Infatuation - A Club Destiny Novel

by Nicole Edwards

  Once they finished their meal, they ordered dessert and shared another glass of wine while they waited.

  “What happened to your father that made you not want to work for anyone else?” Tag asked the question he had put off earlier.

  The way she shifted her jaw as she stared back at him, he knew she was debating on whether she was going to answer him.

  “So that’s how this is going to go?” she questioned.

  “What? I’m interested in you, McKenna. Is that too hard to believe?”

  “Yes. It is.”

  Tag knew she was deflecting, but he wasn’t going to let her get away with it. “You know more about me than I do about you, so I figure it’s only fair.”

  McKenna paused for a moment, sipping her wine as she stared back at him. Just when he thought she was going to blow off the question entirely, she answered, “Let’s just say my father hasn’t been dealt a promising hand throughout his career.

  “He’s one of those men who can sell ice cubes to an Eskimo, but due to his salary, he was always one of the first to be let go when a company decided to cut back. He’d already done what they needed him to do, so as far as they were concerned, he was expendable.”

  McKenna took another sip of her wine before continuing, “I didn’t want to be that person. I didn’t want to bust my ass to make my employer money only to be tossed out if they needed to make budget cuts.”

  Tag wasn’t about to question her logic. As far as he was concerned, she made perfect sense. And by owning her own company, she knew what she was getting into and what she would get out of it day after day.

  “While we’re getting personal...” McKenna smiled as the waiter set their desserts down in front of them. “Why do you choose to give so much money to charity?”

  The question caught him by surprise, although he knew it shouldn’t have. If McKenna had been digging for information on him, she would’ve found the couple of mentions related to his sizable charity donations. “I don’t need the money,” he stated simply.

  “Not good enough,” she countered as she lifted her spoon to her mouth.

  Tag smiled, his insides twisted with anticipation because he found so much enjoyment in watching her eat. Everything she did was sinfully erotic, even eating, and he wanted to sit there and watch her.

  “It’s my way of giving back. I’ve been blessed, I won’t deny it, and as far as I’m concerned, if I don’t need it, there are some very deserving people who do.”

  Realizing he had somehow led them back into a personal territory neither of them seemed comfortable with, Tag decided on a much more appropriate question. “Since you’re so interested in what’s in my closet, I’ve got a question of my own,” he said as he watched her take another bite of crème brulee.

  “Only if you let me see what’s in your closet,” McKenna teased.

  “From where I sit, it won’t be long before you have a personal tour.”

  To his satisfaction, McKenna blushed, her freckle dotted cheeks turning a pretty pink.

  “What’s your question?” she asked, obviously trying to distract him from watching her.

  “If the police were to pull you over tonight, what’s the most interesting thing they would find in your car?”

  Tag knew the question was absurd, and based on the way she laughed, she knew it too. He didn’t find it much different than the one she had thrown out to her readers in her last article though, so he waited patiently for her to answer.

  “You’re serious?” she asked.

  “Very.”

  “Why would you think I have anything out of the ordinary in my car?” she questioned, still smiling.

  “I don’t know. Why would you think I have anything out of the ordinary in my closet?”

  “Touché.”

  “Ok, forget that question. I’ve got a better one for you,” Tag said seriously. “How many dates am I going to have to take you on before I get to know what color your bed sheets are?”

  ~*~*~

  On the drive back to her office, McKenna suddenly realized she wasn’t quite ready for the night to end. She also realized, it was in her best interest to get over that little disappointment, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

  When Tag stopped the car in front of her office building, McKenna fumbled with her seatbelt. It’d been a long time since she went on a date, especially one that had gone as seamlessly as this one had, and she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do now.

  “Thanks for dinner.” She could at least thank him. That was a start.

  When his warm hand touched her arm, McKenna stilled. It was totally insane of her to want something from this man, but when he touched her, even so innocently, she had a sudden craving for so much more. Getting to know him on a much more intimate level had done the exact opposite of helping her to stop thinking about him.

  Glancing down, she noticed the drastic difference between his bronzed fingers against her pale wrist, and that led to much more inquisitive thoughts. Like what the rest of him would look like against her.

  “I had a good time,” he said, but his voice wasn’t laced with the confidence or the arrogance she was used to. No, there was something much hungrier in his tone.

  Knowing she shouldn’t, McKenna turned slightly, glancing over at Tag’s handsome face, her eyes grazing over his angular jaw, his perfect nose, and then to his eyes and the incredibly thick, dark lashes that would make most women jealous. Then she made the mistake of looking at his luscious lips. She had successfully avoided looking at his mouth for the better part of the evening because when she did she found herself fantasizing about what exquisite pleasure she might find in those lips.

  When his hand came up, his fingers tilting her chin so that she faced him more directly, McKenna was transfixed on the way he moved closer to her. She held her breath, waiting, desperately hoping he would kiss her while praying he wouldn’t because she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to resist a man like Tag. And she should resist him. She knew she should.

  Oh, God.

  When his soft, firm lips met hers in the sweetest, gentlest of kisses, she had to hold back the urge to crawl over the center console and settle into his lap.

  He didn’t push for more, nor did she, but their lips lingered for long seconds before he pulled back. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  McKenna nodded, her fingers instinctively going to her mouth as though she were trying to hold on to the feel of him. She wasn’t sure what to say, so she didn’t say anything at all. As gracefully as she could manage, she opened the passenger door and escaped the tight confines of Tag’s extravagant car. She hurried to her own car, never looking back.

  As it turned out, walking away from him was the hardest thing she’d done all day.

  Chapter Four

  *** ~~ *** ~~ *** ~~ ***

  “I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, but you know I’m going to have to talk to Luke,” Logan told Tag after he’d spent the last half hour explaining McKenna’s request.

  “That’s where I’m headed next,” Tag replied coolly, leaning back in his chair.

  After leaving McKenna a short while ago at her office, Tag called Logan asking if he could stop by to talk. Because he knew what Logan was likely expecting, he was sure to be very detailed in his reason for needing to come by. Despite Logan’s disappointed tone, he had agreed.

  Ever since his arrival he and Logan had been sitting on the back porch hashing out McKenna’s request. As always, Logan was playing the devil’s advocate, but he did seem sincerely interested in the idea. In Tag’s opinion, McKenna’s suggestion was actually a win-win for them, but no matter what he said, it would never be up to him. And yes, Tag fully intended to talk to Luke himself, but he wanted to run it by Logan first. Just to get a feel for what he thought.

  “It’s a good plan,” Tag restated, taking a long pull on his beer and admiring the view of the pool from where they sat.

  The view brought back pleasant memories of times
he’d spent at their house in previous months; specifically images of Samantha.

  Tag was grateful that Sam had been engrossed in work ever since he arrived, which meant she was paying him absolutely no mind. Considering he wasn’t interested in answering the questions he knew were plaguing both Logan and Sam, it couldn’t have worked out better. From where he sat, he could see Sam just inside the house, feverishly typing on her laptop, never once looking up.

  He felt a little awkward not explaining himself, but since neither of them had asked, he hadn’t offered. Tag could sense the question lingering between him and Logan, but it was never mentioned and since they hadn’t gotten together in the last month for any of their late night trysts, he figured it was clear that it likely wouldn’t be happening anymore.

  When he thought back to his dinner with McKenna and the interest he found himself having in her, Tag didn’t doubt that his relationship with Logan and Samantha had come to an abrupt end. Since all three of them had insisted they maintain exclusivity for the duration of their time together, Tag knew he couldn’t promise that any longer. He didn’t quite know what the hell he was doing with McKenna, but he felt it was best to avoid any lascivious activities with the two of them for the foreseeable future.

  “I don’t disagree with you there,” Logan said after a moment of silence. “I’m not sure how Luke will feel about it though.”

  Tag wasn’t too worried about Luke. The man was having a hard time enough dealing with the overbearing members who were suddenly worried their identities would be leaked. That’s all they seemed to be worried about. As far as Tag was concerned, they were a bunch of self-righteous assholes that didn’t care about anything other than themselves, especially not what might potentially happen to Luke and Logan should Susan Toulmin continue on her tirade. Even with his sudden distaste for their reactions, in a way, he did understand their concern, which was partly why he liked McKenna’s idea.

  He figured some insight into the club would likely deflect some of the interest. With so many people wanting to know more, it was only a matter of time before information got out that they didn’t want to. As far as the member list, Luke wasn’t worried, and neither was Tag. That list was highly confidential, and there were only three people who even knew the contents of the entire list - Luke, Logan and Tag.

  Had Tag not insisted, in order to represent them successfully, he’d likely be in the dark, as well. Not that he cared who was on the list, but at least he had some idea of what the impact would be should Susan actually find someone to listen to her. And that was only a matter of time, Tag knew.

  “Are you interested in her?” Logan’s abrupt, serious tone had Tag turning back to face his friend.

  He didn’t quite know how to answer the question, or possibly, he just didn’t know how to explain what it was he felt for McKenna at this point. He was interested in her, yes. That was undeniable. But how far that interest would take him was yet to be seen. “There’s something there,” he admitted calmly, leaning forward in his chair and resting his forearms on the table.

  So much for getting out of there without an inquisition.

  When Tag thought Logan would ask another question, he surprised him by pausing to stare out at the pool. The door behind them clicked as it opened and Tag knew that Sam was coming to join them.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked sweetly, walking over to Logan as he leaned back in his chair, allowing her to sit on his lap.

  “Nothing’s wrong, baby,” Logan smiled, and Tag saw the same mix of admiration and longing on Logan’s face that was always there when he looked at his wife.

  “Are you sure?” she asked again, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. There was a few seconds of silence as Sam got comfortable.

  “I don’t know her,” Sam began when it was clear no one else was going to speak, turning her attention to Tag, “but I think she’s exactly what you need.”

  The statement was so far out of left field, Tag felt blindsided by it. He didn’t know what to say, or whether he was supposed to say anything at all. “Look, Sam, I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry?” To his surprise, Sam smiled knowingly. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Tag.”

  “I know you two are looking for someone...” He wasn’t sure what he was trying to say at this point, so he stared down at his beer bottle, tearing at the label.

  “Tag.” Sam’s stern tone forced him to meet her gaze. “Please don’t ever worry about me and Logan. We have each other, and that’s honestly all we will ever need.”

  Tag watched as Logan wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tight and resting his forehead against her arm. It was a sweet gesture, and it effectively made Tag feel like the outsider he had been all along.

  “I care about you,” Sam clarified. “How can I not? What we’ve had these last few months has been amazing. I’ll always care about you, which is why I understand that this isn’t permanent. We would never expect that from you just as you didn’t expect it from us.”

  No, Tag hadn’t expected a permanent relationship with Logan and Sam, which was why he had opted to be with them in the first place. His relationships were always temporary, and he enjoyed them that way. He wasn’t sure what he wanted from McKenna, but for some reason, maybe he was just plain crazy, he felt there was something else between them. Whatever it was, he knew he had to at least pursue it to find out.

  “Trust me, Tag,” Sam said as she wrapped her arm loosely around Logan’s head, holding him closer to her. “Logan has taught me so many things about myself, I still feel like I’m evolving. You never have to worry about me or him, for that matter. When it comes down to it, we know what the other one needs and I can assure you, we’ll figure out how to satisfy all of the cravings one day.” Her smile was sweet and gentle, so much like the woman herself.

  Tag would never forget the time they had together, but he also knew that as far as long term, it wouldn’t have worked for much longer anyway. The sex was phenomenal, and there wasn’t a single time that he hadn’t found exactly what he was looking for from the two of them, but he knew something was missing.

  Truthfully, he didn’t want to feel as though anything was missing, but he felt it nonetheless. When he looked at McKenna, he felt something more than the intense physical attraction, and it may just be a figment of his imagination or some misplaced desire to have what the others around him had obviously found. No matter what it was or what it wasn’t, Tag had to take this chance. For his own sanity, if nothing else.

  “She’s a lucky woman,” Sam grinned. “And I think she might just be what you need.”

  Tag wasn’t sure about all that, but he smiled anyway.

  “Thanks, Sam. Well, I need to get going.” Tag had to get over to the club and talk to Luke as soon as possible. He needed to have an answer for McKenna by morning, or risk some more shit being broadcast worldwide.

  “I’ll call Luke and let him know what I think that way when you talk to him, it won’t be a surprise.” Logan said, looking up from where he sat still holding Sam.

  With a nod and a smile, Tag walked away.

  ~*~*~

  McKenna had only been home for a few minutes before she found herself pacing the floor. After checking her emails, hoping mostly for her editors to return both of her potential articles for tomorrow, she’d been disappointed not to find anything from either of them in her inbox.

  This left her with precisely nothing to do except get on her own nerves.

  In order to avoid that, she found herself back in her car, heading downtown. Figuring that the lesser of two evils would be to get out of the house, it had been an easy decision to head over to Club Destiny for a drink. Except now, as she drove through the darkened streets, McKenna was beginning to wonder whether her masochistic side was making another appearance.

  Ever since she exited Tag’s car back at her office, she couldn’t help but think about that mind blowing kiss. It wasn’t anything more than a m
eeting of lips, but it was somehow more explosive than some of the down and dirty, tongue action kisses from her past.

  Most of them actually.

  The only thing about it that bothered her was the easy way Tag seemed to drive away afterward. How could he not have been affected by that? She had been nearly knocked right out of her gorgeous designer shoes.

  So, in order to avoid pacing back and forth, or worse... cleaning her entire house from top to bottom, McKenna was pulling into the parking garage of one place she was pretty much guaranteed to run into Tag.

  Hell, she was a lost cause – there was no denying it.

  After pulling into one of the few spaces left in a garage that was already full on a Thursday night, McKenna shut off the engine and gripped the steering wheel.

  She got the strange feeling that all of the times she had encountered Tag in the past were only leading up to something more. After each meeting, she found herself more and more affected by him, but she couldn’t exactly pinpoint what that meant. The only thing she knew for sure, their relationship was slowly morphing into something entirely unexpected. Whatever it was that they continued to dance around couldn’t be ignored forever.

  Nor did she want it to.

  No matter how much she tried to convince her overactive imagination that this was strictly business and nothing more, she knew that wasn’t the case. Yes, she wanted a tour of the club, and she wasn’t about to pretend otherwise. She wanted to walk the halls, talk to the owners, and get a good understanding of what went on there. Her readers expected her to have the lowdown on anything and everything erotic. Club Destiny fit that description.

  Except she found herself thinking more about Tag than she did about anything else. She still wanted to do all of those things, but it would seem she had a more selfish motive now. One that involved bringing her closer to a man who exuded so much... masculinity. He was distinguished and reserved, yet approachable and so intensely male; and above all else, he pulled it all together and still exuded that laidback southern charm that she found so damn hot.