit of paranoia where I’m concerned.”
“You’re not nervous that he could waylay our plans?”
“No.” Joshua shook his head. “Because I’m right.” At Daniel’s frown, he amended, “We’re right. Millionaire Moguls needs fresh blood, and once everyone hears our new ideas, they’ll believe it, too.”
“Cheers to that.” Daniel held up his scotch and Joshua his beer.
“So, what else is new with you? How’s that pretty agent you brought with you a while back?”
“Angela?”
Joshua grinned. “Of course, Angela. You couldn’t take your eyes off her the entire night.”
Daniel nodded. He hadn’t been able to since, which was his problem. “True. And our relationship has progressed since then.”
“Progressed?” Joshua inquired. “So you’re an item?”
“I wouldn’t call it that,” Daniel stated, “but we have been seeing quite a bit of each other.”
“And that’s making you nervous?” Joshua quickly surmised.
Daniel turned to stare at him. “Is it that obvious?” Did he have commitment-phobe written on his forehead?
Joshua threw back his head and laughed. “Yeah, there’s a little bit of fear on your mug.”
Daniel sat forward in his seat. “I don’t know what it is. I really enjoy her company… It’s just things are moving quickly, too quickly for my liking.”
“How so?”
“We’ve kind of settled into an easy habit of her sleeping over and I like it, but there’s things starting to pop up all over the place. Today, it’s a toothbrush, tomorrow she’ll want a drawer, then a key…”
“Then marriage?” Joshua added, verbalizing Daniel’s fears.
“I don’t want to give her the wrong impression that this is anything other than a good time. I’m starting to feel a bit suffocated.”
“Have you had that conversation with her?”
Daniel nodded. “I thought I had. I mean, we discussed that we were going to keep our relationship on the down low, given that she works for me, so I guess I just assumed that the parameters were understood.”
Joshua snorted. “Make no assumptions where women are concerned, Daniel. You need to be straight up and honest with Angela about your intentions—or lack thereof.”
Daniel was quiet as he mused over that notion before finally speaking. “I don’t know how she’s going to take it. What if she walks away?”
“That’s the million-dollar question, right?” Joshua asked, sipping his drink. “You’re going to have to figure out just how important she is to you and if your independence is worth the risk of losing her.”
Daniel nodded his agreement. Joshua was right. He and Angela needed to discuss where their relationship was headed. He wanted breathing room, but he also didn’t want to lose what they shared. How did he share with Angela how he was feeling without losing her?
* * *
“Can you zip me up?” Angela asked Daniel as he stood admiring her from the doorway of her apartment on Saturday night. She was wearing a black leather minidress with a cutout back while he was dressed in all black. They were on their way out for a night on the town. Daniel had promised her they’d go dancing for some time and was finally making good on that promise. She’d made sure to pack an overnight bag because they would spend the night back at his penthouse.
“Of course.” He rose from his seat and stepped behind her.
Their eyes met in the mirror and the heat in them caused Angela’s heart to speed up. He slowly zipped up the dress, never taking his eyes off her.
“You look great,” he murmured huskily, and bent his head to kiss her shoulder.
She smiled. “Thank you.” She spun around to face him and he circled his arms around her waist. “So are you ready to show me all your moves?”
He pulled her closer to him until she was pressed against his groin. “You know most of my moves, but there are a few I haven’t shown you yet.”
Angela laughed. “You’re a flirt.”
“And you love it.”
Angela bit back a retort. She did love his flirting as much as she loved the man. But she couldn’t say that. If she did, Daniel would run in the other direction. “Let’s go.” She slapped him on the bottom and slid out of his hands before he could retaliate.
Shortly thereafter, they were seated in the VIP area of a popular nightclub as the strobe lights and music pulsed around them. “This place is great,” Angela said very loudly. She wasn’t at all surprised Daniel opted for bottle service in lieu of being in the throng below them on the first floor. The plush leather sofas were certainly pleasant enough.
Angela, however, intended to pull Daniel from his comfort zone and dance with the crowd downstairs. She loved that he treated her like a queen and showed her how much he cared by his actions, but it wouldn’t hurt him
to verbalize them. Dancing would be a way for him to speak to her without saying the words.
“To a great night,” Daniel said once the waitress had returned with a bottle of Cristal and handed them each flutes.
“Cheers.” Angela tapped her flute with his. Daniel leaned back on the sofa while she sat forward and tapped her foot in time to the music as she looked below. She was dying to get out there.
When a particularly good song came on, she couldn’t resist rising to her feet and placing the flute on the cocktail table in front of her. She held out her hand. “Let’s go downstairs and dance.”
Daniel regarded her. “What’s wrong with dancing right here? It’s less noisy and far less crowded.”
“But not nearly as much fun,” she said, giving him a wink. She inclined her head. “Let’s go.”
Reluctantly, Daniel rose to his feet. “All right.” He took her hand and together they went down the stairs.
Once they were in the crowd, Daniel pushed his way through the throng to carve out a small area for them. Then he stepped forward and moved in on her, wrapping his hands around her hips. “That’s better,” he whispered in her ear.
The deep rumble of his throat sent a flood of warmth spreading through Angela’s body. That’s the effect Daniel had on her whenever she was around him. Just the sound of his voice made her want him in some primitive way.
His hands were hot and possessive on her bare back thanks to the dress she wore, but she did her best to match his moves. They swayed together and it was clear Daniel was a great dancer. Angela found herself excited and exhilarated.
There was a wicked glint in her eye when they pulled apart and performed a sexy sashay around each other. “You’re good,” Daniel commented.
“Are you surprised?”
“Not at all. You’re good at everything you set your mind to.”
She whirled around him and worked off a quick set of dance moves until her backside came up to his groin. She moved her body sensuously up and down his body, and when he could take no more, his hands drew her up by her shoulders. “You keep doing that, you’re going to have me take you right here on the dance floor,” he said huskily.
She spun around to face him. “I might like that.”
He chuckled, then grabbed her by the hand and led her off the dance floor. They were walking up the stairs when a stunningly gorgeous woman stopped in front of them. She was wearing a glittery halter top and a skirt that stopped well above her thighs.
“Daniel.”
Angela instantly stiffened at her use of his first name. The woman knew him. Intimately. She could see it by the glare the other woman gave her as she eyed Angela up and down.
“Farrah.”
Who was this woman, Angela wondered, and what did she mean to him?
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your companion?” the woman asked, all pouty red lips, smoky eyes and flawless skin.
Angela disliked her on the spot.
“Farrah, Angela. Angela, this is Farrah.”
Farrah extended her hand, but Angela declined to shake it. She wasn’t going to attempt social graces when it was clear the other woman didn’t like her.
“Well…” Farrah huffed. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again, Daniel.” She glared at Angela before leaving.
Once they were sitting back in VIP, Daniel said, “I’m sorry about that.”
Angela shrugged. “No worries. We both have a past. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I’m going to go freshen up.” In actuality, she needed a breather to settle her nerves. Angela didn’t know what it was, but something about that woman told her she and Daniel had a shared history that went deeper than just a sexual relationship.
There was something in Farrah’s eyes that told Angela she knew something Angela didn’t. Was there a note of pity there?
She got her answer several moments later. She was in the ladies’ room and had just freshened up her lipstick when Farrah entered.
Farrah gave a dry chuckle. “If it isn’t Daniel’s new woman of the week. Or is it a month?” She laughed at her own joke.
Angela didn’t respond and instead pulled out her comb to freshen her look after being on the dance floor. “If you have something to say, you might as well spit it out.”
Farrah took a step backward and regarded her in the mirror. “Well, someone’s pretty sure of herself. That’s surprising considering you’re with Mr. No Commitment himself, Daniel Cobb. I’m sure he’s taking you to nice places, buying you fancy things, but in the end, if you’re looking for more, it’ll never go any further than that.”
Angela spun around to face her. “I know who Daniel is.”
“Do you? Or do you know what he wants you to know?” Farrah responded. “Because I doubt you know the full story.”
“No? Enlighten me, then.” Angela hoped she wouldn’t regret those words.
Farrah laughed. “It’s your funeral,” she replied. “If you don’t know that Daniel hasn’t gotten over his dead girlfriend, his one and only true love, then you’re the one who’s deluded. You will always live in the shadows of the great Mia Landers because no one, including me, can compete against a ghost. But hey, if you think you’re up to the challenge, knock yourself out. Others of us have tried and failed miserably.”
Farrah gave one final toss of her curls and then strode out of the ladies’ room, leaving Angela stunned in her wake and staring at the door.
Who the hell was Mia? And why was she hearing about her from Farrah and not Daniel?
* * *
Daniel didn’t like the look on Angela’s face when she returned. “Everything all right?” He stared at her, trying to assess her mood.
She sighed deeply. “Everything’s fine. I just have a headache is all. Do you mind if we leave and call it an early night?”
He shook his head. “Of course not. C’mon,” he said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I’ll take you home.”
As they walked down the stairs, he caught sight of Farrah perched at a stool near the bar. Daniel didn’t like the triumphant look on her face, as if she’d scored a direct hit. Was she the reason Angela was feigning a headache?
Angela had been perfectly fine before when it had just been the two of them in VIP and then on the dance floor. In fact, she’d been the most saucy he’d ever seen her. The way she’d swayed her curvy behind against his manhood, he’d gotten an instant erection and had been happy to escape back upstairs. But then they’d seen Farrah and something had transpired between the two women. He didn’t know what it was, but he was determined to find out.
The driver came around to pick them up in the town car he’d hired for the night. Daniel helped Angela inside and slid in beside her. She was silent for most of the ride home to his place, resting her head on his shoulder. Once they made it inside the penthouse, Angela immediately went into the bathroom. Meanwhile Daniel went to his wet bar to make himself a drink. He didn’t know what happened between Farrah and Angela.
Daniel walked out on the balcony and looked up at the darkened night sky. Had Farrah said something to upset her? Farrah could certainly be catty when cornered, but Angela was working off a deficit. He’d never mentioned Farrah when they’d briefly discussed past relationships. He just hoped Farrah hadn’t shared his past with Angela. She was the only woman he’d ever opened up to about Mia and she’d used it against him, telling him she wouldn’t be compared to a dead woman. Had she shared that same concern with Angela? Was that why Angela was suddenly so distant?
He had to know. He downed his drink and went inside to find Angela. When he made it to the bedroom, she was already in bed.
A first.
She usually waited up for him.
He frowned, but didn’t say anything. Instead he went over to his side of the bed and began to
undress. Toeing off his shoes, he unbuckled his belt and eased his pants down. His shirt soon followed and he laid them across the end of the bed. When he went to slide in beside her, his mood brightened a bit upon finding her nude underneath the sheets. The fact that she hadn’t put clothes between them told him she was not closed off to him.
“You okay?” he asked, pulling her into his arms. He was happy when she didn’t resist and allowed him to hold her.
She nodded. “Guess the music got the better of me.”
He doubted it was true. He suspected Farrah was the cause of the abrupt end to their evening. What could he do to make it right?
He knew only one way. And so he began to touch her with featherlight caresses and to drop kisses across her lips, cheeks, eyes. She didn’t stop him when he continued his exploration by lashing his tongue across her breasts. He knew she liked it when he grazed his teeth across the soft swells, so he pleased her and himself by tugging one nipple into his mouth and sucking it.
She moaned softly, but didn’t say a word. Instead, she allowed him to kiss and lick her into a sweet torment. First her breasts, then lower to her abdomen, and lower still until his fingers parted the moist folds of her sex. He teased with slow, tantalizing strokes until he felt her muscles tense. He didn’t want her to come yet; he wanted to be inside her when that happened.
Rolling over, he reached for the drawer on his nightstand. After putting on protection, he surged forward and drove himself into her.
“Daniel!” she cried out his name.
“I’ve got you,” Daniel said as he grasped her hips and then kissed her hard, awakening the passionate nature in her.
She responded and began to rock to his rhythm as he moved inside her. He took them both to the pinnacle of ecstasy, marveling in the fact that only Angela made him feel this way, so complete and so whole. They reached a glorious climax and Daniel shouted as bliss pulsed through him. He hugged her close afterward, wanting in that moment to stay joined with her forever.
Harlequin Kimani Romance June 2017 Box Set Page 34
