“Listen, Linus—”
“What happened last night doesn’t change anything, Paula. You’re gonna have to hear me out, and you will. See you later.”
The dial tone buzzed and then transitioned to the annoying busy signal. Only then did Paula realize she was still holding the receiver.
* * *
Dugall’s was heavily frequented by those in Philadelphia’s political circles. During the day, its patrons were a mix of political and law enforcement figures from various levels of stature. Dugall’s lunch hour was said to be the place where such figures lost the shackles of their jobs and gathered like regular people who held profound respect, admiration and affection for one another.
The dinner hour was rumored to be much the same, but it was usually those figures with the greatest influence that patronized the five-star restaurant during that time. No matter the hour, however, Dugall’s was notoriously hard to reserve for a table. However, figures like the mayor, police commissioner and district attorney avoided such difficulties, as there were always private dining rooms at their disposal.
Paula got a kick out of treating her staff to meals at the establishment. The successful prosecution of a case was always cause for a meal there. Most of her staff didn’t make enough to dine there with any sort of frequency. She enjoyed showing them the nicer aspects of the careers they’d chosen.
Their dedication to the job gave Paula confidence that many of them would be among the dealmakers and legislators who would keep the city safe, secure and thriving. As she observed the expressions at the wide round table, Paula saw uncertainty illuminating their usually eager faces. Her decision not to run for reelection had received virtually no positive response. She commended herself on making the announcement so far in advance. With luck, her group would have time to get used to the upcoming changes before they actually took effect.
Fortunately, the culinary talents of Dugall’s chefs were most successful at lifting the spirits of her downcast staff. Paula had been able to get the unfortunate news out of the way before the second round of drinks arrived. The group was about halfway through a generous array of heavy appetizers when the first streams of laughter began to color the room.
The remainder of the meal carried forward on a chord of good vibrations that peaked once the normalcy of shoptalk got underway. Afterwards, the group walked—or, more accurately, waddled—from the dining room on full stomachs they didn’t have to pay a dime to earn.
Paula stayed behind, having told her assistant she’d see her back at the office. She was in no mood to call Linus’s bluff about seeing her there, so she used the time to get work done. At least, she tried. In the end, she resorted to making a few calls. She hoped that having someone else to talk with would add to the illusion that work was why she waited, and not because she was eagerly anticipating his arrival.
* * *
“The fact that there wasn’t much press early on in the investigation is why it ran as smoothly as it did, Don. That might not be as easy this time around.”
Paula paced the far corner of the dining room while speaking with Lieutenant Donald Weiss. The dining table had been cleared of dishes and now resembled a workspace, with an assortment of pens and legal pads littering it. It would’ve appeared that Paula and her colleague had butted heads more than once, but they’d become a surprisingly effective duo while clearing Philadelphia’s streets.
A sigh passed through Weiss’s end of the line. “There’s already speculation in certain circles on this, Paula. To remain silent might give those circles the impression there’s something to hide here. We’re too fresh off that money laundering thing to risk that,” he said.
Paula grimaced, although she somewhat agreed. “Do we need to decide this now? There’s a chance this could involve a portion of our demographic best left out of the news. I don’t give a damn about the impressions of certain circles.”
Don chuckled. “Do you ever?”
“Jokes, Don? You don’t want a personal visit from me, do you?”
“Is that a trick question?”
Paula’s laughter caught in her throat when she saw Linus just inside the room, his back against the closed door. How the hell a man his size maneuvered so quietly, she was sure she’d never know.
He wore the same quietly amused smile he’d had on the beach just shy of a month ago. Paula kept her expression schooled, refusing to let him know it got to her as much now as it had then. Something told her she was wasting her time and that he already knew.
She tuned back in to Don, who was still going on about the case. “I’ve got another meeting about to start, Don. You’ll hear from me soon—promise.”
“Your guys said to come on in,” Linus explained once she’d disconnected.
Paula nodded. “I told them I was expecting you.”
Linus tilted his head toward her mobile. “Hope I didn’t interrupt.”
“Difference of opinion with a cop.”
“Didn’t sound like he minded too much.”
Paula decided it best not to follow up the comment, so she waited. Linus pushed off the door while pulling a small rectangular case from his trouser pocket. He placed it on the round dining table.
“Info as promised,” he said.
Paula acknowledged it with a glance. “Pretty convenient. You guys just happening to have a group of jobs you felt uneasy over.”
Linus’s smile grew wider, as though he’d been waiting for the question to be raised.
“I hope this...info isn’t just meant to keep me occupied when you’re not in my bed.” Her tone was deceptively polite.
Linus’s tone mirrored it. “Is that an invitation?”
“I thought it sounded more like an accusation,” she noted.
“Of what, exactly? That I’m trying to seduce you out of being suspicious of me?”
“I couldn’t have asked that better myself.”
“Will you answer?”
“What for? Sounds like you already have one you’re comfortable with.”
“Offended?”
“Satisfied. I was hoping we’d get this out of the way before the trip.”
“Because it messes with the sleeping arrangements.” His smirk carried no humor then. “Please tell me you don’t believe this is just about sex for either of us.”
“It was for me.”
“Lies.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Linus.”
“I don’t have to. You did that well enough last night. Or don’t you remember?”
“I enjoyed myself, and I let you know it. This had nothing to do with—with anything else.”
Linus broke into full-bodied laughter. “Baby, do you know who you’re talking to?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, is this where you remind me that you were my first?”
“I don’t think you need much reminding. My guess is that a great many of those hot and heavy dates that get so much press in the society section end right there in that splashy lobby where you keep your penthouse.”
“Now you really are flattering yourself.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, Paula. I know I’m not the only one you’ve given a ride up in that elevator of yours. My guess is there haven’t been many though.” Linus forced himself to bite back his temper surging over the idea that there had even been one.
Paula regarded him with an unreadable twinkle in her eye and then smiled. “It’s true. You know me quite well—the girl I was, and oh how she thought she knew you.” Her smile sharpened when she saw his smugness dial back several notches.
Paula began to stroll the sizable dining room. “Yes, she thought she knew you too. She was so young and happy and overwhelmed by love that she romanticized her boyfriend by using words like passionate, outspoken, driven and determined when she described him.” Paula feigned surprise then. “Oh, that’s
right. Us girls from the hood know those words too.”
“Paul—”
“We have dreams. We want to be wives and doctors and lawyers and every other damn thing folks think we aren’t worthy of because of where we come from.”
“I know that, P.”
“’Course you do. You know everything, don’t you? You knew I was a gold digging bitch—that was the phrase, wasn’t it? One of them, anyway.”
“Please let me explain—” He moved toward her, but cut himself short when she retreated and added a minute shake of her head to further deny him.
“You think that night was the first time I saw that quick temper of yours, L? It wasn’t. Back then, I called it passion. You know so much, Linus? Then surely you know girls often use that term to describe boyfriends who really are just plain jackasses.”
She stormed to the table and shoved everything into her tote, including the drive he’d brought her. She headed for the door. “Enjoy the room. I’m done with it.” She left him with a scathing look and then she was gone.
* * *
Paula thought she’d done a fine job of making it from the restaurant to the car and through her residence’s lobby without giving away any hints as to the state of her mood. She recalled her “private” elevator had cameras and made sure to wear a closed expression on the way up.
Once she’d exited into her foyer and the doors had bumped shut at her back, she dropped the facade. An anguished sound left her throat as she stripped off her coat and hurled it across the floor. Viciously, she tugged a hand through her hair and cursed. She hadn’t meant for it to go so far.
But it was what she’d wanted, right? To disabuse him of any ideas that the two of them were back on the path to reconciliation. She shook her head, left with no answers—none she could admit to anyway.
God, she was still so angry with him. Still so angry, after all this time. He’d lost his temper, broken her heart and never tried to make it right. Now he was ready, and she was just supposed to come running? Familiar beeps began to echo through the house to signal a call coming in from the front desk.
“What?” Paula snapped out the greeting.
“Uh.” The young woman hesitated a beat. “DA Starker? I have Mr. Brooks here to see you.”
The man was a glutton for punishment, Paula surmised. Or maybe he just wanted the last word. He’d had an affinity for that, she recalled.
“Send him up,” she instructed. Why not? She’d give him a few more parting shots. Then it would be as she’d said at the restaurant: she was done.
The elevator doors slid open quietly, but Paula thought she’d wait for them to close and envelop them in privacy before she laid into him.
Linus didn’t wait. He left the elevator car with unwavering determination driving his steps. He didn’t stop until her back was against the wall and her mouth was being crushed by his.
“Line—”
“Quiet.” His tone was a growl, gravelly and resonant with emotion. His perfect teeth scraped the curve of her jaw and lower to nip the silken column of her neck and along her clavicle.
Whatever parting shots Paula had to offer faded into her subconscious. Her legs had turned to water and quivered so much that she feared her stiletto stems would soon give way beneath her.
There was no cause for concern there. Linus had already taken her off her feet to secure her between himself and the wall. Paula curled her fingers into his open collar. He’d removed his tie, leaving the shirt unbuttoned to just below his collarbone. The rest of the tailored dark suit remained intact.
Paula only had a moment to grasp the material before it was out of her reach. Linus was dragging his kiss lower. Again, she tried.
“Line—”
“I said quiet, Paula.” His mouth was rooted to the tip of her breast, still concealed beneath her dress and underthings.
It didn’t matter. He suckled hard and withdrew her moan with ease. Linus set her to her feet, and Paula had but a second or less to collect herself before he lifted her again. He’d found his way beneath her dress and cradled her bottom through the barrier of her hosiery.
By the time she’d realized his intentions, she was already on the floor. Linus took her down slowly, until she was on her back in the middle of the foyer. Just as she got used to her change in position, she heard the unmistakable rip and felt the chill from the flooring. It was confirmation that her pantyhose had been torn beyond repair, and her flesh was bare against the gray marble.
The sound of tearing delicates continued until her panties were all that remained. Paula’s gasp was underscored by a heavy sob when Linus used his thumb to work her through the crotch of the cottony fabric. Her lashes refused to be still; desire commanded them.
“Linus, my—my bed—”
“I’m not staying.” With that, he sealed his mouth over her middle and sucked.
Paula arched into a perfect bow while her hands came to rest against the top of his head. She luxuriated in the soft ebony waves she found there and bit her lip to stifle further outbursts of her approval.
There was little hope of keeping that control as the assault continued. Her panties were soaked by need and Linus’s kisses. Paula wanted out of them, and he let her squirm against the discomfort for only a moment before relieving her of the garment.
Again, his wide palms cradled her bottom en route to cupping her thighs, positioning them to his satisfaction. He took her then, tongue plunging relentlessly deep and with sheer possession. Paula instinctively tried to lift off the floor, but his hold was sure and it kept her pinned. Hungrily, her intimate muscles squeezed his gifted tongue in a welcoming embrace. Her thin heels were practically shrouded in the torn hosiery. Intermittently, they tapped in a makeshift rhythm, as if keeping time with every erotic plunge of his tongue. Her hands had turned as weak as her legs and lay palms up on the glossy floor. Her lips were parted and slack, allowing just the faintest sounds of pleasure to escape. Ravenous, low octave sounds vibrated from Linus’s throat. He provided her pleasure and received much in return.
Paula’s small gasps and moans, her hands open and accepting on the floor, the way she squeezed his tongue while he had his way inside her...it all combined to provide an unmatched delight. Linus withdrew every so often to suck and nip at her folds. He smiled, seeing the flesh contract and release in anticipation. His tongue made a trip around her clit, and Paula wriggled amid his unbreakable grip. He offered her no mercy—no reprieve—and paired the rotations with airy suckles as the nub grew even firmer against his tongue.
She was close, he could tell, and commenced a new torment to carry her over. His tongue penetrated deep, and he felt the flood of her need against it. Thick and creamy white, it coated his tongue and he was insatiable for it. Her breathing became a rapid chorus of pants that filled the space and told him she was in the throes of a powerful orgasm. He remained relentless in the pleasure he subjected her to. He thrust and circled his tongue with a determination that was shocking in its intensity.
Furrows formed between Linus’s long, sleek brows as he fixated on drinking Paula in until her shudders subsided and he could no longer feel her coming. When she seemed to calm down, he withdrew slowly to apply damp kisses to her clit, the petals of her sex and her inner thighs.
Her discarded panties lay a few inches away. Linus reached for them as he pushed off his stomach to look down at her. When her bright eyes met his darker ones, he used the lingerie to wipe her from his mouth. His smile was seductively wicked when she rolled her eyes. To add fuel to the fire still raging unseen around them, he leaned close to drop a sweet kiss to her ear.
“I know you started that argument with me on purpose,” he whispered.
Paula blinked, but made no move to face him...or to tell him he was right.
Linus wasn’t looking for confirmation. He stood, pushing her panties into a front pocket insi
de his suit jacket. He favored her with a wink, while she watched him do it.
“I’m sorry I can’t stay. Just wanted you to know there are no hard feelings.” He gave a roguish smile and shrugged. “No hard feelings that’ll mess with the sleeping arrangements, anyway. Let me know if you find anything on that drive,” he said, as though they were simply wrapping up a meeting.
Paula guessed they were, in a way. She watched him fix his shirt cuffs and smooth a hand across the back of his head as he returned to the elevator at an easy pace.
The doors soon closed at his back, but Paula remained on her foyer floor for a long while.
Chapter 7
Outside Nassau, The Bahamas
One Week Later
The travelers had emerged victorious over the series of scheduling upsets they’d all encountered in preparation for the two-week getaway.
The cocktail hour aboard the luxury yacht, Idella, was livened up by an array of scheduling stories a few chose to share regarding their close calls with defeat. The details of the trip had unexpectedly shifted and caused the group to push up its timetable.
“I’m just gonna go ahead and put it out there that the travel gods are taking issue with us seeking sun and fun.”
Tigo’s comment drew laughter as well as agreement. No one had forgotten all the frenzy associated with his and Sophia’s wedding.
“Maybe it’s a sign that we need to plan better, or else we’re asking for trouble doing things at the last minute,” said Clarissa.
“Come on, Clari.” Rayelle Keats laughed at her best friend. “Are you really gonna stand there and call this trouble?”
There was more laughter, including Clarissa’s. She tilted her glass in approval of Ray’s remark.
The group had arrived from Philadelphia around 6:45 p.m. Once the Idella was en route to the villa, the golden time of day was upon them. Everyone had gathered on the hardwood sun deck for the sunset. The spot was furnished by a series of twin-sized chaises and cozy scoop chairs littered with cushiony, wine-colored throw pillows. The space curved into a wide, circular area lined with built-in sectionals littered with their own abundance of pillows. A small two-person Jacuzzi topped off the inviting nook. Eli, Clarissa, Tigo, Sophie, Rook and Viva were in the midst of a heated debate over who got first dibs.
Seductive Memory Page 8