The Complete Tempest World Box Set

by Mankin, Michelle

“Not in that way,” he confirmed. “But she’s my best friend, and vice versa. We’re as together as two people can be minus the sex if you get me.” He pulled closer. I got the angry vibes rolling off him as he got in my face.

  “I get you.” Since he was taller I had to crank my neck up to maintain eye contact, which I sure as hell did. I wasn’t backing down until I had this all figured out. Everything concerning him and her, not to mention this Frank dude. “But you need to get me too, ese.” I tapped my chest once with my fist to emphasize the importance of what I was going to say. “Miriam and I got a history.” I lowered my voice to a menacing growl. “And I’m not going the fuck anywhere, no matter what she says or what you or anyone else does until I make sure she’s ok. Comprende?”

  • • •

  Miriam

  “You’re late.” Vincenzo’s sour faced PA waved me impatiently inside the suite.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled. “Traffic was horrible with all of the new construction.”

  “Well then, you should have left earlier,” she chastised. Her heels clacked her displeasure on the Carrera marble in the foyer. I entered the ten million dollar recently remodeled penthouse suite as she exited, hurrying to do her boss’s bidding I had no doubt. Vincenzo Campanella, the new owner of the Tropicana, demanded as much, and not just with his PA, from all of his employees myself included.

  “Miriam!” Jasmine Campanella, Jazz to her friends dashed across the room and launched herself into my open arms. She hugged my neck while I squeezed her tight.

  “Jazz. I missed you.” I buzzed her soft cheek with a kiss. “That one’s for me.” I gave her a second kiss on the other cheek. “And that one’s from Mikey.” She giggled. She had a little crush on my best friend. I was smiling widely when I set her back and took her in. Twin braids. Sparkling jade eyes. Cute bedazzled outfit from Justice. She had obviously just returned from another good week with her mother. I was glad. I loved to see her happy, and I had truly missed her. We hadn’t known each other long, but we had both become very attached, very quickly since I had taken the job as her companion and chaperone. She was eleven. She didn’t really need fulltime supervision on the weeks that she reluctantly spent with her father. But he was a powerful businessman with lots of money and the kind of connections that made as many enemies as friends. It made sense to have someone responsible watching out for his daughter when she wasn’t in school.

  “What do you want to do today?” I asked her.

  “I wanna go swimming, but Daddy says I should work on my script.” She dropped her gaze to her pink converse tennis shoes. “So I guess we’ll do that.”

  “Hey.” I gently lifted her chin with my finger. “That probably won’t take all day. We can go down to the pool later.”

  “Maybe,” she mumbled, but her smile had fled. Her lips pressed into a responsibility flattened line. “But only if I can finish all the extra homework my tutor gave me first.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll do it tomorrow then.” It was early in the school year, but she was already struggling with her classes. She had a form of dyslexia similar to my own. Her father wasn’t exactly understanding about it, letting her know quite frequently and publicly that she would do better if only she put more effort into her studies. Words with partial truth from those we long to please had the sharpest edges. I knew that from personal experience. So yeah, we had more than our dyslexia and love of the theatre in common. We had our father issues, too.

  “I have an idea.” I put my hands on her shoulders that were way too slender for the crap ton of baggage she carried on them after her parents’ divorce. “Go get your homework. You can do it at the dining room table while I make us sandwiches for lunch. Then we can run your lines together at the pool.” Her eyes brightened. “What do you say?”

  “I think you’re brilliant.”

  “Far from it.” I snorted, but I was glad she thought so. I was certainly clever enough to work around her father’s demands. And apparently gotten smart enough to push Juaquin out of my life. Finally.

  “Miriam,” Jazz called, and I turned to glance back at her. “I’m glad you’re here. Everyone else who works for my dad, well, they’re on his side. So much so that sometimes they scare me. But you’re different. I trust you. If I didn’t have you, I don’t know what I would do.”

  “You won’t ever have to find out. I love you, Jasmine Campanella. Actually I’m the lucky one to get to spend time with a smart, sweet girl like you.”

  She smiled in response to my words, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. I understood. All the praise in the world couldn’t make up for the harsh ones of a father.

  • • •

  King

  “I’m fucking fine. Alright? For the last time. Give me a little space.” I had the lyrics in front of me, but I just couldn’t seem to find the beat. Crossing my sticks, I laid them on my thigh and scowled at my drum kit as if it were the problem and not me.

  “What’s got you so messed up?” Jorge asked giving me a look. My latest eruption was one of many and that wasn’t the first studio tech I had run off with my burst of temper.

  “Nothing, ese.” Total and complete bullshit. I had been irritable since Miriam walked out of my suite last night, and if I was more honest with myself I would admit that things had been going fucking Southside long before that. “I just don’t want to waste everyone’s time.” We had been in the tiny ten-by-ten-foot windowless cube trying to cobble together a decent recording from my notebook of rhymes for hours.

  “You’d be in a better mood if you had gotten laid last night.”

  “None interested me.”

  “Really?” He raised his brows. “‘Cause I saw a lot of hot snatch in your room.”

  “Miriam Jackson is not snatch,” I growled under my breath.

  “Ahh. So we come to the heart of the matter.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “C’mon, ese. We’ve known each other too long. Don’t play fuckin’ dumb with me. I’ve never known you to turn down any of the mamacitas. But then she shakes those chichis.” He wiggled his chest and cupped his hands in front of himself. “You want the forbidden fruit, eh?”

  I glanced away. Jorge was a fun guy, but he had hit too close to the truth. I did want Miriam. But that was another something I didn’t particularly trust him to know.

  “So just go get her, hombre. You got the goods on her. Threaten to tell her family about what she’s doing here if you have to. Whatever it takes just so we can get some fucking work done. Bryan’s not around to stop you. He doesn’t even have to know. She sure won’t tell him. What happens in Vegas and all that shit, right?”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Miriam

  “What’s wrong?” Frank asked lifting my hand from the table and squeezing it.

  “Nothing.” I frowned at the fizz in my rum and Coke and focused on him instead.

  “I know better, babe. I’m a guy but you gotta give me a little credit. You hardly said two words during dinner. You haven’t touched your drink and you haven’t asked me to dance even though the DJ played two Quentin songs.”

  “Oh.” I twisted the cross pendant that hung from the leather choker around my neck and offered him a weak smile. “I’m sorry I’ve been poor company. Jazz had a difficult day with her dad, and I guess I’m still a little down after the audition yesterday.”

  “Not asking for an apology. I just…” He leaned closer putting his mouth near my ear so I could hear him better over a sudden commotion at the entrance to the club. “I care about you, babe. And I wanted to make sure I haven’t done anything wrong.” His breath tickled my ear. I pulled back to look him in the eyes. Sincerity blazed from their depths.

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.” I had to shout to be heard over the pumping bass even though our faces were less than a foot apart. I stroked my fingertips across the soft fuzz of hair over his ears. “I care about you, too.” Not enough. My sister had been right. I had been holding back. I had been in
a holding pattern for too long waiting and wanting another. But that was over. It had to be over. If I didn’t yet feel more certain about it, I soon would. I just needed to try harder. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to Frank’s firm ones. “Dance with me?” I asked taking his hand.

  He nodded and took the lead guiding me to the dance floor. Since our table had been close, it was really only a matter of a couple of strides across industrial grade carpet fashioned to look like rattan and one step up onto a plastic surface that pulsed alternating shades of glow to accentuate the music.

  Frank was an energetic partner and by the second number, I was flushed from exertion trying to keep up with him. Lifting my hair with one hand, I fanned the back of my neck and my face with the other. I glanced at the palm tree framed stage hoping the DJ would pick a slow song. He did, but I didn’t get to catch my breath because it got lodged in my throat. Juaquin suddenly materialized, two girls in tow, both dressed in slinky little dresses more revealing than my own and both very pretty if you liked the skeletal-I-never-eat-more-than-a-grain-of-rice look.

  “Oh, hey, Miriam.” His ebony hair perfectly styled, the silky layers lay smooth on the sides and unruly over his forehead. He swept his arrogant rock god gaze over me. “You look nice.” The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to reveal the strength in his forearms and his trousers hugged his physique in a way that had to be a custom fit. “Different.” He made a face like he was straining to think hard that in no way detracted from his cover of GQ level hotness. “I guess it’s because you have more clothes on.”

  “Do you know this asshole?” Frank asked, positioning himself between me and the Tempest drummer.

  “Yeah. Unfortunately.” I sighed. What were the odds of running into King? The Palms was on the other side of the strip from his hotel.

  “He a fan of yours from the club?”

  “Not a fan. Not really.”

  “Then where did he see you naked?” Frank turned his head to give me a speculative look, moving between us. I couldn’t see Juaquin over his shoulder, but the way my luck had been running I knew he had to still be there.

  “He bought out the club last night.” I sidestepped around Frank. The protective routine was unnecessary, at least the kind he was offering. The protection I needed from Juaquin was for the heart not the body. Shoring up the walls of my defenses and feigning indifference that I didn’t really feel, I reluctantly introduced the two of them. “Juaquin Acenado meet Frank, my boyfriend. Frank this is King. He’s a big rock star. That gives him license to insult people, treat them like they’re his underlings, that kind of thing.” Juaquin frowned at me. “He’s known me since I was a kid. I guess he thinks that gives him the right to make judgements about how I live my life. He didn’t appreciate seeing me on stage without my clothes on.”

  “Didn’t say I didn’t like what I saw.” His gold eyes flared to a burnished hue. “I think I explained myself pretty well to you in my hotel room last night. But if you wanna go over the details again in private I’d be more than happy to oblige.”

  • • •

  Juaquin moved away after that last weighted-with-innuendo salvo. I should have written him off. I made a good faith effort. I apologized to Frank about my deception. He graciously accepted it. We kept on dancing. I twined my arms around his neck. I didn’t protest when he brought our bodies closer together. I pressed my cheek to Frank’s whisker roughened one.

  But my eyes followed Juaquin.

  I watched as he expertly twirled his women around in space that seemed to miraculously appear around him. He was an incredible dancer. He moved his feet in time to the rhythm. He rocked his hips to punctuate the riffs. His prowess on the dance floor was the excuse I gave myself for not glancing away. From the silver shirt that clung to his wide shoulders and solid chest. From the expensive charcoal slacks that molded to his muscular thighs. From those unkempt appearing bangs that cast a mysterious shadow over his predatory eyes. From the barely there smile, yet another accessory to his allure. From the two women on each arm, trinkets I barely noticed. And if you believe all those lies I have plenty of others. All of them as worthless as pennies

  “Babe, it’s late. You want another drink or are you ready to go?”

  “More than ready.” I turned my gaze away from the view of King and his entourage. Apparently two wasn’t enough. Now he had a third. One for each hand and another to kneel and pay homage. “Just give me a couple of minutes. I need to make a quick stop at the restroom. Settle the tab and bring the car around, if you don’t mind. I’ll meet you at the door.” I stood and quickly made my way toward the women’s room, avoiding glancing at the dance floor again. Reminders of how hot King was and how little I merited in his consideration were blows to my ego that I wanted to avoid.

  “Shit,” I exclaimed when I turned the corner, pulling up short. I had nearly run right into him.

  “Sort of like my night has been going until I saw you in that dress.”

  “Juaquin.” I put my hand to my chest where my heart was pounding as fast and hard as one of his drum solos. “What do you want?”

  “A very good question.” He stepped closer. We were already nearly bare toes to wingtips close. “Direct and to the point.”

  “Yeah, so?” Grabbing a hitched breath, I retreated a step, trying not to think about how good he smelled. “I thought you were dancing.”

  “I was.” His eyes flickered like lanterns in the deserted hallway. A little afraid, of myself more than him, I took another step backward and encountered the wall. I cranked my chin up to hold his gaze. “But I got bored since none of my partners were you.” His arm flashed out, his fingers closing around the cross that dangled from the choker. He tugged on it.

  I gasped and stumbled forward, my hands landing on his solid chest. His own moved to my hips where their heat singed my skin.

  “Bonita, a dónde vas?” Where are you going? His eyes searched mine. “When all you need is right here?” His warm breath drifted across my face. I wet my suddenly parched lips with my tongue. His gaze dipped to my mouth darkening almost to black. “Miriam.” He groaned. “Mi reina, te quiero tanto.” My queen. I want you so badly. He lowered his head. I closed my eyes wanting, wanting, wanting. His mouth touched mine.

  My world exploded with sensation and color.

  “King,” I sighed. He took my moan as surrender. His wet tongue pierced my parted lips, stroking, teasing and tasting me. My body melted in his heat. I slid my hands along the contours of his muscular shoulders. He glided his up my spine deepening the kiss while crushing my body more firmly into him. Breasts to chest. Quivering thighs to his strong legs. I felt his cock lengthening and myself unraveling more and more with each masterful thrust of his tongue. When he pulled back to allow us both a breath, I was clutching the front of his shirt. Cracking my eyes open, I stared at him in awe. I had never been kissed like that.

  “Over me, my ass.” He grinned triumphantly, and my soaring heart took a nosedive crashing hard onto the tiled floor at my feet.

  He had kissed me just to make a point.

  “I hate you.” I swallowed the hot ball of mortification inside my throat and shoved at him ineffectually. “Let me go.”

  “Never,” he stated. Unflappable. Immovable. Intransigent. He brought me closer though I trembled within his hold. “I told you once I was a savage to fear and not a savior. You should have run from me while you still had the chance.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  King

  “There you are, MJ.”

  “Mike.” Miriam breathed her best friend’s name as if he were the answer to her prayers. That pissed me off. I wanted to be that answer. I turned my head and scowled at him. Now that I finally had her in my arms, I wasn’t planning to let her go anytime soon.

  Why? Why had I ever refused her?

  Her taste held the promise of things to come. Her surrender, her soft moan, her even softer curves, the way she had shivered as she had and then burrowed deeper into m
y arms. Nothing short of perfection. And that kiss, that one fucking phenomenal kiss from lips that had seemed custom made to fit my own felt like the truth. It made every single encounter with every other woman seem like the worst kind of lie, the kind you tell yourself when you know you can’t have what your heart truly desires.

  “Frank’s waiting for you.” Mike stared me down, and I returned his glare. I sure as fuck didn’t need him to remind me that she had a boyfriend. Watching her with that pendejo tonight, her touching him, him holding her, had made my temper boil. He was totally wrong for her. She wasn’t going back to him. She was right where she belonged. Right here with me. I glided my hands to the curve of her hips, bunching up fistfuls of her dress and tightening my arms around her.

  “Juaquin,” she whispered, her voice raw. My gaze dipped to lips red and swollen from the imprint of my mouth before rising to meet her bright, beautiful grey-green gaze. “I have to go.” She pressed her palms against my chest. I could feel the heat of her skin through my shirt. Her touch made my body burn and my already hard cock harder. I wanted her hands all over me. I wanted mine all over her. I wanted to memorize every inch of her.

  “Why the hurry? I like you right here. Besides, we need to talk.”

  “What more is there to say that hasn’t already been said?” She wiggled in my embrace, her movements rocking the enticement of her hips over me. I shuddered. She felt so good. Her eyes widened as she felt the effect she had on me. If we didn’t still have unresolved issues between us, and if her friend hadn’t been in the way, I doubted that even the fact that we were in a public place would have stopped me from taking her right then and there.

  I had her.

  I couldn’t believe it.

  But did I really?

  The glassy sheen in her eyes became crystal tears pooling in them.

  “Please,” she pleaded, renewing her struggles. “I don’t want…” Her voice cracked. She swallowed. “I don’t want this.” She dropped her gaze, and her hands fell to her sides. “I don’t want you,” she whispered.