Deadly In Stilettos (15 page)

             
Demi could not get inside her suite fast enough. She fell onto the large bed, burying her face in the soft pillows. She was overjoyed. Never had she felt that much chemistry with anyone, other than Makei. She liked the feelings she’d had with Greg and didn’t want them to go away. If she could no longer have Makei in her life, Greg would be the perfect second.

             
Her phone rang, and Demi jumped back into reality.

             
Thinking it was the person who’d been threatening her, Demi quickly picked up the phone, ready to go to war. When she recognized the deep, sexy voice on the other end, she melted all over again. It was Greg.

             
“I just couldn’t wait to hear your voice again,” he said. “I hope I’m not coming on too strong, but I just could not help myself. I had to taste your sweet lips.”

             
Demi did not know what to say, so she just listened.

             
“When can I see you again?” he asked. The same question was on her mind. He was leaving everything up to her. “We can have dinner tonight at Justin’s, if you’re free? I would really love to see you again too.”

             
“Perfect! Shall I pick you up, send a car for you, or would you like to meet there?”

             
Demi had a few things to take care of, so she decided it would be best to meet at the restaurant. He agreed, but said they could at least share a car from the restaurant back to the hotel. His tone made it sound as if he was hoping they’d be sharing more than a car that night.

             
They agreed to meet at eight. Demi called Tabitha to tell her everything. Tabi was happy for her as always, but told her to be cautious. They chatted about a few other things before hanging up.

             
Just as Demi was about to take a nap, the hotel phone rang again. It was Laurel. They talked about what happened the night before, and promised to get together again soon, with less drama. Laurel was an amazing woman, Demi thought as she listened to her talk. Enry was extremely lucky to have found her. She would make sure he went quickly. She only hoped Laurel found someone else who truly deserved her after he was out of the picture. Laurel also invited Demi to dinner at her parents’ home, but because she and Greg already had dinner plans, she declined and asked for a rain check.

“Sure thing, Demi, I understand. Go have a great time. We
can do it tomorrow night if that works better. I really want to meet with you, introduce you to my parents, and just get to know you better. I also have a business proposition for you.”

Demi agreed, knowing deep down that something more would transpire. “Would you mind if I bring a date?” Thinking of spending another night with Greg clouded her mind,
but she wanted to be with him. She only hoped that he didn’t already have plans.

“Sure thing,” Laurel said, sounding surprised yet excited to meet Demi’s mystery guy. Demi wondered if Laurel still thought she had feelings for Enry. She had a suspicion that
Laurel was playing some sort of game and wanted Demi to be a part of it. She would not play along, though. She would be polite as long as she needed to be, nothing more. Enry was her main reason for being in New York. No one was going to make her forgot that.

Other than Greg and Tabitha, Demi had no intentions of spending time with anyone else during her stay. She needed to focus her thoughts on how to get Enry alone so she could carry out her mission. Of course, she would attend dinner tomorrow night, tha
nk Laurel for a great time, and part ways with the other woman. If they kept in touch, that would be great. If not, so be it. Laurel Cordwright had better not try to manipulate her, or she too would become another name to cross off her list.

Maybe subjecti
ng Greg to that side of her was not such a good idea, Demi pondered. If she had to do something drastic at dinner and then make a quick getaway, she did not want Greg anywhere around. On second thought, if she brought Greg, Enry was sure to get the picture once and for good. He would know there would never be anything between them ever again. Dinner at the Cordwright’s was turning out to be something to look forward to.

Demi smiled, think
ing of Greg’s soft lips. She touched her own reliving the kiss they shared. She still felt tingles between her inner things just thinking of the way he had conquered her lips with his, raping her mouth beyond words.

Greg Stanley was making a lasting impression on her, but Demi was no fool. S
he would find out what she could about him before allowing him more access to her life. If he was truly genuine, maybe they could have something special. If he had a devious agenda, that would cause her heartache, it would then cause him a great deal of pain. His name would become a part of her deadly list without hesitation or regret.

Chapter 10

             
DINNER WITH Greg was amazing, Demi thought as she watched his lips kiss the rim of his glass. She wished she could be the liquid going down his throat at that very moment. As if he knew how just looking at his mouth was affecting her, he licked his lips slow and sexy, back and forth. Demi grabbed her chest as her heart pounded wildly. She almost coughed when she tried taking a sip from her drink.

             
Before dessert arrived Demi asked Greg to join her for the dinner party the next night at the Cordwright’s. He accepted, glad she wanted to spend another evening with him. He was also glad he was not the only one feeling the energy soaring between them. Greg had dated a lot of women in the past, but none of them held a candle to the woman sitting across the table from him. Deminis Bradshaw had a way about her that he could not get out of his head. Whenever he thought of her, he smiled, counting the minutes until he would see her again. This was so different from his last relationship with a woman named Anya. That had been scary, because she was obsessed with him. She always happened to be anywhere he went, even when he visited his mother’s grave. Anya made the women from Fatal Attraction and Obsessed look sane.

             
Greg later found out that Anya suffered from a rare mental condition that caused her to think she led other people’s lives. One day when he got home from work, Anya was in his bathroom, her wrists slit open from an attempted suicide. The emergency room doctor told him that if he had been ten minutes late getting her to the hospital, she would have died. Most people who tried committing suicide by slitting their wrists cut the wrong way. The act was more a cry for help. Anya, though, knew the exact way to cut to get the job done. She’d done it only days after he’d ended their relationship because she had completely crossed the line.

             
Greg had gone to visit his mother’s grave, as he always did on Mondays. That particular day when he walked into the private vault something was different. When he saw Anya standing in front of the place where his mother’s coffin had been. Greg was horrified. She removed his mother’s coffin and replaced it with one her herself. His father purchased the vault so they would all be together. His father’s casket was supposed to go above his mother’s, his to the right of hers, and his sister’s next to their father’s. There were also places for future spouses and children.

             
Anya told Greg that she wanted to be with him even in death. She put her name were his mother’s had been just the week before. Greg had not understood how sick Anya was until that day. He called the police, pressing charges against her. He also wanted to have a paper trail on file in case he had to take her crazy ass out. Since that day, Greg vowed he would never date another woman without becoming friend first, and here he was with Demi, falling head over heels. He hoped their relationship would turn out to be normal. Little did he know that their relationship would be anything but that, because at that moment Anya Bankston was watching them both, plotting her revenge against them.

             
She smiled, her dark sunglasses concealing the look of rage in her eyes. Why did Deminis Bradshaw always get everything she wanted? Greg Stanley had been the love of Anya’s life, and here he was in New York City at the famous Justin’s restaurant, sitting with the woman she despised most in the world. Anya shifted in her seat, trying to control her emotions. She was out of her medication, and did not need any episodes. Soon she would be back in Dallas. She had to keep it together until then. Her plan depended on it. Following Demi around was a great idea—it led her to Greg. Since she tried killing herself that day in his house, and removing his mother’s name from her grave, Anya had not seen or heard from him.

             
Demi and Greg laughed and talked like old lovers. He told her that even though they would be going their separate ways in a few days, he wanted to continue their new relationship. Whatever it took for them to be together, he was more than willing to try.

             
“Demi,” he said, “do you mind if I get serious for a minute? I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with a way to continue to get to know you better, to see you on a regular basis when we go back to our separate lives. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to see each other? I’m constantly thinking of you and I do not want that to change. Since the first time I heard your voice, I wanted to love you. Now that I’ve found you, I don’t want to let you go. Even if we never become more than friends, I will cherish our friendship daily, forever.”

             
Demi could not believe what she was hearing, but she loved every word of it. Of course, she would do anything to be with Greg, even if that meant returning to Dallas and facing her painful memories of her past. But she just could not get the thought of Makei out of her head. Why was he causing havoc in her life even from the grave? Maybe he was warning her that something was not right about Greg. Demi suddenly did not feel certain about allowing anything more to happen between her and Greg. On the other hand, why not do as he suggested and finally be happy? What more did she have to lose? Life had already dealt her a handful of terrible cards. Why not play the ones she had left, with the possibility of gaining a royal flush? What harm could it do? Demi said she would, and Greg reached out to take her hands. He was the happiest man on earth, with the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on sitting next to him. She smiled at him, but then she looked passed him and her smile faded.

             
Greg followed Demi’s eyes to see what caused her sudden change in expression. He saw Enry Williams walk into the restaurant with a gorgeous brunette on his arm. He was walking over to their table with a big smirk on his face. Greg looked from her to Enry, wondering what the connection between them was.

             
Enry Williams was one of the reasons he was in New York. A few months ago in Dallas, Enry had defended a big-time drug dealer, who got off free and clear of all charges in a murder case. Greg wanted to find some incriminating evidence against the attorney who’d defended him and see justice prevail one way or the other. He knew the man was guilty of the murder, but needed solid evidence to get the ruling overturned. Greg also wanted to see that cold-hearted bastard, Enry Williams, go down too. He was sick and tired of people like Enry, who became a member of the justice system, only to take advantage of it for their own personal gain. Demi watched with loathing as Enry reached their table. If she could have taken him out right then and there, she would have.