Attraction (17 page)

Joe caught her eye and walked over to her. His face was red and the hair over his
forehead was matted with sweat.
“Looks like I’m working you too hard, again, Joe” Riley mused.
Joe smiled broadly. “Not according to my tip bucket.”
“Need anything from the storage?”
“I just had the busboys go out there for some ice and some bottles. –Uh, I thought you
might like to know that you’re brother-in-law’s here.”
“Tanner’s here? Where is he? Is my sister with him? He better be if he wants to live.”
Riley quickly scanned around the lounge.
“No. Not him. The other one. The one your sister didn’t marry.”
“The other one…?” Riley said with confusion, then went still, shocked. “Oh.”
Joe flicked his head down the bar. “He’s sitting down there, at the other end. I think he
brought a friend.”
Riley scanned the faces of the people who were crowding around the bar. “Thanks, Joe.”
She slowly made her way to the other end. Then she saw him, talking to a man with curly black
hair sitting next to him. She hung back and watched the two. She didn’t really want to go over to
Heron and try to make niceties, but she knew it was ridiculous not to since they were in-laws.
At least his friend seemed much more approachable, she thought, noting how easily he
smiled and laughed. And as Riley had witnessed him to be when he was with Tanner, in the other
man’s company, Heron seemed more relaxed, not as cold and removed.
Before Riley could turn away, Heron lifted his eyes and met hers. For a moment, dark
eyes locked with pale gray hazel ones, and a frisson of acute awareness sizzled between them, an
awareness that had not been there before. Her eyes turned a little wary, uneasy at this new
sensation. She saw one corner of his sensually-shaped mouth turn up slightly. He didn’t seemed
fazed as she was by this unexpected pull between them. In fact, he seemed to be mocking it, and
her, and himself.
Riley was the first to break off the contact when she turned to one of the waitresses who
handed her a tab for her signature. From his barstool, Heron continued to watch her. When she
turned away from him, the line of his lips turned grim as he saw her bare buttocks rippling with
each movement. He was also in full view of her large breasts that were turned in profile towards
him, their rounded fullness barely confined in the corset. His eyes hardened when he saw her full
lips split into a smile as she laughed at something the waitress said.
“Ah, could it be that one of these fascinating creatures has managed to catch the eye of
our elusive Mr. Wait,” Jack said. He looked in the direction of his friend’s eyes. “Yes, I can see
why you might be a bit smitten.” The dominatrix in a fit of capriciousness had abandoned him to
be with some of her friends.
“That’s Roberta’s sister, the one who was responsible for breaking up my engagement,”
Heron interjected coldly. “She’s the owner of this place.”
Jack raised his eyebrows as he took in Riley. “That’s Roberta’s sister? She’s doesn’t
seem a bit like her sister.”
“You’re damn right on that. She has none of the qualities that her sister has. Roberta
would never involve herself in anything sordid as this place. But, then, what do you expect from
a woman who runs an establishment such as this, taking advantage of strangers’ aberrant
fantasies. She’s no better than a brothel madam.”
Jack looked at him, surprised at the bitter hardness in Heron’s voice. “Look, this place
may be a bit unusual, but it’s nothing like…”
“Good evening, gentlemen,” Riley greeted with a good measure of hospitable warmth.
Jack looked a little uncomfortable, his eyes glancing quickly at Heron. Heron’s own eyes
were shuttered, his face impassive. Riley knew they had been discussing her.
“Hello, Heron,” she said softly, folding her arms under her breasts, facing him
completely. She masked her uneasiness under a polite, casual demeanor.
Taking his time, he lifted his eyes to her face. “Riley.”
Riley noted how suddenly easy it was for them to be on first-name basis in the aftermath
of Heron’s disastrous engagement with her sister. Before, it took great effort on both their parts
to drop formal address to one another.
Riley tipped her head back and said with deliberate mockery, “You know, you’re the last
person I would expect to see here.”
Jack raised a finger. “Uh, that would be my fault. I dragged him up here against his will,
I’m afraid.” He offered his hand to her. “I’m Jack Knowles, by the way, once of Heron’s friend.”
Riley shook his hand, the coolness gone from her face as she smiled with warmth and
humor. “Riley Calderon, owner of this house of ill repute.”
“I’m becoming a fast fan of it, though,” Jack said. “And may I say, you look quite
stunning, Ms. Calderon.”
“Thank you, Mr. Knowles. And, may I say, you cut quite a picture yourself. I hope you
are enjoying yourself. If there is anything you need, please let me know.”
Jack grinned, already feeling at ease with her. “Please, call me Jack. I’ve a feeling we’re
going to be great friends.”
“Okay, Jack. Then you must call me Riley. Was there anything special you would like to
see?”
Jack’s eyes lit up. “I’ve heard about the room that they call the tool room. That has a very
intriguing sound to it.”
“Would you like a private tour, Jack?”
He was about to say yes, when he spotted the redheaded dominatrix making her way back
to him. “Maybe another night. Right now, I’m in the middle of something. At least, I’m hoping
to be.”
Riley looked back and saw the dominatrix, who had stopped to greet some acquaintances.
She guessed that the redhead was being coy with Jack, taking her time, making up her mind
whether or not she wanted more from him.
“That’s Kelly O’Hearn. She’s called Madam O’Hearn. I do have to tell you, she likes to
play rough.”
Jack’s eyes turned a little wary, but also excited. “How rough? Like ending up in the
emergency room?”
“No. Maybe not to that extent. But just be prepared to explain some marks on your back
and shoulder if you ever take off your shirt in front of your fellow men in the locker room or in
front of another woman.”
Kelly O’Hearn made her way over to them. She stopped when she saw Riley and, for a
moment, her eyes narrowed, instantly suspicious that she might have some competition. “Riley,
you usually don’t take personal interest in your patrons.”
Jack pulled the dominatrix to him. “I’m all yours, honey.”
Kelly gave Riley a smug look. Then she caught the expression on Jack’s friend’ face and
the way he was looking at the other woman beneath heavily hooded lids. The look in his dark
eyes made her shiver because it was heated and intense, almost avarice, and yet, there was
nothing lover like in his expression. Kelly felt a stab of resentment and regret all over again.
Although she knew she never had a chance with the dark eyed man with the face and body that
drew women to him like magnets, she didn’t like the idea that another woman was going have
the boon that she never could.
Then, shrugging off her moment of discontent, Kelly turned and smiled up at Jack, her
smile telling of promises of pleasure and punishment. “You should be warned that I’m a very
demanding mistress. I expect your complete and undivided attention. Nothing less will do for
me.”
Jack kissed her on the cheek. “I understand. I promise, I will be a faithful servant.” He
plucked from her fingers her glass and signaled to a bartender. “Now, let me order you a fresh
drink.”
Amused at Kelly’s little display of petty jealousy, Riley turned her eyes to Heron. His
eyes were shuttered again. With a some shock, she realized that he was running them over her,
not in the way he had when they had first met, or when he had pulled her out of her jail. Then, he
had looked at her with such cold contempt and condemnation. This time, she saw the heat in
Heron’s eyes, the heat of a man who was satisfying his sexual interest visually.
With reluctance and with some consternation, she felt an answering pull in her loins.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Refusing to be intimidated, she lifted a mocking eyebrow. “Didn’t your mama ever tell
you it was rude to stare?”
A bartender set a fresh glass of scotch in front of Heron. He picked it up and sipped at it.
He had yet to answer Riley’s question. And it seemed he wasn’t planning to Instead, this time
with deliberate insolence, he continued to run his eyes slowly over her body. As he had not let
himself that time he had pulled her out of jail, he now let his eyes rest on her large breasts that
were protruding so openly, barely contained by the corset, lingering on the full globes, openly
licking them with his eyes.
Riley knew that he was treating her as he would a whore. She could see in the depths of
his eyes that he was imagining his hands on her breasts, kneading and caressing them, fondling
them roughly then gently rotating them. Her body jerked as the heat rose inside her, but her face
stiffened coldly in an open rejection of his silent liberties.
They both knew that it was completely inappropriate that Heron was treating Riley with
such licentious disrespect. Had he married Roberta, she knew he would never have treated her to
anything but cool politeness. He would have kept the barrier standing between them had he
become her brother-in-law, the barrier that would have prevented any hint of sexual possibilities
between them.
But, now, gone was any reason for maintaining a façade of familial tolerance and
respectful distance between Heron and Riley. Roberta had not married him but had married his
brother. Niceties were no longer required in any encounter between Heron and Riley outside of
family surrounding.
Riley stood rooted where she was, staring at Heron, feeling stunned, as she slowly
comprehended the strong sexual attraction that she was feeling for him. And she disliked it very
much. The last man she ever wanted to be attracted to was Heron Wait. He was arrogant, cold,
quite autocratic, with an air of superiority. And he was such a hypocrite, she thought, openly
displaying his lust for her after all the grief he had given her about her sex club.
Heron flagged one of the bartenders. “A scotch for the lady,” he ordered for her without
asking.
“Maybe the lady doesn’t want a drink from you, Mr. Wait,” Riley said icily.
He turned back to her and gave her a patient look. Jack lifted his head from kissing the
dominatrix and also watched her, waiting.
Heron said coolly, “As the owner of this establishment, I would think you would know
better than to turn down an offer from a paying customer.” He gestured to the bartender again for
the drink.
But the bartender looked to Riley. She gave a small humorless smile towards Heron and
gave the bartender a slight nod.
Heron said, “I’m buying you drink as a congratulation.”
“I didn’t win anything.”
“Oh, didn’t you? You mean you don’t consider your success in breaking your sister’s
engagement to me anything worth celebrating?”
“It was never my intention to break up the engagement.”
“It wasn’t? Nevertheless, you didn’t want it, and whether or not you had any hand in it,
the fact that your sister broke off the engagement to me is a success for you.”
The icy smile returned to Riley’s lips. “I would accept success graciously if I didn’t have
serious reservations about accepting any secession of triumph from you, Mr. Wait. You see, in
such cases, there has be a loser if there is to be a winner. And I’ve a suspicion that you would be
a very sore loser. So, no thanks, I’ll just forgo any triumph if there is any to be had.”
Heron paused for a moment, sipping his scotch. “Go right ahead, then, and discard your
conquest. But, you’re wrong, Ms. Calderon, triumph or no triumph, there’s still is a loser in this
round.”
“You mean you’re determined to be that loser,” Riley returned evenly
“I don’t think any man would blame me for grasping for the position of a victim, as
lowering as it might be.” He tilted his head to the side to look at Jack who was sitting behind
Riley. “Now, isn’t that right, Jack?”
Jack, put up both of his hands as he shook his head slowly. “Hey, man, don’t get me
involved in this.”
The redheaded dominatrix, who was sulking at Jack’s side, not at all used to men losing
their interest in her, walked away again, vengefully bent on finding another and more promising
conquest. But Jack did not notice her absence and had already forgotten her several minutes ago.
He was so caught up by the interchange between his friend and the bar’s proprietor. In all the
years of their friendship with Heron he had never seen him be embroiled in battle of wills with
anyone. Heron, the cool, calm, collected lawyer, who with his rapier intellect and steely self
control had always the upper hand, and had never let another engage him in a heated battle,
especially in one that made him vulnerable to his own ego.
Jack wasn’t the only one who was watching Riley and Heron. They seemed to have
attracted the attention of the small crowd around them, the look in all of their eyes similar; rapt,
breathless, caught by the war of words that had the same effect of if there had been a real sword
fight between the two very strong and worthy antagonists. But Heron and Riley seemed perfectly
unaware of the attention that they were drawing, so focused on each other, each on the look out
for any signs of weakness from the other, an opportunity for a deep thrust.
Heron gave a deadly smile and said to Riley, “You’re right, I am a very sore loser. And I
intend to have my pound of flesh. And it just might be your flesh.”
The bartender set the scotch in front of Heron who held it out to Riley. She at first to
refused, lifting her chin at him. With so much antagonism between them, it repulsed her to think
of accepting anything from him, especially one such as an offer of drink that was hospitable in
nature but coming from him, it mean something far more threatening. Then something irrational
inside her compelled her to take the drink from his hand. Riley tossed the scotch back in one
gulp. Because she drank the liquor too fast, the hot liquid scalded her inside, making her shudder.
But in so doing, it made her even more aware of the lurking sexual tension between her and
Heron, and she had to suppress another shudder.
Heron flicked his eyes past her shoulder at Jack who was watching them curiously. “You
know, Jack, it was Ms. Calderon here who was responsible for breaking up my engagement with
her sister,” Heron said idly.