Ruffles & Beaus

by Carina Adams

  “That might not be a bad idea, for liability reasons.”

  I hated the thought. Part of the appeal to private parties was the mystery involved. We provided security to ensure nothing happened that would require police to question guests. “It would be bad for business.” I pointed at the envelope again. “Any red flags?”

  “No. If you have any questions once you read it over, the investigator is expecting your call.”

  Soiree had his PI run background checks on all potential employees, so it hadn’t been an unusual request to run another. I’d asked them to go deeper this round, just because I needed to know everything there was; the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’d figure out what to do with it later.

  He reached into his bag again and pulled out another file. This one he handed directly to me. “Articles of Incorporation, annual reports, tax reports, and financial statements for the last five years. Current payables and receivables, contracts, and employee information.”

  I opened this one and skimmed through it.

  “It’s a good business decision. It won’t be easy.”

  “Do it.”

  He smiled and pushed himself up. “With pleasure.”

  As Cady finished up her last routine, with a giggle, double bump, and a grind, I sighed with relief. From the moment she’d taken the stage, I’d been on high alert. We had a multi-aged guest list—a surprise fiftieth birthday party with both friends and family of the guest of honor—ranging from eighteen to eighty. Older crowds usually put me at ease, but now every man over the age of forty made me suspicious.

  “What’s going on with you?” Reid asked as he appeared at my side.

  “I’m working,” I snapped as I scanned the room one more time.

  I’d always preferred suite parties to other locations. They had a tendency to get a little wild, because the guests drank more than usual since they could walk back to their hotel rooms at the end of the night. However, hotels had their own security that would back us up if needed. And it was easier get the girls out if we had problems.

  “It’s a bunch of grandpas. What do you think is gonna happen?”

  “They’re old. Not dead.”

  Cady’s song finally ended. Since it was her last dance of the night, she walked out into the crowd and started flirting her way around the room. I wanted to wrap her in the robe we used between performances, usher her to the dressing room, and make her put on something more than the barely-there lace teddy she wore.

  When one of the guests pulled her down onto his lap, my eyes narrowed on them. It wasn’t against the rules per se, and we only intervened if our dancer signaled for help, but the guest was a solid thirty-years older than Cady, and it made me uncomfortable.

  She kissed him on the cheek playfully and attempted to stand, ready to move on to the next guest. His arms tightened around her, preventing her escape. I cracked my jaw, pissed.

  I elbowed Reid and lifted my chin toward her. “I might need your help. I’m giving it a minute before I kick his ass out.”

  He glanced at me and then back to his girlfriend. “No. She’s got it.”

  “It doesn’t look like she has it,” I growled as she attempted to free herself once more.

  “She hasn’t called for help,” Reid pointed out. “When Ruffles needs help, she asks for it.”

  His answer irritated me so I took a step in her direction. His hand shot out to block me. “Let her handle him. She needs to know she can.”

  Bullshit. She didn’t need to handle anything. That way my job.

  The opening notes of Violet’s last song started and Reid moved away, toward the back of the large room, to take his spot. I waited a few seconds, but when Cady still hadn’t moved from the guest’s lap, I made my way to them.

  Cady was shaking her head and laughing as he whispered in her ear, but anyone who knew her could see it was fake. She was in her head, trying to figure out her next move. She looked up and I caught her attention as I stepped closer.

  She tried to push his hands off her lap once more, but he bounced his legs and jostled her sideways. When he leaned his head down and tried to kiss her neck, I saw red. I was on him before he knew what happened. I yanked her out of his arms and set her behind me, then leaned down into his face.

  His hands went up in immediate defense. “We’re just having a little fun,” he yelled over the music.

  “Fun’s over,” I snarled back.

  “We paid for—,”

  I reached down and fisted a handful of his shirt, yanking it tight as I pulled him forward. If he finished that sentence, I’d knock his ass out. My dancers were not prostitutes.

  “A private burlesque party,” I growled. “That’s what you got. You don’t touch my girls.”

  I let him go and he dropped back into his chair. The few men in neighboring chairs who were paying attention to us—instead of Violet—stayed quiet. It was a wise choice.

  I turned around to get Cady. She was gone. She’d made her way to the other side of the room and had started to mingle once again. That was the last straw. I was going to wring her neck.

  I charged toward Reid. “You got this?”

  He smirked. “Yeah. I’ve got my eyes on the geriatric ward.” Then he frowned. “You leaving?”

  I ignored him and strode across the room toward Cady. She was talking with a younger guest, but I was too angry to change my mind. I forced a smile and put my hand on her lower back. She tensed as I leaned in toward her ear.

  “Time to go.”

  “I’m working,” she said loudly over the music with a small angry smile.

  “No. You were working. You’re done.” She didn’t move so I gave her a little nudge. “Now. Or I will carry you out of here, kicking and screaming.”

  She knew it wasn’t an idle threat. Her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed dangerously on me. She turned back to the guest, gave him a sweet smile, and then stomped toward the closet at the back of the room. I followed her, hot on her heals.

  Before she could make it inside, my fingers circled around her arm and I moved into the room with her. The door hadn’t closed before she yanked away from me and shoved me.

  “What in the hell is your problem?”

  “Mine?” I roared. “He had hands on you. He’s lucky I didn’t beat his ass.”

  “Are you listening to yourself?” She yelled back. “The man was like fifty.”

  “I don’t give a shit how old he is. He doesn’t get to touch you.”

  “That’s part of the job! That’s what I do.”

  I didn’t know if I wanted to shake her or kiss her senseless. I did neither. “No, this isn’t some back alley strip club where he gets a lap dance with a happy ending.”

  “That is not even close to what was happening.”

  “Really? So he wasn’t keeping you from getting up? Or gyrating underneath you.”

  Her face paled slightly. “I had it under control.”

  “Yeah, looked it.”

  “You’re acting like a je—,”

  “Disgusted boss,” I interrupted.

  “Not even close,” she snapped back. “Jealous ass. My boyfriend was right there.” She pointed at the door as if I could see through it. “You didn’t see him barge in and act like a damn caveman, did you? No.”

  Boyfriend. I hated hearing that word come from her mouth.

  Reid didn’t have the information I had. If he’d thought about it for five minutes, focused on Cady and what she had to say, then he’d understand why I was so angry. Instead, he was always lost in his own world.

  “Call it whatever you want. Do you really think he’d let that shit fly if you’d been Violet? No. He would have beaten that guy senseless.”

  Her mouth dropped open slightly as my words sunk in. Realization clear, she pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  I didn’t like the way her face had fallen, as if she’d started to ask herself why Reid hadn’t done something. I stepped towa
rd her, all anger gone and reached for her hand without thinking. I loved it when she laughed, and I could handle her pissed. Sad was something else entirely.

  “It’s not his job to keep you safe. It’s mine. He’s the boyfriend. If he can’t handle what you do, he can’t be at the same party. I’m just the guy who makes sure no one hurts you.” I lifted a hand and caressed the apple of her cheek. “Even when you don’t think you’re in danger.”

  She closed her eyes and leaned into my hand. When she opened them again, she caught me staring down at her. “Rome.”

  The air crackled between us, a tension that was almost palpable. I dropped my hand, ready to back away. We needed space between us.

  She seemed to understand that, too, and took a small step backward. Then, without warning, she reached for me, her hands gripped my chin and she moved onto her toes. The kiss wasn’t just unexpected, it was quick, over much too soon. As she pulled away, I longed for more.

  She hesitated in front of me, eyes wide in shock, one hand hovered over her lips as if she couldn’t believe what she’d done. Her gaze dropped to my lips and she stared for a few seconds. I wanted nothing more than to reach of her, but she wasn’t mine. I blew out an annoyed breath, angry at the world.

  She misread my reaction. Her nose wrinkled in a slight sneer as she sent me a nasty look and started to turn away.

  I reacted without thinking. I reached out, grabbed her wrist, and tugged. When spun back toward me, I caught her. With one hand on her hip, the other cupped her jaw, and I kissed her the way I’d wanted to earlier.

  Her hands flew to my hair and my arm circled around her waist. I backed her up until we were against the wall and I was pressed into her. It wasn’t close enough.

  I dropped both hands, slid them down her back to her ass, and lifted her. She squealed in surprise, but wedged between me and the wall, she wasn’t going anywhere. I let my finger slid down the back of her thighs to her knees and pulled them behind me. I needed to feel her legs wrapped around me.

  We kissed frantically, as if we couldn’t get enough. Her arms wound around my shoulders, and she tugged my upper body as close as it could get without me being inside of her. The idea came out of left field, but my dick jumped at the thought. My suit pants were thin as hell and we both felt the movement.

  She groaned and arched her back. The little pieces of lace that covered her couldn’t hide her desire and when she slid herself over my dick, it was the most horrific torture. I pushed against her, desperate for even the slightest bit of friction.

  It was heaven and hell. The more we moved together, dry humping like horny kids, the more I wanted the real thing. It was the sexiest hello and the most painful goodbye to ever exist.

  When it got to be too much, and I was at the point where I either had to step away or betray my best friend, I began to untangle us from each other. When her feet were safely on the floor and we were no longer touching, I braced my hands on the wall next to her head and leaned down for one last kiss.

  It would never be enough. Yet, it had to be.

  Her teeth caught my bottom lip as I pulled away, as if she didn’t want to let go. One more quick peck and I leaned my forehead against hers, as I searched for the courage to do what needed to be done. I cupped her cheeks and pressed one last kiss to her temple.

  Letting go of her, of what we had, was going to hurt worse than loosing Brooke. That spoke volumes.

  Thirty-Five

  Cady

  I was completely and utterly confused about what had happened.

  I watched him warily as he backed away, and put much needed space between us. I didn’t know if it was the loss of his body heat, the scraps of material I had on, or the guilt that I’d just made out with Roman, but I started to shiver. The shakes were so bad my entire body convulsed.

  I’d just wanted to get away from him, and hadn’t planned my exit very well, so now we were stuck in the back room. I didn’t have my clothes, or my phone to call Vi for help. I rubbed my upper arms in an attempt to get rid of the goose bumps and tried to cover myself from his view.

  Rome shrugged out of his jacket and started unbuttoning his shirt. I had no idea what he was doing, but we couldn’t have a repeat of what had just happened.

  I swallowed around a thick lump in my throat. “I’m with Reid.”

  His lips twisted in the crooked smile I loved so damn much and I wanted nothing more than to launch myself at him and kiss him until we were forced to stop. When he took off his shirt, all I could see were muscles and smooth skin with little veins here and there.

  “I know.” He held the shirt out to me.

  Grateful, I snatched it from his fingers and slid it on. It was warm and smelled like him. I resisted the urge to bury my face in the sleeve and breath deep. The sleeves were miles too long, and the bottom stopped just above my knees, but I was so thankful to be covered I didn’t care.

  “I don’t know what just happened,” I admitted as I started to button it up. “I don’t understand anything that has happened lately.”

  He put his jacket back on and crossed his arms over his chest. It should have looked stupid. Creepy, even. Instead it was hot as hell.

  “It’s simple. I’m the asshole who has a thing for my best friend’s girl.”

  It was almost laughable. “You hate me. You tolerate me at best.”

  “Nah,” he shook his head with a sigh. “I’m in love with you, crazy girl.”

  My fingers froze, unable to move. My heart started to thump and the walls felt like they were closing in. I must have heard him wrong. Roman loved Brooke. He was head over heels gone for her.

  “I have been for a while now,” he admitted as he continued. “Truth is, I like me better when I’m with you. I should have told you months ago when I realized what was going on. I didn’t.”

  “Roman, I…” I couldn’t find the right words. “You can’t love me.”

  He smiled sadly. “And yet I do.”

  I’d screwed everything up. I’d fallen for both of them, yes, but they weren’t supposed to feel the same way about me. Roman and Brooke were destined to be together. Not Rome and me. I wasn’t even an option. I stared at him while I tried to get my thoughts straight.

  “What about you and Brooke?”

  He hesitated. “Don’t you want to go somewhere a little warmer to talk about this?”

  I shook my head. We had privacy here. I knew if we walked outside, our bubble would break, and we’d have to face reality without the answers I needed.

  “Brooke and I were over long before we broke up. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, because I’d been holding on to someone that made me miserable, too scared to let go. Then you came along.” He swallowed roughly. “You’re a mess, a bundle of chaos and confusion. You’re like that earworm that won’t let go, so eventually you decide you like the song and want to hear it all the time. And I’m pretty sure you’re insane. But, fuck me, I love it all.”

  I couldn’t breathe. The crap coming out of his mouth was unbelievable. It felt like a horrible dream. “Who are you? Are you hearing yourself right now? Where’s the real Roman?”

  He laughed and I almost combusted on the spot. “I know. This is what you’ve done to me. No one else would believe the shit that’s coming out of my mouth. This is the me only you get.”

  I understood exactly what he meant. And it tore me up inside. “You can’t say those things to me.”

  “Why? They’re the truth.”

  “Because I love you, you stupid, idiotic asshole. That’s why!” His eyes went wide with surprise, shocked to his core, his perfect lips dropping open. I snapped my teeth shut, horrified at my words. Clearing my throat, a little, I swallowed. “I’m in love with you.”

  He didn’t say anything, just stood there, so close, yet a million miles away.

  “I love you, too,” I repeated as tears stung my eyes. “But I also love Reid. God, I’m a horrible person.”

  “It’s love. It doesn't fit in a
neat little box. It doesn't have rules that we all have to follow. Nothing about it will ever make sense. It isn't perfect. And it hurts like hell.”

  My bottom lip started to quiver.

  “Shit, don’t cry. Loving someone doesn’t make you a bad person. I want to touch you so much right now, but if I do, I’ll kiss you.”

  I closed my eyes and tried to fight off the tears. “Where do we go from here?”

  “No where. We stay right where we’ve been. We can’t avoid each other. We work together, you’re dating my best friend. So, we go back to normal.”

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  “You can. I chose to be your friend. It was falling in love with you that was out of my control. I choose to be your friend again.”

  “This will kill Reid.” The thought of hurting him made my stomach ache.

  “No, it won’t.” He said it with such conviction, like he knew for a fact Reid could handle much worse, I stared at him and waited for answers. When none came, I shook my head.

  “This may seem silly and insignificant to you, but it’s a big deal to me. It’s tearing me up inside. The last thing I want to do is hurt anyone. Especially one of you.”

  “Then we don’t have to tell him.”

  “Yes, we do.” It wasn’t even an option. “Hidden truths are unspoken lies. I won’t lie to him.”

  He met my eyes, then jerked a little in surprise. “He loves you. It’ll be okay.”

  The words should have brought me comfort, instead they only stressed me more. “Reid and I have been together all of a minute and I not only kissed you, I told you I love you. That’s the worst precursor to a relationship ever. How is it going to be okay?” I pressed a hand to my stomach.

  His lips twisted sardonically. “Because you’re going to tell him the truth from the beginning. Ask him for the same. And as long as you have that, you’ll have trust. Relationships have been built on less.”

  “And the truth just magically sets us all free?”

  “Something like that.” He smirked. After a long pause, he cleared his throat. “Do you want to be with him?”