There was also something else she managed to pick up from her conversations with him. He wasn’t interested in relationships. He hadn’t admitted as much, but she could sense how much of himself that he kept in reserve, reluctant to share with others. And maybe it was just because she was a journalist that he wasn’t interested in talking about himself, but she didn’t think so.
McKenna would never downplay her abilities, and one of them included pretending with the best of them. Since she knew whatever was happening between her and Tag would be temporary at best, she would just have to convince him that she wasn’t interested in anything other than an exclusive on the club. While she was at it, she was going to try to convince herself of the same thing. Any interaction with Tag Murphy was safer that way.
She didn’t figure their dinner date would lead to anything more because McKenna was still convinced she was way too outspoken and forward for a man like him. But stranger things had happened, and she knew never to expect anything less than the unexpected.
Slowly exiting her car, she tried to force the thoughts away because no matter what little hope she had left, she knew Tag was clearly out of her reach in any way that might matter outside of their business relationship.
“Damn it,” McKenna muttered as her heels echoed on the concrete floor as she made her way to the back entrance to the club.
“Such dirty words coming from such a pretty mouth.” The deep, sultry southern twang echoed around her, and McKenna fought the urge to stop.
“What do you want, Murphy? You have an answer for me yet?” she asked in her cool, professional tone, remembering the path her thoughts had been leading down for the last few minutes.
“I’ve got plenty of answers for you, baby,” Tag growled softly, nodding his head toward the bouncer standing near the back door. The man nodded back, stepping out of the way so Tag could open the door, allowing her to walk in ahead of him.
Such a gentleman.
It would seem she had memory problems because instead of remembering why she didn’t want to like this man, she suddenly wanted to know what he would be like in bed. Was he the same southern gentleman? The one with the soft, sweet kisses? Or would that rough, intimidating dark side of his come out? Shit. Now she wanted to know.
Once inside, Tag put his hand on the small of her back, and McKenna damn near stumbled in her three inch heels. The warmth of his hand seared her spine and had a direct effect on the sensitive, apparently needy, place between her thighs. Unsure where he was leading her, McKenna continued walking until they reached the bar.
“Kane,” Tag greeted the familiar bartender whose name McKenna hadn’t known until now.
“What’s up, T?” The devilishly handsome, if not intimidating, man greeted. “What can I get you?”
“Get my friend anything she wants and put it on my tab.”
Damn him. She was half tempted to glare at him and tell him that she didn’t need anything from him, other than an answer to her request from earlier in the day. She didn’t though.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Tag whispered in her ear, the rough, gravelly words sounding more like a promise than just to inform her.
“Take your time.” McKenna tried to play it cool, tried to pretend like she didn’t care one way or the other what he did, but the truth was, despite knowing better, she still wanted to know more about the intensely sexy attorney.
But she wouldn’t be doing that now. Tag was gone.
A second later, she saw him emerge from the crowd as he ascended the stairs to the second floor. Her eyes were glued to him, unable to detect the stunning physique she knew was beneath that expensive suit.
She continued watching him as he punched in that secret code that would lead him to the kink and depravity that existed in that other world she wanted to know so much about.
Shaking off the thought, McKenna thanked Kane for her drink and then went in search of an empty table a little farther from the crowd. As much as she would prefer to stand, or even walk around, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. The restless energy made it difficult, but there was no way she was going to let Tag know how tight he wound her. She had no idea whether he could see her from where he was, but on the off chance that was possible, she wasn’t going to give him anything to use against her later.
She settled for a table that allowed a view of the dance floor and sat down. She watched several of the gyrating couples, wondering whether they even knew what was on the other side of that door on the second floor. She certainly wondered.
Most of these people were probably too excited about a night out with friends even to care. With the music blaring and people trying to speak over it, McKenna managed to get lost in the chaos of the club, rather than wondering what Tag was doing at that very moment.
Hopefully he was talking to Luke about the exclusive, but she tried not to get her hopes up. He seemed to allude to that fact, but knowing Tag, he would never out and out tell her exactly what she wanted to know. She had thought about reminding him of her threat to disclose more information, but she wasn’t naive enough to believe Tag was swayed in any way by threats. No, the man was probably impossible to rattle with his abundance of confidence, and his I don’t give a fuck attitude.
“McKenna? McKenna Thorne?” An unfamiliar voice caught her attention, and she slowly turned to look at the man standing just a few inches to her left.
She didn’t immediately recognize the sexy cowboy, but she rummaged through as many mental images as possible to try to figure out whether she knew him. She figured she didn’t based on the way he questioned whether she was really the person he thought she was.
“That’s me,” she replied to the tall, handsome stranger with the black Stetson pulled low over his eyes, throwing his face in just enough shadow that she had a hard time identifying him anyway.
“Travis Walker,” the man introduced himself, taking off the black Stetson and holding it to his side momentarily
As soon as she got a better look at those sinful blue-gray eyes, she recognized him. “Mr. Walker, nice to actually meet you in person.”
McKenna had not been introduced to any of the Walker brothers up to this point because she had been unable to attend the groundbreaking of the new Alluring Indulgence resort down in Austin, despite having made every effort. Due to other, more pressing matters, she had regretfully declined the invitation she received.
Without asking, Travis took the seat beside her, sitting his cowboy hat back on his head and pinning her with a wickedly sexy grin.
McKenna tried to pretend she wasn’t on the edge of her seat, ready to rapid fire questions at this man because aside from the Club Destiny story, the Walker’s new resort was fast becoming the talk of the media. At least in her circles they were. She was impatiently ready to learn everything there was to know about this new erotic retreat that was making headlines faster than they were building.
“What brings you to Dallas?” she questioned him, watching as he took a long pull on his beer.
She had to agree with the other erotic newsfeeds that she kept her eye on these days; this man was undeniably as intensely attractive as everyone claimed. With his smoldering eyes, that rugged stubbly jaw, those dazzling white teeth and yes, even his slightly crooked nose, Travis Walker was definitely swoon worthy.
“Business.”
And he was also extremely vague.
She had heard that about him.
Apparently, according to the rumors, he wasn’t much for talking, but when he did open his mouth, people usually dropped what they were doing to listen. She would probably drop everything just to listen to the deep rumble of his voice and that mouthwatering Texas drawl.
“Investor’s, right?”
Travis questioned her with a glance, cocking one eyebrow as he watched her.
“You’re here looking for an investor for the new resort?”
He still didn’t answer, but he smiled, and she was taken aback by his rugged masculinity.
Those tall, dark and devastatingly handsome men seemed to do that to her.
“Are you interested in doing an exclusive on the resort?” he asked, cutting right to the point.
McKenna bit her lip, fighting the urge to jump up and down in excitement. She managed to hide her enthusiasm, instead looking at him skeptically she asked, “An exclusive?”
Another thing she had perfected... playing hard to get.
“If you’re not interested, I’d hate to waste your time.” The beginnings of another smile tipped his perfect lips and McKenna had a hard time listening to the words coming out of his mouth. She wondered if this is what happened to all women who came face to face with this man.
But, as much as she admired a pretty face, there was still only one man who had managed to intrigue her to the point of distraction in recent months. Travis Walker was definitely panty melting hot, but fortunately for her, her panties were fire retardant where he was concerned. Tag, on the other hand, was an entirely different story.
“I’m interested,” she said softly, but loud enough for him to hear. “In an exclusive,” she added on for good measure because the way his eyes swept down to her mouth spoke of things better left unexplored. “Did you have a timeframe in mind? From what I remember, you just recently broke ground.”
“Building is under way. As far as I’m concerned, the hard part is behind us. Let me buy you a drink, and we can work out the details.”
McKenna smiled at the sexy cowboy. How in the world could she resist that?
Chapter Five
*** ~~ *** ~~ *** ~~ ***
“An exclusive? What the hell is that?” Luke’s face was a mask of confusion, but Tag saw the smile pulling at the edge of the other man’s mouth. Luke knew exactly what Tag was referring to, probably thanks to the conversation he had with his twin, Logan, moments before Tag arrived.
“She wants to do an article, or a series of them, on the club. Sensations, Inc. would have the privilege of using the information she obtains first for her online magazine.”
“So, what? She comes in here, walks through the halls and peeks in the rooms?” Luke looked serious now, and Tag knew the question he wasn’t asking.
“Yes. In a sense. I would restrict her to the private area on the second floor,” he said, feeling the need to clarify. If McKenna Thorne thought he was going to reveal all of their secrets, she was sadly mistaken.
“And I assume you’ll be the one taking her on this guided tour?” That hint of a smile was back, and this time it unnerved Tag slightly.
“I will.” Tag was all for taking her on the tour, but he had an entirely different idea for how this was going to work than he figured McKenna did.
It was an idea that he had given considerable thought to as a matter of fact.
Tag leaned back in his chair, watching while Luke pondered the information he had just been given. He seemed sincerely torn on whether or not he wanted to do this, which only made sense. Granted, had Tag come in here and suggested this to Luke McCoy a few months ago, he’d have been laughed right out the office, followed by a string of verbal obscenities that would probably make his ears bleed. That was before Luke’s entire personality had an overhaul. He knew the credit for that miraculous feat went to Tag’s step brother Cole and their lover, Sierra Sellers.
These days, it took quite a bit more to get the hard ass Luke McCoy riled up, although it was guaranteed to happen if anyone said anything cross about either Sierra or Cole. Luke was protective of those he loved, and even more so about his two lovers.
“Considering Susan is chomping at the bit to try and get someone to listen to her, I think that by allowing McKenna to write a few respectable articles about the club would only be in your best interest.”
“My best interest?” Luke grinned. “Why do I get this feeling that you’re getting something out of this deal?”
Well, there was that.
Tag smiled knowingly, and continued, “She’s looking to get enough information to provide legitimate, factual details to her readers. I figure what better way than to introduce her to some of the idiosyncrasies of some of the members. Namely me.”
Tag had come up with the idea after leaving McKenna’s office earlier in the day. Of course, his reasons might be a little selfish, but he didn’t need to tell Luke that. It was obvious by his expression that he knew exactly what Tag was after.
For the next fifteen minutes, Tag offered Luke a glimpse of his perspective on how this little exclusive would work. By the time he was finished, Luke was smiling. “And I get to preview and approve any story that goes out, right?”
“That’s the agreement.” McKenna had already volunteered that little detail, but Tag was going to ensure it was firmly stated in the fine print.
“I say go for it, bro. I don’t see that it could make things any worse,” Luke stated before pausing briefly, then smiling, “But one more thing.”
Tag didn’t like the sound of that.
“Good luck.” Luke laughed unabashedly. “I’ve read some things on McKenna Thorne. You’re a braver man than me, Murph. Braver man than me.”
Tag grinned. When it came to McKenna, he was ready for the challenge.
As Tag descended the stairs, he scanned the crowded bar, hoping like hell McKenna hadn’t left yet. He wasn’t sure how well he liked that feeling, but nonetheless, it was there. It wasn’t often that he found himself hopeful for anything, much less a woman.
Considering he had been in Luke’s office for close to an hour, it was possible she had given up and gone home. He doubted it though. He couldn’t think of a single reason she would show up at the club unless she was hoping to get an answer from him tonight. She wasn’t a regular. He would’ve known if she was because McKenna was the type of woman that attracted attention, especially from men. Even if she didn’t intend to. If he was right, she was planted somewhere close, probably watching him right now as he looked for her.
His mind was scanning through the images he’d conjured up while he’d been sharing his plan with Luke and at this point, he was damn ready to show McKenna exactly what he had in store for her.
That’s when he saw her.
Her back was to him, and he recognized all of that crimson red silk flowing down her back even from halfway across the room. He could only see her in profile, but he could tell she was laughing; her smile practically lighting up the entire room as she regarded the man sitting beside her.
A man who might be damn lucky if he was allowed to walk out of the bar with both legs intact.
Taking a deep breath and a quick detour by the bar, Tag tried to calm himself. As he waited for Kane to pour the bourbon, he continued to watch McKenna and the cowboy sitting across from her. Thankfully, before he went over and made a complete jackass out of himself, he recognized exactly whom she was talking to.
Travis Walker.
Tag didn’t even know the guy was in town. Not that he should have, but he figured Luke or Logan one, would’ve filled him in. As part of the agreement between the men, Travis had applied to become a member of the club. Last Tag had heard, he’d been approved, but hadn’t come back to sign on the dotted line.
Maybe that’s why he was there tonight.
Tag retrieved his drink from the bar and headed in McKenna’s direction. She was so engrossed in her conversation with Travis, she didn’t see him approach, which was more than fine with him. He came up from behind, set his glass on the table, and then leaned down until his lips brushed the soft outer edge of her ear. “Miss me?”
He felt the shiver that ran through McKenna at his words, but other than that, she did a good job of hiding her reaction.
“Travis,” Tag greeted the man sitting across from McKenna, holding his hand out until Travis gripped it firmly and returned the handshake. “Good to see you again.”
“Murphy,” Travis acknowledged. “Looks like we both might just want the same thing from Ms. Thorne.”
Tag clamped his teeth together, but never
changed his expression from one of indifference as he glanced back and forth between the pair. The jealousy that coursed through his bloodstream was growing all the more annoying each time he felt it, but he’d be damned if he knew what he was supposed to do to stop it.
“Is that right?” he questioned.
McKenna finally looked over at him briefly, and if he wasn’t mistaken, there was a rosy tint to her pale cheeks that he hadn’t seen earlier.
“An exclusive,” she said, smirking as though she found his reaction humorous.
“Well, I’m not sure Club Destiny is necessarily pursuing Ms. Thorne; however, it is a discussion we’re currently having.”
Had Travis been anyone else, Tag would’ve been irritated that he seemed to know about the club’s personal business.
“I better get going,” Travis stated as he stood. “I’ve got a meeting with Luke shortly.”
“How’s your brother?” Tag asked as Travis stood from his chair. Tag had been keeping tabs on Zane ever since the groundbreaking ceremony for Alluring Indulgence, but he hadn’t heard anything in the last few days.
“Better.” Something in Travis’ eyes told Tag there was more to his simple answer, but true to form, the man wasn’t going to elaborate.
Hell, Tag was surprised he’d said as much as he had in the last few minutes. Aside from business, which this could probably be categorized as, Travis wasn’t known for his long-windedness.
“Glad to hear it. And it was good to see you again.” Tag pulled out the chair on the other side of McKenna, watching Travis intently. He couldn’t help but wonder whether Travis Walker had more interest in McKenna than just a story on his upcoming resort. He also couldn’t help but wonder why he actually gave a damn. But he did.
“You too. And as for you, Ms. Thorne, I look forward to seeing you again soon.”
Infatuation - A Club Destiny Novel Page 5