Boston Avant-Garde 2 - Crescendo (16 page)

He buttoned and zipped his slacks. “You heard me. I’ll be taking the next flight out.”

There was a distinct chill in her tone, and he could picture her harrumphing in her desk chair. “Yes, sir.”

He turned to Leslie, took her hand in his, and brushed his lips across her knuckles. “You ready?”

Something in her nod told him this was the last thing she wanted, but she set her jaw and let him tug her out of the office. He hoped she didn’t care that she looked like she’d just had an earth-shattering orgasm, because there was no way to hide the satisfaction on either of their faces.

Chapter Fourteen

The flight was short, and they sat in first class. Leslie still felt as if she was traveling back from purgatory into hell. She rode the whole way with Joshua’s hand clutched tightly in hers. She knew he must be dying to know what had happened to send her jetting off to New York City with no warning. She’d be forever grateful to him for not demanding a single explanation.

Two weeks ago, she would’ve said Joshua Breckenridge considered her just another set of tits and ass, no better and no worse than any other woman on the planet. Now, she knew his indifferent exterior hid a man who felt things more deeply than she could’ve ever imagined possible.

Tall, silent, and imposing, he smoothed their journey with his commanding presence. Airport personnel catered to him; a driver waited to take their carry-on luggage and shuttle them to a hotel where the staff would most likely know him on sight.

She’d forgotten what it was like to travel when you had money.

Her stomach gave an unwelcome flip-flop when the car began the trek down Central Park West. The posh interior of the stretch Lincoln held no interest for her. Memories flooded her brain, and she had trouble breathing. Central Park’s meandering paths and green lawns were dotted with residents and tourists alike, all outside to enjoy the tentative warmth of a spring evening.

“Almost there, sweetheart,” Joshua murmured. He caressed the palm of her hand with his thumb. “Have you ever been to New York before?”

She swallowed the lump that had lodged in her throat. “I grew up here.”

His only response was to give her hand a gentle squeeze. Tears stung her eyes. The car seemed too big. She longed to feel Seth’s comforting presence flanking her other side. Sandwiched between them both, maybe there would be less chance for her past to batter her soul.

The car swung into the ornate vestibule at the Trump Tower Hotel. Uniformed bellhops opened their doors and began unloading luggage from the trunk. Joshua exited the car. Leslie wondered if she should do the same, when a young man reached inside for her instrument case.

Before she could wave him off, Joshua took it from him. “Thanks, I think I better hold on to that one.” He grabbed her hand, their fingers lacing smoothly as he tugged her from the backseat of the Lincoln.

She looked at the surrounding skyline, drawn to the familiar outline of a building she’d seen so many times during childhood. “My father used to live there.”

A muscle leaped in his jaw. “When did you see him last?”

She felt dead inside, like a trauma victim out of touch. “The night I left home, when I was eighteen.”

He pulled her closer, tucking her into the curve of his body. “Seth is inside somewhere. Let’s go find him.”

She ignored the feeling in her gut that told her she’d been foolish to think she could come here and flaunt her presence. Finding Seth was the most appealing thing in the world right now.

The big glass doors swept open, and they entered the opulent lobby. There were four clerks wearing identical smiles manning the marble-topped check-in counter. Several hotel guests lingered while waiting for service. Leslie knew it was her imagination, but it felt as if everyone was staring at them. To the left was a contemporary seating area. The sofas looked as though they’d never hosted a single butt on their pristine surfaces.

Leslie thought longingly of the comfortable leather furniture in the apartment back in Boston. No doubt Seth and Joshua had spent just as much cash on their furniture. They’d just intended to live with it, not show it off to the general public.

“Let me see what suite Seth checked into.” He put a thumb beneath her chin and coaxed her to meet his bright blue gaze. “Are you going to be okay?”

She nodded, feeling like a world-weary vagabond. It wasn’t just her rumpled jeans and cheap knockoff sweater. It was the feeling of being mowed over by everything in life she’d been trying to forget. All at once.

Choosing to study the patterned marble floor while Joshua approached the desk, she ignored the other patrons and paced a winding path across the geometric tiles. Her route took her past the pillared entrance to the hotel’s five-star restaurant. She’d turned to begin a new circuit when the unmistakable timbre of Seth’s laughter sent chills racing up and down her spine.

The welcome sound was coming from somewhere inside the restaurant. Leslie’s heart pounded a staccato beat in her chest. Seth had been gone less than twenty-four hours, but she missed him like crazy. The acute sense of relief was short-lived when his voice was joined by the breathy, feminine laughter of a woman on the prowl.

Joshua picked that moment to approach. “I sent our stuff upstairs. Seth should be around somewhere. The award presentation ceremony is here at the hotel later tonight.”

She jerked her head toward the restaurant. “He’s in there.”

“Well?”

She grabbed his sleeve as he started toward the entrance. “There’s a woman with him.”

Whether it was her words or the accusation in her tone, Joshua gave her a warm smile that sent awareness lancing through her body, culminating in a pulse of heat at her core. He lifted her hand and pressed a warm kiss to the center of her palm. She could have melted into a puddle right then and there.

“So far I’ve made an ass out of myself by accusing you of grabbing a quickie after work.”

Leslie was stunned to feel a giggle escape at that memory, followed by a shot of lust as she recalled what had followed that episode.

“Then you walk into my office to rescue me from a wannabe sex kitten climbing on my desk and preparing to have her way with me.”

She supposed it might seem odd that she’d never felt a moment’s suspicion connected to that particular incident. “That was too ridiculous to be intentional on your part.”

Joshua nodded toward the dining room. “So how about we give Seth the benefit of the doubt?”

They bypassed the hostess stand and entered the restaurant. The vaulted ceilings were studded with gleaming chandeliers. A dozen or more tables fanned away from the center of the room. The other guests sat in clusters of two or three to a table. They didn’t even look up when Leslie and Joshua walked in. They had their own lives and their own problems, but the erratic beating of Leslie’s heart seemed so loud, she couldn’t believe no one else could hear it.

Seth and his companion were in a booth at the center of the room. At first glance, they looked too cozy for comfort. As always, he was sexy as hell. The green and white pinstriped dress shirt showed off his olive complexion and the dark hair that fell across his forehead. The familiar lines of his handsome face and slightly crooked nose were set into a pleasant expression. A closer look revealed tension in his body. His broad shoulders were stiff, and he fiddled with his fork and knife instead of eating the food on the plate in front of him.

Leslie exhaled slowly, relief seeping through her body.

Seth’s companion was a gorgeous woman. Her tailored black-and-white outfit screamed “successful businesswoman.” She sat straight, her long hair twisted into an elegant chignon. Her hands were graceful, with a perfect French manicure. If her expression was anything to go by, she was only barely containing the drool when she paused between bites to stare at Seth.

Leslie pressed her lips together. The woman was picking at a salad. Didn’t she know real men liked women who didn’t starve themselves?

“Go get him, sweetheart.” Joshua prodded her. “If you don’t like that woman looking at him, go make sure she knows who he belongs to.”

She looked up at him. Was he serious? Could she do something that seemed so silly? Besides, she wasn’t supposed to be getting so irrevocably attached to Seth and Josh.

Joshua’s handsome face took on a mischievous expression that stole her breath away. “He’s going to be glad to see you, Leslie. I promise.”

He didn’t have to say anything else. She strode into the dining room and was practically running seconds later. People turned to stare, but it didn’t matter. The only thing she cared about was the exact moment Seth saw her coming. His whole face lit up, whisky brown eyes coming to life as he slid from the booth and opened his arms to her.

She snuggled against him and inhaled deeply of that scent that had become so vital to her whole existence. His chest was warm and hard, his abdominals rippling beneath his shirt. She wrapped her arms around his waist and got as close as decently possible in a public place.

“God, Leslie, I’ve missed you so much! You’ve got no idea.” He stroked her hair with one hand and her back with the other, dipping his chin to drop a kiss on top of her head. “How did you get here?”

A tingling at the back of her neck told her Joshua was approaching. Finally surrounded by her two men, she felt complete for the first time in days. The sensation was as terrifying as it was exhilarating.

“I brought her.” Joshua stepped in close.

She tilted her head up to see their faces. Neither of them said a thing, but it was obvious they were engaged in unspoken conversation. Her apprehension about being in New York and her relief at the three of them being back together made her feel almost punch drunk. It was good the two of them were communicating, because at some point she was going to have to find a way to tell them her reasons for dropping everything to fly to New York.

Reaching up, she tapped Seth’s chest to get his attention before her gaze drifted toward his dinner partner. A look of understanding crossed his face, and he leaned down and took her mouth in a hot kiss that let anyone watching know exactly who he belonged to.

“Hello, Cassidy.” Joshua dipped his head to the dark-haired woman.

So he’d known all along, the twerp! Leslie gave Josh a look guaranteed to let him know what she thought of his lack of disclosure. With the three of them together again, she was feeling unusually friendly. No reason not to be polite to the pretty woman in the power suit.

“I’m sorry to barge in like this,” she said warmly. “My name is Leslie Hampstead.”

“Cassidy Cross.” One corner of the woman’s mouth tilted up at an angle that could barely be considered civil. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Sorry to cut our dinner short, Cassidy.” Seth gave her a conciliatory smile. “I’d like to spend some time catching up with Leslie and Joshua before the award presentation tonight.”

Cassidy gave a stiff nod that told Leslie she didn’t understand at all. “Of course, Seth; I’ll see you later on.”

Chapter Fifteen

The Central Park view hadn’t appealed to Seth when he checked into the suite. Having Leslie and Joshua lounge on the sofa changed his opinion. Now it seemed warm and inviting.

Seth unbuttoned his dress shirt and pulled it off, draping it over a chair in the small dining area. He didn’t have to be psychic to see that something had shifted between Leslie and Joshua in his absence. They were obviously more relaxed with each other. Joshua had stripped down to a pair of dress slacks, and Leslie had commandeered his shirt. Under that she wore nothing but a pair of panties. She’d tucked in beside him and thrown her bare legs over his. Arm flung across the back of the sofa, he ran his fingers idly through her long hair. Though they were silent, they seemed utterly comfortable in each other’s company.

A twinge of jealousy stabbed Seth in the gut as he moved to join them. He pushed the unfamiliar emotion away when they both looked up and smiled at his approach. They might have come to an understanding between them, but it wasn’t complete without him in it.

Seth settled into the soft cushions on Leslie’s other side. She shifted, facing him and putting her head on Joshua’s shoulder. He picked up her legs and pulled them across his thighs until he could rest his hands on the soft swell of her hip.

Seth glanced over her head to find Joshua’s blue gaze as solemn as he’d ever seen it. Smoothing back a loose tendril of Leslie’s red hair, he cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb over her full lower lip. “You’ve obviously got something to say. You know you can tell us anything.”

“Joshua told me about your past—all of it.” She took his hand in hers. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. I knew he’d tell you when he felt the time was right. And I think it’s important you understand where we’ve come from.” Seth could feel the tension in the arm Joshua had slung behind Leslie’s head. Obviously this was about more than their ancient history.

She swallowed and took a deep breath. “I think it’s important that you both know where I’ve come from too.”

Joshua’s countenance darkened, and Seth knew he was going to need his best courtroom expression for whatever she had to say.

She turned her gaze back toward the windows. Dusk had fallen, the lights of Central Park shining like ribbons across the paths. “I was born and raised right here in Manhattan. You two have probably heard of my father, Trevor Marquette. Marquette Industrial Corporation has been in his family for generations.”

Poker face firmly in place, Seth allowed himself a moment of internal shock at her words. Trevor Marquette was an industrial tycoon who was also a legendary asshole in the business arena. He could not imagine such a man fathering a woman like Leslie.

“My mother was a Hampstead. She came from a long line of musicians, and my grandfather was a sought-after solo violinist before he took a professorship at Juilliard.” Her full lips curved into a soft smile. “He put a violin in my hands before I’d even turned four. After that I spent almost all my time playing. I never wanted to do anything else. My dream was to win a chair in a major symphony and work my way up to concertmistress. I kept thinking if I could do that, it would make up for the fact that my mother had stopped playing when she’d settled down and married my father.”