Taking Control (11 page)

“I’m pulling the trigger, but I’m not going to sink to his level and ruin an entire family.” I look into my tumbler. “At least not yet.”

I swallow the rest of the glass and try to push thoughts of Richard and Cecilia aside. Below me Tiny’s sequins flash under the strobe lights as she twirls and shakes. I concentrate on her until the rage recedes and the tension eases. She’s all I’ll ever need.

“You really love her,” Kaga says in wonderment.

“She makes my world turn.”

TINY

“T
HIS
PLACE
IS
AMAZING
,” S
ARAH
yells. It’s the only way to be heard over the club music that’s pouring out of every speaker. We’re on the edge of the VIP dance floor, the one with the glass tiles. Some of the partygoers are just in their underwear, still wet from the plunge pools that circle the outer rim.

“It’s a lot more fun this time around,” I admit. I’m nervous though, looking for Howe in every corner.

“Do you see him?” she shouts again.

I shake my head. It’s hard to see anything here. My idea was a good one in theory, not so great in practice. But at least Sarah is having a good time. I decide to allow myself to enjoy the music, my friend, and the hot gaze of my lover. A couple of guys try to insert themselves between us, but Sarah sidles closer, placing her hands on my hips so as to block them. When it’s apparent they won’t leave, Sarah and I leave the dance floor.

“Bathroom?” I ask. She nods and we head off toward the ladies room. The nice thing about the VIP floor is the bathroom is super swank. There’s an outer sitting area with a wall full of mirrors and two small sofas. Inside are six separate stalls with toilets that have more buttons than the remote for my television.

“I don’t know who’s hotter,” she says as we’re washing our hands. I’d pointed him out as he was crossing the dance floor. “Kaga or Ian. I’d do either or both. At the same time if I had to.”

“Since I’m not sharing Ian, you’ll have to make do with Kaga.”

“Like that would be a tragedy. His cheekbones are so sharp I think I’d cut my tongue on them. I need to test it out to be sure. Is he single?”

“I don’t know.”

“He seems single,” Sarah says, making use of the complimentary cosmetics at the counter. “Ian can’t take his eyes off you, but Kaga’s looking everywhere. Assessing things.”

“He
is
the owner,” I point out.

Sarah shakes her head. “It’s different. When I look at Ian, he doesn’t even see me. His eyes are locked on you and you alone. It’s all he sees. Cam never looked at me like that. I don’t think any guy has. It’s amazing. And shit, that picture of him in the
Observer
does no justice to him. He and Kaga look like they should be on billboards wearing nothing but what God gave them. You need to make that happen for the rest of womankind.”

“That’d cause a riot.” I smile. “I’ve seen Ian Kerr naked and it’s enough to stop traffic. There’d be women fainting in cars and men beating themselves up for not looking as good. It’s for the good of all mankind that he keeps himself clothed in public. Trust me on this.”

She whimpers. Or I thought she whimpered, but after a moment the whimpers turn to choked sobs. We stare at each other and then look into the sitting room. Someone is crying out there.

Grimacing slightly, I tiptoe over and sure enough, a woman is crying in the arms of a friend.

“Is she okay?” I ask, wondering if I should get Kaga. “Do you need anything?”

The friend, a raven-haired woman thin enough to be a model, frowns at me. “It’s nothing. She’ll be fine.”

The crying woman pushes away and despite her tears, she’s stunning. Two models, for sure. They both have prominent cheekbones and elegant bodies that look good in anything.

“Are you the one?” she asks, pointing to me.

“The one what?” I say.

“The one dating Ian Kerr. You said you saw him naked.”

In the short time I’ve dated Ian, he’s never mentioned another woman and we’ve never run into any of his girlfriends. My luck has run out.

“Yeah, she’s dating Ian Kerr. What of it?” Sarah says, her chin jutting out aggressively.

Tears well up in the model’s eyes, making her look luminous in the sparsely lit sitting room. “I’m Melinda.” Her voice is hopeful, as if she’s optimistic that Ian has mentioned her to me.

“I’m Victoria Corielli,” I say instead, because I’ve never heard of her before. It doesn’t seem right to say that—not with tears still running down her face.

“He went to your mother’s funeral.” It isn’t a question. God, has
everyone
seen that
Observer
picture?

“Yes. My mom meant a lot to him.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she says sincerely.

“Thank you.” This is so awkward. I want to leave, yet it seems rude to walk out on her. I look to Sarah for help, but she just grimaces as if to say she doesn’t know what the appropriate thing to do is either.

“Come sit with me for a moment.” Melinda pats the sofa cushion next to her.

“Melinda.” Her friend says in warning but the woman shrugs her off.

“Please,” Melinda pleads. What else can I do? I go and sit down, but I perch on the very edge.

“He’s wonderful isn’t he?” Her lips are trembling with the effort to keep her sobs in. I’ve never seen anyone look so amazing while crying. She looks like a kicked puppy.

“Yes.” I find myself nodding to her. “He’s truly wonderful.”

“So thoughtful and tender.” She sighs.

“Yes, very thoughtful and very tender.” I hide my impatience. It’s one thing for her to be sad that she’s not seeing Ian anymore, but if she starts talking about their sex life I’m out of here. The friend gives me a pained look, clearly wishing to be anywhere but here.

“I remember—”

I hold up a hand because I don’t want to reminisce with her. “I’m sorry that you’re sad, but I hope you can appreciate that talking about what you did with my current boyfriend is really not cool. If you have something you want to say, then say it, but I’m not going to sit here and listen to you tell me about how much better you are for him than I am.”

“Oh,” she cries in surprise. “I wasn’t going to say that at all. I just…I just miss him so much. I’ve never had a better boyfriend. He’s ruined me for all other men.”

I run an agitated hand over my forehead, searching for the right words so that I don’t come off as an utter bitch. But Ian is mine and I’m keeping him, no matter how sad this chick is. “I’m sure you’ll find someone perfect for you, but Ian Kerr is mine now. And since you know how wonderful he is, you also know that I’m going to fight to keep him. I’m not going to tell you to stay away because that’s stupid. Just know that he’s in love with me and we’re going to get married and have a family.” The marriage thing might be a slight exaggeration. He’s mentioned it, but I don’t have a ring on my finger.

A gasp sounds in the room as if everyone has drawn in a breath.

“You guys are getting married?” Sarah cries.

I bite the side of my lip. What did I just say? I nod because it’s true. If I believe that Ian is sincere, and I do, then it’s all true. “Yes.”

“If he’s said he wants to marry you, then he must,” Melinda says with a wail. “Because he never lies. He’s always completely honest with you.”

Her friend pulls Melinda in for a comforting embrace and mouths, “I’m sorry.”

I grab Sarah’s hand and scoot out of the bathroom as fast as possible. “That was the single most awkward experience of my life.”

“Hey, at least you know he’s a good guy.”

“One that ruins girls for all other men. Shit, if Ian ever left me, I’d be like that too.” I press a hand to my racing heart.

“Given that he wants to marry you, I don’t think he plans to leave.”

“I’d seriously fight for him.” I smooth back my hair. “Against anyone.”

Sarah leans against the wall and looks at me with envy. “I want what you have.”

“Let’s get back. I have a pressing need to stamp my ownership all over him.”

As we’re walking through the crowd, someone bumps me hard, almost turning me around. Before I can see who it is and yell at them for being rude, I realize that the person pressed a crumpled up piece of paper in my hand.

“What is it?” Sarah asks, coming to look over my shoulder.

“A note, I think.” I open the paper and hand it to Sarah to read. There’s no way I’m going to make out any letters in this light. “Read it for me.”

Do you really think a stupid bitch like you can hold Ian Kerr? Leave him or you’ll be crying just like the brunette in the bathroom.

“Shit,” Sarah says, stuffing the note back in my hand. “Those bitches. We’re going after them.”

“No,” I put my hand on her arm. “That wasn’t from them.” I scan the crowd looking for my target, but I’m not sure who I’m looking for. A woman, I think. It’s the same person who left me the message in Jake’s office, I know it. It’s the same type of wording. The same paper. I bet if I had it tested it would be the same ink and the same handwriting. This has to do with Richard Howe. I know it. I just know it.

EIGHT

IAN

“M
AYBE
YOU
SHOULD
JUST
TAG
her,” Kaga suggests as I watch Tiny and her friend thread their way through the crowd toward the bathrooms.

“Is that what you’ve done with Sabrina?” I don’t take my eyes off Tiny’s sexy ass. If she didn’t have a friend with her, I’d meet her at the bathroom door and drag her into a stall. A skirt could be very convenient in a nightclub. I’d have to remember that in the future when we weren’t patronizing bars with glass floors.

“Don’t need to. She’s at Columbia.”

“Damn, Kaga. Even though I didn’t go to college I know that there are more temptations there than there are in this entire bar. You’re insane if you think that she’s completely untouched simply because you know her general whereabouts on a college campus.”

He glares at me, his dark eyes narrowing. “What do you know?”

“Jake says she’s having a
great
time. She’s been spending a lot of time with a DJ. Plays at one of your clubs, in fact.”

I shouldn’t enjoy needling Kaga so much, but shit, if he plans to sit back and wait for his girl to ripen like a peach and fall into his waiting hands, he’s more than insane. He’s certifiable.

I’m about to launch into a sustained discourse on the futility of waiting when Tiny and Sarah appear at the table. Kaga and I both rise to allow the women to take a seat when I notice the tight expression on Tiny’s face.

Before she can sit down, I cup her elbow and draw her toward me. As gently as possible, in direct contradiction to the fury that’s generating inside me, I ask in a low voice, “Everything all right?”

Either I’m not quiet enough or Sarah can read my concern because she pipes up. “Just bathroom gossip. Nothing serious.”

I give Sarah a nod but the only person I care to hear is Tiny.

“It’s nothing, Ian, really.” She slides into the booth next to Sarah. A server brings another round of drinks for the table, but Tiny doesn’t reach for her Singapore Sling. Instead she picks up my whisky and takes a deep gulp.

“Why don’t I show you the owner’s lounge,” Kaga invites Sarah, trying to give Tiny and me some privacy.

Sarah scoots out immediately. “I’m yours.” Before Kaga can take her away, though, she turns and leans across the table. “There were two women in the bathroom. One had dated you in the past. She started crying when she saw Tiny because apparently you were the best boyfriend she ever had. She’s never been able to maintain a steady relationship with another guy since you broke up.”

Tiny presses her lips together and nods her head in confirmation.

Sarah went on. “She wasn’t mean or anything. Just really, really sad. We all felt bad for her. She wished Tiny luck and said to do what she could to hang on to you.”

Kaga’s face is impassive but I sense humor lurking behind his eyes. I’m going to get shit about this at the next poker game.

“Come along, my dear,” Kaga murmurs, tucking the brunette’s hand into the crook of his elbow. “The two lovebirds need a moment.”

I lay my arm across the back of the banquette and curl my hand around her shoulder. “Is this something we should talk about?”

She tilts her head back and takes a deep breath. “I just felt bad for her. We all did. The entire bathroom started sniffling.”

“I hope you didn’t offer me up as appeasement,” I joke lightly.

“How long did you date Melinda?”

Melinda? I roll her name around in my head but it doesn’t ring any bells. “I can’t remember,” I say honestly.

“She’s gorgeous. Looks like a model. Probably six inches taller than me. Long brown hair. She had it in a high pony.” Tiny puts a fist on the top of her head to mimic the hair of this unknown girl.

“I don’t know if this will make you feel better or worse, but I don’t actually know who you’re talking about.” A few stray blonde hairs have fallen forward on her face. I brush them back, dragging my thumb across her cheek.

“How can you not remember her? She said you were her best boyfriend.” Tiny’s frown is not soothed by a few tugs of my thumb.

Snatching up my drink, I down the contents before responding. “I didn’t have girlfriends, bunny. I dated women. We enjoyed each other for some period of time and then we went our separate ways. At times, we simply used each other for pure, safe physical release.”

“But you said you weren’t a manwhore.” She’s puzzled because her paradigm consists of a steady relationship or a nonstop stream of hookups.

“I wasn’t. I don’t enjoy casual sex. It’s better when you know the person, but knowing a person and sleeping with them doesn’t a relationship make.” I don’t like the distance she’s putting between us. I slide my hand around the curve of her waist and pull her to me. With a finger under her chin, I tip her head so she can look me in the eye. “I’m thirty-two, almost thirty-three, and I’ve had my share of encounters with the opposite sex and some have been more casual than others. But no one I’ve ever been with has been anything like you. I don’t remember other women. I don’t want to. Melinda obviously remembers me because she hasn’t had anything better. That’s on her.