Читать книгу From New York With Love: Rumours on the Red Carpet / Rapunzel in New York / Sizzle in the City - Кэрол Мортимер, Nikki Logan - Страница 15

CHAPTER NINE

‘MAKING AN EXHIBITION of himself how?’ Thia prompted softly.

Lucien was scowling broodingly where he stood on the other side of the private lift as it descended to the ground floor.

He was once again dressed in those casual denims and black T-shirt, although the heavy darkness of his hair was still tousled—from Thia’s own fingers earlier, and also Lucien’s own now as he ran his hands through it in impatient frustration. Probably because of her stubbornness in insisting on accompanying him downstairs rather than Jonathan’s behaviour, Thia acknowledged ruefully.

Silver eyes glittered through narrowed lids. ‘He came in and demanded to see me. According to Dex, once both the receptionist and the manager had told him I wasn’t available this evening, Miller then decided to start shouting and hurling the potted plants about. When that failed to get him what he wanted he resorted to smashing up the furniture, which was when Security arrived and took charge of the situation.’

‘How...?’

‘Two of them lifted him up and carried him away to a secure room before calling Dex,’ Lucien explained grimly.

Thia winced as she pictured the scene. ‘I can imagine Jonathan might be upset after what happened this morning, but surely this isn’t normal behaviour?’

Lucien gave her an irritated frowning glance. ‘Cyn, have you really not noticed anything different about him since you came to New York?’

Well...she had noticed that Jonathan was more self-absorbed than he’d used to be. That he slept the mornings away and barely spoke when he did emerge, sleepy-eyed and unkempt, from his bedroom. And he had insisted on the two of them attending those awful parties together every night, at which he usually abandoned her shortly after they had arrived. And he had been extremely aggressive at the Carews’ party last night—she had the sore wrist and the bruises on her arms to prove that!

She chewed on her bottom lip. ‘Maybe he’s a little more...into himself than he used to be.’

‘That’s one way of describing it, I suppose.’ Lucien nodded grimly, standing back as the lift came to a halt and allowing her to step out into the marbled hallway first.

Thia eyed him guardedly as she walked along the hallway beside him; Lucien obviously knew which room Jonathan had been secured in. ‘How would you describe it?’

Lucien’s mouth thinned. ‘As the classic behaviour of an addict.’

She drew in a sharp breath as she came to an abrupt halt in the hallway. ‘Are you saying that Jonathan is—that he’s taking drugs?’

‘Amongst other things.’ Lucien scowled.

‘He’s drinking too?’

‘Not that I know of, no.’

‘Then what “other things” are you talking about...?’ Thia felt dazed, disorientated, at Lucien’s revelation about Jonathan. Admittedly Jonathan hadn’t seemed quite himself since she arrived in New York, but she had put that down to reaction to his sudden stardom. It must be difficult coping with being so suddenly thrust into the limelight, finding himself so much in demand, as well as having so many beautiful women throwing themselves at him.

Lucien grimaced. ‘This is not a good time for me to discuss this with you.’

‘It’s exactly the time you should discuss this with me,’ Thia insisted impatiently. ‘Maybe if someone had thought to discuss it with me earlier I might have been able to talk to him about it—perhaps persuaded him to seek help.’ She gave a shake of her head. ‘As things now stand he’s not only messed up his career, but the rest of his life as well!’

Lucien frowned as he heard the underlying criticism in her tone. ‘Damn it, Cyn, do not turn this around on me. Miller was given a warning about his behaviour weeks ago. In fact he’s been given two warnings.’

‘When, exactly?’

‘The first was two months ago. And again about five weeks ago, when it became obvious he had taken no notice of the first warning. I have a strict no-drugs policy on all contracts,’ he added grimly.

‘What sort of warn—? Did you say five weeks ago...?’ she prompted guardedly.

Lucien quirked dark brows. ‘Mean something to you?’

‘Jonathan visited me in London a month ago...’ She chewed on her bottom lip. ‘I hadn’t seen him for almost three months, and he had only telephoned me a couple of times since he’d left for New York, and then he—he just turned up one weekend.’

Lucien nodded. ‘And subsequently invited you to come and stay with him in New York?’

‘How do you know that?’

He scowled. ‘I just did the math, Cyn.’

‘I don’t understand...’

Lucien didn’t see why he should be the one to explain Miller’s behaviour, either. Cyn already considered him callous for firing Miller. He wasn’t going to be the one to tell her that Miller had only invited her to New York as a cover for his affair with another—married!—woman!

The fact that Cyn was with him now would probably be enough for Miller to realise she must have been with Lucien in his apartment when Dex telephoned a short time ago. Add that to the fact that she was so obviously wearing a man’s oversized T-shirt and Miller was sure to add two and two together and come up with the correct answer of four!

Which was precisely the reason Lucien hadn’t wanted Cyn with him during this confrontation. Well, okay, it wasn’t the whole reason. He really would have preferred it that Cyn stayed in his apartment, made coffee, like the good little woman, and waited for the Mighty Hunter to return. He wanted to protect her from herself, if necessary. As it was, he somehow doubted that Cyn would be returning to his apartment tonight at all...

‘Could we get a move on, do you think?’ Lucien snapped tersely, giving a pointed glance at his wristwatch. ‘I told Dex I’d be there in five minutes and it’s been over ten.’

Cyn blinked at his vehemence. ‘Of course. Sorry.’

She grimaced as she once again fell into step beside him, leaving Lucien feeling as if he had just delivered a kick to an already abused and defenceless animal.

Not that he thought of Cyn as defenceless—she was too independent, too determined ever to be completely that. But he had no doubt that Miller’s real reason for inviting her to come to New York was going to upset her.

It was hard to believe, considering the tension between them now, that the two of them had been making love just minutes ago—that he now knew Cyn’s body intimately, and exactly how to give her pleasure.

On the plus side, his erection had got the message that the night of pleasure was over and had deflated back to normal proportions. Not that it would take much to revive his desire...just a sultry look from cobalt blue eyes, the merest touch of Cyn’s hand anywhere on his body. Which Lucien already knew wasn’t going to happen in the immediate future. If ever again.

Another reason for Lucien to be displeased at Miller’s increasingly erratic behaviour. If he needed another reason. Which he didn’t. Forget the drugs and the affair with Simone Carew; the man was an out-and-out bastard for attempting to use Cyn as a shield for that affair. Not that the ruse had worked, but that didn’t excuse Miller’s callous behaviour towards a woman who had thought he was her friend. Or the fact that the other man had held Cyn so roughly the evening before he had succeeded in badly bruising her.

And Cyn was annoyed with him, because he had fired Miller for blatant and continuous breach of contract!

‘Dex.’ He greeted the other man grimly as they turned a corner and he saw his bodyguard standing outside a door to the right of the hallway. ‘He’s in there?’ He nodded to the closed door.

Dex scowled. ‘Yes.’

‘And has he quietened down?’

‘Some.’ Dex nodded grimly before shooting Cyn a frowning glance. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for Miss Hammond to go in with you. Miller is violent, and he’s also throwing out all sorts of accusations,’ he warned with a pointed glance at Lucien.

‘I’m going in,’ Cyn informed them both stubbornly.

Lucien’s mouth tightened. ‘As you can see, Dex, Miss Hammond insists on accompanying me.’

‘It’s really not a good idea, Miss Hammond,’ Dex warned her gently.

It was a gentleness Lucien hadn’t even known the other man was capable of. No doubt Dex found Cyn’s beauty and her air of fragility appealing—but the fragility was deceptive. There was a toughness beneath that fragile exterior that made Lucien think Cyn would be capable of stopping a Humber in its tracks if she chose to do so! Hopefully Dex was concerned in a fatherly sort of way, because Lucien knew he wouldn’t be at all happy with his bodyguard having a crush on the woman he—

The woman he what...? Was falling in love with? Was already in love with?

Now was hardly the time for Lucien to think about what he might or might not be feeling for Cyn. Damn it, they had met precisely three times now, and shared one evening together. Admittedly it had been the most enjoyable—and arousing!—evening Lucien had ever spent with a woman...

The depth of his desire for Cyn was unprecedented—to the point that Lucien really had thought he was going to come just at the taste of her on his tongue.

And for the early part of the evening she had believed him to have deliberately hidden her away in his apartment because he didn’t want to be seen in public with her. She may still believe that, for all he had denied it.

Damn it, he should have tanned her backside earlier rather than making love to her!

‘I appreciate your concern, Dex.’ Thia answered the older man softly. ‘But Jonathan is my friend—’