Beyond the Velvet Rope (17 page)

Elliot was clearly amused. Romero gave a heavy sigh, not caring to mask his annoyance with Raja and Len. Not to be ignored, the girls hovered close to Shay’s group, inserting themselves into the fray. Shay didn’t outright ignore them, but he didn’t exactly welcome their presence. He did this not with the same grace Elliot always managed, but he got his message across. He might be a free agent, but he wasn’t interested.

Satisfied the girls would keep a close eye on Shay, Thandie searched for Samara. The Latin singer was quietly sipping a club soda when Thandie found her. Her eyes lit up when Thandie sat down next to her.

Since the girls were occupied, it was now her responsibility to keep their guest entertained. It took a great deal of effort to ignore Elliot and Shay. Everyone seemed to be interested in their group. Beautiful women were circling around their table like predatory sharks. The prettier amongst them were invited to sit at their booth. Raja and Len sat on opposite sides of Shay, while two unknown women pressed themselves close to Elliot.

Frustrated with everyone residing on that side of the room, Thandie forced herself to focus on the task at hand, which was to ensure Samara enjoyed herself. It was irksome having her guest upstaged by Elliot’s superstar.

Finally, she got Len and Raja’s attention and motioned them over to keep Samara entertained.

Thandie then started communicating with every gossip columnist and local journalist she could manage. Through a series of text messages, emails and online message boards, she made sure everyone knew Club Babylon was the party to be at tonight. For safety reasons, she’d withheld mentioning Shay Thomas’s name. Thandie planned to broadcast this news at the most opportune moment.

It came time when Elliot normally made his rounds to mingle with the club guests. Like clockwork, Thandie saw him rise and shake Shay Thomas’s hand before leaving the VIP area. She couldn’t resist watching him step onto the arena floor below and ease into the mass of dancing people. He quickly became a magnet for attention. People sought him out, encircled him, embraced him; as if he were some majestic being. Thandie huffed. With everyone always treating him like God’s gift to women, it’s no wonder he was so arrogant. Thandie turned away, no longer interested in the Elliot Richards show. She had more messages to send.

About an hour later, Thandie was admittedly tired. The women were becoming aggressive in their efforts to meet Shay, and he did little to deter their affections. Shay enjoyed dancing, and for the most part, people gave him plenty of room to do so. With hours of professional choreography under his belt, no one was eager to dance too closely. Needless to say, he was entertaining to watch.

Samara wasn’t as thrilling. Len and Raja made attempts to lure her onto the dance floor, but she was reluctant. She swayed in placed halfheartedly, and showed little interest in doing much else. When Shay pulled Samara next to him and began dancing with her, she actually managed to smile. They danced to the cheers of the crowd. The DJ was accommodating, playing one of Shay’s songs followed by Samara’s. The dancers moved in unison.

Tonight would have been a perfect time for Elliot to reconsider his “no camera” rule. Thandie could have kicked herself for not pressing him harder on the issue. Pictures of Shay and Samara dancing together would have been priceless.

Eventually, Shay was ready to move on to the next club. He said his goodbyes to the room at large and made a noticeable exit. Thandie knew it had taken a great deal of self-control for Len and Raja not to push Samara into the nearest corner and take off running after Shay Thomas’s motorcade. When they found out Samara was staying at the same hotel as Shay—right down the hall, to be exact—they immediately considered her their new BFF.

Having weaved his way around a clutch of dancers, Adam came up on Thandie’s left, and whispered loud enough to be heard over the music, “Whatever you’re doing is working.” At her puzzled expression, he added, “Everyone in the city seems to know Shay Thomas is here. The reporters are out in full force. Ed wants to call the police to direct traffic.”

“That’s not such a bad idea,” Thandie said, keeping a leery eye on the girls as she spoke.

“I noticed you didn’t take credit for the crowd,” he teased.

“I didn’t realize I had to.”

Adam laughed.

Predictably, Raja and Len soon cornered Thandie to ask if they could take the car. With exaggerated sincerity, they explained how fond they were of Samara and, being the good friends they were, desired to show her more of Miami. According to them, Babylon was too much for her. She needed to go somewhere more intimate. Adam, who’d overheard the entire tale, offered to call his friend at Opium Garden.

The idea of leaving Samara alone with Len and Raja made her nervous. She consented with reluctance.

“Okay, you can go. But—”

“Don’t get into trouble,” Raja finished for her.

“Right,” Thandie nodded, “And—”

“Don’t drink and drive,” Len supplied.

Thandie frowned. Was she really that predictable? “Well, for heaven’s sake—”

“Don’t get caught doing anything illegal,” both girls chorused in a parody of her voice.

Unsettled, Thandie presented the keys to the Expedition. Adam offered to take her home, but she was in no mood to hang around the club until eight in the morning, waiting for Adam to get off work. She’d happily take a taxi back to Warren’s home.

When there was nothing left to see, Thandie said her goodbyes, warned the girls to behave and descended from the VIP level.

Miami weather was a strange thing, Thandie thought as she stepped outside. It felt the same as it did ten hours before, when the sun shone bright and fat white clouds dotted the sky. There was a slight breeze, but it wasn’t cold. The many lights that lit South Beach made it appear as if it were still daytime. She could truly understand why Warren enjoyed it so much down here.

Apparently, her thoughts had jinxed the moment, for it was at that very second she felt the first drop of rain fall on her shoulder. The reaction was quick. The sparse few droplets instantly began a shower of fine white tears. Thandie screeched. She could hail a cab under any weather conditions, but rain created a problem. Competition for a taxi increased considerably. Looking up the street, she saw several cabs flying in both directions. She would have to move decisively.

Thandie stepped toward the curb and lifted her arm to gain the attention of the next passing taxi, but she was brought up short when a hand took an iron hold on her upper arm

“What are you doing?” he snapped.

At the sight of Elliot, Thandie groaned. Annoyed he kept appearing unexpectedly, she rolled her eyes. “I’m going home.”

“Where’s your car?”

“I loaned it to the girls.” She pulled out of his hold. “Good night.” She hoped she had put an end to the conversation, but found she was wrong.

“I’ll take you home,” he said determinedly.

Desperate to get away from him, Thandie shook her head. “I can hail a cab.”

“No, I’m taking you home.”

“No, you aren’t,” she insisted.

“You’re arguing with me in the rain?”

Suddenly she realized that the downpour was drenching them both. His dark suit was being pelted with raindrops. His neatly combed hair fell in dark, loose locks about his temples, giving him a devastatingly sexy look. “Yes,” she said in a stronger voice. “I’m arguing with you in the rain.”

Elliot gave her an incredulous look. “You’re going to take a cab in a strange city, rather than allow me to drive you home?”

“Yes,” Thandie said. Spotting an available taxi, she skipped hurriedly over to the vehicle and pried the door open. To her horror, she was once again yanked by the arm, and the cab door was slammed closed. “What the hell?” she sputtered.

“I’m taking you home.” As if on cue, Elliot’s car slid up to the curb, stopping just feet from them. Michelle got out of the driver’s side and jogged over to Elliot, holding an umbrella over him.

Looking between the two men, Thandie shook her head. “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

“Thandie,” he said in a warning tone, “get in the damn car.”

Not waiting for her reply, he took the umbrella from Michelle and held it above her. All but pulling her to his car, he roughly helped her into the passenger seat of his Range Rover and walked to the other side to claim the driver’s seat.

Elliot locked the car doors. “Just so you don’t get any bright ideas.”

Reaching around her, he fastened her seatbelt before adjusting his own. Dragging his fingers through his hair, he cleared his vision from wet wayward tendrils. Winking at her, he pulled into South Beach traffic, flicking on the radio in the same motion.

Thandie was surprised to hear soft jazz fill the car’s interior. It was a far departure from the heavy hip-hop beats often played in his club. Grudgingly, she had to admit this style suited him well.

To avoid staring at him, Thandie turned so she faced the window. Elliot’s nearness truly put her nerves on edge. They hadn’t been alone since their encounter in the Tower. Although being seduced in the middle of an orgy didn’t necessarily qualify as alone, it had been intimate nonetheless. Thandie crossed her legs to prevent herself from fidgeting. Why did she act like an anxious schoolgirl whenever she was around him?

“Cold?” His deep voice broke through the silence.

“Yes,” she lied.

Elliot turned up the heat, casting her a sideways look as he did so. “Your dress doesn’t seem to have withstood the rain.”

“I’m sorry?”

He answered her by sweeping his gaze over her body. Thandie looked down at her dress and gasped. The thin fabric was plastered to her skin, making her dark nipples glow lewdly against the white material. She crossed her arms over her breasts, in a vain attempt to reclaim her modesty.

Elliot snorted. “Please don’t do that for my benefit. I was enjoying the view.”

Thandie hugged her arms tighter around her breasts. She ignored him.

“That’s what I get for being a Good Samaritan,” he said with a laugh.

Unable to resist the taunt, she snapped. “You call dragging me against my will into your car and ogling me an act of a goodwill?”

“Absolutely,” he said. “A simple ‘thank you’ is always welcome. But in your case, I’m willing to accept sexual favors.”

“You are unbelievable,” she hissed.

“I prefer to think misunderstood.” Looking in his rearview mirror, he merged onto the freeway. “I insisted on driving you home, because it’s three o’clock in the morning and you’re traveling alone. You were standing in the rain on a busy corner, filled with drunken men, wearing a dress that concealed nothing. Have I mentioned South Beach is known for prostitution? And you, my sweet little pussycat, made it pretty easy to create confusion. Whether you’re aware of it or not, guys were circling around you like dogs. If I hadn’t been there to take you home, I assure you some horny idiot would have followed you. Now, if you prefer me to take you back, just say the word.”

Thandie sat there feeling properly put in her place. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She blushed with embarrassment. She wasn’t in New York, where there were hundreds of people everywhere and perverts could be scared off by a creative string of swear words. She could have very well gotten herself into some serious trouble.

“Put in that context,” she murmured, “thank you.”

“Uh-uh, pussycat. Remember we agreed on sexual favors.”

“Do you talk to all your employees like this?”

“Just the females.”

“I’m the only female.”

“Then you shouldn’t feel special.”

Ready to be rid of him, Thandie stared out the window. The man had the ability to get under her skin in the worst way. And the maddening thing was she got the feeling that her anger only amused him.

They drove several minutes in complete silence. The music spiraling to a climatic crescendo was annoyingly in sync with the tension in the car. Elliot’s next words surprised her.

“Did you enjoy your date with Rex?” Although he wore a slight smile, his tone was glacial.

“How do you know about that?” she asked.

“I make it my business to know.”

“How does my seeing Rex concern you?”

“You’d be surprised how much it concerns me. Now answer my question, Thandie. How was your date?”

Thandie pulled her arms tighter across her body, refusing to respond. Although she was surprised that Elliot knew about her and Rex, she refused to let the shock show. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“I doubt he could keep his hands off you,” Elliot mused.

Thandie’s temper got the best of her, and she was compelled to correct him. “I’ll have you know Rex was a perfect gentleman. Unfortunately, something came up and I was unable to go.”

“That’s interesting,” was all he said.

Unable to help herself, she snapped, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You standing Rex up,” he said conversationally. “I find that rather interesting.”

“I didn’t stand him up,” she snapped. “I just couldn’t go.”

“Why not?”

Thandie scowled at him. There was no way she was going to tell him Warren’s personal business. It was none of his affair.

“I had my reasons,” she said in a low voice.

“That’s too bad,” Elliot said with mock sympathy. “Rex was looking forward to your little night on the town. I imagine he was crushed when you told him.”

Thandie squirmed in her seat. Rex had been disappointed when she’d told him she was staying home to look after Warren. She thought she’d delivered the blow gently enough, but what if he hadn’t seen it that way?

“I’m making it up him,” Thandie heard herself say.

“Oh?”

She bit back a hasty retort, and said in an even flat tone, “We’ve rescheduled for next Monday night.”

A smile played across Elliot’s lips. “Good for Rex,” he said. “He could use the attention. Regrettably, you’ll have to break your plans. You’ll be busy.”

“Busy? Busy doing what?”

“You’ll be busy being fucked by me.”

His vulgarity caught her completely unaware. Thandie had no response to such a statement.