Beyond the Velvet Rope (26 page)

“Actually, I do.”

Their waiter presented himself and offered menus. Rex ordered a bottle of wine and an appetizer Thandie couldn’t pronounce. After the waiter was gone, Thandie leaned forward to be heard over the noise.

“You know how to read Japanese?”

Rex laughed. “Oh, goodness, no! Purely repetition. I come here often.” He waved his hand at the atmosphere. “The food is great, and the ambiance is romantic.” He reached out to place his hand over hers. “I’m glad you came,” he said in a low voice.

“Me, too.”

The intimacy of the moment was disturbed when the waiter returned with the bottle of wine. He poured two glasses for them, and not wanting to get lost in the shuffle of a busy night, Rex insisted they place their dinner orders.

When the waiter had once again disappeared, Thandie looked up to see Rex watching her. Once again, she marveled at how comfortable she felt around him. Doubt and tension simply did not exist when she was around him.

“So,” she said, reaching for her wine glass, “how long have you been working for Elliot?”

“A few years,” he said with a warm smile. “But I don’t actually work for Elliot. I mean, not entirely.” When she frowned, he continued. “I do marketing work for several clubs. I search the industry, identify new trends, and report back to my employers. They sort of ‘pool’ their finances for my services. It’s the most efficient way to go about it if you don’t want to pay for a full-time marketer. I mean, let’s face it. Unless you have a chain of locations, the market is fairly cyclicle. And whatever tactics the guy down the street is using to rally interest in his business, you’ll try it to see if it works for your company. It’s rather different from what you do for Babylon.”

“Oh,” was all Thandie could say. This explained why Elliot simply hadn’t assigned Rex to do what she’d been hired for.

“One of the perks of my job is it requires I travel from time to time.”

“Such as?” she asked, genuinely interested.

“Anywhere, I suppose. I’ve been to New York, L.A., Dubai, Rio and London. I’ve even been to Shanghai a few times.” He lifted his shoulders. “It depends on where the client is competing. Miami is a strange beast. The club owners here want to compete with Vegas. So, lately I’ve been traveling there more often.”

“Is that where you were a few weeks ago?”

He nodded. “Unfortunately, I have to go back. Short trip, but necessary.” Again he placed his hand over hers. “I’m afraid I’m going to miss your next presentation.”

Thandie was reminded of the Nicki Minaj debacle, and her hasty booking of The Pussy Cats. She’d had such high hopes for pulling off a large show, and now she was forced to promote an erotic dance group few people in Miami had ever heard of. The only advantage she saw was she was saving a large portion of the tight budget Elliot had set.

“I leave tomorrow evening,” he said. “That’s why I wanted to see you tonight. You’re always busy with work at the club, and I hardly get to see you. But tonight, I have you all to myself.” He smiled shyly. “I hope you don’t mind if I monopolize your time.”

Thandie smiled up at him through thick lashes. “By all means.”

* * *

With their dinner dishes taken away, the three friends leaned back in their seats, laughing as they finished off their drinks. The mood had lightened significantly, aided by good food, and an attentive bartender.

Signing his name with a flourish, Nico asked, “How did I get stuck with the bill?”

“Because I paid for dinner the last time,” Elliot reminded him.

“And I paid the time before that,” Matrix chimed in.

“Fine, fine,” Nico muttered as he tucked his copy of the receipt into his wallet. Their waiter appeared to refill water glasses. When they were once again alone, Nico turned to Elliot and said, “I ran into a friend of yours last night. The tiny little angel who flipped us the bird.”

“Victoria,” Elliot offered.

“Yes, Victoria,” Nico said. “I saw her at the club, and decided to introduce myself. I thought she might be nicer in person.”

“Oh?” Elliot asked with a raise of his brow.

“She wasn’t,” Nico confessed. “She’s a hellion, that one.”

This actually made Elliot laugh. He could only imagine the creative string of expletives Victoria had spit at Nico. “You were warned,” was all he could say.

Matrix, who’d been checking his cell phone, looked up. “What about a hellion?”

“Victoria Day,” Elliot answered. “Local designer.”

“Designer?” Matrix asked.

“Thandie is expanding our horizons,” he explained. “Victoria will be hosting her fashion show at Babylon in a few weeks.”

Matrix leaned back in his seat. “Sounds very high brow.”

“I suppose,” Elliot mumbled, uninterested.

“When is it?” Nico asked.

“When is what?”

“The show,” Nico said impatiently. “When is it?”

The question made Elliot turn to look at his friend. “I can’t recall off the top of my head. Would you like me to send you details?”

Matrix leaned forward. “Why the interest, Nico? Are you thinking about getting into the fashion business?”

Before Nico could answer, their waiter returned, asking if there was anything else they would like to order. When Nico declined the offer, the young man graciously bid them good-night, before deftly taking possession of the leather binder containing the bill. Taking this as their cue to leave, the men got up.

“Headed to the club?” Matrix asked.

“Perhaps,” Elliot said with a nonchalant shrug, even though he was certain that was his destination.

Matrix elbowed Nico. “And you?”

Nico did not immediately speak. Instead, he came to an abrupt halt, and stared off into the distance with keen interest. Elliot and Matrix paused to look after their friend. When Nico gave a wicked smile, Elliot frowned.

“What are you grinning about?”

“Are you sure you’ve got everything under control?” he said, nudging his chin toward the tables across the room, where couples sat intimately close while sharing dinner.

At first, Elliot hadn’t understood. There was movement all around the restaurant, and several dimly lit dinner booths. And then, with a clarity of a bird of prey, he saw them. Rex and Thandie, nestled together. Candlelight threw shadows across their faces, but it was her. He was certain of it. As if he needed further clarification, Thandie threw her head back, and her laughter punctuated the air.

How had he missed her? Had his back been turned when they’d entered the restaurant? Had his attention been focused on Matrix at the time? Few things escaped his gaze. And yet, there they were. Thandie and Rex, sharing a romantic dinner together.

Elliot knew without seeing, he hated her dress. It was a dark color and formfitting. Even from this distance, he could see the seductive swell of her breasts. No doubt Rex was getting a healthy view of Thandie’s golden skin.

“It looks like your kitten has come out to play,” he heard Nico whisper beside him.

Elliot straightened his tie and smiled slowly. “I think we should go and say hello.”

Nico grinned. “After you.”

* * *

Thandie was laughing when she suddenly went rigid. Like a guilty child, she jumped, intentionally putting several inches of space between her and her companion.

Rex noticed her change, and looked up. Unlike her, his grin brightened when he saw their employer approaching their table. Elliot was flanked by his good friend Nico and another man she’d never laid eyes on before.

Thandie could not believe her luck. Of all the nights, all the places, and of all the people...why did they have to run into Elliot Richards on the one evening she was desperate to not think about him?

Thandie tried to stand, forgetting they were seated in a booth. Her knees banged painfully against the table, forcing her to fall back onto the leather console. But not before she saw Elliot’s cool gray gaze zero in on the flash of upper thigh, made visible by the high slit of her dress.

“Are you all right?” Rex asked, concern marking his face.

“I’m fine,” she said quickly, embarrassed.

“Are you sure—”

“Yes, very sure,” she said, softening her hasty reply with a tentative smile. Any chance of escape was gone. Thandie whispered a curse under her breath as Elliot and his friends surrounded their table. There was a look in his eyes she didn’t trust. And the smile he wore definitely could not be trusted.

“Well, if it isn’t the two lovebirds,” Elliot said in a low voice. “Imagine my delight when I saw you across the room.”

Thandie gritted her teeth together, and Rex smiled. What he took as a compliment, she registered as a taunt.

Sliding out of the booth, Rex stood to greet their visitors “Good to see you, gentlemen.” His surprise at running into them was evident as he shook the hand of each man, but he was pleased nonetheless.

Intent on ignoring Elliot and Nico’s cheerful smile, Thandie turned her attention to the other man. He was a tall, dark figure. Even dressed in a suit, Thandie could tell he was incredibly fit. He was all tanned skin, thick dark brows, dark goatee, and long dark hair. He could have been a pirate in another life.

Noticing her fascination with Matrix, Elliot inclined his head. “I don’t believe you two have met before.” He held out his hand to his friend. “Thandie, this is Matrix Lang. Matrix, this is Thandie Shaw.”

Matrix held out his hand to Thandie. When her hand settled into his palm, he bent over it and kissed the smooth skin. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s refreshing to see the rumors were true.”

Thandie blushed a little under Matrix’s dark gaze, but retracted her hand as soon as she could without being offensive. Matrix spelled trouble, in all capital letters.

“And I’m sure you remember Nico,” Elliot went on smoothly.

Nico did not reach for hand. Instead, he chose to wink at her.

Thandie couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the three men. All of them dark and handsome. Elliot with his serious yet aloof nature, brightened by his pale gray eyes. Nico with his dark charm and devil-may-care attitude. And Matrix, with his dark good looks and even darker mystic. She imagined the havoc they caused to the women of South Beach.

As usual, Elliot’s beauty eclipsed everything in the room. Against her will, her gaze was drawn to him. And there it stayed.

“I trust you’re having a lovely evening so far?” Elliot probed.

“We are,” Rex answered with an affectionate glance in her direction.

Thandie noticed with some alarm, Elliot’s observation of Rex’s reaction. Something flashed across his features. It was so quick, she couldn’t make it out, but she was wise enough to be on alert.

“Are you coming or going?” Rex asked the men.

“Going, I’m afraid,” Elliot said with a derisive smile. “Otherwise, we would love to join you.”

Thandie released a sigh of relief. Her celebration was premature, because at that moment their eyes met. Something foreboding loomed in those cool gray orbs. Thandie shook her head ever so slightly, willing him to understand her desire to have him out of here and far, far away from her. The tips of his lips lifted, and she saw him give the barest shake of his head.

“However,” Elliot said smoothly, “it would be rude of us to pass without at least joining you for a drink.”

“Uh—yes, of course,” Rex stammered, clearly thrilled by the suggestion. “We’d love you to—”

Without waiting for him to finish, Elliot slid into the booth next to Thandie, moving so close their thighs were pressed together. She attempted to slide over to put a little space between them, but her efforts were pointless when she felt Elliot’s large hand land on her leg.

Powerless to stop the train wreck that was sure to happen, Thandie watched as Rex slid into the booth beside her, followed by Nico. Matrix pulled out one of two chairs facing their booth, and took his seat. With dread, Thandie knew what was happening. Like trained assassins, Nico and Matrix had settled themselves on the opposite side of Rex, making it easy to distract his attention away from Elliot and Thandie.

Rex chanced a glance at Thandie, but before he could turn his head entirely in her direction, Nico said, “You have excellent taste, Rex.” He lifted up the wine bottle. “This is one of my favorites.”

Rex turned to Nico. “A special wine for a special lady,” he said.

“So you say,” was Elliot’s reply.

Thandie reached for her wine goblet, and murmured “asshole” into her glass. Apparently, Elliot heard her, resulting in a squeeze of her leg. She fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. The movement caught Rex’s attention. Again, he turned to look at her. And yet again, his attention was stolen away. This time by Matrix.

“So what else do you have planned tonight?” he asked conversationally.

Rex turned to Matrix and explained how, if time permitted, he hoped to take Thandie to Bleau Bar for after dinner drinks. The conversation got complex when Matrix began suggesting a list of lounges he preferred over Rex’s destination. He even offered to call his contacts to place Rex on the VIP list.

Thandie lost the thread of the discussion almost immediately, when she felt Elliot’s hand expertly slide past the folds of her gown, and find bare flesh. She gasped when she felt his hand make an unhurried path up her thigh. He stroked the tender flesh, his fingers edging dangerously close to her sex. She slammed her thighs closed, but was momentarily paralyzed when he pinched her tender flesh, causing her to muffle a cry of pain. Instinctively, her thighs fell back apart, just as he had planned.

With her date so easily occupied, the dimness of the lighting, and the dark folds of her dress offering ample coverage, Elliot was free to do whatever he wanted beneath the table. And he took great pleasure and time doing just that.

With erotic slowness, his finger flicked across the thin material of her panties. Thandie was now shivering with anger and anticipation. The pads of his fingers were so dangerously close to her womanhood, her thighs were shaking with keen arousal.

As if nothing were amiss, Elliot signaled the waiter over with his free hand and announced he was buying another bottle of wine for the table in celebration of Rex and Thandie’s special night out.