Do Not Disturb (4 page)

“Then I’d like to set up a time to talk—”

“Jesus, Truly, can’t you ever just give it a rest? I swear to god you don’t know the meaning of the term
night off
. Greg, you seriously need to find the off button for her.”

With a roll of her eyes and an almost comical look of disgust, Tru turned to face Baz, sitting on the other side of her. “The only off button anyone needs to find is the one for your mouth.”

Across the table, Greg snorted, Sabrina laughed before covering her mouth with her hand, and Dane grinned outright.

Talia didn’t quite see the humor in the situation, but apparently no one else was worried about the zingers these two were throwing at each other.

In fact, Greg actually raised an eyebrow at Baz, as if daring him to respond to Tru’s dig.

And Baz didn’t disappoint. “Oh, honey, there’s one way I know for sure to shut me up. Why don’t you let me show you?”

Instead of being pissed off at Baz’s blatant sexual innuendo, Tru gave him a cool once-over and declared, “I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your self-gratification. But don’t wear yourself out, big boy. We still need you to finish the score.”

Greg threw back his head and laughed along with Sabrina, who had to wipe her streaming eyes with her napkin.

Baz didn’t look at all offended. In fact, his gaze narrowed, as if he had the perfect response but didn’t want to say it aloud.

Instead, he leaned forward until his lips were only millimeters away from Tru’s ear and whispered something. Tru was good. No reaction showed on her face, but when Baz pulled away looking satisfied, she turned back to Talia with a smile.

“I’ll call you. We’ll talk. Unless Baz’s bad behavior manages to chase you away before then.”

“I’ve got a thick skin.” Talia shrugged, knowing Dane had redirected his attention back to her. “A little male bravado isn’t going to chase me away.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Tru smiled then, her pretty face transforming into something quite spectacular now. Out of the corner of her eye, Talia saw Baz’s gaze narrow again as he continued to stare at Greg’s assistant. But as soon as she turned to say something to Greg, Baz looked the other way.

And Talia got caught once again in Dane’s gaze.

She honestly didn’t know what to say at that moment, but she figured asking him to come back to her room with her after dinner was probably not the right way to start a conversation.

Still, the smile she gave him was probably blatant enough.

And the one he gave her in return . . .

She never thought she’d say this, but dessert be damned. She wished the night was over.

“Can I walk with you to the elevator?”

Talia smiled up at Dane as Annabelle closed the door of the apartment behind them. They’d been among the first to leave. Talia had pled exhaustion and it hadn’t been an excuse. She’d had a full day, several phone meetings, and a site consult, and she’d begun to lag about half an hour ago.

“Sure. Dinner was wonderful. Of course, it’s hard not to be when a chef makes it.”

Dane nodded. “True. Annabelle’s a good cook but she’s been busy lately. Between her shop and the wedding, she’s burning the candle at both ends. The honeymoon will be good for her.”

Dane sounded truly concerned and he went up another notch in Talia’s estimation. “She’s always been like this, though. Always busy. I think she likes it that way.”

“Sounds like you’re pretty busy yourself.”

“Only way to be. It means you’re doing something right.”

The elevator arrived with a muted ding. Talia pressed the button for her floor as Dane leaned back against the mirrored wall.

He didn’t respond, simply continued to watch her with those dark eyes.

Her breath caught, her chest tightened, and it became harder to draw in air.

Talia decided it was time to lay their cards on the table.

“Would you like to come to my room for a drink? I’m not quite ready to turn in yet.”

He paused, and she had a second or two to wonder if she’d made a mistake before his lips curved. “I’d like that. Thanks.”

The elevator stopped and the doors opened, and Talia wanted to fan her hand in front of her face.

God, her skin felt tight and hot all over. And she wanted to shake her hands out because she felt like she’d been clenching them all night.

“Annabelle was kind enough to stock the bar with my favorite whiskey, but I hate to drink alone.”

Opening the door to her suite, Talia walked through the door, hyperaware of Dane following close behind.

Dropping her purse on the chair by the door, she moved toward the small bar on the side wall.

“Rocks or neat?”

“Neat, please. Where’d you get your taste for whiskey?”

The question threw her for a second, because her immediate response was her dad. But there was no way she wanted to open that line of questioning.

“High school. I’ve never liked the taste of beer, and I had boyfriend whose father owned a whiskey company.”

She didn’t tell him that the company had one of the most famous names in the American whiskey industry. Too many questions.

“And where does the accent come from?”

She didn’t fumble the bottle as she poured his drink but he’d caught her off guard with that one. She’d done her best to lose her accent when she and her mom and brother had moved north. Most people never noticed.

She was beginning to realize Dane noticed everything.

“I was born in Kentucky. We moved to Adamstown when I was a teenager.”

Handing him the glass, she moved to sit on the couch by the windows. She expected him to sit next to her and was surprised when he took the seat across from her.

He sprawled in the leather chair, looking completely relaxed. She almost felt like the subject of an interrogation, as if he’d shined a spotlight on her. But being this turned on definitely did not feel like interrogation tactics.

Any other man who’d tried to dig into her past had been shut down and shut out. She should be doing the same to Dane.

Only . . . she didn’t want to. She wanted him to kiss her. To put his hands on her. To strip her down and lay his naked body on top of hers. Or maybe spread out underneath hers.

Oh, hell. Why not wish for the entire
Kama Sutra
in one night? She’d be tired and sore, but those yoga classes she’d been taking had to be worth something, right?

As she watched, Dane’s mouth slowly curved in a smile, as if he could read her mind.

“I’d love to know what just went through your mind,” he said.

“I was led to believe you could read minds.” She took another sip of whiskey and let the warmth relax her.

This was just sex. They both knew it.

“And who told you that?”

“Annabelle talks about three men. Jared, Tyler, and you. The way she talks about Jared, you can see how much in love she is with him. Tyler amuses her. You . . .”

His gaze narrowed as she paused. “Me?”

“She likes you. And if Annabelle likes you, that’s high praise. You also get high marks from Kate, and she’s an even tougher judge of character.”

Talia had learned from the best how to lead a conversation away from dangerous subjects, away from anything that could lead to her own past. A past she refused to discuss for fear it would affect her life now.

“Nice to know I’m so highly regarded.”

“You sound disappointed.”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I like Kate. She tells it like it is and I admire that in people. Jed loves Annabelle and it’s clear why. She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.”

Did she hear a hint of jealousy in his tone? Not a trace of it showed in his expression but Talia definitely heard something in his voice.

“Are you worried about your friendship with Jared changing after the wedding? Some people have a difficult time when their friends get married. I’ve seen friendships implode because of a wedding. But then, most of those weren’t true friendships to begin with.”

“I guess you see a lot of drama in your profession.”

Laughing, Talia shook her head. “You can’t even imagine. The word
bridezilla
didn’t come into being on a whim. But those really are few and far between. You can certainly draw correlations between the cost of the wedding and the creation of a bridezilla, though.”

“So what got you into event planning?”

“I love a good party.” She laughed at Dane’s raised eyebrows. “I know that sounds childish but I do. I love the atmosphere you can create at a party. Since I do more than weddings, I get to create all sorts of different events. I love themed birthday parties, especially for children. There’s nothing like putting a smile on the face of a ten-year-old who wants to be a princess for a day, even though she’s afraid she’s too old to be a princess.

“And the weddings are that ten-year-old’s dream come true. Even if the marriage might not last a year, I want to make damn sure that wedding is everything she’s ever dreamed of wrapped with a bow and a cherry on top, if that’s what she really wants.”

“So you sell fantasy?”

“Absolutely. But I also do corporate events. And I love doing adoption ceremonies. Those are actually my most favorite, even above the weddings. I think they’re the most pure.”

“I’ve never heard of those.”

“They’re fairly new. I’ve only done a couple but they were the most rewarding experiences. There’s a sense of joy you don’t get from other events.”

“Guess there’s not a lot of joy at corporate events.”

She shrugged. “Depends on the event. Give them enough liquor and even the most boring businessman gets a little joyful. Of course, they usually get a little grabby, too.”

Dane laughed. “You strike me as someone who knows how to take care of herself.”

Coming from this man, that sounded like high praise. And she enjoyed it a little too much. “I’m amazingly self-sufficient. My mother worked a lot when I was younger and my brother is five years younger, so I had to take care of him sometimes. He was a total pain in the ass. He’s lucky I love him. What about you? Brothers and sisters?”

“One of each. I’m the youngest.”

“Ah.”

He smiled, as if he knew what she was going to say but asked the questions anyway. “‘Ah’ what?”

“You were spoiled rotten, weren’t you?”

He didn’t look at all offended. On the contrary, he was amused. “Yes, I was. My parents are crazy in love with each other, which surprises a lot of people. Some people think that because we have a lot of money, we don’t have much heart. If you ever meet my parents, you’ll know that’s not true.”

Her parents had been in love, too. That hadn’t worked out well for either of them. “Sounds like you had a happy childhood.”

“Charmed, some people would say.”

“And would they be right?”

“For the most part, yes, they would.”

“So how did you and Jared meet?”

“In high school. We went to the same private school. Attended the same college. Got into a hell of a lot of trouble together and stayed friends. I love him like a brother. Probably because he isn’t.”

Talia smiled at the undisguised affection in Dane’s voice. She liked that he wasn’t afraid to show his feelings for his best friend. A lot of guys she met weren’t confident enough to admit something like that. “Don’t you get along with your brother?”

“Yes, but he’s eight years older than me. And even more perfect.”

Laughing, Talia shook her head. “You sound jealous.”

“He’s a great guy.” Dane’s lips curved in a totally devastating smile as he raised a hand as if testifying. “Honestly. And my sister is a sweetheart, but she’s ten years older and provided the first grandchildren, so she’s even more perfect than my brother and me combined.”

“So you have nephews? Nieces?”

“Two nieces. Four and two. My mom is in heaven, my dad’s thrilled, and I get to play the doting uncle, and they love me because I give them presents and candy.”

“I can see the appeal.”

“And then they go back home with their mom at the end of the day. Don’t get me wrong, I love them, but my eardrums need the break after an extended visit.”

The conversation stalled out as they both sipped their drinks, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. No, it was filled with a building sense of anticipation.

And finally, she’d had enough idle conversation.

“So, Dane. Are we going to sit here all night and talk? Or have I completely misread your intentions?”

Dane’s smile widened immediately and she breathed a silent sigh of relief. “I think you’re too good at reading people to mistake my intentions.”

More high praise from him. Praise that made her tingly all over. She wanted him to follow that up with action but he remained seated across from her, staring. Waiting.

For her to make the first move? She thought she had.

“Are you going to continue sitting so far away?” she asked.

“Would you like me to come closer? Because I want to. I just don’t want there to be any misunderstandings.”

She raised her brows. “Have there been misunderstandings in your past?”

“Occasionally, yes.”

Interesting. “And what did those misunderstandings entail? Just so I don’t make the same mistake, of course.”

“The woman’s mistake was in believing I was looking for a relationship.”

“Then you and I will get along just fine because I’m simply looking for sex.”

Dane’s laughter surprised her. Deep and a little rough and definitely sexy.

She hoped the sex matched because, damn, she was turned on.

“I like you, Ms. Driscoll.” Dane set his empty glass on the table next to him then leaned forward, elbows on his knees, dark eyes fixed on hers. “Now, tell me what kind of sex you’re looking for. Fast and dirty? Or slow and controlled? Both have their advantages. Or we can do a combination. Trust me, I’m up for all of it.”

Her heart had started to pound as soon as he’d begun to speak, but by the time he’d finished, her panties were wetter than they’d been before and she had to force herself to unclench her thighs.

“I guess we could start fast and dirty because, honestly, I’m not sure I have the patience to wait for slow right now.”

Dane stood so fast, she sucked in a small gasp. She was startled, not frightened, and luckily he realized the difference.

She had just enough time to place her glass on the coffee table before Dane reached for her hand and pulled her out of the chair.

She stood, teetering forward but not falling. He was too close for that. But she did get plastered against his body.

Her hands gripped his broad shoulders, her breasts crushed tight against his hard chest. She’d only need to take a tiny step forward and she could press her pelvis against his.

So she did and found him erect and thick.

She had to tilt her head back a little to look into his eyes, which brought her lips within range of his.

Lifting one big hand, he cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb across her lower lip and sending tingles through her nervous system, straight to her clit.

The sensation made her gasp, though she tried to contain it. Self-preservation was a hard habit to kick.

For so long she’d pushed away any man who threatened her self-control. Just easier that way.

Even though she’d made the decision to sleep with Dane, that didn’t mean she couldn’t still maintain control.

But wasn’t that the point? Losing control.

Lifting onto her toes, she cut off that line of thought by kissing him. Hard.

And he let her. Let her work her lips against his, let her slip her tongue into his mouth to flick against his.

And damn, he tasted good. Hot, erotic, and she wanted more.

Her hands came up to cup his head, turning it so she could kiss him more deeply.

Beneath hers, his lips curved. A warning. As was the hand he pressed against her lower back, making sure she was completely aligned with him.

With his erection digging into her lower stomach, her sex clenched and an ache she hadn’t had to deal with in months roared to life.

God, why hadn’t she realized how horny she’d been? Or was it simply him?

Moaning into his mouth, she shivered and buried those thoughts deep, chalking her reaction up to the fact that the man could kiss.

He’d taken over now, and she was more than happy to let him because, holy crap, the man had magic lips.

He kissed her with such indulgence and single-minded determination, as if he wanted to make her come simply with his mouth on hers, his tongue playing along hers.

Talia felt her reins slipping. Part of her wanted to grab them tighter and take back control.

Then there was the part that wanted to submit. That part gained a little bit of ground every time he clutched her closer and shifted his mouth to kiss her at a different angle.