Night After Night (4 page)

“He’s always been very encouraging, which makes up for my mother’s lack of interest.” His support had even extended to offering financial help in opening Zoe’s boutique, which she’d flat-out refused, and he seemed to understand that this was something she needed to do on her own. From taking on Jessica as a silent investor to taking out a business loan for other expenses, Zoe was in complete control of her company’s success. And it felt good, too.

Sean tipped his head curiously. “Are you two close?”

“My father and I? Sure.” A fond smile eased up the corners of her mouth. “We’ve always had a good relationship. I’m an only child, and I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a daddy’s girl.”

Sean studied her over the rim of his wineglass as he took a long drink, his blue gaze intense, as if he was trying to analyze her reply or maybe even
her.
She glanced away just as their waiter arrived with their dinners. After setting a fragrant plate of food in front of each of them, he made sure they were satisfied with everything before giving them privacy to enjoy their meal.

She enjoyed a few delicious bites of her sea bass, surrounded by a savory mushroom broth, while Sean cut into his pancetta-wrapped veal.

“So, about your dad—”

Tired of talking about herself, she immediately held her hand up to cut Sean off and softened the gesture with a smile. “You know, somehow we’ve spent the past hour talking all about me, and not so much about you. How is that?”

“Trust me, sweetheart,” he said in a low, sexy drawl that was undoubtedly meant to distract her. “I’m not that interesting.”

His reply was too practiced, too evasive. Like a man used to protecting his personal life but exceptionally good at unearthing other people’s secrets. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Then how about the truth?” His gaze met hers, the sapphire depths darkening with a compelling heat. “You fascinate me.”

Oh, he is good,
she thought, and glanced away to calm the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. What woman wouldn’t want to be the sole focus of this gorgeous man’s attention and interest? It was quite a change from other men Zoe had dated, the self-absorbed kind who liked the spotlight on them and spent the evening dominating the conversation.

Sean obviously wasn’t one to put himself out there for a woman to analyze. His more reserved nature shouldn’t bother her considering this was just a casual dinner date and most likely wouldn’t turn into anything more, but it surprised Zoe to realize how much Sean fascinated her.

“Have you ever seen the Lake of Dreams show here at the Wynn?” Sean asked, indicating the hotel’s entertainment about to begin just beyond the terrace where they were sitting—one of the perks of their private seating area. At the moment, the lagoon was still and tranquil, but the soft sound of music and the slow rushing sound of water indicated the start of the show.

If he was trying to shift the topic of conversation again, he was about to succeed, because she was anxious to watch the extravagant production. “I’ve seen it during the day, but never at night.”

“Then you’re in for a real treat. It’s spectacular.”

The lights out on the lake dimmed even more, and they watched the elaborate water presentation while finishing their dinner.

Just as the show ended and the lighting returned to normal, Zoe’s cell phone rang. Done with her meal, she placed her fork on her dish for the waiter to take and retrieved her BlackBerry from her purse. The display indicated it was her mother, and since it was odd that she’d call during the evening in the middle of the week, Zoe didn’t want to ignore the call.

“Excuse me for a minute,” she said to Sean. “It’s my mother.”

Zoe connected the line and pressed her BlackBerry to her ear. “Hey, Mom.”

“Do you know where your father is?”

Collette had never been one for pleasantries and small talk, not even to take an extra minute to ask how her daughter might be before getting down to the reason for her call. “As far as I know, he’s out of town on business.”

“Yes, that’s what his secretary has been telling me,” Collette said, her tone vibrating with annoyance. “I need to get ahold of him
now,
and Sheila isn’t being very accommodating about making that happen.”

That was Zoe’s mother—expecting people to jump at her command. Zoe was grateful that Sean couldn’t hear her mother’s embarrassing rant. “All I know is that he’s in Chicago. Is everything okay?”

“No, everything is
not
okay,” Collette replied, and released an exasperated stream of breath. “He’s late on his alimony payment!”

Zoe dropped her head, closed her eyes, and rubbed her fingers across her forehead. Good God, her mother could be such a selfish bitch sometimes. “And you called
me
for this?”

Collette made an affronted sound that Zoe clearly heard, just as her mother no doubt intended. “I figured you’ve been in touch with your father.”

“I haven’t. Not lately. I’ve been incredibly busy trying to find a boutique to lease, and Dad is wrapped up in the Meridian project,” she said, repeating what his secretary had told her. “Sheila has been in touch with Dad—”

“That doesn’t do
me
any good, now does it?” Zoe’s mother cut in impatiently.

Reluctantly, Zoe glanced back up and found Sean watching her. She gave him an apologetic look before trying to reason with her mother. “Mom, I’m sure you’ll get your alimony check. It’s probably in the mail.”

“It’d better be, because I need it,” she huffed. “If you hear from your father, let me know immediately.”

“Okay, I will.”

“Good-bye, dear.” With that, her mother disconnected the call.

Zoe pressed the END button on her BlackBerry and sighed, feeling emotionally drained by the short but exhausting conversation. In hindsight, she should have let her mother’s call go straight to voice mail, because Zoe was certain she’d effectively killed the light, romantic mood between her and Sean.

“I’m sorry about that,” she said, and dropped her phone back into her purse. “I thought it might be something important, but it wasn’t.”

“Are you sure about that?” he murmured, his gaze both perceptive and kind. “You seem upset. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I appreciate you asking, but I’d rather not.” He’d been a good listener so far, but her dysfunctional family drama wasn’t something Zoe wanted to discuss on a date. Instead, she exhaled a deep, calming breath and summoned a smile in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere again. “Besides, there’s nothing I can do about the situation right now, so I just want to enjoy the rest of the night with you.”

“How about dessert then?” He leaned closer, his thigh pressing intimately against hers, sparking a heat in the pit of her belly, and lower. His voice dropped to a deep, husky pitch as he continued. “Something rich and decadent that’ll give you a sugar rush and make you forget all about that phone call.”

She bit her bottom lip. Never mind
dessert.
Sean O’Brien was more sinful than any pastry or candy she could think of, and she was certain he could make her forget her first name, among other things. He made her feel more desirable than she had in a long time, and she suddenly wanted to be alone with him. Just the two of them.

Feeling daring and spontaneous, she rested her chin in her hand and embraced the sensation. “I have a better idea,” she said, her tone flirtatious as she lowered her gaze to his full, sensual mouth. “How about we go back to my place and have dessert?” She knew her question sounded like a shameless attempt to seduce him, but she really did have a chocolate cake sitting on the kitchen counter at home.

A slow, toe-curling smile started in his eyes and traveled quickly to his lips. “Now there’s an invitation I’m not about to refuse.”

Sean followed Zoe into the foyer of her apartment at the Panorama Towers, a luxury high-rise known for its exclusive amenities and outstanding views of the Las Vegas skyline. She led the way into a spacious living room with a wide, wraparound couch, a glass-topped coffee table, and a mahogany entertainment center with a flat-screen TV. The contemporary décor was uncluttered and precise, yet warm and inviting.

Just like the woman who lived there.

“Nice place,” he said, catching sight of the adjoining kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and beige granite countertops.

“Thanks. It’s small, but functional. Only a thousand square feet and two bedrooms, but it’s really all I need.”

After setting her purse on a side table, she strolled through the living room in front of him, drawing his gaze to the provocative sway of her hips and a pair of long, slender legs that had his fingers itching to touch all that silky, bare skin.

“But it was the outside balcony and amazing view of the Strip at night that ultimately sold me on this place.” She pushed open the sheer curtains covering a glass sliding door and floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing a spectacular sight of bright neon lights that stretched for miles.

She unlocked the sliding door and stepped outside, and he did the same, standing beside her at the concrete and wrought-iron railing securing the area. Even at twenty-one stories up, a balmy evening breeze reached them, lifting and playing with the few loose strands of her hair that had escaped the wide gold clip she’d used at the nape of her neck. Her smooth shoulders, completely exposed by the low, sexy neckline of her dress, gleamed like alabaster in the moonlight.

Pulling his gaze from her profile, he looked out over the city, so deceptively beautiful at night. “I bet this sight never gets old, does it?”

“Nope.” She curled her fingers around the wrought iron and slanted him a sidelong glance filled with a beguiling amount of heat. “Especially on a night like this. Clear. Warm.
Sultry.
”

The soft, throaty way she spoke the last word evoked images of steamy, erotic kisses and hot, lazy caresses in intimate places. Ever since she’d asked him back to her place, the attraction between them had become a slow tease of sexual awareness. The onslaught of arousal thrummed through his system, and she wasn’t helping matters by looking at him like
he
was dessert.

God, she was messing with his head and making him want her more than was wise, considering how he felt about her cheating, lying father and Grant Russo’s part in making sure that Sean’s father spent years in prison for a crime
both
men had committed. And judging by the information Caleb had collected for their client on this case, it was clear that Russo was still in the business of scamming people.

Sean had agreed to accompany Zoe to her place to discover anything else he could about her father. Based on their exchange at dinner, it seemed like she had a somewhat close relationship with her dad, but after listening in on her conversation with her mother and watching Zoe’s reactions, Sean was pretty much convinced that she wasn’t aware of her father’s shady dealings and genuinely believed he was on a business trip—in
Chicago,
she’d told her mother.

Sean planned to pass that bit of information on to Caleb as soon as he left Zoe’s tonight so they could get a jump on that lead and see if that found Russo or if it was nothing more than a diversion.

Ultimately, Sean’s main objective was to remain as close to her as possible in the hopes that she heard from her father. Zoe was his daughter, and contact with him had to happen
sometime.
And when it did, Sean wanted to be around to learn where the cowardly bastard was hiding out, so The Reliance Group could take him down.

Obviously, Sean couldn’t be with Zoe 24/7 to monitor her actions and calls, but one of The Reliance Group’s team members, an ex–computer hacker, had already put a tap on her cell phone, enabling them to track her incoming and outgoing calls, as well as text messages. They couldn’t actually listen in on her conversations, but they were able to monitor her contacts and approximately where they originated. So far, there had been plenty of business calls but no interaction with her father.

“Let’s head back inside,” she said after a few quiet minutes, and Sean followed her into the living room. “Make yourself at home.” She waved a hand in the general direction of the entertainment center. “There’s a CD player in the wall unit. Why don’t you put some music on and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

As she started to walk away, he couldn’t help but ask, “Where are you going?”

She stopped, tipped her head, and gave him one of those slow, sweet smiles that made him feel sucker-punched. “To get out of this restrictive dress and change into something more comfortable,” she said, as if that should have been obvious.

She disappeared into a nearby bedroom and shut the door behind her, leaving Sean alone to contemplate what, exactly, she’d meant by
comfortable.
All his fertile male imagination could conjure was something flimsy, with silk and lace and lots of bare flesh. He groaned and tried like hell to shove those images from his mind before they got him into trouble.

He was a man who was used to fast women and mindless sex when the opportunity arose—no names necessary. Admittedly, he was a player, and he never made excuses or apologized for his preference for casual one-night stands. Because of his less-than-favorable past as a con man, cultivating any kind of lasting relationship had never been on his agenda and most likely never would be.

Because, at the end of the day, what woman wanted a long-term commitment with a man who’d spent years scamming people, only to spend time in prison for his stupidity? With such a huge black mark on his résumé as potential husband and father material, he’d found it much easier to keep things with women simple and uncomplicated.

Fulfilling his physical needs had never been a problem for him…until now. Because the woman he wanted was someone he shouldn’t touch. Not only did they reside in completely different worlds socially, but even more damning was the fact that he was dating her under false pretenses. He was using her for information, and if she ever discovered his deception she’d undoubtedly, and rightfully, hate his guts.

Knowing all that, however, didn’t stop him from wanting her. Far more than was wise.

Feeling warm and knowing it had more to do with his internal temperature than the outdoor weather, he removed his jacket and tossed it over the back of a chair, then discarded his tie as well. He unbuttoned the too-tight collar of his shirt as he made his way to the compact disc player, where he selected one of John Mayer’s earlier CDs, then adjusted the volume so the music wasn’t too loud.

Waiting for Zoe to return, Sean stood by the sliding glass door, hands in his trouser pockets, and gazed out at the brightly lit horizon until he finally heard her bedroom door open again.

Not certain what to expect, he turned around, initially relieved to find that there wasn’t a bit of silk or lace on her anywhere that he could see. She wore a pair of pink drawstring sweatpants and a white camisole-type top with thin straps, and while there was nothing overtly revealing about what she’d changed into, the casual outfit showcased everything her dress had concealed—the tantalizing curve of her waist and hips and the full, rounded shape of her breasts. She had a stunning figure, the kind that had the ability to bring a man to his knees—for all the right reasons.

“Dessert is in the kitchen.” Giving him a coy look, she crooked her finger at him to follow as she walked by.

The playful overture in her voice was unmistakable.
Dessert
took on a very suggestive meaning, and as he turned to follow her he nearly groaned when he caught sight of the word
JUICY
stamped across her perfect ass, which accurately described the way she smelled. Like a ripe, succulent peach he wanted to suck and savor before taking a big bite out of.

He shook his head. Hard. God, she was going to kill him with all her innuendo before the night was over. He was sure of it.

“I hope you like chocolate cake,” she said, indicating the confection displayed beneath a glass dome on the counter.

He was both pleasantly surprised and a bit disappointed to find she actually did have an edible dessert when he was anticipating something more tempting. Like her. “You weren’t kidding.”

She tipped her head to the side, her eyes dancing with humor. During her quick change, she’d taken the clip out of her hair, and now the soft strands fell over her shoulders, giving her a more youthful, girl-next-door appearance. “Did you think I invited you back here for a different kind of dessert?”

He grinned, knowing better than to fall for that guileless look in her gaze. “I’ll admit the thought crossed my mind.”

“I’m sorry to dash your hopes.” Laughing, she lifted the lid on the cake, filling the air with the delectable fragrance of rich cocoa. “My homemade chocolate cake is Jessica’s favorite. I made it for her, but there’s so much here I thought it would be a perfect dessert for us to have here at my place.”

She cut two generous slices and transferred them to plates, added forks, then poured two tall glasses of milk. They each carried their dessert to the living room and sat down on the couch next to each other while John Mayer crooned in the background. Sean took his first bite, and for someone who wasn’t a huge fan of sweets, he had to admit that Zoe’s cake was delicious. The moist cake and chocolate buttercream frosting literally melted in his mouth.

“Is Jessica staying here with you while she’s in Vegas?” Sean asked, curious about Zoe’s best friend.

“No.” Zoe curled her legs beneath her on the couch and turned so she was facing him. “She actually has a penthouse here in the towers, which is her home base in between touring and out-of-town obligations. She’s like the sister I never had, and I love having her living so close by.”

Hearing the affection in Zoe’s voice, he smiled. “How did the two of you become friends?”

She took a drink of milk before answering. “We met our freshman year in high school. Our personalities were so opposite in so many ways that we never really should have become friends. I was energetic and outgoing, and she was guarded and a loner. Whenever I saw her at school, her head was down, she never made eye contact with anyone, and she avoided any kind of conversation.”

It was difficult for Sean to associate that insecure young girl Zoe spoke of with the confident pop star Jessica Morgan was today.

“It wasn’t until we were paired up to work together on a monthlong project in our history class that I really got to know her.” After taking a bite of her cake, Zoe licked the extra frosting off her fork, her expression thoughtful, as if she was thinking back and remembering. “She was very quiet and wary at first, but the more time we spent outside of school working on our project together, the more she opened up, and we just clicked. By the end of our freshman year, we were best friends and were inseparable. Unfortunately, her home life wasn’t the greatest, which accounted for why she was so guarded and didn’t let too many people get close to her.”

“Yet here she is, a famous celebrity who sells out concert tours within hours of their release.” He shook his head in amazement. “How did that happen?”

“I know. Crazy, isn’t it?” Zoe tucked a silky strand of hair behind her ear before taking another bite of her cake. “She’s definitely a different person these days. But back in high school, she dealt with the ugliness at home by writing songs and making music. Her choir teacher noticed what an amazing voice she had, then learned that she also played the guitar, and cultivated her talent. By the time Jessica graduated, she wanted to be a singer or songwriter.”

“That’s quite a long shot,” he said, and drank the last of his milk.

“Yeah, she was a realist and knew how difficult getting into the music business would be. She’d originally planned on attending UNLV for a degree in business, so she’d always have that to fall back on, but things changed for her at home that summer.”

Zoe grew quiet and reflective, the look in her gaze pained as she continued. “Something really bad happened, and she just couldn’t stay at home any longer, so I insisted that she move into my small apartment with me in Los Angeles. When she arrived on my doorstep, all she had was the clothes on her back and her guitar and the fire of determination to make something of her life. When auditions opened up for a new vocal talent show called
Make Me a Star,
she tried out and made the top twelve, then went all the way to the final three. She didn’t win the title, but being on the show was enough to get the attention of a few record labels.”

The corner of his mouth tipped up in a grin. “And the rest, as they say, is history?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Nodding, Zoe set her half-eaten piece of cake on the coffee table in front of the couch. “At the age of twenty, she was recording her first album and touring, and it’s only gotten crazier for her since.”

“That’s a great story.”

“She’s deserved every bit of her success.” Zoe took his empty plate from him and placed it next to hers on the table. “So, what did you think of dessert?”

“It was pretty darn good,” he replied honestly. Stretching his arm across the back of the sofa, he twined a strand of her hair around his finger, feeling just as ensnared by the woman herself. “Who would have thought you were so multitalented.”

Husky, playful laughter escaped her lips. “Jessica insists my chocolate cake is better than sex. What do you think?”

The woman was such an adorable vixen. So delightfully daring and so damn irresistible. She was cavorting with the underlying fire that had been simmering between them all evening, and boldly traveling down a path rife with sensual possibilities. And damn if he didn’t want to follow along and indulge in whatever she had in mind.

“It’s hard to say what I think, since I haven’t so much as kissed the cook.”