The Gate (Dark Path Series) (4 page)

Chapter Four

Delighted, Erika smiled in thanks as Chris requested they be seated near a corner, away from the main dining room. He was such a caring man, always thinking of her comfort. He also pointed out the women’s bathroom in case she needed to excuse herself and use her inhaler. The hostess escorted them to a table with a fantastic view of the Brooklyn Bridge.

“How’s this?” He pulled out her chair.

She sat down, nodding in approval at the hostess who gave them their menus and then left. Energized, she was on top of the world with finishing her latest Tammy and Whiskers book. Chris also vibrated with elation over his new position. During the cab ride, he’d held her hand then leaned toward her, giving her a heart-stopping kiss right before they reached their destination.

“Do you want to share a bottle of wine?” she asked, perusing the wine list.

“How about champagne instead?” He waved in the direction of the menu she held. “Remember, dinner and drinks are on me.”

She set down the menu and gave him a mock glare. “Shouldn’t I pay since we’re celebrating your accomplishment?”

When he reached over, taking her hand in his, her breath caught. She just about melted in her seat, the hungry look in his eyes almost undoing her.

“We’re both celebrating. My thank you for being such a great friend.”

Friend?
The euphoria evaporated. She couldn’t help but notice the number of times he used the word “friend”—meaning her—when they were together. Maybe she’d been wrong and he wasn’t interested in her romantically. What if he just wanted a friends-with-benefits type of relationship?

“Hey, I lost you,” he murmured. “Penny for your thoughts.”

She pushed aside her questions, giving him an amiable smile. “I’m just thinking about which champagne to pick. There are so many, and they’re all expensive—”

Chris chuckled. “Sorry, I’m not mocking you. But you’re thinking of something else besides what we should drink.”

“Oh?” She arched an eyebrow. “You know my innermost thoughts?”

“Not the deep rooted ones, but I’ve known you for so long. I can pretty much tell when you want to ask me something but are afraid to.” He tilted his head in a way she found both sexy and adorable. “What’s on your mind?”

She licked her lips, working up the courage to tell him, but their server came over for their drink order. Chris picked a mid-priced champagne.

“You’re right.” She plucked the tablecloth. “I’ve been wondering about our relationship. I get the feeling you want more from me but something is stopping you. We’ve always been good friends, but ever since your breakup with Natalie…that night we shared together….” She shut her eyes, hoping her speech didn’t sound as lame as it did to her.

When he didn’t respond, she opened her eyes again. He drank his water, his gaze focused on the window behind her. She wanted to take his hand, but wasn’t sure if he would let her. Not willing to take the chance he might pull away, she took a roll from the basket, buttering it.

“You’re right.” He nodded. “I’ve been relying on you more than I should. You’ve always understood me. My other friends are too concerned about work and their families. I feel like the odd man out as a single one again.”

“You and me both!” she said, her voice rising to a girlish pitch. She settled herself, concentrating on her roll.

“The next few weeks are going to be difficult. Nat and I were planning a Thanksgiving wedding. We wanted to get married on Black Friday. Make it a big party where everyone would drink, eat, and have fun.”

She set her bread on her plate. “Kim explained to a point what destroyed your relationship. I wanted to ask you, but I didn’t want to be nosy.” She laid her hand palm-up on the table, hoping he would get the idea of holding it. “All I know is you ended things when you found out Natalie cheated on you.”

“She cheated on me a few times. I was never the type of boyfriend who smothered her, expecting us to be together every day. She liked her freedom, and I liked mine. So when she went out with her girlfriends without me, I didn’t mind.” Grabbing a roll, he ripped it in two. “But then I found out what type of clubs she went to and what she did there.”

“She had one night stands or was fooling around with bartenders?” she asked in a soft voice.

He grimaced. “Not at first, but then she went to a few sex clubs in the city. Started screwing around with the men there.”

She almost choked on her bread. “Are you serious? I’ve heard of those clubs, but I had no idea there were any in the area.”

“You can find them online. A close friend of hers is into them, so much so, she started working at one. Nat used to joke about how her friend had a closet full of leather outfits and sex toys. They went to the village to visit the fetish clothing stores, too.” He slathered butter on half of the roll. “She became addicted to the lifestyle. Got tired of me and our boring sex life.”

Uncomfortable with the way the conversation was headed, she took his hand. To her surprise, he linked their fingers. “It’s not your fault. I couldn’t tell you one person I know who’d admit they liked being tied up and whipped in front of people at some dingy club.”

“You
have
met someone who’s into the scene.”

“Who? Please don’t tell me it’s Kim or—”

“Crawford owns an underground sex club.”

Shock flowed through her body.
No way!
“You mean Max, M.L. Crawford you flipped out at me about on Friday night? But he’s so….”

“Erika, you talked to him for what, not even a half-hour? I’ve known him for years. There’s something not right about him. He’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” She shook her head. “But then, you know more about him than I do. And since you brought him up, spill. What did he do to make you not like him?” She covered her mouth as a possible reason popped in her head. “Do you think Natalie slept with him and they had kinky sex?”

He scowled.

She gulped down the rest of her water.
Insert foot into mouth, you idiot!

“Not that I know of. She’s not his type. He likes women who are broken, easy to manipulate.”

She lurched back.
What does that make me then?
“How do you know?” she asked.

He tapped his finger on the table. “I know because he damaged my—”

“Chris, my man!”

When she recognized the man in the suit approaching them, she swallowed a groan.

“Mitch!” Chris jumped up.

Both men slapped each other’s back. She rose from her chair to greet the top sale rep for the general fiction book division at Walsh.

“Congratulations on everything. I’m at a table with a group from the sales department.” Mitch glanced between the two of them. “It looks like you haven’t eaten yet. Why not join us? We can toast to your success, Mister Newly Coined President of Walsh Publications.”

She wanted to drop down in her seat and cross her arms like a petulant child. She wasn’t in the mood for a large group. She wanted to stay with Chris in their little corner talking. She’d hoped at end of dinner, he would invite her to his place for dessert, where she could at last help him recover from his fiancée’s betrayal.

“Sounds great.” He turned to her, his eyes bright, his smile inviting. “What do you say? You’ll be all right dining with a few more people.”

She sighed internally. Even though her anxiety condition was known, it wasn’t common knowledge spread among her father’s employees.

“Sure, why not? Sounds like fun.” She gave both men a polite smile she hoped hid her true feelings.

“Follow me!” Mitch beckoned.

Chris draped an arm around her shoulder. “I’ll be by your side the entire time.” He leaned closer. “We’ll talk more later, okay?”

When his lips brushed the side of her throat, she swallowed a moan of excitement.

***

Instead of departing the restaurant, Max decided to have a cappuccino at the bar. While looking over the dessert menu, he caught a glimpse of something in his peripheral. As a rule, he didn’t believe in coincidences but considered changing his mind upon spotting Erika Walsh exiting the women’s bathroom. Stopping, she lifted a short, white plastic tube to her mouth.

Ah, an inhaler, of course
. He remembered reading about her affliction. He kept an eye on the woman in black slacks and a short-sleeved button-down pink top. The bright color suited her, giving her an air of innocence, a girlish quality he found alluring. But from the way her shirt tightened across her considerable chest and how well her ample hips filled out her pants, she was all woman.

She took out her cell phone, staring at it while she walked. Standing, he held out an arm to stop her.

She jerked back, awareness filling her gaze. “You!”

He smiled, clasping his hands behind his back. “How are you, Erika?”

“F-fine. How are you?” Her tongue slipped along her bottom lip.

“I’m very well, now that I’ve seen you again.”

Her cheeks grew red. Another innocent quality of hers he found endearing.

“It’s quite the coincidence we’ve seen one another again in a city so large. What are the odds?”

“It’s a small world. Are you sitting down to dinner?”

“I’ve just finished a business meeting, but before I headed out, I wanted dessert. Would you like to join me for a few minutes, or am I keeping you from your date?” Grinding his teeth, he hoped she didn’t say a date. If she did, he might have to leave before he reacted in a way that would embarrass them both.

“I’m here with a friend. Or rather, work friends. We’re celebrating a co-worker’s recent promotion.” Laughter erupted from across the room, and she peered over her shoulder. “I don’t think he…I mean
they
will miss me.” She snapped her fingers. “I owe you a glass of wine.”

“I would like that. You can help me pick a dessert. We can share.” He cursed the beseeching tone in his voice. He needed to remain in control. Before they left each other’s company tonight, they would exchange phone numbers, and he would make plans for their date.

She settled on a stool. “I heard the chocolate cheesecake here is to die for.”

He sat next to her, hanging his arm over the back of her chair, effectively boxing her in.

She set her small purse on top of the bar. “Do we stick to a Merlot or try something different?”

“Ladies choice.”

She raised her hand for the bartender’s attention and gave him their order. Max curled his fingers into his palm to stop from caressing her back or brushing her hair from the shoulders he longed to kiss.

“It’s been awhile since I ate something rich like cheesecake.” She rubbed her palms together.

He chuckled, amused by her girlish excitement. “Same for me. It will be a treat for us both.”

Within minutes, the bartender set the decadent dessert in front of them with two spoons. Erika was the first to take a bite. She closed her eyes on a moan. “Mmm, this is incredible.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” He made no move to join the tasting, preferring to watch her in the throes of rapture for the delectable confection.

His unruly cock twitched every time she slipped the chocolate covered spoon in her mouth. He shifted in his seat, scraping his nails along the back of the chair to stop from grabbing her by nape and devouring her mouth. In all his years of sexual practice, he’d never licked chocolate sauce off a woman’s naked body. That needed to change as soon as possible and with her as his willing victim.

“Mmm, I love chocolate.” Setting the spoon down, she patted her mouth with a napkin. She dipped her fingertip in the frosting coating the plate then licked it off.

He bit down on his thumb nail to stop from leaning over and sucking her finger into his mouth. “You enjoyed that,” he said in a hoarse voice.

“What? Oh, I guess I did. You must think I’m a pig for eating it all.” She rolled her lips in between her teeth.

Fuck it.
Grasping her chin in his hand, he brushed his thumb over the corner of her mouth. A smudge of chocolate came away, and he licked it off. “You missed a spot.”

A blush rose up from under her shirt, spreading along her throat and cheeks. He moved his arm over the chair, trailing his fingers down her back.

She didn’t react. Instead, she raised her glass into the air. “Cheers.”

He did the same. “What are we toasting to?”

“Good wine, good food, and new friends.”

“Friends? Is that what we are?”

“You don’t want to be?” She focused on her lap. “I guess I spoke too—”

“Shh.” He rested his finger on her mouth.

Her breath came out in little pants, making him want to feel her breath on other key parts of his body, his dick in particular. He would need to leave soon to take care of his erection.

Grasping her hand, he threaded their fingers together on top of the bar. “I’m not friends with many women. Most have been romantic interludes. Also, we’re enemies if you think about it.”

“Because you’re my father’s competitor?”