Beyond the Velvet Rope (33 page)

But now he was back to the Elliot she knew.

“Fuck this,” he grunted. “We’re not talking about this anymore.” He stood and ran his hand through his hair, paused for a moment and then stared at her, his controlling calm now masterfully restored. “We’re never going to talk about it again, understood?” When she nodded, he slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Now take off your dress for me.”

She was momentarily dumbstruck. Was this his way of dealing with his issues? Did he use sex as a way of creating a barrier around himself? Was this the way he kept people out, using his enormous sex appeal to control them? If so, how did anyone ever get close to him? Was Elliot even capable of letting someone in? Was he so haunted by his past he saw nothing desirable in compassion or love?

She wanted to understand him. She wanted to break through that cool shell he’d spent years erecting. She wanted to be the person to see him completely naked of his arrogant control.

She wanted him. And more importantly, she wanted him to want her.

She slid off his suit jacket before coming to her feet. Thandie held his gaze as her fingers slowly undid the buttons at the back of the dress. His gaze became heated with her progression. When the gown was loose enough, she pulled her arms free of the lacy sleeves. The dress slithered down her legs and cascaded onto the cushions. She was completely naked. A gust of air tousled her hair, causing it to splay over her bare shoulders.

It had become darker while they’d talked. The sky was a cloudless blanket of black velvet. The South Beach shore glowed brightly against the dark heavens. With her back facing the shoreline, Thandie knew her body was outlined in shadows. However, Elliot’s face was lit. In his eyes, she could see the depth of his sexual desire. It was so raw and voracious, it seemed to settle around him like steam.

Stepping toward her, Elliot cupped either side of her face and lowered his lips to hers. The kiss was deep and passionate. His mouth was warm to the touch, his tongue eager to taste. Thandie leaned into him, wanted to give him everything his kiss demanded of her. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pressed forward, her curves molding to the wide planes of his body. Her thighs cupped his sex, which was now hard and prominent.

When Thandie nipped at his lower lip, a low rumble shook his chest. His large strong hands glided over her shoulders, down the smooth surface of her back, past the slope of her waist, and lower still. He cupped her bottom in his hands, squeezed greedily. His palms grasped, pressed, smacked and hugged her lush flesh with impatient admiration. Clutching her bottom, he pulled her up and against him. Her legs wrapped easily around his waist.

Still kissing her, Elliot made steps toward the door leading to below the cabin. Well-acquainted with the layout of his boat, he navigated the steps, crossed the plush living area, and walked directly into the owner’s suite. A large bed awaited them. Elliot laid her down on the downy covering, his body quickly covering hers. For long minutes they delighted themselves with ardent kisses, breathless moans and intimate caresses. Finally, Elliot pulled his head back and looked down on her. Her lips were puffy from their kisses and her eyes were glassy with lust.

“You feel so good,” he murmured. “And so warm.” He leaned forward to let his mouth barely brush against hers. “You have a long night ahead of you,” he whispered against her lips.

“So do you,” she whispered back.

He chuckled as he eased himself off the bed. He stared at her lovely nakedness, enjoying the rise and fall of her breasts and their puckered nipples. Slowly, he pulled his tie free, and began to unbutton his shirt. “Do you know why I brought you on the boat tonight?” he asked.

With her eyes transfixed on the sliver of flesh he was revealing with the freeing of each button, Thandie was able to do little else than shake her head. The sight of his flawless skin pulled tightly over firm stomach muscles caused Thandie to sink her teeth into her bottom lip to stop from moaning. She rubbed her legs together in anticipation.

Letting his shirt fall to the floor, Elliot placed his hands on his hips and gazed down at her. “I brought you out here, because I don’t want anyone but me to hear you scream when you come.”

He began to unzip his pants.

Chapter Twenty-One

T
handie awoke to the warmth of Elliot’s arms wrapped around her. Beneath her, the boat swayed gently, lulling her to go back to sleep.

Last night had been wonderful. Elliot’s lovemaking had been slow, exact and exhausting. He’d been gentle and attentive to her every need. Having worked up quite an appetite, they devoured the food Lucinda had prepared. Once sated, they returned to exploring each other’s bodies.

Thandie’s breasts and inner thighs were still raw from whisker burns. Her cheeks were still sore from sucking Elliot’s cock with ravenous abandonment. The memory of it made her mouth water with the desire to do it again.

She knew instantly when he stirred beside her. Elliot flinched, made a faint sound, and then pulled himself up to lean on his elbow. He squinted his eyes against the sunlight streaming into the cabin, and then looked down at her. Thandie’s stomach erupted with butterflies. Even early in the morning, he was magnificent. His mussed hair fell in lazy locks over his forehead. Combined with his intense gray eyes and kissable lips, Thandie thought she was in heaven.

Wordlessly, he pulled her beneath him, parted her legs and eased himself inside her. He gave a groan of pleasure when he sank into her wetness. His cock jumped, lengthened, and then instinct took over. They moved against each other slowly and fervently. Each thrust met one of equal strength and desire. Hot kisses stamped their lips, necks and shoulders. It did not take long before they were quivering and gasping for breath. Spent and sweaty, they collapsed onto the bed. Elliot pulled her against his chest while they slowly came back to Earth.

They might have lain there longer had not Elliot’s phone begun vibrating insistently. He ignored the first call, but it was immediately followed by another. And then another. And then another after that.

Their quiet refuge now disrupted, Elliot rolled onto his back and began taking calls.

With the day upon them, Elliot and Thandie began gathering their things. They shared a shower and changed into clean clothes. With no clothes to change into, Thandie rummaged through Elliot’s dresser drawers. She pulled on a faded University of Miami T-shirt and a pair of his boxer shorts. Finding her lack of bra or panties convenient, Elliot kept his hands busy on the boat ride back to the house. It was early and the house looked tranquil in the morning light.

After depositing the food containers into the galley sink, they walked hand in hand toward the house. In the foyer, Elliot gave Thandie one last mind-numbing kiss before handing her the gown she’d worn the night before and heading to his wing of the house.

Thandie drifted up the staircase and down the hall to her room on a cloud of bliss. Her bed seemed highly inadequate compared to the one she’d shared with Elliot. Any bed with Elliot was desired over one without him. She wondered what he was doing right this very minute. Was he thinking about her? Shaking her head over her silly schoolgirl thoughts, Thandie climbed into the bed. Releasing a satisfied sigh, she laid her head down on the pillow.

* * *

No sooner had she closed her eyes, her phone began vibrating. Picking it up, she checked the time. She did a double take. Thandie had been asleep for two hours. She could hardly believe it. Still wheeling over the time lapse, she answered the phone. Romero’s haughty voice greeted her.

“My employer would like to see you immediately.” His voice did not exude friendliness.

“Employer?” she asked dumbly, still waking up.

“Elliot,” he said slowly. “How soon can you come to the club?”

“Er, an hour.” she guessed. “Is something wrong?”

“I’d advise you to check the latest issue of
Look,
” he said in answer. “In the meantime, I will advise Elliot of your ETA.”

Thandie opened her mouth and then closed it. If she’d had a question, it was pointless to ask it now. Romero had already hung up.
Geez,
she disliked him.

Sliding out of bed, she hurriedly washed up. While brushing her teeth, she searched the internet from her phone. She saw nothing out of the ordinary. Whatever Romero was concerned about was apparently so fresh it had not been updated to the magazine’s website.

Deciding to go straight to the source, Thandie called Mira’s office number. She’d hoped to ease herself back into the woman’s good graces before the woman retaliated. Obviously, she’d been beaten to the punch.

The call was answered on the fifth ring. A chipper voice announced she’d reached Mira Dietrich’s office. When Thandie gave her name and insisted she be put through, the young secretary was not ruffled by Thandie’s tone. In fact, she sounded like she’d been expecting her call.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Shaw, but Mira is not in the office at the moment. She’s out for a late lunch.”

Without even having to ask, the woman gave Thandie the name of the restaurant and the address.

Checking the time, Thandie dressed quickly, grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

It took only fifteen minutes to get to the bistro. Thandie handed the valet her car keys and strolled into the restaurant. She spotted Mira seated on the back patio. Dressed in all black and puffing a cigarette, she looked about as friendly as a shark.

Sunlight glinted off Mira’s thick glasses when she looked up to watch Thandie approach her table. The paper-like creases of her face pulled back into a semblance of a smile. She’d been waiting for Thandie like a spider patiently waiting for prey to wander into its trap.

When Thandie was seated in the chair opposite her, Mira handed her a folded newspaper. “We’re running the story in our gossip column today.”

Thandie’s brow rose suspiciously.

In response, Mira shrugged her boney shoulders. “Consider yourself fortunate. I should be given a damn Nobel Prize for this act of generosity.”

Taking the paper from Mira’s outstretched hand, Thandie read the article slowly.

* * *

Randall out...Richards in.

Elliot Richards and new girlfriend, Thandie Shaw, were recently spotted together at last night’s movie screening of
Dread Commission: Ghost File
. Shaw, recently known for her public affair with actor Ruark Randall, has apparently stolen the heart of Miami’s own Elliot Richards. Will Shaw treat Richards better than her last love? Or will she dump him for the next celebrity stud that crosses her path? The
Look
will keep you posted.

* * *

Stunned by the assault, Thandie’s eyes rolled up to the picture above the article. It was a photo of her and Elliot at the
Dread
event the previous night. He was holding her hand, guiding her down the red carpet. He looked handsome as always, grinning that wicked smile he was famous for. Thandie nearly gasped at her own image. She wasn’t smiling. She appeared to be pouting and extremely smug. She looked like a snob. For added appeal, a screen shot of Ruark Randall dressed as his TV personality, was positioned in a small box right next to her head. His expression implied deep sadness.

Appalled, Thandie threw down the paper. “This is bullshit, Mira. You can’t possibly be serious about printing this story.”

Mira, unfazed, flipped her cigarette with a fluid motion. “This is how you thank me?”

“Thank you? Exactly why should I be thanking you?”

Mira rolled her eyes. “I’m preparing you for my slam.”

“Why in the world are you slamming me in the first place? I’m your business associate.”

Shaking her head, Mira said, “You’re also news,” she said sensibly. “And news sells papers.”

“I’m not news,” Thandie defended. “If you’re going to print nonsense, the least you could do is focus on Elliot. I’m promoting his club, not my personal life.”

“Wake up, Thandie,” Mira snapped. “I’ve been printing Elliot’s affairs for years. Don’t convince yourself for a second this story makes you special. The only reason people remember your name is because you locked lips with Ruark Randall. You want to bring attention to Richards? Well, you did. You’re both in the picture, aren’t you? We spelled his name right, didn’t we? Get over yourself. Any news is good news. In another week, Elliot will be spotted in public with some pretty model hanging on his arm. She’ll be prettier than you and much younger. Suck it up, for heaven’s sake. This is business, not playground antics. You should know better than that.”

* * *

On the drive to the club, Thandie had been trying to think of a way to spin the
Look
story in their favor. So far, she was coming up blank. When she pulled up to Babylon, she was still stumped. It was hours before the club was scheduled to open for business. In the evening sun, the exterior of Club Babylon looked rather modest. A drastic difference from its nighttime appearance.

Pushing through the entrance, she glanced up at Elliot’s office. The door was closed; a good sign he was in a meeting. She actually gave a sigh of relief. That is, until Michelle saw her. He smiled and waved her forward. Thandie had no choice but to follow.

Pushing the door open, Thandie could see there was indeed a meeting in progress. Elliot was standing in front of his desk, addressing the group. Adam, Markie, Ed, the accountant and Tom were seated in the couches hanging on to his every word. Romero lounged in the corner, busily hovering over his cell phone. The motion of the door opening caused them all to turn in her direction.

Focusing her gaze on Elliot, Thandie was surprised by what she found. He did not radiate the warmth and passion he’d shown her hours before. His face was impassive, and his eyes were distant. He was all business, and noticeably annoyed.

“Let’s take a break,” he announced to his audience. “We’ll reconvene in an hour.”

The group gathered their things and slowly stood. None of the men had crossed the threshold before Elliot lit into Thandie.

“What the hell is this?” he asked cooly. He held up a fresh copy of
Look
. Even from a distance, Thandie could see outlines of their images in full color. As if disgusted, Elliot tossed the paper onto his desk. “I don’t want gossip to be the only news I’m generating,” he informed. “I own three of the hottest clubs on the strip and the best
Look
could report is who I escort around town? This is bullshit, Thandie.”

Thandie waited until the last man left the office before saying, “I agree with you.”

“So you’ll yell at Mira?”

“I already have.”

“Do it again,” he quipped.

She approached him, placing her purse and planner into a chair, ready to make her argument. “Perhaps it’s time we revisit the camera policy again.” The instant the words left her mouth, she knew she’d lost his interest. She rushed on. “If we could give Mira something to sink her teeth into, feed her curiosity about what goes on here during business hours, she may be appeased enough to give us some slack.”

“No.” It was said with finality.

Thandie knew there was no point in pressing the matter, at least not for the moment. She decided to pick up the original conversation. Pointing at the
Look
article, she said, “This not necessarily a bad thing,” she said reasonably. “You have to look at this from a publicity point of view. The more people see you, the better. This is free press, Elliot, on a relatively slow week. We should be so lucky.”

“So you say.”

She wasn’t exactly sure if he agreed with her or not. In an effort to satisfy him, she added, “I’ll talk to Mira again.”

He gave a curt nod.

“Is there anything else?” she asked.

“No.” He shook his head, although he was already preoccupied with scanning another article in the newspaper. “That’s all,” he said quietly, having already mentally excused her from the room.

Thandie fumbled with pushing her planner back into her oversize purse. She was desperate to get away from him. His moods were so erratic, she couldn’t begin to understand him.

Pulling her purse onto her shoulder, she was mid-step in taking her leave when his arm circled her waist and pulled her close. She found herself staring at his chest, his lips grazing her ear.

“I had a great time last night,” he said. “Wear something sexy tonight. Just for me.” As suddenly as he’d ensnared her, his hold vanished.

* * *

After enduring a painfully long and very strained phone call with Mira, Thandie and the girls spent the remainder of the day finalizing plans for the fashion show and confirming travel arrangements for upcoming club performers. By the time they were done working for the day, it was time to get dressed for the evening.

Tonight, Len and Raja weren’t the only ones employing great care in their appearances. Twice Thandie had changed her mind about what to wear. She felt a certain amount of pressure to impress Elliot. Regardless whether he was still upset over Mira slamming them in the paper, Thandie wanted to look desirable tonight. But not too overdone. Thus her indecision over what to wear. Frustrated, she selected a shimmering backless mini dress, but played down her hair and makeup.

When everyone was finally ready, they piled into the car and headed for the strip. The streets were crowded with avid partygoers dressed in brightly colored outfits. Len and Raja prattled nonstop about organizing a trip to Key West.

There were a small number of photographers milling about in front of the club. Having become familiar with her vehicle, they positioned themselves as soon as she pulled up. Thandie leaped from the car and hastened toward the club entrance. Seeing her approach, Tiny lifted the velvet rope and waved her forward.

Thandie, Raja and Len weaved their way through the crowd, smiling and greeting guests as they went. They eventually arrived at the VIP level. Warren Radcliffe could be seen seated at one of the tables surrounded by women half his age. He was holding a bottle of champagne, laughing as he filled the ladies’ flutes to the brim. Len and Raja made their way to his table.

Left alone, Thandie looked around the room, observing the well-dressed crowd. She spotted Adam leaning over the bar, talking to a waitress. He turned around, scanned the faces, and seeing Thandie, Adam made his way to her side.