“No. I don’t know,” Julie said. “Maybe you can explain why your plan reviewer didn’t notice that before approving the plans.” Julie didn’t like to play the blame game, but if he was going to fill his voice with judgment about her capabilities, she would do the same.
The smirk disappeared from the inspector’s face. “All I’m saying is the building needs sprinklers installed. If you’re thinking about calling downtown to complain and get my boss to override this, save your breath. I’m calling to let him know, and I’m not signing off until I see sprinklers installed.”
Julie’s shoulders straightened. “I’m not calling downtown to complain. I follow the building codes on all my projects.”
The guy grunted as if he didn’t believe her. He tore off a carbon copy of his inspection and held it out to Julie. “Call me when the sprinklers are in.” He looked to the contractor. “And don’t think about closing up that ceiling beforehand. I’ll get you to tear it out to prove you installed the system.”
Sheila bucked up. “Do you know who’s behind this project?”
“A celebrity is behind every project in this town,” the inspector said. “That doesn’t mean I’m cutting corners.” He glanced at Julie. “No matter how close you are to Dante Wilson.”
Julie glared. “My professional relationship with Dante has nothing to do with how well I do this job. We’ll get the sprinklers installed.”
The inspector’s doubtful gaze flicked over Julie. He grunted, then turned and stomped out the door. His look annoyed her more than the issue with the sprinklers. She’d spent one day in Dante’s arms, one day that no one should know about. Well, there was the cleaning crew. How many of the stories about celebrities originated with their staff? For all she knew, everyone knew that she’d spent the day having sex with Dante, annoying building inspectors included.
Julie swung back to Sheila. “Seriously? You didn’t think to bring up that we needed to install sprinklers?”
“It’s a renovation. I didn’t think the code called for it. Besides, do you know how much money that’ll cost?”
“I don’t care. Do you know how many people will die if a fire breaks out and we don’t have sprinklers? What type of scandal that will put on Dante’s name?”
Sheila raised her hands. “Fine. I’m on it.”
Julie gritted her teeth to keep from strangling the woman. She ignored the headache that started after the inspector left and focused on figuring out her next step. She wanted to put the entire blame on Sheila and the architect, but honestly, she hadn’t paid nearly enough attention to the project, thanks to her preoccupation with Dante. First, the trips to his studio, followed by sleeping with him over the weekend.
She didn’t regret sleeping with Dante, not really. After what almost happened with Carlos, she’d needed to, but something inside her heart had shifted when they’d made love. The mixture of hero worship for him beating the crap out of Carlos and lust from a fantastic day of sex put her very close to losing her heart. She needed space. Time to stop being distracted by Dante’s dream and focus on hers before she got more looks like the inspector had given her.
Julie spent the rest of the afternoon going over the last few inspection reports and was surprised to find that this wasn’t the first mention of the sprinklers. She also noted other instances where the inspector pointed out other small ways that Sheila had tried to get over on certain code requirements. By the time Julie left for the day, she’d fired Sheila and called Orlando to see if he could complete the job. He’d taken another project but would be able to send one of his crews to work for her in a few weeks.
Even though she needed to keep as much distance between her and Dante as possible, she went to his studio at the end of the day. She hated to report that she’d let something so major go unnoticed, but she didn’t back away from admitting when she messed up. He needed to know Sheila was out and Orlando was taking over.
She entered the studio to find Dante and S.A.F. working on new music. The melodic sound of his voice combined with their music soothed her ragged emotions. They finished the song, and Dante immediately turned to her. The smile on his face seemed forced compared with the easy grin he’d worn while they practiced. He lifted his chin in a quick acknowledgment of her presence and looked away.
A dull pain spread through her gut. You’re right, just a little fun—his words, and his agreement to what she had said. She couldn’t feel hurt because he didn’t seem happy to see her. He’d sampled the girl; the novelty had worn off.
“Let’s take a few minutes, guys,” he said and came over to her. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
The question hurt. He’d never asked before—further proof he hadn’t been moved by what happened between them. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”
“Sure, let’s go next door.” He pulled her out of the room and led her into the office across the hall. Her gaze drifted to the desk. Her mind visualized what they would have looked like the last time they were in that room together, when he’d sat her on top, kissed her and made her body yearn for more.
Tearing her eyes from the desk, she looked to Dante. He didn’t meet her gaze. He sat on the edge of the desk, his brows drawn together and a pensive look on his face. It was the look of a guy who didn’t want to have the weird, where-do-we-go-from-here conversation after sex. He probably thought she’d brought him in here to have a heart-to-heart about what had happened the other day.
Julie straightened her shoulders and tried to give him an I’m-cool smile. Never act weird the day after sex. Keep things the way they were before. Rules she’d strictly followed to prevent a guy from thinking she was getting attached.
“Look, don’t get weird about what happened the other day,” she said. “We both know that was just us blowing off some steam from the attraction that brewed from the moment we met. It’s no big deal. We got what we wanted, and now we can work together like professionals.”
Dante’s pensive expression changed. His brows drew together and his eyes narrowed. Crossing his arms, he leaned forward. “I wasn’t going to get weird about what happened. Why would you think I am?”
“You’re avoiding eye contact, asking why I’m here. I just want to talk to you about the nightclub. Not, you know, rehash what happened. I’ve already moved on.”
His mouth had opened before Julie finished speaking, but it snapped shut with her last remark. He took a deep breath. “You’ve moved on?”
“Of course. Haven’t you?”
Dante scratched his chin, then ran a hand over his head. “Yeah. It’s not like something magical happened.”
She couldn’t tell by his tone if he was mocking her or was upset. Regardless, it caused a knot in her chest. “Right. I just want you to know that I’m not expecting more.”
He nodded as a line formed between his brows. “Neither was I.”
They stared at each other. The silence grew to an awkward pause. Frustration and anger clenched her midsection. Did he have to sound so blasé about the entire thing?
“What did you want to talk about?” The frown on his face cleared, and he uncrossed his arms to rest his hands on the desk.
“I fired Sheila and hired Orlando today. She cut corners and was trying to get by without meeting all the codes. We almost got in trouble today with the building inspector, but I made it clear that things will be back on track. I’d hoped by the end of the week, but Orlando can’t take over the job immediately.”
“You did all that without talking to me first?”
“Did you want to keep a crappy contractor on the job?”
“What happened?”
“They haven’t installed sprinklers. Sheila says it’s because the architect didn’t put them on the plans. I don’t know how they were approved without that, but it really doesn’t matter. We need them and can’t move forward until
they’re installed.”
“How much will this delay the opening?”
“Orlando won’t be able to start for another three weeks. I know I made a big decision without talking to you or Ray, but I didn’t trust Sheila to finish the job without additional issues.”
He nodded, then shrugged. “It sounds like you’ve got things handled.”
“Are you upset?”
He shook his head. “I have no doubt about your abilities. If you think firing Sheila is for the best then I’ll trust you.” He frowned and rubbed his temples. “Three-week delay. I guess I can live with that.”
“I’ll see if Orlando knows someone who can at least get the sprinklers installed before he takes over.”
Dante nodded. “Do that. Maybe it’ll keep us on time. Is that all you wanted to talk about?”
He sounded like he expected her to say something else. There was plenty more she wanted to say. Why did he so readily agree that the other day meant nothing? Had he really not felt something magical between them? God, don’t be silly, Julie. The guy slept with supermodel twins regularly. Of course, an afternoon of sex with her wouldn’t be life changing.
“That’s it. Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?” She hoped he didn’t notice the expectancy in her voice.
“Actually, there is. I thought you would have read the blog post by now.”
“What blog post?”
He pulled out his phone, and, after a few swipes of the screen, he handed it to her. “This one.”
Julie scanned the blog. Her muscles tightened with each word. No wonder the inspector doubted her competency. He didn’t expect her to know a thing about getting the club opened correctly as long as she got publicity and the chance to warm Dante Wilson’s bed.
Her head snapped up. “Are you going to correct them?”
“I’ve already released my statement about what happened. This is a really bad twisting of events for entertainment value. Regardless of what I say, reporters and bloggers will choose their own angle. I’m not going to say anything else.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because fighting with Gary about his article will cause more harm than good. Coming to your defense will make it look like something’s going on between us and support their accusations.”
Something was going between them, but she refused to say that. “So you’re going to let them think that I’m only here because I’m sleeping with you.”
“We both know that’s not true. Once you get the club opened, everyone will see that you did a great job and that it had nothing to do with our...situation.”
Situation? “Fine. Do what you want.” She spun on her heel and marched to the door.
Her hand touched the knob, and Dante’s hand slammed into the door, preventing her from opening it. “Julie.”
She took a deep breath, but instead of calming her frayed nerves, she breathed in Dante’s masculine cologne. Her mind swam with memories of being wrapped up in nothing but his arms, his scent. Awareness buzzed in her midsection. “What?”
“It’s killing me to not say anything.”
“I’m sure it is, Dante.”
He pressed closer, the heat of his body burning into her skin. “Julie, I’m furious about the way he glossed over what happened to you. Staying quiet will let this blow over faster.”
She turned and faced him. He stood so close to her that her head fell back to meet his eye. “So you can get back to focusing on your music.”
“No, so we don’t have the media combing through your past and trying to find further justification to malign your character. I won’t have them dragging your name through the mud and victim blaming you when Carlos is the one who should be ripped to shreds. Letting these rumors fade into the sunset is the best way to keep your name out of the media’s spotlight. He’s going to jail for what he did. And I’ve already taken steps to make sure Carlos never works in this business again when he’s released. This is my fault. All of it, starting with trusting Carlos.”
His voice vibrated with frustration and anger. Her shoulders slowly relaxed. Dante was right; another statement from him would look like he was trying too hard to justify partnering with her and would only backfire. Thanks to his decision to call the police and his doctor, if convicted, Carlos could go to jail for at least ten years. By the time the club opened, this would be a distant story in Hollywood’s fleeting memory. When the club was successful, regardless of the rumors, it would go a long way to show she could handle opening larger projects.
“I don’t like it, but I get it. This isn’t your fault. Not really.”
“I still feel terrible. I don’t want to give anyone else reason to make light of what happened.” He brought his hand up to the side of her face. “You’re too special for that.”
Her lips parted, and a soft sigh escaped her. Her heart turned mushy for him all over again. Julie shifted so that his hand fell away.
“So, I guess I can’t touch you now?” His smile was easy, but his voice was tight.
Julie wished the door was open so she could step back or that Dante would move away and she could escape the seductive cocoon of his presence.
“Dante, my reputation as a developer is the most important thing to me. After I left Nexon-Jones, rumors started that I had to sleep with clients to get where I am, add to that the disaster of my relationship with Antwan after opening his nightclub, and automatically people doubt my ability to grow so fast so quickly on my own merits. This job was supposed to help Dominant Development, not hurt it.”
“Don’t use your business and the assumptions of other people as a reason to ignore what we both feel.”
“Not hard to ignore something that isn’t magical, right?” she threw back.
“What the hell am I supposed to say, Julie? You come in here claiming to have moved on. You haven’t reached out to me since walking out of my place, then tell me not to get weird. Am I really supposed to admit that not only did the other day mean something to me, but that I want a whole lot more of you?”
Julie’s mouth opened and closed, one hand pressed into her stomach, the other pushed against the door behind her. Words wouldn’t come.
“Don’t say we can’t or we shouldn’t be together because of the chance of rumors. Everything that I do causes rumors. That’s a weak excuse.”
Her eyes snapped to his. “No, it is not.”
“Yes, it is, especially when you’re using it as a barrier to ignore what’s happening between us. I never took you for a coward, Julie.”
Her chin lifted. “I’m not a coward.”
“Then don’t run from me now.”
Dante lowered his head. His warm lips brushed hers before pushing forward, demanding more. Her lips parted, and her hands cupped his face, drawing him closer. Dante’s hard body molded to hers. The kiss, deep, challenging, stealing her breath and her thoughts, tore through her instincts to do exactly what he accused her of trying to do—run far and fast before she was trapped and wouldn’t be able to protect her heart.
Dante lifted her leg, settling his hips better between her thighs, and thrust his growing erection into her. Moaning low and deep, Julie’s hips rolled forward.
A strong hand pulled her blouse from her pants, then slid up her side to cup her breast. His thumb rubbed her turgid nipple. “Don’t run from this, Julie.” His voice was a dark, husky whisper.
Julie popped open the button of his pants and jerked down the zipper. “Who’s running?”
Dante’s sexy grin sent thrills through her body. He kissed her again, and Julie gave in to the pleasure. Tomorrow she’d figure out her next move. Tonight she was no one’s coward.
Chapter 16
Then she ran.
For the next few weeks, Julie made herself unavailable to Dante
, except on her terms. She may not be a coward, but she also wasn’t stupid. Her body wanted Dante, but her heart wanted in on the deal. She had to use her mind and be strategic about things. This meant focusing on getting the club opened during the day, not going to the studio every night, not coming over when he called and only having sex with him on her schedule once per week.
The only reason she’d come to his house in the middle of a weekday today was because he’d said he needed to discuss the opening. With her renewed efforts to personally double-check the work of the sprinkler installer Orlando had recommended, they were almost back on schedule, and she needed to give Dante an update. Though she didn’t push away the thought that the invite could just be his way of trying to get her in his company. Dante hadn’t shown signs of noticing how she was subtly handling their hookups, and if he did notice, he didn’t seem to care.
Her hand hovered over the bell, but the sound of a car pulling up in the long drive behind her caught her attention. Turning, she watched Raymond park his black Ferrari next to her rental. He got out, and her smile widened.
“When did you get back?”
Raymond hurried over; his black pants and white T-shirt looked wrinkled while his gold chain flashed in the California sun. When he reached her, he pulled her into a hug. “I just got off the plane. Dante had told me you were coming over here when I couldn’t reach you on the phone.” After releasing her, he pulled back and scanned her from head to toe. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. You’re right on time. Dante wants to talk to me about the upcoming opening, and I need to give him an update on the progress of the club.” She turned and rang the bell.
“Apparently so,” Raymond said in a weird tone of voice.
The door opened before Julie could ask what was up with that. The same housekeeper who’d greeted her when she’d woken up in Dante’s bed and wandered downstairs answered.
“Come on in,” she said. “Dante received a call after buzzing you through the gate. He asked that you wait by the pool. I’ll bring out some refreshments.”
A Malibu Kind of Romance Page 12