Читать книгу Games Girls Play - Deanna Lee - Страница 9

I filled my coffee cup and took a sip as Kristen arranged her laptop on my kitchen table. Joshua was leaning against one of the counters with a bottle of water looking fresh and all sparkly as if he hadn’t just fucked me for two hours. I’m sure I looked like a dog in need of a good grooming. I grabbed a mug for Kristen, filled it, and set it on the table as the doorbell rang.

I waved Joshua off and went to answer it myself, just in case it wasn’t Sonya. The last thing I needed was some too-eager-for-their-own-good reporter finding Joshua at my apartment. I threw open the door and motioned Sonya inside. She hauled in her computer without a word and went into the kitchen.

My small kitchen had served as our war room more times than I could count, long before we could afford really nice office space and sometimes even now, since it offered comfort in times of extreme stress. Sonya offered Joshua a friendly salute as she sat down at the table and pulled out her computer.

As I walked by, she confiscated my coffee. Her lack of germ fear really freaked me out, but since I knew I wouldn’t ask for the cup back, I went and found another.

“Okay, most of the major news networks have picked it up because it hit the AP like a hurricane an hour after it showed up on the Internet.” Kristen glanced at Joshua and then focused on him. With a small frown, she continued. “I’ve got a friend at Fox who indicated that the two women have already agreed to interview for a tabloid show. An exclusive—which means no legitimate reporter is going to get near them any time soon.”

I glared at him. “Great.”

“I can’t control what they say.” He shrugged. “I’ve told you what they’ll probably say but you and I both know they can make up all kinds of crap and insinuate that I’m the reincarnation of the Marquis de Sade. People will either believe them or not.” He fisted his hands and then shoved them into the pockets of his slacks in frustration.

I figured he had a whole lot to say but didn’t want to continue in front of Sonya and Kristen. His cell phone started to ring and, after a brief check of the caller ID, he answered it and walked out of the room. I looked toward Kristen. “Anything else?”

Sonya and Kristen shared a glance and then focused on me as if they were one person. Kristen picked up her coffee and sat back in the chair. “You tell us.”

“What?”

“You both look fresh from the shower and I figured he’d be gone when I got here. He’s been here for about three hours.”

“Yeah, he’s hiding from the press.”

“In your shower?” Sonya asked and just grinned when I glared at her. “Just askin’.”

“Business, please.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Statements?”

Kristen went back to her laptop. “I’m fond of ‘no comment’ and ‘Mr. Keller prefers not to answer questions regarding his sexuality.’”

“No.” Sonya shook her head. “That last one will bring us right back to that metrosexual thing, which still stuns me what with all the women that have paraded in and out of his life in the past six or so years.”

“Yeah.” Now I was among them. I sucked in my bottom lip. The thought was a little unnerving to say the least.

“What about that woman he was dating? The one who practically gnawed my head off last month on the set of that shoe commercial?” Kristen grimaced as she said it. “The frigid-looking blonde.”

“I dumped her.” Joshua leaned against the doorway and frowned. “I’m sorry she was rude to you.”

Kristen waved it off. “The day I let a bony little witch like her get the best of me is the day I quit this business and go teach kindergarten.”

“Was that Gary?”

“Yes, he’s unhappy since he’s yet to grab Snow White’s ass but he’s on his way back.” He tossed his cell phone onto the counter. “His wife will never bake me cookies again. I heard her shouting it in the background—which sucks because her cookies are excellent.”

“As much money as you make her husband I’m sure she’ll make you some more cookies.” I pulled out a chair and sat down across from Sonya, and blinked just once at the feel of the wood against my thighs and back. I glanced his way and he gave me a quick grin. He knew exactly how my skin was tingling and warming against the pressure of the chair. “Now, the twin thing has totally solved the metrosexual issue.”

“Oh, Christ, no one is allowed to say that word around me again.” He tipped back the water bottle, drank deeply, and then encompassed all three of us in a glare. “If I have to spend the next bloody year in strip joints I will.”

“No need.” Sonya grinned. “As she said, the twins totally fixed that for you.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “So what are our chances of a sex tape?”

I lowered my head to the table without a word while Joshua laughed. “Pretty slim. I’ve never taped myself and I keep all of my windows covered at home. While I was a regular patron of the Playground when I first moved here, I’ve never used one of their voyeur rooms and I’ve never engaged in a sex act on the club’s premises, not even in one of the private rooms.”

Kristen flushed, her pretty, pale complexion going pink. “What happens in voyeur rooms?”

I lifted my head and nearly laughed at his slack-jawed expression. “Yeah, Mr. Keller, what happens in those voyeur rooms?”

He cleared his throat, offering me a quick glare. “Well, voyeur rooms normally have a window or sometimes an entire wall made out of glass so that others may watch anyone in the room engage in sex or play.”

“Oh.” Her mouth formed a perfect O and then she focused her attention on her computer. “That’s…wow…I mean…but you’ve never done that?”

“No. I find exhibitionism somewhat disturbing. I rarely watch others either. It’s not my thing.”

“So the ex-girlfriend?” Sonya cleared her throat. “What might she say about you if she were interviewed?”

“Stephie is a lawyer. It would probably be best for her career if she denies we had anything more than a few dates. She’ll probably tell everyone she dumped me for my proclivities.” He shrugged. “As it stands, I don’t kiss and tell.”

“Did she have a problem with your preferences?” I asked softly.

“Not at all.”

I nodded. “Then she’ll likely keep her mouth shut. A woman trying to make partner in a law firm isn’t going to let on that she likes to get…” I glanced at Sonya and Kristen, who were both staring at me with keen interest. “She’ll be quiet. I doubt she’ll be an issue. We should ignore any questions about her and play down their relationship as much as possible.”

“The owner of the Playground has refused to answer questions,” Sonya murmured as she continued to flip through her research. “It’s free publicity for him so I’m surprised.”

“A man like him doesn’t run the kind of business he runs without learning to be discreet,” Joshua responded. “He talks about one patron and half of his patrons disappear.”

“What about the team?” Sonya asked.

“I wouldn’t be the only member of my team to frequent such an establishment, and I already explained to Tara that I doubt the team owner will make it an issue. He paid through the nose to get me and this has no bearing on my ability to play the game. It’s not like taking two women home from a sex club and fucking them is a crime.”

Sonya sprayed coffee all over her laptop screen and Kristen covered her face with both hands. I grabbed some paper towels for Sonya and just shook my head at him. “Joshua.”

“Sorry, ladies.”

“Yeah, right,” Sonya muttered as she dabbed at her baby. “This laptop is new, you know.”

“Then you’d best not spit coffee on it again.” I took her cup away, laughed when she stuck her tongue out at me, and then looked toward Joshua. “Now, have you remembered their names?”

“Hell, no.” He frowned. “I’m not even sure I got their real names. They were ‘strays,’ Tara. I imagine they are regulars in the scene…at least they were. If they go on national television and discuss me I imagine they’ll have a problem finding a man who will top them in this city. Discretion is a part of the lifestyle and the lack thereof is a serious breach of ethics.”

“Top? Stray?” Kristen repeated and then frowned. “Wait, never mind; I don’t want to know.”

Joshua chuckled. “Your innocence is charming, Ms. Travis.” He picked up his cell phone and glanced toward me. “See me out, will you?”

I followed him with a frown. “You don’t want to stay and go over the press release with us?”

He turned as he reached the door and with gentle finger-tips touched my cheek. “No, I trust you.”

I glanced back toward the kitchen and shook my head. “How many times have I told you that you should really play a more active role in the image that is presented?”

He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my mouth and then on my jaw, and then moved down to my neck where he nipped gently. “If you do something I don’t like I’ll just have to punish you.”

A shiver of pure anticipation ran down the length of my back. “Don’t tempt me.”

He lifted away from me and took a step back. “I’m sure Gary will be landing within a few hours and he’ll want to meet with you tomorrow at your office. That’s soon enough to release a statement.”

“Damage control is about timing.”

“Then I trust you to do what is best and we’ll deal with the rest as it comes.” He brushed my hair back from my forehead. “I have some pretty filthy plans for you, Tara. I hope I won’t be disappointed tomorrow.”

“Regret is for pansies.”

“Good.” He pressed one final hard kiss against my lips and slipped out the door.

I locked it and with a frown returned to the kitchen where I knew I was about to face what one might call a Mint Julep Inquisition. Southern women were some of the nosiest bitches on the planet and I had two in my kitchen that knew almost everything there was to know about me.

The computers were gone off the table and a bottle of wine sat in the middle, three glass already out and full. With a sigh I sat down, picked up my glass, and drank half the contents in one crude swallow. “Did you finish the press release?”

Kristen snorted. “First, what the hell does ‘top’ mean?”

“It can mean a variety of things but he was referring to the dominant role in a D/s scene or relationship.” I set the glass down in front of me. “But it can just mean the more aggressive partner in a relationship.”

“Okay.” Her dark brown eyes focused on my face as she drank from her wineglass. When she swallowed, she pursed her lips. “And?”

“And what?”

“Come on.” Sonya laughed. “You were both fresh from a shower and you’ve got afterglow at a level I’ve never seen in my life. I bet you’d glow in the dark.”

It had been a very satisfying encounter. “You know that I don’t get involved with clients.”

“Yeah, because the only one you’ve ever wanted hadn’t made a move…until today.” Sonya shook her head when I started to protest. “I thought we were friends.”

I held up one hand in surrender and finished off my wine. “The two of you are the best friends I have in this world. I trust you with practically everything I have. My business, my reputation, my future. That being said, I’m just not ready to talk about this—at all.”

We sat in silence while they adjusted to that and I refilled my glass. The situation was complicated enough without having to deal with their questions about a part of my life and my past that they knew nothing about. I figured Sonya might find my little fetish amusing or even interesting, but Kristen had often surprised me in the past. When it came to sex, she could be something of a prude. Even if she never said a word, I figured if it fucked with her head it would be written all over her face.

“We need to contact the ex-girlfriend and prepare her for press questions,” I said. “If she’ll play along and keep with our party line it will be for the best. Since she is a lawyer, we can hope she’ll be smart enough to keep her mouth mostly shut.”

“Why did he dump her?” Sonya asked softly. “I mean, if she played his games—and it appears she did—what made him shake her loose?”

That was a sobering question. I reached out and grabbed the bottle. “She started hinting that she wanted to marry his checkbook.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that cunt,” Kristen muttered. “I should call her and tell her…” She paused and raised one eyebrow. “What?”

I cleared my throat, aware that I must have looked as shocked as I felt. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use the word cunt in our lives and I’ve known you since we were twelve.”

“Well, maybe I’m broadening my horizons.” She grabbed the bottle, topped off her glass, drank deeply, and then said, “She is a cunt.”

“She sure is.” But I figured my opinion on the ex-girlfriend of my very new lover was somewhat biased.