The Satyr's Curse (The Satyr's Curse Series Book 1) (15 page)

“Kyle, I…I’m flattered, but I—”

He held up his hands. “Forget I said anything.” He quickly turned to exit the office.

“I care for you, Kyle. But what you’re asking—”

He spun around. “It’s because of him, isn’t it?”

“No, this has got nothing to do with Julian. I’ve watched you with other women, Kyle. The moment they get serious, you run.”

“Then you really don’t know me, Jazz.” He turned and opened the door.

After he had hastily departed her office, Jazzmyn felt a tendril of disappointment cascade through her. “I know you, Kyle,” she murmured. “I’m just not sure if I can trust you.”

***

Later that evening, the restaurant was filled with the regular Saturday night customers, along with a few new faces mixed into the crowd. Jazzmyn was working as hostess and helping clear tables so she could hurry and seat the hungry diners coming in the door. When she went to the bar to fill a drink order for one of the busy servers, Scott nodded to the kitchen.

“What’s up with Kyle?” he asked as he picked up a glass to mix a vodka and tonic for her.

Jazzmyn reached for a maraschino cherry. “He’s in a mood, I know. He’s been sulking back there all evening.” She popped the cherry into her mouth.

“Did you two have a fight?” Scott added vodka to the glass.

“Why do you assume I have anything to do with his mood swings? You know how he is.”

“Yeah, I know how he is, but tonight he’s really putting the JD away. The only time he does that is when you two have a spat.” Scott placed the drink down on a black tray before her on the bar. “One day you’re going to have to wake up and smell the coffee, Jazz. I know you’re just as crazy about him as he is about you.”

“You’re imagining things, Scott. I’m seeing Julian and—”

“Who is all wrong for you.” Scott became distracted when he saw the front door of the restaurant open. “Speak of the devil. He just walked in,” he informed her, nodding to the entrance.

Jazzmyn careened her head around to see Julian coming toward the bar. Her body flashed with heat as she saw his eyes taking in her black slacks and snug, white silk blouse. She smiled at him, and for a moment the din of the room around her disappeared and there was only him.

“Man, you’ve got it bad,” Scott remarked as he mixed another drink. “I wish my wife looked at me that way.”

Jazzmyn turned to her bartender. “What are you talking about?”

“You looked like you were ready to leap across the room and attack him.”

Jazzmyn’s mouth fell open. “I did not.”

“You did not what?” Julian inquired as he came up to her side. He leaned over and nuzzled her cheek.

Jazzmyn’s felt her knees buckling as his lips touched her skin.

“I didn’t think you would be coming tonight,” Jazzmyn coolly told him, struggling to hide the desperation in her voice.

Freshly showered, he smelled of a springtime forest and was dressed casually this evening in dark gray slacks and a long-sleeved, pale blue shirt, slightly open at the top.

Julian pulled out a red leather stool next to her at the bar. “I thought I would come by and hang out for a while. Then I can escort you home later.” Julian frowned, looking concerned. “It’s not safe for you to be walking home late at night with all of these murders going on in the city.”

Jazzmyn’s stomach tightened when he mentioned the murders. She had not forgotten about all she had learned earlier that afternoon, and maybe it was auspicious that Julian was there. She needed to talk to him away from Kyle and everyone else in the restaurant.

“Let me get everyone over the rush here, and when things slow down you and I can slip away.”

Julian rested his arms against the bar. “I like the sound of that. I’ll be here.”

“You want your usual merlot or another cabernet, Mr. Devereau?” Scott asked as he placed two more drinks on Jazzmyn’s tray.

“Merlot tonight, Scott, thanks.” Julian observed Jazzmyn as she lifted her tray of drinks. “Everything all right?” he asked, scrutinizing her face.

“Everything is fine, Julian.”

He peered deeply into her dark green eyes. “Something is bothering you, I can tell.”

“Later, when we’re alone,” she said, lowering her voice.

His features washed over with worry. “Have I done anything wrong?”

“We’ll talk later.” She quickly turned from the bar. 

As she headed to the table of five waiting for their drinks, she watched Julian out of the corner of her eye. That cautious voice of reason in her head began needling her about everything she had learned earlier in the day. As her worry simmered, her curiosity about the mysterious man grew. The challenge of getting to know the real Julian Devereau was beginning to appear just as intriguing as her intense attraction for the man. Jazzmyn just hoped she could quell her doubts about Julian before her insistent libido shoved all of those necessary concerns to the side like a raging bull bursting through the gate of an enclosure.

Chapter 14

The restaurant was almost empty except for a few customers who lingered behind, savoring their after dinner conversation and coffee. Julian was sitting at the bar, sipping from his glass of merlot and taking in the last of the diners when Jazzmyn walked up to him.

“Looks like it was a busy night,” he commented.

“Pretty busy,” she agreed as she stood next to his barstool. “Just have to get the last of the diners out the door and then we can leave.”

“I’m in no rush.” Julian put his wine down on the bar. “What is bothering you? You’re different this evening.”

Jazzmyn admired his strong profile. “I just realized I’ve never taken you in the back before.”

Julian turned his head to her. “No, you haven’t.”

“There isn’t much to see except the kitchen, storage area, and my office,” Jazzmyn acknowledged with a shrug.

“You have an office?” Julian’s lips curled into a grin.

“A broom closet, actually, that only has about enough room for two people to fit in comfortably and talk.”

Julian edged closer to her. “Sounds like the perfect place to talk. I’d like to see it.”

She took his long hand in hers. “Come with me,” she said, pulling him off his barstool.

As she led him to the kitchen door, Jazzmyn’s mind raced with plausible explanations for the things she had discovered earlier that afternoon. Perhaps Julian was a man with a past, or simply someone who had lived abroad and had made no paper trail to speak of in the United States. Many people spent years getting lost in the ruins of Europe only to emerge after a long absence. Like Hemingway and his “lost generation,” she hoped Julian had been running away from the intrusions of modern life to find comfort in the Old World ways. She longed for any illumination that would appease her suspicions, so that she could once again revel in his charm without second-guessing his intentions.

When Jazzmyn stepped into the noise of the kitchen, Kyle’s raised voice instantly pushed all of her concerns aside.   

“What’s he doing in here?” Kyle roared as he came up to them.

Jazzmyn spotted the glass of Jack Daniels on the prep table and recalled Scott mentioning his heavy drinking earlier that evening.

“I thought I would show Julian the rest of the restaurant,” Jazzmyn explained, keeping her voice firm but calm.

“This is my kitchen. Get him out of here,” Kyle brusquely ordered, pointing to the kitchen door.

Jazzmyn felt Julian’s grip tighten on her hand. “This is my restaurant, Kyle, and Julian is my guest.”

“You wouldn’t have a restaurant if it wasn’t for me, sweetheart. So get that arrogant son of a bitch out of here,” Kyle shouted.

Before Jazzmyn could even blink, Julian had let go of her hand and was standing between her and Kyle.

“I suggest you watch your language, Kyle,” Julian growled.

“My language?” Kyle gave him a sarcastic sneer. “Don’t tell me what to do in my kitchen, asshole!”

Julian took a step closer to Kyle and smelled his breath. “You’re drunk.” He gestured to the back of the kitchen. “Why don’t you go and sober up before you do something really stupid.”

“You bastard!” Kyle hollered. “I’ve been wanting to do this for weeks.” He pulled his arm back and then took a swing at Julian.

Jazzmyn screamed as soon as she saw Kyle’s fist moving toward Julian’s face, but Julian saw the blow coming and ducked to the side. He reached around and grabbed Kyle by the back of the neck. Before Jazzmyn could even register what was going on, Julian had Kyle pinned face down on the floor with his left arm bent behind him.

“Don’t ever think you can tangle with me, boy,” Julian hissed in a threatening voice. “You have no idea who you are dealing with.”

Jazzmyn saw Julian’s eyes grow as black as coal. His facial features seemed to morph into someone she did not recognize. He appeared cold and filled with loathing, nothing like the man she had come to know over the past few weeks.

“Get off me!” Kyle clamored as he wriggled against Julian’s powerful grip.

Julian easily lifted Kyle from the floor with one swift motion. Jazzmyn stared in amazement at the bulging muscles flexing beneath Julian’s pale blue shirt.

“What are you on, steroids?” Kyle asked, rubbing his left arm. “You damn near broke my arm.”

Jazzmyn diverted her eyes from Julian to Kyle. “Kyle, go home.” 

He waved her off. “I’ll go home when I’m finished here.”

“You’ll go home now, and don’t ever come back. You’re fired.”

A hush descended over the kitchen as Jerry, Carl, and Leon stopped their activities and watched the drama unfold.

“You can’t fire me. I made this place. You’d be dead in the water if it wasn’t for me, Jazzmyn.” Kyle rushed toward her.

Julian quickly grabbed his left arm, halting his progress.

Kyle tried to wrestle free from Julian’s grasp. “Let go of me, you gorilla.”

“The lady told you to go, so you had better go.” Julian squeezed his arm and Kyle winced against the pain.

“All right, I’m going,” he finally cried out.

Julian let go of Kyle’s arm.

Kyle’s bloodshot, blue eyes turned to Jazzmyn. “Do you want this, Jazzmyn? Is this how you want things to end? I hope you’re happy with your Neanderthal.” His face was red and his brow was covered with a film of sweat. “You two deserve each other,” he grumbled under his breath.

Kyle removed his dirty apron and threw it to the floor at Jazzmyn’s feet. He turned down the hall and stormed out the back door, slamming it behind him with a loud bang.

Jazzmyn’s stomach rolled with the sick feeling of regret. She wanted to run after Kyle, but she knew she could not. He had betrayed her. He had done the one thing he had promised never to do since the first day he had come to work for her…he had tried to use his fists to settle an argument. For years, she had honestly believed the incident at Commander’s Palace had been behind him. Now, she knew she could never trust him around her customers again. Kyle was a liability and an embarrassment. Jazzmyn pushed down the pain that was closing in around her heart as she took in the concerned faces of the kitchen staff staring back at her from their respective stations.

“Carl, tomorrow you and Ms. Helen will cover lunch, and then you will be the chef for dinner.” Jazzmyn noticed how Carl’s hazel eyes were frantically darting about the kitchen. “Can you handle this? If not, tell me now so I can find a fast replacement for Kyle.”

Carl focused his gaze on Jazzmyn and squared his shoulders. “I can handle it. I’ve been working as a sous-chef under Kyle for over two years. I’m more than ready to take over,” he assured her in a confident tone. “I even have some new dishes in mind for the restaurant.”

“You backstabbing sack of—”

“Jerry, enough!” Jazzmyn shouted, interrupting the dishwasher’s remarks. She turned back to Carl. “Don’t get too ambitious just yet. Let’s see how you do tomorrow night before we go changing the menu.”

“Are you all right?” Julian whispered beside her.

She placed her hand over his arm. “I’m fine.” Looking back at her kitchen staff, she pronounced, “Shut everything down. Carl, I will see you here first thing in the morning to go over the prep with Ms. Helen.”

“You really gonna just let that man walk outta here?” Leon griped.

“Yes, Leon, I am.” She turned, and with Julian following behind her, headed down the hall to her office.

When she was safely in her office, Jazzmyn leaned her head against the closed door and fought back her tears.

Julian’s strong arms embraced her. “Just let it out, Jazzmyn.”

She turned around and faced him. “I can’t believe he forced my hand like that. To take a swing at you, above all people.” She pressed her head back against the door behind her as a single tear rolled down her face. “Thank God it didn’t happen in the dining room in front of the customers.”

“You gave him every opportunity.” Julian wiped the tear from her cheek. “You have no reason to be upset. He’s a drunk, and until he sobers up, he will never learn that drinking doesn’t make you a better man; it only makes you a lonely one.”

Jazzmyn sniffled. “You’ve a lot of experience with that sort of man, I take it.”

He nodded. “Used to be one, a long time ago, when I was very young and foolish.”

“Foolish? You? You’ve always seemed so…sensible.”

He sighed as he placed his hand on the door behind her. “I was once as foolish and as arrogant as Kyle, but I didn’t have someone like you in my life to show me the error of my ways. I learned through my experiences, a lot of bad ones, that there is a fine line between arrogance and confidence.”

“I can’t imagine you as ever being an arrogant man.” She lowered her eyes to the cement floor. “Only a confident one.”

He placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face. “Then I guess all of those bad experiences were worth it.”

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between them—uncomfortable for Jazzmyn, that is. She explored his intriguing features and wondered if the changes she had witnessed in his countenance earlier had only been a figment of her imagination. The man who stood before her seemed so serene, so at ease, as if he could never be anything but the kind and considerate Julian Devereau she had come to know.

Suddenly, the list of questions she had been planning to hurl at him all day galloped to the forefront of her thoughts.

“Look, Julian, today I learned some things that I think we should—”

A knock at the door interrupted her. “Jazz, it’s Scott. Carl just told me what happened,” he called from the other side of the door.

Jazzmyn wiped her hands over her face and opened the door.“Everything is fine, Scott. I’ve got it covered.”

Scott grinned at her from the doorway. “I wasn’t worried about you.” He looked up at Julian standing behind her. “I was more concerned about Mr. Devereau. Kyle can pack quite a punch when he’s loaded.”

“I’m fine, Scott. Thank you for your concern though.”

Scott’s small, hazel eyes concentrated on Jazzmyn. “You want me to lock up?”

Jazzmyn wanted to kiss her old friend for coming to her rescue. “Would you?”

Scott nodded to Julian. “Why don’t you get her out of here? I think she’s had about enough for one night.”

Julian put his hand on Jazzmyn’s shoulder. “I agree. I think it’s time I take her home.”

***

When Julian’s Maserati parked in front of Jazzmyn’s home, she felt all the stress from the evening leave her only to be replaced with a new sensation. When she turned to Julian, that familiar yearning began to come alive.

“We never did get to talk about what was bothering you earlier,” Julian mentioned as he switched off the engine. 

As Jazzmyn floundered with fatigue, she realized she did not have the strength to tackle confrontations with Julian and Kyle in one night. Her questions could keep…for a little while anyway.

“Do you want a drink?” she asked him.

“Are you inviting me in?”

“Yes, I am.”

He opened his car door. “In that case….” He stood from the car and came around the front of the car to her door. “I accept,” he said after he opened her car door.

As Julian walked with Jazzmyn to her wide front doors, she pondered the possible outcomes if Julian were to come inside. Would he want to stay the night, or would he say again that she was not ready for him? Before the altercation with Kyle, she might have been willing to agree with Julian that she was not ready. But now Kyle was gone, out of her life for good, and any slight hope that she might have entertained about the two of them was wiped clean from her mind. But for some strange reason, the idea of a world without Kyle made her heart ache.   

“Do you want me to open the doors?” Julian suggested when he noticed her hands fumbling with the keys.

She handed him the key chain and pointed out the key for the front doors. “I guess I’m a little shaken up.”

Julian quickly unlocked the double doors and pushed them open. “You’re not shaken up. You’re nervous, Jazzmyn. There’s a difference.”

She reached for a light switch to the right of the doors. A blaze of light from the crystal chandelier above illuminated the foyer.

Jazzmyn walked inside and placed her purse on a green marble inlaid table by the stairs.

“What makes you think I’m nervous, Julian?”

“I can feel it.” He tossed her keys onto the table next to her purse.

As he secured the deadbolt on the door, Jazzmyn’s heart began to quicken.

Julian sauntered up to her. “You’re wondering ‘is he going to stay or go’?” He grinned as he stared at her lips. “But the decision is yours, Jazzmyn. Do you want me to stay with you or go?”

She turned toward the hallway next to the stairs. “I invited you in for a drink, remember?”

He pulled her back to him. “That’s not what I’m talking about. Do you want me to stay or go, Jazzmyn?”

She looked into his dark eyes and felt that scalding swell of lust that the nearness of him perpetually awakened within her. Her body began to pine for him while her mind flooded with visions of lying naked in his muscular arms. What she had feared had come to pass, and all her carefully planned questions and well-founded uncertainty about Julian were silenced by her burgeoning desire. Slowly, Jazzmyn eased closer to him, slipped her hand behind his neck, and pulled his head down to her.