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“Have a seat, Nat, and I’ll get you a cup.”
“To hell with the cup, just give me the whole damn pot.” Her infectious laughter fills the room and I can’t help smiling. Natalie’s a force to be reckoned with—I’m truly happy she’s on my side.
I stand on my tiptoes and grab a huge mug hidden way in the back of the cupboard. “Here ya go. No teeny-weeny cup for you. Will that do?”
“It’s perfect, Lili. Thank you. Oh, and will you look at that gorgeous pastry? It’s almost too pretty to eat. ‘Almost’ being the keyword.” She snatches up a mini éclair and cream puff before setting up her laptop. “I haven’t even taken a bite and I can already feel my ass spreading.”
“Stop it, Natalie. You could be a runway model with that gorgeous body. I’ve always wanted to be tall with legs that went on for miles. Instead, I’m stuck with my mother’s genes. Blah, we always want what we can’t have.”
“Well, I beg to differ, sweetie. Zack talked my ear off about you the other night and wants me to pair you up again for another event.” She peeks over her readers and waits for my expression. Now that she brought it up, she’s in for a smack down.
“You know I love you, Nat, but I really didn’t appreciate what you did. It was degrading and awkward and I was a bitch to Zack. So, I have no idea why he’d ever want to see me again. Let alone talk to me. If the roles were reversed, I’d want to run far, far away. The guy is gorgeous, and he doesn’t have to put up with a bitch like me.”
“But he wants you, Lilianna. He’s quite taken with you, in fact. Like I said, I felt terrible that I couldn’t go with you, and a beautiful woman like yourself shouldn’t be alone. Not to an event such as that. No one knew he was a paid escort. You just had a handsome man on your arm. No harm no foul, so get over it. You’re too young to waste away.”
“Natalie, please.” It’s a whisper on my lips and I don’t want to dwell on the past.
“I apologize. You’re right and I promise I’ll never bring it up again. And just an FYI, if you could see me at night without my makeup, you’d realize I’m not the runway model you presume me to be. Now, let’s get moving so I don’t have to spend the night.”
By the time Natalie leaves, I’m beat. I’m not quite sure if it’s from the crash and burn of our sugar coma or if I’m just overwhelmed with what we have planned for the coming year. I have no idea when I’m supposed to find time to write when I’ll be in fifteen cities on four continents. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.
Now it’s time for bed and some overdue sleep. The dishes will just have to wait until morning. The instant my head hits the feathery pillow, I drift off to sleep.
The club looks dark and deserted as I drive into the nearest parking spot. That’s odd because I just assumed the club was open until two a.m. It’s unnerving since my car’s the only one in the lot. A feeling of dread courses through me when I turn off the ignition. Quickly, I pull out my phone and check my text message just to be sure.
Unknown: Meet me at Club Syn at one a.m. Front door will be unlocked.
Well, it’s there in black and white so Zane must be here. He’s not a contact of mine so that’s why it states “unknown”. I haven’t talked to him since the day I ran out of his office. And now, out of the clear blue sky I receive this text. Where the hell’s his car?
Hesitantly, I open the car door. There are several other clubs in the area and they’re still open, so technically I’m not alone. If I screamed, I’m sure someone would hear me. I close my door, but I don’t lock it just yet. I want to make sure the door to the club is unlocked before I do. Just in case I need to make a mad dash to the safety of my car.
I’m aware of my surroundings as I hurry up the walk. I take a deep breath as I stand under the awning and tug on the handle. It opens with ease, but I notice the interior is also dark. What the hell? I glance back for a moment wondering if I should stay or go. Then I jump when my phone gets an incoming text.
Unknown: Where are you?
I hit my key fob to lock my car door and step inside. “I’m right here. Where are you?”
Once my eyes finally adjust to the darkness, I see a shadow in the corner by the bar. My heart thrums in my chest and my knees feel like they’re about to buckle. “Why did you ask me to come here tonight, Z?” Without a word he turns on his heels and heads towards his office. Oh, what the fuck. Like an idiot, I follow him. This has all the makings of a horror movie gone terribly wrong, but I’m here and I want to find out why he’s sending me on a wild goose chase.
As I round the corner, I’m relieved to see he has a light on in his office. It appears to be from a small desk lamp, but something’s better than nothing. My knees are weak as I step inside. Zane’s sitting at his desk but he’s ignoring me. Now I’m getting really pissed! “You asked me to meet you here, now what the hell do you want, Zane?” I’m paralyzed when the chair spins around and Zane’s not the one sitting there.
Ryder is.
CHAPTER 8
ZANE
The funny thing about my day off is I usually have a million things to do. Today, I’m doing absolutely nothing. I slept until eleven—which should go down in the Guinness Book of World Records—but apparently I must have needed it. I made myself a big brunch and now I’m browsing through my e-mails while finishing my third cup of coffee. After that, I have no fucking clue what I’m going to do to occupy my time. I’d love to just sit back and relax but, truthfully, I don’t remember how to do that anymore.
A random thought suddenly occurs to me. I click on my browser and punch in her name, L.N. Avalon. Then I begin stalking the woman who ran out on me. Coward. That’s exactly what she is. We would have been so fucking good together. If we had that kind of connection with just one innocent kiss, I can only imagine what it would have been like to be inside of her. My cock gets so hard just thinking about it. The woman’s drop-dead gorgeous, and she has such an air of mystery about her that I’d love to solve piece by piece. But, for whatever reason, it wasn’t meant to be. Now I’m going to read one of her books to find out what makes her tick.
She needs to develop her characters in order to create a story, but a part of me believes that her voice is hidden deep within them. Maybe if I secretly delve into her writing style just a little bit, I’ll be able to decipher who Lili Avalon really is. It can’t hurt to try, and today I have all the time in the world. Besides, it’s been ages since I’ve taken the time to read anything other than invoices and spreadsheets, so I’m looking forward to it. I one-click on her first book, A Reason to Believe, and send it to my iPad. Within seconds I’m reading an erotic tale about friends-to-lovers. Well, at least that’s what the blurb hints at.
I’m about fifty pages in when I recognize a telltale sign of Lili’s. While she’s writing, her characters ask a question when one is asked of them. Just like she did the other day during lunch. Her writing’s grabbed my attention from the opening line. It’s a love story with lots of hot sex thrown in to keep a reader like me engaged. I hate to admit it but my cock is hard as granite and I can feel pre-cum at the tip. Damn, if she didn’t leave me horny and wanting more. Frustrated, I throw my iPad on the sofa and stride into the kitchen. I’m parched and need something to quench my thirst. I pop open a cold bottle of water and guzzle every drop. At this rate, I’ll easily go through a case while finishing the damn book.
Subconsciously, I’m cursing Dakota for leaving me high and dry. On the one hand I’m happy she found someone, but on the other I don’t relish the thought of dealing with hook-ups and one-night stands again. And could someone please tell me why I was looking forward to my day off? ‘Cause I’m going out of my ever-loving mind. If this is any indication as to what it will be like every Monday from here on out, I’d rather work. It’s only been a few hours and I’m restless, bored and horny as fuck since reading Lili’s book.
When in doubt, go for a ride. I swipe my car keys off the counter, grab my smokes and head out the door. I feel the need for speed and the open highway’s looking damn good right about now. Fast cars have always been a weakness of mine. I don’t indulge in too many extravagant things, but my Aston Martin DB11 was a steal and had my name written all over it. She drives like a wet dream and handles better than any woman I’ve ever controlled. Come to think of it, a long drive just might be what I need to clear my head and this hard-on I’ve been sporting.
