Читать книгу Beyond the Velvet Rope - Tiffany Ashley - Страница 11

Chapter Six

Miami International Airport

Thandie parked the SUV at the curb just outside the terminal. She’d given up searching for a spot in the crowded one-hour lot. Besides, she’d rather take the risk of getting a ticket than attempt to navigate her newly rented vehicle into one of the slim parking spots.

She sent a text message to Len, letting her know where she’d parked and hoped it would not take them long to locate her before airport security insisted she move her vehicle. She killed the engine and tapped on the steering wheel impatiently. She did not have to wait long. Thandie could hear the loud laughter of her assistants well before she could actually see them. The pale beauty of Len Harris and the dark elegance of Raja Travis split through the crowd. They looked more like supermodels than public relations assistants. Both tall and slender, Len had bleached blond hair with bright green eyes, whereas Raja possessed the mysterious exotic loveliness that was common of her Indian heritage. Thandie got out of the SUV to greet them. Like excited teenagers, both girls ran to hug her. As usual, they were making a scene.

“I can’t believe we’re in Miami!” Len exclaimed. “This is so cool!”

Raja, typically the quiet one, agreed enthusiastically. “Miami is definitely the place to be this summer. You know the Shay Thomas concert will be here soon. Do you think we can get tickets, Thandie?”

Len gasped loudly. “I totally forgot his tour included a stop in Miami. I love Shay,” she finished dreamily.

“I heard Samara is his opening act,” Raja said.

“I can hardly tolerate her,” Len groaned.

“I bet if she gave you tickets to the concert you would tolerate her,” Raja taunted.

“If Samara gave me tickets to see Shay Thomas, I would sleep with her.”

“Calm down, girls,” Thandie chided. “We’re not on vacation. Let’s figure out how we’re going to manage the Babylon project first, and afterward all three of us can drool over seventeen-year-old rappers.”

“Shay Thomas is not seventeen,” Len corrected. “He just celebrated his twenty-first birthday.”

“And he’s a hip-hop star,” Raja informed. “Not a rapper.”

“Who cares?” Thandie sighed.

Raja and Len looked at each other before saying in unison, “We do!”

Thandie shook her head, no longer interested. She looked around and noticed each young woman was pulling along two oversize suitcases on rollers. It was enough luggage for five people. “Are those all your bags?” she asked.

“Oh, goodness, no,” Raja said with a wave of her hand. “That’s only half of it. We had to leave three of our bags in New York.”

“Can you believe they have a limit on luggage?” Len said sulkily as she checked her reflection in the tinted window of the SUV.

“We had to spend a small fortune mailing them to the office,” Raja said. “Amanda promised to send them to us once we got settled.”

“Great,” Thandie said under her breath. She unlocked the trunk, and helped them load their luggage into the vehicle. Afterward, she slid into the driver’s seat and waited until everyone was settled before putting the car into drive. At the same time, the girls pulled notepads out of their purses and were ready to take notes. They were used to Thandie delegating assignments while they were en route to one place or another.

“Okay, girls, promoting Club Babylon will be far from easy,” Thandie began. “It’s gorgeous, and huge. It’s four stories high.” Len and Raja took a sharp intake of breath at this, but Thandie talked over them. “Filling up a place with that much square footage will be difficult. We’ll have to work every contact we have. The good news is the club already generates a sizable crowd. Our job is to build the club’s reputation on the strip by hosting a series of promo events. In addition, we’ve also been tasked with coordinating the arrival of special guests. The next few weeks are going to be busy, but it’s nothing we haven’t handled before. We have to be organized and disciplined. Len, I want you to find out who are the big gossip columnists here. I want radio and newspaper contacts as well. Raja, I want you to work the agents of local celebrities. There are tons of stars in Miami. I want all of them to be talking about Club Babylon. I will be gathering information on every major event that is being hosted in Miami for the next three months.”

“When can we see the club?” Len asked.

“I’ll take you there tonight, and introduce you to the staff.”

“Including the owner?” Len asked hopefully.

Thandie gave a long sigh. “Yes, including Elliot.”

“Elliot Richards,” Len repeated dreamily. “Even his name sounds sexy.”

“I looked him up on Google this morning,” Raja supplied. “There wasn’t much to find. He doesn’t court the press. I could only locate a handful of pictures. Most of them were taken from afar. But from what I could see, he seems delightful on the eyes. Have you met him yet?”

Thandie didn’t want to talk about Elliot. In fact, she wished she had not mentioned him at all. Try as she might, what had occurred last night after dinner would not soon be forgotten. She remembered all too well the warmth of his breath on her neck and press of his lips against her skin. Even the thought of it made her shift in her seat uncomfortably. Suddenly realizing the girls were still waiting for her response, she answered in a guarded tone, “Yes, I’ve met him.”

“So...?” Raja urged.

“He is a sharp businessman,” Thandie said lamely.

Len laughed. “That’s not what we want to know, and you know it.”

Thandie gritted her teeth together. “Ladies, I really need you to concentrate on the project at hand. We’re going to have to work ten times as hard if we intend to finish on schedule.”

“Fine, fine. Be mysterious if you must,” Len said with a wave of her hand. “Where are we staying?”

“With Warren Radcliffe,” Thandie answered.

“Cool!” they chorused.

Thandie cast a nervous glance in the rearview mirror at them. “Please don’t tell me Warren has tried to come on to either of you.” Both Raja and Len were in their early twenties, Warren’s preferred age range.

“No,” Len huffed, “although I can’t say I would stop him. Warren is a cool old guy.”

Thandie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Len,” she said, “Warren is old enough to be your grandfather.”

“Yeah, but he’s fun,” Len reasoned.

Raja agreed. “He’s a barrel of laughs, Thandie. I hate that he left the city. He was my favorite VIP.”

Thandie stopped at a red light and turned around to face the girls. Though she was, at best, only seven years older than they, she knew they looked up to her as a role model. “Raja. Len.” Fixing each girl with a serious look, she said, “I want you two to enjoy yourselves while you’re here, but you’re going to work. Our sole purpose for being in Miami is to promote Club Babylon. You will remain focused at all times. I won’t tolerate any of your usual shenanigans. Is that understood?”

They nodded solemnly.

“And another thing,” Thandie soldiered on, “the management staff is predominantly male.”

Len and Raja turned to look at each other, mischievous expressions on their faces.

Thandie snapped her fingers at them. “Don’t even think about it,” she warned. “There will be absolutely no funny business between yourselves and the staff. I expect you to be professional, but keep your distance. If I suspect there is a trace of inappropriate behavior from either of you, I will send you back to New York. Are we clear?”

The girls grimaced before nodding their heads.

Pacified by their response, Thandie refocused her attention on the road. She knew she was being hard on them, but hopefully she had spoken just sternly enough to make herself heed her own warnings.

Warren was gone by the time they arrived at his home. The girls squealed and laughed when they walked into the grand entrance hall. Tossing their bags aside, they took a tour of Warren’s house. Thandie could hear their laughter throughout. She tolerated it for a short while, before insisting they get to work. Len came up with the idea that they should sit by the pool while they worked. Not wanting to be a wet blanket, Thandie agreed to join them. They put on swimsuits and carried their paperwork onto the stone terrace leading to the pool. Len and Raja quickly entered the water, sitting on the steps of the shallow end. Len got busy calling Miami affiliates of the New York Post while Raja made a list of agents representing celebrities who resided in Florida.

While the girls worked on making contacts, Thandie made a list of possible event themes. It was slow going, since she was not familiar with Miami’s nightlife scene just yet. She placed a call to Rex Barrington, Elliot’s director of marketing. Rex was surprised to hear from her but was happy to answer her questions about previous club themes and press releases. They spoke at length and by the time she hung up, Thandie suffered from information overload.

After that, she helped the girls with making calls. She started by dialing her California contacts, making a list of celebrities who had press junket tours scheduled in the near future. She got a few hours of furious work out of the girls before they found their way to lounge chairs and stretched out like lazy feline cats. Len was sunbathing and well on her way to a much needed tan while Raja retreated to the shade to prevent getting any darker.

Thandie was still on the phone when Warren joined them. Raja and Len ran to him as if he was Santa Claus. Donned in their bikinis, Thandie could tell Warren loved their attention. He listened to them ramble on about their flight. He made the unfortunate mistake of offering to take the girls shopping on Sunday, an offer Thandie knew he would quickly regret. Raja and Len kissed him on his reddened cheeks and jumped up and down with excitement. Thandie could only roll her eyes heavenward. Deciding she’d witnessed enough, she stood and gathered her things.

“Where are you going?” Len called out to her.

“I’m going to lie down for an hour or so. You girls might want to do the same.”

“No way,” Len laughed. “We’re in freakin’ Miami! We’re too excited to sleep.”

Thandie shrugged. “All right, but don’t come crying to me when you can barely keep your eyes open tonight.”

Raja’s brow perked. “What are our hours, Thandie?”

“Ten to two.”

“Same rules?” Len asked.

“Of course,” Thandie nodded. “No drinking, always work the room and always keep your cool.”

The girls laughed as she made her way inside. Thandie gave the same rules every night before working. It had become redundant to say the words anymore, but she said them out of habit.

Thandie stretched out on her bed and prayed Warren wouldn’t try anything with the girls during her absence. The last thing she needed was Len and Raja competing for the cushy position of Wife Number Six. Thandie yawned deeply and reflected back on the past few hours. The day had been productive thus far. She saw no reason why she couldn’t pull together an action plan within a fairly short amount of time. Formalizing a proposal Elliot would agree to might require some persuasion. She only hoped the cost of gaining his cooperation was a price she was willing to pay.

* * *

It had taken forever to get Len and Raja to decide what to wear. Finally, they were in the car and headed toward the strip. Thandie gave them a quick rundown on the club’s structure, disclosing information she’d learned from Adam, and mentioning a handful of employee names she was able to remember. After finishing, Thandie had the nagging sensation she had forgotten something important.

As Thandie drove, she and the girls went over their findings from earlier that evening. Raja had located several agents who sounded promising, and Len confirmed radio contacts and a reputable gossip columnist who lived in the area. They spent the remainder of the trip haggling over how to best utilize their new found information.

As their SUV turned onto the main street, they could see a line of cars waiting for Club Babylon’s valet service. Thandie called a number Adam had given her which gave her direct access to the valet stand. After announcing her name, they directed her to drive ahead of the other cars. The attendants were all smiles when they greeted her.

“Hi, Thandie,” one man said. “Have a good time tonight.”

Tiny, the bouncer she’d met the previous night, made a path for them with his huge body. They ignored the curious gazes shot in their direction, aware they were the envy of everyone waiting patiently in line. Thandie heard the girls gasp in wonder as soon as they entered the club. Tonight Babylon was bathed in vibrant green lighting, and the arena took on the appearance of a tropical garden. Thandie looked skyward and was delighted to see the hanging gardens were on display. It was otherworldly, giving the heady sense of being dropped into a mystical lush garden.

Fixing a controlled smile on her face, Thandie guided the girls up the staircase that led to Elliot’s office. She introduced them to the unsmiling bodyguard, Michelle, as he held the door open. When they walked inside, the men who made up Elliot’s management staff turned their heads in unison. Just as before, all conversation stopped.

Thandie stepped forward. “Hello, gentlemen,” she said pleasantly. “Sorry for interrupting, but I wanted to introduce my assistants to you. This is Raja Travis and Len Harris. Len. Raja. This is Rex, Markie, Eddie, Adam and Tom.” She paused before turning toward the handsome creature leaning casually against his large gleaming desk. “And this is the owner, Elliot Richards.” She couldn’t bear to look into his stormy silver eyes for longer than a few seconds. “Len and Raja will be helping me with the promotion plans,” she said to no one in particular. “They’ve worked with me for years. You should find them very helpful.”

Again, silence. Thandie was beginning to wonder if she was doing something wrong, but when she looked up at the men, she could see their eyes were trained on the girls’ bodies. Meanwhile, Len and Raja were openly ogling Elliot. She could only imagine what he was looking at.

Clearing her throat, Thandie turned to the men. “Are we interrupting something important?”

Adam and Rex suddenly jumped to their feet and smiled broadly. They lightly kissed Thandie on the cheek and shook Raja and Len’s hands. Tom, Eddie and Markie quickly stood and started introducing themselves. Thandie positioned herself as far away from Elliot as she could possibly manage without seeming rude.

Len and Raja weren’t as guarded. They gave polite nods to everyone in the room and just about threw themselves at Elliot. She watched in horror as they asked him random questions about the club, each trying to outdo the other to hold his attention the longest. Elliot charmed them with his good looks and flirtatious finesse. Whether she wanted to or not, Thandie was drawn to the sound of his voice.

“You are both very lovely ladies,” Elliot said silkily. “We’re fortunate to have you here. I’m sure the men of Miami will soon be begging for a moment of your time.”

“You think so?” Len’s voice had turned unrecognizably high-pitched.

“Of course.” Elliot leaned forward to pin each girl with those enchanting silver eyes of his. “Promise not to forget me when some lucky guy sweeps you off your feet.”

The eruption of girlish laughter was like hearing fingernails being dragged across a chalkboard. Thandie had to turn away from the train wreck. She forced herself to listen to Adam and Rex argue over which one of them would introduce her to tonight’s guest DJ. She put a halt to the dispute when she insisted that both of them should do the honors. Markie offered to give the girls a tour of the arena. However, she didn’t miss that his eyes lingered on Raja when he spoke. Thandie inwardly groaned. Keeping everyone on task seemed to be a bigger undertaking than she’d expected.

She was grateful when Elliot called everyone’s attention back to tomorrow’s agenda. Markie and Adam spoke at length, while everyone nodded and listened attentively. Tom and Eddie made a few short comments before Rex took center stage. He was the marketing director, so Thandie was more interested in what he had to say. Even Raja and Len managed to tear their eyes away from Elliot long enough to listen to Rex recap his current projects. When the meeting was over, Adam, Markie and Rex escorted Thandie down to the arena. She had to literally call out to the girls to get them to follow her.

The club was already in high gear. Miami’s most beautiful and affluent residents laughed together and swayed their hips to the steady pulsation of a bewitching tempo.

Markie held out his arm to Thandie and guided her through the crowd. The girls followed closely behind, oohing and ahhing at just about everything.

In a low voice, Markie explained the wait staff’s table system and zone layout. He pointed out the hidden surveillance cameras, which were discreetly mounted above the cash registers at every bar. Markie led them backstage to meet a few of the dancers. Immediately, the dancers knew who Thandie was. Unfortunately, it was not from her reputation. Apparently, pictures of Ruark Randall kissing her at Phenomenon weeks earlier was beginning to make news. According to the dancers, Access Hollywood was reporting that she was Ruark’s new girlfriend.

Thandie rationalized that any press a PR agent created was good, but she failed to see the joy in her connection with actor Ruark Randall. He was an idiot. At any rate, it seemed to gain her an unreasonable amount of respect from the dancers. Thandie chatted with them while Markie continued to show Len and Raja the building. The girls didn’t seem to mind losing Thandie on the tour. It was their first time inside Club Babylon, and they were eager to see everything.

Thandie didn’t see Raja and Len until an hour later, after Adam introduced her to Ibiza native, DJ Von. The girls appeared to be having a good time. They were working the VIP room and dancing with club members.

Thandie was more at ease when she was able to clearly see the girls and know they were not up to their usual devilry. Involuntarily, Thandie caught herself searching the crowd for Elliot. It was unexplainable. She was in a constant state of alert until she found him. It took several tries before she spied him on the upper level in the VIP lounge. He was much closer than she’d expected; no farther than twenty feet away from where she stood. He was seated in a booth chatting with a couple. Like Elliot, the man was very handsome. But where Elliot was dark-haired, the stranger at his side was blond. A flash of his intense blue eyes was enough to stamp his appeal. Even from this distance, Thandie could see the lilt of his lips give way to an arrogant expression. She recognized a man born to wealth when she saw one. It was never what they wore or what elaborate toys they owned—it was the unshaken self-confidence that radiated from them.

At the man’s side was an attractive woman. She laughed prettily at the blond man, keeping a possessive hand in his lap, lest any woman mistake him for being available. Thandie wondered who the couple was. Judging by Elliot’s presence at their table, and length of time he was investing, these were personal friends of his. Or at least one of them was. Clearly, Elliot knew the blond-haired man well.

Thandie continued to watch them. More specifically, she watched Elliot. There was something about him that intrigued her. She couldn’t put it into words, but Elliot had a certain appeal that was enchanting. And yet as strongly as he captivated her, he frightened her. She was leery of him, not daring to get too close and yet...she was fascinated all the same.

Like a moth to a flame, she mused.

Her attention was snatched away when Adam stepped to her side. Taking her elbow in his hand, he twirled her around to introduce her to someone. Thandie was forced to turn her back on Elliot and his friends and focus on a tall, rather plain-looking gentleman. Adam presented him as the broadcaster for a leading pop radio show in Miami.

Eager to make a positive impression, Thandie dived into conversation with the man. It did not take long to figure out he was more interested in leering at her breasts than listening to her. Not that this surprised her overly much. She’d chosen to wear a mini dress, covered in simmering cheetah sequins. There was no cleavage to be seen, however the fabric pulled tight across her chest, emphasizing the fullness of her breasts. Although long sleeved, the dress was far from modest. The drastic cut of the garment exposed her entire back, before gathering together just above the rise of her buttocks.

A key factor of being a club promoter was to look the part. It was her job to make the environment look desirable. And since most clubs were owned and managed by men, she’d learned long ago to use her natural assets to her advantage. She no longer took notice when men ogled her. She expected it, at least while she was working. And putting on a flirtatious smile for Adam’s guest was definitely working.

Thandie chatted with the two men for a while, soon losing track of the time. When she looked up again to check on the girls, she was startled to find they were not there. Her gaze flickered to Elliot. He was gone as well, and so were his friends. Their booth was now occupied by an ensemble of pouty model-like beauties who appeared to be on the hunt for wealthy men.

Thandie searched for Len and Raja. They were nowhere in sight. A bad sign for certain. Left unsupervised for any length of time, the girls were prone to get into trouble. Thandie stepped toward the balcony and looked over the VIP lounge. Not a hint of either girl.

She turned cautious eyes to the glass wall which overlooked the arena floor below and gave an aquarium view of the upper levels of the club. It would be impossible to spot the girls amongst the throng of dancing partygoers. She would have to walk the club in hopes of finding them. She groaned. Her feet had begun to hurt nearly an hour ago. She would not be pleased if she had to walk a mile in her beautiful, but crippling, heels.

Just as she made up her mind to do that, she caught sight of movement. The wall to her right opened up, revealing a small compartment. It was the elevator that led to the Tower.

The silent hiss as the doors slid open was like a quiet invitation. Very tempting.

Suddenly, Thandie remembered the “something” she’d forgotten to tell the girls earlier. She had not warned them to avoid the Tower. Is that where they were? Were Len and Raja touring an area of the club Elliot himself had ruled off limits? It was certainly possible. Before her imagination went into overdrive, Thandie determined she would search the lower levels first, before fretting over the Tower.

Excusing herself from Adam’s side, she took the steps down to the lower levels. She saw no recognizable faces on either level. She proceeded to the arena floor. Unlike the sleek relaxed vibe of the VIP lounges, the main arena was rowdier and dramatically more crowded. There was a buzz of frenzied excitement in the large expanse. It was the kind of atmosphere Len and Raja would escape to. Thandie walked a slow lap around the edge of the dance floor, examining the faces. It did not take long before someone took hold of her hand and asked her to dance. She was agreeable, mainly because this angle allowed her a good view of most of the arena floor and the steps leading up to the VIP entrance. After dancing through a few songs, with no luck spotting the girls, she excused herself from her dance partner and continued her pursuit.

Thandie’s aching feet soon got the better of her. She quickly gave up the hunt for the girls, looking to sit down instead. The crowded arena offered few seats, and all appeared to be occupied.

With a sigh of annoyance, Thandie made her way back to VIP. She was grateful when one of the Babylon employees held his hand out to her to help her up the steps. The balls of her feet felt as if they were on fire, getting worse with every step she took. She looked around for an available seat in the packed room. She went to the next upper level, but it was just as crammed. She couldn’t even find a place to lean against the bar.

She looked for Adam to ask if he knew where there was extra seating, but he was serving club members. Thandie waited for him to wrap up, but the group didn’t seem willing to let him go any time soon. After fifteen agonizing minutes, she was feeling rather desperate. She went to the hidden elevator, punched in the code she remembered Adam using and rode it up the Tower. Thandie sagged against the wall and embraced the sudden quiet the elevator provided.

When the doors opened, she had to adjust her eyes to the dimness. The room was lit only by candlelight. Blindly, she stepped forward, unable to blink anything into focus. Abruptly, the elevator doors closed behind her, and she was surrounded by darkness. The sound of music hummed in the background, filling the room with a sensuality as thick as smoke.

Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into the hard surface of muscled flesh. Thandie looked up to see the silver eyes of Elliot Richards. He did not look happy to see her.

He leaned his head down low enough to whisper in her ear. “I believe I told you not to come up here.”

The sheer size of him was unnerving. He was even more impressive up close, not a blemish or hair out of place. It was really quite insane for one man to be so breathtakingly beautiful. Her blood felt as if it was boiling beneath her skin, and a slow ball of heat was growing in the pit of her stomach.

“Are you going to answer me?” he growled down at her.

“Huh?” Wrapped in his powerful arms, words seemed complicated to create.

“What are you doing up here?” he snapped.

“My feet.”

“What?”

“I—I came up here looking for a place to sit down.”

“Couldn’t you find a chair downstairs?”

“The place is packed.”

He frowned. “Well, there isn’t much room to sit down up here, but there are plenty of places to fuck.”

She turned her head to look around the room. Thandie would have fainted if it weren’t for Elliot holding her up. Her eyes finally adjusted to the dim lighting to reveal a room full of naked bodies. Every corner of the room was occupied by screwing couples; some were groups satisfying each other. She gasped to see three men pleasuring a moaning woman at the same time. Horrified, Thandie buried her face into Elliot chest to block out the scene around her. Only now did she realize the whole room was moaning, grunting, and delivering cries of ecstasy.

“You deliberately ignored my request,” he said in a low voice.

She shook with mortification. “I—I had no idea,” she stammered. “I thought—thought—I’ll leave.” She tried to push away from him, but he wouldn’t allow it. He pulled her closer to him.

“You can’t leave,” he said.

“Oh, yes, I can,” she nearly shouted. If he thought he was going to hold her hostage, then he was sadly mistaken. “Let me go.”

“Be still. You can’t go, because someone just took the elevator down. The stairwell is on the other side of the room, and it happens to be blocked.”

She followed his gaze to see he was right. Six or so people were naked and screwing each other like animals in heat. “Let me push the button to call the elevator up,” she said in a weak voice.

“It won’t do any good. The couple got in there to have privacy.”

“What?”

“They’re having sex,” he said simply. “The lift is on emergency stop.”

“How do you know?”

Elliot nodded toward a red light that was lit above the elevator doors. “When that is lit, it means the car has been stopped. You’ll have to wait until it turns green. Until then, you’re stuck here.”

She tried to push away from him again, but he was far too strong. She searched the room for another source of escape, but there was none.

“I’m going to find you a seat,” he said.

She shook her head. “I don’t want to sit down on anything in this room.”

“You don’t have a choice. I’m sitting down. If you don’t come with me, you’ll be left standing here by yourself.”

Thandie’s eyes went wide with outrage.

“And at your own risk, I might add.”

“At my own risk!”

Swiftly, Elliot placed his finger over her mouth to stop her from speaking any louder. He lowered his head to speak without being overheard. “The members that have access to the Tower pay good money for privacy and discretion. I can’t have you making them nervous while they are enjoying themselves. Understand?”

She wanted to fight him tooth and nail, but he had a fierce frown on his face. Without another word, he took hold of her upper arm and led her to a long settee. The sight of a man’s face buried between a woman’s open legs at the other end of the chaise made her pale. She was seconds away from running and beating on the elevator doors when Elliot took his seat and pulled her down beside him. He placed his arm behind her and drew her into his side. Their seat gave them a voyeur’s view of the room. Thandie lowered her head, not wanting to make direct eye contact with anyone. Elliot, on the other hand, seemed to be comfortable with the setting. He sat back and watched her literally die with embarrassment, an arrogant smirk on his handsome face.

“I bet you’ll listen to me in the future,” he taunted.

She frowned at him. “If I’d known what was up here, I wouldn’t have come. So what’s your excuse?”

“I don’t need one.”

“You come up here on a regular basis?”

Elliot grinned. “Wouldn’t you love to know?”

She scowled at him. His plan to make her burn with shame was working, and she didn’t like it one bit. She lashed back at him. “So this is what you’re into?” Her gaze swept the room. “Voyeurism?”

He fixed her with those silver eyes. “You don’t want to know what I’m into.”

The seriousness of his tone robbed her of any smart retort.

Pleased he’d shocked her into silence, Elliot flashed her a devilish grin. “Or is that why you really came up here? Interested in knowing what gets me off? Curiosity killed the cat, puss.”

“I don’t desire to know more.”

“Unfortunately for you, we’re going to learn a lot about each other tonight.” His large hand cupped the underside of her breast. The pad of his thumb brushed slowly across her nipple, making the bud instantly harden. “More than you can handle.”

Her temper was boiling. He meant to embarrass her, overwhelm her with his presence, expected her to run and hide. Was this his way of punishing her for not leaving well enough alone? Did he plan to make her regret accepting the job? Forcing her to see why he only hired men? He would be very disappointed.

Not bothering to push his hand away, she met his gaze with a steady one of her own. “There’s nothing you could throw my way that I can’t handle.”

“Careful, pussycat, I might take that as a challenge.” His gaze dropped to her lips. “That lovely mouth of yours is about to get you into a world of trouble.”

“I doubt that—oh!”

A strange hand landed on Thandie’s thigh. She followed the hand to its owner; a bare-chested man with glassy eyes. He squeezed her leg affectionately and said, “Come over here and join us, sweetheart.”

Elliot clasped his hand around the man’s wrist and pushed it aside. “She’s with me, Steinberg.”

The man focused his blurred vision on him. “Elliot, is that you? I didn’t know she was with you, man. My mistake. You better start fucking her before someone decides to take her away from you. She’s a nice piece of ass.”

Elliot nodded. “Thanks for the warning. Take it easy.”

Thandie watched the man feel his way through the darkened room before looking back up at Elliot. “Would someone really try to take me by force?” Her voice quivered. She was nervous.

Elliot tightened his hold on her. “People come here to have sex. It’s understood that if you’re here, you want to have sex, too. So in answer to your question, yes, I suppose that could happen.”

Thandie scooted closer to him. “Well, what are we going to do?”

“We’re going to improvise.” Without warning, he pulled her onto his lap. The hem of her dress inched dangerously up her thighs. Elliot gripped her by her forearms before she could leap off him. He pulled her forward until their lips were inches apart. “Kiss me,” he breathed.

“No,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Kiss me, or I’ll leave you to fend for yourself. Believe me, there is a room full of horny men that would love to rip that flimsy dress right off your body.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, yes, I would. You have no idea what I’m capable of. I’m your key to getting out of here in one piece, Thandie, so you had better pay me a little more respect.”

“Fuck you,” she hissed.

He grinned. “That could be arranged. We could do it right here if you prefer.”

“Let go of me.”

“If I do, you’re on your own, puss.”

“I said fuck off.”

“Have it your way.” He lifted her up, tossed her roughly aside and stood to cross the room.

Thandie couldn’t believe he was actually leaving her, though she had told him to. She panicked and reached out to pull his arm. “I’m sorry. Don’t leave.”

Elliot turned around to look down at her. His dark brow lifted with playfull mischief. “Are you ready to play nice?”

Thandie licked her lips nervously and looked over at the elevator shaft; the red light was still lit. In a room full of drunk, drugged-out mating couples, Elliot was her only ally. She would prefer the devil himself over him, but by her own doing, she was stuck with him. She could not say she hadn’t been warned.

Elliot slid his hands into his pockets. His eyes focused on her thighs. “Are we in agreement?”

She nodded.

He leaned down until his lips were only a breath away from her own. She expected him to kiss her, but he surprised her by placing his hands on either side of her on the sofa and lowering himself to the floor. Kneeling before her, he hooked his hands under her knees and pulled her to the edge of the seat so that her thighs were on either side of him. The hem of her dress effortlessly hiked up to her waist. If not for the black lace of her panties, she would be fully exposed to him.

Elliot’s silver eyes flashed in the murkiness, hypnotizing her with their predatory power. His lips came crashing down on hers. He made her escape impossible by cupping the back of her head in his palm. His lips were cool to the touch, but his tongue was scorching hot. He swept every curve of her mouth with masterful skill. It was not long before she stopped pushing against him and leaned into his hold, her hands resting on the sides of his ribcage.

Keeping her mouth pinned beneath him, Elliot grabbed handfuls of her flesh and squeezed with the selfishness of a gluttonous man. He pulled her open legs closer to him until his groin was nestled against the crotch of her panties. He groaned. Her eyes sprang open, and she pushed hard against his chest.

Not easily detoured, Elliot dragged wet kisses along her neck. “Damn, you feel good, honey. I’m going to eat you.”

“No,” she gasped, warning bells going off in her head, but unable to react quickly enough. “I need to get out of here.”

“Shh,” he cooed softly in her ear. “You’ll love it. Lie back.” He slid his hand from her bottom to her inner thigh. “Relax.” He kissed the sensitive spot just below her earlobe as he pushed aside the fabric of her panties. Thandie gasped when he brushed his fingers over the sensitive bud of her clit as he made a slow trail southward. He groaned when the tips of his fingers became slick with her desire. “You’re already wet for me,” he whispered against her ear. “Tell me you want me.”

“No.” She could hardly breathe, let alone sound certain of herself.

Elliot lifted his head to look into her face. Her eyes were practically glowing with lust. “Tell me what I want to hear,” he demanded in the husky voice. “Tell me you want this.” He slipped his finger inside her again. Her folds closed around him greedily. “You don’t want me to stop.” He moved his fingers in and out of her with agonizing slowness. “I’m more talented with my tongue.” He leaned forward and flicked his tongue against her earlobe. He chuckled when a fresh wave of her cream saturated his fingers.

It took all of Thandie’s power to muster up the strength to grab his wrist. “Stop, Elliot.” Her brown eyes were now shining. “Let go of me now.”

He stilled his hand. She meant what she said. “As you wish.” He pulled his hand away from her and held his wet fingers up between them before licking them clean. “The offer is always open.”

Just then, the elevator chimed, and the doors opened. A laughing couple tumbled out, both frantically ripping the remainder of their clothes off. Thandie pushed Elliot away and headed for the elevator car, catching the doors just before they closed. She didn’t dare look back at him. He represented every weakness known to women.

* * *

An hour later, Thandie fell across the bed in Warren’s guest room. Her hasty retreat from Babylon had not been very graceful. She’d stumbled out of the elevator, looking disheveled and glancing over her shoulder like a frightened animal. Thankfully, there was no on around to see her.

Righting her clothes, she quickly weaved her way through the dancing crowd. It was pure luck she spotted Len and Raja standing near the bar.

Stalking up to them, Thandie announced they were leaving. Wisely, neither girl objected. They followed her, and managed to keep their babbling to a minimum while waiting for the valet to deliver their car.

On the drive home, Thandie informed the girls they were not allowed to go the Tower under any circumstances. When Len asked what was in the Tower, Thandie replied, “Unemployment.”

It was not until they arrived at Warren’s home, that she remembered her feet hurt. But who the hell cared? She had bigger problems now. As soon as they entered the house, Thandie retreated to the privacy of her room. She shut the door shut behind her and tossed her limp body on the bed.

Thandie buried her face into her pillow. Replaying it in her mind, she could almost feel his fingers inside her now. She groaned. That was the most disgraceful job performance ever. Yes, he had set her up, but she had rightfully put herself in that position by going to the Tower when she’d been forewarned. Under the right amount of pressure, she’d made it very apparent to him that she was attracted to him, and he’d made the most of the situation. She bet he took a lot of women up there. The sex-crazed Steinberg didn’t seem surprised to see Elliot in the Tower. She groaned again. She had nearly given herself to a smooth-talking male slut. What did that make her?

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the provocative images swirling around in her head. She had to force herself to think clearly. If she stood any chance of successfully completing this project, she would have to make a point to stay as far away from Elliot Richards as possible...and find a good male masseur immediately.

* * *

Elliot lay naked across his bed. He stacked his hands behind his head, but he couldn’t close his eyes just yet, because every time he did, he saw Thandie’s smooth, bronzed skin.

She’d really put him in his place tonight, and that annoyed and excited him. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had turned him down. Usually, women were stepping over each other to get to him. He would have his pick of the group, using them at will before growing restless and discarding them.

But not Thandie.

She’d surprised him by snubbing him twice tonight, once by refusing to kiss him and again by refusing to let him go down on her. He had to admit he’d been toying with her, but after her first rebuff, he felt compelled to prove to her that he was the one in control. And then, she had refused him again.

That fact did not sit well with him. He had no idea why he even cared. Perhaps it was just his wounded ego, but whatever the case, he didn’t like the injury his pride had sustained at the hands of Thandie Shaw. She wasn’t even his typical brand of woman. In the past, he had preferred slender buxom brunettes; however, he was inclined to be attracted to the occasional blonde from time to time.

Thandie was on the opposite side of the spectrum. Yes, she was tall and slender, but had more curves than he was prone to desire. She had full hips and a wonderfully round derriere. Her long dark hair had been every bit as soft as he had imagined, and she tasted so sweet—like hot sex. Elliot had prided himself on never being easily swayed by any woman, so the idea of him sparing Thandie more than five minutes of his time was remarkable.

Thandie Shaw. She’s just another woman, he thought, and there were plenty of them on the strip. But she had somehow made herself stand out. He had no interest in her beyond sex. That much he knew. Yes, she had withstood his advances. He would have to deal with that. Hell, it was only a matter of time before she would be begging him for sex, if her slick thighs were any indication. She might pretend to be the dominant one, but if there was one thing he knew about women, it was that they always came back. He could care less where her morals lay; time would eventually conquer her. And when it did, he would discipline her for tonight. But until then, he would be patient. She was only on the third day of her three-month project. He smiled. This was going to be fun.