by Joanna Shupe
“Cora—” she started.
“No, I’m fine. It’s fine,” her cousin obviously lied. “I can understand why you eloped. You’ve always been the brave one, the one smart enough to make decisions for herself.”
“Not exactly smart. Stupid, eloping with a man I hardly knew. And see how that turned out.”
* * *
Calvin liked to think he learned from his mistakes.
Instead of visiting Lee’s establishment on Pell Street that afternoon, he requested an audience with him at Kwan’s restaurant. At least the risk of poisoning would be reduced there.
He arrived at Kwan’s early. The familiar smells of oil, spices, and fish welcomed him, the noise of the door echoing in the empty space. No diners had been permitted to enter yet so there would be necessary privacy for the meeting. Lee would not appreciate the news Calvin was about to deliver.
“Mr. Cabot.” Kwan emerged through the curtain from the kitchens. His face showed concern, deep shadows highlighting the hollows under his cheekbones. “Everything is as you asked.”
Calvin bowed in gratitude. “Thank you. If you’d rather not stay, I understand.”
Kwan appeared offended at the suggestion. “Of course I’ll stay. You should not face Lee alone.”
“I’m not alone. Hugo is outside.”
“Outside is not inside. Lee is not to be trusted, my friend.”
As Calvin well knew from their last encounter. “Even still, I would not have you risk yourself or your family. But I appreciate your willingness to help, considering your relationship with Lee.”
“I’m always happy to help you. We have known each other many years, and you have been very good to me and my family.”
“Well, don’t say your good-byes just yet. I don’t plan on dying today.”
“Sometimes that decision is out of our control. The universe works of its own accord. Wu wei.”
Wu wei, a Taoist belief, loosely translated as “without effort.” Taoists believed that if a person tried to work against the universe, harmony would be disrupted.
“The universe will need to pick another day, then, wu wei or not.”
Kwan shook his head, smiling. “Infidel. You should sit. It’s almost time. I will wait by the door.”
Calvin strode to a small round table and selected a chair against the wall. He could face the room this way and avoid any surprises from behind. They didn’t have long to wait. Lee was punctual, arriving at the agreed-upon time.
Kwan held the door open for Lee, who entered along with two of his men. “Mr. Lee, welcome,” he said in Cantonese.
“You should choose your friends more carefully,” Lee returned. “If you did, perhaps your restaurant would not be empty more nights than not.”
Lee was sabotaging Kwan’s business? Calvin hadn’t known. Lee must be stepping up his efforts to force Kwan into joining the Tong. Calvin would need to speak with Kwan, offer to help in some way. The restaurant was Kwan’s life, his entire foundation. If it crumbled, who knew what would happen to his friend?
Lee turned to Calvin with a smile that did not reach his eyes. “Mr. Cabot,” he said in English, walking to the table. His two men followed closely behind.
Calvin came to his feet and bowed. “Thank you for meeting me. Your men, however, need to remain outside.”
Lee halted abruptly, his head cocked as he studied Calvin. Likely weighing the possible reasons for the request. Calvin held up his hands. “I mean you no harm. As you can see, I am alone.”
After a long pause Lee ordered his men to wait outside, then selected the chair across from Calvin. “You have news for me?”
“Indeed, I have two things for you. If you haven’t already heard, news of my former marriage has been printed in today’s Mercury. You’ll not be able to hold that information over me or Lillian Davies ever again.”
Lee gave no outward reaction, so Calvin assumed Lee had already learned of this. “And the second piece of news?”
“I’ve found your daughter.”
Lee leaned in, his expression tight and hard, as if carved out of granite. “Where is she? With Davies?”
“No. Tom Davies does not have any interest in your daughter. He was sailing in Boston. And where I found her is not as important as what I require to return her.”
The impact of those words rocked Lee back in his chair. He lifted his arm and stroked his beard, all the while staring across the table coldly. The atmosphere in the room had turned decidedly unfriendly, and Calvin experienced a measure of satisfaction that he’d caught Lee by surprise.
“You are playing a dangerous game.” Lee’s dark brows lowered. “One that will not end well for you.”
“Wrong,” Calvin said. “You will do as I ask. When my wife has been brought to New York I will return your daughter.”
“Perhaps I will find my daughter on my own.”
Calvin couldn’t help but chuckle. “You may try, but you won’t succeed. My advice would be to bring Shin-yee to New York as soon as possible. Then I’ll return Ming Zhu. She’ll remain unharmed in my care.”
“She has dishonored me and my family. What makes you think I even want her returned? Perhaps I shall tell you to keep her.”
A girl of Ming Zhu’s status would be married off to someone of Lee’s choosing. Calvin wouldn’t allow that to happen. He had no plans to return her—unless the girl changed her mind and asked to go back to her family. “That is certainly your choice,” Calvin said easily, “yet I think you’ve already agreed to a marriage. I think that’s why you are so desperate to get her home.”
Lee’s eyes flashed and Calvin knew he’d scored a hit. “Who is it?” he asked. “To whom have you promised her?”
“That is none of your concern.” Lee rose abruptly. “You should worry about keeping those around you safe, Mr. Cabot. If something happens to my daughter, I will find ways to enact retribution on all you care about.”
The threat was no less than Calvin expected. He stood. “Do we have a deal?”
Instead of speaking, Lee bowed, turned on his heel, and left.
Chapter Fourteen
Lily stepped into the entryway of her home, the familiar smell of gardenias instantly soothing some of her irritation. The dratted newspaper article haunted her. As expected, the news of her marriage and annulment to the legendary Calvin Cabot had rippled down Fifth Avenue, a tawdry ribbon of scandal that no receiving room could resist unwinding.
Lily had refused to hide out in the mansion like a coward. For two days, she and Monty had crisscrossed the city—balls, teas, soirees, the opera—for Lily to be seen. Moreover, she’d attended a board of directors’ meeting earlier that day, with a group of old men incapable of comprehending how Warren Davies had allowed his only daughter to elope with a newspaper reporter. All that judgment left her exhausted.
Bailey took her cape. “Shall I send up your maid, miss?”
“Yes, please. The sooner I’m free of this dress, the sooner I can go to bed and put this awful day behind me.”
He dipped his chin and departed, leaving her free to ascend the long, winding staircase. Their house had been built to her father’s specifications and Warren Davies had done nothing in small doses. Only two houses on Fifth Avenue were larger: the Cavanaugh mansion and Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s home. While Lily loved this place, the square footage was simply more than she and Monty needed. Monty had suggested moving into something smaller, where she wouldn’t feel so alone. She supposed a cozy, inviting home would be better for raising a family. Soon, she thought. When Tom began to oversee the business, she could focus on Monty and their future together.
He has no substance. He’s as deep as weak tea. All the parties and traveling? He’ll bore you to tears.
She ignored that lingering voice in her head and entered her rooms, where she removed her satin gloves and tossed them onto the bed. A noise from her dressing room caught her attention. Her maid must have been waiting for her. “Colleen, help me out of this
dress, will you?”
“I’m not Colleen,” a deep voice said an instant before a familiar figure filled the doorway. “But I’ll do my best, hardship though it may be.” Calvin’s bright blue gaze burned as it dragged down Lily’s form, causing tiny shivers to spread all over her body.
The reaction annoyed her. “What are you doing here?” she hissed. “Who let you in?”
“That’s a secret.” He stepped into the bedroom, shut the dressing room door, and locked it behind him.
As he started for the hall door, Lily said, “Calvin, you need to go. It’s after one o’clock in the morning and I’m tired.” Instead of listening, he turned that lock as well. Lily’s breathing turned erratic, as if her lungs had forgotten what to do.
Purposeful, measured steps brought him closer, the look on his face one of predatory anticipation. Brows drawn low, his jaw set in determination, he licked his lips . . . and desire wound through her belly, over her breasts, along her skin. “I won’t stay long,” he said. “Merely needed to talk and then I’ll be on my way.”
He kept coming, not stopping until they were no more than two inches apart. She could see the dark stubble on his face, long lashes that framed eyes filled with mischief. A wicked spark danced in his blue depths, the one that never failed to turn her boneless with lust.
She swallowed and tried to ignore the fluttering in her chest. “What did you want to say?”
He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. The skin flamed under his touch. “I’ve forgotten.”
“Liar. Instead of your head, you’re thinking with your . . . you know.”
Unholy amusement lit his eyes. “No, I don’t know. Tell me, Lily. What am I thinking with? My femur? My tibia? My clavicle, perhaps?”
“You are forever trying to embarrass me.” She heaved out a sigh. “Your prick, Calvin. You’re thinking with your prick.” There, she’d said it.
“God, hearing that word on your lips makes me even harder. Say it again.”
She tried to step away. “I won’t. You’re acting like a child.”
He gripped her arm and moved in. “I just like to see you blush,” he admitted, his lips near her ear. Closing her eyes, she breathed him in, the smell of wool and spice filling her nostrils. Her nipples ached behind her corset and underclothing, heat building between her legs. Was she so wanton, so easily swayed?
“Calvin, this is a terrible idea.”
The tip of his nose slid across her cheek, his hot breath fanning her skin, until his mouth hovered near the edge of her lips. “It’s the best idea I’ve had today—and that’s a remarkable feat, considering my brilliance.”
The stress of her day lifted from her shoulders. She grinned and felt herself lean in to him. “You are the most arrogant man.”
“And you are the most stubborn woman.” His palms drifted over her shoulders and glided to the bare skin of her neck. “Kiss me, Lily my love.”
The familiar nickname, the longing in the command, memories from the other night . . . whatever the reason, Lily’s resolve melted like an ice sculpture at the end of a ball. She couldn’t pretend the attraction to him died out with their marriage. Without hesitation, she quickly pressed her mouth to his, and was rewarded when strong fingers wrapped around her hips, jerking her against him. Her front slammed into his chest, while his tongue speared past her lips and thrust deep in her mouth, the taste of him filling her head.
She rose up on her toes and draped her arms over his shoulders, threading her fingers through his silky hair. He growled, then ground his erection into her, his tongue continuing to lick and stroke. Blood collected between her legs to create a steady beat, an ache that had her rubbing against him. Every cell, every hair, every piece of her strained to get closer, create friction. Gain release.
She slithered her hand between them and raked her nails along his shaft through his trousers, just as he’d once taught her. He broke off and inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. “Jesus, Lily,” he panted. “Don’t tease me.”
“Not teasing.” Her fingers started unfastening his waistband, trying to reach his bare skin. “And stop talking. Hurry, Calvin.”
He clasped her buttocks in his hands, then lifted her, dropping her flat on the bed. She landed with a thump, legs dangling over the side of the mattress, her bustle crumpling beneath her.
Calvin attacked her skirts, flicking the layers of silk and cotton with his fingers, pushing everything higher to bare her drawers. She spread her legs and Calvin quickly stepped between them, his beautiful face intently concentrating on the slit in her underclothing. “Fuck, you are gorgeous,” he murmured, his hands rapidly dealing with the buttons of his trousers and combination. His erection sprang free and he grabbed her hips, yanking her toward the edge of the bed. He pushed her knees toward her chest, baring the heart of her to his hungry gaze, and notched the head of his erection at her entrance. The wetness eased his way and he drove down steadily, the delicious stretch causing Lily’s back to bow.
A knock sounded at the door an instant before someone tried the knob. Calvin froze, his hooded eyes finding hers. The lock held, however, preventing the person in the hall from entering. “Miss?” Another knock. “Miss, are you in there?”
Lily’s maid, Colleen. Calvin began to move, his hips rocking, the wide head of his penis dragging over her sensitive tissues. She bit her lip, trying not to moan. Taking a deep breath, she called, “I’m fine, Colleen. I’ve undressed myself.” Calvin’s thumb pressed the knot of nerves at the apex of her sex, rolling it, and Lily gasped.
“Miss, are you all right?” Colleen asked from the other side of the door.
Lily reached for his arm, trying to gain a reprieve from the torture. “Fine. Just tired. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“If you need anything, miss, just ring. Good night.”
“Good”—Calvin rammed into her with such force that the bed frame shook—“night!” Lily squeaked.
She had no breath with which to admonish him. He’d stolen it by picking up the pace, his hips churning hard and fast, their bodies climbing higher. Racing toward the peak. Lily could feel it, the intense burn starting at her toes, causing her muscles to clench. “Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted and Calvin’s thumb found her clitoris once more. A handful of swipes with the rough pad threw her over the peak. Her limbs seized, the overwhelming pleasure turning the world a sparkly white. She opened her mouth to scream—and Calvin folded over her and sealed his lips to hers, catching the sound. Her body trembled, the walls of her core clenching around him, sensation crashing over her.
She stopped shaking just as Calvin threw his head back, his hips stuttering. Quickly, he withdrew and used his hand to spill in the layers of her clothing, spend shooting from the head of his erection. A long groan tore from his throat, the tendons in his neck standing out in sharp relief. Then he sagged and braced his arms on the bed, chest heaving, while Lily attempted to realign her wits.
“Christ, you are amazing.” Calvin slowly unrolled, straightening, before tucking himself back into his clothing. “I swear, I only came to talk tonight, but this was a welcome surprise.”
He stepped away, and anger rose swiftly to replace Lily’s languor. Was he suggesting she had seduced him, like some siren or Tenderloin hussy? Indeed, she’d tried to resist him. Had even told him to go. Leave it to Calvin to twist the truth into his own version of events. It’s what he did for a living, after all.
Her eyes closed as the reality of what had happened swept over her. She’d succumbed to the wily devil. Again. The failure of her willpower, her lack of grit and determination, depressed her. She was not weak, a woman who simpered and fainted at a man’s feet, so what was it about Calvin that continued to turn her life inside out?
He returned with a cloth and began dabbing her skirts. Lily sat up and snatched it out of his hand. “Stop. I’ll do that.”
Putting his hands on his hips, he scowled down at her. “You’re angry? After that orgasm?”
> * * *
Would he ever understand this woman?
One minute, she was panting, pulling him closer and whispering her deepest, darkest desires in his ear. The next, she was staring at him as if he’d stepped in horse shit and trampled all over her fancy carpets.
He straightened his clothing and smoothed his hair while she cleaned up. The aftershocks of pleasure still skated along his blood, an all-encompassing euphoria he longed to hold on to. A dashed shame he couldn’t drag her onto the mattress, wrap her in his arms, and sleep for nine or ten hours. He missed sleeping with Lily, just sleeping. Hearing her noises and having her cold feet find his in the night. Tired limbs he could fold any which way come morning, her body lax and soft and ready to be pleasured again. His cock stirred once more....
Jesus, merely thinking about it made him hard.
She threw the cloth in the direction of the bathing room. “Why did you break into my home?”
“I didn’t break in. There was an open window downstairs.” In fact, it had been all too easy. Someone should inform Davies he needed to better fortify this house.
“Semantics, Calvin. You were not invited, yet here you are. Why?”
Her gaze was cold and flat, with none of the seductive incandescence of before. Thrusting his hands in his pockets, he studied his shoes, which he hadn’t even had time to remove before diving beneath her skirts. No wonder she loathed him. “I’m sorry. I’ve handled this badly.”
His apology seemed to surprise her. Her shoulders relaxed somewhat, a small amount of her ire deflating, perhaps. “You said you needed to talk to me.”
“I do.” He leaned against the bedpost and crossed his feet. “I went to see Lee, told him that your brother didn’t have his daughter. He was reluctant to believe me.”
“Goodness, I can’t imagine why,” she muttered. “You’re always so truthful with everyone.”
He clenched his jaw, wishing her sarcasm was misplaced. It wasn’t, however, and she didn’t even know the worst of his lies. “Nevertheless, you should be wary. Lee knows of our past, and between our connection and your brother, you could be in danger.”