“Most likely. It’s another fundraiser, held by the company, so he still must come to support the charity. I regularly do the same for him.”
“I’d love to come,” she said excitedly, reaching for her phone to add the event to her calendar.
“There’s one condition,” he said sternly.
“What?” she groaned. She thought she had gotten past his strange rules about interviews.
“You have to wear the dress,” he said. “Even if it means that I have to give the doorman special directions to keep a reporter in street clothes out.”
“Fine,” she said, annoyed. He rewarded her with a kiss.
“What time is it?” Clive asked, yawning.
“Oh, is this how you usually kick girls out of your home when you’ve gotten your use from them?”
“Not at all,” he said, surprised. “I was just wondering if we had enough time to go again.”
Angela looked at the time on her phone. “Yeah, but let’s make it quick. I have a lot of work to do tonight.”
“Maybe this time we should use my bedroom,” Clive suggested, eyeing the shattered lamp. “Fewer things we can break in there.”
Clive got up and grabbed Angela by the hand, taking her down the long hallway toward his bedroom.
“I wish I could write about this,” she said, looking around his penthouse.
“Maybe one day you will.”
Chapter 10
After giving the doorman her name, Angela couldn’t help but strut into the ballroom. She looked incredible in the snug-fitting dress, yet still fit in with the rest of the crowd. This time, when people turned to look at her, it was with raised eyebrows, not disapproving glances. She had all the confidence in the world at that moment—her editor told her that her most recent installment was excellent, she looked incredible, and she suspected that she had Clive Davis wrapped around her finger. She was unstoppable.
After she wrote the latest piece, Angela went back and reworked the others, adding bits of information she learned from Clive, plus what she discovered from just watching him. He was far more complicated than people gave him credit for. He wasn’t just another rich prick, but he wasn’t really a selfless martyr for his charities, either. He was far more normal than most people would assume. Angela thought that made him even more interesting.
Clive was a human being with flaws. He used his money to get his way, but he worked hard to earn it. He was arrogant and obnoxious, but sweet at times. He was funny but knew when to be serious, too. Clive was a walking contradiction, which made it hard for Angela to make a sound judgment on him. She couldn’t categorize him; he was just Clive Davis.
Clive spotted Angela first and waved her over to him. He was surrounded by three other nearly-identical men. From previous research she’d done on Clive, she knew that they were his brothers.
“Guys,” Clive said, making space next to him for Angela to stand, “this is the reporter that’s doing that piece on me for the New York Times. Her name is Angela. Play nice,” he said, giving them all a warning look. “Angela, this is Matthew, Daniel, and James.”
The four of them had the same smirk. It was like watching clones interact with one another. There were some distinctions between them, but anyone could tell they were cut from the same cloth.
“So, you’re the one I can give all of Clive’s court settlements to?” Daniel asked. The others laughed in response.
“Do you have siblings like this?” James asked her.
“I have two older sisters.”
“Yeah?” Daniel said eagerly. “Have them come out.”
Angela rolled her eyes. “They’re both married and have kids. One’s a Sociology professor at Brown, and the other is a neonatal surgeon.”
“Wow,” Clive said. “I’m sure your parents are very proud.”
“They are,” she said. “Makes it hard to be a freelancer when your siblings are extremely successful.”
“I know how that goes,” Matthew said quietly.
“Hey,” Clive said, resting his hand on Angela’s shoulder, “I have to talk to a few people quickly. Are you okay with these animals for a moment?”
“No problem,” she said. “If I can sit through an interview with you and ten of your employees, I think I can handle them.”
“Ooh,” the others jeered as Clive left the group. He shot them a warning look.
“So, do you guys have any stories for me?”
“Have you heard the one where they tried to replace me with a turtle?” Matthew asked.
“Yep got it.”
“How about the one when Clive came home crying because he missed a point on a math test?” James asked.
“What?” Angela giggled.
“Apparently, he had gone the entire year without missing a single point on his math test and assignments. Then, at the end of the year, he accidentally forgot to put a negative sign on an answer and missed one point.”
“And he cried?” she asked.
“Yep,” James said. “Mom had to console him before he would even come out of his room.”
“The worst part is,” Daniel added, “he wasn’t even that young when it happened. I think he was in seventh grade.”
The three of them burst into laughter at their brother’s expense. Angela even had to stifle a few giggles herself.
“I’ll have to fact-check that one with Clive,” she said.
“No way he admits to it,” Matthew said. “His PR team has lectured him on getting too personal with reporters.”
Angela’s face felt warm. “I completely forgot you’re on his PR team,” she said to Matthew. If only he knew just how personal they were getting after working hours. “Does that mean there are more stories that you won’t tell me?”
Daniel took the bait. “Come with me,” he said, taking Angela by the hand. “We’ll get a drink and some snacks and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Daniel led her to a small table on the side of the ballroom. He waved a caterer over and asked for a few cocktails and a platter of hors d’oeuvres.
“Can you tell me a little bit about your relationship with Clive. I’ve been told you’re pretty close, but I can imagine that it’s not easy to run competing businesses.”
“It’s not, but as you probably know, I got into the business before Clive ever did. In fact, he interned at my business right before I took it over. People always think it’s so funny that we head different pharmaceutical companies, but it’s not really that coincidental. Clive got into the business because I was in the business. He’s too stubborn to work for me, so he had to start out at a different company. Then, he persuaded the other two to work for him.”
“Do you wish your younger brothers worked for you?”
“Honestly, not really. James would be an asset if he ever tried, but he’s not as ambitious at Clive and me. Matt doesn’t even want to be in the business, but he’s giving it a try as a courtesy to our mother. He’s a pretty talented musician, but you’ve got to have a day job too.”
“How does it feel when Clive has a better financial quarter than you?”
Daniel suppressed a grimace. “It’s not great, but it definitely pushes me to try harder. I think our businesses are so successful because of each other, not despite each other.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me about Clive? I’m very good about protecting my sources if that’s something you’re concerned about,” Angela said carefully. While she liked Clive, she also liked securing her spot at the paper.
“I see,” he smirked. “You want me to spill the beans on my younger brother. You must be looking for something that paints a not so flattering picture of Clive.”
“Not necessarily,” she said quickly. “I just want to get the full story.”
“Do you find him charming?” he asked.
“What?” Angela blushed. “I mean, I guess a little, maybe.” She was feeling flustered and took a sip of her fancy cocktail to regroup.
&nbs
p; “It’s funny that women think that. You know he doesn’t have a very good track record with women.”
“No?”
“Nope,” he said, putting his arm around Angela. In any other circumstance, she would have shaken him off, but she was too curious to disrupt the conversation. “The guy’s probably only had a handful of girlfriends in his whole life.”
“But I’ve seen photos of him out on dates with women before.”
“Sure, but have you seen many of him on a second or third date? He’s too picky for his own good. He’ll go out with a gorgeous model and never call her back. We’ll ask him why, and he’ll say that they weren’t a right match.”
“You don’t think it’s possible that he’s waiting around for the right person?” she asked hopefully.
“I don’t think there is a right person for him. He puts on a good show at these events, but I wonder if he’s just turning the charm on and off when he feels like it's necessary. Either he’s too picky with women, or he can’t get them to stick around. Maybe both.”
Angela bit her lip. If Daniel was right about this and not just trying to make his brother look bad, then she didn’t know what to think. Clive was absolutely charming, so it was confusing to hear that he wasn’t so lucky in love. He seemed to like Angela, who was not a supermodel, and not even close to being part of the upper class. She wondered if there was something going on that she didn’t know. She had essentially been on a few “dates” with Clive after knowing him for a week, so maybe she was doing something right.
“How’s your love life?” Angela asked slyly.
Daniel pulled her a little closer. “Pretty good,” he said. “Why, do you want to go out on a date with me sometime?”
Angela giggled at his corniness as Clive approached the table.
“I was looking for you,” he said to Angela. “I hope Daniel isn’t bothering you.”
“It’s fine,” she said, shaking her head slightly. If Daniel was a bit touchy, it didn’t bother her.
“Isn’t Arianna here?” Clive asked him.
“Who’s Arianna?” Angela asked.
“Just a girl he was seeing. I assumed she came here for Daniel.”
“Is she?” he asked, sitting up straighter. “I better go find her.” Daniel stood up and walked purposely across the floor.
“She’s actually not even here,” Clive said, picking up Angela’s notebook and shoving it into her bag. “I just wanted to get him off you.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s something I wanted to tell you before I get sidetracked again and you leave the party.”
“What’s that?”
“Come with me.”
She followed him as he made his way out to the lobby of the hotel and into an elevator, smiling at guests the whole way. He pressed a button and they rose to the top floor. Before the doors opened, he pulled the emergency stop. He slipped out of his tuxedo jacket and placed it over the security camera.”
“What are you doing?” Angela asked. “I thought you said you had something to tell me.”
“I do,” he said, running his hands through her soft curls. “I wanted to tell you that you look absolutely stunning and I want to do all sorts of things to you.”
Angela sensed his urgency and found it extremely arousing. They kissed, pressing their bodies into each other, feeling the deep desire they shared for each other. She knew they didn’t have much time before someone came looking for them, which made things even hotter.
Clive reached up through the long slit in her dress and pulled her panties down to her ankles. She kicked them into the corner of the hotel elevator. Then, Angela undid his pants, letting his slacks fall past his knees.
He pressed her body up against the elevator wall, lifting her slightly off the ground. Angela grasped his biceps as he entered her, sending a wave of pleasure through her body. She tried her best to muffle her moans of ecstasy so they wouldn’t get caught. They were both so in the moment that neither of them noticed that they knocked Clive’s coat onto the floor until he nearly slipped on it.
“That was absolutely worth leaving the party for,” Clive said as he zipped up his pants and put his jacket back on.
“Absolutely,” Angela said, sliding her panties back on. She combed her fingers through his hair and straightened his bowtie.
“How do I look?” he asked.
“Incredible.”
He pulled the elevator brake and they made their descent back toward the party. Clive tucked a strand of hair behind Angela’s ear and wiped her smudged makeup with his thumb. Then, they stood in silence as he smiled tenderly at her.
If Daniel was right about Clive’s charm being an act, then he was extremely skilled at it. Angela felt the tension of unsaid words between them.
“Hey,” she said, stopping him in the hallway before he reentered the party. “I need to tell you something.”
“What?” he asked.
“I have all the information I need and I’m going to finish writing my story tomorrow. I don’t need to do any more interviews with you.”
“Oh,” he said, blinking. “What does that mean for us? Is this it?”
Angela bit her lip. “I don’t know. I really like you, but I don’t know how we’d make this work. We’re from two separate worlds.”
“This sucks,” he said flatly. “I really like you too. I haven’t liked anyone this much in a long time.”
“But do you think there’s any way we could do this for real? I’m trying to start a new career, and you’re busy with yours. You want to go to charity events and I want to stay at home in my sweats and write. How do we explain this to our friends and family without them judging us?”
“You’re right,” he said. “I don’t know how to make this work.”
“The tabloids would have a field day if they knew you were with someone like me. I’d probably get hounded by the press for being a gold digger and you’d be mocked for trying to My Fair Lady me.”
“What if we met up at your place? We were fine when we had dinner that one night.”
“For how long? Do we hide in the shadows for weeks? Months? What about when my parents ask me if I have a boyfriend? What do I say to that?”
He dragged his hands down his face. “I don’t know. I just don’t want to lose you.”
“I know,” she said sadly. “But I don’t want to make things harder for us in the long run.”
“I don’t care,” Clive said, placing his hand on her waist. “Can we at least try to make it work, even just for a while?”
She nodded. “Yeah, let’s try it. What’s the worst that can happen?”
“It blows up in our faces and ruins us for all other people,” he joked.
“Do you think you can make it worth my while?” she flirted.
“We can meet up in different elevators around town,” he grinned.
Angela smiled back at him. “I have to go now, but call me if you ever want to hang out.”
“Thanks for coming tonight,” he said, taking her hand in his. “Let me get you a cab.”
“I’m okay,” she said. “It’s not that far from here. I can walk.”
“Absolutely not,” he said. “Do you have any idea how much that dress costs?”
“Not really,” she admitted.
“Come on.”
She followed him outside where he waved a car over. Clive gave her a quick kiss on the head before handing cash over to the driver. She playfully rolled her eyes at him as she drove away.
Angela had a smile on her face, but a sinking feeling in her stomach. She was afraid that their good intentions wouldn’t be enough to make it work. There was nothing for her to do until he called her. Until then, she would have to put her full focus into her work.
Chapter 11
After a couple of hours of sleep, Angela dragged herself out of bed to go into the office. She’d told herself that she would take the whole day to perfect her final story, but once she’d gotten hom
e, she poured herself into her work. She smiled to herself as she recalled the stories from Clive’s childhood, portraying him as a tough guy on the outside, but a sensitive person on the inside. He was a bit of a know-it-all but had earned his arrogance.
Maybe she did look like hell, but Angela was going to be able to hand her complete series into her editor at the New York Times. This was perhaps the most important day of her life. If her editor liked it, she would be set for a long time. At the very least, she would get paid.
At seven-thirty, Angela grabbed her bag and tucked her flash drive into her pocket before leaving for work. She stopped for a strong, black coffee on the way so she could keep her eyes open while talking to Constance.
It wasn’t like she spent the entire night writing either—she reached her word limit within a few hours after arriving home from the event. Angela was tucked into bed by two, but she just couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t stop thinking about Clive. If those moments in the elevator were to be their last, she wanted to preserve the memories as well as she could. She replayed the scene repeatedly in her head until it was burned into her memory.
“Angela,” Constance greeted her as she walked past her office, “can you join me in here?”
Angela walked in, ready to learn of her fate at the New York Times. She felt ill and wished she had gotten something to eat. It was too warm in the office and she had slept so little. She dropped into a chair, ready to make her case for a permanent job if necessary.
“I read your final article and I must say, I’m very impressed,” Constance said.
“Really?” Angela asked.
“I’m honestly floored that you managed to get that much out of him,” she continued. “I feel bad even saying this, but when we hired you, it was a bit of a suicide mission.”
“What do you mean?”
“We didn’t want to put any of our regular writers on the job because we were fairly certain that a series on Clive Davis would be an impossible task. We still wanted someone to come in and do a good job, but we wanted someone who wouldn’t make a difference if they stayed on or not to write it.”
One Night With The Tycoon (Billionaire's One Night #1) Page 7