Inside the Lines: Without a Trace series, a contemporary erotic romance novel (26 page)

My brother’s skepticism around romantic commitments is legendary, though I know he likes Evan. The guy’s nice enough, a sweetheart really, and a good submissive to her dominant preferences. But he’s not who I thought she’d end up with somehow.

“My lovelies, I’ve arrived. Where’s my party?” Lux waltzes in our front door, decked out for the night in patent leather pants and a crimson corset, her jet-black hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Did I mention she’s a professional Dominatrix?

“Your party is about to start, Lulu,” Noah greets, standing to buss her cheek and using his pet name for her.

“Any chance my favorite writer is joining us?” Lux pulls me out of my chair and hugs me, enveloping me in her soft, sensual fragrance.

I squeeze her back. “I wish I could. But alas, I have to work. Someone’s gotta keep this business going.” I wink at Noah, and he grabs his chest.

“I’m injured, dear sister. How could you say such a thing?” He slaps his laptop shut and reaches for his leather jacket. “I fear I’ll need several libations to salve my wounded soul.”

I roll my eyes at his drama. “Please. Some pretty young thing will do the job just as well.”

“Very good point,” he agrees, slinging an arm around my shoulders. “Sure we can’t change your mind?”

“Evan’s going to meet us there,” Lux interjects. “And we’ll no doubt need someone to keep your brother’s seat warm between trysts.”

Noah grins, perfectly happy with his reputation as a Don Juan.

“Nope. Already told Mr. Crane I’d be there at eight. So you two go. Tell Evan I said hi. And Lux, try to keep my brother out of too much trouble. I’d rather we not have a repeat of last weekend.” I give my brother a pointed look.

Noah’s grin fades a bit, and Lux winks at me. “I’ll do my best, but he’s your gene pool, darling. I have a feeling ‘trouble’ is in your blood.”

I snort as they close the door. If that’s the case, it certainly skipped over my DNA. I’m the furthest from trouble you can find.

I miss them as soon as the door closes behind them. They’re probably heading out to Noah’s favorite haunt, East-West. I’m pretty sure the bartender knows them on sight: Lux isn’t exactly forgettable with her viper sexuality. And while Noah’s my brother, I haven’t missed the fact that he’s hot with his dark curls and easy smile.

I’ve gone out with him and Lux often enough to know how these things go, and I love them both dearly. But I’m over the whole midweek night out. Because the three of us work non-traditional work schedules, Noah and Lux are convinced we must take full advantage of it on a regular basis.

As I pack my cross body bag and double-check my makeup, my shadowed gaze reminds me again why I stopped “partying.” A broken heart doesn’t make for boisterous company.

Ian Crane lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, not far from, thankfully, the subway stop. One track was closed down, so I had to change trains three times just to get here. I left early enough that I’m just barely on time. I take the steps up to the front entrance, and the door opens as I’m cresting the last stair.

It’s a good thing I’d already established my footing on the landing, as otherwise I might have tripped. One of the most stunning men I’ve ever seen stands before me: deep gold, too-long hair brushes his wide jaw in a way that you typically see in magazines, a perfectly cut suit sets off his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and dear God, all I can think is that Adonis must have been reincarnated into this man.

“Mr.—” My mind goes blank, and I have to stare down at the folder in my hands to read his name. “Crane?”

“Ian, please. You must be Ella Storm.” He holds the door wide, beckoning me inside. “Come in.”

Even his voice is sexy, with a deep, rich tone that makes me think he could read the dictionary, and I would want to listen.

His house is...well, let’s just say, my Brooklyn apartment could fit in here five times and still have room left over. The rooms are spacious, well designed, and modern.

“You needed to see where we’re going to have dinner, right?” He quirks an eyebrow at me.

The problem with incredibly good-looking guys is that I can barely function around them. I find my tongue and push the words out. “Yes—sorry.” I pause, searching for something to say. “You have a beautiful home.”

“Thanks.” He meets my gaze with a warm smile, and I drop my eyes to my folder. I just have to get through this without embarrassing myself, like, say, slobbering over our new client.

He guides me to the dining area in the open floor plan, showing me how he hopes everyone can be seated, and yet still take part in the show.

We’re used to working in typical New York City apartments: cramped, over-loaded with furniture, with little room to set up props. I say as much to him. “This will feel like we’re on a Broadway stage.”

With a grin, he offers me a seat so we can go over the itinerary. While his party isn’t for another two weeks, I like to make sure all the details are in place long before the actual date. We’re halfway through the food selections when he reaches for my hand. “This is stunning,” he comments as he lightly rests his fingers on my knuckle.

The touch surprises me, and I swear, I can feel the electricity crackle between us. My cheeks flare with heat as I extend my hand so he can admire my ring. The wide, white gold band holds a chocolate diamond, the stark design softened with curved edges and a slightly buffed finish. “Thanks. It was my mom’s wedding ring.”

His eyes turn knowing. “Was?” When I nod, something in my expression must give me away. “I’m sorry. I lost my dad not too long ago.”

“Then I’m sorry as well.”

With a strange expression, he stands. “Can I show you something?”

“Of course.”

“It’s upstairs, if that’s okay.”

“The actors will need to get dressed somewhere,” I point out as I follow him towards the stairs in the center of the room, the only divider between the dining and living room area.

He leads me to a small room just off the steps. The interior has been softened with muted plum paint and comfortable furnishings. A large desk butts up to an expansive window overlooking the back courtyard, and to the right hangs a framed comic book.

“This was my dad’s.”

I lean closer. “
The Amazing Spiderman
. Oh, it’s the first issue.” The edges are ruffled a bit from wear, and the ink has long since faded to a patina of washed out shades.

“It’s my prize possession. My dad gave it to me when I was eight, and I’ve loved Spiderman ever since.” His smile turns shy at his admission. “I have a lot of my dad’s things, of course. But this...well, I’m guessing it’s a bit like your ring.”

I smile, appreciating his sensitivity. “Both my parents died when I was twelve. My brother was eleven. It was a car accident, drunk driver...you know the drill.”

His eyes widen in sympathy. “God, I’m sorry. That had to be impossible. My dad passed a couple of years ago. One day he was fine, and the next day, he was gone. Heart attack.”

It’s a odd thing, the connection that shared sorrow offers. One moment you’re strangers, and the next, you have some intangible link that brushes aside the unknown and allows deeper communication.

“What about your mom?”

“She’s actually doing pretty good, now. I didn’t know if she’d bounce back. No relationship is perfect, but they were one of those couples that just ‘got’ each other, you know?”

I nod. “I do.”

“She finally met someone—they just got married a few months ago.

“That’s great that she was able to find someone again.”

“I’m happy for her. And he’s a great guy. Nothing like my dad, though, which...I don’t know why I’m telling you this.” He offers a wry grin. “I actually just got home from work. Must be the hunger talking.”

I check my watch. “I’m sorry to keep you. It’s getting late. Let me just show you one more thing…”

He touches my arm lightly as I step towards the door, and when I turn around, there’s something in his expression that makes my insides curl with desire.

“Are you hungry?”

“Um...” I stall, not sure what to say. While I’ve had a client or two try to ask me out, I’ve never wanted to say yes...until now. Aren’t there business rules about that somewhere? Still, I’m tempted. But I take the smart way out. “I haven’t eaten yet, but I’m going to grab something on my way h—”

“There’s a sushi place just around the corner. We could finish going over whatever it is we need to there, couldn’t we?”

I’m not sure how we got from dead parents to eating raw fish, and I’m fumbling for an answer. “I guess we could. I—”

His smile widens, interrupting my train of thought. The man’s got teeth worthy of a toothpaste commercial.

Within minutes I find myself ensconced in a dimly lit restaurant, a cup of sake in hand, and a delicious man across from me. I really wish I would have worn my dress pants and high heels, as I’m pretty sure I caught Ian checking out my ass as I shed my coat when we reached our table. He was careful to meet my gaze when I sat down, though, so I’m not sure. I could be imagining it.

Don’t get me wrong: I know I’m not bad to look at. I won’t win any beauty pageants, mind you, but I have a symmetrical face, dark brown, curly hair, and typical, Midwest features. I’m what most people refer to as “cute” or “pretty.” Never gorgeous or stunning, like they say about Lux. I carry a bit too much weight in my thighs, and despite my efforts at Victoria’s Secret, no pushup bra is going to make my B-cups into Ds. Still, I find myself warming inside at his possible notice.

Probably has something to do with the long swig of sake I just imbibed though, too.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” he asks after we’ve discussed the last of the plans for his party on Saturday.

His query surprises me, but I nod, curious what he might ask.

“How did you get the idea to start something like this?” He gestures to the folder between us, enclosing his event details. “This is brilliant, but—forgive me if this is presumptuous—you seem very young to have committed to something this...” He struggles for words.

“Adult?” I grin when he looks uncomfortable. “It’s okay. You aren’t the first person to ask me that. I just look young.” I toy with the napkin on my lap. “I’m actually twenty-seven, and this is kind of...a brain child between me and my brother. His idea, really, but we both fell in love with it.”

He appears interested, so I keep going. “We were in college—our last year.”

“You’re twins?”

I shake my head. “We’re a year apart, but after our parents died...well, we’ve always been really close. So I waited to start college. We both wanted to go to NYU, and the expense of staying on campus...well, it just made sense for us to do it together.” The explanation has become so pat, even I believe it.

“And you loved the city enough to stay, eh?” His sherry-colored eyes never stray from my face, and the attention heats my cheeks.

“Noah loves it here. He felt like he came home when we arrived. And I like it.”

He chuckles. “But you don’t love it.”

“I don’t. But I’m thankful I’m here. Where else could I start a business like this and have it be this successful in such a short time? Don’t get me wrong—we’ve been working on Elementary for years now. We had the idea when we were in our last year of college, but it was a huge undertaking. We’ve only been officially ‘in business’ for the last two years, and my brother and I were able to quit our other jobs not quite a year ago so we could focus on this one hundred percent.” I’m not sure if I should be telling a client this, but it tumbles out before I can stop it, and the admiration in his gaze makes my insides tingle a bit. Outside of Lux and the people who work for and with us, I don’t often get to gush about my pride and joy.

“You work out of your home?”

“Most of the time I work out of a coffee shop.” I grin. “But yeah, between there and our dining room that we converted into our office, it’s pajamas all day for the win.”

“Incredible. Truly. When I was an undergrad, I was more focused on getting a new flat screen television for my first apartment. I hadn’t even thought about going out on my own.”

“But you went to law school—that’s no small thing.”

We’re interrupted by the server delivering our order, and we take a moment to get acquainted with the chopsticks and enjoy first bites before he takes up his tale again.