Do Not Disturb (3 page)

“Nope, not a thing. Have a good one.”

Yeah, he could only hope.

***

“So what do you think of Dane?”

The amused smile on Sabrina’s face made Talia want to roll her eyes, but she contained the urge. No use giving her friend any ammunition.

“Rich playboy. Nice looking, yes, but totally self-involved.”

“Oh, that’s not true.” Sabrina leaped to Dane’s defense, which made Talia cover a sigh. “Yes, he’s rich, and yeah, he gets around . . . Well, according to the scuttlebutt around the hotel, he
used
to get around a lot more. And by get around, I mean he used to be a huge manwhore. Lately, though . . . Not so much.”

“And why should I care?”

“Oh, please. I saw the way you looked at him. And he was totally checking you out, too.”

Talia shrugged as she sipped her coffee, trying not to let that give her any ideas.

“So I looked. Who wouldn’t? But he knows exactly what he looks like and I’m sure he’s used to getting whatever he wants. I just don’t have time for him.” Of course, she certainly wouldn’t mind one night.

“Oh, you so want him.” Sabrina sat back in her chair in the corner of the hotel’s club, grinning even wider now. “And you should take what you can get. You look stressed. I mean, you look great but I can tell you’re tired. You need to get an assistant.”

“And I keep asking you and you keep turning me down.”

Sabrina wrinkled her nose. “And you know I’d take you up on the offer if I didn’t love my job here so much. But seriously, Tal, you need to loosen the reins a little and get a minion.”

“As soon as I have time to break someone in, I will. But for right now, I’ve got everything under control.”

“What you mean is you’ve got all of your energy focused on your job and no time for you.”

“And don’t I recall a certain person telling me just a few months ago that all she wanted was to focus on her career?”

Sabrina waved a hand in front of her face. “Yeah, yeah. I said that, but I did finally realize the error of my ways. Honey, you need to get laid. Seriously.”

“And you think Dane is the right person for that?”

Sabrina’s nose scrunched again and her gaze dropped. “Well, maybe not Dane exactly, but there are going to be loads of single men at the wedding. Live a little. Pick one off the buffet line and have a feast for a night.”

Talia had to laugh. “You’ve certainly changed your tune. So how goes it with Greg?”

Sabrina’s smile was instantaneous, which was good, but it had a hint of melancholy, as well. “Fine when we’re together. Which hasn’t been a lot lately. He’s busy and I get that. I mean, I really do understand. He works all hours of the day, but when it’s just the two of us, uninterrupted, well, it’s pretty damn good.”

“And when it’s not just the two of you?”

Sabrina shrugged. “It can be tough. But no relationship is happiness and flowers all the time. You’ve got to work at it. And it’s not worth much if you give up when it gets hard.”

Hallelujah, sister. Talia wanted to raise her hand to testify. “Which is why I’m not in the market for a relationship right now. I don’t have the time and I’m not willing to give what little free time I do have to a man. Most of them aren’t worth the hassle.”

Grimacing, Sabrina nodded. “True, but when you find the right one, he’s worth
all
the trouble.”

Unless, of course, he was the cause of all the trouble.

As Talia drove back to her office later, still chewing over that last thought, she made a call.

“Hey, Mom. How goes it?”

“Hi, honey. I’m fine. What’s wrong?”

Talia sighed. That was always her mom’s first response when Talia called unexpectedly. Not that she blamed her mom for being suspicious. Amelia Driscoll had had good reason to fear unexpected phone calls for so many years.

“Nothing’s wrong. Just checking in. I haven’t talked to you for a little while.”

“Oh, well, nothing new to report here. Although . . . Sammy’s going to graduate cum laude. Did he tell you?”

No, her younger brother hadn’t told her, but then she hadn’t spoken to him in the past week. A fifth-year senior at Penn State in the mechanical engineering department, Sammy would graduate in May. And with honors, apparently. “Good for him. I’ll text him later. I never know what a good time is to call him.”

“Apparently that’s never. He’s always up to something.” Her mom sighed. “Both of you are always so busy. I worry about you.”

It went unspoken, but Talia knew why her mom worried. “We’re fine, Mom. I’m thinking about hiring some help finally.”

For the rest of the ride home, Talia let the easy conversation with her mom level out her mood, which had remained jittery after her talk with Sabrina.

Oh, hell, at least be honest with yourself. It’s because of Dane.

Yes, it was, a fact she really wasn’t happy with.

And after she hung up with her mom when she reached her office, Talia seriously considered calling Annabelle and canceling on her for Saturday night’s party.

Then she thought about the look Dane had given her before they’d parted.

Sabrina was right. Talia needed to get laid. Considering she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had sex, and the fact that simply looking at Dane had made her hot, maybe Saturday night out was just what she needed.

No strings, hot sex, and out the door the next morning.

Sounded like a plan. And Talia loved plans.

“I’m so glad you could make it. Come in. You’re the last to arrive.”

Talia bent to kiss Annabelle on the cheek. “I’m really sorry. Traffic was horrendous on the Schuylkill.”

“I think the Flyers and the ’Sixers are playing tonight so that makes things miserable, I know. But you’re here now and you don’t have to go anywhere until tomorrow. Time for you to have a drink in your hand. Dane, get this woman a Seven and Seven.”

Talia’s gaze immediately sought out the owner of that name and found him across the living room at the built-in bar beneath the window that looked out over the city.

Her heart actually skipped a beat at the sight of him. In a suit, he’d looked spectacular. In broken-in jeans and a maroon cotton Henley that clung to a broad chest, Dane looked like any girl’s wet dream.

Seriously, the man made her panties damp.

Jesus, she hoped he was as good in bed as his looks promised. Because any man who looked like that had to have a lot of practice.

And everyone knew that practice makes perfect.

“Go ahead and get your drink.” Annabelle waved her toward Dane. “I’ll be right back.”

Making her way across the room, Talia said hello to Kate and Tyler, speaking to a couple they introduced as Mel and Geoff Black. A little farther along, she got a hug from Sabrina and another from Greg, who looked like he should be in bed asleep instead of here. But the smile he gave Sabrina made it clear why he wasn’t. They were talking to Sebastian, the rock guitarist who was scoring Greg’s latest movie. When Sebastian reached for her hand, the tattoos covering his arms showed below the rolled-up sleeves of his button-down shirt.

She’d never heard of his band but she wasn’t really into music. And he barely spared more than a glance at her. Immediately after shaking her hand, he excused himself and continued his conversation with the woman he was sitting next to on the couch.

Talia had briefly met Trudeau, Greg’s assistant, at the hotel, one day. She was a bright woman Talia would’ve hired in a heartbeat. But Greg would never allow her to be stolen away. She was apparently worth her weight in gold.

By the time she got to the bar, Dane had a glass in his hand that he held out to her when she was within reach.

“Hello again.” She smiled at him as she lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip. “And thank you for this. The drive down was hellacious.”

His return smile was welcoming enough to reassure her about her decision. Yes, sleeping with friends of friends could be problematic, but Dane didn’t look like a man who was looking for a long-term relationship. He looked like a man who would be just fine with a one-night stand.

Or a string of them, if the sex was that good. And, damn, she really hoped the sex was that good.

“Nice to see you again, Talia. I hope you don’t mind having me foisted on you for the night, but we seem to be the only two people here without dates.”

Was he digging for information? No problem, she wouldn’t mind a few answers herself. She didn’t know all that much about him, and she found herself curious.

“I don’t mind at all. And there’s no one in my life who’d take offense.”

He nodded, his smile growing. “Then I’ll confess to the same circumstances. So how long have you been planning weddings?”

“For about five years. I started with a larger company right out of college, but the market tanked and I found myself out of a job. I started working for a local caterer, who helped me find my first brides, and it’s been a slow build since then. What about you, Dane? What do you do?”

“I work for the family business. My father’s Victor Connelly. He owns Connelly Media.”

She tried not to look shocked. Probably failed. But she hoped she managed to cover the fact that his news made her feel like she’d gotten slammed in the gut with a baseball bat.

Of course she knew about Connelly Media. They were one of the largest media firms on the East Coast. Several newspapers in different states, magazines ranging from celebrity gossip to political news, and one small but growing twenty-four-hour news network that could eventually give CNN a run for its money.

“Talia, are you okay?”

She smiled, hoping like hell that Dane couldn’t see through it. “Yes. What do you do at the company?”

“I’m the managing editor of
Exotic Escapes
magazine.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’ve never heard of that one.”

“No problem.” His smile turned up a notch. “It’s a specialty magazine targeted at a very specific group of readers.”

“And who are those readers?”

“People with obscene amounts of money who want to know about the private islands or exclusive resorts that are going to be all the rage next year so they can book now and tell all their friends they already had their trips planned when word filters out to the two-percenters.”

“Do you write for the magazine? Get to visit those places?”

He moved out from behind the bar and guided her toward a couch a few feet away. He waited until she sat before joining her, and she mentally shook her head at his manners. Her mother would be so impressed.

“I travel a lot, yes. Partly for the job. Partly because I enjoy it.”

And he had the money to indulge his hobby. Talia had spent the first thirteen years of her life living as if money was no object. Guys like Dane had been her friends.

Until it had all come crashing down around her and her life had fallen apart and those friends had wanted nothing more to do with her.

Old prejudices made her want to say something scathing about how it must be nice to live without a care for where the money for the electric bill or gas for the car was going to come from.

But she didn’t get the sense that Dane was anything like those boys who’d turned on her at a time in her life when she’d been so vulnerable.

Besides, Annabelle considered him a good friend. Talia knew he had to be a decent guy to gain Annabelle’s trust.

So Talia nodded. “Sounds like a wonderful job.”

“Most days it is. I’m not gonna lie. It’s pretty damn awesome to get paid to spend a few days on a beach in the Pacific Ocean on a private island with a butler and a chef and a personal masseuse.”

“And what about the days it’s not awesome?”

She caught a glimpse of something passing through his gaze but it was gone before she could tell what she’d seen. A hint of something dark, which totally didn’t fit with this man’s image.

“Then your flight’s delayed because of a monsoon or the boat that’s supposed to take you across the fjord has mechanical problems and the only other boat available is a fishing trawler.”

That explanation coming from another man with his background might’ve sounded elitist or smug. Dane gave it just the right amount of knowing self-deprecation.

She liked that. She really liked him.

But would she be able to get beyond the fact that he was Victor Connelly’s son? What if he’d inherited his father’s nose for news?

Then again, why would he have cause to want to snoop around in her past? She wanted to sleep with the man, not move in with him.

“So tell me about the most exotic place you’ve ever been.”

***

Dane was pretty sure Talia’s opinion of him had changed since he’d seen her last as he told her about some of the places he’d been.

After their meeting Monday with Annabelle, he’d almost had himself convinced that Talia didn’t like him. Not that it made any difference one way or the other to him.

Yes, she was beautiful and, yeah, he definitely appreciated those cool blue eyes, the blond hair, and the regal face. Grace Kelly came to mind. That haughty, almost untouchable air that came from being blessed in the genetics department.

And yes, she had a body any woman would kill for . . . long legs, nice tits, and that killer ass.

She’d looked amazing in that suit earlier in the week.

Tonight she looked downright hot in jeans that clung to every curve of her hips and ass and a blouse the perfect shade of pink that made her pale skin glow.

Yeah, he wanted her, but any single guy with a hetero bone in his body would want her.

However, he’d been fairly certain there was no way they were going to hook up.

And frankly, it was probably a bad idea.

He was pretty sure Talia had no idea he occasionally shared Annabelle with Jed.

Annabelle had never mentioned inviting Talia to the Salon, so he’d assumed Annabelle didn’t want Talia to know. Since there were only a little more than twenty people who actually attended the Salon games and usually no more than ten at a time, it was easy to keep their adult playground secret.

He wondered what Talia would think if she knew that half of this floor was dedicated to some of the most sensual pleasures in the entire city.

Would she be as interested as Annabelle had been?

Annabelle had taken to the freedom offered at the Salon like a true sensualist. She’d allowed Dane into her bed along with Jed. And while he knew Annabelle loved Jed, he also knew she had real affection for him.

Some people might consider their relationship twisted. For the first time, Dane wondered what Talia would think if she ever found out.

Why would she?

Dane wanted to fuck her. He didn’t plan on marrying her.

Hell, he didn’t plan on marrying anyone. He wasn’t sure he had it in him to be that kind of man. To tie himself to one woman for the rest of his life.

He was still months from turning thirty and considered that way too young to settle down. He wasn’t sure he ever would.

Of course, Jed had been the same until he’d met Annabelle.

Unconsciously, his gaze sought her out. Sitting next to Jed on a couch across the room, staring up at her fiancé like he hung the moon. So damn pretty, he had to smile.

“They make a beautiful couple.”

Damn. He’d let his gaze linger a little longer than he should have. He directed a wry smile at Talia as he turned his full attention back to her, but she continued to stare at Jed and Annabelle.

“They’re going to make beautiful babies.”

Dane laughed at a mental image of Jared trying to change a diaper. “More power to them. I sincerely hope they don’t expect me to babysit. Ever.”

Talia glanced back at him, and he saw no condemnation in her eyes. “Me either. They’re cute . . . but not that cute.”

They shared a laugh over that and now he noticed how she lit up when she laughed. That cool beauty infused with a warmth that showed him a glimpse of what she’d be like in bed.

Arousal twisted his guts with a sharp grip.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Jed glancing their way, which caused Annabelle to do the same.

And he knew if he slept with Talia, he’d never be back in bed with Annabelle and Jed.

Annabelle’s glance turned into a smile. A smile he didn’t know how to interpret. Then Annabelle stood and announced dinner, waving people to the table.

The number was even despite the fact that there were only four true couples out of the fourteen people here.

Annabelle and Jed, Ty and Kate, Greg and Sabrina, and Mel and Geoff Black, the only married couple. He and Jed had known Geoff since college, and Mel and Geoff had been members of the Salon since Jed and Ty had opened the hotel.

Sebastian and Trudeau were new to the group, colleagues of Greg’s who’d fit well into their circle. Dane liked Baz, even though the guy was a little rough around the edges. He hadn’t really gotten to know Tru, but she had a sharp wit and a brain to go with it, so he was sure he’d like her just fine.

Liane Ryder and Cory Shirk were also members of the Salon, both attorneys. Liane an ADA for the city and Cory a defense attorney for a major firm.

Dane had learned to take a step back and watch the fireworks when those two started in on each other, but whenever they were together in the Salon, the sparks they created were amazing. And since they were both exhibitionists, everyone got a great show.

Not that anyone would even mention the Salon tonight, not with Baz, Tru, and Talia here.

Anyone who entered the Salon signed a strict nondisclosure, and no one dared break it. No one wanted to be banished. And everyone who got an invitation was thoroughly vetted by Dane before they got to sign the nondisclosure.

Everyone except Annabelle, Kate, and Sabrina.

Fortunately, that hadn’t come back to bite anyone. Yet.

Call him cynical, but Dane had been around his father and the media business long enough to realize that, just because you were cynical, it didn’t mean you weren’t right and all hell wouldn’t break loose eventually.

But not now.

All through dinner, he continued his conversation with Talia. He found himself trying to get her to laugh, wanting to see that warmth again. Letting it stoke his arousal.

He cared for Annabelle, but he realized it was time to move on. Past time, actually.

He’d fallen into a rut and the way out was smiling at him across the table.

He couldn’t wait to strip Talia down and climb out of that rut and into bliss.

***

Talia knew the exact moment Dane made the decision to pursue her.

She wouldn’t have been able to explain it to anyone else. She only knew because she’d been watching him so closely all night and, at that moment, when he looked at her, she went up in flames.

Her skin went tight and her muscles clenched, particularly her thigh muscles. And her pussy.

Wow. If the man could do that with just a look, she couldn’t wait to get him in a bed and let him have at her until they were both too tired to move.

“So, Talia, do you do events other than weddings?”

Talia dragged her gaze away from Dane to look at Greg’s assistant, Tru, who had asked the question low enough that Talia had to think about what she’d actually said. Getting her arousal-addled brain to cooperate took a second but she finally did manage to answer.

“Yes, I do all sorts of events. Birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, retirement, anniversary, corporate functions. I worked for a major corporate event planner for a few years before the business went under, unfortunately. I decided to diversify and I actually love doing weddings. But I enjoy keeping my fingers in the corporate world when I can. Keeps me on my toes.”