Only You (A Sweet Torment Novel) (8 page)

Chapter Eight

I
wiggled my toes inside my stilettos, trying to get some feeling back in them, as I stood in line. It had been a long week. It had started with babysitting, followed by apologies for my lack of skills in said babysitting, and was ending at the dry cleaner’s.

I resolved that when it came to Leo’s family, it was best I stayed away and stuck to things I was good at. Like my job. Everything was prepared for the event tonight. All I had to do now was pick up Leo’s tux. That is, after it had been steamed and pressed.

Working for Leo was consuming and exhausting, but it was exciting. Several staff members working on the secret slip purchase had been checking in with me, showing me possible route options and various opportunity cost analyses. I had compiled all the information and reported to Leo every evening with the day’s events and progress. So far, things were going well and the ten million was sitting and waiting to be spent.

I had done everything asked and learned a lot. With a couple more months, that letter of recommendation, along with a fresh start, would be waiting.

The small television to the left was showing CNN and all the new developments on the sex scandal. Bill was front and center on the screen, followed by text messages, and . . . oh God . . . pictures, though blurred, that left little to the imagination. But what was more shocking was the newest intern to come forward, or rather, to be outed.

I watched the small screen. Watched Jane try to dodge cameras and hustle down the street. The press was screaming at her, asking questions, and she looked ready to crack.

She looked very much the sweet, soft-spoken woman I knew her to be, but now there was also a sadness in her eyes. Fear. Problem was, there was nothing about Jane that screamed
ladder climber
. I had a hard time believing she would try to seduce Bill to gain something. If anything, my money was on it being Bill who intimidated and took advantage of Jane.

“Damn it,” I muttered. Not Jane. Of all the interns, Jane was my favorite and the nicest. We’d gone out to lunch a few times and she was working while going to school. She told me once about her dream to one day be a congresswoman. She wanted to enact change. Help people. Was particularly focused on healthcare. She’d mentioned once that her mother was going through chemo and she was very close with her.

“Slut,” the woman behind me said, shaking her head and staring at the screen. “Can you believe this? This man has a harem of women. They keep coming forward.”

“Actually, this woman is Jane Wesley,” I said with all the snark I felt. “And she didn’t come forward, if you read the runner on the bottom of the screen. It says content from Bill Vorse’s phone was leaked.”

Which meant Jane probably didn’t want any part of this, otherwise she would have likely come out when the other interns did. I could understand wanting to be left alone and out of the public eye.

“I still think it’s disgusting,” the woman said.

I knew people said things, especially in politics, and most of it was negative, but this was the first time it really hit home. People were being destroyed, branded sluts or worse by total strangers. I looked back at another clip of Jane, who was shielding her eyes and walking into her apartment.

“It’s unfortunate, but I don’t see how calling this woman a slut is appropriate.”

The woman arched a brow at me. “Oh please. I remember the Monica Lewinsky scandal. This is just the same. They’re even finding that this guy used state money to buy presents for his mistresses.”

So they were onto a paper trail. That was an upside. Kind of. If they found the money and linked it to Bill, they had a case to go after the missing funds and hold him responsible for embezzling from the campaign.

All I felt was more hatred toward Bill. I knew the kind of man he was. Hell, he tried so many lines on me that if I hadn’t been spoon-fed a hefty share of bullshit my entire life, I may not have recognized it as easily. But Jane? She was a truly kind person.

“Yes, having an affair with a married man is wrong,” I said, and I truly believed that. It still wasn’t fair to put all the blame on Jane. Bill was there too.

“Ma’am?” the woman behind the counter said to me. “Ticket?”

I adjusted my shoulders, which were starting to hurt. Badly. I felt sweaty and just plain awful. Which was likely only a fraction of what Jane was feeling.

I handed the woman the ticket and she returned with the tux. Leo would look nice in this. His world would accept him. All the power he had. I wished for the millionth time in a long time that I wielded that kind of power. Because if push came to shove, who would be in my corner? Who was in Jane’s corner?

I glanced at the TV again.

“Have a nice day, ma’am,” the woman said.

I wanted to laugh. I didn’t need a nice day. I needed a miracle that the press stayed away.

“It’s not a portal to the unknown,” I said to myself, staring down Leo’s bedroom door. Well, it may not be a portal but it was definitely unknown. When he gave me the key this morning to go put his tuxedo in his room for tonight’s event, I didn’t realize I’d be staring down a large wooden door and getting fidgety.

Maybe the news about the scandal and Jane had me more on edge than I wanted to admit. Since I came to work for Leo, I hadn’t had time to keep up with the news, which was a good thing. The busier I kept and the more days that passed, the closer, hopefully, the governor was to regaining the missing money and holding Bill responsible.

I shook my head. I needed to get the scandal out of my mind. It only added to bad feelings and left me anxious. Deep breath. Think of something good.

Leo’s face came to mind.

The way his smile and blue eyes lit up with mischief. Like he was always on the inside of some kind of wicked secret. The way his hips moved when he walked, and his chest and arms flexed when he put his hands in his pockets. He was all man. And that tattoo . . .

Great, I may have
good
thoughts now, but not helpful.

Leo had some kind of Greek power that, even when he wasn’t present, made me feel things. Something I didn’t like much. Feelings were annoying and unnecessary. They complicated things. Plus, after ending my dry spell with our foray at the bar, it only made these last couple weeks of celibacy even tougher.

Issue number one? I didn’t crave sex. I craved sex with Leo. Whatever Leo had done to heat the ice that had taken up permanent residence in my body must have been some kind of powerful voodoo.

“Damn Greek magic,” I muttered as I unlocked the door, hoisted the heavy garment bag over my shoulder some more, and walked in. “Holy mother of Christ . . .”

This wasn’t just a room, this was an impression. One that said, “I enjoy the finer things.”

A sitting area with oversize leather furniture circled a large stone column in the middle of the room that held a fireplace and flat screen hanging above it. To the right was a bar with stocked shelves of liquor and four barstools.

I peeked to the left to a game area in its own space complete with pool table and low-hanging lamp above. Just beyond was a shut door. I swallowed hard . . .

The bedroom.

I was acting like a weakling. This whole area smelled like leather and brick. Masculine.

The hardwood floors and exposed wood beams made the entire place cozy and dark, like stepping inside an extravagant cabin hidden in the Rocky Mountains.

Everything was rich and expensive—a bachelor’s wet dream.

“You like it?”

I shivered when Leo came up behind me. I spun to face him.

“I was just going to leave this”—I set the bag across the back of the couch—“and go.”

“Okay. But that’s not where I asked you to put it.”

I glanced around and my eyes landed on the shut door. I hadn’t actually seen his bed. Not that I needed to or anything.

“Seriously?”

He nodded.

I picked up the bag once more and took a few steps toward the bedroom door.

“You never answered my question,” he said, following me.

“Do I like your rooms?” I glanced around. “It looks like your big mansion swallowed a little mansion.”

He laughed and the sound did something weird to my chest. I wanted to make him laugh again. It felt like I had accomplished something by hearing that contagious chuckle. Everything from the way he held himself to the way he spoke was relaxed. Not at all in line with the domineering, wealthy, powerful-man syndrome so many had. But power still radiated from him. And it was effortless. Something I’d give a hell of a lot for. He commanded respect and grace.

“What can I say? I enjoy a man cave.”

“Man cave? More like a man mountain,” I mumbled.

He smiled wide and, for some reason, mine widened too. I cleared my throat, realizing I was in Leo’s private quarters. With him. Alone. And my body was already tingling with traitorous tremors that itched for his hands to ease the ache.

“I’ll just leave this.” I went to set the hanger on the door handle of his bedroom and Leo stopped me.

“Is there a reason you’re purposefully going against what I asked?” Leo’s amusement was obvious in every word he spoke. “Perhaps you don’t want to go into my bedroom?” He tapped his chin and looked at the ceiling. “But why oh why? Ah!” He snapped his fingers. “Is the big bad Red scared?” He took another step toward me. “Maybe worried that once you go in, you may want to stay?” His voice dropped an octave and the deep husk of it danced over me like a warm blanket.

“I’m not scared,” I said, but my words didn’t sound very convincing.

“Just like you weren’t scared of my five-year-old niece?”

“I told you that kids aren’t my thing.”

“You did great though. Lyssa apparently is still talking about you.” If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I saw a glimmer of pride in Leo’s eyes. I thought of the way he casually defended me to his sister and it made something deep in my chest feel a little less empty.

“Well, it’s obvious Regan isn’t my biggest fan.” It was also obvious I didn’t belong in Leo’s world. What Regan thought of me shouldn’t matter. Yet, for some reason, it did. As if I wanted her—Leo’s family—to like me.

“Are you going to do what I asked?” Leo said with a charming smile and change of subject. He eyed the garment bag and I knew he was calling my bluff. Knew he was trying to see just how professional I could stay, like I had assured him when he hired me. But my stupid feet wouldn’t move and my body begged for one touch. One taste. Anything to just feel his skin against mine.

“On my bed, please,” he rasped, and I licked my lips, subtly shifting to my tiptoes, slowly closing the few inches between us . . . “The tux I mean.”

I blinked twice and realized I had been caught. Well, almost caught, wanting Leo. I needed to get out of there, and away from him, quickly. I turned and opened the bedroom door and made my way in, heading straight to the bed to lay the tux down, trying not to look around too much. Of course the room was huge. A bathroom was off to the left and a massive bed was draped in creams and grays ranging from coal to rain cloud.

I quickly set the bag flat on the bed and turned to leave. Leo was right behind me.

“Where’s your dress?” he asked.

“Pardon?”

“I need you to accompany me to the event tonight.”

My mind scrambled. In the past week, I’d worked on everything from flight arrangements for his cousin coming in to prepping for the event. Never once was my attendance mentioned.

Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to meet some of the men Leo worked with. Maybe get in some face time and hopefully make a play for the future. Problem was, Leo was a few feet away and I could still feel his heat. Smell his cologne. I had almost just kissed him a moment ago, and being within range of the bed was a bad idea. I needed space from the shipping mogul. Not a night with champagne and closeness.

“Paige.” The way he said my name made my gaze snap to his. “I need you with me tonight.”

Maybe I imagined desire dripping from his words, but it still felt nice. Even if it wasn’t real. Because I was not only staring down the one man who made me hot from the inside out, but who put more trust in me than anyone else ever had. And that was the kicker that made every ounce of my being want to hug him close.