Beyond the Velvet Rope (11 page)

“I bet you’ll listen to me in the future,” he taunted.

She frowned at him. “If I’d known what was up here, I wouldn’t have come. So what’s your excuse?”

“I don’t need one.”

“You come up here on a regular basis?”

Elliot grinned. “Wouldn’t you love to know?”

She scowled at him. His plan to make her burn with shame was working, and she didn’t like it one bit. She lashed back at him. “So this is what you’re into?” Her gaze swept the room. “Voyeurism?”

He fixed her with those silver eyes. “You don’t want to know what I’m into.”

The seriousness of his tone robbed her of any smart retort.

Pleased he’d shocked her into silence, Elliot flashed her a devilish grin. “Or is that why you really came up here? Interested in knowing what gets me off? Curiosity killed the cat, puss.”

“I don’t desire to know more.”

“Unfortunately for you, we’re going to learn a lot about each other tonight.” His large hand cupped the underside of her breast. The pad of his thumb brushed slowly across her nipple, making the bud instantly harden. “More than you can handle.”

Her temper was boiling. He meant to embarrass her, overwhelm her with his presence, expected her to run and hide. Was this his way of punishing her for not leaving well enough alone? Did he plan to make her regret accepting the job? Forcing her to see why he only hired men? He would be very disappointed.

Not bothering to push his hand away, she met his gaze with a steady one of her own. “There’s nothing you could throw my way that I can’t handle.”

“Careful, pussycat, I might take that as a challenge.” His gaze dropped to her lips. “That lovely mouth of yours is about to get you into a world of trouble.”

“I doubt that—oh!”

A strange hand landed on Thandie’s thigh. She followed the hand to its owner; a bare-chested man with glassy eyes. He squeezed her leg affectionately and said, “Come over here and join us, sweetheart.”

Elliot clasped his hand around the man’s wrist and pushed it aside. “She’s with me, Steinberg.”

The man focused his blurred vision on him. “Elliot, is that you? I didn’t know she was with you, man. My mistake. You better start fucking her before someone decides to take her away from you. She’s a nice piece of ass.”

Elliot nodded. “Thanks for the warning. Take it easy.”

Thandie watched the man feel his way through the darkened room before looking back up at Elliot. “Would someone really try to take me by force?” Her voice quivered. She was nervous.

Elliot tightened his hold on her. “People come here to have sex. It’s understood that if you’re here, you want to have sex, too. So in answer to your question, yes, I suppose that could happen.”

Thandie scooted closer to him. “Well, what are we going to do?”

“We’re going to improvise.” Without warning, he pulled her onto his lap. The hem of her dress inched dangerously up her thighs. Elliot gripped her by her forearms before she could leap off him. He pulled her forward until their lips were inches apart. “Kiss me,” he breathed.

“No,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Kiss me, or I’ll leave you to fend for yourself. Believe me, there is a room full of horny men that would love to rip that flimsy dress right off your body.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, yes, I would. You have no idea what I’m capable of. I’m your key to getting out of here in one piece, Thandie, so you had better pay me a little more respect.”

“Fuck you,” she hissed.

He grinned. “That could be arranged. We could do it right here if you prefer.”

“Let go of me.”

“If I do, you’re on your own, puss.”

“I said fuck off.”

“Have it your way.” He lifted her up, tossed her roughly aside and stood to cross the room.

Thandie couldn’t believe he was actually leaving her, though she had told him to. She panicked and reached out to pull his arm. “I’m sorry. Don’t leave.”

Elliot turned around to look down at her. His dark brow lifted with playfull mischief. “Are you ready to play nice?”

Thandie licked her lips nervously and looked over at the elevator shaft; the red light was still lit. In a room full of drunk, drugged-out mating couples, Elliot was her only ally. She would prefer the devil himself over him, but by her own doing, she was stuck with him. She could not say she hadn’t been warned.

Elliot slid his hands into his pockets. His eyes focused on her thighs. “Are we in agreement?”

She nodded.

He leaned down until his lips were only a breath away from her own. She expected him to kiss her, but he surprised her by placing his hands on either side of her on the sofa and lowering himself to the floor. Kneeling before her, he hooked his hands under her knees and pulled her to the edge of the seat so that her thighs were on either side of him. The hem of her dress effortlessly hiked up to her waist. If not for the black lace of her panties, she would be fully exposed to him.

Elliot’s silver eyes flashed in the murkiness, hypnotizing her with their predatory power. His lips came crashing down on hers. He made her escape impossible by cupping the back of her head in his palm. His lips were cool to the touch, but his tongue was scorching hot. He swept every curve of her mouth with masterful skill. It was not long before she stopped pushing against him and leaned into his hold, her hands resting on the sides of his ribcage.

Keeping her mouth pinned beneath him, Elliot grabbed handfuls of her flesh and squeezed with the selfishness of a gluttonous man. He pulled her open legs closer to him until his groin was nestled against the crotch of her panties. He groaned. Her eyes sprang open, and she pushed hard against his chest.

Not easily detoured, Elliot dragged wet kisses along her neck. “Damn, you feel good, honey. I’m going to eat you.”

“No,” she gasped, warning bells going off in her head, but unable to react quickly enough. “I need to get out of here.”

“Shh,”
he cooed softly in her ear. “You’ll love it. Lie back.” He slid his hand from her bottom to her inner thigh. “Relax.” He kissed the sensitive spot just below her earlobe as he pushed aside the fabric of her panties. Thandie gasped when he brushed his fingers over the sensitive bud of her clit as he made a slow trail southward. He groaned when the tips of his fingers became slick with her desire. “You’re already wet for me,” he whispered against her ear. “Tell me you want me.”

“No.” She could hardly breathe, let alone sound certain of herself.

Elliot lifted his head to look into her face. Her eyes were practically glowing with lust. “Tell me what I want to hear,” he demanded in the husky voice. “Tell me you want this.” He slipped his finger inside her again. Her folds closed around him greedily. “You don’t want me to stop.” He moved his fingers in and out of her with agonizing slowness. “I’m more talented with my tongue.” He leaned forward and flicked his tongue against her earlobe. He chuckled when a fresh wave of her cream saturated his fingers.

It took all of Thandie’s power to muster up the strength to grab his wrist. “Stop, Elliot.” Her brown eyes were now shining. “Let go of me now.”

He stilled his hand. She meant what she said. “As you wish.” He pulled his hand away from her and held his wet fingers up between them before licking them clean. “The offer is always open.”

Just then, the elevator chimed, and the doors opened. A laughing couple tumbled out, both frantically ripping the remainder of their clothes off. Thandie pushed Elliot away and headed for the elevator car, catching the doors just before they closed. She didn’t dare look back at him. He represented every weakness known to women.

* * *

An hour later, Thandie fell across the bed in Warren’s guest room. Her hasty retreat from Babylon had not been very graceful. She’d stumbled out of the elevator, looking disheveled and glancing over her shoulder like a frightened animal. Thankfully, there was no on around to see her.

Righting her clothes, she quickly weaved her way through the dancing crowd. It was pure luck she spotted Len and Raja standing near the bar.

Stalking up to them, Thandie announced they were leaving. Wisely, neither girl objected. They followed her, and managed to keep their babbling to a minimum while waiting for the valet to deliver their car.

On the drive home, Thandie informed the girls they were not allowed to go the Tower under any circumstances. When Len asked what was in the Tower, Thandie replied, “Unemployment.”

It was not until they arrived at Warren’s home, that she remembered her feet hurt. But who the hell cared? She had bigger problems now. As soon as they entered the house, Thandie retreated to the privacy of her room. She shut the door shut behind her and tossed her limp body on the bed.

Thandie buried her face into her pillow. Replaying it in her mind, she could almost feel his fingers inside her now. She groaned. That was the most disgraceful job performance ever. Yes, he had set her up, but she had rightfully put herself in that position by going to the Tower when she’d been forewarned. Under the right amount of pressure, she’d made it very apparent to him that she was attracted to him, and he’d made the most of the situation. She bet he took a lot of women up there. The sex-crazed Steinberg didn’t seem surprised to see Elliot in the Tower. She groaned again. She had nearly given herself to a smooth-talking male slut. What did that make her?

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the provocative images swirling around in her head. She had to force herself to think clearly. If she stood any chance of successfully completing this project, she would have to make a point to stay as far away from Elliot Richards as possible...and find a good male masseur immediately.

* * *

Elliot lay naked across his bed. He stacked his hands behind his head, but he couldn’t close his eyes just yet, because every time he did, he saw Thandie’s smooth, bronzed skin.

She’d really put him in his place tonight, and that annoyed and excited him. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had turned him down. Usually, women were stepping over each other to get to him. He would have his pick of the group, using them at will before growing restless and discarding them.

But not Thandie.

She’d surprised him by snubbing him twice tonight, once by refusing to kiss him and again by refusing to let him go down on her. He had to admit he’d been toying with her, but after her first rebuff, he felt compelled to prove to her that he was the one in control. And then, she had refused him again.

That fact did not sit well with him. He had no idea why he even cared. Perhaps it was just his wounded ego, but whatever the case, he didn’t like the injury his pride had sustained at the hands of Thandie Shaw. She wasn’t even his typical brand of woman. In the past, he had preferred slender buxom brunettes; however, he was inclined to be attracted to the occasional blonde from time to time.

Thandie was on the opposite side of the spectrum. Yes, she was tall and slender, but had more curves than he was prone to desire. She had full hips and a wonderfully round derriere. Her long dark hair had been every bit as soft as he had imagined, and she tasted so sweet—like hot sex. Elliot had prided himself on never being easily swayed by any woman, so the idea of him sparing Thandie more than five minutes of his time was remarkable.

Thandie Shaw. She’s just another woman,
he thought, and there were plenty of them on the strip. But she had somehow made herself stand out. He had no interest in her beyond sex. That much he knew. Yes, she had withstood his advances. He would have to deal with that. Hell, it was only a matter of time before she would be begging him for sex, if her slick thighs were any indication. She might pretend to be the dominant one, but if there was one thing he knew about women, it was that they always came back. He could care less where her morals lay; time would eventually conquer her. And when it did, he would discipline her for tonight. But until then, he would be patient. She was only on the third day of her three-month project. He smiled. This was going to be fun.

Chapter Seven

T
handie had not slept well. Every time she slipped into some semblance of rest, she was jarred awake by erotic images of a silver-eyed stranger. She awoke groggily and highly annoyed. There was a high probably this would not be her best day ever.

Pulling her hair into a sloppy bun at the top of her head, she washed up and headed downstairs. The empty kitchen was alight with bright mid-day sunshine. Thandie pulled a glass out of the cabinet and helped herself to some orange juice. Taking a seat at the breakfast nook, she stared out the window and enjoyed the silence. She nearly choked on her juice when Warren entered the kitchen moments later. It wasn’t his presence that jarred her, it was his attire. He was dressed in a T-shirt and the smallest shorts she’d ever seen on a grown man.

“Good morning, kiddo,” he said cheerfully.

Thandie used the back of her hand to wipe juice from her chin. “Where are you going in those?”

“Yoga class.” Warren slapped his spandex-clad bottom. “It keeps me in shape for the young ladies.”

“I thought you were into biking?”

“I gave that up months ago. Yoga instructors are far more attractive.”

“Warren, I don’t think those shorts are legal in public,” she said in what she hoped was a tactful tone. “Or that shirt,” she added, having now noticed it showed several inches of pale midriff.

Warren laughed. “You need to live a little, kiddo.” He grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator and waved. “I’m off.”

“Have a good workout,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Ah!” Warren snapped his fingers. “I just thought of something.” He looked over his shoulder to ensure they were alone before he spoke. “I’m not sure if I warned you earlier, but you’ll want to stay away from the Tower during working hours. It’s reserved for private parties, and they tend to get a little wild up there.”

She groaned.

“Elliot doesn’t allow any female servers up there,” he continued. “Every so often, he has to go to the Tower to make sure they aren’t doing drugs up there.”

“Is that the only reason he goes up there?” she asked skeptically.

Warren laughed. “Of course. Elliot may be a womanizer, but one thing is for sure; he doesn’t party like they do in the Tower.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “He prefers to party in his office, if you know what I mean.”

Not wanting to talk about the Tower anymore, she changed the subject. “Thanks for the heads-up, Warren. You better get to your class.”

He gave a mock salute. “Try not to stare at my ass.”

Thandie giggled. “Go!”

Warren hummed happily to himself as he strolled away. Thandie heard him all the way to the front door. Then he paused and called out, “Did you look?”

Thandie laughed aloud. “Just a little,” she called back.

“I knew it!” he shouted back.

Thandie was still laughing when Len came into the kitchen. “What’s so funny?” she asked sleepily.

“You don’t want to know,” Thandie assured her.

An hour later, Thandie and the girls hovered over their laptops. They’d converted Warren’s living room into work central. Papers, pens and multicolored Post-it notes littered the heavy oak table. Since they were working from home, no one needed to get dressed or bother with makeup. Thandie was drab in a pair of cutoff jeans and Raja was wearing her favorite pair of sweatpants. Len was still in her pajamas.

“Do you think this is going to work?”

“Huh?” Thandie’s head snapped up, realizing she’d been asked a question. “What did you say?”

Len stared at her from over her laptop. “I asked if you thought we could successfully complete everything in this proposal?”

“I don’t see why not. Before Babylon closed for renovations, they had Lady Gaga and Jay-Z perform within the same month.”

“I’m sure they had time to plan those appearances. We’re attempting to lock in A-list stars in a matter of weeks.” Len scrunched up her nose. “Do you really think we can book Nicki Minaj on such short notice?”

“Anything is possible.”

“You always say that,” Len muttered.

“That’s because it’s true.” Thandie returned her attention back to the email she’d been typing. “My conversation with her agent went very well. I see no reason why it won’t work.”

“And if it doesn’t work?” Raja asked.

“Then we’ll move on to plan B,” Thandie replied.

Raja picked up her notepad. “Lil Wayne is hardly a plan B. Why can’t we go after him first?”

“Because, Raja,” Thandie said in a tired voice, “his entourage is large and I’d rather not pay for all of them to travel to Miami and sleep in the most expensive hotel on the strip. We have to consider the budget.” This was twice in as many minutes the girls had questioned her entertainment selections. Her patience was beginning to wear thin.

“Are we sure we can’t get Shaun Cross to perform?” Raja asked in a whiny voice.

Thandie fixed her with an annoyed look. “How many times do I have to tell you we can’t afford Cross? Besides, he’s on tour. He’s unavailable.”

“Sorry,”
Raja muttered to her keyboard. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

Thandie ignored her. “Len, where are we with Guetta?”

Len fumbled through her notes. “We’re still haggling over the price, but it’s going in our favor. It helps that his wife likes you.”

Thandie nodded. Booking David Guetta would be outstanding, but she worried about the cost. The international flights would kill their budget. Thandie had already discovered the challenges of financing her grand plans. The tight budget Elliot had allowed her was a constant source of irritation.

“At least we’ve got Drake booked,” Raja said in an effort to console herself.

“I adore him,” Len chimed in. “I could definitely see myself as the next Mrs. Drake.”

“Is Drake his first name or his last name?” Raja asked to no one in particular.

“Who cares?” Len protested. “He’s gorgeous.”

“Speaking of gorgeous,” Raja whirled on Thandie. “Why didn’t you tell us Elliot was such a hottie?”

The mention of Elliot’s name again, so early in the day, set Thandie’s teeth on edge.

“Now he is
gorgeous,
” Len said dreamily.

“I bet he has a girlfriend for everyday of the week,” Raja said with more certainty than evidence.

“Do you suppose he has an opening on Wednesday?” Len asked in all seriousness.

Raja’s eyes brightened. “Let’s ask Google!”

Thandie had had enough. “Okay, you two,” she said in a warning voice. “Get back to work.”

Len and Raja ducked their heads behind their laptop screens, and began typing furiously on their keypads. The sound of a new email chimed from one of their computers, and then, like five year olds, the sound of the girls’ muffled snickering filled the air. Thandie pinched the bridge of her nose. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Thandie looked down at the Post-it and then back up at the building. The insignia read House of Glow. She was at the right place. According to Adam, it was a popular day spa. She had not asked about the massages. She planned to find out the answer to that question for herself.

Stuffing the slip of paper into the back pocket of her cutoffs, she pushed up her oversize sunglasses farther on her nose, and took a deep breath. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed to be seen going inside the building, she simply didn’t want to be seen period. Her hair was still piled on top of her head and she was still in the clothes she’d been wearing earlier today. Aside from the lip gloss, her face was bare of any cosmetics. She looked like a slob.

She pulled open the front door and was greeted by a pleasant looking receptionist. “Welcome to House of Glow,” she said. “May I help you?”

The front door opened again and a loud voice exclaimed, “Thandie? Thandie Shaw, is that you?”

Thandie froze. Seriously? Was her luck really that bad? Hesitantly, she turned around, following the sound of the voice. That’s when her gaze fell on the petite woman. Her face suddenly brightened. “Day?”

The tiny creature smirked and then gave Thandie a hug and air kisses on either cheek. “I thought that was you. I was having lunch with my cousin next door. I had to come over and make sure.”

Even at full height, she barely reached Thandie’s shoulder. She had to lean down to hug the woman.

Her name was Victoria Day, although most people simply knew her as Day. The product of a Jamaican father and Chinese mother, Day had striking features. With high cheekbones and small slanted eyes, she was quite pretty. Her hair was cut short in a spiky yet very becoming style.

“It’s about time our paths crossed again,” Day said with a bright grin. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see a familiar face down here. How the hell are you?”

Thandie couldn’t help but smile at the small woman. Day had a flair all her own.

“I’m great, Day. How have you been?”

“I’m going out of my mind, as usual. I came down here to create my line in peace and quiet, and I’ve gotten nothing of the sort. The editors from
Vogue
and BHP want a run-through in three weeks. I keep telling them that’s not gonna happen. I’ll slit my wrists before I show my collection ahead of schedule. On top of everything else, I’m sweating bullets trying to secure a location for my show. It’s been one shitstorm after the next. But enough about me. I heard about the breakup with Cam. Sorry to hear it.”

“How did you know about that?” Thandie asked, surprised news traveled so widely.

Day’s brow hiked up. “Nothing is sacred anymore.”

“I guess not,” Thandie said with a frown.

“And that business at Fashion Week,” she wagged her finger and made a tsking sound. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

Thandie gasped. “You heard about that, too? But how?”

“Don’t worry, girl. I only listen to gossip. I don’t spread it.”

“Gage—” Thandie breathed.

“She’d never,” Day promised. “I have other sources.”

“Like?”

“Cam’s girlfriend. ”

“They’re still together?” Thandie asked, too shocked to play coy.

“Do you care?”

Thandie shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. She was happy for Cam, but shocked his relationship had survived the incident.

“FYI. She doesn’t want you within a mile of Cam,” Day warned her. “But can you blame her?”

“No, not really,” Thandie said with a sigh.

“Enough about this bleak drama. Negative energy isn’t good for the soul.” Day pulled a small bottle from her purse and sprayed something into the air. “It’s only water,” she explained. “But I feel as though it cleanses the air.” She quickly tucked the bottle away. “What on earth are you doing in Miami?”

Thandie smiled to herself. Day had not changed one bit. “I’m here for work. I’m promoting a club on the strip.”

“Oh? Which one?”

“Club Babylon.”

“That’s Elliot Richards’s club, right?”

Thandie nodded. “Have you been there before?”

“Oh, no,” Day said with wave of her hand. “I don’t have time to go to clubs with my work and all. I’ve met Elliot before, but only in passing. I’m sure he wouldn’t remember me, but—” she wiggled her brows “—I sure remember him.” She laughed. “At any rate, everyone has heard of Elliot Richards around here. The local papers treat him like royalty. It’s obnoxious.” Day looked around the waiting room, as if just realizing where they were. “What are you doing in here?”

“I’m looked for a good masseur.”

“Don’t come here. This place is fuckin’ awful!”

The receptionist, whom they’d both forgotten about, sniffed at this.

Day ignored her. “You need Fernando. He works over at Blu Moon. He’s phenomenal.” She snatched up a business card from the reception desk, flipped it over and jotted down a number. “Tell them Day sent you. They’ll treat you like a queen.” Thrusting the card at Thandie, Day checked her watch. “Yikes, I have to go. I’m interviewing an intern.” She leaned up on her tiptoes and commenced to shower Thandie’s face with air kisses. “Give me a call. You have my number.”

She sailed out, pushing the front door wide, so that it inadvertently banged against the wall, before slamming shut. Her spiked heels could be heard snapping loudly against the sidewalk.

Day’s whirlwind arrival and abrupt exit left the spa deathly quiet. Thandie smiled uncomfortably at the receptionist. Her smile was not warmly received. Sensing retreat was her best option, Thandie eased out of the building.

* * *

“Are you listening to me?”

“Not particularly,” Elliot confessed. He continued to stare out the glass wall of his office. It allowed him a perfect view of the arena floor.

He was not yet ready to admit to himself he was looking for her. He’d known there would be little chance of her coming to him. She’d run from him like a frightened cat last night. It brought a smile to his lips each time he recalled the memory. He’d enjoyed making her react to him. It had been the most delicious game.

However, it had not come without a cost. His humor was quickly replaced when he considered how soft she’d felt beneath him. The weight of her breast in his hand and the slickness of her thighs...he wanted more of her. Now that he’d sampled her, he wanted to devour her. Perhaps it was curiosity. Or perhaps it was for the simple matter she had not completely succumbed to him. But she would come to him. Preferably on her hands and knees, begging for him. The idea made him laugh softly to himself. Begging. Yes, he would make her beg for him.

“What’s so funny?”

“A joke,” Elliot said over his shoulder. “A private joke.”

Nico smirked. “Keep your jokes. We both know you have no sense of humor.”

Elliot grinned. “What did you say earlier?”

“Now you’re ready to listen?”

“Nico, spit it out.”

“I said I’ve decided to fuel up the plane and take a trip. I need a break.”

“You don’t work, Nico. What exactly are you taking a break from?”

“Life, I suppose. It’s become quite mundane. You should join me.”

“I have a job,” Elliot reminded him. “I can’t be away.”

“It’ll be a short trip,” Nico assured him.

“That’s what you said last August.”